Boston Ballet : BOSTON BALLET II AND BOSTON BALLET SCHOOL STUDENTS TO PERFORM IN MOSCOW

BOSTON BALLET II AND BOSTON BALLET SCHOOL STUDENTS TO PERFORM IN MOSCOW
January 2, 2007

(BOSTON, MA) - Boston Ballet II, the pre-professional company of Boston Ballet, and students from Boston Ballet School’s Trainee program will dance excerpts from Artistic Director Mikko Nissinen’s production of The Nutcracker in Moscow as part of a special celebration organized by the government marking Russian Orthodox Christmas, which begins on January 7. In addition to performing, the young dancers will participate in master classes at the Bolshoi Ballet School, and observe rehearsals.

“The Nutcracker is one of Russia’s great gifts to the world, and it is an honor for our dancers to perform the ballet in the country where it all began,” said Nissinen. “And what a wonderful opportunity for them to take part in master classes at the Bolshoi and watch rehearsals there. This will be an enriching experience that they will long remember.”

BBII was invited to Moscow by the Arts & Science Achievement Foundation (ASAF), an American non-profit organization established in Florida in 1996 that is dedicated to “education of young people . . . and improvement of mutual understanding between countries.” One of ASAF’s programs is “Ways of Hope,” which provides training and support to young American and Russian professionals in the fields of education, health care and the arts, with the goal of improving their professional qualifications and stimulating cultural exchange. An important component of that program is the preservation and dissemination of Russian culture inside and outside of the country.

The dancers will perform Harlequin, Columbine and Bear from Act I, and Spanish, Arabian, Pastorale, Russian, the Grand Pas de Deux and Finale from Act II.

BBII, under the direction of Bonnie Mathis, 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 School’s Trainee program offers select students with professional career potential the opportunity to complete their training in anticipation of company auditions and placements. Trainees gain valuable rehearsal and performance experience as members of the Boston Ballet School Ensemble and as frequent participants in Boston Ballet II and Boston Ballet productions.

This has been a particularly busy time for BBII and the trainees. On Saturday, December 30, they completed a five-week run in Boston Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker, which was named the No. 2 holiday event in the United States by MSN.com. They leave for Moscow on January 3 and return home on January 11. They will be accompanied on their trip by Mathis and Elizabeth Olds, assistant to Mikko Nissinen and a former principal dancer with The Royal Winnipeg Ballet. The entire trip is being sponsored by ASAF.