Festival Ballet Providence Presents UP CLOSE ON HOPE - Five Ballets, Five Premieres

Festival Ballet Providence (FBP) festivalballetprovidence.org is excited to announce Up Close on Hope, Program 1, an evening featuring choreographic premieres in FBP's state-of-the-art Black Box Theatre at 825 Hope Street in Providence. This unique series, presented in the Fall and the Spring, provides a thrilling experience in a profoundly intimate space, placing dancers within feet of the audience as they perform original works of emerging and established choreographers. The program will take place on the consecutive weekends of November 9 - 11 and November 16-17, 2018, with rotating casts of dancers making for a different debut performance each night.

The program will immerse the audience in the world of contemporary dance, reaching toward the future with fresh and unexpected choreography from internationally recognized artists. Returning choreographer Ilya Kozadayev will present his stylized "Everything Carries Me To You," based on Pablo Neruda's wrenchingly beautiful poetry. His piece conveys moments of softness in militaristic movement and explores the struggle between love and loss. FBP Resident Choreographer Viktor Plotnikov's explosive "Kinetic" transforms the dancers, suggesting some physical manifestation of electrified bodies sparking all they come into contact with as they move through space. The incomparable Kurt Doulgas, whose first piece premiered at FBP last season, adds yet another highly anticipated premiere to the program with "Sojourn," which magically marries gravity with weightlessness. Making her choreographic debut at FBP, Pawtucket native Courtney Asselin's "Align" offers a singularly fresh perspective from this young local talent. Rounding out the evening of premieres, Yury Yanowsky's acclaimed "Reverso" will make its debut in Providence, incorporating an entirely original dimension of dance.

Up Close on Hope has been a staple of the Providence art scene since its inception in 2003, having established a devoted following that anticipates the series' intriguing blend of artistry envisioned and curated by FBP Artistic Director, Mihailo "Misha" Djuric. "I am excited to expose new dancers, new choreographers, and new works to the Providence audience in this special way," Djuric muses, adding, "A special connection becomes possible when you are witnessing dance at such a close range. Being able to use that intimacy in the performance is really stimulating to both the dancers and audience, especially when it is a brand-new piece of choreography- every night tells a completely different story."

Tickets are available at 401-353-1129 or festivalballetprovidence.org and include intermission reception with complimentary wine and hors d'oeuvres.

Photo: Choreographer Kurt Douglas working with Festival Ballet dancers on his new work Sojourn. Photo by Dylan Giles.