Segerstrom Center for the Arts Kicks Off 30th Anniversary Celebration with Tour de Force III Dance Spectacular

Segerstrom Center for the Arts begins its 30th Anniversary celebration with another one-night-only star-studded evening of dance: Tour de Force III. The performance will be the first event to represent the array and diversity of the Center's artistic programming, in this case, 30 years of presenting the greatest ballet companies and the world's most celebrated dancers. Tour de Force III will be on Saturday, August 27 in Segerstrom Hall. Produced in collaboration with Ardani Artists, the program will include four Center premieres: Clay by Vladimir Varnava, Zeitgeist by Alastair Marriott, Tristesse by Marcelo Gomes and Le Divertissement du Roi by Maxim Petrov. The international cast includes Diana Vishneva, Joaquin De Luz, Marcelo Gomes, Denis Matvienko, Marcelino Sambe?, Friedemann Vogel and Edward Watson, as well as members of the The Royal Ballet, Mariinsky Ballet and the National Ballet of Canada.

Tickets to Tour de Force III start at $29 and go on sale Sunday, July 17 and will be available online at SCFTA.org, at the Box Office located at 600 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa or by calling (714) 556- 2787. For inquiries about group ticket discounts for 10 or more, call the Group Services office at (714) 755-0236. The Center offers many services for patrons with disabilities including removable wheelchair locations, binoculars and assistive listening devices. To learn more visit http://www.scfta.org/accessibilityinformation.

Segerstrom Center for the Arts applauds Kia, Official Automotive Partner of the Center, and United Airlines, Official Airline of the Center. The Center's 2016-2017 International Dance Series is made possible by The Audrey Steele Burnand Endowed Fund for International Dance and The Segerstrom Foundation Endowment for Great Performances.

REPERTORY

World Premiere: March 21, 2015, Mariinsky Theater as part of the Creative Workshop of Young Choreographers Project

"An elegant and dynamic ballet in which Osipova and four Royal Ballet men - Watson, Marcelino Sambe?, Tomas Mock and Donald Thom - wound themselves around the elegance of their classical technique while caught up in a swirl of emotional connection. It was compelling viewing." - The London Times

Tristesse depicts male friendship as feelings and emotions ebb and flow. Four friends watch each other dance, pose, jostle and admire each other's joie de vivre. But the encounter becomes a showcase and competition. Hidden, perhaps suppressed, feelings and emotions begin to emerge.

CLAY

The ballet is a play of "biomasses," from which the creator forms characters, events, stories and destinies.

Varnava does not amend the dance movements to fit the plot, but, like the ancient Roman Fates, draws the plastique thread from it, twisting and winding a tightly-knit story that is engaging visually and emotionally.

World Premiere: March 21, 2015, Mariinsky Theater as part of the Creative Workshop of Young Choreographers Project
Choreography: Vladimir Varnava
Music: Darius Milhaud
Lighting design: Igor Vints
Costumes: Irina Varnava
Performed by: Viktoria Brilyova, Yulia Kobzar, Zlata Yalinich; Maxim Zyuzin, Alexey Nedviga, Vasily Tkachenko

ZEITGEIST

World Premiere: July 17, 2015, London Coliseum Choreography: Alastair Marriott
Music: Philip Glass, Violin Concerto No 1 (1987) Lighting design: Bruno Poet

Video design Luke Halls
Costumes: Jonathan Howells
Performed by: Edward Watson with Marcelino Sambe?, Tomas Mock, Donald Thom

TRISTESSE

World Premiere: December 5, 2014, Mikhailovsky Theater as part of Kings of the Dance Choreography: Marcelo Gomes
Inspired by: French poet Paul E?luard
Music: Frederic Chopin (E?tudes)

Lighting design: Antonio Marques

Performed by: Joaquin De Luz, Marcelo Gomes, Denis Matvienko, Friedemann Vogel Pianist: Dimitri Dover

LE DIVERTISSEMENT DU ROI

The ballet is a neoclassical fantasy on a baroque theme, a recollection of the happy beginnings of the art of ballet that unfolded in the Louvre and Versailles. The cast includes a King, Master of Ceremonies, Mistress of Enchanted Salons, Play and Pleasure, and the magician Arrmide. The cast and audience explore the border between dreams and reality, trying to separate illusions from truth.

