April 5, 2002

Loyola Ballet presents "A Tribute to Balanchine"

The Loyola Ballet, under the direction of Laura Zambrano, will honor a world-renowned, contemporary chorographer, George Balanchine, during "A Tribute to Balanchine." Performances, held April 26 and 27 at 8 p.m. in Roussel Hall, will feature a presentation of Balanchine's Allegro Brillante performed by the Nashville Ballet, which is under the artistic direction of Loyola University alumnus Paul Vasterling.

Nancy Reynolds, research director for the Balanchine Foundation, will conduct a free public symposium Sunday, April 28 at 2 p.m. in Nunemaker Auditorium. The symposium features videotapes of Balanchine works and artifacts that depict his Russian heritage.

Allegro Brillante, choreographed by Balanchine in 1956 to music by Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky, is a fast-paced ballet that relies on strong dancing, precise timing and breadth of gesture. According to Balanchine, "It contains everything I know about the classical ballet in 13 minutes."

The Nashville Ballet will perform Firebird, choreographed by Vasterling to Igor Stravinsky's 1919 suite from his full-length ballet. The work is a contemporary take on the original scenario of the ballet, in which a mystical creature comes to the rescue of a young man in danger.

The Loyola Ballet will open the concert with Through the Years, a choreographed progression of ballet technique from beginner to advanced through the performance of classical and character repertoire, with participation from the university repertory class and four levels of the Preparatory Ballet Program, which is under the direction of Gayle Parmelee. Members of the Loyola Ballet also will perform Moondog Suite, choreographed by Vasterling to music by Louis "Moondog" Hardin.

"The Loyola Ballet is proud to sponsor this ambitious project, which is designed to expose New Orleans to the legacy of George Balanchine," Zambrano said. "Loyola's Ballet Program was awarded a $10,000 grantthe only one awarded to a Louisiana universityfrom the National College Choreography Initiative (NCCI) for this exciting project. New Orleans audiences are rarely exposed to Balanchine's neoclassic style and may not realize the profound impact his choreography has had on the art of ballet."

Zambrano said she is also looking forward to working with Vasterling, who is a former member of the Loyola Ballet and a colleague. "Paul and I danced together at Loyola in the early 1980s, and it's great to be working together again," she said. "I'm delighted Paul agreed to re-stage one of his original choreographies on current members of the Loyola Ballet."

Vasterling, who was appointed artistic director of the Nashville Ballet in 1998, is an internationally recognized choreographer who has staged and choreographed more than 30 works for companies worldwide since 1993.

Tickets for the performances, which are available at the box office, are $10 for the general public and $5 for the Loyola community with ID. Admission to the symposium is free. For information, please call 865-3492.