FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date: January 23, 2008

Contact: Stephanie Thompson

E-Mail: stephanie.thompson@cityballet.org

Phone: 619.840.7353

City Ballet of San Diego presents
Carmina Burana at Birch North Park Theatre
as Fifteenth Anniversary Season Continues

SAN DIEGO - CITY BALLET OF SAN DIEGO, under the direction of Steven and Elizabeth Wistrich, continues its 15th anniversary season of performances with "Carmina Burana," March 7-9, 2008, at the Birch North Park Theatre.

Carmina Burana
Birch North Park Theatre
2891 University Avenue, San Diego, CA

Friday, March 7 at 8:00pm
Saturday, March 8 at 8:00pm
Sunday, March 9 at 2:30pm2:

THE PROGRAM

City Ballet's resident choreographer, Elizabeth Rowe Wistrich, presents her own take on this extremely popular and dramatic song cycle and it has always been one of her most popular ballets.  First created for American Festival Ballet in 1984, this ballet was re-choreographed for City Ballet in 1995 and was performed in 1998 and 2003.  This acclaimed ballet will be presented with the company premiere of the "Kingdom of the Shades" act from La Bayadère (music by Ludwig Minkus), with choreography by Marius Petipa.  This ballet masterpiece will be elaborately staged with elegant new costumes.  Joining City Ballet for these performances will be Evgeny Lushkin from Russia and Grigori Arakelyan from Armenia.  These exciting male dancers are presently soloists with the Nevada Ballet Theatre and have performed all over the world.

"Carmina Burana," an audience favorite, is a theatrical ballet based on poems discovered in the library of an ancient Bavarian monastery.  The thirteenth-century poems and songs, composed by minstrels and monks who had freed themselves of monastic discipline, were set to music by Carl Orff.  The ballet is not a retelling of the poems, but rather an abstract depiction.  The ballet is a sensual depiction of the poems, but is suitable for all ages.

"Kingdom of the Shades" from La Bayadère

Descend into Petipa's Kingdom of the Shades, where Prince Solor, a warrior, dreams of eternal love with his murdered lover Nikaya, a temple dancer.  Music by Leon Minkus, choreography by Marius Petipa (1877).  This ballet is considered to be one of the truly great classical ballets of all time.

Approximate Run Time: 2 hours with one 15-minute intermission

All programs and artists are subject to change without notice.

VENUE

"Carmina Burana" will be performed at the Birch North Park Theatre, 2891 University Ave., San Diego.

DATES AND TIMES

Friday, March 7 at 8:00pm
Saturday, March 8 at 8:00pm
Sunday, March 9 at 2:30pm

TICKETS

Tickets: $29, $39, $49, $59
Students, Seniors and Military $10 off at select performances

For tickets or more information, please call City Ballet's Box Office at (858) 272-8663.  Please go to City Ballet's web site at www.cityballet.org to order online.

ABOUT CITY BALLET

Heralded as "a top-tier dance company" and "an oasis of classical dance in a city otherwise too often a desert," City Ballet is San Diego's world-class professional ballet company, now celebrating its fifteenth season, and under the direction of former Boston Ballet and Stuttgart Ballet dancers Steven and Elizabeth Wistrich.  City Ballet is a non-profit organization committed to furthering the ballet art form.  The company produces classic and contemporary ballet programs that critics rave as "polished, eye-catching and delightful," and "highly entertaining and professional."  International dance critic Sheila Orysiek wrote in 2006, "San Diego finally has a classical ballet company that is worthy of the name."

Unsurpassed training programs for children and pre-professionals are offered at City Ballet School, the official school for the City Ballet Company, whose alumnae dance with companies including American Ballet Theatre, Pittsburg Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet and The Joffrey Ballet.  City Ballet's innovative education programs range from arts outreach to inner-city children to bringing the world's best ballet instructors to San Diego.

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