Ballet Ariel Presents AN AMERICAN IN PARIS at The Lone Tree Arts Center in April

Experience springtime in Paris, Ballet Ariel style, at the Lone Tree Arts Center and Lakewood Cultural Center with three extraordinary ballets including the premiere of "American in Paris."

Ballet Ariel's newest endeavor is set to Gershwin's orchestral classic "An American in Paris." As a composition written to evoke the streets of Paris, this "rhapsodic ballet" is the perfect match for Ilena Norton's gift of creating narrative ballets. A young American woman traveling to Paris for the first time is transformed by the magic and vibrancy of this magnificent city steeped in history and enveloped in romance. Gershwin's jazz undertones create the perfect setting for her awakening. Director Norton's sublime dances pair perfectly with beautiful duets by Ballet Ariel's choreographer Gregory Gonzales.

No other woman in history embraced the indomitable spirit of Colorado more than Margaret "Molly" Brown. Ballet Ariel's original ballet, "Tale of Molly Brown" poignantly tells the story of her humble beginnings in Leadville, her marriage to the soon to be fabulously wealthy JJ Brown that brought on a meteoric rise in Denver's high society, and her near death experience during one of the biggest tragedies of the last one hundred plus years.

Drawn to Europe, Molly reveled in the culture and opulence of the early twentieth century. On one of these visits, Molly, and her entourage book passage home on the maiden voyage of the ill-fated luxury liner, Titanic. Artistic Director Ilena Norton creates a powerful dramatization of her survival on a crowded lifeboat in the frigid waters of the North Atlantic that earned her the title of the unsinkable Molly Brown. Described as "a daughter of adventure," Norton accurately depicts Molly as a fearless yet charming and vivacious character and a visionary leader.

Rounding out the program is "Konservatoriet" (Ballet Conservatory) a classical ballet set at the Paris Opera Ballet in the romantic period famously painted by Edgar Degas, created by Danish choreographer and ballet master August Bournonville, and staged by Oleg Dedogryuk. Bournonville choreography is characterized by fast, intricate footwork creating an illusion of lightness.

Performances of the three ballets are April 9 at 7:30 pm at Lone Tree Arts Center, 10075 Commons St., and Lakewood Cultural Center 470 S. Allison Parkway, on April 23 at 7:30 pm and April 24 at 2:00 pm. Tickets start at $20 for children, $24, students and seniors, and $28 adults plus service charges. For additional information and ticket purchase, go to http://balletariel.org Please note: To protect all patrons, Ballet Ariel will be complying with all current state and local Covid-19 regulations at the time of the performance.

Ballet Ariel was founded in 1998 by Artistic and Executive Director Ilena Norton. Now entering its 23rd year of performance, Ballet Ariel has evolved into a laboratory for developing original classical ballets, a collaborative environment where the beauty of classical ballet comes together with narrative storytelling and a contemporary vision. This professional company is known for its graceful and elegant, yet dynamic, choreography and staging.

Located in Denver at the WABI Studio, 490 South Santa Fe Drive, Suite C, the company employs twelve professional dancers under Rehearsal Director Oleg Dedogryuk and Ballet Mistress Patricia Renzetti. Ballet Ariel's repertoire features original ballets such as Ballerina by Degas, Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, and Tale of Molly Brown along with classical works including The Nutcracker, La Fille Mal Gardee, and Les Sylphides.

Ballet Ariel emphasizes diversity in its company and education programs and offers an eclectic repertoire to attract broad spectrum audiences and participants. Ballet Ariel has performed at the Cleo Parker Robinson Theatre since 1998, and now performs regularly at the Lakewood Cultural Center, the Schoolhouse Theater and the PACE Center in Parker, the Parsons Theatre at Northglenn Recreation Center, and the Pinnacle Performing Arts Center. Ballet Ariel has also performed throughout the Denver metro area in the SCFD Summerfest series at the Arvada Center, the Cherry Hills Winter Cultural series, the Denver Ballet Guild Showcase of Dance, the Mile High Dance Festival, the Denver Botanic Gardens SCFD series and others. Ballet Ariel has performed on tour in Leadville at the Tabor Opera House, Durango, and with Artcore in Casper, Wyoming.

Ballet Ariel receives funding from Denver, Jefferson, Adams, and Douglas Counties through the Scientific & Cultural Facilities District (SCFD), Colorado Creative Industries, and Denver Ballet Guild. The Covid Relief Fund received from Bonfils-Stanton Foundation and The Denver Foundation help to make this production possible. For more information, visit www.balletariel.org or call (303) 945-4388.

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