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KANSAS CITY, MO (January 11, 2010) — The 52nd season of Kansas City Ballet continues February 25 through 28, 2010, at the Lyric Theatre with three Kansas City Ballet fan favorites including the joyous Lambarena, by Val Caniparoli, the contemporary classic by Robert Hill, Piano Concerto #2 and José Limón’s The Moor’s Pavane, a ballet based on Shakespeare’s Othello. Music from the 2009-2010 season is available at iMix in iTunes by following the link on www.kcballet.org.
Piano Concerto #2
The Winter Performance opens with an encore production of Robert Hill’s ballet, Piano Concerto #2. Commissioned by Kansas City Ballet and last seen by Kansas City audiences in spring of 2005, the piece introduced the work of choreographer Hill and composer Lowell Liebermann to area audiences. Mr. Hill is the artistic director of Orlando Ballet and a former principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre. Lowell Liebermann’s Piano Concerto #2 received a 1998 GRAMMY Award nomination for Best Contemporary Classical Composition. When the ballet premiered, The Kansas City Star dance critic, Paul Horsley, noted, “This engaging four-section piece, in its world premiere, had the passion of Russian ballet, the deft clarity of Balanchine and a loose, fresh, modern quality. Hill’s choreography was a dynamic and natural outgrowth of the hyper-romantic music.”
The Moor’s Pavane
José Limón’s masterpiece, The Moor’s Pavane, is a sublime human drama that captures the passion of Shakespeare’s Othello in a timeless portrayal of love, jealousy and betrayal. Limón distills the legend into one act featuring the noble Othello, the innocent Desdemona, the treacherous Iago and his spouse Emilia. Set to the music of Henry Purcell, their various passions smolder, erupt, and move them towards the inevitable conclusion, ironically contrasting propriety and violence.
“Not a literal retelling of Shakespeare’s Othello, it beautifully distills the story’s internal tension and dramatic arc through the unfolding of a pavane and other Renaissance dances.”- The Boston Globe
Lambarena
Completing the Winter Performance is Val Caniparoli’s Lambarena, a celebration of the joy of dance and the exhilarating integration of cultures. Lambarena is set to selections from an unusual score of the same name that combines traditional African rhythms with the melodies of Johann Sebastian Bach. The score, an homage to Nobel Peace Prize winner Albert Schweitzer, unites the two integral elements that formed Schweitzer’s “sound world” — the music of Bach and the native melodies and rhythms of his adopted homeland, Gabon.
The irresistible fusion of contemporary dance with these two musical forms have made Lambarena an international sensation.
“It would have been obvious to do classical steps with the Bach and ethnic movement with the African,” said Caniparoli. “But the score is a marriage of these two kinds of music, and I wanted the choreography to be the same thing. I wanted to show that you can do either kind of movement to both kinds of music. It’s very much a ballet, and it’s my own vocabulary, but it’s influenced by African movement.” Striving to keep the style as accurate as possible, Caniparoli consulted with African dance specialists Zakariya Sao Diouf and Naomi Gedo Johnson-Washington to help him blend African dance with ballet.
“Lambarena is a bold and heady cocktail of classical ballet and West African dance forms...this piece breaks all the rules while simultaneously revitalizing classical ballet’s canonized repertory.” - Cincinnati City Beat
Sponsors
Kansas City’s 2009-2010 season is supported in part by the following: the Muriel McBrien Kauffman Foundation, the Missouri Arts Council, the ArtsKC Fund, the Kansas City Missouri Neighborhood Tourism Development Fund, The Kansas City Star, Midwest Airlines, Hotel Phillips, the Kansas City Ballet Guild, 98.1 KUDL, and KSHB TV Action News.
About Kansas City Ballet
Founded in 1957, Kansas City Ballet is a 25-member professional ballet company under the direction of Artistic Director William Whitener and Executive Director Jeffrey J. Bentley. The company’s mission is to offer our community, region and dance profession, dance experiences of the highest quality. The Kansas City Ballet is home to Kansas City Ballet School for nearly 600 children and adults, offering professional training for the career-minded student as well as for those seeking a healthy lifestyle. Through our professional company, school and community outreach programs such as ROAD, Project X, and Dance INFORMances, we seek to nurture and develop our artists, audiences and students in the creativity, diversity and joy of dance.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Season Subscription Renewal Information
Be the first to renew for the 2010-11 season at the Winter Performance. Three thrilling programs that promise to deliver unparalleled performance variety. Those who renew at the Winter performances will receive a complimentary sample pack from Tall Grass Toffee Company. To make ballet affordable for everyone, the Series Subscription Package includes major savings and benefits for the Fall, Winter, and Spring Repertory Performances including: ticket discounts, savings on single ticket prices, priority seating, free ticket exchange and the chance to purchase discounted tickets for The Nutcracker before they go on sale to the general public. For ticket information for the 2010-11 season, please call Kansas City Ballet ticket box office at 816.931.2232 or visit our Web site at www.kcballet.org.
Student Discounts
Students may arrive at the Lyric box office one to two hours prior to Fall, Winter or Spring Repertory Programs, and purchase a select seat for just $12 with a valid I.D.
BARRE: Kansas City Ballet’s Young Friends Group
Kansas City Ballet BARRE is a subscription group for ballet enthusiasts, ages 21-40. They invite you to share a dynamic season with other young professionals from the community who support the arts. The BARRE motto: “Art you can party with,” truly describes what they are all about. Kansas City Ballet BARRE members enjoy a Friday night season ticket that includes happy hours, discounted Nutcracker tickets, backstage tours, meeting the dancers and mingling with other members at special events — all while supporting Kansas City Ballet. For more information, please contact Karen at 816.931.2232 ext.1304, email barre@kcballet.org, or visit the website at www.kcbbarre.org.
Friday, February 26, 9:30 p.m.
BARRE Winter Reverse Happy Hour
Come join the Kansas City Ballet in an entertaining night at 7:30 p.m. at the Lyric Theatre (11th and Central). Then follow the fun and BARRE after the show to Hotel Philips for drinks and appetizers at the BARRE Winter Reverse Happy Hour. Show and party tickets for non-BARRE members are $35. Reservations are preferred.
Kansas City Ballet
Winter Program
February 25–28, 2010
Lyric Theatre
1029 Central
Kansas City, Missouri
Piano Concerto #2
Choreographed by: Robert Hill
Music by: Lowell Liebermann
The Moor’s Pavane
Choreographed by: José Limón
Music by: Henry Purcell
Lambarena
Choreographed by: Val Caniparoli
Music by: Johann Sebastian Bach and Traditional African Rhythms
Thurs, Feb. 25 7:30 p.m.
Fri, Feb. 26 7:30 p.m.
Sat, Feb. 27 2:00 & 7:30 p.m.
Sun, Feb. 28 2:00 p.m.
Footnotes
Artistic Director William Whitener and guest dancers, choreographers, and musicians offer audience members an insider’s view on the storyline, choreography, history, costumes, and music prior to each repertory performance. These informal discussions are free for all ticket holders and are held at the theater one hour prior to curtain for Kansas City Ballet repertory shows.
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Please direct all media inquiries to: Ellen McDonald at 816.444.0052.
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