Dance Council Season Tickets on Sale

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contacts:
Shaunda Miles, Director of Public Relations: 412-471-1578/Miles@TrustArts.org
Diana Roth, Communications Manager: 412-471-8717/Roth@TrustArts.org
Images available at: TrustArts.org/press
Search name:  2014-2015 Dance

PITTSBURGH CULTURAL TRUST ANNOUNCES

TICKETS ON SALE
FRIDAY, AUGUST 29, 2014

2014–2015 PITTSBURGH DANCE COUNCIL SEASON

Pittsburgh, PA—  The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust announces single tickets go on sale, Friday, August 29, at 9AM, for the 2014–2015 Pittsburgh Dance Council season.  Pittsburgh Dance Council is a division of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust.  All performances will take place at the Byham Theater located at 101 6th Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222.

The 2014–2015 Pittsburgh Dance Council Season includes the following six performances.  Also, two special dance events presented by the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust: Royal Ballet of Cambodia and Three Acts, Two Dancers, One Radio Host are additional recommendations to dance patrons.

Photo Courtesy of the Artist

Aspen Santa Fe Ballet
Saturday | October 11, 2014 | 8PM | Byham Theater

Simply breathtaking. – Chicago Sun Times

Aspen Santa Fe Ballet’s bold vision focuses on presenting groundbreaking work from the world’s most exciting, emerging choreographers. Square None, the company’s first commission by Norbert De La Cruz III, is an ambitious and expansive piece that explores themes of youth and naiveté. The Aspen Times says, “It felt like a thrill, like a discovery of something new.”  Beautiful Mistake, a stunning piece by Spanish choreographer Cayetano Soto, expertly exhibits the gorgeous physicality of this incredible company through dynamic partnering. The newest work, Heart(s)pace by company-favorite Nicolo Fonte, gives audiences a distinctively unique experience as the stage glows with exuberant light and color. Influenced by love and compassion, this abstract piece illuminates the importance of touch.

Michael Clark Company
Saturday | November 1, 2014 | 8PM | Byham Theater

A thunderous electrifying evening of attention-seeking sound, stimulating visuals, and impressive fine-tuned focused dancers. Don’t expect to be transported; expect to be jolted out of your seats.
– British Theatre Guide

Photo Credit:  Jake Walters

The rebellious sensibilities of British dance iconoclast Michael Clark have catapulted him to the forefront of innovative contemporary dance. Fusing extreme elements of classical and punk, Michael Clark’s technical rigor and unabashed experimentation consistently breaks new ground to provoke and electrify audiences. Michael Clark’s critically-acclaimed work come, been and gone features the music of 1970s rock legends David Bowie and Iggy Pop. At once sensual and damaged, Clark’s masterpiece Swamp is drenched in exquisitely textured patterns of movement. Program contains partial nudity. Presented in partnership with the British Council.

Ron K. Brown Evidence
Saturday | February 7, 2015 | 8PM | Byham Theater

Photo Credit:  Ayodele Casel

If there is any company working today whose dancers pack a more sophisticated and vibrant kinetic punch than those of Ronald K. Brown/Evidence, I can’t think of it.
– The New York Times

Ronald K. Brown masterfully threads elements of African, modern, ballet and social styles, elevating dance as a medium to communicate the human experience. The Brooklyn-based company Evidence poignantly executes Brown’s signature vision of forging contemporary choreography rooted in the beauty of traditional African forms and rhythms. In the extraordinary work The Subtle One, set to the music of jazz musicians Jason Moran and Tarus Mateen, Brown transcends the human struggle and aspirations for connection between spiritual beings and mortals. In On Earth Together, Stevie Wonder’s music deepens Brown’s exploration of love and compassion and features dancers from the Pittsburgh community working alongside dancers from Evidence.

