FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 9, 2012 Contact: Sarah Jacobsen [email protected], (425) 883-3405

Emerald Theatre’s Les Sylphides/Moontellers: A Celebration of Dance and the Moon

Bellevue, WA – What do you see in the moon? For their fifth annual spring production, Emerald Ballet Theatre (EBT) is proud to present a mixed program featuring both classical and multi-cultural interpretations of the moon. Performances will be held on June 9 at 4 p.m. and June 10 at 1 p.m. at the Northshore Performing Arts Center (NPAC) in Bothell.

Act one is Les Sylphides, an ethereal one-act classical ballet. Moonlit dancers will perform choreography by to the music of Frédéric .

Act two is an original ballet inspired by Moontellers, an anthology of folktales about the moon from around the world. Explore multi-cultural similarities and differences while visiting Europe, South America, Scandinavia, China, Polynesia, and Africa through colorful costumes and diverse music and dance styles.

A highlight of Moontellers will be the traditional Russian sailor dance performed by EBT’s boys, ages 4-16. About 10% of the school’s students are boys. Under the leadership of Roman Zinovyev, a ballet master from Russia who has two young sons of his own, EBT’s thriving “Bounding Boys” program is demanding and fun.

Select pieces from EBT’s repertory performed at Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) will also be showcased. YAGP is one of the world’s largest student ballet competitions. 17 EBT dancers recently returned from the YAGP finals in New York City, where they performed at . At the January semi-finals in Seattle, one of EBT’s ensembles won third place.

Tickets for Les Sylphides/Moontellers are $15 for students, $21 for seniors, and $25 for adults, and are available by emailing [email protected]. NPAC features free parking, easy freeway access, and excellent views from every seat.

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Emerald Ballet Theatre is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization that is committed to advancing the art of ballet through education, performance, community outreach, and collaboration with other arts organizations. For more information, visit www.emeraldballet.org.