Northrop Dance Presents American Ballet Theatre 10/9

Northrop Dance at the University of Minnesota presents American Ballet Theatre's ABT II on Sat, Oct 9 at 8:00 pm at Northrop. Representing the next generation of world-class ballet, ABT II is made up of 12 dancers hand selected from around the world by the American Ballet Theatre. Now entering their 16th season, their youthful flexibility molds to the traditions of American Ballet Theatre even excelling beyond to include contemporary choreography. ABT II serves as a bridge between professional ballet training, performance, and American Ballet Theatre's educational outreach program. The evening will begin with a Performance Preview with Artistic Director Wes Chapman.

PUBLIC EVENT

Performance Preview
Wes Chapman
Artistic Director of ABT II
Sat, Oct 9, 7:15 pm
Studio 4, Basement of Northrop
84 Church Street S.E.
Minneapolis, MN 55455
Free and open to the public

ABT II Artistic Director Wes Chapman will be interviewed prior to the debut of the company's performance at Northrop to discuss the history of the company and the repertoire.

PERFORMANCE

American Ballet Theatre's ABT II

Sat, Oct 9, 8:00 pm
Northrop
84 Church Street S.E.
Minneapolis, MN 55455
$35, $48, $58

Single tickets and series packages on sale now at northrop.umn.edu, 612-624-2345, or in person Monday - Friday, 10:00 am - 5:00 pm, Room 105 Northrop.

Talent cascades throughout George Balanchine's Allegro Brillante, a fast-paced fusion of precise timing, strong dancing, and breadth of gesture of which Balanchine said: "It contains everything I know about the classical ballet in 13 minutes." The dancers then morph to the wildly creative dance of Canadian choreographer Aszure Barton using quick turns, and exhilarating moves to the French music of Barbara (also known as Monique Andrée Serf). As if their energy never stops, the program continues with Interplay, an infectiously high-spirited ballad of playful dance by famed choreographer, Jerome Robbins. Other performances of the night include The Sleeping Beauty's "Rose Adagio," with choreography by Wes Chapman after Marius Petipa, Pavlovsk with choreography by Roger VanFleteren, and Flames of Paris with choreography by Wes Chapman after Vasily Vainonen.

About Wes Chapman | Artistic Director

A native of Union Springs, Alabama, Chapman joined American Ballet Theatre in 1984 as a member of the corps de ballet. He was promoted to Soloist in 1987 and to Principal Dancer in 1989. With ABT, Chapman performed all the leading roles in the ballet repertoire and in works by many of the twentieth century's master choreographers, including George Balanchine, Agnes De Mille, Twyla Tharp, and Antony Tudor. He also created leading roles in Clark Tippet's Bruch Violin Concerto No. 1 and Twyla Tharp's The Elements. In 1993, he joined the Bavarian National Ballet as a principal dancer before returning to ABT in 1995. In 1996, Chapman was named artistic director of Alabama Ballet. During his leadership, the company grew from 16 to 44 professional and apprentice dancers. He also founded the Alabama Ballet School, the apprentice pre-professional training program and the Alabama Ballet Summer Program. Mr. Chapman returned to ABT as ballet master in 2006 before being named Artistic Director of ABT II in 2007. He also serves as a national spokesperson for Regional Dance America and as dance advisor for Angelina Ballerina(tm).

About American Ballet Theatre's ABT II

American Ballet Theatre's ABT II, under the direction of Wes Chapman, is an elite classical ballet company of 12 young dancers of outstanding potential. Now in its 16th season, ABT II prepares young dancers (ages 16-20) to enter American Ballet Theatre's main company as well as other leading national and international professional ballet companies. ABT II's varied repertoire mirrors the traditions of American Ballet Theatre, and, while it is firmly rooted in classical ballet, often features contemporary choreography by new and established choreographers.

Participation in outreach programs for children and other selected groups is an important part of the ABT II mission. ABT II dancers perform in schools around the New York City area and throughout the United States. The outreach program also extends to colleges and universities where dance students experience the rare opportunity of collaborating with the company during various residencies and master classes.
PROGRAM INFORMATION

Artistic Director: Wes Chapman
Dancers: Sterling Baca, Kathryn Boren, Skylar Brandt, Brittany DeGrofft, Cara Marie Gary, Marcella Pavia, Colby Parsons, Calvin Royal III, Alys Shee, Irlan Silva, Aaron Smyth, Alberto Velazquez

Barbara (2008) Aszure Barton
Music by Barbara
Dancers: Kathryn Boren, Skylar Brandt, Brittany DeGrofft, Cara Marie Gary, Alys Shee, Sterling Baca, Colby Parsons, Calvin Royal III, Irlan Silva, Aaron Smyth

Interplay (1945) Jerome Robbins
Music by Morton Gould
I. FREE PLAY
Sterling Baca
II. HORSEPLAY
Irlan Silva
III. BYPLAY
Brittany DeGrofft and Calvin Royal III
IV. TEAM PLAY
Kathryn Boren, Skylar Brandt, Brittany DeGrofft, Alys Shee,Sterling Baca, Colby Parsons, Calvin Royal III, Irlan Silva

