Ballet Stages Original Nashville Art To Be Accompanied by Local Musicians

Nashville Ballet's winter performance, Salsa Dreams, will include three dances selected by Artistic Director & CEO Paul Vasterling for their popularity and contribution to American culture-Salsa Dreams, with Billy the Kid and Cryin' Out.

In Salsa Dreams, the unlikely combination of ballet and salsa unite on stage, fueled by a live salsa band led by the lively and entertaining Lalo Davila y Amigos. These two genres meet when a classical ballerina daydreams about crossing paths with a group of salsa dancers who move in a way she's never experienced. Salsa Dreams explores the irony of combining two apparently different forms of dance, and invites audience members to explore new forms of movement themselves.

By the end of the performance, she has embraced this new, free-spirited style of movement.

"A performance like this that profiles a very different kind of ballet allows us to teach people that there is a style of music and dance for everyone. Even people who don't think they can dance or don't think they have any rhythm find themselves literally moving to this music," Vasterling said. "It also allows us to profile the versatility of our company members who can master many different styles of dance-even in one performance"

Previously performed in 2005, the infectious music inspired audience members to dance in the aisles and their seats.

Also featured during the series is Cryin' Out with choreography by Gina Patterson and music written and performed live on stage by genre-busting songwriter Gary Nicholson, whose songs have been recorded by rock and country legends alike, including Bonnie Raitt, Vince Gill and the Dixie Chicks. Nicholson will perform some of his most recognized songs, including One More Last Chance, More Love and Choose Love for this mix of Americana music, contemporary dance and traditional ballet.

Vasterling will also revive Billy the Kid, a quintessential American work choreographed by Eugene Loring in 1938. Based on the life of the infamous Western outlaw of the same name, Billy the Kid illustrates how Billy's reputation as both a criminal and a hero was an influential part of Wild West culture after the Civil War. Billy the Kid was one of the first ballets choreographed on American themes, created during the 1920's surge of popular American art. Recognized by the National Endowment for the Arts for preserving important American works, Nashville Ballet's premier of Billy the Kid will revive this ballet from a 10-year American hiatus.

Salsa Dreams, with Billy the Kid and Cryin' Out will be held at TPAC's Polk Theater for three performances:
Friday, February 10 at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, February 11 at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, February 12 at 2 p.m.

Ticket Information
Season tickets for Nashville Ballet's 2011-2012 performance season on sale now at www.nashvilleballet.com. For season ticket information, contact Logan Heinsch at (615) 297-2966 x10. Tickets to individual performances are available in person at the TPAC box office in downtown Nashville, by phone at (615) 782-4040 or online at www.nashvilleballet.com.

About Nashville Ballet
Nashville Ballet is the largest professional ballet company in Tennessee. As the second largest producing arts organization in the Middle Tennessee area, Nashville Ballet presents a varied repertoire of classical ballet and contemporary works by noted choreographers, including original works by Artistic Director Paul Vasterling. Nashville Ballet and the Second Company NB2 (a pre-professional training company) serve nearly 70,000 adults and children annually through performances and our outreach and community engagement programming. Our curriculum-based outreach program brings dance education to community centers, colleges, public libraries, eight resident schools, and public elementary and middle schools over a 15-county region throughout Middle Tennessee. The School of Nashville Ballet provides world-class instruction in ballet for the dancers of tomorrow.

Nashville Ballet is funded in part from grants made available through the Metropolitan Nashville Arts Commission, the Tennessee Arts Commission and the National Endowment for the Arts, as well as the Ingram Charitable Trust. Additional funding is also provided by Bridgestone Americas Trust Fund, Caterpillar Financial, ELAN, The Memorial Foundation and Publix Super Markets Charities.

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