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News Release

Last modified: Thursday, January 15, 2009

IU Ballet Theater presents edgy new choreography at Buskirk-Chumley

Two Jan. 28 performances of "On the Edge" feature works by regional and local choreographers

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Jan. 15, 2009

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Showcasing recent work by up-and-coming regional choreographers, Indiana University Ballet Theater will present "Ballet at the BCT: On the Edge" on Jan. 28 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater in downtown Bloomington. General admission tickets are $10, and tickets are $5 for all students with a valid student ID.

The performances will feature new works by choreographers from the Louisville Ballet and BalletMet (Columbus, Ohio) created especially for this production, as well as recent work from IU Ballet Department faculty and students. The dancers are exclusively from the IU Ballet Department, one of the leading centers for the study of ballet in the country.

A variety of musical styles will be presented, including work by Rachmaninov, Gershwin, Zoe Keating, Imogen Heap and Zap Mama, along with Jacobs School of Music faculty composers Eugene O'Brien and David Dzubay.

The idea for the project came from a desire to broaden performance experiences for ballet students. The performance is a manifestation of IU Ballet Department Chair Michael Vernon's mission to develop and discover young choreographers.

"There is a need for our dancers to be involved with dancers and choreographers who are working in major ballet companies in order to better prepare them for a career in the field," said Vernon. "We are very lucky to have many good companies in the area."

"On the Edge" refers to the geographical location of the Buskirk-Chumley to the IU campus, as well as the type of choreography and music performed. Vernon said it's important for the department to be involved with the community, and he hopes that offering a downtown performance will appeal to those who are not already involved in the cultural scene at IU.

"Younger audience members as well as more traditional dance lovers should enjoy this varied experience as the flavor of urban areas and professional dance comes to Bloomington," he said.

Vernon will make introductory remarks before both performances with opportunities for discussion with dancers and choreographers afterward.

Choreographers

• Morgan Hulen -- Louisville Ballet
• Pete Lay -- Louisville Ballet
• Adam Hundt -- BalletMet (Columbus, Ohio)
• Joshua Bergasse (from New York City, also choreographing IU Opera Theater's The Most Happy Fella in April 2009)
• Michael Vernon -- IU Ballet Department chair
• Guoping Wang -- IU Ballet Department faculty
• Daniel Morales -- IU Ballet Department major
• Ben Delony -- IU Ballet Department major

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