Program and Casting Changes Announced for TOUR DE FORCE III Dance Spectacular at Segerstrom Center

Segerstrom Center for the Arts announces program and casting changes to its onenight-only dance gala, Tour de Force III: Edward Watson, scheduled to dance with Natalia Osipova in Alastair Marriott's Zeitgeist is unable to perform due to visa complications.

In its place, Osipova will dance Russell Maliphant's Silent Echo partnered with dance phenomenon Sergei Polunin, who will be making his unexpected and long-awaited West Coast debut. Diana Vishneva, who was to perform the role of The King in the West Coast premiere of Maxim Petrov's Le Divertissement du Roi has withdrawn due to injury.

In her place will be Mariinsky Ballet soloist, the "super graceful, refined and powerful" Philipp Stepin. Center Executive Vice President Judy Morr said, "We are very disappointed that Diana Vishneva will not be part of our third Tour de Force, but wish her a rapid recovery from her injury. And, due to visa complications, Edward Watson is unable to make his Center debut in Alastair Marriott's Zeitgeist. But our world of theater and dance is not anything if not both unpredictable and exciting at the same time. The marvelous young soloist Philipp Stepin from the Mariinsky Ballet will take over Ms. Vishneva's role of The King in Maxim Petrov's Le Divertissement du Roi. Another dancer to learn Mr. Watson's role on such short notice was not possible, so we are presenting a work that recently made its world premiere at Sadler's Wells in England: Silent Echo by an exciting British choreographer, Russell Maliphant. From disappointment comes exciting news - Sergei Polunin will make his West Coast premiere here recreating the role he originated opposite Natalia Osipova in Sadler's Wells.

And, of course, Ms. Osipova is well known and loved by our audiences from many extraordinary performances here." Natalia Osipova and Sergei Polunin have been called dance's Golden Couple. Osipova has performed at Segerstrom Center for Arts many times, including Tour de Force I and II, Reflections (2011), a program created by the Center and Ardani Artists to showcase leading prima ballerinas who trained with the Bolshoi Ballet, and Solo for Two (2014), that featured works commissioned for her and Ivan Vasiliev. Osipova and Polunin danced the world premiere of Russell Maliphant's Silent Echo in June of this year at Sadler's Wells.

The Telegraph calls Maliphant "Britain's leading dance creator." Of the world premiere of Silent Echo, The Guardian wrote, "It [Silent Echo] opens to shifting pools of brightness in which Osipova and Polunin float insubstantially around each other. Spun into closer orbit, their final duet is made climactic by vertiginous lifts that topple and melt; and if Osipova finds a more natural affinity with the Maliphant style, it's moving to see Polunin engage so seriously with its challenges." Silent Echo is a preview of a complete program titled Natalia Osipova and Artists, which will be premiered at New York City Center in November 2016.

Tour de Force III is on Saturday, August 27 in Segerstrom Hall. Produced in collaboration with Ardani Artists, the program will also include: Clay by Vladimir Varnava and Tristesse by Marcelo Gomes. In addition to Osipova and Polunin in Silent Echo and Stepin in Le Divertissement du Roi, the international casts include Joaquin De Luz, Marcelo Gomes, Denis Matvienko and Friedemann Vogel, as well as members of the The Royal Ballet, Mariinsky Ballet and the National Ballet of Canada.

Tickets to Tour de Force III start at $29 and are available online at SCFTA.org, at the Box Office located at 600 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa or by calling (714) 556-2787. For inquiries about group ticket discounts for 10 or more, call the Group Services office at (714) 755-0236. The Center offers many services for patrons with disabilities including removable wheelchair locations, binoculars and assistive listening devices. To learn more visit www.scfta.org/accessibilityinformation.

Segerstrom Center for the Arts applauds Kia, Official Automotive Partner of the Center, and United Airlines, Official Airline of the Center. The Center's 2016-2017 International Dance Series is made possible by The Audrey Steele Burnand Endowed Fund for International Dance and The Segerstrom Foundation Endowment for Great Performances.