BOSTON BALLET ANNOUNCES COMPLETE PROGRAM FOR GALA PERFORMANCE
TINA LeBLANC AND GONZALO GARCIA OF SAN FRANCISCO BALLET JOIN PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED DAMIAN WOETZEL OF NEW YORK CITY BALLET AS GUEST ARTISTS
October 10, 2006

(BOSTON)— Artistic Director Mikko Nissinen announced today the complete repertory and casting for Boston Ballet’s one-time-only Gala Performance, which takes place on Wednesday, October 25 at 8pm at The Wang Theatre. This benefit evening will feature the entire company and full orchestra, and showcase all principal dancers and internationally renowned guest artists performing solos, pas de deux, and excerpts from classical and contemporary ballets. Tina LeBlanc and Gonzalo Garcia, principal dancers with San Francisco Ballet, join previously announced Damian Woetzel as guest artists. LeBlanc and Garcia will appear in excerpts from George Balanchine’s Apollo and Jerome Robbins’ Other Dances. Garcia is also scheduled to dance the role of Basilio in several performances of Rudolf Nureyev’s Don Quixote, stepping in for the injured Roman Rykine. He will partner Boston Ballet’s newest principal dancer, Erica Cornejo. Woetzel, principal dancer with New York City Ballet who studied at Boston Ballet School, will perform Robbins’ Suite of Dances. Another solo new to Boston Ballet audiences is Edward Stierle’s Lacrymosa, performed to a movement from Mozart’s Requiem. Stierle choreographed this solo for himself when he competed in and won a gold medal at the Jackson International Ballet Competition in 1986. It later was the springboard for a full company work created for the Joffrey Ballet, where Stierle became a star dancer and choreographer of unlimited promise. He died of AIDS at the age of 23 in 1991. Lacrymosa will be danced by Boston Ballet soloist Jared Redick. The evening will conclude with the entire company appearing in a défilé, set to music by Henry Purcell. Mikko Nissinen marks his fifth anniversary as artistic director of Boston Ballet this year, and as a thank you to the city for its enthusiastic support of the Company, more than 1800 seats for the Gala are being sold for $25 per ticket. There are also a select number of seats at $500, which includes a pre-performance reception at Akris on Newbury Street.

The complete program follows:

BOSTON BALLET GALA PERFORMANCE

(Casting subject to change)

Who Cares? (exerpts)
Music: George Gershwin
Choreography: George Balanchine
Dancers: Melanie Atkins, Lia Cirio, Lorna Feijóo and Carlos Molina

Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion (pas de deux)
Music: Béla Bartók
Choreography: Val Caniparoli
Dancers: Karine Seneca, Pavel Gurevich

Gopak
Music: Vasily Soloviev-Sedoy
Choreography: Rotislav Zakharov
Dancer: Joel Prouty

Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux
Music: Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Choreography: George Balanchine
Dancers: Erica Cornejo, Reyneris Reyes

Lacrymosa
Music: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Choreography: Edward Stierle
Dancer: Jared Redick

Other Dances (excerpts)
Music: Frédéric Chopin
Choreography: Jerome Robbins
Dancers: Tina LeBlanc, Gonzalo Garcia*

Carmen (excerpt)
Music: Rodion Shchedrin after Georges Bizet
Choreography: Jorma Elo
Dancers: Karine Seneca, Sabi Varga, Melissa Hough, Kathleen Breen Combes, Joel Prouty, and ensemble Part II

Don Quixote (Fandango)
Music: Ludwig Minkus, arranged by John Lanchbery Choreography: Rudolf Nureyev
Dancers: Tai Jimenez, Mindaugus Bauzys and ensemble

Apollo (excerpts)
Music: Igor Stravinsky
Choreography: George Balanchine
Dancers: Tina LeBlanc and Gonzalo Garcia*

One Constant (excerpt)
Music: Alexander Balanescu
Choreography: Heather Myers
Dancers: Romi Beppu, Rie Ichikawa, Katherine Hartsell, Kelley Potter, John Lam, Loren Mathis, Christian Squires, James Whiteside

Don Quixote (pas de deux)
Music: Ludwig Minkus, arranged by John Lanchbery Choreography: Rudolf Nureyev
Dancers: Larissa Ponomarenko, Nelson Madrigal

In the middle, somewhat elevated (pas de deux)
Music: Thom Willem
Choreography: William Forsythe
Dancers: Romi Beppu, Yury Yanowsky

Suite of Dances
Music: Johann Sebastian Bach
Choreography: Jerome Robbins
Dancer: Damian Woetzel**

The Dying Swan
Music: Camille Sainte-Saëns
Choreography: Michel Fokine
Dancer: Lorna Feijóo

Défilé
Music: Henry Purcell
Choreography: Mikko Nissinen, Trinidad Vives
Dancers: Entire Company

*Courtesy San Francisco Ballet
** Courtesy New York City Ballet

TICKETING
Ticket prices for the Gala Performance range from $25 - $250.
Tickets can be purchased through Boston Ballet at 617.695.6955, at The Wang Theatre box office and Telecharge.
Call Telecharge at 800-447-7400, or visit Telecharge online at www.telecharge.com.
The Wang Theatre box office is located at 270 Tremont Street in Boston’s Theatre District, and is open Monday-Saturday from 10am – 6pm.

Boston Ballet gratefully acknowledges the following institutional partners: Fidelity Investments, 2006-2007 Season Sponsor The Massachusetts Cultural Council The National Endowment for the Arts Boston Organ & Piano, Official Piano Supplier of Boston Ballet Delta Airlines, Official Airline of Boston Ballet WCVB-TV, Channel 5, Television Partner

Founded in 1963, Boston Ballet is one of the leading dance companies in North America. It has 50 full-time dancers and maintains an internationally acclaimed repertoire of classical and contemporary works, ranging from full-length story ballets to new works by some of today’s best choreographers. Boston Ballet’s second company, Boston Ballet II, is made up of pre professional dancers who gain experience by performing with Boston Ballet and as an independent group, presenting lecture-demonstrations and unique programs to audiences throughout the Northeast. Boston Ballet Center for Dance Education instructs more than 3,000 students of all ages each year through Boston Ballet School, Young Dancers Summer Workshop, Summer Dance Program, DanceLab, Citydance, Adaptive Dance and Taking Steps.