WHEN: Saturday, October 25, 8 PM
WHERE: The Theatre @ Raritan Valley Community College, 118 Lamington Rd., Branchburg
TICKETS: $25 and $35. To purchase tickets or for more information, contact the Box Office at 908-725-3420, or order online at www.rvccArts.org.
A Night at the Ballet will feature the world premiere of Shades of Time, choreographed by American Repertory Ballet's Resident Choreographer Mary Barton, as well as Trinette Singleton’s Dreams Interrupted and Kirk Peterson’s Tears of the Moon.
Narrative, emotional impetuses and innovative movement phrases are signatures of Barton’s works. In Shades of Time, Barton explores the beauty in each phase of the day and in their passing - from dark night to dawn, to afternoon, to evening. The work is set to music by Edward Elgar.
As Marina Kennedy of Broadway World says, Kirk Peterson’s Tears of the Moon, set to music by Beethoven, is “alternatively tense, sensitive, and joyous,” and “couples [dance] romantic liaisons with complete passion.” Peterson created the work on ARB’s dancers in the fall of 2013.
“For many years I had wanted to create a ballet using Beethoven's music,” Peterson explains, “but finding the right ballet company and doing it at the right time was the challenge. The dancers of ARB are pleasure to work with and beautifully facilitated my efforts, vision, and concept for what resulted in a complex and delicately emotional piece.”
Trinette Singleton’s work, Dreams Interrupted, was also created on ARB’s dancers. When creating this new work in ARB’s studios in the spring of 2014, she was inspired by Pierre Bohemond’s piece of music “Dreams Interrupted” and by the psychological place between dreaming and experiencing reality. Jerry Hochman wrote in CriticalDance, “It’s a tight, dark, psychological fantasy, filled with fiery dancing...The accompanying music...is rapturous, eerie, and compelling, and Ms. Singleton’s choreography brings out the best in it.”
GRUMPY BIRD
WHEN: Tuesday, November 4, at 11:00 AM, directly following 10:00 AM story time in the library’s children’s section
WHERE: Princeton Public Library: 65 Witherspoon St, Princeton, NJ 08542
TICKETS: This event is free and open to the public.
About American Repertory Ballet and Princeton Ballet School
American Repertory Ballet’s mission is to bring the joy, beauty, artistry and discipline of classical and contemporary dance to New Jersey and nationwide audiences and to dance students through artistic and educational programs. The organization comprises: American Repertory Ballet, the preeminent professional classical and contemporary ballet company in the state; Princeton Ballet School, one of the largest and most respected non-profit dance schools in the nation; and ARB’s Access & Enrichment initiatives, including the long-running and acclaimed DANCE POWER program. The performing company is a classical and contemporary ballet company committed to presenting ballets from the 19th and 20th centuries alongside new and existing works by choreographers from today. Founded in 1963, the company is currently under the artistic leadership of Douglas Martin, former principal dancer with the Joffrey Ballet. Its rich history of repertory includes established masterpieces by distinguished American choreographers such as George Balanchine, Gerald Arpino, Alvin Ailey, Paul Taylor and Twyla Tharp; cutting edge works by choreographers such as Val Caniparoli, Kirk Peterson, Dominique Dumais, Harrison McEldowney, Amy Seiwert, Susan Shields, Melissa Barak, Patrick Corbin, Trinette Singleton, and ARB Resident Choreographer Mary Barton; and former Artistic Directors Dermot Burke, Marjorie Mussman, Septime Webre and Graham Lustig. ARB has been designated a “Major Arts Institution” by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts consistently for the past two decades, and has repeatedly been awarded a Citation of Excellence by the Council. ARB was voted the Jersey Arts People’s Choice for “Favorite Dance Company” in 2008, 2011 and 2012.
Princeton Ballet School has gained a national reputation for its excellent dance training since its founding in 1954 by Audrée Estey. Under the direction of Mary Pat Robertson, Princeton Ballet School currently serves approximately 1,200 students, starting at age three, and includes a large open enrollment division for adults. Princeton Ballet School has studios in Cranbury, New Brunswick, and Princeton and offers classes in ballet, modern dance, jazz, hip-hop, CardioBallet, and CoMBo - Conditioning for the Mind and Body. Students from the school have gone on to dance in professional ballet and contemporary dance companies in the US and abroad. Graduates have danced with such diverse organizations as New York City Ballet, Paul Taylor Dance Company, Miami City Ballet, Complexions, Mark Morris Dance Company, Twyla Tharp, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, Ballet West and on Broadway.
The Access & Enrichment wing of American Repertory Ballet reaches out to the community not only through its DANCE POWER program and signature On Pointe series, but also with free programming, master classes, residencies, lecture demonstrations and School Time Matinees throughout the state. In 1984, American Repertory Ballet partnered with the New Brunswick Board of Education to create DANCE POWER. Today, it’s the longest-running uninterrupted arts/community partnership in New Jersey. The legendary Gregory Hines was DANCE POWER’s Honorary Chair for 18 years before his untimely passing in 2003. In 2001, Mr. Hines endowed a scholarship at Rutgers University that earmarks annual funds for a DANCE POWER student to attend the university.