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Nrichment of the Cultural Landscape and Artistic Reputation of St 3547 OLIVE ST. ST. LOUIS, MO 63103 T: 314.534.5000 F: 314.534.5001 DANCESTLOUIS.ORG FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact: Sarah Thompson, 314.884.8306 PR | Communications [email protected] A HARLEM RENAISSANCE! DANCE ST. LOUIS PRESENTS DANCE THEATRE OF HARLEM AT THE TOUHILL PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, NOVEMBER 7 & 8, 2014 St. Louis (August 19, 2014) – The country’s first African-American ballet company returns to St. Louis in all its splendor, glory and magnificence! Dance St. Louis presents Dance Theatre of Harlem on November 7-8 at the Touhill Performing Arts Center. It’s been a decade since Dance Theatre of Harlem performed in St. Louis, and the company itself took an eight-year hiatus in 2004. Now, the newly relaunched company with a 45- year history performs an eclectic, demanding repertoire at the highest level, ranging from new and classical to neoclassical and contemporary. Don’t miss the opportunity to witness the resurgence of this globally acclaimed dance institution. WHO: Dance St. Louis WHAT: Dance Theatre of Harlem WHEN: Friday, November 7 at 8 p.m. & Saturday, November 8 at 2 & 8 p.m. WHERE: Touhill Performing Arts Center TICKETS: $40-65 for evening performances; $40 for Saturday matinee Since its relaunch Dance Theatre of Harlem, which consists of 18 racially diverse dance artists, has received outstanding accolades, critical acclaim and extensive media attention. Under the artistic direction of the remarkable and esteemed Virginia Johnson, former Dance Theatre of Harlem principal dancer and founding member, the company continues to take the world by storm. Founded in 1969 by Arthur Mitchell and the late Karel Shook, Dance Theatre of Harlem was considered “one of ballet’s most exciting undertakings” (The New York Times, 1971). After its establishment, the company received unparalleled international acclaim and unprecedented success. Audiences all over the world were touched with performances of Creole Giselle, Agon, Dougla, Les Biches, Swan Lake, A Streetcar Named Desire, Firebird, Fall River Legend and more than a hundred ballets in the company’s repertoire. It has been said that Dance Theatre of Harlem definitively debunked historical stereotypes and opinions that African Americans could not dance ballet. St. Louis Program (Program is subject to change.) The St. Louis program features a new ballet by one of America’s most diverse and sought after choreographers, Darrell Grand Moultrie, a Julliard graduate, performer - more - Dance St. Louis | Dance Theatre of Harlem, Page 2 of 3 and master teacher who has been on faculty at several artistic institutions in the United States and has choreographed everything from national commercials and works on Broadway to ballet. Dance Theatre of Harlem performs the world premiere of Moultrie’s ballet in Washington, D.C. in October, a few weeks prior to the St. Louis performances. The company also performs New Bach. Choreographed by Robert Garland and set to music by J.S. Bach, New Bach was created for the first company, performed by the Dance Theatre of Harlem Ensemble, and now comes into the new company’s repertoire. Dance Theatre of Harlem Founder Arthur Mitchell instilled the dynamism of neoclassical ballet into the company, and Robert Garland has captured its essence with New Bach. Infused with popular dance vernacular, the work is a supreme expression of post- modern-urban neoclassicism and is a tribute to George Balanchine’s neoclassical ballet. The company also pays tribute to legendary choreographer George Balanchine in another way, performing his Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux. The St. Louis program includes innovative choreographer Ulysses Dove’s Dancing on the Front Porch of Heaven (Odes to Love and Loss), set to “Cantus in Memory of Benjamin Britten” by Arvo Pärt, noted as one of the most performed contemporary composers in the world. Dancing on the Front Porch of Heaven, subtitled “Odes to Love and Loss,” was choreographed for the Royal Swedish Ballet in 1993 during a challenging period in Ulysses Dove’s life. Having lost 13 close friends and relatives, among them his father, Dove explained, “To me, Arvo Pärt’s music can send souls to heaven. I want to tell an experience in movement, a story without words, and create a poetic monument over people I loved.” Dove’s spare but demanding choreography invites dancer and viewer alike to live in each moment as if it were the last. PRESS MATERIALS – PHOTOS & VIDEO High res images are available for preview and download via Dance St. Louis’ Dropbox at https://www.dropbox.com/sh/bvig910lfrte596/AAA-GqIQmpvdNc4nOuhhXYhKa. Dance Theatre of Harlem’s video reel is available at http://youtu.be/oAjUJeei91s. TICKETS Tickets are $40-$65 and available at the Dance St. Louis box office at 3547 Olive St. in the Centene Center for Arts and Education in Grand Center, by calling 314-534-6622, or by visiting dancestlouis.org. FREE PRE-SHOW PROGRAM Dance St. Louis Artistic & Executive Director Michael Uthoff will host a free program, the Marjorie Orgel Speaking of Dance Series, in the Touhill’s Terrace Lobby at 7:15 p.m. prior to the 8 p.m. performances and at 1:15 p.m. prior to the Saturday 2 p.m. performance. SEASON SPONSORS Wells Fargo Advisors is Dance St. Louis’ presenting season sponsor. Ameren is the supporting season sponsor. Dance St. Louis is also supported by the Arts and Education Council, Missouri Arts Council, National Endowment for the Arts and Regional Arts Commission. - more - Dance St. Louis | Dance Theatre of Harlem, Page 3 of 3 2014-2015 DANCE ST. LOUIS SEASON Dance St. Louis continues to be recognized as the leading dance presenter in St. Louis, the Midwest and by the professional dance community. The next performances of this season are: So You Think You Can Dance Season 11 Tour Co-presentation with the Fox Theatre October 8, 2014 Fox Theatre Dirty Dancing – The Classic Story on Stage Co-presentation with the Fox Theatre October 21 – November 2, 2014 Fox Theatre Tango Buenos Aires January 30-31, 2015 Touhill Performing Arts Center Aspen Santa Fe Ballet February 27-28, 2015 Touhill Performing Arts Center STOMP Co-presentation with the Fox Theatre April 10-12, 2015 Fox Theatre Compagnie Käfig in Correria Agwa / CCN Créteil et Val-de-Marne April 24-25, 2015 Touhill Performing Arts Center 8th Annual Emerson SPRING TO DANCE® FESTIVAL 2015 Co-presentation with the Touhill Performing Arts Center May 22-24, 2015 Touhill Performing Arts Center ___________ Dance St. Louis Dance St. Louis is widely recognized as the leading dance presenter in St. Louis, the Midwest and by the professional dance community. Founded in 1966, Dance St. Louis has been bringing the greatest dance of the world to St. Louis audiences for 49 years. Dance St. Louis is dedicated to the enrichment of the cultural landscape and artistic reputation of St. Louis by presenting great dance companies and educational opportunities that make dance accessible to everyone. Dance St. Louis also conducts a broad range of education programs for the St. Louis community. Each year, the Education Outreach Program introduces thousands of schoolchildren to the magic of dance through in-school workshops and mainstage performances. ### .
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