Marie Osmond's Children's Miracle Network Hospitals Partner with Moscow Ballet to Raise Funds

New this year, Moscow Ballet (MB) announces fund-raising partnership with Children's Miracle Network Hospitals (CMNH), activities include MB ballerina visits with young patients in CMNH hospitals, Meet n Greet and photo shoot with Donny and Marie Osmond, a Russian Tea Party in Dallas and a portion of tickets sales from Great Russian Nutcracker performances.

International super stars Donny and Marie Osmond (Marie Osmond is co-founder of CMNH along with her family John Schneider, Mick Shannon and Joe Lake) met with MB soloist Svetlana Todinova for a photo opp in order to support the Moscow Ballet fund raising efforts. Moscow Ballet dancers Svetlana Todinova, Natalia Miroshnyk and Olga Aru visit CMNH hospitals across the country as part of their travels auditioning student dancers in cities on the tours.

Aru shares her experience, "It was difficult to see those small babies that sick...at least we brought smiles to their faces and some positive moments in their lives."

Today at just one Children's Hospital: 200 children will visit the emergency department; 32 children will receive cancer treatments; 28 will be treated for heart problems; 4 will be admitted after a serious injury.

A portion of each ticket to the Great Russian Nutcracker in select cities (click link for list of MB-CMNH cities) goes directly to the local CMNH hospital in that city. Another fund-raising event is the only North American Russian Tea Party and Auction on November 10 at the Hilton Anatole Hotel which benefits the Dallas Children's Medical Center.

As of 2011, Children's Miracle Network Hospitals has raised more than $4.3 billion-most of which is donated a dollar or two at a time. The public is invited to participate in this cause by attending special events locally and purchasing tickets to the special 20th Anniversary production of Moscow Ballet's Great Russian Nutcracker.

The acclaimed production includes award-winning principal dancers, a corps of 40 Russian professionals, a Christmas tree that grows to 5 stories tall; Russian folk characters Father Christmas and Snow Maiden; and 200 all new, hand-made costumes all set to Tchaikovsky's complete Nutcracker Suite. Moscow Ballet's Great Russian Nutcracker celebrates 20 years of soaring holiday spirit.

For more information and tickets, go to www.nutcracker/com/buy-tickets/cmnh.

Dallas CMNH Fund Raiser – the only North American Russian Tea Party and Auction
The public is invited to Moscow Ballet's Russian Tea Party and Auction, the only event of its kind in North America in partnership with Children's Miracle Network Hospitals and benefiting Children's Medical Center in Dallas. The Russian Tea Party celebrates the Russian tradition of afternoon tea with guest of honor– a Moscow Ballet ballerina. This event is at the exclusive Hilton Anatole Hotel Saturday November 10, 2 to 4pm. Tea from a Russian Samovar and snacks will be served and activities include photo with a ballerina, photo booth with Moscow Ballet costumes, silent auction items, and more. 100 percent of proceeds benefit Children's Medical Center in Dallas. Tickets can be purchased online at Ticketmaster.com.

Raising funds for CMNH in these cities - Albuquerque NM, Beaumont TX, Cleveland OH, Dallas TX, El Paso TX, Gadsden AL, Little Rock AR, Los Angeles CA, Muskegon MI, North Charleston SC, Chicago/Rosemont IL, San Antonio, Shreveport LA.

Children's Miracle Network Hospitals (CMNH) has grown dramatically, since its founding in 1983 from a televised fundraiser in a small studio, to one of the North America's leading children's charities. CMNH was founded with two simple goals: 1) to help as many children as possible by raising funds for children's hospitals and 2) to keep funds in the community in which they were raised to help local children. The organization touches the lives of 17 million children and their families every year, more children and their families than any other children's charity. Children's Miracle Network Hospitals treat children with cancer, pediatric AIDS, muscular dystrophy, heart disease, leukemia, sickle cell anemia, asthma and accident trauma.

About the Great Russian Nutcracker, originally directed and choreographed by Bolshoi Theatre soloist Stanislav Vlasov in 1993, it debuted to rave reviews from the press which continues to this day. In 1993 from the Durham Herald Sun, "Impeccable technique, quicksilver footwork…expressive gestures carried to eloquent length" to 2010 NY Times Chief Dance Critic Alastair Macaulay, "Knockout…expansive…brimful with feeling." Over 20 years the tour expanded from eight to seventy+ cities across North America with two simultaneously performing troupes of 40 Russian dancers each. The Great Russian Nutcracker is unique among Nutcracker ballets featuring Russian culture throughout. Father Christmas (Ded Moroz) and Snow Maiden (Snegurochka) escort Masha (aka Clara) and the Nutcracker Prince through the Snow Forrest in Act I and the "Dove of Peace" brings them to the "Land of Peace and Harmony" in Act II. The company also performs Swan Lake, Romeo and Juliet, Sleeping Beauty and other story ballets. Student dancers audition in many cities on the tour to perform in ancillary roles alongside the Russian professionals. For more information, go to www.nutcracker.com.

Akiva Talmi Presents Inc. (ATP) is the exclusive North American representation for Moscow Ballet which tours annually to sixty+ cities across the US and Canada. ATP was founded by award-winning Juilliard alumnus, composer, conductor and theatrical producer, Akiva Talmi. ATP produced the "Cynthia Gregory Celebration Tour" with Nancy Reagan as Honorary Chair; "From the Top" PBS TV special featuring NYCB's Violette Verdy and Itzhak Perlman, "Alexander Godunov" national tour and more. For more information, visit www.akivatalmipresents.com.

Pictured: Moscow Ballet dancer meets Donny and Marie Osmond (CMNH founder).