Boston Ballet School Presents 10th Annual Next Generation Performance

Boston Ballet School (BBS) presents the 10th annual Next Generation performance showcasing elite young dancers of Boston Ballet II and Boston Ballet School with the Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra. The program includes a new work by Principal Dancer Lia Cirio, Symphonic Dances from West Side Story, Konservatoriet and William Tell pas de deux by August Bournonville. Les Passages opens the program, choreographed by BBS Faculty, showcasing the Pre-Professional Program. The one-night-only performance takes place May 22 at the Citizens Bank Opera House.

"The 10th anniversary of Next Generation is a huge milestone for Boston Ballet School," said Boston Ballet Artistic Director Mikko Nissinen. "These students truly are the next generation of ballet and it puts a spotlight on the quality training the students receive at Boston Ballet School."

Boston Ballet School's Pre-Professional program trains top talent to prepare them for professional careers with Boston Ballet and other major companies. Currently, more than 20 percent of Boston Ballet's dancers are graduates of the Pre-Professional program, and 95 percent of Trainee graduates secure jobs with professional ballet companies.

"I'm so proud to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Next Generation, which is a culmination of the hard work our students put in all year," said Boston Ballet School Director Margaret Tracey, who is celebrating twelve years with BBS. "Each piece showcases the strengths of our students and being able to witness their growth is a privilege."

Next Generation features Boston Ballet II, Boston Ballet's second company, 85 Pre-Professional students ages 13-19, along with members of the Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra. The entire Pre-Professional program performs Les Passages, a piece set to the music of Italian opera composer Giuseppe Verdi and choreographed by BBS faculty.

Principal Dancer Lia Cirio's new work, the peppermint wind, is set to music by Boston-based violist Anna Stromer. It is about dreamers, childhood, and dancers discovering the stage for the first time and was inspired by poems from Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein. Cirio made her choreographic debut with Sta(i)r(e)s during BB@home: ChoreograpHER in November. Boston Ballet's ChoreograpHER Initiative establishes a model for female students and professional dancers to develop choreographic skills. Next Generation also includes choreography by two female faculty members.

Symphonic Dances from West Side Story is choreographed by Bruce Wood with music by Leonard Bernstein. The piece, which premiered on October 15, 2001 at the Bruce Wood Dance Company, features 10 dancers.

The 19th century Danish classic Konservatoriet by August Bournonville showcases his ability to create demanding and interesting choreography out of simple steps. The ballet, created for the Royal Danish Ballet in 1849, is set in a dance studio at the Conservatorie in Paris, where Bournonville studied in the 1820s under Auguste Vestris. Konservatoriet features a score by Holger Simon Paulli.

Divertissements in operas were common in the 19th century, including in the opera William Tell by Gioacchino Rossini. It was choreographed by François Lefèbvre and later restaged with scenery and choreography by August Bournonville, who was a great admirer of Rossini's music. Bournonville's pas de deux features a folkloric interpretation of the opera.

Performance Details:
Wednesday, May 22 at 7 pm
Citizens Bank Opera House
539 Washington Street
Boston, MA 02111

Tickets start at $29. For more information, visit bostonballet.org or call 617.695.6955.

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