HARTT DANCES To Feature New And Restaged Works

The Hartt School Dance Division presents HARTT DANCES on Friday and Saturday, December 4th and 5th, at 7:30 PM and on Sunday, December 6th, 2008 at 3:00 PM in Millard Auditorium on the University of Hartford campus in West Hartford. Admission is $20, with discounts available for seniors, students, and groups. Contact the University of Hartford Box Office at (860) 768-4228 for tickets or purchase tickets online at www.hartford.edu/hartt.

The concerts feature several works choreographed/restaged by Hartt Dance faculty members, including Katie Stevinson-Nollet, Hilda Morales, Alla Nikitina, and Miguel Campaneria.

Katie Stevinson Nollet is an assistant professor in The Hartt School Dance Division, and is Artistic Director of Full Force Dance Theatre, Hartt's Resident Dance Company. She teaches all levels of modern technique, composition, and dance history. Her professional experience as both performer and choreographer has taken her across the United States and abroad.

Hilda Morales was born in New York City, and grew up in Puerto Rico. Her early training was with Ana Garcia of the Ballet San Juan. At 14 years of age, Ms. Morales received a Ford Foundation Scholarship to study at George Balanchine's School of American Ballet. She danced as a principal dancer with the Pennsylvania Ballet, soloist with American Ballet Theatre, and artist-in-residence with the Colorado Ballet, and performed guest appearances with Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, Albuquerque Ballet, and Jacksonville Ballet.

Alla Nikitina was born in the Ukraine. Her early training began at the Donetsk School of Ballet. She then went on to study at the famous St. Petersburg State Academy of Arts, where she studied classical ballet and character dance with the celebrated Boris Bregvadze, Bella Ozjegov, and Alexander Lefshitz, former soloists of the Kirov Ballet. In 1979, Alla graduated from the Academy with honors and embarked on a successful career with a number of Russian dance companies. In 1985 she became the founder and artistic director of the Rovesnik Dance Company in Kiev, Ukraine. Her company's numerous appearances in Europe were a success, and Mrs. Nikitina has received high awards for excellence and mastership at national and international dance competitions and festivals, including the first prize at the First National Choreographer's competition of the Ukraine in 1985.

Miguel Campaneria was born in Cuba and was trained at the National Ballet School of Cuba under the guidance of Alicia Alonso, Fernando Alonso, and Azari Plisetski. He joined the National Ballet of Cuba and was promoted to soloist at the age of 18. He won the bronze medal in the junior category at the prestigious International Ballet Competition in Varna, Bulgaria. He also had partnered with Alicia Alonso in Marguerite and Armand and other ballets.

The Hartt School is the comprehensive performing arts conservatory of the University of Hartford that offers innovative degree programs in music, dance, and theatre. With more than 400 concerts, recitals, plays, master classes, dance performances, and musical theatre productions a year, performance is central to Hartt's curriculum. For more information on The Hartt School, visit www.hartford.edu/hartt.