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BOSTON BALLET KICKS OFF 2008-2009 SEASON

Highlights of Fall Season Include Third Annual Gala Performance Plus Kudelka’s Cinderella and The Company’sWorld-Renowned Production of The Nutcracker

BOSTON, MA – August 25, 2008 – Boston Ballet embarks on its 2008-2009 season with a pair of ballets that are sure to delight both the young and the young at heart. Currently on a week-long tour to Korea, the Company returns home to begin preparations for the new season, which will have Boston Ballet lighting up the stage with 21st century fairy-tales and excitement.

This week, while on its very first tour to Korea and its second tour to Asia in company history, Boston Ballet will perform three repertory works: George Balanchine’s Concerto Barocco, Christopher Wheeldon’s Polyphonia and Twyla Tharp’s In The Upper Room at Universal Arts Center in Seoul and the Aram Opera House at the Goyang Aram Nuri Cultural Arts Complex in Gyeonggi-do.

“Through touring, Boston Ballet benefits from the exposure, the growing recognition of the company and our work, and the chance to dance before different audiences. Boston Ballet is distinguished worldwide as an elite dance company, and international touring is crucial to increasing that perception,” said Artistic Director Mikko Nissinen.

The Company opens its Boston season with the third-annual, one-night-only Night of Stars: A Boston Ballet Gala Performance on Friday, October 10. As in previous years, the event features the entire Company and showcases the wide-ranging talents of Boston Ballet’s principal dancers while also welcoming internationally renowned guest artists Maria Kowroski and Albert Evans, principal dancers with New York City Ballet, to the Boston stage. One week later, the Company will commence its season program with the return of James Kudelka’s Cinderella. Cinderella was last performed by Boston Ballet in the ballet’s U.S. premiere in 2005 and won praise from both critics and audiences alike. The Company follows its production of Cinderella with Mikko Nissinen’s much-loved version of The Nutcracker in December.

All performances are held at the Citi Performing Arts CenterSM Wang Theatre with the exception of The Nutcracker, which returns to The Opera House for the fourth consecutive year.

Night of Stars
October 10, 2008

The Night of Stars program features works by master choreographers George Balanchine and Marius Petipa as well as pieces by today’s dynamic contemporary choreographers William Forsythe, Twyla Tharp, Christopher Wheeldon, and rising young artist Sabrina Matthews. In on Blue, resident choreographer Jorma Elo’s latest piece for the Company which premiered in March 2007 to both audience and critical acclaim, opens the program. Additionally, the evening will feature a world premiere by Viktor Plotnikov. The one-night-only event serves as a showcase for the wide range of talent the Company’s principal dancers and acclaimed ensemble possess, performing solos, pas de deux and ensemble excerpts.

This year’s guest artists are Maria Kowroski and Albert Evans, principal dancers with New York City Ballet. Kowroski and Evans will perform Christopher Wheeldon’s 2003 spiritual duet Liturgy.

The complete Night of Stars: A Gala Benefit Performance program follows:
(Casting and repertoire subject to change)
Excerpts from the following ballets will be performed:

In on Blue
Music: Eugene Ysaye and Bernard Herrman
Choreography: Jorma Elo
Dancers: Company

Rubies (from Jewels)
Music: Igor Stravinsky
Choreography: George Balanchine
Dancers: Misa Kuranaga, James Whiteside

Concerto Barocco
Music: Johann Sebastian Bach
Choreography: George Balanchine
Dancers: Rie Ichikawa, Pavel Gurevich, Company

The Sleeping Beauty
Music: Pyotr Illyich Tchaikovsky
Choreography: Marius Petipa
Dancers: Larissa Ponomarenko, Roman Rykine

Ein von Viel
Music: Johann Sebastian Bach
Choreography: Sabrina Matthews
Dancers: Jared Redick, James Whiteside

Spartacus
Music: Aram Khachaturian
Choreography: Carlos Molina
Dancers: Erica Cornejo, Carlos Molina

Paquita
Music: Edouard Deldevez, with additional compositions by Ludwig Minkus
Choreography: Marius Petipa
Dancers: Lorna Feijóo, Nelson Madrigal, Company

Vile Parody of Address
Music: Johann Sebastian Bach
Choreography: William Forsythe
Dancer: John Lam

World Premiere by Viktor Plotnikov
Choreography: Viktor Plotnikov
Dancers: Larissa Ponomarenko, Yury Yanowsky

