Nashville Ballet's New Season To Open With 'Giselle'

Giselle, one of the world's most beloved ballets for the past 150 years, will open the 2009-2010 season for the critically acclaimed Nashville Ballet, October 23-25, at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center's James K. Polk Theatre.

Promising a season of the "best in contemporary and classic ballet," Nashville Ballet will reprise last season's critically lauded Nutcracker, offer the Nashville premiere of comic Filling Station and George Balanchine's whimsical Who Cares? (set to the music of Gerswhin) and the romantic Awaiting Redemption featuring a live performance by Curb Records artist Hal Ketchum. For the season's finale, Nashville Ballet will debut its new production of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream.

As a lagniappe to the season's offerings, the Ballet will host Emergence: The Studio Series at Nashville Ballet's Martin Center for Dance on November 13 and 14, during which patrons can stroll between different studios to watch alternating performances. The event will link new and emerging musical/media artists with company dancers, inspiring new, original works. Several dances from the Emergence series have evolved into full production performances, according to artistic director Paul Vasterling.

Giselle will be performed at 8 p.m. (CT) on Friday and Saturday, October 23 and 24, and at 2 p.m. Sunday, October 25. The ballet's tragic story demands much-both technically and artistically--of the ballerina dancing the role. The poor country maiden falls madly in love with a young man, a prince masquerading as a commoner. Upon learning of the deception, Giselle takes her life and is transformed into a Willi (a ghost). When all the Willis try to revenge her lost love, Giselle defends her former love, saving his life and earning eternal peace.

One of the harbingers of the holiday season in Nashville, the Ballet's 2008 Nutcracker-one of The company's most successful undertakings--will be revived for a December 11-20 run at TPAC's Andrew Jackson Hall. Set during Tennessee's Centennial Celebration, The Nutcracker features the full company of dancers and apprentices, along with a cast of some 200 children.

American Originals, the Ballet's Winter Series at TPAC's Polk Theatre, is slated for Februrary 12-14, and will include Filling Station, which follows the activities of a busy day at a filling station, including the madcap customers who prance in and out of the station; Awaiting Redemption, a melancholic, introspective look at love, real life and coming to terms with the wisdom that comes with age; Who Cares?, by George Balanchine, is described as a "gem of a ballet" that showcases the golden age of Broadway with the music of George Gershwin, including "I Got Rhythm," "Strike Up the Band" and "Embraceable You."

Artistic director Vasterling's fresh take on Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream will complete the season, as Puck plays tricks on the piece's ill-fated lovers and the night's antics are resolvedby daybreak. The production is being designed by the same team who created the dazzling new Nutcracker, including designer Campbell Baird. A Midsummer Night's Dream will play Andrew Jackson Hall April 23-25, 2010, and will feature the award-winning Nashville Symphony Orchestra.

Nashville Ballet's popular biennial event, Emergence!, in 2009-2010 will morph into Emergence: The Studio Series, during which audiences will have an up-close and personal experience of sharing the studio with the dancers performing a program of intimate, eclectic favorites and new, intriguing discoveries. Emergence: The Studio Series will mesh musical artists and new choreographers to create new collaborations. It will be performed at the Nashville Ballet Martin Center for the Dance at 3630 Redmon Street on November 13 and 14, at 7:30 p.m.

Season subscriptions are now on sale, with subscribers guaranteed the best seats in the house. Subscription packages range in price from $37 per person up to $234 per person. Packages start with a four-show subscription (which includes Nutcracker), a three-show subscription, and a two-show Fall and Winter subscription. Family Series subscriptions are also available, with children ages 4-17 receiving a 50% discount on subscription tickets.

To order a season subscription, contact Nashville Ballet at subscriptions@nashvilleballet.com or call (615) 297-2966, ext. 10. New subscribers may order online at www.nashvilleballet.com.

Founded in 1981 as a civic dance company, Nashville Ballet is the largest professional balletcompany in Tennessee, and as the second largest producting arts organization in Middle Tennessee, presents a varied repertoire of classical ballet and contemporary works by noted choreographers, along with 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 the education/outreach program Learning Curves. The 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-country region throughout Middle Tennessee.

To post a comment, you must register and login.