Valentina Kozlova's Dance Conservatory Presents THE NUTCRACKER at Symphony Space, 12/8 & 22

Valentina Kozlova's Dance Conservatory Company returns to Symphony Space for their delightful production of Tchaikovsky's full-length NUTCRACKER, Saturday December 8 at 5 PM, followed by a repeat performance Saturday December 22 at 4 PM at Guild Hall in East Hampton. Guest Daniyar Shmanov, principal with the Kazakh State Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet, joins the company of professional dancers and students of Kozlova's midtown school (at Symphony Space).

Margo Sappington shows her unique theatrical sense in her choreography for Act I; Act II has been staged by Kozlova after Petipa and Vainonen, formerly with the Kirov Ballet. There is a traditional Snow Scene, and the Kingdom of Sweets has all the well-loved divertissements - Russian, Spanish, Chinese, Arabian, Marzipan, Mother Ginger and the Polichinelles, Waltz of the Flowers, and the Grand Pas de Deux.

Casts:

Symphony Space
Veronika Verterich will dance Sugar Plum Fairy with Daniyar Shmanov as her Cavalier. Demitra Bereveskos and Francis Lawrence of Dance Theatre of Harlem will dance the Snow pas de deux. Konstantin Dournev, formerly with Moscow Classical Ballet, currently Principal Dancer with New Jersey Ballet, will appear as Drosselmeyer.

Guild Hall
Sarah Steele will dance Sugar Plum Fairy with Tae Seok Kim of South Korea, currently with Columbia Classical Ballet in South Carolina. Demitra Bereveskos and Francis Lawrence of DTH will dance Snow pas de deux. Konstantin Dournev will appear as Drosselmeyer.

Valentina Kozlova's Dance Conservatory Company presents the full-length THE NUTCRACKER. Guest: Daniyar Shmanov, Principal with Kazakh State Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet.

Saturday December 8 at 5 PM
Symphony Space, 2537 Broadway (at 95th Street)
Tickets: $35 & $25
Reservations: 212.864.5400 or www.symphonyspace.org

Saturday December 22 at 4 PM
Guild Hall, 158 Main Street, East Hampton NY
Tickets: $30; $20
Reservations: 212.868.4444 or www.smarttix.com

Moscow native Valentina Kozlova was trained at the Bolshoi Ballet School, graduated into the Bolshoi Ballet Company, was named Principal Dancer in 1975, and appeared with the Bolshoi until 1979, when she defected while the company was on tour in Los Angeles. She appeared as guest with companies around the world, appeared on Broadway in "On Your Toes," and joined New York City Ballet in 1983 as Principal Dancer, remaining with that company until 1995. Kozlova directed her own Ballet: The Daring Project with Margo Sappington for several seasons, and currently is founder/director of the Valentina Kozlova International Ballet Competition (VKIBC), which, after two successful seasons in Boston, will relocate to NYC for a June 2013 event. Kozlova also directs the midtown-based Dance Conservatory School.

For more information, visit www.vkdcny.com.

Pictured: Veronika Verterich