Vilia Putrius to Retire at End of FBP's Season End

Vilia Putrius, one of Festival Ballet Providence's (FBP) leading dancers for more than ten seasons, will retire from the company at the end of FBP's 39th Season next month. Ms. Putrius, who joined the FBP company in 2006, has performed many of the most memorable principal roles in FBP's repertoire, such as Juliet in Romeo & Juliet, the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker, Odette/Odile in Swan Lake, among many others. Her final performance will be Sunday May 14, 2017 at The Vets, dancing the title role in Cinderella.*

Mihailo (Misha) Djuric, artistic director of FBP said, "Vilia has been center stage for many seasons and has brought so much passion and spirit to all of her roles." He added, "It has been a privilege to watch this artist share her talents with our audience, and rewarding to see our audience respond and appreciate. We will miss her and wish her the very best."

Ms. Putrius, known for her technical precision and powerful artistry, has earned resounding accolades and countless standing ovations; her versatility allows her to move deftly between classical and contemporary roles, from Nutcracker'selegant Sugar Plum Fairy to the arresting Dark Angel in Viktor Plotnikov's Coma.

Ms. Putrius said, "I danced half of my professional career at Festival Ballet Providence. I grew as an artist and danced in many beautiful ballets." She continued, "While in the company I had the opportunity to work with amazing ballet professionals who influenced me very much, such as Eldar Aliev, Milica Bijelic, Yves De Bouteiller, John Gardner, Sandra Jennings, Ilya Kozadayev, Amanda McKerrow, Viktor Plotnikov, Larissa Ponomarekno, Victoria Simon, Jolanta Valeikaite, and others." She added, "and of course my husband Mindaugas Bauzys. All of them made me the dancer I am today."

Born in Lithuania, Ms. Putrius received her early training at the Vilnius Ballet School. Following graduation she joined the Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre where she was a soloist. From there, she joined Ballet Arlington in Texas as a principal dancer and then joined the Boston Ballet. In 2006, she became a Festival Ballet Providence company member. Ms. Putrius traveled with the company in 2008 for a multi-city tour of Venezuela and in 2011 for the Belgrade Dance Festival which was televised and broadcast throughout Europe.

*Note: Casting is subject to change without notice

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