Union Tanguera
Saturday | March 28, 2015 | 8PM | Byham Theater

Photo Credit:  Guillermo Monteleone

Extremely seductive and ravishing. – The Oregonian

French Argentinean ensemble Union Tanguera brings the sensuality and art of tango to life with their original, stimulating interpretation of the social dance style reimagined for the stage. Featuring live music performed by one of Buenos Aires’s finest quartets, the French Argentinean ensemble of seven dancers presents savory, stylized dance theater with dramatic flair.  Set in a nameless nightclub at the end of a traditional tango show, Nuit Blanche illuminates the wanderings, desires, and fears that surface during one sleepless night—unveiling a seductive, late night world where dancers express themselves through intimate, uninhibited dance.

Pontus Lidberg
Saturday | April 18, 2015 | 8PM | Byham Theater

Pontus Lidberg is an exquisite dancer. Lidberg explores movement qualities and relations in a form that is easy to embrace. Something vulnerable, innocent and at the same time volatile…
– Svenska Dagbladet, Sweden

Photo Credit:  Petrus Sjovik

Movement-wise, the freely flowing combinations of recurrent falls, slides and lifts give a feeling of weightlessness. – Västerbottens-Kuriren, Sweden

A rising star on the international dance scene, Swedish choreographer, dancer, and filmmaker Pontus Lidberg has created more than 35 works for major dance companies such as Ballet du Grand Théâtre de Genève, SemperOper Ballet Dresden, Morphoses, and his own company, Pontus Lidberg Dance. His brand-new work, Snow, is a turbulent choreographic composition set in a ceaseless snowfall. The choreography presents a poetic look at the fragile human reality of existence, in contrast to the relentless power of nature. Four world-class dancers, including Lidberg himself, will take the stage together with a lifelike, highly expressive Japanese-style Bunraku puppet to tell a dynamic and poetic story of human experience.

Photo Credit:  Andrew Ross

Scottish Ballet
Tuesday | May 19, 2015 | 8PM | Byham Theater
Crackles with Southern heat and sexual tension. – The Independent

The result is everything you could hope for— florid, poetic, poisonously beautiful.
– London Evening Standard

Scotland’s national dance company presents a bold interpretation of the Tennessee Williams’s masterpiece A Streetcar Named Desire. Dance meets drama in this powerful collaboration between award-winning theater/film director Nancy Meckler and internationally-acclaimed choreographer Annabelle Lopez Ochoa. The iconic, heartbreaking tale of human frailty is set to a saucy, jazz-inspired score and aptly dressed in striking vintage-styled costumes. The retelling of Streetcar is exemplary of Scottish Ballet’s niche for re-imagining classic stories with fresh relevance for contemporary audiences.

SPECIAL PERFORMANCES

Photo Credit:  Thommy Keat

Recommended Performance: Royal Ballet of Cambodia
Friday | November 7, 2014 | 8PM | Byham Theater
Single tickets start at $25.
Sweet and seductive. – The Dance Insider

Renowned for its graceful hand gestures and stunning costumes, the Royal Ballet of Cambodia has been closely associated with the Khmer court for more than 1,000 years. The traditional style celebrates graceful, subtle movement that is absolutely spellbinding.

*This performance is not part of the subscription season. Subscribers receive priority access and a $5 discount on tickets to this Cohen & Grigsby Trust Presents presentation.

Photo Credit:  David Bazemore

Special Event: Three Acts, Two Dancers, One Radio Host
Saturday | February 28, 2015 | 8PM | Byham Theater
Single tickets start at $25.
Out of this unexpected union of dance and radio comes a show that, like the work of its collaborators, blends moments of delight and hilarity with glimpses of the soft underbelly of human experience. It’s magic.    – Santa Barbara Independent

“This, I’ll be completely sincere, is one of my favorite things I have ever been a part of,” says This American Life host Ira Glass of his collaboration with dancers Monica Bill Barnes and Anna Bass. The show includes radio interviews restaged as dance pieces, plus stories from the lives of each of the three performers. Don’t miss this fun, quirky event where radio meets dance in an unlikely, wonderful evening that gives the feeling of an amazing dance performance and a heartfelt This American Life episode.

*This performance is not part of the subscription season. Subscribers receive priority access for tickets to this special event.

