2013 - 2014 Dance Council Season Announced

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Today's date: May 5, 2013
Contact: Shaunda Miles / 412-471-1578 / miles@trustarts.org
              Diana Roth / 412-471-8717 / roth@trustarts.org

2013-2014 Pittsburgh Dance Council 

Season Announcement 

Pittsburgh, PA (For Release: May 5, 2013):  The Pittsburgh Dance Council, a division of Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, announces an outstanding array of dance from around the world that will grace our stages this season!  Paul Organisak, Executive Director, comments “Pittsburgh Dance Council is pleased to continue to present some of the finest companies whose diversity of artistic expression and culture are certain to captivate, challenge and entertain you during the 2013-2014 Season.  With a focus on delivering new and fresh experiences and international flair, the Dance Council brings a snapshot of contemporary dance and performance.”

The Pittsburgh Dance Council will be featured prominently during the return of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust’s International Festival of Firsts with the US premiere of a work by the remarkable Marie Chouinard and the US premiere presentation of Switzerland’s ground-breaking physical theatre of Zimmerman & de Perrot.  Three Pittsburgh premieres fill out the second half of the season with the incredibly dynamic Compagnie Käfig from Brazil, the gorgeous performers of Ballet Genève, and the rare opportunity to see an evening of dance featuring Wendy Whelan.  The season will close with the return of a popular Dance Council series performance by Wayne McGregor’s Random Dance.

2013-14 Pittsburgh Dance Council season:

Compagnie Marie Chouinard
Friday, September 28, 2013
8pm, Byham Theater

 Two featured presentations are also part of the Pittsburgh International Festival of Firsts

-Henry Michaux: Mouvements

- Gymnopedies (U.S. Premiere)

Marie Chouinard creates dance conceived from primeval dreams— earthy and strong, yet shaped by irrepressible secrets and unseen dimensions in time. Selected to launch the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust’s Pittsburgh International Festival of Firsts, the evening's program will include the U.S. premiere of Gymnopedies, set to the glorious solo piano pieces of Eric Satie and Henri Michaux:Mouvements, inspired by a book of poetry and drawings by Belgian artist Henri Michaux. In HenryMichaux: Mouvements, the dancers form a stunning silhouette to projections exuding a haunting sense that they, in the artist’s words, are connected to “the strangeness of natural things and the naturalness of strange things.”

"It felt like experiencing an event rather than watching a performance. Marie Chouinard breaks boundaries…" -The Vancouver Sun

Zimmermann & de Perrot
Friday, October 18, 2013
8pm, Byham Theater

 -U.S. Premiere – Featured presentation of the Pittsburgh International Festival of Firsts
- Hans was Heiri

With a great deal of mischief but at the same time, anger and depth, the duo Zimmermann & de Perrot present a disconcertingly original marriage of theatre, circus and dance.  Supported by five circus artists and dancers, these two directors, who now enjoy dazzling success, have far exceeded all expectations in their new work.  Poets as well as magicians, they keep a piece overflowing with humor regulated to the nearest millimeter.  The stage design, which revolves on a horizontal axis, forces the performers into the most unlikely positions.  All this is put at the service of a caustic story, which makes Hans was Heiri a work that has broken down barriers among the public to an extent rarely seen.
“ 4 STARS. Boisterous, off-the-wall humour and fizzy, rollickingly good entertainment” – The Times

“Zimmermann & de Perrot create absurd, surreal masterpieces of visual theatre” –Total Theatre Review

Compagnie Käfig
Saturday, February 1, 2014
8pm, Byham Theatear

-CORRERIA

-AGWA

This innovative hip-hop ensemble has become an international phenomenon, touring the world with sold out performances and rave reviews.   Inspired by an encounter with eleven young dancers from the shantytowns of Brazil, director and choreographer Mourad Merzouki  created Correriaand Agwa—two heart-stopping works that showcase a sensational combination of athletic samba, hip-hop, and capoeira dance styles. The all-male company from Brazil exhibits theatrical intelligence and is gifted with irresistible personality and astonishing dancing.  Bursting with fun, humor, and vitality, this show is set to an energetic soundtrack of samba and bossa nova music.
 “Compagnie Käfig… a.k.a.: the cure for pretty much anything that ails you.” --The Boston Globe
“One of the most innovative troupes on the experimental dance scene.”  --The New York Times

Ballet du Grand Théâtre de Genève
Saturday, March 8, 2014
8pm, Byham Theater

-Glory

-Sed Lux Permanet

Directed by Philippe Cohen, the Geneva Ballet is known around the world for its exquisite dancers and exciting artistic collaborations. The Pittsburgh premiere presentation of will also feature the premiere of two major emerging choreographers in the international contemporary dance scene:  Andonis Foniadakis and Ken Ossola.  Glory, choreographed by Andonis Foniadakis, allows the dancers’ bodies to come together in various modes of symbiosis, either fluid or tense, expansive or minimalistic which demonstrates the mastery and quality of Handel’s flamboyant music.  The hypnotic quality of Sed Lux Permanet and its sculpted shadow play enhance the delicate nature of bodies wreathed by the sensitive, ethereal sweetness of Fauré’s Requiem.

