Colorado Ballet To Hold Two ATTITUDE ON SANTA FE Performances, 3/10-11

Colorado Ballet will host two Attitude on Santa Fe performances featuring two new ballets choreographed and performed by Colorado Ballet Company dancers, and one ballet by an outside choreographer performed by the Colorado Ballet Studio Company on March 10 and 11 in the Black Box Theater at the Armstrong Center for Dance, 1075 Santa Fe Drive, Denver, CO. The Attitude on March 10 will only include the performance and the Attitude on March 11 will include cocktails, dinner and the performance.

The choreographers for the spring Attitude include Company dancer Fernanda Oliveira and her new work Saudade, Company dancer Sean Omandam and his new work Pricks of Brightness, and internationally-renowned choreographer Jairo Heli's work REDbeat.

"This is the fourth Attitude on Santa Fe production and we are very excited to present two all new works by our company dancers and a work by Mexican choreographer Jairo Heli," said Gil Boggs, Colorado Ballet Artistic Director. "When we first moved into this building in 2014, we wanted to make ballet more accessible to the community, and the Attitude performances do that by presenting a variety of works in a small, intimate setting. This gives audiences the opportunity to see the dancers up close in a less intimidating environment. Plus, the variety of choreographic styles encourages new audiences to experience the beauty and power of ballet."

About the ballets:

First-time choreographer Fernanda Oliveira's new ballet features six Colorado Ballet Company dancers. Saudade is a ballet in four short movements set to contemporary covers of Tom Jobim's Bossa Nova classics by Damien Rice and Lisa Hannigan, Baden Powell, Yo Yo Ma and Rosa Passos. According to Oliveira, "The title is a Portuguese word that means a deep feeling of longing or nostalgia for something or someone ("the love that remains"), and in the piece my goal is to represent three different ways of feeling 'Saudade' - of someone who has passed away, of the naïve simplicity of childhood, or of a past romance. I'm hoping that through movement set to beautiful versions of Brazilian songs I can explain this feeling so hard to translate."

Sean Omandam's work Pricks of Brightness is set to the music of Ratatat. According to Omandam, "the ballet is a recollection of enjoyable nights past. With a focus on the relationships between friends and lovers that shape our most cherished memories, these sparks of life light up the night."

Based out of Guadalajara, Mexico, choreographer Jairo Heli will present REDbeat with the Colorado Ballet Studio Company. According to Heli, "The planet has changed its natural rhythm and lost its equilibrium. As a result of this, all living and organic beings have changed their beat to a tune where they are dangerously close to collapse. REDbeat is a trip to the inside of these bodies, where the arteries are contaminated and heartbeats rise." The presentation of this ballet is sponsored by a grant by the Bonfils Stanton Foundation.

"Giving our artists the opportunity to create and perform new works keeps the art form alive and enables them to express their creativity," said Boggs. "So far, Attitude has been a resounding success. Every single Attitude we have had has sold out and the March 10 performance is already sold out."

The doors will open at 7 p.m. on March 10 and the performance begins at 7:30 p.m. For the March 11 event with dinner and the performance, cocktails begin at 5 p.m., dinner begins at 6 p.m. and the performance starts at 7:30 p.m. The cost for the March 11 Attitude is $85 and seating is limited. To register, visit www.coloradoballet.org/events.

About Colorado Ballet

Established in 1961 by Lillian Covillo and Freidann Parker, Colorado Ballet is a non-profit organization celebrating 56 years of presenting world-class classical ballet and superior dance in Denver. Under the direction of Artistic Director Gil Boggs, Colorado Ballet presents more than 50 performances annually. Colorado Ballet enhances the cultural life of Colorado through performances of the professional company, training at the Academy, and Education & Community Engagement programs. Visit www.coloradoballet.org.

(Photo: Allen Birnbach)