THE DETROIT OPERA HOUSE ANNOUNCES EXCITING
2007-08 DANCE SEASON

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DaimlerChrysler Dance Series Showcases Diverse Program –
Classical Ballet, Modern Dance and Special Children’s Performances!

DETROIT, Michigan, May 4, 2007…The Detroit Opera House is pleased to announce the details of a perfect dance lineup for the 2007-08 season. This 11th, and most diverse season of dance to date at the Detroit Opera House is headlined by some of the most internationally-renowned companies, performing Mexican folk dance, modern dance, classical ballet, and ballet for children. The 2007-08 DaimlerChrysler dance season includes the varied performances of The Ballet Folklórico of Mexico (September 15-16, 2007), Miami City Ballet (November 2-4, 2007), Alvin Ailey American Ballet Theatre (January 31 – February 3, 2008), the Grand Rapids Ballet (March 1, 2008) and the Joffrey Ballet (March 14-16, 2008).

Performance schedule

Single Tickets for the 2007-08 DaimlerChrysler Dance Series will become available in August of 2007. Subscription renewal information for the 2007-08 DaimlerChrysler Dance Series was mailed in April, 2007. New subscriptions will also become available at this time. The Detroit Opera House will again offer flexible subscription packages, and a variety of discounted subscription series for families, first-timers and long distance subscribers among others. For complete information contact the Detroit Opera House ticket office. For 2007-2008, patrons can subscribe online, in real-time, at www.MichiganOpera.org. Tickets for all dance productions at the Detroit Opera House are available in person at the Detroit Opera House ticket office (1526 Broadway, Detroit, MI, 48226), by phone at (313) 237-SING (7464), and online at www.MichiganOpera.org. Tickets are also available at all TicketMaster outlets, by phone at (248) 645-6666, and online at www.ticketmaster.com. For group sales please contact Jenise Collins at (313) 237-3409.

Ballet Folklórico de México brings the fiery passion and ethereal grace of Mexican folk dance to the Detroit Opera House September 15 and 16, 2007. The dance of Ballet Folklórico has a distinctly Mexican flavor, founded by Sra. Amalia Hernández, a woman with European dance training and a love for her own Mexican heritage and culture. The dance of Ballet Folklorio is reminiscent of an old Mexico, where the lords of heaven and earth come back to life, the jaguars, the gods born of human flesh, thirty different cultures that blossomed into nations join into a celebration of color and movement.

In 1952, Hernández, dancer and choreographer, founded the Ballet Folklórico of México, having embarked on a never-ending quest to rescue the dancing traditions of Mexico. Her search became a basic need to reflect not only in Mexico but the rest of the world, the beauty of the universe in motion which started with the pre-Colombian civilizations and grew with the Hispanic influences over the centuries. International success has been achieved during the first tours of the ballet and has been maintained through fifty years of incessant artistic endeavors. Starting from the sixties, Amalia Hernández and the Ballet Folklórico of México, composed of 76 folk dancers, have developed the choreographies for 40 ballets. The music, technical perfection, sophisticated wardrobe and original choreographies create the character of the ballet. Amalia Hernández and the Ballet Folklórico of México have been distinguished with more than 200 awards in recognition to their artistic merits.

The Ballet grew in recognition by performing a weekly program on television, sponsored by the Mexican government. Since 1959 it has been permanently presented at the Palace of Fine Arts, foremost stage for the performing arts in Mexico City. The music, dance and costume of Mexican folklore combined with the talent of their artists have achieved national and international success for the company. With determination to succeed, Sra. Hernández’s oversight and development of the ballet have raised Ballet Folklorico to the highest echelon of professional dance companies. Today, the company has taken on international arenas and obtained official support for its work, fulfilling the dreams of its founder and bringing Mexican sights, sounds, history and culture to international audiences.

