FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 21, 2007
BOSTON BALLET STUDENTS TAKE GOLD AND SILVER AT INTERNATIONAL DANCE COMPETITION
(BOSTON, MA) – Jeffrey Cirio and Sylvia Deaton, trainee students at Boston Ballet School, were each awarded medals at the International Dance Festival Tanzolymp in Berlin. Cirio, 15, who performed variations from Harlequinade and Don Quixote, earned a gold medal, and Deaton, 16, who danced solos from Giselle and Don Quixote, was the recipient of a silver medal.
“Everyone at Boston Ballet and Boston Ballet School is very proud of these talented young students, who worked extremely hard to prepare for this competition,” said Artistic Director Mikko Nissinen. “Boston Ballet has a strong international focus and I’m pleased that Jeffrey and Sylvia are getting exposure on the world stage at such a young age. It’s a wonderful time for the company, as we step out onto the international scene; most recently with Boston Ballet II, our pre-professional company, with Boston Ballet School trainee students performing in Moscow; and looking ahead to this summer, the entire company will be on a six week tour in Spain.”
Tanzolymp is an annual competition offering young dancers the opportunity to compete abroad in the areas of classical, modern, character, folk, jazz and pop dance. The Festival, which was held for the first time in 2004, seeks to foster and increase the popularity of dance and serve as a gathering place to exchange ideas about dancing and the issues faced by young dancers. Each year approximately 500 dancers from 20 different countries perform in front of an international jury made up of experts from the worlds of dance, media and diplomacy. The dancers are judged on skill, technique, and artistic expression. This year’s jury was presided over by Vladimir Vasiliev, former general director of the Bolshoi Theatre, and included Prince Nikita D. Lobanov-Rostovsky, ballet critic and art collector; Gailene Stock, director of The Royal Ballet School London; and Nadia Saidakova, principal dancer of Berlin’s Staatsballett.
Deaton had a particularly grueling schedule leading up to the competition, as she also danced in the first five performances of George Balanchine’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, which concluded its run on Sunday, February 18.
Next up for Boston Ballet is New Visions, a triple bill featuring works by three of today’s finest choreographers. The program includes Brake the Eyes, a world premiere by Resident Choreographer Jorma Elo; the company premiere of Christopher Wheeldon’s award-winning Polyphonia; and the return of Val Caniparoli’s acclaimed Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion, created for the Company in 2004. New Visions will be performed at Citi Wang Theatre from March 1-4.
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Boston Ballet gratefully acknowledges the following institutional partners:
Fidelity Investments, 2006-2007 Season Sponsor
The Massachusetts Cultural Council
The National Endowment for the Arts
Boston Organ & Piano, Official Piano Supplier of Boston Ballet
Delta Airlines, Official Airline of Boston Ballet
WCVB-TV, Channel 5, Television Partner
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Founded in 1963, Boston Ballet is one of the leading dance companies in North America. It has 50 full-time dancers and maintains an internationally acclaimed repertoire of classical and contemporary works, ranging from full-length story ballets to new works by some of today’s best 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. Boston Ballet Center for Dance Education instructs more than 3,000 students of all ages each year through Boston Ballet School, Young Dancers Summer Workshop, Summer Dance Program, DanceLab, Citydance, Adaptive Dance and Taking Steps.
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