Ballet Tucson Announces Its Spring Concert (Dance & Dessert 2019)
Highlights Include The World Premiere Of Daniel Precup’s La Dame Aux Camélias And The Ballet Tucson Premiere Of George Balanchine’s Donizetti Variations
Violet Rose Arma, Jenna Johnson & Caitlin Calligan in La Dame aux Camélias
Photo by Ed Flores
Ballet Tucson announces the exciting repertoire for its Spring Concert with four performances March 8 – 10 at Stevie Eller Dance Theatre.
LA DAME AUX CAMÉLIAS
Choreography: Daniel Precup
Jenna Johnson & Mauricio Vergara in La Dame aux Camélias
Photo by Ed Flores
The world premiere of La Dame aux Camélias (The Lady of the Camellias) is the ballet interpretation of the novel by Alexander Dumas (the younger) published in 1848, with original choreography created by the Company’s Ballet Master Daniel Precup. The inspiration for Verdi’s opera La Traviata and numerous English language plays and films entitled Camille, it is the story of a celebrated courtesan who sacrifices her final days of happiness to protect her young lover.
Precup’s adaptation of La Traviata is set with a touch of Romanticism against a musical collage of composers contemporary to the characters who frequented the salons of 1840s Paris, France.
Prima Ballerina Jenna Johnson will originate the lead role in this gripping one-act narrative ballet.
Shannon Quirk, Danielle Cesanek & Megan Steffens in Donizetti Variations
Photo by Ed Flores
DONIZETTI VARIATIONS
Choreography: George Balanchine
Music: Gaetano Donizetti
The Ballet Tucson premiere of Balanchine’s Donizetti Variations is the latest work to be specially granted to Ballet Tucson by the George Balanchine Trust. The immortal genius created Donizetti Variations in 1960 for Salute to Italy, a New York City Ballet program celebrating the 100th anniversary of Italy’s unification. It is set to ballet music from Donizetti’s opera Don Sebastian de Portugal.
Gaetano Donizetti (1797-1848), was an Italian composer who wrote more than 65 operas, in addition to sacred and chamber music. He worked with extreme rapidity for the greatest voices of his time and his works celebrated the beauties of Bel Canto singing, had great theatrical flair, and displayed ornate melodies and lyrical phrasing.
Donizetti Variations embodies the composer’s score incorporating the overt use of speed, clarity and dynamic energy. Balanchine’s choreography has a cheerful and sunny quality that is also in harmony with the music, and the costuming has an ornate peasant/folk style. The cast of 11 dancers consists of a lead couple and three trios made up of 1 male and 2 females. This ballet is “bravura” in technical approach and will be an exciting showpiece for the company and a thrill for Tucson audiences to see for the first time. Balanchine’s most famous motto “see the music, hear the dance” lives on in Donizetti Variations.
Shannon Quirk in Donizetti Variations
Photo by Ed Flores
OTHER REPERTOIRE
In keeping with the diverse programming that audiences anticipate for “Dance & Dessert” performances each season, the company will perform a comedy offering by long-time Ballet Tucson collaborator Sam Watson.
This year, we will also include the winning piece from our Emerging Choreographers Performance (Footprints at the Fox) on this main stage program. Apprentice Violet Rose Arma (1st Prize Winner) will make her professional choreographic debut with A Convenient Contraposition – a stark, sculptural contemporary ballet.
An eclectic array of other short works will round out the program.
Dessert tastings will be served at the conclusion of each performance as the grand finale to our festive 2018-2019 season!
PERFORMANCE DATES/TIMES
Friday, March 8 – 7:30 pm
Saturday, March 9 – 2:00 pm & 7:30 pm
Sunday, March 10 – 1:00 pm
Stevie Eller Dance Theatre
1737 E. University Blvd.
TICKETS
General $45
Seniors/Students/Military $40
Groups (10 or more) $35
Phone: 800.838.3006
Online: BalletTucson.org
