Indianapolis City Ballet’s Evening with the Stars Set for 9/8

Principal dancers from the American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, The Royal Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet, Washington Ballet and more join the Indianapolis City Ballet's Evening With the Stars. The performance is Saturday, Sept. 8, at 8 p.m. live on stage at the Murat Theatre at Old National Centre.

The performance includes signature works from classical, neo-classical and cutting-edge contemporary ballets – previous crowd favorites and new works as well as a few surprises. A newly commissioned work featuring the music of Indiana's Cole Porter by renowned choreographer Margo Sappington will debut. Tickets are on sale now with information below.

A sampling of the caliber of dancers guests will see and the fascinating stories behind them:

· Julie Kent, Principal Dancer with American Ballet Theatre, and Jose Manuel Carreno, former Principal Dancer with American Ballet Theatre and current International Guest Artist, are two of the foremost ballet dancers in the world. After retiring from American Ballet Theatre in 2010, Carreno has returned to dancing, and is better than ever. Kent was handpicked by Mikhail Baryshnikov to join American Ballet Theatre and is arguably the greatest American ballerina of her generation.

· Wendy Whelan is a star of the ballet world around whom several of the most important contemporary ballet works of the last 20 years were created. The first star to emerge in New York City Ballet after George Balanchine's death and one of the few remaining to have worked on stage with Balanchine's muses, Whelan is a chameleon who can transform from classical to contemporary works seamlessly and extraordinarily.

· ArgentinIan Herman Cornejo took the gold medal at the VIII International Dance Competition in Moscow in 1997 at just age 16, the youngest winner in the event's history. This was one of many awards Cornejo earned as a young dancer: the 2000 Peace Messenger prize from UNESCO, the 2005 nomination for best dancer for the Benois de la Danse and, in 2010, the Mr. Expressivity prize at the 9th International Ballet Festival "Dance Open" in St. Petersburg. It was the beginning of a series of promotions, first to principal dancer with Ballet Argentino, then to soloist (2000) and now to Principal Dancer (2003) with the American Ballet Theatre. He makes guest appearances around the world.

· Brooklyn Mack of Elgin, S.C., is a Principal dancer with Washington ballet. He enrolled in a ballet class at age 12 to improve his football skills – and he was hooked. He recently won gold at the International Ballet Competition in Varna, Bulgaria, one of the few Americans to win gold there and the first African-American to do so. This win comes on the heels of gold medals in the Istanbul and Boston International Ballet Competitions. From classical to contemporary, his technical skills and stage presence know no bounds.

· Misty Copeland is using the tremendous power and beauty in her 5'2" frame to change the way people think about African-American ballerinas. A soloist at American Ballet Theatre, she caught the attention of renowned choreographer Alexei Ratmansky to create his restaging of the famous The Firebird ballet around her this year. She also seems to have caught the attention of rock legend Prince, appearing in his 2009 "Crimson and Clover" music video and onstage in a Madison Square Garden appearance - dating rumors continue to fly.

· Ukrainian ballet dancers who met as kids, Irina Dvorovenko and Maxim Beloserkovsky have ascended to become senior principal dancers with American Ballet Theatre, and celebrated artists with companies and in the major theaters of America, Europe, Asia and beyond. This married couple with a child is likely the most glamorous in the ballet world with numerous fashion contracts and fashionable appearances.

· 12-year-old Demitra Bereveskos, an international prizewinner who is from Indianapolis, Ind., already has experience in the competition and gala circuit. "Discovered" at an Indianapolis City Ballet Master Class by former Bolshoi Ballet and New York City Ballet principal dancer Valentina Kozlova, she was given a scholarship to study with Ms. Kozlova in New York City. She continues to work with teachers in Indianapolis and commutes to New York for periodic classes and coaching.

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