On Thursday, February 9 at 7:30 pm; Friday, February 10 at 8 pm; Saturday, February 11 at 8 pm; and Sunday, February 12 at 3 pm in the Victoria Theatre, the Dayton Ballet is thrilled to present Daring Duets, the third ballet of the 2016–2017 Excite Season. The Thursday evening performance of Daring Duets includes a Pizza Prelude from Uno’s Pizzeria to be served in the Victoria lobby beginning at 7 pm.
Artistic Director Karen Russo Burke and Dayton Ballet bring an exciting new ballet repertory program entitled Daring Duets to the Victoria Theatre stage, celebrating the complexities of the relationship shared between couples. The program will feature the full Dayton Ballet Company as they partner with one another to present some of the most well-known and most exciting, new, original pas de deux ever to grace the Victoria stage. The program comprises eight unique ballets that range from classical to neoclassical to contemporary, in an in-depth look at how two people join together to dance on stage as one. Interviews with dancers and choreographers will shed light between dances in a video presentation made possible by the generosity of the Miriam Rosenthal Foundation for the Arts.
“Pas de Deux is French for ‘Step of Two’ and is what partnering is called in ballet. By dancing with a partner, the lady can jump higher, take positions she would never be able to on her own, and ‘float’ about the stage as she is carried by her partner. A partner allows a man to extend his line and show off his strength.” (www.the-ballet.com) Dayton Ballet presents an exhilarating evening of duets, or pas de deux, choreographed with this very definition in mind.
Dayton Ballet is thrilled to be able to dance a pas de deux from the late dance legend Antony Tudor, a George Balanchine contemporary who has been hailed as the “artistic conscience of American Ballet Theatre” from the moment he joined ABT for its founding season in 1940. This February, Dayton Ballet will dance his famous pas de deux from the ballet The Leaves Are Fading. This exquisite pas de deux was originally danced under Tudor’s direction in 1975 by Amanda McKerrow and John Gardner, two of America’s most acclaimed and talented dancers of the 20th century. Ms. McKerrow and Mr. Gardner will work in studio directly with Dayton Ballet dancers to set this beautiful piece for Dayton Ballet. The Antony Tudor Ballet Trust was formed after Tudor’s death in 1987 with the mission of securing the legacy of Tudor’s great ballets. The Trust is exceptionally selective of the ballet companies with which it works, so Dayton Ballet is truly honored to be able to pay tribute to the ballet genius of Antony Tudor with this performance.
Dayton Ballet is also excited to welcome choreographer Nicole Haskins to its studios as she sets her engaging pas de deux La Linea Scura, choreographed to music of the same name by Italian pianist Ludovico Einaudi. Haskins hails from Venice Beach, California, and has danced professionally with well-known companies across the country, including Sacramento Ballet, Kansas City Ballet, and Washington Ballet. Haskins, an experienced choreographer as well, has worked in the past with several Dayton Ballet dancers, and she comes to Dayton to set her beautiful pas de deux La Linea Scura this month. Ms. Haskins’ work on La Linea Scura is made possible by the Dermot Burke Fund.
The dancers of Dayton Ballet will also present more classical works, including the famous Grand Pas de Deux from Don Quixote, a dance teeming with passion, energy and bravado. Set to the impeccable music of nineteenth-century Czech composer Ludwig Minkus, Don Quixote was originally choreographed by French/Russian dancer and choreographer Marius Petipa in 1869. It is Petipa’s original choreography that Dayton Ballet Artistic Director Karen Russo Burke will use to set this traditional ballet for this performance.
In addition to these three selections, Burke will present five other works, highlighting the strength, expertise, and superb partnering skills of each dancer in the Dayton Ballet company. Dayton is invited to spend a romantic Valentine’s Day engulfed by the beauty and elegance of the purest expression of emotion between two dancers—the pas de deux—in Daring Duets.
Before each performance, Ms. Burke will hold a pre-performance talk called “The First Step,” giving audience members a more in-depth look at the upcoming performance and a behind-the-scenes peek at Dayton Ballet. “The First Step” will be held 45 minutes prior to curtain time for each performance in the Burnell Roberts Room at 126 North Main Street, beside the Victoria Theatre. “Behind the Ballet,” a Q&A with dancers that gives audiences the opportunity to learn more about the life of a dancer with Dayton Ballet, will follow each performance in the theatre. “The First Step” and “Behind the Ballet” sessions are free of charge for all ticketholders.
Tickets for Daring Duets are $21 to $72 and are available at Ticket Center Stage (937) 228-3630 or online at www.daytonperformingarts.org. Looking for a sweet deal for your sweetie this Valentines weekend? All tickets now 50% off using code “DUETS” call (888) 228-3630Senior, teacher and student discounts available at box office.
