Ballet Chicago Studio Company 2009 Spring Repertory, 15-17 May

[Jack Reed]

From the school/company website:

Ballet Chicago presents The Spring Repertory's Captivating Rhythms at the Athenaeum Theatre on May 15-17, 2009. The program showcases the choreographic works of George Balanchine, Artistic Director Daniel Duell, and New York choreographer Ted Seymour.

Program: World Premiere (Duell/Bach), Intermission, Alice Gleaning (World Premiere featuring Seymour/Mozart/Shankar/Aphex Twin), Coppelia Wedding Celebration (Duell/Delibes), Intermission, Rubies (Balanchine/Stravinsky).

Program subject to change

Program time with Intermissions: 100 minutes*

Athenaeum Theatre Performance Dates and Times

May 15-17, 2009

Times:

Friday, May 15 7:30pm

Saturday, May 16 2:00pm

Saturday, May 16 7:30pm

Sunday, May 17 3:00pm

Tickets on sale April 1, 2009

Price: Adults $20 & $30, Seniors $16 & $24, Students and Children $12

Purchase Tickets: Call Ticketmaster at 312-902-1500

Order online at www.ticketmaster.com, visit any Ticketmaster outlet or visit the

Athenaeum Theatre Box Office at 2936 North Southport in Chicago

For more information - contact the Athenaeum Box Office at (773) 935-6860 or

Ballet Chicago at (312) 341-9290. [New number]

*I've learned that the Saturday matinee performance will last only about an hour and include elements of a lecture-demonstration, using excerpts from the full program to be presented at the other three times, including the last movement only of Rubies.

Here's a link to the relevant school/company webpage:

http://balletchicago.org/studio/springrepertory.html

Perhaps it should be said that Ballet Chicago is primarily a school, and that the Studio Company is a performing group of the best students selected from among the present and past students. For example, alumna Alicia Fabry is expected to return to lead Rubies with a partner from her company, the Carolina Ballet (Robert Weiss, Artistic Director). Music for the program will be recorded.

[Jack Reed]

It looks like I need to correct my previous post: BCSC alumna Alicia Fabry is not expected to appear, owing to recent injury; she will be replaced in Rubies by Margaret Severin-Hansen, dancing with Gabor Kapin. They are both principal dancers in Carolina Ballet. And I also gather that another title has been added to the program, making a total of five. (Also, note the new phone number for Ballet Chicago.)

[Jack Reed]

Yet a further thought: Late substitutions can sometimes lead people to expect compromised performance quality; not so here: Severin-Hansen is more experienced than Fabry, having performed Rubies several years ago with Kapin, and at the risk of breaching our rule about reporting on closed rehearsals, having seen one yesterday, I'd say not only were their abilities evident but the demi-soloist, BCSC member Olivia Schmit, is quite accomplished and was satisfying in the part. Chicago-area Balanchine lovers -- or just ballet fans who are curious to see one of his ballets, well presented -- ought to consider having a look at one (or more) of the only three performances of this.