Metropolitan Ballet Company Presents VARIATIONS/COLLABORATIONS Tonight

Jenkintown, PA-Metropolitan Ballet Company (MBC) announces that tickets are now on sale for its annual performance, Variations/Collaborations: An Evening of Music and Dance, presented with Settlement Music School at 7:00 pm tonight, March 12, 2016 at Kurtz Center of the William Penn Charter School, 3000 West School House Lane, Philadelphia. Tickets are $15 in advance at www.metropolitanballetcompany.org or $20 at the door.

MBC founder and Artistic Director Lisa Collins Vidnovic says, "Our highly trained pre-professional dancers are excited to perform works by three cutting-edge, contemporary choreographers based in New York City, as well as works accompanied by the brilliant live music of very talented Settlement Music School students. Our annual Variations/Collaborations performance unites student dancers and musicians from two Philadelphia-area cultural resources, giving each group not only the opportunity to hone their performance skills in the collaboration, but also the opportunity to share a beautiful, high quality evening of music and dance with our community in the spectacular Kurtz Center, at the very affordable rate of $15 in advance or $20 at the door."

Presently celebrating its 20th anniversary year, Metropolitan Ballet will revive two favorite contemporary dance works from its repertoire: Viva, created for MBC by Kanji Segawa in 2011 to music by Antonio Vivaldi, with costumes by Elena Comendador; and Katarzyna Skarpetowska's Folk Tales, first performed by MBC in 2006, with costumes by Mia McSwain, courtesy of New Jersey Dance Theatre Ensemble. Reviewing Folk Tales on November 10, 2008 for the Chicago Tribune, Sid Smith wrote, "Skarpetowska's compelling, incandescent Folk Tales is an ingenious postmodern mix of contemporary dance and ethnic accents, brightened by stretches of step dancing and fueled by an intelligent, anxiety-tinged seriousness..." Dance Magazine recently named the Juilliard-trained Ms. Skarpetowska to its 2016 "25 to Watch" list. Mr. Segawa, currently a member of Alvin Ailey Dance Theater, worked extensively with noted choreographer Mark Morris from 2008-2011.

The Company will also perform a World Premiere by Sarah Mettin, an alumna of Metropolitan Ballet who has danced nationally and abroad and received significant acclaim for her choreography. Ms. Mettin and her dance company, Mettin Movement, were well-received at Jacob's Pillow in summer 2015.

The highly accomplished young musicians who will perform in Variations/Collaborations study at various branches of Settlement Music School and will include The Myer Schwartz Advanced Studio Piano Trio coached by SMS faculty member Sandra Carlock and The William A. Loeb Chamber Ensemble coached by SMS violin faculty member Jean Louise Shook, as well as solo performers on violin, piano and cello. Mezzo-soprano and MBC alumna Claire Galloway Weber, who recently received a Masters of Music degree from Peabody Conservatory, where she studied with Steven Rainbolt, will also perform.

Tickets for Variations/Collaborations on March 12th may be purchased online at www.metropolitanballetcompany.org. For additional information or assistance, contact the MBA studio office at 215-663-1665 or Metbaseman@gmail.com.

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