Pennsylvania Ballet Presents 'A 50th Finale: The Ultimate Celebration', 6/12

Philadelphia, PA

Pennsylvania Ballet presents A 50th Finale: The Ultimate Celebration, a mixed bill closing the Company's 50th Anniversary Season, June 12-15 at the Merriam Theater. Bank of America is the Presenting Sponsor.

"For the final program of our 50th Anniversary Season, I wanted to highlight the diverse talents of this great company," Artistic Director Roy Kaiser says. "From the romantic Robbins work to the tour-de-force of Forsythe, plus the singular vision of our own Matthew Neenan, this program is an inspired grand finale to a landmark year in the Company's history."

Nuance and depth saturate In the middle, somewhat elevated, William Forsythe's frenetic experiment in abstract movement, set to Thom Willems pulsating, electronic soundscape. It's classical ballet, but with an off-kilter edge: off-balance positions, extreme extensions, and increased hip action.

In contrast, revel in the lush romance of Jerome Robbins' In the Night. Three couples portray different stages of love in extended pas de deux: tender and young, mature and balanced, and passionately fiery.

Heralded by The New York Times as "one of today's foremost dance poets," Choreographer in Residence Matthew Neenan creates two works for this program. Penumbra is an intimate ballet for five dancers. Premiered in 2008, Penumbra quickly became a favorite of the dancers to perform. The piece is set to an Alberto Ginastera score for cello and piano that creates a somber yet sweet atmosphere on stage.

Mr. Neenan's 15th commission for the Company, La Chasse (French for "The Hunt") is a duet created for Principal Dancer Lauren Fadeley and Company Member Alexander Peters. Inspired by a 1911 Albert Gleizes painting of the same name, La Chasse aims to capture the painting's sharp architecture and moody feeling, as well as the steady driving force of its Schubert score.

This series marks the final performances by Company Member Jonathan Stiles. With Pennsylvania Ballet since 1999, Mr. Stiles retires from the stage with Mr. Neenan's Penumbra on Sunday, June 15 at 2 p.m. Throughout his 15 years with the Company, Mr. Stiles has danced featured and leading roles in several ballets, including Giselle, John Cranko's Romeo & Juliet, George Balanchine's Slaughter on Tenth Avenue and A Midsummer Night's Dream, Jerome Robbins' The Concert, Paul Taylor's Company B, Twyla Tharp's In the Upper Room, Agnes de Mille's Rodeo, John Butler's Carmina Burana, Ji?í Kylián's Petite Mort, and Benjamin Millepied's This Part in Darkness (original cast). Mr. Stiles recently earned a graduate certificate in nonprofit administration from The University of Pennsylvania's Fels Institute of Government and looks forward to a career in arts management. His wife is School Instructor and former Principal Dancer Martha Chamberlain, and they have a daughter.

Tickets to A 50th Finale: The Ultimate Celebration at the Merriam Theater are on sale now, with prices ranging from $30-$125. Tickets are available online at paballet.org, by phone at 215.893.1999, and in person at the Kimmel Center Box Office.

A 50th Finale: The Ultimate Celebration performances at the Merriam Theater:
Thursday, June 12 at 7:30 p.m.
Friday, June 13 at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, June 14 at 2 p.m. & 8 p.m.
Sunday, June 15 at 2 p.m.

For the first time in the series' history, Artistic Director Roy Kaiser is the guest speaker at Conversations with Pennsylvania Ballet on Monday, June 9 at 6:30 p.m. at the Philadelphia City Institute Library at 1905 Locust Street. Don't miss this informal, lively Q&A. Free and open to the public. Complimentary wine and cheese courtesy of The Friends of the PCI Library.

Toast the performances with a Free Pre-Show Talk on Friday, June 13 at 6:30 p.m. at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel at Broad & Locust Streets, open to all ticketholders. Sip a complimentary cocktail and get behind-the-scenes stories from the rehearsal studio.

Join Pennsylvania Ballet for "Reaching New Heights: 50 and Beyond" an auction and celebration at the University of the Arts on Sunday, June 15 at 6 p.m. Enjoy an evening of fun and surprises with your friends and our dancers, following the final performance of the 50th Anniversary Season. Graze through delicious delicacies, savor custom made cocktails, win terrific auction prizes, and dance with the dancers. Attire is Summer Chic. For tickets starting at $150, please RSVP by June 6 to Barbara Vogdes, Manager of Special Events, at 215.587.6916 or bvogdes (at) paballet (dot) org.

Connect with us! Follow Pennsylvania Ballet on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube to go behind-the-scenes anytime, day or night.

Bank of America is the Presenting Sponsor of A 50th Finale: The Ultimate Celebration.

Pennsylvania Ballet's 2013-2014 Season sponsors include DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, The Sporting Club at the Bellevue, and US Airways.

Pennsylvania Ballet receives support from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts - a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency - and The Philadelphia Cultural Fund.

About Pennsylvania Ballet

Founded in 1963 by Balanchine student and protégée Barbara Weisberger, Pennsylvania Ballet is one of the nation's leading ballet companies. Headquartered in Philadelphia, the Company's annual local season features six programs of classic favorites and new works, including the Philadelphia holiday tradition, George Balanchine's The Nutcracker. For more information, visit paballet.org or call 215.551.7000.

Online Press Images Library:
The media is invited to download high-resolution photos from the 2013-2014 Season at:
https://www.paballet.org/13-14-press-images
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