Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts Welcomes The Virsky Ukrainian National Dance Company 11/8

Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts at Brooklyn College continues its 2009-2010 World Stages: Dance series with a performance by the internationally renowned Virsky Ukrainian National Dance Company on Sunday, November 8, 2009 at 2:00pm. Direct from Kiev, this spectacular company of 65 dancers and musicians combines classical ballet technique with traditional folk dance in a tribute to the culture, beauty and spirit of Ukraine.

"Astonishing" - Anna Kisselgoff, The New York Times

The history of the ensemble goes back to 1937 when Pavlo Virsky and Mykola Bolotov, well-known Ukrainian ballet-masters, brought together a group of folk dancers. Virsky headed the ensemble from 1955 to 1975, creating dozens of artistic choreographic compositions for the company. His disciple Myroslav Vantukh, an expert in folk traditions and ethnography, has been in charge of the ensemble since 1980. In addition to its numerous appearances in Ukraine, the ensemble has toured internationally throughout Russia, the United States, Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, Europe, India, China, and Korea.

The program will include 16 dances ranging from light-hearted pieces of traditional Ukrainian folk dance to ritualistic mimics of warfare rituals. The various dances hail from diverse regions of Ukraine with their own blend of local flavor creating a dialect through dance.

Virsky Ukrainian National Dance Company is available as part of the WorldPack, a discounted ticket package consisting of a minimum of three performances from Brooklyn Center's World Stages series, which also includes, The Isreal Ballet's Don Quixote (February 21, 2010), National Dance Theatre Company of Jamaica (March 6-7, 2010), Odessa Philharmonic (March 13, 2010), Poncho Sanchez Latin Jazz Band (March 20, 2010), and Israeli singer David Broza (March 21, 2010). Discounts are available for seniors, students, Brooklyn College faculty/staff/ alumni, and groups of 15 or more.

About Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts
Founded in 1954, the mission of Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts is to present outstanding performing arts and arts education programs, reflective of Brooklyn's diverse communities, at affordable prices. Brooklyn Center's presentations explore both the classical traditions and the boldest contemporary performances, embracing the world culture that defines Brooklyn. Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts welcomes over 70,000 people to the 2,400 seat Walt Whitman Theatre each season, and boasts one of the largest arts education programs in the borough, serving schoolchildren from over 225 schools annually with its SchoolTime series.

Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts
Walt Whitman Theatre at Brooklyn College
2900 Campus Road, Brooklyn, NY 11210

Online orders: BrooklynCenterOnline.org
Box Office: (718) 951-4500, Tuesday - Saturday, 1pm - 6pm
WorldPack Orders/Season Brochure Requests: (718) 951-4600, ext. 25
Groups of 15 or more: (718) 951-4600, ext. 33
Tickets $35/$25

Major support for Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts' World Stages: Dance series is provided by Macy's and by The Harkness Foundation for Dance.

Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts' programs are made possible in part with public funding from the City of New York Department of Cultural Affairs and the National Endowment for the Arts. Funding for the 2009-2010 season is provided by: Target; JP Morgan Chase; Brooklyn Community Foundation; Con Edison; National Grid; TD Bank; Air Jamaica; the Carnegie Corporation of New York; and the Lila Acheson Wallace Theater Fund, established in the New York Community Trust by founders of The Reader's Digest Association. Additional support provided by CNG Publications, The Brooklyn Eagle, and WBGO. Marriott New York LaGuardia Airport is the official hotel of Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts 2009-2010 season. Backstage catering graciously provided by Bettina Harris of The Corn Bread Diner and by Applebee's.

Brooklyn Center acknowledges the support of Assemblymembers Karim Camara, Steven H. Cymbrowitz, Rhoda Jacobs, Alan Maisel, Joan L. Millman, N. Nick Perry, Annette Robinson, and Helene E. Weinstein, members of the Brooklyn Delegation to the New York State Assembly, and New York State Senators Martine Malavé Dilan, Kevin S. Parker, and John L. Sampson. Special thanks to Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn, Councilman Domenic M. Recchia, Jr. Councilmembers Kendall B. Stewart and Albert Vann, and Cultural Affairs Commissioner Kate D. Levin.

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