Tuesday, October 6, 2009

News from Dance Alive National Ballet

From: Judy Skinner dalive@bellsouth.net

BACK STAGE
OCTOBER 2009

After 17 years ... He's Back!

The ultimate DRACULA! Kim Tuttle's amazing full-length ballet based on the Bram Stoker story of the vampire called Dracula will
return to the Phillips Center October 30th at 7 PM.

"An exciting combination of dance, music, narration, and setting creates a vivid, multi-sensory experience.

This is an intensely dramatic work with Dracula, as portrayed by Andre Valladon, a vibrant, sensual, hypnotic, sometimes
animal-like, character with total control over his environment. Michele Incollingo reprises her role as 'Lucy'; even more brilliant
than in 1992! Actor, dancer, choreographer Ric Rose returns as the narrator with Isabel Garcia-Rose once again dancing the role of
'Mina'. DANB principal dancers Carla Amancio and Beth Ann Maslinoff are featured as Dracula's vampire brides with Tak Kwan Chu Dr.
John Seward. New DANB principals Rostislav Dzabraev, Eivar Martinez, Reka Gyulai, Laura Clark, Heather Martinez and Elitsa Zafirova
will make their debut with DANB in this performance. You are in for a real treat! This is an amazing group of dancers!

DRACULA is a huge production with over thirty dancers taking the stage. It is also a massive undertaking with numerous costumes
required - and then there is the set! This 2009 production features the spectacular sets designed by brilliant visual artist
Margaret Ross Tolbert. Originally constructed by Jim Kasserman and artist Paul Costanza, Ms. Tolbert's work has been brought to
life by artist Patrick Giles.

If you like a good story - if you enjoy gorgeous bodies in motion - if you like a variety of music - if you want an amazing
entertaining evening ... DON'T MISS DRACULA!

Tickets from $15 to $35 at the Phillips Center or any Ticketmaster Outlet.

HALLOWEEN COSTUME BALL

Friday, October 30th 9 PM
On-Stage at Dracula's Castle

"I truly desire you to attend my Halloween Costume Ball following my October 30th performance .... on stage in my Transylvanian
castle starting at 9 PM.

I will have a personal fiend, I wouldn't call him a friend, playing ghoulish music for the pleasure of your dancing and there will
be delightfully decadent "finger" foods, "Bloody" Mary's and other demonic delights to feed your cravings.

Do NOT dare to disappoint me!"
Count Dracula

Anyone who has attended a Dance Alive event KNOWS they give a great party! Don't miss this one. It promises to be frighteningly
fun!
Best costume wins a mysteriously wonderful prize.
Tickets $35.
Available at the Phillips Center Box Office or any Ticketmaster Outlet. For more information, call 352.371-2986

DRACUWEEN KID'S PARTY!

October 30th at 6 PM
Fackler Foyer East at the Phillips Center

Scary - Safe - Fun!
A great way for your children to trick and treat! Punch and cookies and costumes, oh my! What a way to celebrate the fun of
Halloween.

Dracula is looking for ghosts, goblins, pumpkins, fairy princesses, pirates, and super hero's ... not to mention the occasional
football player, cheerleader and ballerina!
Best costume wins a prize!

Phillips Center for the Performing Arts - Fackler Foyer East
$15 per person. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

TARGET TO THE RESCUE!

It wasn't looking good. Both the County and the State cut all funding for arts education programming. At risk, Dancin', a
residency program, and Discover Dance, a program that brings children and disabled or at-risk adults from Alachua and 13 surrounding
counties to professional dance productions during the school day. DANB received notice late in September that Target was awarding
DANB grants for educational programming. While not fully funding the program, the $5,500 grant will be a big help! Thanks to
Target, Discover Dance, a program that began in 1986, will continue.

Dance Alive National Ballet
www.dancealive.org

DANB has just received notice that it has been awarded a $25,000 Culture Builds Florida's Future grant for "Mission Olympus". The
grant will help develop and enhance programs that augment and advance DANB and Art of the Olympians mission statements, reflect
Culture Builds Florida's Future, promote innovative artistic creativity and inform, inspire, educate and challenge audiences and
artists of all ages.

Gainesville audiences will see some of the results of "Mission Olympus" in the spring concert, Fused Tutu.

Bulgarian born Reka Gyulai makes her debut with DANB at the Villages in Lady Lake performing Ashton's La Fille Mal Gardee, Tuttle's
L'Amour and Skinner's Aleatorio. In Dracula, Ms. Gyulai portrays on of Dracula's vampire brides.eivar

Venezuelan born Eivar Martinez made his debut dancing Kim Tuttle's Sincerely at the Villages/Gainesville in September. He will
perform Tuttle's L'Amour and Skinner's Aleatorio at the Villages in Lady Lake before performing for Gainesville audiences as
Holmwood, Lucy's fiancee in Dracula. Mr. Martinez is an amazing partner; partnering Ms. Incollingo, Ms. Garcia-Rose and Ms. Amancio
for upcoming performances. Wonderful news for Mr.Martinez and DANB, his wife, ballerina Heather Martinez, and their son will
arrive soon in Gainesville! Ms. Martinez will debut as a gypsy in Dracula.

Did I mention that we have gorgeous dancers? Ms. Zafirova arrived in September and has been working learning much of DANB's
repertoire. She will make her Gainesville debut as a gypsy in Dracula. Elitsa Zafirova comes to DANB from Bulgaria. Ms. Zatirova
is a tall long legged nineteen year old who most recently performed with the Bulgarian National Ballet.

Another one of our gorgeous new dancers! Laura Clark, from Miami, comes to DANB from Ballet Gamonet. A professional ballet dancer
who wanted to continue her academic education, Gainesville, UF and Dance Alive National Ballet was the perfect answer! Ms. Clark
makes her debut as a gypsy in Dracula.

Russian born Rostislav Dzabraev opens the season dancing Gopak and La Fille Mal Gardee at the Villages in Lady Lake followed by a
performance as lawyer Jonathan Harker in Dracula. Mr. Rostislav will enter the USA Ballet Competition; coached by Andre Valladon.

Why Are Principal Dancers Suffering Multiple Personalities?

Principal Michele Incollingo isn't sure if she is the Sugar Plum Fairy, Dracula's Lucy, Cio Cio San from Madame Butterfly or the
siren in L'Amour! But then, principal dancer Andre Valladon doesn't know if he is the princely Cavalier in Nutcracker, the sensual
Count Dracula or the friendly tipsy guy in L'Amour! The company has been busy this past month rehearsing for THREE different
programs - Ballet Spectacular for tour, Dracula and Nutcracker! You can catch up with them on the following dates:

* 10/24 Ballet Spectacular at the Villages in Lady Lake
* 10/30 Dracula in Gainesville
* 11/15 Nutcracker in Starke
* 12/4 Nutcracker in Flagler Beach
* 12/6 Nutcracker at the Villages in Lady Lake
* 12/11 Nutcracker in Palatka
* 12/12 Nutcracker in Madison, FL
* 12/17-20 Nutcracker in Gainesville

Dance Alive National Ballet is funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 by the National Endowment for the Arts,
a federal agency in partnership with the Florida Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Council on Arts
and Culture. Dance Alive National Ballet is sponsored in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts, which believes
that a great nation deserves great art, the City of Gainesville, Department of Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Affairs and a Tourist
Development Tax Grant from the Alachua County Board of County Commissioners in conjunction with the Alachua County Tourist
Development Council.

Dance Alive National Ballet | 1325 NW 2nd Street | Gainesville | FL | 32601

No comments:

Post a Comment