Ballet Under the Stars Performance at Hartwood Acres

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                                          
July 17, 2012

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

Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre Sets Stage for 2012-2013 Season 

with Free “Ballet Under the Stars” Performance at Hartwood Acres 

(Pittsburgh, PA) –  Gather your blankets and picnic chairs, and relax under the stars for Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre’s 24th annual open air  performance at the Hartwood Acres Middle Road Concert Area on Thursday, August 16, at 7:30 p.m. with pre-performance activities beginning at 5 p.m.

As part of the Allegheny Summer Concert Series, PBT will perform a free evening of mixed repertoire by August Bournonville, George Balanchine and Dwight Rhoden. Prior to the performance, PBT will host a variety of free, family activities and  a VIP picnic dinner under the PBT tent.

Sponsored by the County of Allegheny, PBT’s Hartwood Acres performance sets in motion the anticipation of a new ballet season, which this year premieres with Giselle with the PBT Orchestra, onstage Oct. 26-28, 2012 at the Benedum Center. During Ballet Under the Stars, audience members will have access to an exclusive pre-sale for single tickets to 2012-2013 Season productions before individual tickets officially go on sale Sept. 4.

Free Performance — 7:30 p.m.

For the first time, PBT will bring the Mediterranean color of Napoli Variations to the stage with choreography from Act III of August Bournonville’s classic romantic ballet set to music by E. Helsted, Gade and Paulli.

In Sylvia Pas de Deux, George Balanchine keeps the tradition of a grand pas de deux in the French style, with an adagio, variations and a coda. Set to a sumptuous composition by Léo Delibes, this is the ideal vehicle for virtuoso performances.

The company also will perform 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 in an abstract piece that mirrors the constant motion of modern life.

Free Pre-Performance Family Activities — 5 p.m.
PBT invites audience members to arrive at 5 p.m. for  free family activities, including a ballerina dress up station, character greetings and photo opportunities, themed crafts by PBT and the Boyd Community Center and dance activities with PBT School instructors.

Annual VIP Picnic — 5 p.m.
PBT will host a savory summer barbecue under the PBT Tent sponsored by Yelp and Clique Vodka in celebration of the upcoming 2012-2013 Season.  While mingling with PBT’s company dancers, guests will enjoy live music and cocktails before heading to reserved stage-front performance seating. Tickets are available for $75 for adults and $20 for children. For more information, or to purchase tickets, contact Shayne Souleret at 412-454-9137.

For photos or interviews, please contact Meghan McNamara at 412-454-9117 or mmcnamara@pittsburghballet.org.
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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

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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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