Ruth Page Civic Ballet Presents CHICAGO Y CUBA: 2017 - The International Dance Experience

The Ruth Page Center for the Arts proudly announces Chicago Y Cuba: 2017 - The International Dance Experience, a culminating product of the landmark exchange program between The Ruth Page School of Dance (RPSD) and Cuba's National School of Ballet (NSB), the country's premier ballet school, largest of its kind in the world and the very same school that RPSD Director Victor Alexander received his training. The one night only performance takes place Friday, July 7 at 7 p.m. at the Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn, and all ticket purchases benefit the October 2017 student cultural exchange program.

Tickets, which include a post-performance reception with the artists, are $20 and may be purchased at http://www.ruthpage.org/Cuba-Chicago-Performance-2017.

The Ruth Page Center for the Arts and Cuba's National School of Ballet (Escuela Nacional de Ballet - ENB) continue their collaborative and historic programming with a joint performance. This performance is also dedicated to the memory of Margarita de Saa White, sister of Ramona de Saa Bello, director of the Escuela Nacional de Ballet de Cuba.

Beginning in December 17, 2015 when Former President Barack Obama and President Raul Castro of Cuba's announced their intentions to fully restore diplomatic ties between the two countries since their severing in 1961, Executive and Artistic Director of the Ruth Page Center for the Arts Venetia Stifler dreamed of a way to create a bridge between RPSD and Cuba's National School of Ballet. Utilizing the natural connection between RPSD Director Victor Alexander and the Cuban school from which he received his training, talks between the schools mirrored the very same being made between their respective countries of origin.

The result marked the first official exchange between two eminent cultural institutions since the normalization of relations between Cuba and the U.S.A. After obtaining official permission from the Cuban Ministry of Culture, the RPSD initiated the first step in the landmark cultural exchange program that would focus on the sharing of knowledge on dance, especially ballet and contemporary dance.

The Ruth Page Center for the Arts' connection to Cuba began many years ago when Ruth Page, herself, first was presented in Havana on the stage of the Auditorium of the City of Calzada. According to the cultural reporter for El Mundo, Page was described as "perhaps the best dancer of ballet in the world" as she performed extraordinarily to George Gershwin's "Prelude in Blue" while the composer himself was in attendance. RPSD's collaboration with Cuba's NSB carries on the legacy of Ms. Page while also honoring the founder of the Cuban school, Alicia Alonso, who are both extraordinary pioneer ballerinas, teachers and performers.

About the Ruth Page Center for the Arts

An incubator of artistic energy and excellence and the center of Chicago's dance history, the Ruth Page Center for the Arts carries forward the vision of international dance icon Ruth Page to make dance accessible to everyone, ensuring that children and dance artists have a place to study, work and perform at the highest level of excellence. Located at 1016 N. Dearborn Street, the Center serves the Chicago dance community by being an incubator, providing a home, office space, rehearsal space, performance opportunities, professional dance training and marketing support for the up-and-coming companies and artists of Chicago's vibrant dance scene. Founded by Chicago icon and internationally-renown performer and choreographer, Ruth Page, the Center reflects her vision of supporting dance excellence in Chicago. Emanating from the Illinois heartland, the visionary work of Ruth Page influenced the growth of theater design, opera-ballet and dance. She achieved worldwide recognition as a true pioneer of dance in America by creating at the forefront of social, political and artistic issues. As a prominent force in the Chicago arts community, the Ruth Page Center for the Arts continues that legacy through its initiatives and programs that nurture the art form of dance, and by being an arts incubator for emerging and established artists and organizations.

About the Ruth Page School of Dance

The mission of the Ruth Page School of Dance is to offer the highest level of training and personal development to each student. Through the Young Dancer's Training Program, the School also strives to prepare young dancers for the demands of today's world in dance. Providing the highest level of training and expertise, the Ruth Page School of Dance is considered to be one of the country's finest dance education centers.

The School's curriculum is grounded in a uniquely American Ballet Technique - functional athleticism coupled with elements of Vagonova, Checchetti, and RDA techniques. Through the Young Dancers Training Program, children between 3 and 20 years of age are able to excel and flourish within an environment geared so that a young dancer may progress from beginner to advanced technique levels in a systematic fashion.

The Ruth Page School of Dance reflects the legendary career and work of its visionary leader. Ruth Page's classical and iconic The Nutcracker displayed her grounding in ballet. But her collaborations with notable choreographers for example such as Harold Kreutzberg, a cutting edge modern dance expressionist, and her jazz-influenced work at the Music Box Theater in NYC speak to her dedication to exploring all forms and styles of dance. Ruth Page's school embodies her vision of the versatile, well-trained, and exceptional dancer.

To learn more about the Ruth Page Center for the Arts and the organizations additional initiatives such as the Ruth Page Civic Ballet, CDI/Concert Dance Inc., please visit www.RuthPage.Org.

About the Escuela Nacional de Ballet, Cuba

With approximately 3,000 students, it is the largest ballet school in the world and one of the most prestigious. It dates back to the Ballet School of the Sociedad Pro-Arte Musical de La Habana, founded in 1931, where Cuba's prima ballerina, Alicia Alonso, received her earliest training. In 1961, state-sponsored education began and the following year ENB was created as part of the National School of Art. Many of the school's alumni are eminent professionals, recognized in Cuba and internationally. Most of them form part of the National Ballet of Cuba, one of the most important companies in the world.

The Ruth Page Center for the Arts proudly announces Chicago Y Cuba: 2017 - The International Dance Experience, a culminating product of the landmark exchange program between The Ruth Page School of Dance (RPSD) and Cuba's National School of Ballet (NSB), the country's premier ballet school, largest of its kind in the world and the very same school that RPSD Director Victor Alexander received his training. The one night only performance takes place Friday, July 7 at 7 p.m. at the Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn, and all ticket purchases benefit the October 2017 student cultural exchange program. Tickets, which include a post-performance reception with the artists, are $20 and may be purchased at http://www.ruthpage.org/Cuba-Chicago-Performance-2017.

Cuba Y Chicago: 2017 - The International Dance Experience is sponsored by the Ruth Page Center for the Arts, Copa Airlines, Escuela Nacional de Ballet de Cuba and The Whitehall Hotel.