The Miami City Ballet makes its Detroit Opera House debut November 2-4, 2007, a company that brings its unique blend of classical and contemporary dance to Detroit with a visual treat in three segments: In The Upper Room, Agon and Raymonda Variations. One of Twyla Tharp’s most popular works, Upper Room is a one-act ballet filled with power, energy and speed. According to the Miami Herald, “In the Upper Room is a powerhouse ballet that builds inexorable momentum into an exhilarating finale.” Set to a powerfully hypnotic score by Phillip Glass, Upper Room takes its title from a gospel spiritual, but the ballet is about dancer nirvana – the consuming joy of moving. A ballet and modern dance face-off, the work features some dancers on pointe and others in sneakers. The ballet features 13 performers who dance through smoke and light and thrill audiences with what Tharp describes as “relentless moves” that “burn the retina.”

Agon, one of George Balanchine’s most revered abstract ballets, is considered by many to be one of the greatest dance works of the 20th century. A collaborative effort between Balanchine and his friend, composer Igor Stravinsky, the team designed the structure of the ballet during the creation of the music. The outline for the musical score specifies in detail, with exact timings, the basic movements for 12 dancers clad in simple black and white costumes.

Playful and visually delighting, Raymonda Variations is a thrill for lovers of classical ballet. This visually enthralling dance spectacular is filled with the flower lightness of twirling pink tutus and is set to the uplifting music of famous 19th century Russian composer Alexander Glazounov. According to the Dance View Times, “Raymonda Variations requires no context to be enjoyed; it is simply a feast of glorious, enchantingly musical dancing.”

Founded in 1985, the Miami City Ballet is one of the largest ballet companies in the United States, with 52 dancers and 12 world premieres to its credit. Hailed by The New York Times as “A jewel of a company,” the dancers of Miami City Ballet are an international mix, coming from such esteemed ballet companies as the Boston Ballet, Ballet Nacional de Caracas, Ballet Nacional de Cuba, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Joffrey Ballet, New York City Ballet, Paris Opera Ballet and the Royal Ballet of Belgium. Miami City Ballet has toured all over the United States and has danced in more than 100 U.S. cities. Internationally, the company has performed in Europe, Great Britain, South America, Central America and Israel. The Miami City Ballet was the seventh and final major American dance company to receive a Kennedy Center Ballet Commission, and in March 2003 was one of only six world-renown companies participating in the Kennedy Center’s International Ballet Festival.

The Detroit Opera House’s 2008 dance programming will begin January 31 – February 3 with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater returns to the Detroit Opera House to celebrate Black History Month after a two-year absence, performing timeless Ailey classics and thrilling works by contemporary choreographers. By popular demand, the company returns with a special, mixed-repertory program which includes the signature Revelations!

Hailed by The New York Times as “better than ever,” Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, led by Artistic Director Judith Jamison, will bring its extraordinary beauty and grace, electrifying energy and soulful spirit to Detroit. In 1956, Alvin Ailey had a vision to create a dance company that would both revolutionize the art of dance and celebrate the uniqueness of Black cultural expression. Today, the company leaps passionately into new artistic realms, fusing a rich past with the energy of the present. Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater has dazzled audiences from New York City to South Africa to China with unparalleled artistry. The extraordinary technique, passion and inimitable style that have become hallmarks of the Ailey tradition have made it one of the foremost dance companies in the country.

The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater grew from the now fabled performance in 1958, at the 92nd Street Young Men’s Hebrew Association in New York. Led by Alvin Ailey and a group of young African-American modern dancers, that performance changed forever the perception of American dance. The Ailey Company has gone on to perform for an estimated 21 million people in 48 states and in 71 countries on six continents, including two historic residencies in South Africa. The company has earned a reputation as one of the most acclaimed international ambassadors of American culture, promoting the uniqueness of the African-American cultural experience and the preservation and enrichment of the American modern dance heritage.

The Grand Rapids Ballet Company returns to the Detroit Opera House March 1, 2008 to present Gordon Peirce Schmidt’s Peter Pan, a classic children’s book and movie that has captivated the imaginations of children for generations. The beloved story about a boy who refuses to grow up is reinvented in a Detroit premiere by the Grand Rapids Ballet Company. Pirates, Lost Boys, and Indians take center stage as Peter and Tinkerbell lead us on an amazing adventure in Neverland. The young and young at heart will find this original production hard to resist.

