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Linda Cajigas
Jacobs School of Music
lcajigas@indiana.edu
812-856-3882

Alain Barker
Jacobs School of Music
abarker@indiana.edu
812-856-5719

Last modified: Friday, April 27, 2012

Jacobs School Pre-College Ballet celebrates 25th anniversary with 'Swan Lake' performance

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 27, 2012

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- On Saturday, April 28, the IU Jacobs School of Music Pre-College Ballet Program will celebrate its 25th anniversary with a set of collaborative performances with students in the IU String Academy, IU Pre-College Young Harpists, IU Young Pianists Program and the Fairview Elementary Violin Project.

Rehearsal for "Swan Lake," Act II: Minhwa Choi as Odette is coached by Doricha Sales, director of the Jacobs School Pre-College Ballet Program.

Print-Quality Photo

The free public event, starting at 3 p.m. in the Musical Arts Center, will culminate in a workshop performance of Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky's ballet "Swan Lake," the classic tale of a princess turned into a swan by an evil sorcerer's curse.

"This is a wonderful opportunity for the Jacobs School's Pre-College Ballet Program to showcase its work," said Michael Vernon, chair of the Ballet Department. "We are delighted and grateful to have the instrumental programs collaborate with us in the Musical Arts Center for this free annual extravaganza."

The principal role of Odette, the White Swan, will be shared by Minhwa Choi and Sarah Young, daughter of Jacobs School of Music professors Brenda Brenner and Chris Young. Aileen Zhang, a Bloomington High School South senior in the program since the age of 3, will perform Odile, the Black Swan.

Also performing on Saturday, as The Queen, is Elisabeth Martin. A former student of the program, she will graduate from the Jacobs School in May. This will be her final appearance on the Musical Arts Center stage after 17 years.

"So many of this community's children 'grow up' in the MAC," said Doricha Sales, Pre-College Ballet director, "either on the stage, in the pit or behind the scenes, fostering a true dedication to the arts, respect and support for their and each other's efforts, and moments they will remember forever. I couldn't be more proud to have the privilege of watching all the students emerge not only as artists but, more importantly, as fine representatives of our young generation."

The IU String Academy is directed by Mimi Zweig and co-directed by Brenda Brenner and Susan Moses. The Pre-College Young Harpist program is directed by Elzbieta Szmyt. The Young Pianists Program is directed by Karen Taylor. The Fairview Elementary Violin Project is directed by Brenda Brenner and assistant directed by Rebecca Colborg Frederick, with Fairview Elementary School music teacher Kathy Heise.