Wendy Whelan Set for Intimate Conversation with Emily Bingham at The Kentucky Center

Kentucky to the World, in collaboration with The Kentucky Center, presents "Wendy Whelan - To the Point: A Conversation with Emily Bingham" on Monday, October 24, 2016 at 6:30 p.m. (reception at 5:30 p.m.) in the Bomhard Theater, 501 W. Main St., Louisville, KY.

Kentucky to the World, in collaboration with The Kentucky Center, presents Wendy Whelan, one of America's premier dance artists, in an intimate conversation with award-winning historian and author, Emily Bingham, as they talk about Whelan's future and embracing her creative power.

Wendy Whelan was born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky, where she began taking dance lessons at the age of three. By 1986 she was invited to become a member of the New York City Ballet's corps de ballet, promoted to soloist in 1989, and principal dancer in 1991. In her 30-year career with that company, she danced virtually every major Balanchine role.

Her 2014 retirement from the New York City Ballet has enabled Wendy to develop new creative projects that are taking her career in dance in new directions. As she has said, "I'm deciding who I want to dance with, I'm deciding what I want to do each day. It's not a place I've been at in my career before this. It's daunting and scary, and it's so beautiful."

Emily Bingham, born in Louisville, Kentucky into a journalism family, completed a Ph.D. in History at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is the author of Irrepressible: The Jazz Age Life of Henrietta Bingham (2015), the prizewinning story of her great aunt, and her writing has appeared in Vogue, The Journal of Southern History, Newsweek, The Wall Street Journal, and New England Review.

Kentucky to the World's mission is to enhance our state's image at home and beyond by showcasing the talent, ingenuity, and excellence of outstanding men and women who claim strong Kentucky ties. By doing that, we are a catalyst for igniting change and inspiring all Kentuckians - no matter their age or circumstance.

Tickets are $25. Kentucky Center Members call the Member hotline at (502) 566-5144. Standard tickets are available at www.kentuckycenter.org/presents, by phone (502) 584-7777, (800) 775-7777, and in-person at The Kentucky Center box office and drive-thru. Please call (502) 566-5111 for information about the range of accessibility options we offer to enhance your performance experience.

For more, visit Wendy Whelan's official website. Read more about Whelan's career with the New York City Ballet here. See Whelan's views on the future of ballet and her career following her retirement from the New York City Ballet here. And go to Kentucky to the World's official website here.

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