FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 17, 2002
CONTACT: Mark Fleisher
Festival Ballet Providence, 401.353.1129
Festival Ballet Providence November 3 fundraising studio performance to benefit dancer
Providence, RI - On Sunday November 3, 2002, Festival Ballet Providence will hold a fund-raiser studio performance to benefit one of the Company’s dancers, Colleen Dillard.
The dance community will raise funds to help one of their own through difficult times related to a medical emergency. Dancers from throughout the region have responded to this event, and will perform for free, so that 100% of the proceeds will go to assist Colleen and her fiancé Todd Belanger to get back on their feet financially. Todd survived a life-threatening illness and has been hospitalized for over 9 weeks. For the first 7 weeks of critical care, Colleen was understandably at his hospital bedside without a break, and without any income. The unexpected situation has put the couple into extreme financial hardship. Performers largely from FBP and joined by dancers drawn from the RI dance community will present a varied program lasting approximately one hour and 15 minutes in Festival Ballet Providence’s Grand Studio.
To date, Festival Ballet Providence artistic director Mihailo Djuric has assembled a total of 12 pieces to be performed. Those include: Djuric’s Soledad (pas de deux) with Festival Ballet Providence’s (FBP) Tatiana Berenova and Gleb Lyamenkoff; Djuric’s Vals Fresco danced by four FBP dancers; a preview of Giselle, with the peasant pas de deux danced by FBP’s Carolyn Chamberlain and Vladimir Putenko; an excerpt from Colleen Cavanaugh’s new work (commissioned by Festival Ballet Providence) in progress, Grey for FBP dancers Beth Petkus and Piotr Ostaltsov; a duet from Demeter’s Tears by Colleen Cavanaugh danced by veterans of Cadence Dance Project Leticia Guerrero and Rolando Troconis; Audrey Monahan’s Moulin Rouge danced by FBP Junior Company members and Mr. Zoot Suite danced by former FBP company member and former Miss RI Beth Reilly; FBP company member James Brown’s Hard Times, and more!
There will be two performances at 2:00 and 5:00 PM, with seating limited to 75 for each performance. Tickets for this limited seating fundraising event are a $25 minimum donation, with RSVP required by November 1st.
Checks should made out to: Colleen Dillard. Credit card (Mastercard and Visa) payments will be processed through Festival Ballet Providence and a $3.00 processing fee will be added. Donated light refreshments will be served after each performance
For more details about this event and Festival Ballet Providence, contact:
Festival Ballet Providence
825 Hope Street
Providence, RI 02906
401.353.1129
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Writers, photographers and editors are encouraged to promote this fund-raiser, interview Ms. Dillard, Ms. Williams, Mr. Djuric, any of the participating dancers, and cover the event itself. Please make arrangements by calling Mark Fleisher, 401.353.1129.
A key force in this fund-raiser is FBP wardrobe assistant Mary Williams, maryrbw@aol.com, who is a close friend to Ms. Dillard and Mr. Belanger, as well as being a parent of a Junior Company Trainee.
Todd Belanger is currently still hospitalized, at the Rehabilitation Hospital of Rhode Island in North Smithfield. Todd was executive chef at the Atwood Grille in Johnston before his hospitalization.
According to Ms. Dillard:
Todd was admitted to the hospital (in New Orleans) August 9th through the emergency room. He was in critical condition the morning of the 10th, the same day he was supposed to stand up as best man at his only brother’s wedding. He was ultimately diagnosed with pancreatitis and quickly developed ARDS. He almost died that Saturday and on four other occassions. The medical staff had him under intensive care for seven weeks as of today. They consider his recovery somewhat of a miracle because he was as sick as he was and as bad as his "numbers" were he should be medically dead. He was also at risk for brain damage, permanent paralysis, and a lifetime on a ventilator. Todd is currently stable having proven all medical predictions wrong. He is now off the ventilator and is expected to make a full recovery. Todd’s current needs are aggressive physical rehabiltiation. He will require a minimum of four weeks of hospital rehabilitation followed by several months of outpatient rehab.
The 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.
