NYCB dancers at Caramoor in July

[Dale]

This looks very interesting - and easy to get to:

NEW YORK CITY BALLET PRINCIPAL DANCERS YVONNE BORRÉE,

MIRANDA WEESE, PETER BOAL AND DAMIAN WOETZEL, TO DANCE THEIR

WAY THROUGH A GARDEN OF GREAT MUSIC

Katonah, New York .................................................One often associates symphonic, chamber, and operatic music with Caramoor's elegant outdoor International Music Festival. But this year, Caramoor will add another beautiful facet to its gem of a season by adding ballet to the mix. Four internationally-acclaimed principals of the New York City Ballet -- prima ballerinas Yvonne Borrée and Miranda Weese and premiere danseurs Damian Woetzel and Peter Boal -- will perform on Friday evening, July 25, five memorable works created by two the 20th century's greatest choreographers, George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins.

The program, "Dance in the Garden," will feature the Pas de Deux from Prokofiev's "Romeo and Juliet" (Lavery), "Pavane" by Ravel (Balanchine), "Duo Concertante" by Stravinsky (Balanchine), "Suite of Dances" by Bach (Robbins), and "Apollo" by Stravinsky (Balanchine). It was with "Apollo," Balanchine's second ballet set to the music of Stravinsky, that the 24-year old Balanchine achieved international recognition and began his lifelong partnership with the composer. The performance begins at 8 p.m. in the Venetian Theater. Tickets are: $27.50, $37.50, $47.50, $57.50 and may be purchased through the Caramoor Box Office (914-232-1252) or online at www.caramoor.org.

"Ballet is the supreme combination of dance, music, poetry and drama," says Paul Rosenblum, Caramoor's Managing Director. "By bringing ballet to Caramoor, we add another great art form for our audience's enjoyment. What could be more beautiful than viewing the grace and brilliance of America's finest ballet dancers in this country's most exquisite musical showcase?"

The evening's program is designed to show off the technical brilliance, passion and virtuosity of the dancers. In "Apollo," named for the mythological god of music, comes of age when he is instructed by the muses (his half-sisters) of poetry (Calliope), mime (Polyhymnia), and dance and song (Terpsichore). Composed by Stravinsky in 1928 and choreographed in 1942 by Balanchine, "Apollo" marks the beginning of a lifelong partnership between composer and choreographer, which later led to the creation of "Duo Concertante." In the latter, the dancers pause to listen to the music, then they mirror its moods in individual and group interpretation. It is a tight, concentrated piece with bursts of energy and syncopated movement. "Pavane" is more muted than the Stravinsky works, elegiac and elegant, it is a lament for a dead princess . Prokofiev's "Romeo and Juliet" offers a pas de deux of startling lyrical beauty, and the "Suite of Dances," created by Jerome Robbins for Mikhail Baryshnikov in 1994, tests the solo dancer's virtuosity and stamina. Cellist and Caramoor virtuoso Alexis Pia Gerlach will join Mr. Woetzel on stage in this work, performing Bach's Suite for Cello in D minor. Also featured as on- stage musicians will be Caramoor Virtuoso Jennifer Frautschi, violinist, and pianist Nancy McDill.

As a young girl, Yvonne Borrée's interest in dance was influenced by her mother, also a ballerina. She attended summer sessions at the School of American Ballet was invited to enter full-time in 1985. It wasn't long before she became a member of the NYC Ballet's corps de ballet. During the Company's 1992 Spring Season, Ms. Borrée was chosen by Ballet Master in Chief, Peter Martins, to dance with guest artist Mikhail Baryshnikov in George Balanchine's "Duo Concertante." She was promoted to the rank of Soloist in 1993 and to Principal in 1997.

Miranda Weese, often described as "a true queen of the ballet," says she dances as much for herself as for her audience. Perfectly proportioned with an ample sculpted style, she is an especially agile turner. ``When performing, I feel completely free; it is only during rehearsals that I worry about technique," she once commented. Ms. Weese entered the School of American Ballet, the official school of New York City Ballet in 1990, became an apprentice with New York City Ballet in the fall of 1991. She was invited to join the Company as a member of the corps de ballet in 1993, and was promoted to the rank of Soloist in December 1994, and in January of 1996, to the rank of Principal. Since joining New York City Ballet, Ms. Weese has appeared in many works from the Company's repertory, dancing featured roles in George Balanchine's and Jerome Robbins' ballets.

Raised in Bedford, N.Y., Peter Boal has been called the New York City Ballet's superman. By night, he is a supreme classicist. By day, he instructs the next generation of male dancers at the company's affiliated academy, the School of American Ballet. Perfectly proportioned with quick feet and expressive arms that appear to sculpt the air, Boal became a member of NYCB in 1983, and was promoted to Soloist four years later. He became Principal in 1989. Mr. Boal has appeared in practically every major ballet by George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, and Peter Martins in addition to being a favorite of visiting choreographers. He is a fine technician as well as a lyricist, whipping off intricate footwork and bending space to his will. He has been featured in a wide variety of ballets from the NYC Ballet's repertory, and performed to critical acclaim throughout the world.

