June 26, 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Indianapolis City Ballet Announces International Stars for Inaugural Gala Performance

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The event promises to be a milestone in the evolution of ballet in Indianapolis

Indianapolis City Ballet today proudly announced the internationally recognized ballet dancers for its inaugural gala performance “An Evening with the Stars.” The performance will be on Saturday, September 12 at the Murat Theatre in downtown Indianapolis. The event begins at 8:00 p.m.

Robert Hesse, chairman of Indianapolis City Ballet stated “I am excited to announce a stellar line-up of dancers from Stuttgart Ballet to New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, National Ballet of Canada, Parsons Dance Company and Kirov Ballet. These professional dancers are among the most brilliant stars of today.”

Distinguished guest artists include but are not limited to:

Alicia Amatriain – Principal Dancer of the Stuttgart Ballet, who is now considered one of “the most exciting and important dancers in Europe”

Joaquin De Luz – Principal Dancer with the New York City Ballet from Spain, who won the prestigious Prix Benois de la Danse in Moscow in early June, ballet’s equivalent of an Academy Award.

David Hallberg – Principal Dancer, American Ballet Theatre, considered to be one of the biggest new American stars in ballet.

Julie Kent – Principal Dancer, one of the last ballerinas chosen by Mikhail Baryshnikov for American Ballet Theatre and an international star for many years, She is perhaps most widely recognized for featured roles in two major popular films – Dancers and Center Stage.

Sarah Lane – Soloist with American Ballet Theatre, in her early 20’s, she is quickly rising through the ballet ranks and receiving rave reviews in the press.

Anastasia Matvienko – Principal Dancer with the Kirov Ballet in St. Petersburg, Russia, coming from the prestigious Mariinsky Theatre, and her husband, Denis Matvienko – Principal Dancer with the Kirov Ballet,

Tiler Peck – A young Soloist with the New York City Ballet, she is a fast rising star who most recently received accolades in a New York Times feature on June 13 that compared her to former stars Alexandra Danilova and Patricia McBride..

Miguel Quinones – with the Parsons Dance Company since 2005, started dancing at age seven, studied at the Dance Theatre of Harlem and is known for his amazing leaps.

Jason Reilly – Principal Dancer with the Stuttgart Ballet, his explosive high energy and blend of new and old is very exciting. He was lured back to his home by the National Ballet of Canada where he’ll start in the Fall.

Gennadi Saveliev – Soloist with American Ballet Theatre, previously danced with the Bolshoi Ballet and is the recipient of a silver medal from the prestigious New York International Ballet Competition.

Artistic Chairman John Meehan is thrilled with the dancers who want to help bring back an enduring professional ballet presence to Indianapolis. “The evening will showcase the technique and artistry of these stunning, international guest artists and the imagination and creativity of some of the world’s finest choreographers, in line with the evening’s emphasis on neo-classical and contemporary ballet.”

Producer of the event Kevin Hesse, noted “’An Evening with the Stars’” will put Indianapolis back on the international cultural dance scene and unite the internationally recognized guest artists in a gala-style evening of dance surprises with ballet performances from classical to contemporary for all to enjoy.”

General admission tickets are available at www.murat.com or via telephone at 1-877-598-8703. General admission seats are $65, $45 and $25. Reduced price, group sales (10 or more tickets) are also available. For group seating, please call 317-339-1413.

For more information about the dancers, to see their photos or to read about the program, visit the Web site www.indianapoliscityballet.org

Please note the program is subject to change without notice.

www.indianapoliscityballet.org