TICKETS
Single tickets start at $19 for the 2014-2015 Pittsburgh Dance Council season and are available at www.TrustArts.org, by calling 412-456-6666, or in person at the Box Office at Theater Square, 655 Penn Avenue.  Subscription packages are available for: $64-$240. Subscriptions can be purchased in packages of 4 shows or 6 shows. To subscribe, call 412-456-1390.  Groups of 10 or more tickets, please call 412-471-6930.
For more information visit, www.TrustArts.org/dance.
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.

About the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust
The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust has overseen one of Pittsburgh’s most historic transformations: turning a seedy red-light district into a magnet destination for arts lovers, residents, visitors, and business owners. Founded in 1984, the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust is a non-profit arts organization whose mission is the cultural and economic revitalization of a 14-block arts and entertainment/residential neighborhood called the Cultural District. The District is one of the country’s largest land masses “curated” by a single nonprofit arts organization. A major catalytic force in the city, the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust is a unique model of how public-private partnerships can reinvent a city with authenticity, innovation and creativity. Using the arts as an economic catalyst, the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust has holistically created a world-renowned Cultural District that is revitalizing the city, improving the regional economy and enhancing Pittsburgh’s quality of life. Thanks to the support of foundations, corporations, government agencies and thousands of private citizens, the Cultural Trust stands as a national model of urban redevelopment through the arts.
Follow us on Twitter @CulturalTrust, and like us on Facebook.

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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

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

Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre to Perform Chromatic

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 13, 2012
Contact: Meghan McNamara
Marketing Coordinator
412-454-9117 mmcnamara@pittsburghballet.org

Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre to Perform Chromatic During 2012 Jazz Dance World Festival in Pittsburgh

(Pittsburgh, PA) –  Joining a lineup of dance companies and styles from around the world, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre will perform a unique blend of contemporary and classical style during the Jazz Dance World Festival at Pittsburgh’s Byham Theater on Friday, August 3, at 8 p.m.

Presented by Giordano Dance Chicago and Point Park University, Jazz Dance World Festival features four electrifying evenings of dance August 1 – 4 at the Byham Theater. PBT will take the stage during the festi- val’s third evening, also featuring host company Giordano Dance Chicago, ballroom dance champions Del Dominguez & Laura Flores of Chicago, Odyssey Dance Theatre of Salt Lake City and Pittsburgh’s own August Wilson Center Dance Ensemble.

Adding to an eclectic evening of dance, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre will perform excerpts from the cutting- edge Chromatic, a 2012 Pittsburgh world premiere created on PBT dancers by choreographer Dwight Rhoden. Set to music by Johann S. Bach, Rhoden melds the classical ornamentation of the Baroque era with contemporary and athletic movement that will challenge preconceptions about the relationship be- tween classical composition and ballet.

The Jazz Dance World Festival is part of Jazz Dance World Congress 2012, an international consortium of dancers and teachers which furthers the legacy of jazz dance and education. This five-day event unites teachers, dancers and choreographers from around the world and will take place on the campus of Point Park University from August 1-5, 2012, with additional classes at the August Wilson Center for African American Culture and performances at the Byham Theater.

Presented by Giordano Dance Chicago and Point Park University, Jazz Dance World Congress 2012 marks the first year that Pittsburgh will host this international dance event, which previously has been held in Japan, Washington, D.C.; Germany, Phoenix, AZ; Buffalo, NY; Monterrey, Mexico; San Jose, Costa Rica and Chicago.

Other companies scheduled to perform during the Jazz Dance World Festival include Philadanco! (Philadelphia), Cuerpo Etéreo Danza Contemporánea (Mexico), Masashi Action Machine (Japan), Koresh Dance Company (Philadelphia) and Conservatory Dance Company of Point Park University (Pittsburgh).

PROGAM C
Friday, August 3, at 8 p.m. — Byham Theater

Giordano Dance Chicago (Host)
August Wilson Center Dance Ensemble Del Dominguez & Laura Flores (Chicago) Odyssey Dance Theatre (Salt Lake City) Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre

Tickets are available for $45, and can be purchased online at www.trustarts.org or by calling 412-456-
6666. Patrons who purchase a ticket are also welcome to attend the pre-show International Choreography Competition, sponsored by Dance Studio Life, at 6:30 p.m. each evening at the Byham Theater. The first- place winner of this esteemed competition will receive $2,500 and the special opportunity to perform alongside the professional companies at the closing night of the Festival on Saturday, August 4.