Ballet in one act
World Premiere: March 21, 2015, Mariinsky Theater as a part of the A Creative Workshop of Young Choreographers project.
Choreography by Maxim Petrov
Music: Jean-Philippe Rameau
Scene plan: Bogdan Koloryok
Costume design: Tatiana Noginova
Lighting design: Konstantin Binkin
French translation Julia Montel
The designs make use of sketches by Jean Berain for productions at the Royal Academy of Music in Paris (1679-1697) and by Lodovico Burnacini for Antonio Cesti's opera Il pomo d'oro (Vienna, 1667)

Performed by: Diana Vishneva as The King and Soslan Kulaev as Master of Ceremonnies. Also with Vasily Tkachenko, Denis Zainetdinov, Yevgeny Konovalov and Alexander Saveliev.

DANCERS

Diana Vishneva is one of today's most celebrated dancers. She has appeared at the Center many times, including in works created specifically for her: Diana Vishneva: Beauty in Motion (which won Russia's Golden Mask Award) and Diana Vishneva: On The Edge. She has also appeared in Tour de Force I and II. Her repertory includes the title and leading roles in every major classical ballet, including Swan Lake, Giselle, The Sleeping Beauty, Don Quixote, Romeo and Juliet, La Bayade?re, The Lady of the Camellias and Manon. Her international career has included performances with the Mariinsky Ballet, Bolshoi, Bayerisches Staatsballet, Berliner Staatsballet and American Ballet Theatre, where she has been a Principal Dancer. Choreographers who have created works specifically for her include John Neumeier, Jean-Christoph Maillot, Aleksey Ratmansky and Carolyn Carlson. Among the many honors bestowed upon her are the State Prize of Russia, the People's Artist of Russia, Best Dancer of Europe, the Divine Prize, Prix Benois de la Danse, the Golden Sofit, six Golden Masks and Ballerina of the Decade.

Joaquin De Luz was born in Madrid and received his training at the Victor Ullate School of Ballet. He made his Center debut in Tour de Force II. He danced with the Victor Ullate Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet and American Ballet Theatre before joining New York City Ballet as a soloist in 2003. He was promoted to principal dancer in 2005. His repertory includes La Bayade?re, Billy the Kid, Fancy Free, Swan Lake, Bruch Violin Concerto No. 1 and Theme and Variations. De Luz has appeared as a guest artist in numerous dance events as well as with the Ballet Mediterraneo with Fernando Bujones and with American Ballet Stars Tour of China. De Luz's awards include the Gold Medal at the Second Nureyev International Ballet Competition in Budapest, Hungary and the Rising Star prize by Seven Arts Magazine in Philadelphia. He represented Spain at the Expo '98 in Lisbon, dancing in the gala Stars of Spanish Ballet.

Marcelo Gomes has appeared at the Center many times. In addition to his performances here with ABT, most notably the recent world premiere of ABT's new production of The Sleeping Beauty, he danced in Tour de Force II and Kings of the Dance. A native of Brazil, Gomes began his dance studies in Rio de Janeiro. He also trained in the United States at The Harid Conservatory and schools of the Boston Ballet, Houston Ballet and Cuballet, where he studied under Alicia Alonso. Gomes joined American Ballet Theatre in 1997. He was promoted to soloist in 2000 and principal dancer in 2002. He has performed in virtually every full-length classical ballet in the company's repertoire, including Romeo and Juliet, Giselle, Swan Lake, La Bayade?re, Sleeping Beauty, Coppelia, Don Quixote, Cinderella, Onegin, Le Corsaire, The Nutcracker, Othello, Raymonda and Manon. He has also appeared at many international dance festivals, and has been a guest artist with the Mariinsky Ballet, Dutch National Ballet, National Ballet of Canada, Houston Ballet, Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires, the Teatro Municipal Do Rio de Janeiro, Universal Ballet and New York City Ballet. He is a recipient of the prestigious Prix Benois de la Dance award in Moscow. He has recently begun a choreographic career and has created pieces for ABT, New York City Ballet, La Scala and Kings of the Dance. His ballet Apothe?osis, created for Julie Kent and Roberto Bolle, premiered at the Metropolitan Opera House during the opening of the ABT 2013 season. His Aftereffect was performed by ABT at the Kennedy Center.

