Festival Ballet Providence

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 7, 2007

Festival Ballet Providence, 401.353.1129

World Premiere of Viktor Plotnikov’s
Cinderella October 19-21, 2007

Providence, RI -

Festival Ballet Providence opens its 30th season with Cinderella

Festival Ballet Providence open’s its 30th Anniversary season with the world premiere of a commissioned work, Viktor Plotnikov’s Cinderella, October 19 to 21, 2007 at the VMA Arts and Cultural Center.

Plotnikov, who has already created two full evening productions, Carmen and The Widow’s Broom, and three acclaimed shorter works, Loof and Let Dime, Viktorations and Coma, for Festival Ballet Providence, has taken on this large project with great determination and inspiration. He coyly notes, “Misha and I both were in agreement to create a much more intriguing Cinderella, different from any production before, one that takes a more modern approach, with great lighting, intriguing staging, fashion-based costumes, special effects and a few surprises. I want the audience to feel like they are experiencing something new and engaging, but at the same time a ballet they will easily relate to as contemporary audience members.”

Plotnikov will follow the standard story line of a daughter mistreated by both step-mother and step-sisters, who gets her big chance, thanks to a doting fairy godmother, to attend the grand ball given by a young prince, in search of a bride. He’ll also use the wonderfully expressive and comic score by Prokofiev. But along the way, Plotnikov envisions adding numerous twists and comedic turns, along with imaginative staging to make it very much his own production, and an appealing one. If reviews for past Plotnikov productions for Festival Ballet Providence are indicative (“a slam-dunk”…”Outstanding modern choreography, strong dancing and powerful acting combined to make a terrific performance”… “terrifically captivating, full of emotional content, exciting”… “deeply accomplished”…) this new production will be another audience favorite.

Sets designed by Alan Pickart will complement Plotnikov’s concept based around geometric shapes and a simple set to reinterpret the story in it’s most basic sense. Pickart and Deb Sullivan, each of whom have lit previous Plotnikov premieres, will collaborate on the lighting this production. Costumes designed by former Festival Ballet Providence student and Junior Company dancer, Haverhill Leach, will give an air of brightness, contrast and fashion. Leach, whose parents still live in North Attleboro, now runs her own design firm, Haverhill Design, based in Los Angeles, and has recently been made waves among the fashion set. A recent interview with photos of her studio will be part of an upcoming Vogue article on rising designers. The costumes will be constructed by Freda Designs, and fabrics painted and dyed by Karen Gilbert. The team will create over 50 new costumes for this production.

Artistic Director Mihailo “Misha” Djuric has been more than pleased with Plotnikov’s association with the company. According to Djuric, “With each commission, I am more and more at ease, knowing Viktor will take chances, push the dancers, engage committed collaborators, further develop his own style, and create a memorable work audiences will find completely enthralling. He will be true to the story, and dig deep into its emotional content. It’s been thrilling to watch him develop into a true world class choreographer. His vision and choreographic voice is drawing attention from leading national and international dance leaders.”

Special guest principal, covering for a last minute injury at Festival Ballet Providence, is Mindaugas Bauzys, a talented soloist from Boston Ballet who trained in his native Lithuania.

The world premiere of Viktor Plotnikov’s full-length production of Cinderella will take place October 19-21 at VMA Arts & Cultural Center. Performance times are at 7:30 pm Friday and Saturday, and 2:30 pm on Sunday. Pre-performance chats with dancers, choreographers and production staff take place Saturday and Sunday in the theater, 45 minutes before curtain. The participants will be listed on festivalballet.com two weeks prior to the performance.

Following the Sunday matinee, a special “Meet the Characters” reception with refreshments and photos with costumed performers will top off the weekend, an excellent opportunity for the young at heart to bring home a personal memento of the afternoon in the theater. Pricing is $10 per person.

VMA reserved ticket (priced from $17 to $62, with group, child and senior discounts, family 4-packs for $40, and student rush pricing) and season subscription information is available by contacting www.tickets.com (800.919.6272), VMA Arts & Cultural Center, 401.272.4862, Festival Ballet Providence, 401.353.1129, by sending email inquiries to info@festivalballet.com or visiting www.festivalballet.com .

Festival Ballet Providence and the Festival Ballet Providence 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. All venues are handicapped-accessible.

Additional digital images are available by contacting mfleisher@festivalballet.com

Subscriptions to Festival Ballet Providence performances are available at considerable savings with multiple benefits. VMA subscriptions for three performances are 33% off regular prices, costing as little as $36 per person for all three productions. UP CLOSE on HOPE subscribers save $5 of the per ticket price and receive ticket-exchange privileges and preferred seating. Festival Ballet Providence subscribers receive the added benefit of a voucher to attend one of three shows at Trinity Repertory Company and a voucher to attend one of four Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra Rush Hour series concerts.