For additional information and to register for Jazz Dance World Congress 2012, please visit www.jazzdanceworldcongress.org or call 312-922-1332.


2012-2013 SEASON


For photos or interview opportunities from Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, please contact Meghan
McNamara, marketing coordinator, at 412-454-9117 or mmcnamara@pittsburghballet.org.
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Jazz Dance World Congress 2012 is co-presented by Giordano Dance Chicago and Point Park University. Premier sponsors are Dance Magazine, Dance Spirit Magazine, and Dance Teacher Magazine. Additional sponsors include Wyndham Pittsburgh Grand Downtown Hotel, Dance Studio Life Magazine, the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, and the August Wilson Center for Center for African American Culture.

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

Pgh Ballet Theatre Spring Performance

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Contact: Meghan McNamara
Marketing Coordinator
Office: 412-454-9117
Cell: 412-527-8953
Email:  mmcnamara@pittsburghballet.org

MEDIA ALERT/ PHOTO OPPORTUNITY REQUEST FOR COVERAGE
DRESS REHEARSAL: Friday, May 25, 2012 – Byham Theater

Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School Presents Spring Performance 2012

WHO: Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School Student and Pre-Professional Divisions

WHAT: Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School will close the year by showcasing the talent and diversity of more than 150 students with the 2012 Spring Performance. Under the direction of PBT Artistic Director Terrence S. Orr and School Directors Marjorie Grundvig and Dennis Marshall, the students will perform George Balanchine’s Serenade, excerpts from August Bournonville’s Napoli and La Sylphide as well as original PBT School works. Class Concert, a new work choreographed by PBT School Principal Anastasia Wovchko, will feature students ranging from Level 1-b of the Student Division through Level VI of the Pre-Professional Division. Set to music by Carl Czerny, the work is inspired by the progression of barre and centre work through a dancer’s training. Another new work, A Voice in Time, choreographed by PBT School Faculty Member Alan Obuzor, will feature students of the Pre- Professional Division performing contemporary choreography set to music by Philip Glass.

Friday’s dress rehearsal is open to media for photographing and filming.


WHERE: Byham Theater
101 Sixth Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15222



WHEN: DRESS REHEARSAL
Friday, May 25, from 2:00-5:00 p.m.



PERFORMANCE
Friday, May 25, at 7 p.m.


TICKETS: Tickets are $26.75 for adults and $22.75 for children 12 and under, and can be purchased online at www.trustarts.org or by calling the Cultural Trust Box Office at 412-456-6666.

*Media should ask for Meghan McNamara or call her cell phone at 412-527-8953 upon arrival. Advance arrangements are appreciated.
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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

Contemporary Dance Enlivens Dance Council Upcoming Season

FOR RELEASE: Sunday, April 29, 2012
Contact: Diana Roth, roth@trustart.org

Pittsburgh Dance Council 2012/2013 Season

An exceptional lineup of world-class contemporary dance

The Pittsburgh Dance Council, a division of Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, announces a diverse representation of the best in contemporary dance for 2012-2013. The season combines the work of iconic choreographer Mark Morris with the rising talent of Pittsburgh native Kyle Abraham; the levity of the legendary Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo with the gravity of Akram Khan’s stunning full-length work Vertical Road; the ground-breaking action of STREB with the traditional cultural influences present in the work of New Zealand’s indigenous dance company Black Grace.

“What I’m really excited about this season is the breadth and depth of expressions that are communicated through dance,” said Executive Director Paul J. Organisak. “The season reflects a balanced mixture that offers audiences an eclectic and engaging glimpse into the vast range of contemporary dance.”

