NEWS RELEASE
Natalie G. Chapman
Director of Marketing & Public Relations

BALLET ARLINGTON PRESENTS
ROMEO & JULIET

AT BASS PERFORMANCE HALL

   ARLINGTON, Texas – Monday, April 7, 2003 – Continuing the 2002/2003 season with exciting and innovative performances, Ballet Arlington’s artistic directors – Paul Mejia and Alexander Vetrov – have announced the fourth production of the 2002/2003 season to be presented on Tuesday, May 6, 2003, 8 p.m. at the Nancy Lee and Perry R. Bass Performance Hall in Fort Worth, Texas.  In addition to Paul Mejia’s Romeo & Juliet, the evening will include George Balanchine’s Allegro Brillante, and Alexander Vetrov’s Don Quixote Suite. The mixed repertory program, adds to the company’s distinctive artistic identity, and offers an unforgettable evening of dance. 

  Paul Mejia’s Romeo & Juliet

             The ballet is set to “Romeo & Juliet,” a fantasy overture composed by Peter Ilych Tchaikovsky in 1869.  It was one of three Tchaikovsky compositions inspired by William Shakespeare, along with Hamlet and The Tempest.   

             Paul Mejia became intrigued by all three of Tchaikovsky’s fantasy overtures because of the musical impression of each story as a whole, in terms of their emotional and psychological impact.  He challenged himself as a choreographer to bring these great compositions to life.  Romeo & Juliet debuted at the Ballet de Guatemala in 1977.  It was later performed by legendary ballerina Suzanne Farrell in New York City and throughout Europe to great public and critical acclaim.  The Chicago City Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet and Fort Worth Ballet have all performed this ballet.   

             Ballet Arlington principal dancers, Lucia Lacarra and Cyril Pierre will perform the lead roles.  Lacarra recently received the distinguished 2002 Nijinsky Award for Best Female Dancer.  The Nijinsky Award, created by Princess Caroline of Monaco, is an international honor given every two years in association with the Monaco Dance Forum. 

George Balanchine’s Allegro Brillante 

             Allegro Brillante, choreographed by the legendary George Balanchine, is set to Piano Concerto No. 3, Op. 75 (1892) by Peter Ilych Tchaikovsky.  Originally written as a symphony, Tchaikovsky converted the first movement into a concert piece for piano and orchestra.  Later on, he altered the andante and finale of the symphony in similar fashion.  The vigorous pace of the music requires from the dancer, strength and precise timing.  According to Balanchine, Allegro Brillante “contains everything I know about the classical ballet in thirteen minutes.” 

Alexander Vetrov’s Don Quixote Suite 

             Don Quixote Suite is based on the great literary classic, Don Quixote de la Mancha.  Written in 1605 by the Spanish Miguel de Cervantes, Don Quixote is a tale of heroism, romance and illusion.  The ballet, originally choreographed by Marius Petipa in 1869, was later revised by Alexander Gorsky. Gorsky's version premiered December 6, 1900 at the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow.  It is Gorsky’s Grand Pas that Alexander Vetrov chose to include in his newly choreographed Don Quixote Suite.  The pas de deux demonstrates a combination of energy, athleticism, grace and balance and is often performed as a separate piece.  The music is by Ludwig Minkus, who from 1864 to 1871, was the official ballet composer at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow.

 Tickets for this program range in price form $10-$45 and are available through Bass Performance Hall at , through Ballet Arlington at and through Ballet Arlington’s Web site at .  Group and subscription rates are available for the remainder of the season by calling .  

Tuesday, May 6, 2003

8 p.m. 

Nancy Lee and Perry R. Bass Performance Hall

Fort Worth, Texas 

Accompanied by the Texas Chamber Orchestra

 
Paul Mejia’s

Romeo & Juliet

with Lucia Lacarra and Cyril Pierre

 
George Balanchine’s

Allegro Brillante

Alexander Vetrov’s

Don Quixote Suite

   In just five years of phenomenal performance history, Ballet Arlington has become a major creative force in the dance world and has gained substantial critical acclaim as a world-class company.   Under the co-artistic directorship of Paul Mejia and Alexander Vetrov, Ballet Arlington is recognized as one of the most successful ballet companies in Texas and is highly valued for its original repertoire and the strong artistic personalities of its dancers.  

