RAFFAELLA, A NEW FAIRYTALE BALLET To Have World Premiere In June

Raffaella, a new full-length fairytale ballet choreographed in memory of Saint Louis Ballet dancer and South Bend native Raffaella Stroik by former New York City Ballet Soloist and Ballet Hartford Resident Choreographer Claire Kretzschmar, will be given its World Premiere at the Morris Performing Arts Center in South Bend on June 29 and 30, 2024.

The ballet, commissioned by the Stroik family, will be the largest original professional production to debut in Indiana and will feature New York City Ballet Principal Dancer Isabella LaFreniere and professional dancers from around the country. The ballet is set to a score by Neo-Romantic composer Michael Kurek, which will be performed by the South Bend Symphony Orchestra conducted by Robin Fountain.

Raffaella embodies Ms. Stroik's personal motto, "Beauty will save the world.” Its story follows the journey of a young peasant girl, starting with her miraculous birth in 18th-century Italy. Through her adventures, she meets two princes and must make a life-altering choice.

Raffaella Stroik was a member of Saint Louis Ballet from 2017 until her accidental death in late 2018. Among the ballets in which she danced were Artistic Director Gen Horiuchi's Cinderella, Giselle, The Nutcracker, and La Vie. Her training included American Contemporary Ballet, Indiana University Ballet Theater, Southold Dance Theatre, the Fabrice Herrault and Sofiane Sylve Summer Intensive, Boston Ballet's Summer Dance Program, American Ballet Theatre's New York City Summer Intensive, and Ballet West. 

"We are honored to present Raffaella, celebrating the beauty and spirit of a remarkable young woman," said Executive Producer Duncan Stroik, the late dancer's father. "The production, which features world-class artists and creators, is a testament to Raffaella's enduring legacy and her belief in the power of beauty to transform the world."

Isabella LaFreniere's New York City Ballet repertoire comprises more than twenty roles in such ballets as Firebird, Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake. While training in South Bend, she met and danced with Raffaella. The role of the Prince will be danced by Argentina native Jonatan Luján. He has been a soloist at the Slovak national theater, Ballet Zurich, the Metropolitan Opera, Ballet Argentino, and the Ullate Ballet in Madrid, and has danced featured roles in Carmen, Romeo and Juliet, Giselle, Le Corsaire and Swan Lake.

Choreographer Claire Kretzschmar joined New York City Ballet as an apprentice in 2010, became a soloist in 2018, and retired from the company in 2022. She is the Resident Choreographer of Connecticut's Ballet Hartford, for which she made A Ceremony of Carols.  Award-winning composer Michael Kurek was named Composer Laureate of Tennessee in 2022. His Symphony No. 2: Tales from the Realm of Faerie is available on Navona Records, and his The Sea Knows album was No.1 on Billboard's Traditional Classical Chart. Set Designer Gabrielle Stroik Johnson, Ms. Stroik's sister, is a classically trained architect, figurative painter, and former dancer who has designed classical ballet sets for Southold Dance Theater. 

Tickets

Performances of Raffaella are Saturday, June 29 at 7:30 pm and Sunday, June 30 at 3 p.m. For more information, please visit https://raffaellaballet.org. 

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