FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 15, 2002

CONTACT: Mark Fleisher:

Festival Ballet Providence, 401-353-1129

FESTIVAL BALLET PROVIDENCE CENTER FOR DANCE EDUCATION’S JUNE 1st PERFORMANCE

Providence, RI - The Festival Ballet Providence Center for Dance Education announces its Culmination Performance June 1st at Rhode Island College’s Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts. This two-hour production by some of the region’s most promising young dancers is appropriate for the entire family.

The Center for Dance Education, under the leadership of Mihailo Djuric, is the official school of Festival Ballet Providence, Rhode Island’s leading professional dance company, and is housed in the company’s new state-of-the-art studios at 825 Hope Street. After 23 years, Festival Ballet Providence moved its studios and school Providence’s East Side, increasing its enrollment threefold, to over 400 dancers. Students come from throughout Rhode Island and southern Massachusetts to study dance with the school’s international faculty.

The performance of choreographed dances showcases the talents and skills of close to 200 of the school’s young dancers aged 5 to 18 who are finishing the year of study. In addition to ballet pieces, the performance will also feature jazz, modern, character and hip-hop styles.

The program will include Donizetti Suite, Stars & Stripes Forever, Little Waltz, Bring the House Down, Keep on Dancing, Prelude No.1, Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy, Polka Francaise, The Waltzing Cat, and Life is Beautiful. Also featured are: the classical grand pas de deux from Le Corsaire and the classical adagio from Don Quixote; Coconut, a traditional Tahitian dance; Prayer choreographed by resident choreographer Zhanat Baidalarin, and danced by Youth American Grand Prix national finalist Hilary Lopes; Sketches from Life, Company member James Brown’s first major work for the school, danced by Mr. Brown and two members of the Junior Companay; and Grand Waltz, the evening’s finale with over 20 dancers.

Four Festival Ballet Providence professional company members, James Brown, Vladimir Putenko, Piotr Ostaltsov and Gleb Lyamenkoff, will be appearing as special guests in this production. Also featured are members of the Festival Ballet Providence Junior Company.

There will be two performances on Saturday June 1st at 1:30 PM and 6:00 PM at Roberts Auditorium, Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts, Rhode Island College, 600 Mt. Pleasant Street, Providence. Reserved tickets priced at $15 ($12 for seniors and children 10 and under) are available for purchase now at the Festival Ballet Providence reception desk, or by calling 401.353.1129. Tickets may also be purchased at the door on the day of the performance.

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The Festival Ballet Providence Center for Dance Education offers a comprehensive dance program for children and adults suitable for the professional, pre-professional and recreational dancer. The Young Children’s Program is available for students ages 3-7 and the Core Dance Program is designed for students ages 8-adult. In addition to its classical ballet training, the Center for Dance Education offers enrichment classes such as Hip-Hop, Jazz, Ballroom, Character, Flamenco, The Festival Ballet Workout and more. For further information or a registration package, please call 401-353-1129.

The international faculty at the Center for Dance Education includes: Mihailo "Misha" Djuric, Mary Ann Mayer, Vera Kurmsheva, Ann Morsilli, Zhanat Baidaralin, Piotr Ostaltsov, James Brown, Gleb Lyamenkoff, Dawn Brown, Derek Perry, Elizabeth DiFanti, Patricia Dubois, Rebecca Moore, and Audrey Monahan. This performance is an excellent introduction to the school for parents who are considering dance classes for their children.

Festival Ballet Providence and the Center for Dance Education are together a not-for-profit arts organization whose EIN is 05-0377245 and whose Rhode Island Corporate ID number is ND-27-137.