“Divine … this company has established itself as one of the most original and inventive in Europe.” -La Presse de Tunisie

Wendy Whelan Project
Saturday, March 22, 2014
8pm, Byham Theater

-Restless Creature

 “America’s most celebrated contemporary ballerina” (The New York Times) has joined forces with four of today’s top male choreographers, Pittsburgh’s own Kyle Abraham, Joshua Beamish, Brian Brooks, and Alejandro Cerrudo. Arguably the finest ballet dancer of our time, Whelan has danced with New York City Ballet for more than 25 years. She embarks on a new dance adventure with this vibrant suite of four contemporary duets, each with its own distinct style and artistry.

Wayne McGregor | Random Dance
Saturday, April 26, 2014
8pm, Byham Theater

-FAR

Award-winning, anatomy-defying British choreographer Wayne McGregor’s groundbreaking vision embraces dance, science, film, music, visual art and technology to create intriguing, expansive works. And FAR is no exception. Staged in a mesmerizing environment of shadow and light, FARbinds innovative design with choreography inspired by radical cognitive research process. It will make you think differently about dance.
“Wayne McGregor is doing some of the most exciting work on the planet.”-The New York Times
“If any artist has defined the decade, it’s Wayne McGregor.”- The UK Times


Subscription Information
Subscription packages for the Pittsburgh Dance Council 2013-14 season include:  Super Subscriber: six-show series (receive 6 performances for the price of 5) are available for: $96-$240; and Four Performance Package (pick 4 performances of your choice and save up to 20%) are available for $64-$160.  To subscribe, call 412-456-1390 or TrustArts.org/dance; groups of 10 or more tickets, call 412-471-6930. Single tickets for Pittsburgh Dance Council performances will go on sale to the general public in mid-August.  For information, call 412-456-6666 or visit TrustArts.org/dance.

Text Dance to 76274 for special offers and reminders. Standard text messaging rates apply.
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About The Pittsburgh Dance Council
The Pittsburgh Dance Council joined Pittsburgh Cultural Trust as a programming division 2002. The mission of Pittsburgh Dance Council is to bring the best contemporary dance companies from around the world to the Cultural District. Each season, Pittsburgh Dance Council presents diverse, world-class contemporary works, including U.S. and world premieres.

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Posted on behalf of Dreamweaver Marketing Associates.  Joyce Kane is the owner of Cybertary Pittsburgh, a Virtual Administrative support company, providing virtual office support, personal and executive assistance, creative design services and light bookkeeping.  Cybertary works with businesses and busy individuals to help them work 'on' their business rather than 'in' their business.  www.Cybertary.com/Pittsburgh

Moulin Rouge Opens Valentine's Day at the Benedum

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                                                 January 14, 2013

Contact: Meghan McNamara
Marketing Coordinator
412-454-9117
mmcnamara@pittsburghballet.org

Pittsburgh Premiere of Moulin Rouge® — The Ballet  Opens Valentine’s Day
PBT Presents a Story of Love, Ambition and Heartbreak Valentine’s Day Weekend

PITTSBURGH, PA –  Opening on Valentine’s Day, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre brings the mystique of Paris’ famed cabaret to the Benedum Center stage for the Pittsburgh premiere of Moulin Rouge® — The Ballet, Feb. 14-17, 2013.

The iconic cabaret, high-kicking cancan and extravagant excesses of  turn-of-the-century Paris set the scene for a story of love, ambition and heartbreak in Moulin Rouge®—The Ballet. Drawn to Paris by the city’s passion, struggling artist Matthew and launderette-turned-performer Nathalie find themselves swept into a passionate romance and the intoxicating nightlife of the Moulin Rouge.

Choreographer Jorden Morris, the creator behind PBT’s 2011 production of Peter Pan, laces contemporary and classical ballet with international influences from the vivacious French cancan to the fiery partnering of the Tango Café. The passion peaks with an intimate pas de deux set to  Debussy’s Claire de Lune on a bridge by the Eiffel Tower. The cabaret’s possessive proprietor Zidler, however, casts a shadow over their romance as he ensnares his newly-discovered performer and her lover in a dangerous love triangle.

A number of historic figures from the origins of the Moulin Rouge® also find roles in the ballet. French painter Henri Toulouse-Latrec, who immortalized the Moulin Rouge® with depictions of its performers, takes the role of Matthew’s mentor, and the cabaret’s co-founder Charles Zidler becomes Matthew’s adversary.

With a score spanning 27 different works by 14 different composers — including some well-known titles such as Clair de Lune, La Vie en Rose, or the Can-Can — Morris selected the majority of music from the late 19th and early 20th centuries during the rise of the Moulin Rouge®.

Moulin Rouge® — The Ballet features more than 70 vibrantly-colored costumes, created by Anne Armit, Head of Wardrobe at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, and Shannon Lovelace, a freelance designer, who drew inspiration from the fashions of the era and from Toulouse-Lautrec’s paintings of the Moulin Rouge®. A luminous red windmill and Eiffel Tower  top the onstage scenery, designed by Andrew Beck.