The Pittsburgh Dance Council 2012-2013 Season Line-up:

Photography by Tom Caravaglia

STREB: FORCES
Friday, September 28, 2012
Saturday, September 29, 2012
8 p.m.
Byham Theater
A thrilling, heart-stopping investigation of action, STREB: FORCES  boldly explores a range of motions, from everyday movements to the extreme action of sports, the circus and adventure rides.  Inventor and architect of eccentric action, Elizabeth Streb orchestrates an athletic cadre of daring theater specialists, taking audiences on a wild ride into mechanically outrageous zones and configurations. Gravity be damned. Fasten your safety belts. "By exploring the frontiers of performance space, and creating works that reflect the spirit of our technological age, Ms. Streb is carrying dance into a new dimension." -The New York Times
streb.org

Vertical Road by Laurent Ziegler

Akram Khan Company Vertical Road
Saturday, October 20, 2012
8 p.m.
Byham Theater
British-born Bangladeshi choreographer Akram Khan is celebrated internationally for the vitality he brings to intercultural dance expressions. Khan’s stunning full-length work Vertical Road is a rare feast for the senses—design, lighting, music and dance combine in a rich glow of art. Vertical Road is a meditation on the journey from gravity to grace, drawing inspiration from the Sufi tradition and the words of beloved Persian poet and philosopher Rumi. "Akram Khan is a true choreographer...someone who asks what it is to be human and provides the answers in dance." -The London Evening Standard
akramkhancompany.net

Photography by Ian Douglas

Kyle Abraham/Abraham.In.Motion
Boyz n the Hood: Pavement
Saturday, February 16, 2013
8pm
Byham Theater
Like August Wilson, Kyle Abraham draws heavily from his experiences growing up African American in Pittsburgh to create personal and culturally-referenced works. The New York Times has described Kyle Abraham’s work as “an intriguing mix of breaking and Chaplinesque pathos.” The evening's full-length performance pairs classic essays from W.E.B. Du Bois’ The Souls of Black Folk and John Singleton’s 1991 film, Boyz n the Hood with an operatic score layered with a brash urban landscape. “Kyle Abraham is the biggest choreographic force coming out of Pittsburgh and has taken a prominent place as a must-see choreographer on the New York scene.” - Jane Vranish, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
abrahaminmotion.org

Photography by Duncan Cole

Black Grace
Saturday, March 2, 2013
8 p.m.
Byham Theater
Samoan culture informs and shapes New Zealand’s most accomplished choreographer Neil Ieremia, fueling his artistry with organic exuberance.  Black Grace manifests the rhythms, spirit and energy of Pacific heritage with outstanding works from the company’s 17-year history.
The performance includes excerpts from Minoi, Pati Pati, Objects and Amata—plus a glimpse fromWaka, a fascinating new work inspired by the 1898 painting The Arrival of the Maoris. In the Samoan tradition of tatau (tattoo, body art), Black Grace will make an indelible impression. “A polished, pungent, bone-crunching physical and perfectly executed alchemy of music, muscle and motion.” - New Zealand Herald
blackgrace.co.nz

Photography by Sascha Vaughn

Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo
Friday, April 5, 2013
8 p.m.
Byham Theater
For more than 35 years, New York’s legendary all-male dance company “Keeps on Trockin” by playfully bringing the pleasures of dance to the widest possible audience.  Through its skillful parodies of ballet classics and modern dance,  the Trocks’ comedic brilliance lies in incorporating and exaggerating the foibles, incongruities, accidents and underlying congruities of serious dance. “Whenever I leave a Trocks’ show I'm always, always, happy. I can't say this of any other company. What thrills me is the cleverness and subtlety of their observations and the sheer technical dedication of all involved. The Trocks know their stuff.” - Ballet Magazine
trockadero.org

Photography by Brian Snyder

Mark Morris Dance Group
Saturday, May 4, 2013
8 p.m.
Byham Theater
Endlessly inventive and masterful, Mark Morris ranks among the world’s greatest choreographers. Described as “undeviating in his devotion to music,” Mark Morris has made live musical accompaniment the gold standard in modern dance.  For more than three decades, the Mark Morris Dance Group has been wowing the world over with outstanding works that dutifully exude Mark Morris’ prolificacy, passion and artistic conviction. “That Mr. Morris reveals his musical sophistication through barefoot modern dancing is what gives his choreography such primal elegance. Whether the effect is joyful, bombastic or as quiet as can be, the connective tissue is rhythm. He finds ways to make bodies sing all the notes, not just the high ones.” - The New York Times
markmorrisdancegroup.org

Subscription Information
Subscription packages for the Pittsburgh Dance Council’ six-show series are available for: $96-$240. To subscribe, call 412-456-1390; 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.