Allegro Brillante (1956) George Balanchine
Music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Dancers: Kathryn Boren, Calvin Royal III, Skylar Brandt, Cara Marie Gary, Marcella Paiva, Alys Shee, Sterling Baca, Colby Parsons, Irlan Silva, Aaron Smyth

The Sleeping Beauty "Rose Adagio" (1890)
Choreography by Wes Chapman after Marius Petipa
Dancers: Skylar Brandt with Sterling Baca, Irlan Silva, Aaron Smyth, Alberto Velazquez

Pavlovsk (2009)
Choreography by Roger VanFleteren
Music by Karen LeFrak
ABT II Commission
Dancers: Brittany DeGrofft and Alberto Velazquez

Flames of Paris (1932) Pas de Deux
Choreography by Wes Chapman after Vasily Vainonen
Dancers: Marcella Paiva and Colby Parsons

Barbara

Barbara is a contemporary ballet piece for ten dancers, five men and five women. Created for ABT II by Azsure Barton, Barbara features music by French pop singer/songwriter Monique Serf, known in France as Barbara. Although there is no formal storyline, Barbara showcases the individual personality of each dancer.

Allegro Brillante

George Balanchine's Allegro Brillante is characterized by what Maria Tallchief (the ballerina on whom the bravura leading role was created) calls "an expansive Russian romanticism." The music's vigorous pace makes the steps appear even more difficult, but the ballet relies on strong dancing, precise timing, and breadth of gesture. Balanchine said: "It contains everything I know about the classical ballet in 13 minutes." (Courtesy of The George Balanchine Trust Online)

Interplay

Choreographed by Jerome Robbins, Interplay was created for American Ballet Theatre in 1948 and features a jazzy score by Morton Gould. The piece is performed with youthful energy by eight dancers, four men and four women, and has four sections:

I. Freeplay
II. Horseplay
III. Byplay
IV. Teamplay

Choreographed long before Robbins became famous for his Broadway hits West Side Story, Fiddler on the Roof and The King and I, Interplay features some of the jazz elements he later incorporated in his theater work. The ballet demonstrates the Interplay between classic ballet steps and the contemporary spirit with which they are executed, the Interplay between the dancers and the music, and finally between the dancers themselves. (Adapted from The Robbins Rights Trust Online)

ABOUT THE DANCERS

Sterling Baca grew up in Larkspur, Colorado. He began his ballet training at The Academy of Colorado Ballet at age 11 and then studied with German Zamuel. Baca enrolled at the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at American Ballet Theatre in 2009 under the direction of Franco DeVita and Raymond Lukens. He has attended the ABT Summer Intensive in New York for five years as a National Training Scholar and Bender Foundation Scholar. He was also one of the inaugural recipients of the Dizzy Feet Foundation Scholarship. Baca joined ABT II in September 2010.

Kathryn Boren was born in Dallas, Texas and has studied ballet since the age of three. She studied at the Ballet Academy of Texas with Lisa Slagle and Thomas Nicholson. At age 12, Boren was one of four girls chosen from Texas to perform with American Ballet Theatre in Balanchine's Mozartiana. She competed in the Youth America Grand Prix from 2004-2007 and received many top awards. In 2007, Boren was awarded a scholarship to the Jacqueline Kennedy Onasis School (JKO) at American Ballet Theatre. She studied at the JKO School until 2009. Boren also attended the American Ballet Theatre's Summer Intensive from 2004-2009. She was a National Training Scholar starting in 2005 and a Bender Foundation Scholar in 2008. Boren joined ABT II in July 2009.

Skylar Brandt grew up in New York and trained at Scarsdale Ballet Studio. She has studied with Susan Jaffe, Valentina Kozlova, and Fabrice Herrault. Brandt attended the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at American Ballet Theatre from 2005-2009, under Franco DeVita. She attended ABT's New York Summer Intensive and was a National Training Scholar from 2006-2009. She was also a two-time silver medalist at Youth America Grand Prix. Brandt has performed at the Metropolitan Opera House in the Royal Ballet's Cinderella and ABT's Le Corsaire, Coppélia, The Sleeping Beauty, and the 2009 Spring Gala. She was also invited to perform in Japan in 2009 and was recently featured on the web series Dance 212. Brandt joined ABT II in July 2009.

Brittany DeGrofft was born in Tucson, Arizona, where she began studying classical ballet under the direction of Linda Walker. Upon winning a scholarship to American Ballet Theatre's Summer Intensive in Austin, Texas, she was then offered a National Training Scholarship to the New York Intensive site. She has studied with American Ballet Theatre for five consecutive summers and in August of 2008, moved to New York to study with the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School on a full scholarship. She has participated in the Regional Dance America Festival in 2003 and won several full scholarships to several leading ballet schools in the country. DeGrofft joined ABT II in January 2009.

