Media Contact: Allie Vanyur Marketing & Communications Manager (215) 893-9456 ext. 128 [email protected]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

BALLETX WINTER SERIES 2015 Featuring four works by the dance-makers of today

Philadelphia, PA—BalletX, Philadelphia’s Premier Contemporary Ballet and the Resident Dance Company of the Wilma Theater, continues its 2014-2015 season with Winter Series 2015 (February 18-22). Uniting voices from around the world, this program provides a progressive look at contemporary ballet that demonstrates why BalletX has “the confidence and artistry of a world-class ballet company” (The Philadelphia Inquirer).

This series features the work of Norbert De La Cruz III, Val Caniparoli, Cayetano Soto, and Amy Seiwert, four choreographers with diverse artistic perspectives that represent a broad scope of movement possibilities. A varied program that exhibits beauty and precision in unexpected ways, Winter Series 2015 includes a world premiere by Norbert De La Cruz III, the U.S. premiere of Cayetano Soto’s Malasangre, the company premiere of Val Caniparoli’s Triptych, and Amy Seiwert’s pas de deux It’s Not A Cry first performed by BalletX in 2011.

Winter Series 2015

A rising star with an innovative approach to movement, Filipino-American choreographer Norbert De La Cruz III represents the voice of the newest generation of dance makers. “As much a poet as he is a craftsman” (St. Louis Post- Dispatch), De La Cruz is known for his ability to seamlessly connect classical steps with modern contortions. His world premiere will feature an original score by the emerging -based composer Ben Juodvalkis in an abstract work that deconstructs ballet aesthetics and explores the role of the pointe shoe. Just 26 years old, De La Cruz has already received astounding recognition for his choreography, including a Princess Grace Foundation Award and a Jerome Robbins Foundation NEW Essential Works Grant in 2012. He has created work for II and Hubbard Street 2, in addition two critically acclaimed commissions for Aspen Santa Fe Ballet.

Cayetano Soto “creates work of stunning originality” (The Huffington Post) that unites his playful personality with a unique blend of dance vocabularies. Soto’s critically acclaimed 2013 work Malasangre epitomizes his elaborate craftsmanship that combines powerful physicality with a surprising flare of sexiness and humor. Malasangre, meaning “bad blood”, is an homage to the Cuban singer La Lupe, capturing her eccentric and somewhat tyrannical character with exaggerated movement and an edge of darkness. Born and raised in Barcelona with current roots in Munich, Soto’s diverse background has brought him to some of the world’s most renowned dance companies including Royal Ballet of Flanders, Stuttgart Ballet, and Les Ballets Jazz de Montreal, among others. Malasangre will receive its U.S. premiere during Winter Series and is BalletX’s first presentation of Cayetano Soto’s work.

Val Caniparoli’s versatility and command of the dance language have made him one of the today’s most in-demand choreographers. His poignant work Triptych debuted in 2013 by Amy Seiwert Imagery in San Francisco. Based on the series of war photographs entitled We Are The Not Dead by Lalage Snow, Triptych demonstrates the emotional complexities of soldiers before, during, and after combat through structured military formations that collapse into free flowing moments of release. Caniparoli’s dynamic storytelling appears through the dancers’ striking ability to mirror war experiences of fear, injury, and loss. Triptych is just one piece of Caniparoli’s comprehensive body of work, as he has choreographed for over 35 dance companies and been a dancer and choreographer with for over 40 years. Caniparoli has been awarded an impressive ten grants from the National Endowment for the Arts throughout his career.

Praised as “dance at its most powerful” (Broad Street Review), It’s Not A Cry, choreographed by Amy Seiwert, premiered on BalletX in 2011 after receiving its original debut at Sacramento Ballet in 2009. Set to Jeff Buckley’s rendition of Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen, this gripping portrait of a struggling relationship explores the passing of strength between partners and captures the human essence with honesty and grace. Seiwert, a former dancer with Sacramento Ballet and founder of Amy Seiwert Imagery, has been active in the dance community for nearly two decades. She has created work for companies including BalletMet, Washington Ballet, and , and is currently an Artist in Residence at ODC Theater in San Francisco.

Performances run February 18-22 at The Wilma Theater, 265 South Broad Street, Philadelphia. Tickets start at $22 for students, $30 for seniors, and $35 for adults.

Members of the press are invited to attend Opening Night on Wednesday, February 18, 2015 at 8PM. For press tickets, please contact Allie Vanyur at 215-893-9456 x128 or [email protected].

Winter Series 2015 Performance Dates/Times: Wednesday, February 18, 8:00PM, Opening Night Thursday, February 19, 8:00PM Friday, February 20, 8:00PM Saturday, February 21, 2:00PM Saturday, February 21, 8:00PM Sunday, February 22, 2:00PM

Winter Series 2015 will see the continuation of The X-Process, an audience engagement initiative that began in 2013. During each performance series, The X-Process features a Q&A event (Conversations with the Artists) and an interactive lecture and demonstration (A Pie, A Pint & The Process). During Winter Series 2015, Lisa Kraus, Norbert De La Cruz III, and Ben Juodvalkis will discuss the creative process during Conversations with the Artists. The Winter Series programming for A Pie, A Pint & The Process will focus on the evolution of the pointe shoe and ballet’s role in the modern world.

The X-Process Events: Wednesday, February 18, 7:00PM - Conversations with the Artists (free) Saturday, February 21, 4:00PM - A Pie, A Pint, &The Process ($5)

BalletX’s 2014-2015 Season continues with Summer Series 2015 (July 8-12) featuring a full evening of work by the choreographer Adam Hougland.

About BalletX: BalletX unites world-class choreographers with an outstanding company of professional dancers to forge new works of athleticism, emotion, and grace. Through the daring vision of its award-winning founders, Christine Cox and Matthew Neenan, BalletX challenges the boundaries of classical ballet by encouraging formal experimentation while preserving rigorous technique. The company is committed to producing new works of the highest quality and integrity that bring the combined visions of choreographers and dancers to life and cultivate in audiences a collective appetite for bold new dance. For more information, visit www.balletx.org.

BalletX’s 2014-2015 season is made possible by: William Penn Foundation, Sporting Club at the Bellevue, Tierney, PECO, AKA Rittenhouse Square, Shubert Foundation, Barra Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, Philadelphia Cultural Fund, and Pennsylvania Council on the Arts.

Norbert De La Cruz III’s world premiere is supported by the Anne M. and Phillip H. Glatfelter, III Family Foundation and individual donations from BalletX’s 2014 Giving Tuesday campaign.

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