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

Armitage Gone! Dance in Three Theories Premieres at the Byham

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Today's date:
February 1, 2012

Contact:
Veronica Corpuz
(412) 471-6082
corpuz@trustarts.org

Diana Roth
(412) 471-8717
roth@trustarts.org

Electronic images are available upon request.

Pittsburgh Dance Council presents Armitage Gone! Dance in Three Theories

Saturday, March 3, 2012, at 8:00 p.m., Byham Theater, 101 Sixth Street

PittsburghDance Council proudly presents Armitage Gone! Dance in the Pittsburgh premiere of Three Theories at the Byham Theater on Saturday, March 3, 2012, at 8:00 p.m.

Tickets ($19-$45) may be purchased at the Box Office at Theater Square, online at www.trustarts.org, or by calling (412) 456-6666. First Commonwealth is the proud season sponsor of Pittsburgh Dance Council, and 90.5 Essential Public Radio is the media sponsor.

Armitage Gone! Dance was created in 2005 upon Karole Armitage’s return from her 15-year stay in Europe. The company endorses innovation and is dedicated to refining the boundaries and perceptions of contemporary dance. Extending on classical and modern styles from the Balanchine and Cunningham tradition, Armitage permeates experimental thinking into the geometric balance, speed, rhythm and beauty of dance steps. Armitage derives inspiration from sources such as Japanese aesthetics, pop culture and new media, physics, fashion, and from her dancers of distinct cultural and dance backgrounds. Armitage Gone! Dance is noted for its collaborations with creators in the visual arts, science, and music, including artists Jeff Koons and David Salle, as well as string-theory physicist Brian Greene.

Three Theories (2010) is an evening-length work, inspired by renowned physicist Brian Greene’s best-selling book, The Elegant Universe. The performance itself is enriched with scientific discoveries and divided into three distinct sections – each defined by its own dance structure and musical language. Three Theories is performed by Leonides Arpon, Kristina Bethel-Blunt, Megumi Eda, William Isaac, Luke Manley, Bennyroyce Royon, Abbey Roesner, Marlon Taylor-Wiles, Emily Wagner, Mei-hua Wang, and Masayo Yamaguchi.

The series choreography begins with a prelude inspired by the Big Bang Theory, set to an excerpt from Chatham’s Two Gongs. The first section, titled Relativity, derives from Einstein’s hypothesis that gravity is the warping of the space-time fabric. Armitage advances her analysis of bending and twisting the horizontal and vertical lines of classical ballet in this dance. Relativity is a soothing dance, echoing Einstein’s recognition of the universe as a place of central order.

The second section, Quantum, is charged by Quantum Mechanics’ explanation of the volatility of the universe on the particle, or micro, level. As a result, Armitage created four ambiguous, rapid, off-kilter duets, set to Chatham’s driving initial score for 100 massed guitars precisely tuned to produce micro-tones. The choreographic structure for this section is inspired by Quantum Mechanics’ inception of “sum-over-paths,” which derives from a single dance phrase that is manipulated in a variation of ways.

The last section, String, draws from the string theory, which presumes that the fundamental matter of the universe is essentially a microscopic vibrating string, in which its vibrations are caused by the volume of the folded, intricate geometry surrounding it. “Legs twang like twisted arrows; hips pivot; feet slap sporadically on the floor…Armitage’s choreography is constantly morphing and moving into another mood, another feel (Dance Europe).”

Artistic director Karole Armitage, also known as the “punk ballerina,” began her professional career in 1973 as a member of the Ballet du Grand Théâtre de Genève, Switzerland. The company was devoted to the works of George Balanchine, which stems the majority of Armitage’s inspiration. In 1976, Armitage’s career blossomed with leading roles in Merce Cunningham’s landmark works. She stayed with Cunningham for five years, and since then – through her unique knowledge of the aesthetic values of Balanchine and Cunningham – Armitage has created her own place in the modern world of dance. In 1978, Armitage created her first piece, followed by her iconic Drastic-Classicism in 1981.

