Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Denise C. Venuti
May 3, 2002 Public Relations Manager
PHOTOS AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST (215) 551-7000, ext. 1222

PENNSYLVANIA BALLET BRINGS ART TO LIFE IN ‘RODIN’ PROGRAM
Program features Margo Sappington’s Rodin, Mis en Vie and World Premiere by Kirk Peterson

Pennsylvania Ballet brings its 2001-2002 season to a fabulous finale with a program titled Rodin, featuring the Company premiere of Margo Sappington’s Rodin, Mis en Vie and a world premiere from American Ballet Theatre’s Kirk Peterson titled Dancing With Monet (Gathering at Argenteuil), June 12 through 16 at the Merriam Theater at the University of the Arts.

Rodin, Mis en Vie, which when literally translated means "Rodin put to life," begins where the artist ended – by transforming his famous sculptures into spectacular movement. The ballet, set to the music of Grammy Award winning film composer Michael Kamen, takes us through a gallery of Rodin’s most famous pieces including The Age of Bronze, Eternal Idol, The Kiss, and, inspired by Dante’s Inferno, The Gates of Hell. Featuring a dynamic blend of ballet and modern dance movements, and unique, skin-like costumes by award winning Broadway designer Willa Kim, this unparalleled premiere is a must-see event for Philadelphia audiences.

Ms. Sappington, who started her career at age 17 as a dancer with The Joffrey Ballet, created Rodin, Mis en Vie for the Harkness Ballet, which debuted it in New York City in 1974. Pennsylvania Ballet audiences may remember Under the Sun, Ms. Sappington’s world premiere set on the Company in 1976, which was inspired by the works of Pennsylvania-born sculptor Alexander Calder. Ms. Sappington’s other accomplishments include the creation of the Broadway show Oh! Calcutta!, Heliotrope, and the formation of her own company, with Valentina Kozlova, in 1993 called The Daring Project.

Mr. Peterson’s Dancing With Monet (Gathering at Argenteuil) is an intricate ballet about couples and relationships, set to nine solo piano works by Claude Debussy. Dressed in flowing costumes by Judanna Lynn, the dancers move with precision and grace to the lush Debussy music that inspired the challenging, classical choreography. "The ballet alludes to the late 1800s Romantic period, which is when the music was composed, yet it still has a contemporary spirit," explains Mr. Peterson.

Like Ms. Sappington, Mr. Peterson also started his career as a dancer, performing with several ballet companies including The Harkness Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, San Francisco Ballet, The National Ballet of Washington and English National Ballet (then London Festival Ballet). Formerly Artistic Director for the Hartford Ballet for five years, he received the Best Choreography of the Year award for Cloudless Sulfur, a work he created in 1984 for the San Francisco Ballet. Mr. Peterson’s other works include Belling the Slayer, Amazed in Burning Dreams and choreography for the Lincoln Center’s production of Anything Goes, among many others. Peterson is currently Ballet Master for American Ballet Theatre.

This creation and presentation of Kirk Peterson’s new work has been made possible, in part, by Dance Advance, a grant program funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts and administered by Drexel University.

Performances of Rodin are as follows:

- Wednesday, June 12 at 8 p.m.

- Thursday, June 13 at 8 p.m.

- Friday, June 14 at 8 p.m.

- Saturday, June 15 at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.

- Sunday, June 16 at 2 p.m.

Tickets range from $17 to $61 with a limited number of box seats available for $66, and are available by calling TicketMaster at (215) 336-2000 or online at www.paballet.org. For information on purchasing discounted tickets groups of ten or more, call Pennsylvania Ballet at (215) 551-7000, ext. 1212.

Pennsylvania Ballet and the Rodin Museum have teamed up to create a "Philadelphia Celebrates Rodin" package for out-of-town visitors to enjoy both the performance and the inspiration behind it. The package includes two tickets to the performance, two admissions and complimentary audio tours for the Rodin Museum, discounted admission to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and one night’s accommodations in either the DoubleTree Hotel Philadelphia or The Four Seasons Hotel. Packages range from $171 to $344 per couple.

"Philadelphia Celebrates Rodin" is being supported by a grant from the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation. For more information, call (215) 551-7000 or visit www.gophila.com.

In addition, anyone who attends Pennsylvania Ballet’s Rodin program can redeem his or her ballet ticket stub for complimentary admission and an audio tour at the Rodin Museum. Located at 22^nd Street and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia’s Rodin Museum is one of the most important collections of 19^th-century sculpture as well as one of the most distinguished museums devoted to the work of a single artist. For museum hours and information, call (215) 763-8100 or visit the website at www.rodinmuseum.org.

Founded in 1963, Pennsylvania Ballet is widely regarded as one of the nation’s premier ballet companies. The Company, headquartered in Philadelphia, performs seven productions each season that include classic favorites and new works, as well as The Nutcracker. For information, call (215) 551-7000 or visit the website at www.paballet.org.

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