(RALEIGH) – Mary LeGere, Artistic Director, announces the Spring 2013 season of Raleigh Dance Theatre (RDT). Raleigh Dance Theatre will present its Spring Repertoire Performances on Saturday April 27, 2013 at 2pm and 7pm in Fletcher Opera Theater at Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts. General admission tickets for all performances are $12 in advance and $15 at the door. Group rates are also available.
The performances will feature the ballet classics Paquita, and Coppelia Act I the comedic story of Frantz and his infatuation with both a village girl, Swanilda, and a doll, Coppelia, with life like qualities. Also on the program are Lisa Yount’s An Act of Support and RDT Alumnus Amy Greene’s Inadvertent Affliction.
Ms Greene’s piece was created as part of RDT’s continuing work to promote not only quality training for dancers, but also for upcoming choreographers. Ms Greene is in her first year in the prestigious Dominican University of California/LINES Ballet BFA program. Three RDT student choreographers worked on new pieces in workshops throughout December and January. Jenny Palmer (16) and Calvin Bittner (17) presented their works along with Ms Greene at the Southeastern Regional Ballet Association Festival Association Adjudication on February 10. Adjudicator Thom Clower was impressed with the professionalism of the company dancers and the quality of choreography being created by such young choreographers. He selected Ms. Palmer’s and Ms. Greene’s pieces to be performed on the Emerging Choreographer’s performance.
To continue its mission of fostering dance awareness, RDT will present two outreach programs this spring. In conjunction with the Girl Scouts-NC Coastal Pines, RDT will host the Make Every Dance Step Count workshop in which scouts learn simple dance steps, try their hand at creating their own dance phrases, and learn what it takes to put a production on the stage. RDT will also be featured at Marbles Kids Museum on Saturday, March 16 from 10am-12pm in their Hurray for Ballet program. Children will be able to dance along with RDT dancers and see a short performance.
Raleigh Dance Theatre was founded in 1984 by Ann Vorus to provide pre-professional performance training, while promoting and fostering the art of dance in the community. It is an honor member company of Regional Dance America/Southeastern Regional Ballet Association. RDT’s training program has a proven record of success, with alumni who have gone on to professional careers with Pennsylvania Ballet, Dayton Ballet, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, Carolina Ballet, Stuttgart Ballet, Royal Ballet of Flanders, Aspen/Santa Fe Ballet and the New York City Ballet among others.
For more information about the Raleigh Dance Theatre, our Spring Repertoire performances, or our outreach programs, please contact the company offices at (919) 834-1058, or visit its website at www.raleighdance.org.