Karole Armitage has won several awards in various countries for her outstanding work, including the Grand Prix Roscigno Danza, Officier dans L’ordre des Arts et des Lettres, Chevalier dans L’ordre des Arts et des Lettres, and the Guggenheim Fellowship for Choreography. Her unique style has set her apart from others. “The ‘Armitage style’ is distinguished by its virtuosity and its urgency. She pushes the frontiers that traditionally separate dance, theater, music, and visual arts (Arte Magazine).”

Each year the Pittsburgh Dance Council, a division of The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, showcases a world-class season of dance. As the largest presenter of international performances in the city, the Dance Council continues to help make our Cultural District one of the country’s leading arts and entertainment centers.

Posted on behalf of Joanne Quinn-Smith by Joyce Kane.  Joyce 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

Uncommon at the August Wilson Center

UNCOMMON, February 3-12, 2012 at the August Wilson Center

(Pittsburgh, PA) – Uncommon, on stage February 3-12 at the August Wilson Center, presents a new, world premiere work by Dwight Rhoden, Chromatic, as well as Brahm’s Quintet by Dennis Nahat and Maelstrom by Mark Morris. Audiences will be treated to an experience that will challenge any predetermined ideas regarding the relationship between classical composition and ballet. This is the first time Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre brings a part of its season to the August Wilson Center. Tickets to Uncommon can be purchased online at www.pbt.org, or by phone at (412) 456-6666.

Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre plans to announce it’s 2012-2013 Season at the performances of Uncommon.


QUOTE:

This world premiere ballet [Chromatic] set to Bach is an exciting venture. The new work will look at the dynamic and multi-dimensional nature of the music and movement from the Baroque period, and hopefully bring a 21st century spin to a visual presentation.—Dwight Rhoden


About Choreographer Dwight Rhoden

Mr. Rhoden is a founding Artistic Director of Complexions Contemporary Ballet, based in New York City. A former principal dancer with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, he has established a remarkably wide-ranging career. “One of the most sought-after choreographers of the day“ (New York Times), he has created more than 80 ballets for his own company, and his work has been featured in television productions from PBS’s Great Performances specials to the popular series, So You Think You Can Dance. Dance Magazine has praised his “new aesthetic in movement, stage, picture, and performance concepts reflecting a post-modern, techno-savvy worldview.”


Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre and The August Wilson Center

In 2011, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre (PBT) and the August Wilson Center (AWC) will began a multiyear partnership that includes the Ballet’s premiere performances of Uncommon, in the Center’s 486-seat theatre, February 3-12, 2012. This partnership seeks to develop and provide world-class artistic content that will enrich the artistic substance of both institutions to the benefit of the Greater Pittsburgh community and beyond. The collaboration will include performances, education & cultivation and workshops & master classes.

Moving from the Byham Theater to the August Wilson Center will provide PBT patrons with a more intimate experience at the ballet.


Info from August Wilson Center:

About the August Wilson Center for African American Culture

Named for Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning playwright and Hill District native August Wilson, the August Wilson Center for African American Culture engages regional and national audiences in its mission of preserving, presenting, interpreting, celebrating and shaping the art, culture and history of African Americans in Western Pennsylvania and people of African descent throughout the world.

Located in Downtown Pittsburgh’s Cultural District, the multidisciplinary August Wilson Center is reflective of all aspects of African American culture. The Center’s striking, two-story, green building houses seven exhibition galleries, a 486-seat theater for performances in all disciplines, a cultivation center, a café and gift shop, and multipurpose spaces for community programs and events. The Center is among a select few African American cultural institutions presenting visual and performing arts, the humanities and educational programs in a state-of-the-art venue.

The August Wilson Center – At The Center Of It All!

More information is available on The Center’s website at AugustWilsonCenter.org and by calling 412.258.2700.
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