Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo Perform American Premiere of CHORE at Segerstrom Center This Weekend

COSTA MESA, CA - Segerstrom Center for the Arts welcomes the return of Les Ballets de Monte- Carlo this weekend, February 11 - 13, 2016, with another American premiere: Jean-Christophe Maillot's Choré, featuring music by Danny Elfman and John Cage. Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo appears at the Center under the Presidency of H.R.H. the Princess of Hanover. This marks the Ballets' third visit to the Center, having previously brought the Southern California premiere the company's Cinderella and the American premiere of LAC.

Tanz Magazine called Choré an "exciting and grandiose evening" and concertclassique.com hailed Jean- Christoph Maillot as "a master of the stage." With music by Emmy and Grammy® winning composer Danny Elfman and John Cage, one of the most influential composers of the 20th century, Choré is a loving homage to American musical theatre, which Maillot describes as one of history's most important musical developments. Maillot uses that period, its music and its visual extravagance to explore the evolution of dance. Through Maillots' captivating choreography and the extraordinary dancing of his acclaimed company, Choré dramatically reveals fascinating insights into one of America's most beloved art form.

Tickets for Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo start at $29, and go on sale Sunday, December 13 at 10 a.m. PST. Tickets will be available online at SCFTA.org, at the Box Office at 600 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa or by calling (714) 556-2787. For inquiries about group ticket savings for 10 or more, call the Group Services office at (714) 755-0236. The TTY number is (714) 556-2746. Free Preview Talks conducted by Didier Lambelet, the Ballet's tour manager, and Jessica Pinal, the company's press officer, will take place

one hour prior to curtain. The Friday, February 12 Preview Talk will be sign-language interpreted. Artists and program are subject to change.

Jean-Christophe Maillot was appointed choreographer-director of Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo by H.R.H. the Princess of Hanover in September 1993. LAC is his third work to be presented at Segerstrom Center for the Arts. His production of Cinderella was performed in 2012 by Les Ballets de Monte Carlo for its Center debut. He choreographed Switch, which was co-commissioned by the Center with Ardani Artists for the November 2013 world premiere of Diana Vishneva: On the Edge.

Maillot's taking over as choreographer director of Les Ballet de Monte-Carlo's 50 dancers has taken the company on a new path and has rapidly developed the level of maturity and excellence that is indicative of the company today. His personal inward quest is the origin of the new language that enables him to handle the great classics as well as to establish his mark in the world of abstraction, an artistic approach that has been praised throughout the international press. In 2002, his production, La Belle, received the Nijinsky Award for best choreographic production of 2001 at the Monaco Dance Forum and the Danza & Danza Prize for the best show. He was awarded the Choreographer's Prize from the Italian critics at the Benois de la Dance ceremony at the Bolshoi Theatre for his production of Faust created in Monaco. In 2014, he creates La Mégère Apprivoisée for the Ballet of Bolshoi Theatre and in 2015, he won with this piece three Golden Mask including best performance.

Maillot is Commander in the Ordre du Mérite Culturel of the Principality of Monaco, Commander of the Ordre des Arts et Lettres and Chevalier of the Légion d'Honneur in France. On November 17, 2005, he was appointed Chevalier of the Ordre de Saint Charles by H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco. In 2010, in Moscow, he received the Prix Benois de la Danse for the Best Choreographer along with the Premio Dansa Valencia 2010.

Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo was reestablished in the Principality in 1985 through the commitment of H.R.H. the Princess of Hanover in accordance with the wishes of H.S.H Princess Grace of Monaco. The company was initially managed by Ghislaine Thesmar and Pierre Lacotte, then by Jean-Yves Esquerre. In 1993, H.R.H. the Princess of Hanover appointed Jean-Christophe Maillot as the head of the company. Building on his dance experience gained with Rosella Hightower and John Neumeier and as choreographer and director of the National Choreographic Centre in Tours, Maillot gave the Monégasqe company a new boost. He created an original repertoire around his own productions. Maillot's choreographic influence dominates in pieces such as Dov'e la luna, Recto-Verso, Vers un Pays Sage, Entrelacs, Opus 40, Men's Dance, D'une Rive à l'Autre, Altro Canto and Miniatures, as well as in the great classics with their timeless themes, such as Romeo and Juliette, The Nutcracker, La Belle, Faust, Daphnis and Chloé, Cinderella and LAC (after Swan Lake).

Maillot recently enriched the repertoire by inviting contemporary choreographers including William

Forsythe, Ji?í Kylián, Karole Armitage, Marco Goecke, Johan Inger, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Shen Wei, Alonzo King, Emio Greco, and Chris Haring among others. Since 1993, the company has been performing on major international stages. In 2009 and 2010, on the occasion of Celebration of Les Ballets Russes Centenary, the company collaborated closely with the Princess Grace Academy and the Monaco Dance Forum (founded in 1998 by H.R.H. the Princess of Hanover, Jean-Christophe Maillot and Stéphane Martin). The following year, the three entities began the process of their merging officially in order to create in the Principality of Monaco a structure dedicated to dance quite unique in the world.

Segerstrom Center's International Dance Series is made possible by: Audrey Steele Burnand Endowed Fund for International Dance, The Segerstrom Foundation Endowment for Great Performances and the Barbara Steele Williams Designated Agency Endowment. Segerstrom Center for the Arts applauds Kia, the Official Automotive Partner of the Center and United Airlines is the Official Airline of the Center. Classical KUSC and COAST Magazine are Media Partners of the International Dance Series.

Segerstrom Center for the Arts is an acclaimed arts institution as well as a beautiful multi-disciplinary cultural campus. It is committed to supporting artistic excellence on all of its stages, offering unsurpassed experiences, and to engaging the entire community in new and exciting ways through the unique power of live performance and a diverse array of inspiring programs.

Previously called the Orange County Performing Arts Center, Segerstrom Center is Orange County's largest non-profit arts organization. In addition to its six performance venues, Segerstrom Center is also home to the American Ballet Theatre William J. Gillespie School, where students ages 3 - 14 are taught by acclaimed teachers utilizing the renowned ABT National Training Curriculum in studios utilized by the world's greatest dancers and choreographers.

The Center presents a broad range of programming for audiences of all ages, including international ballet and dance, national tours of top Broadway shows, intimate performances of jazz and cabaret, contemporary artists, classical music performed by renowned chamber orchestras and ensembles, family- friendly programming, free performances open to the public from outdoor movie screenings to dancing on the plaza and many other special events.

The Center's education programs are designed to inspire young people through the arts and reach hundreds of thousands of students each year. In addition to the presenting and producing institution Segerstrom Center for the Arts, the 14-acre campus also embraces the facilities of two independently acclaimed organizations: Tony Award®-winning South Coast Repertory and a site designated as the future home of the Orange County Museum of Art.

Segerstrom Center for the Arts is also proud to serve as the artistic home to three of the region's major performing arts organizations: Pacific Symphony, the Philharmonic Society of Orange County and the Pacific Chorale, who contribute greatly to the artistic life of the region with annual seasons at Segerstrom Center for the Arts.