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FORT WAYNE — Fort Wayne Ballet, northern Indiana’s oldest and premier dance organization, opens the 2009-2010 performance season with a grand jete into a medley of classical and contemporary dance selections.
“Director’s Choice” is the Ballet’s strategically choreographed performance that showcases a variety of dances designed to appeal to a broader audience. “Director’s Choice” performances will be held Oct. 2 and 3 at 8 p.m. at the Arts United Center, 303 E. Main St. in downtown Fort Wayne. Also on Saturday, Oct. 3, at 10 a.m. in the Ian Rolland Gallery at the Arts United Center, the ballet will introduce “Alice in Wonderland” as the first of its new family series: “Fables, Folk & Fairytales.” “Alice in Wonderland” is an abbreviated 35-minute performance followed by an interactive party — the entire performance purposefully designed to serve the shorter attention spans of young children while effectively introducing them to the characters, colors, and charisma of dance. Season and individual performance ticket information is available by calling Fort Wayne Ballet at 484-9646.
This year, “Director’s Choice” will feature traditional and classical movements as well as a series of newly choreographed, original works by emerging choreographers Eleonora Pokhitonova Chelsea Teel Wilcox, Miroslav Bart, and David Ingram. Ingram, the artistic vision of Fort Wayne Ballet, Too, will also be a season guest artist, courtesy of North Carolina Dance Theater. Program selections include works from Swan Lake, Le Corsaire, Don Quixote, and Gottshalk’s Grand Tarantella as presented by Fort Wayne Ballet’s principal dancers and Corps de Ballet. Also, Fort Wayne Ballet Youth Company will present Totems: spirits of water, earth, sky — the collaboration project between FAME and the Fort Wayne Philharmonic’s Composition Project, FAME Composer-in-Residence David Crowe, area fourth grade FAMEous composers, and Fort Wayne Ballet.
“‘Director’s Choice’ is as delightful to perform as it is to watch,” shares Karen Gibbons-Brown, artistic and executive director of Fort Wayne Ballet. “This is the one annual performance that explores the diversity of dance — literally, something for everyone to enjoy in a wide span of classical and contemporary movement. Even those who think the Ballet does not cater to their individual taste in entertainment are intrigued and enthralled with the variety of “Director’s Choice.”
“With our new Family Series, we are especially pleased to bring two classic fairytales to life in short, fun performances ideally suited for young audiences,” continued Gibbons-Brown. “We open the series with Alice in Wonderland and will be presenting Peter and the Wolf in the early spring. Each of these performances will run about 35 minutes and include a post-show party that will let the audience interact with the dancers. These are whimsical, easy ballet ‘bites’ that will help introduce young children, and even those new to ballet, to the performing arts with a fun reward in the end. Definitely a family fun event!”
Fort Wayne Ballet’s 2009-2010 performance season includes four core performances, including “Director’s Choice” in October, The Nutcracker in early December, La Sylphide in late March, and Fort Wayne Ballet, Too in June. Additional events include the new family series performances of “Alice in Wonderland” and “Peter and the Wolf.”
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