Liturgy
Music: Arvo Part
Choreography: Christopher Wheeldon
Dancers: Maria Kowroski, Albert Evans

Le Corsaire
Music: Adolphe Adam
Choreography: Marius Petipa
Dancers: Melissa Hough, Jaime Diaz

In the Upper Room
Music: Philip Glass
Choreography: Twyla Tharp
Dancer: Company

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Cinderella
October 16-26, 2008
Music: Sergei Prokofiev
Choreography: James Kudelka

Karen Campbell said in The Boston Globe of Boston Ballet’s 2005 U.S. premiere of Kudelka’s Cinderella, “It’s an entertaining, colorful, family-friendly production, often clever and inventive.”

Set to Sergei Prokofiev’s superb score, Kudelka’s version of the fairy tale is not the conventional rags-to-riches story, but a more contemporary tale of the transforming power of love. Known for his ability to juxtapose classical and modern movement, Kudelka’s staging of Cinderella does not disappoint. His staging is differentiated by his choice to allow the Prince to break free from the constraints and superficial life that were imposed on him as royalty. Additionally, the ballet provides pure entertainment which appeals to audiences of both younger and older generations, connecting with them on the levels of a magical fairytale and a love story demonstrating the evolution of two people. Kudelka originally choreographed his Cinderella in 2004 for The National Ballet of Canada while Artistic Director of the company.

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The Nutcracker
November 28-December 27, 2008
Music: Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Choreography: Mikko Nissinen
Sets: Helen Pond and Herbert Senn
Costumes: David Walker and Charles Heightchew
Lighting Design: Alexander Nichols

Mikko Nissinen’s The Nutcracker, featuring the Company and more than 250 children from Boston Ballet School, continues to delight Boston audiences. The cherished Tchaikovsky score will be performed live by the Boston Ballet Orchestra. This will mark the 41st consecutive year that Boston Ballet is performing The Nutcracker. There will be 35 performances of The Nutcracker this season. Following the opening of last season’s production, Karen Campbell wrote in The Boston Globe, “Boston Ballet’s production is one of the most beloved around, marrying substantive choreography with eye-popping production values.”

Boston Ballet Fall Season at a Glance:

Night of Stars: A Boston Ballet Gala Performance
October 10, 2008

Cinderella
October 16-26, 2008
Music: Sergei Prokofiev
Choreography: James Kudelka

The Nutcracker
November 28 – December 27, 2008
Music: Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Choreography: Mikko Nissinen
Sets: Helen Pond and Herbert Senn
Costumes: David Walker and Charles Heightchew
Lighting Design: Alexander Nichols

Tickets

Tickets for season ballets can be purchased by phone at 866.348.9738, online at www.citicenter.org, or in person at the Citi Performing Arts CenterSM box office, located at 270 Tremont Street in Boston's Theatre District, open Monday - Saturday from 10am - 6pm. Prices for season ballets start at $25. Prices for Night of Stars start at $30. Discounted group tickets (10 or more) are available by calling Boston Ballet's Group Sales at 617.456.6343. Rush tickets are available. Contact the Boston Ballet box office at 617.695.6955 or visit www.bostonballet.org for details.

About Boston Ballet

Founded in 1963, Boston Ballet is one of the leading dance companies in North America. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Mikko Nissinen, the Company maintains an internationally acclaimed repertoire of classical, neo-classical and contemporary works, ranging from full-length story ballets to new works by some of today's finest choreographers.

Boston Ballet's second company, Boston Ballet II, is made up of pre-professional dancers who gain experience by performing with Boston Ballet and as an independent group, presenting lecture-demonstrations and unique programs to audiences throughout the Northeast. The Boston Ballet Center for Dance Education is the largest ballet school in North America. In service of its mission to bring the highest quality arts education to all, it reaches and instructs more than 5,000 students of all ages each year through Boston Ballet School, Summer Dance Workshop, Summer Dance Program, Citydance, Taking Steps, and Adaptive Dance. The wide array of dance education programs are held at four major ballet studio locations, in community centers, and throughout the Boston Public Schools.

Boston Ballet gratefully acknowledges the following institutional partners:

State Street Corporation, 2008 Sponsor, The Nutcracker

Carl and Ruth Shapiro Family Foundation/Linda S. Waintrup, Trustee

Massachusetts Cultural Council

National Endowment for the Arts

Boston Organ & Piano, Official Piano Supplier of Boston Ballet

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