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

Pennsylvania Ballet and the Rodin Museum are teaming up to offer "Philadelphia Celebrates Rodin," a springtime art lovers’ experience in the City of Brotherly Love. Coinciding with Pennsylvania Ballet’s performances of Margo Sappington’s art-inspired Rodin, Mis en Vie from June 12 through 16, this collaboration offers visitors a unique opportunity to enjoy two of Philadelphia’s world-renowned cultural institutions during a two-day visit.

Pennsylvania Ballet’s premiere of Margo Sappington’s Rodin, Mis en Vie, is being performed 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 left off – by transforming his famous sculptures into spectacular movement. The ballet, set to original music by film composer Michael Kamen, takes the audience 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.

In keeping with the art-inspired dance theme, Pennsylvania Ballet’s Rodin program also includes a world premiere from American Ballet Theatre’s Kirk Peterson titled Dancing With Monet (Gathering at Argenteuil). Set to nine solo piano works by Claude Debussy performed live by Pennsylvania Ballet Solo Pianist Martha Koeneman, Dancing With Monet is an intricate ballet inspired by the lush music of the late Romantic period.

Participants can view the source of both choreographers’ inspiration at Philadelphia’s extraordinary Rodin Museum, located in a park setting at 22^nd Street and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, and the world-renowned Philadelphia Museum of Art, located just four blocks east at 26^th Street. 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, the Rodin Museum contains 127 bronzes, marbles, plasters, terra cottas and waxes, representing every aspect of the artist’s career and all his major projects. Although he was controversial during his lifetime, Auguste Rodin (French, 1840-1917) is widely considered the greatest sculptor of the 19^th century.

The new Rodin Museum audio tour takes visitors through the history of Rodin’s greatest works, including The Burghers of Calais (1884-95), The Age of Bronze (1877), The Mask of the Man with the Broken Nose (1863-64), and Apotheosis of Victor Hugo (1890-91); as well as perhaps the most famous sculpture in the world, The Thinker, which greets visitors outside the entrance to the Museum grounds on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. The Gates of Hell (1880-1917), a monumental work considered among his most ambitious projects and one that occupied the artist for 37 years, rises to a height of 20 feet at the entrance to the Museum.

"Philadelphia Celebrates Rodin" also offers visitors the opportunity to experience the works by Monet and his fellow Impressionists with a coupon for discounted admission to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, located on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway at 26^th Street.

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