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THE DETROIT OPERA HOUSE ANNOUNCES EXCITING
2008-09 CHRYSLER FOUNDATION DANCE SERIES
* * *
Hubbard Street Dance Chicago makes Detroit Opera House Debut
Nutcracker, Ailey and ABT Return!
DETROIT, Michigan, February 25, 2008...The Detroit Opera House is pleased to announce the details of a diverse dance lineup for the 2008-09 season that includes one exciting debut and, by popular demand, three returning favorites. This 12th season of dance at the Detroit Opera House is headlined by some of the most internationally-renowned American companies, performing both modern dance and classical ballet. The 2008-09 Chrysler Foundation dance season includes the Detroit Opera House debut of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago (October 31 – November 2, 2008) and the return of The Joffrey Ballet’s The Nutcracker (Nov. 28 – 30, 2008), Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (Feb. 12-15, 2009), and American Ballet Theatre performing Romeo and Juliet (March 13-15, 2009).
“This exciting new dance season highlights our commitment to presenting some of the best dance companies in the world to the stage of the Detroit Opera House; this season, we look forward to the return of some of our favorite companies, as well as the long-awaited debut of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago,” says Detroit Opera House General Director David DiChiera. “We are thrilled to once again host these world-renowned dance companies as ‘the home of dance in Detroit.’”
HUBBARD STREET DANCE CHICAGO, October 31-November 2, 2008
Hubbard Street Dance Chicago makes their Detroit Opera House debut in October 2008, bringing their exuberant, athletic and innovative modern dance repertoire to the magnificent Detroit Opera House stage. Critically acclaimed for their progressive approach, the company features dancers who display unparalleled versatility and virtuosity in performances that inspire, challenge and engage audiences worldwide. Hubbard Street Dance Chicago will perform at the Detroit Opera House October 31 through November 2, 2008. Repertoire for the performance will be announced fall 2008.
Hubbard Street Dance Chicago continually expands its diverse repertoire with work by leading national and international choreographers, and makes contributions to the art form’s evolution by developing new choreographic talent and collaborating with artists in music, visual art and theatre. The company performs works unmatched in artistic excellence by world-renowned choreographers such as Twyla Tharp, Jiri Kylián, Nacho Duato, Ohad Naharin, William Forsythe, Susan Marshall, Christopher Bruce and Daniel Ezralow.
Founded in 1977 by dancer and choreographer Lou Conte, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago is Chicago’s leading contemporary dance company and is one of the only American dance companies to operate year-round. HSDC continues to produce bold and passionate performances for national and international audiences, always changing and evolving while maintaining the highest artistic standards. The company has appeared nationally and internationally at celebrated dance venues, including the American Dance Festival, Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival and the Spoleto Festival of Two Worlds in Italy.
THE JOFFREY BALLET: The Nutcracker, November 28-30, 2008
For 2008, the Detroit Opera House will once again usher in the holiday season with the acclaimed Joffrey Ballet’s enchanting production of The Nutcracker. One of Detroit’s most beloved holiday traditions held annually at the Detroit Opera House, this magical tale will captivate audiences with Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s incredible score, and more than 50 of the world’s finest dancers. The Joffrey Ballet Nutcracker will captivate Detroit audiences in six performances, Nov. 28-30, 2008.
The ballet was created by Robert Joffrey, and includes choreography by Gerald Arpino, co-founder of the Chicago-based company. Based on ETA Hoffman’s “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King,” published in 1816, the Joffrey Ballet’s production features elaborate Victorian scenery by Oliver Smith and costumes by John David Ridge. The Nutcracker also features puppets by Kermit Love, perhaps best known for his work with Muppet creator Jim Henson. The Nutcracker will include more than 60 young local dancers, and will be accompanied by the Michigan Opera Theatre Orchestra.
The 2008 Nutcracker festivities will again feature special family matinee packages including box lunches, face painting, photos with Santa and the Nutcracker, and the Sugar Plum Parade—a special opportunity to meet Nutcracker dancers on the stage of the Detroit Opera House.
The Joffrey Ballet is one of the premier ballet companies in the world today having performed in over 400 U. S. cities and in all 50 states. The Joffrey Ballet was the first American company to tour the former Soviet Union, and the first dance company to perform at the White House. Together, founders Robert Joffrey and Gerald Arpino created a uniquely American company of dancers for whom they choreographed original and socially relevant ballets. They were the first to commission ballets by modern dance and contemporary choreographers such as Alvin Ailey, Laura Dean, William Forsythe and Twyla Tharp. One of the most recognized names in dance, The Joffrey Ballet is known around the world for its repertoire of historical ballets as well as ground-breaking contemporary works.
ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER, February 12-15, 2009
By popular demand, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater returns to the Detroit Opera House in February 2009, performing timeless Ailey classics and new works by contemporary choreographers. In celebration of the company’s 50th Anniversary, the Ailey dancers will perform Sweet Honey in the Rock (Feb. 14th at 7:30pm), along with others, including their signature work Revelations! Always a favorite of Detroit audiences, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater will bring its extraordinary beauty and grace, electrifying energy and soulful spirit to Detroit for a limited five-performance engagement, February 12-15, 2009.
As a special presentation commemorating Alvin Ailey’s 50th Anniversary, each performance will open with the showing of a short film – Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater at 50 – A Golden Anniversary Celebration. The film commemorates the rich 50-year history of this internationally renowned dance company. Beginning with the unique and revolutionary vision of Alvin Ailey and continuing with the triumphs of the company under the directorship of Judith Jamison, this film illustrates the growth of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater from its now fabled performance in March 1958 to the building of the largest facility dedicated to dance in the United States and its current status as America’s cultural ambassador to the world.
Founded in 1958 by dance pioneer Alvin Ailey, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is renowned for their expansive repertory, extensive touring schedules and community outreach efforts, as well as their masterful artistry. In the nearly 50 years since its founding, the company has grown from a small, mostly Black company into a large, multi-racial institution, fulfilling Ailey’s dream to “touch everyone’s heart through dance.”
Under the leadership of Judith Jamison, Artistic Director since 1989, and Masazumi Chaya, Associate Artistic Director, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater has furthered its legacy as an American institution; performing works by many of the world’s leading choreographers, and packing houses in cities around the globe. The company has earned a reputation as one of the most acclaimed international ambassadors of American culture, promoting the uniqueness of the African-American cultural experience and the preservation and enrichment of the American modern dance heritage
AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE: Romeo and Juliet, March 13 – 15, 2009
Returning for the first time since their highly-acclaimed performance of Swan Lake in 2007, American Ballet Theatre will once again grace the Detroit Opera House stage with the beautiful classical ballet masterpiece, Romeo and Juliet. Romeo and Juliet will be performed March 13-15, 2009.
Based on the traditional Shakespeare play, the ballet version of Romeo and Juliet received its world premiere by The Royal Ballet at the Royal Opera House in London’s Covent Garden in 1965, and was given its American Ballet Theatre Company Premiere in Washington D.C. at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in 1985. The three-act ballet features music by famous Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev, best known for his children’s composition Peter and the Wolf and choreography by Kenneth Macmillan, former principal choreographer for the Royal Ballet in London. Romeo and Juliet is performed in three acts and staged by Julie Lincoln with scenery and costumes by Nicholas Georgiadis.
The American Ballet Theatre is recognized as one of the great dance companies of the world. Few ballet companies equal ABT for its combination of size, scope and outreach. Recognized as a living national treasure since its founding in 1940, ABT annually tours the United States, performing for more than 600,000 people each year. The company has toured internationally more than 30 times, visiting a total of 42 countries. Throughout its history, the company has acquired an extraordinary repertoire, ranging from classical works to contemporary masterpieces, and featuring the choreography of many of ballet’s great artists.
Single Tickets for the 2008-09 Chrysler Foundation Dance Series will become available in August of 2008. Subscription renewal information will be mailed in April 2008. New subscriptions will also become available at this time. The Detroit Opera House will again offer flexible subscription packages, and a variety of discounted subscription series for families, first-timers and long distance subscribers among others. For complete information contact the Detroit Opera House ticket office at 313-237-SING. Like last season, for 2008-2009, patrons can subscribe online, in real-time, at www.MichiganOpera.org. Tickets for all dance productions at the Detroit Opera House are available in person at the Detroit Opera House ticket office (1526 Broadway, Detroit, MI, 48226), by phone at (313) 237-SING (7464), and online at www.MichiganOpera.org. Tickets are also available at all TicketMaster outlets, by phone at (248) 645-6666, and online at www.TicketMaster.com. For group sales please contact Jenise Collins at (313) 237-3409.
2008-09 Detroit Opera House Dance Programs
Hubbard Street Dance Chicago
Friday, October 31, 2008, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, November 1, 2008, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, November 2, 2008, 2:30 p.m.
The Joffrey Ballet
presents
The Nutcracker
Friday, November 28, 2008, 11:00 a.m.
Friday, November 28, 2008, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, November 29, 2008, 2:30 p.m.
Saturday, November 29, 2008, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, November 30, 2008, 12:00 p.m.
Sunday, November 30, 2008, 5:00 p.m.
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
Thursday, February 12, 2009, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, February 13, 2009, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, February 14, 2009, 2:30 p.m.
Saturday, February 14, 2009, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, February 15, 2009, 2:00 p.m.
American Ballet Theatre
presents
Romeo and Juliet
Friday, March 13, 2009, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 14, 2009, 2:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 14, 2009, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, March 15, 2009, 2:30 p.m.
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