Viktor Plotnikov (Choreography & Conception)
Viktor was born in Kharkov City, Ukraine, and began his training at the age of 11 at the Kiev-Ukraine School and continued at the St. Petersburg Ballet Academy. From 1987 to 1990 he was a soloist with Donetsk Ballet Company in the Ukraine. In 1990 Viktor joined Ballet Mississippi as a principal dancer.

In 1993 he joined Boston Ballet as principal dancer, performing major roles in the company’s classical and contemporary repertory and created roles in the World Premieres of Tharp’s Waterbaby Bagatelles, Spencer/Colton’s Before Ever After, and Daniel Pelzig’s Nine Lives: Songs of Lyle Lovett, The Princess and the Pea, and Flights and Fancy.

While at Boston Ballet, Plotnikov created works specifically for Boston Ballet dancers and members of Boston Ballet II, and has choreographed works for institutions throughout the region, Dance on the Top Floor, Company performances in Nantucket, the Dancer’s Resource Fund, and Khachaturian’s Centennial at Boston Conservatory. Plotnikov created solos and duets, performed at International Gala Performances. His creations include works for the 2002 International Ballet Competition in Jackson MS, the Dancer’s Resource Fund, the Bolshoi Ballet and Raw Dance. With Crazy Nun, Viktor won the Choreography Award at the 2005 Helsinki International Ballet Competition. He currently creates choreography for companies and dance schools throughout the US.

Plotnikov has created numerous commissioned works for Festival Ballet Providence, including the world premiere of Carmen in 2003, The Widow’s Broom in 2004, his stunning Loof and Let Dime in 2006 and the mesmerizing Coma in 2007. Viktor has set numerous works on Festival Ballet Providence dancers for Up CLOSE on HOPE performances including Elegant Souls, Viktorations, Tension and Beauty, and Crazy Nun and created Blue, Blue Canary for the Festival Ballet Providence Junior Company.

The Costume team:
At a RISCA press conference in early August, 2007, Misha was intrigued by a dress worn by Perishable Theater Artistic Director Vanessa Gilbert. Its color and fabric immediately caught his attention and so he inquired. It was made by Vanessa’s mother Karen Gilbert, a RISD grad who’s career has followed theater costuming, fabric painting and dying in many ways.

Misha also has found the budding fashion career of former ballet student Haverhill Leach (www.haverhilldesigns.com) also intriguing, and thought her knowledge of dance and design sense could be fused in designs for the ballet. On both fronts Plotnikov became a staunch believer and advocate after seeing her initial designs.

Freda Bromberg has constructed costumes for the company since Djuric’s arrival in Providence, so on that front, nothing changed. But the new team breathes freshness that is so important for new productions.

Haverhill Leach (Costume Design)
From her years of study as a fashion design major at Syracuse University and through various internships with Joseph Abboud, David Yurman and Vivienne Westwood, Haverhill Leach has collected a wealth of design experience that has fueled her passion for both the hard work and creativity required in the field. Immediately after graduation, she joined Kate Spade and soon became junior designer for handbags and textile design as well as chief designer of small leather goods and cosmetic cases. After two years, Haverhill began working as accessories designer for CFDA luminary, Jane Mayle, where she was exposed to a more hands-on approach to design and production.

While vacationing in St. Barth's in 2005, Haverhill found her calling when she noticed a significant void in the contemporary swimwear market: "I wanted to make a swimwear collection that is as beautiful and sophisticated as a woman's favorite garment."

Freda Bromberg (Costume Construction)
Freda Bromberg is a Phi Kappa Phi graduate of the University of Georgia, where she majored in Clothing and Textiles. She began her career as a fashion designer in New York, and founded her dance apparel company, Freda Dancewear, in 1987. She was Costumer and Wardrobe Manager for Southern Ballet Theater of Orlando and for the Orlando Shakespeare Festival.

Recognized for meticulous attention to detail and period research, Freda has provided costume designs, costumes and costume advice to Festival Ballet Providence, Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, The University of Arizona, Margot Parsons Dance Company, Ballet Academy East, Southern Ballet Theatre (now Orlando Ballet), Ballet Mississippi, Southern New Hampshire Youth Ballet, Ballet New England, St. Paul’s School Dance Company, Commonwealth Ballet Company, and Bob McGrath of Sesame Street. www.fredatutu.com

Karen Gilbert (fabric painting and dying)
Receiving a BFA in Textiles from RISD in 1998, Karen has a wealth of knowledge about fabric and costuming. Aside from experience with weaving, Ms. Gilbert worked as a costume technician for Trinity Repertory Company, assistant to Costume Designer at Brown University’s Theatre Department and as Wardrobe assistant on the film Mr. North.