Damian Woetzel

As a guest artist around the world and in addition to his New York City Ballet repertoire, Damian Woetzel has starred with many of the world's great ballet companies, including the Kirov Ballet, American Ballet Theatre and Hamburg Ballet. In addition to dancing, he has choreographed several ballets, among them Stravinsky's "Ebony Concerto" (NYC Ballet), and the Glazounov "Pas de Deux," set to the composer's "Les Ruses d'Amour." Mr. Woetzel has premiered new works for various ballet companies, and choreographed the "Polovetsian Dances" for New York City Opera's production of "Prince Igor." Mr. Woetzel starred as the "Cavalier" in the film version of George Balanchine's "The Nutcracker," appeared in Dance in America's presentation of "Dinner with Balanchine," and starred in Peter Martins' "Swan Lake" on the PBS national telecast "Live From Lincoln Center." Mr. Woetzel has been the director of the ballet program at the New York State Summer School for the Arts since 1994, and is a member of the guest faculty at the School of American Ballet. In the spring of 2001, he received the prestigious Dance Magazine Award.

George Balanchine and Igor Stravinsky understood one another's art and shared both a love of Russian culture and a classically ordered vision of time and space. The ballets they forged together stand as one of the most extraordinary collaborative triumphs of the twentieth century. As Balanchine's described it: "My choreography allows you to see the music and hear the dance." According to James Oestreich of The New York Times, both "valued spareness, angularity and extended technique, and stressed counterpoint over harmony." The two first worked together in a revival of ''Le Chant du Rossignol'' for Diaghilev's Ballets Russes in 1925, when Stravinsky was 42 and Balanchine 21. Balanchine's greatest achievements at the City Ballet included Stravinsky festivals in 1972, a year after the composer's death, and 1982.

Jerome Robbins was one of the true titans of dance, moving between the worlds of ballet and Broadway in a lengthy career that merged popular culture with high art. Growing up in Weehawken, New Jersey, he began taking ballet and modern dance lessons as a teenager. At 26, he choreographed his first ballet, "Fancy Free," which was transformed that same year into the Broadway smash "On the Town." He went on to choreograph such musical classics as "The King and I," "Peter Pan," "Gypsy," and "Fiddler on the Roof." Perhaps his most memorable work was for "West Side Story," where his finger-snapping, athletic gang dances created an indelible image of pent-up volatility. Despite his great success on Broadway, ballet was Robbins' first love, and he worked with the New York City Ballet from the 1940s until his death. Although he stopped performing at 34, he continued to draw on American themes to create vibrant and innovative ballets. Robbins has left an indelible mark on both the worlds of theater and of dance. He changed the face of the Broadway musical, and in ballet, he created a number of true masterpieces.

It's Easy to Get Here

Caramoor is easy to get to by car or mass transportation. From Manhattan, take the Caramoor Caravan and ride comfortably in a luxurious, air-conditioned coach. Round trip service [$ ] is available for all Saturday and Sunday performances. The Caravan departs from the Port Authority Bus Terminal and Upper West Side and East Side locations. Call the Box Office (914-232-1252) for further information and reservations. By train, take the Harlem Division of the Metro-North Railroad to Katonah, New York. Taxi service from the station to Caramoor (5 minutes away) is available. By car: (West Side Manhattan, New Jersey) Take the Saw Mill River Parkway north to Katonah. Exit at Route 35/Cross River. Turn right, and at the first traffic light make a right turn onto Route 22 south. Travel 1.9 miles to junction of Girdle Ridge Road. Follow the signs to Caramoor. (Detailed directions: 914-232-5035, press 2).

Tickets may be ordered by calling the Box Office at 914-232-1252 or ordering on-line at caramoor.org

Box Office: 912-232-1252

General Information and tours: 914-232-5035

Garden Guild: 914-232-1253

Online: www.caramoor.org

[Leigh Witchel]

Thanks, Dale. I'll add it to the calendar.

But who is the third muse in Apollo?

[BW]

Caramoor is truly a jewel of a place. For those who can make it, you'll not be disappointed I'm sure. The grounds and gardens are lovely - you can spread your blanket out and bring a picnic. They may also still have food that you can buy, too.

The Venetian Theater is my favorite up there and they do have a great deal of covered seating...something you might ask about when you get your tickets.

Wish I could be there!

[Dale]

I think they are just doing the pas de deux from Apollo. The press release is interesting. It's definitely written for the music fan. I was confused by the Apollo thing too, because they kind of get into it, but I believe they are trying to tell the music aficionado that it's OK to come to the ballet because of Stravinsky and then they go into what Apollo is all about. Or, who knows, maybe they'll add another dancer at a later date.

[Patricia]

Food can be ordered ahead of time. Menus are included with mailed tickets. The private dining hall is taking reservations for the ballet performance. Also, if you live in NYC, you can arrange to take the Caramoor Caravan bus.

All this information is on their website & their staff is very helpful

[rkoretzky]

Hmmm. Interesting that Peter Martins will let them accept another gig during the Saratoga season. I guess this means that Yvonne won't be doing all the performances of Barocco (good news!), but that Peter Boal and Miranda Weese won't be around for the last weekend (bad news!).

[sneds]

It's just one night, and they can easily drive back for performances in Saratoga on any other day. I think that's the last weekend in Saratoga anyway, so they would just join the rest of the company in NY for the flight to St. Petersburg after that.

Kate