(RAHWAY, NJ) -- American Repertory Ballet will bring A Night of Dance to Union County Performing Arts Center’s Hamilton Stage on October 9, 2015 at 7:30pm. This year, the ballet company is celebrating 5 years of Artistic Director Douglas Martin’s artistic leadership.
In response to a past performance at Hamilton Stage, Patrick Kennedy of Broadway World remarked that “American Repertory Ballet's fresh, wondering, fantasy-filled approach to motion and color requires plenty of aesthetic intelligence.”
A Night of Dance will feature three highlights from early in Martin’s time as Artistic Director: the lyrical and poignant Ephemeral Possessions, set to Samuel Barber's Adagio for Strings, choreographed by Douglas Martin; the highly technical Glazunov Variations, set to sections of Glazunov's music for the classical ballet Raymonda, choreographed by internationally acclaimed choreographer Kirk Peterson; and the imaginative and thrilling Straight Up With a Twist, set to music by contemporary folk music composer Kaila Flexer, choreographed by ARB Resident Choreographer Mary Barton's. Straight Up With a Twist was last performed on tour at Jacob’s Pillow, an internationally-renowned center for dance history and performance in the Berkshire mountains.
“This is a very eclectic, fast-paced program,” says Martin. “From classical to contemporary, tutus to unitards, we are showing a full range of what the ballet vocabulary can produce. It’s really thrilling to watch.”
About American Repertory Ballet and Princeton Ballet School
American Repertory Ballet’s mission is to bring the joy, beauty, artistry and discipline of classical and contemporary dance to New Jersey and nationwide audiences and to dance students through artistic and educational programs. The organization comprises: the preeminent professional classical and contemporary ballet company in the state; Princeton Ballet School, one of the largest and most respected non-profit dance schools in the nation; and ARB’s Access & Enrichment initiatives, including the long-running and acclaimed DANCE POWER program. The performing company is a classical and contemporary ballet company committed to presenting ballets from the 19th and 20th centuries alongside new and existing works by choreographers from today. Founded in 1963, the company is currently under the artistic leadership of Douglas Martin, former principal dancer with the Joffrey Ballet. Its rich history of repertory includes established masterpieces by distinguished American choreographers such as George Balanchine, Gerald Arpino, Alvin Ailey, Paul Taylor and Twyla Tharp; cutting edge works by choreographers such as Val Caniparoli, Kirk Peterson, Dominique Dumais, Harrison McEldowney, Amy Seiwert, Susan Shields, Melissa Barak, Patrick Corbin, Trinette Singleton, and ARB Resident Choreographer Mary Barton; and former Artistic Directors Dermot Burke, Marjorie Mussman, Septime Webre and Graham Lustig. ARB has been designated a “Major Arts Institution” by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts consistently for the past two decades, and has repeatedly been awarded a Citation of Excellence by the Council. ARB was voted the Jersey Arts People’s Choice for “Favorite Dance Company” in 2008, 2011, 2012, and 2015.
