Montgomery Ballet, the Capital’s Official Dance Company, presents four premiers in one weekend Febru

January 19, 2010

Montgomery AL, The Montgomery Ballet is pleased to announce the premiers of four new ballets on the company weekend “Evening of Premiers” and “Ballet for Young Audiences.” Continuing with the Capital’s official dance company’s tradition, the Montgomery Ballet will offer “Premier Performances” February 19-21, 2010 at the Davis Theatre, Montgomery AL.

Artistic Director, Elie Lazar, is excited to present innovative premier evening performances. Company principal dancer, Paul Gilliam, will present his newest work “Esoteric Imagery” to an original new score by Arion Tanabe with the familiar voice of AUM Theatre Professor Neil Davis Seibel in a poem constructed for this world premier. “Esoteric Imagery” will mark Mr. Gilliam’s first ballet choreographed for the Montgomery Ballet, and will begin Mr. Lazar’s mission of bringing new choreographers to develop works on the professional company dancers.

“It is a great privilege and pleasure to see artists develop. I am particularly proud to see our principal dancer Mr. Gilliam creating a new and a fascinating ballet making the artists of the company challenged in a new directions, style and concept. I am looking forward with great anticipation to the premier of his ballet,” says Elie Lazar.

“The Evening of Premiers “will also introduce Mr. Lazar’s full length ballet “Dance Me to the End of Love,” a work that will create a collage of images and spiritual memories from Mr. Lazar’s years growing up and maturing in Israel. His new ballet will use Israeli and Jewish themes and melodies that are universal and can be appreciated by all. This company work will showcase the ballet growing company of 20 artists and will emphasize the depth and high level of technical abilities that audiences have come to expect from the ballet company.

Paul Gilliam, Dancer -Mr. Gilliam began his dance training at the Ardmore Dance Center and was later attended the University of Oklahoma. He trained at the Houston Ballet Academy and joined the Houston Ballet. In the fall of 2003 he became a member of Dayton Ballet dancing principal roles.  Mr. Gilliam joined the Montgomery Ballet two seasons ago as an accomplished virtuoso dancer who has won the hearts and approval of international critics and audiences alike. With the Montgomery Ballet he was seen as Franz in “Coppelia”, Puck in a “Midsummer’s Night Dream”, the athletic Russian dancer in “The Nutcracker” as well as principal roles in “Esmeralda”, “Diana and Acteon” and Lazar’s “Gloria”, “Surrender to Love”, and “Carmen”.

Arion Tanabe, Composer for “Esoteric Imagery”, an Illinois native, Arion is not only an accomplished musician and composer but has also performed with several professional ballet companies including Dayton Ballet where he met Paul Gilliam. During his time dancing with Dayton Ballet, he not only accompanied company ballet classes but began to improvise and compose music for ballets. When asked by Paul, to compose music for his new ballet, “Esoteric Imagery,” Arion accepted with enthusiasm and thus began their artistic partnership to showcase the professional dancers of Montgomery Ballet in a world premier.

Elie Lazar, artistic director for The Montgomery Ballet, is concluding his third yearas artistic director. His achievements in expanding The Montgomery Ballet performance schedule, artists, repertoire, and affiliation with other organizations in Alabama have made The Montgomery Ballet an organization that is looked after both locally, nationally, and internationally. Mr. Lazar is pleased with The Montgomery Ballet’s achievements both in public performances and educational components presented throughout the southeast. His chorographic work for the Montgomery Ballet has been recognized by the media, and audience approval has generated much excitement and a great development in diversity and size of  audiences viewing the Capital’s Official Dance Company.

Both ballets are recommended for the entire family and are examples of the versatility that Montgomery’s Official Dance Company brings to its repertoire.

On Sunday, the Montgomery Ballet will offer, “Peter and the Wolf” and “Beauty and the Beast,” two beautiful story ballets that demonstrate how trust and courage conquer all.

Peter and the Wolf, with both music and text by Prokofiev, a Russian composer, is a ballet where the instruments of the orchestra depict the characters in the ballet. The ballet also uses a spoken narrative accompanied by the orchestra making the story easy and clear to follow for children ages 2 to adult. The dancing by the Montgomery Ballet professional company accompanied by some of the most talented students from the Montgomery Ballet School will make the production appealing to all. Scenery is by company designer Seay Earhart, and costumes by Suzy Maker, the company wardrobe mistress.

Beauty and the Beast, whose first published version of the fairy tale was a rendition by Madame Gabrielle Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve, will have its ballet premier as a short story adopted for the Montgomery Ballet in a charming tale of the beautiful “Belle” and her trust and pity for the “Beast” which transforms him into the handsome prince that he is. Principal dancer Kyana Neller will dance the role of “Belle” and Colin Hislop the role of the “Beast.” “Beauty and the Beast” will be performed to music by Maurice Ravel, and will also include narration of the story.

Don’t miss the Montgomery Ballet’s conclusion of its 2009-2010 season featuring four premiers at the Davis Theatre, Gilliam’s “Esoteric Imagery” and Lazar’s “Dance Me to the End of Love.” Friday February 19^th and Saturday February 20^th at7:30 p.m. and Ballet for Young Audiences- Peter and the Wolf and Beauty and the Beast- Sunday February 21^st at 2:30 p.m..

Tickets are $15-$35, discounts for children, military and seniors are available, and can be purchased by calling the Montgomery Ballet office 334-409-0522, or online at www.etix.com or www.montgomeryballet.org, or at the Davis Theatre box office one hour before the performance.

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