Colorado Ballet Seeks Schools For Live Stream Of SWAN LAKE And THE NUTCRACKER

Colorado Ballet seeks schools and organizations throughout Colorado and out-of-state to participate in free remote live streams of its student matinee performances of Swan Lake and The Nutcracker during the 2016-2017 season. The Swan Lake live stream will take place at 10 a.m. MST on October 6 and The Nutcracker live stream will take place at 11 a.m. MST on December 2.

Sites eligible for the live streams include: public, charter and private schools (ECE-12th grade); colleges and universities; as well as hospitals, homeless shelters and non-profit organizations that serve children and youth.

"Interested schools and organizations are welcome to sign up for Swan Lake, The Nutcracker or both," said Samantha Hyde, Colorado Ballet Director of Education. "The in-person student matinee performance of Swan Lake is sold out and The Nutcracker student matinee is by invitation only, so students, teachers, and patients who might otherwise be unable to see live ballet performances will have the opportunity to watch Colorado Ballet live this season. These performances include full sets, costumes and a live orchestra. Plus, we offer study guides with suggested activities and discussion questions, so both live streams are excellent opportunities to study two beloved, classical ballets."

This is the second season that Colorado Ballet has offered live streaming of its student matinee series. During the 2015-2016 season, Colorado Ballet reached approximately 7,700 participants in 14 Colorado counties, 30 states and 6 countries including Ecuador, Ireland, England, Greece, Italy, and Canada through the live stream of the student matinees.

"We have received amazing feedback from schools and organizations who participated in the first season of live streaming the student matinee series," said Hyde. "Not only did we hear back that the video and audio quality of the live stream was excellent, but some participants commented that they felt like they had front row seats. Teachers told us that we were changing lives and helping children to love and appreciate the arts. It was so rewarding for us to hear that children of all ages were mesmerized by the performances and we inspired children to dance and twirl after watching the shows. We heard that we provided something that could be understood in any language and we cannot wait to offer the free live streaming opportunities again this season."

Interested schools and organizations should visit http://coloradoballet.org/education/live-stream and fill out the form at the bottom of the page. For more information, contact Samantha Hyde at samantha.hyde@coloradoballet.org.

About the performances

Colorado Ballet opens its 56th season with Swan Lake, featuring the original choreography of Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov, set and updated by former American Ballet Theatre principals Amanda McKerrow and John Gardner and Sandra Brown, Ballet Mistress for Colorado Ballet. Swan Lake features Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's classic score performed live by the Colorado Ballet Orchestra. Due to the length of this ballet, it is recommended for 3rd grade students and older. The total run time including two intermissions is 2 hours and 35 minutes.

Colorado Ballet's 56th annual production of The Nutcracker will feature more than 300 costumes, 30 Company dancers, 25 Studio Company dancers, 65 Academy dancers, and timeless choreography paired with Tchaikovsky's extraordinary arrangement performed live by the Colorado Ballet Orchestra. The Nutcracker features lavish costumes, exuberant dancing, whimsical battles, hypnotizing snow flurries, sumptuous sets, and a little bit of magic. The total run time with one intermission is 2 hours and 5 minutes.

The intermissions for both productions will feature live interviews with artistic staff and dancers for organizations participating in the live stream.

About Colorado Ballet

Established in 1961 by Lillian Covillo and Freidann Parker, Colorado Ballet is a non-profit organization celebrating 56 years of presenting world-class classical ballet and superior dance in Denver. Under the direction of Artistic Director Gil Boggs, Colorado Ballet presents more than 50 performances annually. Colorado Ballet enhances the cultural life of Colorado through performances of the professional company, training at the Academy, and Education & Community Engagement programs. Visit www.coloradoballet.org.

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