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Media Contact: NEWS RELEASE
Natalie G. Chapman
Director of Marketing & Public Relations

BALLET ARLINGTON PRINCIPAL
WINS WORLD AWARD AS BEST FEMALE DANCER

ARLINGTON, Texas – Friday, January 3, 2003 – Ballet Arlington principal dancer, Lucia Lacarra was distinguished on December 14, 2002 with the Nijinsky Award 2002 for Best Female Dancer, at a ceremony that closed this year’s Monaco Dance Forum. The ceremony was held at the Grimaldi Forum in Monte Carlo. Lacarra, world-renowned for her unparalleled elegance and expressive, soulful technique, has graced Ballet Arlington’s stage as a principal dancer for two years, leaving audiences spellbound and breathless. This was Lacarra’s second Nijinsky Award nomination and her first win.

The Nijinsky Award and accompanying ceremony were created in 2000 as a part of the Monaco Dance Forum and has quickly become one of the most highly respected events of the international ballet world. The founder and president of the Nijinsky Award and festivities, the Princess Caroline of Monaco, designed this unique event to reward the most noticed international artists and choreographic productions from the previous year. During the ceremony, which brings together famous personalities of the international culture world, six Nijinsky Awards are given based on a combined vote of experts and personalities from the dance world, more than 100 dance journalists and a limited audience vote via the internet.

Lucia Lacarra was born in San Sebastian, Spain. She began her professional career with the Ballet de Victor Ullate in 1990, and in 1994 joined Roland Petit’s Ballet National de Marseille, France. In 1997, she was engaged by the San Francisco Ballet where she danced lead roles in much of George Balanchine and Helgi Tommason repertoire. She excels in Victor Gsovsky’s Grande Pas Classique, Jerome Robbins’ The Cage and Roland Petit’s Le Jeune Homme et La Morte. In 1995, Ms. Lacarra was honored as Artiste of the Year by both the city of Venice and Positano, Italy.

With her partner, Cyril Pierre, she performs in galas throughout the world. They have performed in La Scala in Milan, the World Ballet Festival in Japan, the Theatre de la Arena de Verona and the Vail International Dance Festival. They have also performed in the Stars of the Century Gala in Toronto, Paris, Cannes and New York. In addition to being a member of Ballet Arlington’s Company, Ms. Lacarra is currently under contract with the Bayerisches Staatsoper Ballet in Munich, Germany.

Ballet Arlington is privileged to welcome Lacarra for two more performances in the 2002-2003 Season:

Paul Mejia’s Romeo & Juliet
May 6, 2003

and

Gerard Bohbot’s Adagio for Strings
June 20, 2003,

Nancy Lee and Perry R. Bass Performance Hall

Tickets for these two programs range in price from $10 - $45 and are available through Ballet Arlington at , through Bass Hall ticketing at or through our Web site at .

In just five years of phenomenal performance history, Ballet Arlington has become a major creative force in the dance world and has gained substantial critical acclaim as a world-class company. Under the co-artistic directorship of Paul Mejia and Alexander Vetrov, Ballet Arlington is recognized as one of the most successful ballet companies in Texas and is highly valued for its original repertoire and the strong artistic personalities of its dancers.

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Media Contact:
Natalie G. Chapman
Director of Marketing and
Public Relations

BALLET ARLINGTON PRESENTS THE NUTCRACKER
- A New Production in the Classic Russian Tradition -

ARLINGTON, Texas – Wednesday, November 20, 2002 – This marks the sixth season that Ballet Arlington will present The Nutcracker. New, elaborate costume and set additions and newly adapted choreography by Ballet Arlington’s artistic director, Alexander Vetrov, create a spectacularly fresh version of everyone’s favorite holiday production. Vetrov had a vision for a unique production of the classic Russian favorite. Sketches, drawn by Vetrov himself, served as a template for set designers at Dallas Stage Scenery to create the breathtaking new scenery. Detailed and intricate costumes created by a costumer in Russia are one more new addition to The Nutcracker production. While maintaining portions of the original choreography by Yuri Grigorovich, Vetrov has created original, never-before- seen choreography throughout the full-length production. “I wanted to keep many of the classical elements by Grigorovich that are The Nutcracker, but I created and added my ideas and own innovation... this is in many ways my own production,” said Vetrov.

Ballet Arlington’s The Nutcracker will be held at Texas Hall on the campus of the University of Texas at Arlington. The schedule for Ballet Arlington’s 2002 production of The Nutcracker is:

The Nutcracker

Friday, December 20, 2002
7:30 p.m.

Saturday, December 21, 2002
2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, December 22, 2002
2:00 p.m

Ballet Arlington Company members are: Alexander Vetrov, Lucia Lacarra, Cyril Pierre, Vilija Putrute-Bauziene, Mindaugas Bauzys, Maria Kudyakova, Marina Goshko, Andre Prikhodko, Dmitri Marasanov, Alexander Krivonos, Domenique Delafield, Robyn Salter and Katie Puder.