Denis Matvienko was born in Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine. He studied at the Kiev State Choreographic School and made his debut with the National Opera and Ballet Theatre of Ukraine and is currently a principal dancer with the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia. He appeared in the Center's Tour de Force I and II. He has performed as a guest artist with such ballet companies as the New National Theatre (Japan), Bolshoi Ballet (Russia), Teatro alla Scala (Italy) and Paris Opera (France). His repertoire include title roles in such ballets as The Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, Giselle, Les Sylphides, La Bayade?re, Romeo and Juliet, Cinderella, Raymonda, Manon, Le Corsaire, Spartacus and The Golden Age. He is the winner of many international ballet competitions including IV International Ballet Competition in Luxembourg, III Rudolf Nureyev International Ballet Competition in Budapest, III International Competition of Modern and Classical Dance in Nagoya, X International Ballet Competition in Moscow. He is married to his stage partner Anastasia Matvienko.

Marcelino Sambe? (Center debut) was born in Lisbon, he studied at the National Conservatory of Lisbon and The Royal Ballet Upper School. He won Silver Medal at the Moscow International Ballet Competition (2008), first prize at the Youth America Grand Prix (2009) and Gold Medal and a special award at the USA IBC (2010). He joined the Company in 2012, promoted to Soloist, 2015. His repertory includes Mercutio, Bluebird (Sleeping Beauty), Beggar Chief (Manon), pas de six (Giselle) and roles in Aeternum, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Woolf Works. He created roles in Ceremony of Innocence, Connectome and Untouchable. He has choreographed for Draft Works, and was selected as an emerging choreographer by Youth Dance England, 2012.

Friedemann Vogel (Center debut) was born in Stuttgart, German and completed his ballet training at the Princess Grace Academy of Classical Dance in Monte Carlo with the John Gilpin scholarship from Princess Antoniette de Monaco. In 1998, Vogel joined the Stuttgart Ballet, eventually becoming a First Soloist, the company's highest rank. He has been awarded the Prix de Lausanne, the Gold medal in the Prix de Luxembourg, Erik Bruhn Prizein Toronto Canada, as well as winning the Eurocity competition in Italy, the U.S. Jackson Competition. He has been selected as Dancer of the Year by the international dance critic's survey of TANZ magazine and as Best Male Dancer by Danza&Danza. His repertory includes title roles in the classics, as well as principal roles in pieces by choreographers such as John Cranko, George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, Jir?i? Kylia?n, John Neumeier, William Forsythe and Wayne McGregor. Vogel has been a guest artist at the Mariinsky Ballet, Bolshoi Ballet, Teatro alla Scala Ballet Company, English National Ballet, National Ballet of China, Tokyo Ballet, Hong Kong Ballet, Ballets de Santiago de Chile, Finnish National Ballet, Staatsballett Berlin and Bayerisches Staatsballett, Teatro dell'Opera di Roma, Royal Swedish Ballet, Vienna State Ballet, Korean National Ballet and the Be?jart Ballet Lausanne.

Edward Watson (Center debut) is a Principal of The Royal Ballet. Born in Bromley, he trained at The Royal Ballet School and joined the Company in 1994, promoted to Principal, 2005. His repertory includes works by Bintley, Brandstrup, Davies, Fokine, MacMillan, Marriott, Marston, McGregor, Arlene Phillips, Pita, Page and Wheeldon, among many others. He created Gregor Samsa (Metamorphosis), Lewis Carroll/White Rabbit (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland), Leontes (Winter's Tale) and roles in several other works, including Tryst, Qualia, Castle Nowhere, Chroma, DGV: Danse a? grande vitesse, Seven Deadly Sins, Electric Counterpoint, Infra, 24 Preludes, Acis and Galatea (Royal Opera), The Human Seasons, Tetractys, Connectome and Woolf Works. He and American dancer Wendy Whelan collaborated in Whelan/Watson: Other Stories in 2015. Accolades include an Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in Dance for his performance in The Metamorphosis (2012) and a Benois de la Danse for his performance in The Winter's Tale (2015). He was awarded an MBE in 2015.

