Miami City Ballet Brings World-Class Dance

Media Contact:

Kristen Gleason
Director of Marketing
The Paramount Theater
215 East Main Street
Charlottesville, VA 22902
434.979.1922 ext. 103
kristen@theparamount.net

For Immediate Release

April 12, 2006

The Paramount Theater will welcome a world-class dance ensemble to Charlottesville and celebrate its Spring Gala in one fell swoop with an evening featuring the Miami City Ballet on Tuesday, April 25 at 8 pm. The group, which marks its twentieth anniversary this season, is among the largest and most critically-acclaimed ballet companies in the United States.

Miami City Ballet is directed by legendary dancer Edward Villella and steeped in the neoclassical dance tradition of legendary choreographer George Balanchine. Villella was the first American-born male star of Balanchine's New York City Ballet, and did much to popularize the role of the male in dance during his performance career. In recognition of his achievements, Villella has been presented with the National Medal of Arts, named a Kennedy Center Honoree, and inducted into the Dancers' Hall of Fame at Saratoga's National Museum of Dance.

Noted for "exceptionally strong, nuanced performances" (The Washington Times), Miami City Ballet's dancers are athletes as much as artists, rehearsed to perform with great speed, energy, and technical precision. The performance in Charlottesville will showcase the company's artistic heritage with an all-Balanchine program including the dances Donizetti Variations, Sonatine, Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux, and Pas de Dix.

In addition to the public performance, the company will give a dance master class in Charlottesville on Monday, April 24 at 4 pm. Space is still available for the 90-minute class to be held at Balletschool, located at 2409 Ivy Road. Cost is $10 per person, and advance registration is required. Those interested in attending should contact Alicia Craddock, Education/Admin Coordinator, at 434.979.1922 ext. 100 or alicia@theparamount.net for further information or to register.

Available seating for Miami City Ballet's April 25 performance is $45 and $39. Youth/Child prices of $42 and $36 apply to those 18 and younger. Patron prices of $250 and $100 for the Gala include a donation to The Paramount, and entitle ticket holders to special pre- and/or post-performance events such as the opportunity to meet Mr. Villella. Tickets are available online and through The Paramount's Box Office at 434.979.1333. For more information about Miami City Ballet, visit www.miamicityballet.org.