Company C Contemporary Ballet Announces Shift to One Artistic Project

Company C Contemporary Ballet founder and Artistic Director Charles Anderson has announced that his 12-year-old Company will undertake a strategic shift its public performance model from a two-program winter and spring season at venues in San Francisco and the East Bay to one driven by artistic projects effective at the close of the current 2014 season in May. The transition has been inspired by Anderson's desire to pursue a variety of artistic and choreographic projects, performances and collaborations without being tied to specific seasonal dates, venues and their attendant requirements. Prior to the discussions of the Company's future direction, founding Executive Director Elizabeth Reed had announced her retirement to the Board effective June 30, 2014 in order to devote more time to her family, and has now made her retirement public. The Company's 2014 season runs January 30 through May 11 in San Francisco and Walnut Creek. For more information about Company C Contemporary Ballet, visitwww.companycballet.org .

Says Mr. Anderson: "As all of us at Company C have examined the possibilities of our future direction as our invaluable Executive Director Liz Reed retires, we have taken the opportunity to think outside of the box and have decided that shifting to a project-based model makes the most sense for the Company moving forward. This will allow me, the Board of Directors, our artists and collaborators the greatest flexibility in creating offerings that are artistically satisfying and serve our audiences while maintaining the standards we have established in 12 years of successful operations. This season we have the best group of dancers to date, and I am sorry not to be able to renew their contracts beyond this year and hope that they will be able to return for projects as we move forward. I invite the public to join us for the next chapter of Company C Contemporary Ballet and to step forward and support the evolution of our work and community service."

Says Ms. Reed: "It has been an amazing journey with Charlie and everyone associated with Company C, and my retirement has been a difficult and long-contemplated decision. I wish Charlie, the Board and staff all the best as I look forward to continuing my involvement as a supporter and audience member."

Mr. Anderson's future plans for the re-envisioned Company C Contemporary Ballet include an annual Halloween ballet, which is slated to have its premiere in October 2015 with a work-in-progress preview in October 2014. In the summer of 2015 he plans to produce the first San Francisco Dance Carnival, an inclusive annual event he envisions will feature many Bay Area dance companies and artists in a performance environment in which the public may choose and sample from large to small company and solo offerings across dance genres including short and full-length works. Details of these events will be announced.

Company C Contemporary Ballet Opens 2014 Season January 30

Company C Contemporary Ballet opens its 12th season with a program featuring two premieres by Susan Jaffe and Charles Anderson, as well as works by Yuri Zhukov and Charles Moulton in six performances January 30 through February 16, 2014, in Walnut Creek and San Francisco. In addition, a gala performance, cocktail party, dinner and auction to benefit Company C will be given Saturday, February 15. For more information about the performance, gala and season, visit www.companycballet.org .

WINTER PROGRAM

Weather One (World Premiere) by Susan Jaffe
Railroad Joint (2013) by Yuri Zhukov
Nine Person Precision Ball Passing (1980) by Charles Moulton
Between the Machine (World Premiere) by Charles Anderson
A Night in Tunisia (2002) by Charles Anderson

Former American Ballet Theatre star Susan Jaffe has emerged as a choreographic talent to watch who is taking exhilarating classical technique beyond its boundaries to make decidedly edgy and finely crafted dances. Yuri Zhukov's Railroad Joint was a hit of Company C's 2013 Gala performance, and this expanded version will now take its place on the main stage season set to a trance-like score that combines electronic music with train sounds and superbly athletic dancing. Nine Person Precision Ball Passing is a taut and riveting exploration of the finer points of movement as nine dancers circulate colorful balls in a witty, rapid-fire stream that is part dance and part living puzzle. Completing the program are the world premiere of a new ballet by Charles Anderson plus his delightful A Night in Tunisia, a dynamic contemporary ballet inspired by Turtle Island String Quartet's arrangement of Dizzy Gillespie's jazz classic.

Venues, Dates, Times:

LESHER CENTER FOR THE ARTS

1601 Civic Drive, Walnut Creek, CA 94596

Thursday, January 30, 2014 at 8 p.m.
Friday, January 31, 2014 at 8 p.m.
Saturday, February 1 at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Box Office: Lesher Center for the Arts

1601 Civic Drive, Walnut Creek, CA 94596

www.lesherartscenter.org

925.943.SHOW (7469)

Tickets: $25, $38, $48

YERBA BUENA CENTER FOR THE ARTS

LAM Research Center Theater

701 Mission Street

San Francisco, CA

Thursday, February 13 at 8 p.m.

Friday, February 14 at 8 p.m.

Saturday, February 15 at 6 p.m. (special gala performance)

Sunday, February 16 at 3 p.m.

Box Office: Yerba Buena Center for the Arts

701 Mission St., San Francisco, CA 94103

www.ybca.org or 415.978.ARTS(2787)

Tickets: $25, $38 and $48

Benefit Gala
Saturday, February 15, at 6 p.m.
LAM Research Theater, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts

Repertoire to be announced.

A special performance, cocktail party, dinner and auction fill this evening to benefit Company C Contemporary Ballet.

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