Experienced by more than 100,000 people across North America, Moulin Rouge®—The Ballet had its world premiere in 2009 at Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet, where Morris trained and later danced professionally.

The Moulin Rouge® was co-founded  in 1889 — the same year the Eiffel Tower was constructed —by builder Joseph Oller and manager Charles Zidler in the Monmartre district of Paris. The cabaret’s iconic red windmill, and namesake, became a symbol of the city’s thriving nightlife. Today, among other performance requirements, all of the Moulin Rouge’s performers must possess a solid base in classical ballet training.

This  production of Moulin Rouge® — The Ballet is generously sponsored by UPMC and PPG Industries Foundation.

In the spirit of the Moulin Rouge of Paris, Moulin Rouge® is a registered trademark of Moulin Rouge S.A.

Tickets
Tickets range in price from $25.75 to $95.75, and are available online at www.pbt.org, by calling 412-456-6666 or visiting The Box Office at Theater Square.

Media Note: For interview or photo requests, please contact Meghan McNamara, marketing coordinator, at 412-454-9117 or mmcnamara@pittsburghballet.org.

Posted on behalf of Dreamweaver Marketing Associates.  Joyce Kane is the owner of Cybertary Pittsburgh, a Virtual Administrative support company, providing virtual office support, personal and executive assistance, creative design services and light bookkeeping.  Cybertary works with businesses and busy individuals to help them work 'on' their business rather than 'in' their business.  www.Cybertary.com/Pittsburgh

Andre Reyes Joins Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School Faculty

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Meghan McNamara
412-454-9117
mmcnamara@pittsburghballet.org

Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School Welcomes Andre Reyes to 2012-2013 Faculty

PITTSBURGH, PA (September 2012) – Marking the start of the 2012-2013 school year, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School Directors Marjorie Grundvig and Dennis Marshall have announced the addition of Andre Reyes as the school’s newest full-time faculty member.

Reyes brings more than 30 years of professional ballet and teaching experience to PBT School, where he will instruct students of the Pre-Professional Program in a variety of classes, including Pas de Deux, Men’s Technique and others.

“I’m really proud to be part of such an experienced team,” said Reyes, who danced for several years with School Director Dennis Marshall and remembers watching PBT Artistic Director Terrence S. Orr and Ballet Mistress Marianna Tcherkassky perform when he was a student at American Ballet Theatre.

A San Francisco Bay Area native, Reyes received his early dance training from his parents Benjamin Reyes and Josefa Villanueva at Santa Clara Ballet School before continuing on to Joffrey Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, School of American Ballet and San Francisco Ballet School. Reyes, a longtime favorite of Bay Area audiences, performed as a principal dancer with San Francisco Ballet from 1980 to 1993 and Pacific Northwest Ballet from 1994 to 1996.

It was during his time as a principal dancer at San Francisco Ballet that Reyes first met PBT School Director Dennis Marshall, then a fellow principal with the company.

“Andre was an amazingly exciting dancer,” Marshall said. “He’s very versatile whether he’s working with classical or contemporary choreography, staging or creating works. He was a phenomenal dancer, and he’s a phenomenal teacher.”

Prior to joining PBT School, Reyes taught since 2007 on the faculty of the Boston Ballet School. Reyes has been a guest lecturer for Stanford University, University of Santa Clara, San Francisco State University, Boston College, Harvard, as well as the American College Dance Festival Association. During his career, he worked with world-renowned choreographers Glen Tetley, Jiri Kylian, Michael Smuin, Eliot Feld, James Kudelka, and David Bintley, and danced in a number of special invitation and international gala performances.

Joining Reyes in Pittsburgh are his wife, Cynthia Drayer, a former San Francisco Ballet principal who served as a guest ballet teacher during PBT’s 2012 Intensive Summer Program, as well as his daughter Rowan, a new full-time high school student in PBT School’s Pre-Professional Program.

Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School
Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School is the official training institution of Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre and has an enrollment of more than 900 students, including the Children’s, Student, Pre-Professional and Open Divisions. The Children’s Division gives young students an introduction to ballet and prepares them for advancement to the Student Division. Dancers in the Student Division work to refine their technique and dancers in the Pre- Professional Program prepare for professional careers in classical ballet. Many students perform in an annual School Spring Performance at the Byham Theater, and some students are chosen by Artistic Director Terrence S. Orr to perform with Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre at the Benedum Center. Each year, PBT School students can audition for The Nutcracker, and in 2011 more than 150 were cast in a
variety of roles.

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Posted on behalf of Dreamweaver Marketing Associates.  Joyce Kane is the owner of Cybertary Pittsburgh, a Virtual Administrative support company, providing virtual office support, personal and executive assistance, creative design services and light bookkeeping.  Cybertary works with businesses and busy individuals to help them work 'on' their business rather than 'in' their business.  www.Cybertary.com/Pittsburgh