ABT soloist Craig Salstein founds new ballet company

[Dale]

A new company from ABT soloist Craig Salstein:

INTERMEZZO

a new ballet company
founded by dancer Craig Salstein

Craig Salstein, soloist with American Ballet Theatre, has created Intermezzo, a new ballet company.

Intermezzo's debut performances will take place at the 92nd Street Y from October 18-20, 2013. The program will feature a celebration of the composer Giuseppe Verdi with two new ballets. Five choreographers and eight dancers will tackle Verdi's String Quartet in E minor, and a suite from Un ballo in maschera (A Masked Ball) arranged for String Quartet, all played live by The Wyrick Quartet, led by Eric Wyrick, concertmaster of the New Jersey Symphony.

"It's not uncommon to see three or four Verdi operas at the Metropolitan Opera, Covent Garden, and La Scala in one season. His music is known to pull forth from the interpreter technique and passion, two words familiar to a dancer. INTERMEZZO hopes to create a place in the dance world where the dancers' technique and passion are drawn upon in new and vivid repertoire," said Salstein.

Marcelo Gomes (ABT), Lisa de Ribere (formerly with New York City Ballet and with ABT), Adam Hendrickson (formerly with New York City Ballet), Gemma Bond (ABT), and Raymond Lukens (Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School) will choreograph an ensemble of vibrant dancers.

Dancers will include Stephen Hanna, Carlos Lopez, Kaitlyn Gilliland, Nadezhda Vostrikov, Shoshana Rosenfield, Sarah James, Amber Neff and Aran Bell.

Charles Barker will serve as Music Advisor for the Program.

ABOUT CRAIG SALSTEIN

Born in Miami, Florida, Craig Salstein began dancing at five years old with Mia Michaels and at age eleven became a student at the Miami City Ballet School. He trained in summer programs at The Joffrey Ballet, the School of American Ballet and at American Ballet Theatre. In 1999 he joined the Miami City Ballet and in 2000 joined American Ballet Theatre's Studio Company. In 2002 he joined the corps de ballet of American Ballet Theatre and was promoted to Soloist in March 2007. Salstein's repertory with the Company includes Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet, the first sailor in Fancy Free, the Bronze Idol in La Bayadère, the Champion Roper in Rodeo, Twyla Tharp's In the Upper Room, Paul Taylor's Company B, He created leading roles in Alexi Ratmansky's Symphony #9 and The Nutcracker. In 2010 he choreographed for ABT's "Innovative Initiative."

[sandik]

Good luck to him, and to the project!