Chicago Festival Ballet Holds Open Auditions for CINDERELLA

Open Call auditions will be held at the Von Heidecke Dance Center in Naperville (1239 S Naper Blvd) on Saturday, March 26, 2011 for Kenneth Von Heidecke's Chicago Festival Ballet production of the timeless classic "Cinderella." Dancers ages 6-12 will audition from 12 - 1 p.m.; ages 13 through professional will audition from 1 - 2 p.m. All dancers should arrive 30 minutes prior to their start time to register. Prokofiev's beloved "Cinderella" will perform at the McAninch Arts Center (425 Fawell Boulevard, Glen Ellyn) for ONE NIGHT ONLY on Friday, May 20, 2011 at 8 p.m.

Kenneth von Heidecke is internationally renowned for his work with major opera and ballet companies around the world and his production of the adored American classic, "Cinderella," features Kathleen Darley as Cinderella and J.P. Tenuta as the charming Prince. Von Heidecke says, "This is timeless family entertainment that will appeal to all ages while appealing to dance aficionados as well."

Kenneth von Heidecke began his career as a dancer at some of the most eminent dance companies in the world, including Maria Tallchief's Chicago City Ballet and performed as a guest soloist with many companies throughout Europe and the United States. He was chosen to appear in the world première of George Balanchine's "Orfeo ed Euridice" by the ballerina sensation Maria Tallchief, America's Prima Ballerina. After his debut, he turned to the choreography side of the performing arts and has since opened multiple schools of ballet in Illinois.

In the past year, von Heidecke choreographed a world première for Alaska Dance Theatre in January and choreographed the world première of the Romeo & Juliet pas de deux for the First International Dance Festival in Panama. Von Heidecke will return to Lyric Opera of Chicago to serve as the choreographer for Aida in the 2011-2012 season.

Additional creative members of von Heidecke's "Cinderella" production include the Set Designer, Sahin Sahinoglu, a former set designer at the Opera in Istanbul, Turkey and presently on faculty at Northern Illinois University. Costume Designer, Jeff Hendry designed the costumes for Von Heidecke's "Nutcracker," and has designed for major theater companies in Chicago and presently on faculty at Rockford College. Dancer Master, Michael Anderson is a former dancer Opera, performed for Von Heidecke's Chicago Festival of the Joffrey Ballet, danced for von Heidecke at Lyric Ballet as Drosselmeyer.

TICKET INFORMATION

Tickets for Von Heidecke's Chicago Festival Ballet production of "Cinderella" at the McAninch Arts Center at College of DuPage are currently on-sale. Ticket prices range from $37 for adults, $35 for seniors and $27 for youth. For tickets, call (630) 942- 4000 or visit www.atthemac.org.

ABOUT THE MCANINCH ARTS CENTER
The McAninch Arts Center at College of DuPage, located 25 miles west of Chicago near I-88 and I-355, houses three performance spaces, an art gallery and classrooms for the college's academic programming. This unique facility has presented theater, music, dance and visual art to more than 1.5 million people since its opening in 1986 and last year welcomed more than 75,000 patrons from the greater Chicago area to more than 230 performances.

The center offers free parking and group discounts and is home to Buffalo Theatre Ensemble and New Philharmonic. The result is a collection of touring and resident and student groups that foster enlightened education and performance opportunities to encourage artistic expression, promote a lasting relationship between people and art and enrich the cultural vitality of the community.

The MAC's extensive community outreach program includes pre-performance lectures, classes with visiting artists and the SchoolStage program, which provides students with an interactive, educational arts experience. Those and other efforts to increase community access to arts earned the MAC the Illinois Arts Council's Partners in Excellence designation, which recognizes 40 of the most significant cultural institutions in the state.

The mission of the McAninch Arts Center is to foster enlightened educational and performance opportunities, which encourage artistic expression, establish a lasting relationship between people and art, and enrich the cultural vitality of the community.