Cara Marie Gary was born in Columbia, South Carolina, and began her formal training at International Ballet Academy under Hennadii Bespechnyi and Vlada Kysselova. Gary received additional training at Summer Intensive programs with American Ballet Theatre, Briansky Saratoga Ballet Center, Ukrainian Academy of Dance, South Carolina Governor's School, Ballet Spartanburg, and Chautauqua Institution. In 2010, Gary was a competitor in the IX USA International Ballet Competition held in Jackson, Mississippi. She was a top twelve finalist in the Youth America Grand Prix National Finals in 2008 and 2009, and received the Grand Prix Award in the 2009 regional semi-finals. In 2006, she was awarded a Diploma of Laureate at the VI Serge Lifar International Ballet Competition in Kiev, Ukraine. Gary joined ABT II in September 2010.

Marcella Paiva grew up in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, studying ballet at the Maria Olenewa School and Petite Danse Dancing School's Ballet Cia. She participated in the Youth America Grand Prix competition winning the bronze medal in 2003 and the gold medal in 2006, for which she was granted a scholarship to the Princess Grace Academy of Classical Dance in Monaco. Paiva was also a winner in the 2008 Prix de Lausanne. She has danced with the Municipal Theatre of Rio de Janeiro since 2008. Paiva joined ABT II in February 2010.

Colby Parsons started ballet at age 13 at the Santa Barbara Ballet Center with Denise Rinaldi. He has also studied at the Colburn School of Dance with Glen Edgerton, the Debbie Allen Dance Academy with Vladimir Kolesnikov, the Dancer's Advantage with Brian Bender, and the Rock School for Dance Education on full scholarship and stipend. Parsons attended the ABT Summer Intensive on full scholarship, as well as the Houston Ballet Intensive and Chautauqua Dance Intensive on full scholarship. He was a finalist at the Youth America Grand Prix 2007 competition as well as earning eight awards at the MAAI 2007 convention in NY. Parsons joined ABT II in January 2009.

Calvin Royal III began his formal training under the direction of Suzanne Pomerantzeff and Patricia Paige at the Pinellas County Center for the Arts in St. Petersburg, Florida. After being pronounced a New York City finalist at the Youth America Grand Prix Competition in April 2006, he was granted the Ethan Stiefel Scholarship to continue his training at the Jacqueline Kennedy Onasis School at American Ballet Theatre, under the direction of Franco De Vita, for the 2006-07 school year. He was the recipient of the Walkers Rising Star Scholarship and the Ruth Eckerd Hall Dance Scholarship presented by the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Royal joined ABT II in December 2007.

Alys Shee was born in Toronto, Canada. She began her ballet training with Nadia Veselova Tencer, Artistic Director of the Stars of the 21st Century Gala, at age nine and is coached by Canadian ballerina Evelyn Hart (Royal Winnipeg Ballet). As a recipient of the silver medal at the 2009 Moscow International Ballet Competition, Shee earned the distinction of being the youngest student in Canadian history to be awarded a medal at an International Ballet Competition. She was awarded the silver medal for pas de deux at the 2009 Youth America Grand Prix New York City Finals. In 2010, she was awarded the silver medal at the USA International Ballet Competition and the South African International Ballet Competition. Shee joined ABT II in September 2010.

Irlan Silva was born and raised in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He began his studies of ballet at Dance Academy Rio at age 11. In 2005, Silva won first place at the Youth American Grand Prix finals in New York City, representing Brazil. He won first place and the "Best Dancer" award at the XXIV Joinville Festival of Dance in Brazil in 2006. In addition, he appeared as a guest artist in Swan Lake and the Nutcracker with the Ballet of the Municipal Theatre in Rio de Janiero. Silva was a winner at the 2008 Prix de Lausanne in Switzerland as well as the best contemporary dancer at the Youth American Grand Prix in New York City. He has also starred in the documentary film Only When I Dance. Silva joined ABT II in September 2008.

Aaron Smyth was born on the Gold Coast, Australia and began his training at age eight with Dianne Talbot, Joy and Dawn Ransley, and Prudence Bowen. Smyth studied on full scholarship at the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at American Ballet Theatre, under Franco DeVita. Smyth was awarded the RAD Solo Seal Award and was a top four finalist in the Australia's Got Talent 2008 TV series. He won the Gold Medal at the Genee International Ballet Competition and the Bravo Audience Choice Award in Toronto, Canada. He was a finalist at the 2010 Prix de Lausanne, placed in the top 12 at the 2010 Youth America Grand Prix finals, and won the bronze medal at the 2010 South African International Ballet Competition. Smyth joined ABT II in April 2010.

Alberto Velazquez began his ballet studies in 2000 at the Alejo Carpentié Elementary Ballet School in Havana, Cuba. In 2004, he moved to Mexico studying at the Fomento Artístico Cordobés under the direction of his mother, Adria Luz Velazquez Castillo. In 2006, Velazquez won the Youth America Grand Prix gold medal in pas de deux. He was invited to perform for the Spoletto Festival's 50th anniversary gala in Italy and in June 2007 he was invited to perform in the 12th International Ballet Festival of Miami. While performing at the Stars of Today and Tomorrow Gala at the Teatro de Bellas Artes in Mexico City, he was offered a full scholarship to the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at American Ballet Theatre. Velazquez joined ABT II in January 2009.

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