Gordon Peirce Schmidt’s version of Peter Pan is inspired by the J.M Barrie book and includes plenty of excitement with swashbuckling pirates, flying fairies, and children’s imaginations running wild. Schmidt’s musical arrangement includes familiar classical favorites like Rossini’s William Tell Overture, Gounod’s Funeral March for the Marionettes, and Saint-Saëns’ Samson and Delilah among others. Each piece of music evokes the atmosphere of the Lost Boys’ world, Indian camp, Pirate Ship and the magic of Neverland. Over 30 characters are involved in bringing this ballet to the stage, including the Company’s professional dancers – making the performance a fun and enchanting trip to Neverland!

The Grand Rapids Ballet Company is currently celebrating its thirty-fifth season, where it remains committed to its mission, to lift the human spirit through the art of dance. A proud recipient of the ArtServe Michigan Governor’s Arts Award for Outstanding Cultural Organization, Michigan’s only professional ballet company has a rich history marked by steady growth, a commitment to excellence, and strong community support. With small beginnings in 1971, the Company began as the Grand Rapids Civic Ballet. Today, the professional company consists of 14 full-time dancers and one apprentice. Original programming, innovative choreography and a commitment to excellence are hallmarks of the Grand Rapids Ballet Company. With artists invested in the community and a community that supports the arts, the Grand Rapids Ballet Company has created a flourishing arts center for all of Michigan, and continues to provide the highest level of excellence in dance theatre and education for all individuals.

Finishing out the 2007-08 dance season is the return of the Joffrey Ballet March 14-18, 2008, performing the immortal ballet classic, Giselle. First performed by the Paris Opera in 1832, ballet’s most famous ghost story about love, deceit and redemption has been enchanting audiences for more than 175 years. Giselle is the tale of an innocent village maiden named Giselle who falls in love with Albrecht, a nobleman disguised as a peasant who is betrothed to another woman. When Giselle discovers the deceit, she is inconsolable and goes mad, then dies of a broken heart. After her death, Giselle’s everlasting devotion to Albrecht leads her ghost to save him from an evil tyrant. After saving his life, Giselle’s ghost must return to the grave, but not before showing Albrecht that she forgives him for deceiving her. The two pledge their love to each other and she descends back into her grave, forever separated from her beloved.
The Joffrey production of Giselle will be staged by company ballet master and director of the Arpino Apprentices, Mark Goldweber. Collaborating with Goldweber on this production is the famed ballerina Gelsey Kirkland – considered by many to be the finest Giselle of the late 20th century – and the legendary Ballet Russes dancer, choreographer and director Frederick Franklin. This lavish production features sets and costumes designed in the English style by Peter Farmer, with Adolph Adam’s beautiful and haunting score brought to life by the Michigan Opera Theatre Orchestra.

The Joffrey Ballet is one of the premier ballet companies in the world today having performed in over 400 U. S. cities and in all 50 states. International tours include Afghanistan, Australia, Austria, China, Egypt, Greece, Hong Kong, Iran, Israel, Jordan, Korea, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Syria, Taiwan and Turkey. The Joffrey Ballet was the first American company to tour the former Soviet Union, and the first dance company to perform at the White House. The company also pioneered dance on television, inaugurating public television’s “Dance in America” series. Together, founders Robert Joffrey and Gerald Arpino created a uniquely American company of dancers for whom they choreographed original and socially relevant ballets. They were the first to commission ballets by modern dance and contemporary choreographers such as Alvin Ailey, Laura Dean, William Forsythe and Twyla Tharp. One of the most recognized names in dance, The Joffrey Ballet is known around the world for its repertoire of historical ballets as well as ground-breaking contemporary works.

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Contact

Rebekah Johnson
(313) 237-3403
rjohnson@motopera.org