PRESS RELEASE Ninette de Valois Festival of Dance Blessington, West Wicklow June 29th, June 30th, July 1st 2018 Ninette de Valois Festival of Dance is an exciting celebration of internationally renowned dancer, choreographer, poet, and artist Dame Ninette de Valois in her hometown of Blessington, West Wicklow, Ireland, on the 120th anniversary of her birth in Baltyboys House in June 1898. This inaugural Festival is a collaboration between Blessington & District Forum and Interpretive Artists Ireland to honour her extraordinary talents in transforming a global appreciation of ballet and modern dance in the 20th century. Embracing her lifelong identification with Ireland, the Festival will serve as a living legacy for the community of Blessington, West Wicklow, and Ireland, and will attract lovers of dance, music, and theatre anywhere in the world who have been inspired by this great woman’s achievements. Invited by W B Yeats to return to Ireland following her early success as a dancer and choreographer in England and elsewhere abroad, Ninette de Valois founded the Abbey School of Ballet in 1927 which was the foundation stone for ballet in Ireland today. Internationally, she founded the Royal Ballet in the UK and was central to the founding of National Ballet Companies in Canada, Australia, and Turkey. At the heart of the de Valois Festival will be a Gala Tribute entitled ‘Invitation to the Dance’ in the Tramway Theatre, Blessington, at 8pm on Friday and Saturday,20/30 June 2018. The presentation will feature the wonderful Irish National Youth Ballet, Degani Ensemble led by virtuoso violinist Alan Smale, guest dancers from Cork City Ballet, a premiere showing of Spectre de la Rose, featuring rising international stars Zoe Ashe-Browne and DominicHarrison, filmed specially at Russborough House for the Festival. A specially- commissioned dramatisation of de Valois’ poetry entitled The Contented Ghost (programme here) will feature actor Deirdre Monaghan in the title role. The evening will be introduced by local historian and author Jim Corley of the Blessington History Circle. On Saturday,20th June at midday, the Tramway Theatre will host ‘Madame’ – a roundtable discourse – on NInette de Valois with invited guests, including Paul Johnston of Dance Ireland, and Joanna Banks, one of the last dancers who worked with de Valois. The event will be facilitated by TV producer Ann Makower, formerly of RTÉ. Also on 20th June at 2.30pm, Russborough House and the Beit Foundation will host an Afternoon Tea Dance at the Hippodrome, where the award-winning Ballymore Eustace Concert Band will perform dance hits from the 1920s to the 1970s. Entrance is free and all are invited to dress in period costumes of their choice. On Sunday July 1stat 12 noon on Main Street, Blessington, a memorial to Ninette de Valois will be unveiled ceremonially by to remind all who pass of her wonderfullegacy and special place among her community. Following this ceremony, there will be an afternoon of Music and Dance Festivities in the Main Square, with guest musicians and dancers celebrating the Spirit of Dance sown in Ninette’s soul through learning Irish dances in her young formative years as a child in Blessington. Ninette de Valois Festival of Dance is being supported and endorsed by The Arts Council, Wicklow Arts Office, Wicklow County Council, Dance Ireland, Ballet Ireland, Irish National Youth Ballet, Cork City Ballet, Irish Actors Equity, and Russborough House, among others. .