"Pour Mon Amour" @ Utah Ballet (SLC: Nov 19 - 20)

Utah Ballet: Pour Mon Amour

What: The University of Utah Department of Ballet

Utah Ballet: Pour Mon Amour

Where: Hayes Christensen Theatre, Marriott Center for Dance

http://www.map.utah.edu/index.html

When: November 19 & 20, 7:30 pm with a Saturday matinee 2:00pm

December 3 & 4, 2010, 7:30 pm with a Saturday matinee at 2:00pm

Tickets: $10 general, $7 students/seniors/U of U faculty and staff

(Additional KingTix services charges applied at time of purchase)



Utah Ballet brings the stage to life in their 2010 fall concert with the premier of Pour Mon Amour by Canadian choreographer Eddy Toussaint. Also on the program are beautifully staged renditions of 2nd Act Giselle, and excerpts of Le Corsaire and Scheherazade. Directed by Department of Ballet Professor Maureen Laird, the company brings traditional and new work to the stage for a year full of breathtaking athletic, and passionate dance.

The Department of Ballet is thrilled to have Ballet Master Eddy Toussaint in Salt Lake City to work with Utah Ballet once again on an original work, Pour Mon Amour. Ms. Laird says, “He has a special talent for bringing out the individual qualities of each dancer and making dances that transcend cultural boundaries. His vast experience and generosity are known the world over, and his contributions to the art of ballet continue to impress.” This summer, two of Mr. Toussaint’s dancers won honors at the 3rd Annual Sibui International Ballet and Contemporary Competition. Klara Houdet won the first prize for female dancer in the senior competition, she and Timothy Tompkins won the first prize for best couple, and Mr. Toussaint was awarded a special prize for choreography by the Head of the Jury, Irek Mukhamedov. Ms. Houdet and Timothy Tompkins will arrive in Salt Lake City to perform during the first weekend of Utah Ballet performances, November 19th and 20th. On two of the performances, they will dance the classical Pas de Deux, Don Quixote or Grand Pas Classique, and on the third they will dance their award-winning Pas de Deux from the Sibui competition. The Utah Ballet dancers will benefit from watching these dancers work and sharing a stage with them.

Also performed is the Pas de Deux from Scheherazade, staged by Professor Laird. Choreographed in 1910, this Pas de Doux is an exotic and sensuous work loosely based on the story of the Arabian Nights. Choreographed in 1911 by Mikhail Fokine, it is a passionate work about the love affair between a harem princess and a slave, with compelling music by Rimsky-Korsakov.

2nd Act Giselle, staged and coached by Professor Regina Zarhina, will be performed in its entirety as a tribute to the beauty of ballet and to forward the classical education of our student dancers. With brand new costumes made stage ready by costumer Steve Rasmussen, 2nd Act Giselle is a romantic ballet and an audience favorite. The score, by Adolf Adam, is considered to be one of the most noteworthy scores ever written for a ballet.

Rounding out the program is L’Odalisque Pas de Trois, from the full-length ballet, Le Corsaire, (the pirate), with coaching duties being shared by Professors Zarhina and Laird. It is a charming and challenging excerpt showcasing the dancers in trios, duets and solos. Renowned choreographer Marius Petipa is credited with this version of the ballet, which he re-staged in 1868, following in the steps of Joseph Mazilier and Jules Perrot, 1856/1858. It is an energetic and stylistic work that is a perfect vehicle for our Utah Ballet dancers.

Performances are held at the Hayes Christensen Theatre at the Marriott Center for Dance (U of U campus, 330 South 1500 East, Salt Lake City, just west of the Marriott Library). Performances are November 19, 20, December 3, 4 at 7:30pm and Saturday matinees at 2:00pm. Student tickets are $7 each, and general admission is $10. Tickets are available through the Kingsbury Hall Ticket office at 801.581.7100, online at www.kingtix.com or at the Marriott Center for Dance box office one hour prior to the performance. For more information call 801.581.7327 or visit us at www.ballet.utah.edu.