The Hartt School Presents PETRUSHKA Tonight

The Hartt School's ambitious and exhilarating production of Petrushka re-envisions the iconic Ballets Russes work by Igor Stravinsky and Alexandre Benois by remaining true to the spirit of collaboration between multiple art forms, a guiding vision of both the Diaghilev company and The Hartt School. . Premiering in Paris 1n 1911, the ballet tells the story of the hapless puppet, Petrushka, and his struggle to claim his own humanity. Created on Vaslav Nijinsky as the vulnerable subject of the manipulative Charlatan's abuse, the title role and the ballet became strongly identified with the world famous dancer, his tortured relationship with the impresario Serge Diaghilev, and his subsequent descent into madness.

In the process of re-imagining the piece for contemporary audiences, Stephen Pier, the choreographer and director of the Hartt School Dance Division, has found a number of parallels to the original context. Most importantly is the struggle to live and love fully, a universal theme which applies across all situations and eras. And then there is the need to retell the sad story of the powerful abusing the weak, a very disturbing and obvious similarity with the world's current events.

The original Fokine choreography for the soloists has been exquisitely reconstructed by Hilda Morales, who worked with Fokine's nephew in an earlier American Ballet Theater production. Stephen Pier has choreographed the crowd scenes, keeping the spirit of the original carnival ambience of reveling masses, but using a more contemporary American vocabulary rather than a Russian folk dance idiom. The scenographer and visual artist, Power Bothe, has created a simple, pared down and stunningly effective stage design. Edward Cumming has carefully preparEd Hartt's fine musicians and will conduct the Hartt Orchestra. It should all come together in a very contemporary version of Fokine's ballet masterpiece.

The program will also include the world premiere by contemporary choreographer Katie Stevinson-Nollet to music of Stephen Montague, and Doris Humphrey's "Brandenburg Concerto # 4," staged by Nina Watt.

Press Contact: Stephen Pier, Telephone: 860-768-2477

or on-line: http://harttweb.hartford.edu/tickets.aspx