Ballet Hawaii Presents Romeo and Juliet

Tickets now on sale for Romeo and Juliet at Honolulu's Blaisdell Concert Hall featuring dancers from Carolina Ballet in two performances only
 
July 16, 2011 - PRLog -- HONOLULU - Ballet Hawaii presents "Romeo and Juliet" featuring acclaimed dancers from Carolina Ballet at Honolulu's Blaisdell Concert Hall in two performances only:  7:30 p.m. on Saturday, August 20 and at 2 p.m. on Sunday, August 21. Based on Shakespeare’s "Romeo and Juliet," the production features gripping choreography by Robert Weiss, artistic director of Carolina Ballet, and the lushly romantic music of Sergei Prokofiev. Tickets for this beautiful, riveting production range from $35 to $100 and are on sale now.

Joining principal dancers from Carolina Ballet on stage are aspiring young dancers from across Hawaii and the mainland who are currently studying in Ballet Hawaii's Summer Intensive Program. The summer program offers two levels of training at the Intermediate and Advanced level, with classes Monday through Friday from 9:00am-3:00pm, followed by a three-hour rehearsal. For more information about registration, please call (808) 521-8600 or visit http://www.ballethawaii.org.

Called "simply stunning … a triumph" by North Carolina's The News & Observer, the production spotlights Marcelo Martinez as Romeo and Lilyan Vigo Ellis as Juliet. Gabor Kapin, Richard Krusch and Timour Bourtasenkov star as Mercutio, Benvolio and Tybalt, respectively.

In its review of Carolina Ballet's "Romeo and Juliet," The News & Observer wrote: "Weiss’ greatest achievement is letting the dancing tell the story, never merely showy but always connected directly to character and incident. Although there are dozens of awe-inspiring moments of strength, control and virtuosity, they are all astutely integrated into the drama.... Anyone who loves this classic story should respond deeply to this highly theatrical version. And for any adult who thinks story ballets are best for children, this one will change your mind."

As a choreographer, Weiss has created more than 20 ballets, including commissions by American Ballet Theatre, the New York City Ballet, Bejart’s Ballet of the 20th Century, The Caramoor Festival, the Palm Beach Festival, Stars of American Ballet, and Philadanco Dance Company, among others. He is also the recipient of two National Endowment for the Arts Fellowships for choreography. Weiss has received great critical and audience response for his Carolina Ballet world premieres including "Romeo and Juliet," "Messiah," Stravinsky’s "Clowns," "Carmen" and "The Kreutzer Sonata," and in 2001 the brand new "Nutcracker" and "Firebird" were added to that impressive list.

Tickets for "Romeo and Juliet" are on sale now. Prices range from $35 to $100 and are sold at Ticketmaster: 1-800-745-3000 or www.ticketmaster.com, as well as the Ward Avenue Blaisdell Box Office.

"Romeo and Juliet" sponsors include Starwood Hotels, Horizon Lines, the State Foundation for Culture and the Arts and Padovani’s Grill.

VIP Dinner Package: Ballet Hawaii is proud to offer a special VIP dining option prior to the ballet on opening night at Padovani’s Grill on Kapiolani Boulevard. To learn more, call (808) 521-8600.

About Marcelo Martinez
Marcelo Martinez was born in Paraguay where he began his training at the Academia de danza Bettina Ramos. He continued his training in Brazil at the Centro de Dança Rio under the instruction of Maria Angelica Fiorani. At age 17, he was accepted into the companhia Jovem do Teatro Mumicipal do Rio De Janerio, where he danced for four years under the direction of Dalal Aschar and Mariza Estrella. He then joined The Washington Ballet where he danced lead roles including Cavalier in "The Nutcracker," "Stravinsky Violin Concerto" by Balanchine, and "The Rite of Spring "by Trey MacIntyre. He joined Carolina Ballet July 2007 as a corps member, rose through the ranks, and was promoted to principal in 2010. With Carolina Ballet he has danced many principal roles such as El Captain pas de deux from Balanchine’s "Stars and Stripes," "La Sonambula" by Balanchine, and "Fancy Free" by Jerome Robbins. Martinez has also appeared as a guest artist with Greensboro Ballet, Susan Farrell Ballet, Arka Ballet and The Raleigh Dance Theater.

About Lilyan Vigo Ellis
Lilyan Vigo Ellis was born in Miami, Florida, where she began her study of dance training privately with Liana Navarro. Vigo attended Harid Conservatory for two years and graduated from North Carolina School of the Arts in 1996. She came to Carolina Ballet from the Southern Ballet Theatre in Orlando, Florida where she was a principal dancer. A founding member of the company, Vigo has created many principal parts in new works including Robert Weiss’ "Firebird."

For more information, please visit http://ballethawaii.org.

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Ballet Hawaii has been enriching Hawaii's cultural environment by teaching, promoting, presenting, and producing dance since 1976. Originally a support group for the Honolulu City Ballet, this non-profit organization provides opportunities for self-growth, while instilling self-esteem and pride in its students, patrons and audiences. Its classes are focused on building self-confidence through accomplishment, while its presentations of world-class performances provides the community with the priceless gift of professional quality dance.
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