Ballets With a Twist Brings COCKTAIL HOUR to New Jersey This October

Following a smashing summer season and a sold-out benefit performance with special guest Cyndi Lauper, Ballets with a Twist, the hot next generation ballet company, has announced New Jersey performance dates for its intoxicating evening of dance, Cocktail Hour.

On October 4th, Ballets with a Twist will serve up a taste of its signature show to the Rahway, NJ community for the city’s first annual CULTURE CRAWL, produced by the Rahway Arts District, a non-profit organization dedicated to establishing Rahway as a regional hub for arts and culture. The company will present two selections — “Scotch on the Rachmaninoff” and “Return to Normalcy” — on the mainstage of the Union County Performing Arts Center (1601 Irving Street) at 6:15 pm and 7:45 pm. Following the intoxicating affair, the company will continue its cultural invasion with a meet-and-greet at Rahway’s Patria Restaurant & Mixology Lounge (169 W. Main St.)

Ballets with a Twist will provide another sneak peek of Cocktail Hour at 6 pm on October 11th at the Rahway train station plaza. Aria Bistro and Bar, located directly across from the train station at the Hotel Indigo, will provide refreshments with an extra shot of culture for fans of the arts and rush-hour commuters alike. The company has invited a team of young Twisters – children from the Rahway area – to join them on the stage, making this a fun, family-friendly affair.

Later in October, Ballets with a Twist’s full performance of the Cocktail Hour suite will be featured as part of the Hamilton Stage (360 Hamilton Street) 2012/2013 inaugural season on Friday, October 26 and Saturday, October 27 at 8pm and on Sunday, October 28 at 3pm.

Conceived and choreographed by celebrated dance-maker Marilyn Klaus —whose eclectic background ranges from vaudeville and show dancing to Isadora Duncan and classical ballet — Cocktail Hour is a sassy suite of dances, each inspired by a well-known beverage. The show both reinvents ballet and pays respect to the rich creativity of cocktail culture, launching the Martini, Mai Tai, Gimlet, Mint Julep, Shirley Temple and more off the menu and onto the stage.

Cocktail Hour features original music by Stephen Gaboury, who has collaborated with Klaus for over 20 years. Gaboury’s music has been featured in film and on television. In 2004, he received a Grammy nomination for his work with pop/rock legend Lauper, with whom he recently contributed as co-writer for selections in her new musical "Kinky Boots." He has also performed with many A-listers including Patti LaBelle, Suzanne Vega and Ute Lemper. Catherine Zehr is the artistic force behind the glamorous costume design. Her exquisite creations evoke the origins and spirit of each libation with vivid colors and embellishments.

Tickets for the company’s Hamilton Stage performances may be purchased in advance at http://ucpac.org/html/event_popup.cfm?id=268. For more information on Ballets with a Twist, please visit www.balletswithatwist.com or www.facebook.com/gotoBalletswithaTwist. For more information on Hamilton Stage, please visit http://hamiltonstage.com/.