Franklin Performing Arts Center to Welcome the Joffrey Ballet Concert Group on 2/21

The prestigious Joffrey Ballet Concert Group graces THE BLACK BOX in downtown Franklin with a spectacular program of dance that includes Gerald Arpino's celebrated signature work, Light Rain. The performance, at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, February 21, is presented as part of THE BLACK BOX Artist-in-Residence Series, which also features afternoon master classes with Nicole Duffy Robertson, a repetiteur for The Gerald Arpino and Robert Joffrey Foundation and a faculty member at the Joffrey Ballet School, a premiere institution of American dance.

Located in the heart of New York City, the Joffrey Ballet Concert Group serves as a platform for some of the nation's best young dancers to launch their professional careers, with graduates going on to renowned companies such as American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, Miami City Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Boston Ballet, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Parsons Dance, the Forsythe Company, the Martha Graham Dance Company, Dance Theatre of Harlem, the Joffrey Ballet, and the Royal Ballet of New Zealand. Under Artistic Director Davis Robertson, the company performs a diverse repertoire of classical and contemporary works. The group recently completed multiple tours in the US to rave reviews, opened the 2013 Florence Dance Festival in Italy and in 2014 represented the US at the Beijing Dance Academy' s 60th Anniversary gala performance in the People's Republic of China.

A native of San Juan, Puerto Rico, Nicole Duffy Robertson trained at Ballets de San Juan, the School of American Ballet, Alvin Ailey School and Joffrey Ballet School. She performed with Joffrey II and Dennis Wayne Dancers and danced with Joffrey Ballet from 1990-2000, with repertory including Robert Joffrey's The Nutcracker (Clara), Leonide Messine's Parade (Little American Girl) and Gerald Arpino's Light Rain, as well as works by Ashton, Balanchine, Cranko, Jooss, Limón, and Nijinska. Ms. Duffy Robertson graduated summa cum laude with a degree in art history from Columbia University and is on the faculty at the Joffrey Ballet School in New York City, where she teaches ballet and dance history. As a repetiteur for the Arpino/Joffrey Foundation, she has restaged several of Gerald Arpino's signature works.

A series of master classes will be held on February 21 at THE BLACK BOX, 15 West Central Street, with Nicole Duffy Robertson, beginning with technique classes from 10-11:30 a.m. for ages 9-12 and from 11:30-1 for ages 13 and older. A pointe class and choreography session will follow from 1-2 p.m. for ages 13 and older. The workshops are open to area dance students, with combination ticket packages set for the afternoon master classes and evening performance. For registration and more information, including recommended ballet levels for the pointe/choreography session, call the Franklin School for the Performing Arts at (508) 528-8668.

Tickets for the Joffrey Ballet Concert Group performance are $35 for adults and $30 for students and seniors. Combination tickets for technique class, pointe/choreography session and show are $80, with $65 tickets available for the technique class and show only. For tickets, visit www.theblackboxonline.com or call (508) 528-3370.

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