Mikhail Baryshnikov to Launch Tour in Hartford
Contact: Jennifer Gallagher (860) 987-6082; e-mail: jennifer_gallagher@bushnell.org
March 13, 2003, HARTFORD, CT - Mikhail Baryshnikov, the most celebrated artist in the dance world, will launch his upcoming tour in Hartford, CT, gracing the Belding Theater stage at The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts for two performances only, May 22-23, 2003 at 8:00 p.m. The engagement is a co-presentation of The Bushnell, Dance Connecticut and Baryshnikov Dance Foundation.
The performances, titled Solos With Piano, An Evening of Music and Dance with Mikhail Baryshnikov, feature a series of world premieres. Produced by Baryshnikov Dance Foundation, the evening will be composed of solo dance works to piano, connected by music interludes. Pianist Pedja Muzijevic will perform all music. In addition to launching the tour at The Bushnell, Baryshnikov Productions will conduct the technical rehearsals for the program at the Hartford theater during the week leading up to the performances.
David Fay, executive director and CEO of The Bushnell said of the performances, "This is a wonderful opportunity for Connecticut residents to see the world's most renowned dancer right here in Hartford. We are fortunate to have the intimate Belding Theater which has made this engagement possible." Margaret Wood, general director, Dance Connecticut said, "Dance Connecticut is thrilled to be able to bring Mikhail Baryshnikov, performing works of such interesting choreographers to our Hartford audiences." Christina Sterner, managing director, Baryshnikov Productions added, "David Fay has given us the perfect environment for the technical rehearsals of these new works. We are very much looking forward to premiering this program in Hartford at The Bushnell's beautiful Belding Theater."
American choreographer Lucinda Childs will be represented by two works: Largo, a work commissioned by Baryshnikov Productions in 2001 with music by Arcangelo Corelli and a premiere. Other premieres will include works by Ruth Davidson Hahn, Cesc Gelabert of Barcelona, Michael Clark of London, and Tere O'Connor of New York City.
Following the Hartford engagement, the tour through mid-July with stops in ten additional cities. The proceeds from the tour will benefit the Baryshnikov Arts Center, currently under construction in New York City. The Center, to be located in the new performing arts complex, W. 37th Street Arts, will provide a unique opportunity for the professional development of talented artists across disciplines.
About Mikhail Baryshnikov - Mikhail Baryshnikov's extraordinary, enduring talent prompted Time Magazine to proclaim him "the greatest living dancer." Rising to stardom in classical ballet, Baryshnikov has pursued his passion for dancing for over 40 years in a range of dance disciplines.
A native of Riga, Baryshnikov began studying ballet at age nine. As a teenager, he entered the school of the Kirov Ballet in Leningrad, graduating from student to principal dancer in 1969. Baryshnikov danced with the Kirov Ballet for five years, earning acclaim for his technical brilliance, his gravity-defying leaps and his dramatic interpretations of classical roles. In 1974, Baryshnikov, disheartened by the artistic stagnation and limited challenges in Soviet ballet, defected to the West at age 26. He settled in New York City as a principal dancer with the American Ballet Theatre, where his virtuosity and genius awed ballet fans around the world.
In 1979, Baryshnikov moved from American Ballet Theatre to work with master choreographer George Balanchine at New York City Ballet. There he broadened his repertoire, learning more than 20 new roles in only 15 months with the company. In 1980, he returned to American Ballet Theatre, serving for 10 years as artistic director and nurturing a new generation of dancers and choreographers. During his tenure with the troupe, he also staged and choreographed four full-length ballets.
Baryshnikov has danced more than 100 different works in his illustrious ballet career, from the classic Giselle and Don Quixote to Twyla Tharp's Push Comes to Shove and George Balanchine's Apollo. He has been a leading guest artist on the world's greatest ballet stages. Most of the world's foremost choreographers have created works especially for him. In addition to his dancing, Baryshnikov proved himself a capable actor, starring in five films, including his Oscar(r)-nominated performance in The Turning Point. He has appeared numerous times on television, including three Emmy(r) award-wining specials. In 1989, he appeared on Broadway in Metamorphosis, earning a Tony(r) nomination and a Drama Critics Award.
Since 1990, Baryshnikov has been director and dancer with the White Oak Dance Project, which he co-founded with choreographer Mark Morris. White Oak was born of Baryshnikov's desire "to be a driving force in the production of art." The small, elite troupe of dancers commissions and performs new and reconstructed works by emerging choreographers, as well as master choreographers. The company has commissioned 43 new works and presented over 40 international tours. Through White Oak, Baryshnikov uses his remarkable talents to expand the repertoire of American modern dance. As the LA Times described him recently, "Baryshnikov has increasingly looked beyond...toward the deepest, most daring frontiers of his art." Among his most recent awards are the Kennedy Center Honors, The National Medal of Honor and the Commonwealth Award.
Ticket and Performance Information - Mikhail Baryshnikov will perform May 22-23, 2003 at 8:00 p.m. in the Belding Theater at The Bushnell. Tickets, all priced at $75.00, will be available starting Monday, March 24 by calling (860) 987-5900 or online at www.bushnell.org. Tickets are also available at The Bushnell Box Office, located at 166 Capitol Avenue in Hartford.
About Dance Connecticut - Dance Connecticut, Inc. is a not for profit organization established to produce and present professional dance in the Greater Hartford Community. This year, Dance CT produced Kirk Peterson's Nutcracker with the Hartford Symphony Orchestra, and presented an international array of companies from France, Spain and Brazil. As part of its mission, Dance Connecticut operates a nationally recognized dance conservatory offering pre-professional dance training, community programs for ages four through adult and an inner city outreach program, Dance Programs for City Youth (DPCY), reaching over 10,000 children in Hartford. The offices and studios of Dance Connecticut are located at 224 Farmington Avenue, Hartford and the telephone number is (860) 525-9396.
About The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts - The Bushnell is Connecticut's premier performing arts center, hosting more than 450 events yearly, including major Broadway tours, symphony orchestras, family presentations, local arts and community events. In November 2001, The Bushnell completed a $45 million expansion project that added a second, 908-seat theater to the existing historic structure. The new, state-of-the-art performance hall allows for expanded arts, entertainment and community offerings. The Bushnell's nationally-recognized arts-in-education program, PARTNERS (Partners in Arts and Education Revitalizing Schools), is a cross-community educational effort serving 40 schools in 17 districts throughout the Greater Hartford area. The Bushnell opened in January 1930 and is a non-profit organization. For more information, call The Bushnell at (860) 987-6000, The Bushnell Box Office at (860) 987-5900 or visit our website at www.bushnell.org.