MEMBERS OF THE MARIINSKY BALLET
Viktoria Brilyova/Rostov-on-Don, Russia, Yulia Kobzar/Minsk, Belarus, Zlata Yalinich/Petrozavodsk, Russia, Yevgeny Konovalov/Potsdam, Germany, Soslan Kulaev/Vladikavkaz, Russia, Alexey Nedviga/Kiev, Ukraine, Alexander Saveliev/St. Petersburg, Russia, Denis Zainetdinov/Ufa, Russia, Maxim Zyuzin/Almaty, Kazkhstan

NATIONAL BALLET OF CANADA

Donald Thom/Kanta, Ontario, Canada CHOREOGRAPHERS

In addition to Marcelo Gomes:

Alastair Marriott is a Principal Character Artist of The Royal Ballet and a choreographer. He was born in St. Margaret's at Cliffe, England and trained at Deal Dance Centre and The Royal Ballet School. His wide repertory as a dancer includes Von Rothbart (Swan Lake), Drosselmeyer (The Nutcracker), Dr. Coppe?lius (Coppe?lia), Widow Simone (La Fille mal garde?e), Kostchei? (The Firebird), High Brahmin (La Bayade?re), Step-Sister (Cinderella), Lorenzo (Don Quixote) and Prince (Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake). His works for The Royal Ballet include Night Falls Fast, Grey Garden, Being and Having Been, Tanglewood, Children of Adam, Sensorium, 'Trespass' (Metamorphosis: Titian 2012, in collaboration with Christopher Wheeldon), In the Hothouse (Diamond Jubilee Gala) and Connectome and The Tsarina's Slippers. His choreography for The Royal Ballet School includes Prelude and Fugue, Schrumpf and Simple Symphony. His other work as a choreographer includes: for Darcey Bussell, 'Kiss', a pas de deux (Sadler's Wells) and The Red Shoes (Viva la Diva Arena Tour); for Mara Galeazzi, Lieder and Look West; a pas de deux at The Royal Variety Performance 2010; and a collaboration with Wheeldon for the extinguishing of the flame at the London 2012 Olympics, involving more than two hundred dancers. His awards include three nominations for Best Classical Choreography at the Critics' Circle Dance Awards.

MEMBERS OF THE ROYAL OPERA BALLET
Tomas Mock/Bratislava, Slovakia, Marcelino Sambe?/Lisbon, Portugal, Vladimir Varnava trained at the Khanty-Mansiysk branch of the Moscow State University of Culture and the Arts. In 2008 he was invited to join the Music Theatre of the Republic of Karelia. Has performed lead roles in classical and contemporary ballets. Since 2011 he has worked as a choreographer, staging the ballet Pulcinella as part of the international project Stravinsky's Opuses at the Music Theatre of the Republic of Karelia. He has also staged a series of choreographic miniatures for soloists of various St Petersburg theaters, among them Beginning for Mariinsky Theatre Principal Dancer Igor Kolb. Early in 2013, especially for the Bolshoi Theatre's prima ballerina Svetlana Zakharova, he staged the work Plus Minus Zero to music by Arvo Pa?rt. Varnava has won Russia's Golden Mask (2010) and Harlequin (2011) theatre prizes.

Maxim Petrov was born in St. Petersburg. He graduated from the Vaganova Russian Ballet Academy in 2012 and joined Mariinsky Ballet the same year. He has danced various works created by George Balanchine, Alexey Ratmansky, Hans Van Manen, Angelin Preljocaj, Sasha Waltz, Mikhail Fokine and others. In 2014 he made his debut as a choreographer, creating Cinema as part of A Creative Workshop for Young Choreographers at the Mariinsky Theater. He has also participated to new project called Dance-Platform in Yekaterinburg, Russia and choreographed Quartet to music by Gabriel Faure. In 2015 for the Mariinsky, he choreographed Ballet N" to music Alexander Tsfasman and Le Divertissement du Roi set to music Jean-Philippe Rameau, as well as dances in the operas War and Peace staged by Graham Vick and The Golden Cockerel staged by Anna Matison.

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.

Photo Credit: Natalia Razina