The Nutcracker has offered the perfect elements for family entertaining for decades: magnificent dancing, a gorgeous musical score by composer Peter Iliych Tchaikovsky and lavish scenery and costumes. The fairy tale, The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, written by E.T.A. Hoffmann in 1816, provided the basis for Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker ballet which debuted on December 17, 1892 in St. Petersburg, Russia. It quickly established itself as one of the most famous ballets, and has become a staple of the Christmas season in America.

The Nutcracker will be set to the musical accompaniment of the Texas Chamber Orchestra, under the direction of James Rives-Jones.

Ballet Arlington’s first appearance of The Nutcracker production was held in both Kerrville and Fort Worth, Texas in 1997. The company has since achieved phenomenal success and has gained recognition as a world-class professional company.

Tickets for The Nutcracker range in price from $10 - $45 and are available through Ballet Arlington at or through Bass Performance Hall Ticketing, which you may reach by the ticket link on Ballet Arlington’s Web site, . You may also purchase tickets at Ballet Arlington’s administrative office at 500 West Abram Street, Arlington, Texas 76010. Group and subscription rates are available for the remainder of the season by calling .

In just five years of phenomenal performance history, Ballet Arlington has become a major creative force in the dance world and has gained substantial critical acclaim as a world-class company. Under the co-artistic directorship of Paul Mejia and Alexander Vetrov, Ballet Arlington is recognized as one of the most successful ballet companies in Texas and is highly valued for its original repertoire and the strong artistic personalities of its dancers.

"Ballet Arlington is becoming an outpost for spectacular Russian Dancing. If you want to see good, no-nonsense Russian dancing at its best, it’s beginning to look like Ballet Arlington is the place to go. Not just locally, but nationally".
Leonard Eureka, Ft. Worth Weekly.

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BALLET ARLINGTON REACHES OUT TO
DISADVANTAGED RESIDENTS

ARLINGTON, Texas – Wednesday, November 20, 2002 – Ballet Arlington, in cooperation with the United Way of Metropolitan Tarrant County and the Arlington law firm of Hill Gilstrap, is making it possible for disadvantaged and elderly county residents to attend the December performances of The Nutcracker free of charge.

As part of Ballet Arlington’s artistic community outreach program, 400 tickets to The Nutcracker will be given to the United Way to disseminate to various groups that serve the needy.

In addition to the United Way, Ballet Arlington is offering tickets to Mission Arlington, the Arlington Women’s Shelter, Happy Hill Farm - an inter-denominational residential facility which provides very specialized help for children with troubled backgrounds, as well as various other groups on a smaller, individual basis.

Ballet Arlington is celebrating its sixth season of presenting The Nutcracker. Ballet Arlington has become a “world-class ballet that deserves to be enjoyed by everyone,” said Frank Hill, founding director of Hill Gilstrap. The Arlington law firm helped create and continues to support Ballet Arlington in various ways. “Ballet Arlington offers an extraordinary cultural opportunity that we want to share with those who are disadvantaged. Ballet Arlington believes that art is for everyone and is committed to making that a reality.”

Since its inception, Ballet Arlington has served the disadvantaged in various ways, including performing at Cook Children’s Medical Center, as well as before groups of senior citizens and underprivileged school children.

Ballet Arlington will stage The Nutcracker on December 20, 21 and 22 at Texas Hall at the University of Texas at Arlington. This year, elaborate costume and set additions and newly adapted choreography by Ballet Arlington’s artistic director, Alexander Vetrov, create a spectacularly fresh version of everyone’s favorite holiday production.

The Nutcracker will be set to the musical accompaniment of the Texas Chamber Orchestra, under the direction of James Rives-Jones.

Tickets for The Nutcracker range in price from $10 - $45 and are available through Ballet Arlington at or through Bass Performance Hall Ticketing, which you may reach by the ticket link on Ballet Arlington’s Web site, . You may also purchase tickets at Ballet Arlington’s administrative office at 500 West Abram Street, Arlington, Texas 76010. Group and subscription rates are available for the remainder of the season by calling .

In just five years of phenomenal performance history, Ballet Arlington has become a major creative force in the dance world and has gained substantial critical acclaim as a world-class company. Under the co-artistic directorship of Paul Mejia and Alexander Vetrov, Ballet Arlington is recognized as one of the most successful ballet companies in Texas and is highly valued for its original repertoire and the strong artistic personalities of its dancers.

"Ballet Arlington is becoming and outpost for spectacular Russian Dancing. If you want to see good, no-nonsense Russian dancing at its best, it’s beginning to look like Ballet Arlington is the place to go. Not just locally, but nationally".
Leonard Eureka, Ft. Worth Weekly.

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