March 17, 2016

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Taylor Starek Communications Manager (614) 586-8661 tstarek@balletmet.org

BalletMet Announces 2016/17 Season Six productions packed with Company and World Premieres, story ballets and contemporary works, brilliant choreography and first-class staging will mark BalletMet’s 2016/17 season. We’ll launch with Twisted 2, the highly anticipated sequel to 2014’s smash hit, Twisted. For four performances only, BalletMet, the Columbus Symphony and Opera Columbus will collide and combine to create an experience unlike any other. Masterful choreography, lively classical works and acclaimed operatic pieces will merge live on stage, showcasing the world-class talent of Columbus’ professional singers, dancers and musicians. A moonlit night. A flock of birds. An African sunrise. Nature will be the foundation of Night and Day: A Collection of Short Ballets. George Balanchine’s iconic and classical Serenade takes on the glow of a dance done by moonlight, while Edwaard Liang’s Murmuration finds its roots in the breathtaking twilight flight patterns of starling birds. Lambarena, choreographed by Val Caniparoli, uniquely marries the high energy of West African dance with Bach on a sun-soaked stage. Young Clara will once again invite us inside her imagination with The Nutcracker, a beloved Columbus tradition since its World Premiere in December 1974. Choreographed by former Artistic Director Gerard Charles, this magic-filled ballet draws families from near and far with its merry characters, gorgeous set, elegant costuming—and a good dose of holiday nostalgia. Meet us in Neverland for our Company Premiere of Michael Pink’s Peter Pan. This wildly popular production, which sold out night after night when Milwaukee Ballet first brought it to the stage, boasts an original score by Philip Feeney.

Peter Pan will send our dancers soaring (quite literally) across a stage filled with grand scenery, as Wendy, Peter, Tinkerbelle and Nana remind us that staying young is a matter of the heart. Gold petals shower the stage as dancers weave themselves together for the closing tableau of Christopher Wheeldon’s Fool’s Paradise, a Company Premiere and one of three works in Art in Motion. Gustavo Ramirez Sansano’s acclaimed 18+1 will return to Columbus, with its celebratory air and a shower of confetti. The show will also include a World Premiere ballet by Edwaard Liang. The Company Premiere of Edwaard Liang’s Romeo and Juliet will close out our 39th season. Called a “masterful work,” this drama-filled production, set to Prokofiev's score, tells Shakespeare’s timeless tale of star-crossed lovers with all the beauty and intensity of classical ballet. Liang’s inventive choreography infuses sword fights, a grand ball and the iconic balcony scene with the passion and elegance worthy of this emotional story. SUBSCRIPTION PACKAGES BalletMet’s season subscribers receive special benefits including complimentary ticket exchanges, first pick of the best seats in the house, savings on regular ticket prices, discounts to restaurants and entertainment events, $10-off additional single ticket purchases and discounts to all dance classes at the BalletMet Dance Academy.

• Five-show packages start at just $125 and include all repertory productions (Twisted 2, Night and Day, Peter Pan, Art in Motion, Romeo and Juliet)

• Six-show packages start at just $138 and include all BalletMet productions for the 2016-17 season, including The Nutcracker.

TICKETS Single tickets for BalletMet’s The Nutcracker go on sale July 1, 2016, and for all other productions on August 1, 2016. Tickets start at $29 and can be purchased at the CAPA Ticket Center (39 E. State St. or 614.469.0939) and all Ticketmaster outlets (800.982.2787, www.ticketmaster.com). Group discounts are available through the BalletMet Box Office (614.586.8665). SEASON SUPPORT BalletMet’s 2016/17 season is made possible with support from The Columbus Foundation, Greater Columbus Arts Council, Ohio Arts Council and OSU Sports Medicine.

2016–17 SEASON SCHEDULE

TWISTED 2 Sept. 22-25, 2016 | Ohio Theatre NIGHT AND DAY Oct. 21-23, 2016 | Ohio Theatre THE NUTCRACKER Nov. 25-27, 2016 | Detroit Opera House Dec. 9-24, 2016 | Ohio Theatre PETER PAN Feb. 10-12, 2017 | Ohio Theatre ART IN MOTION March 17-25, 2017 | Capitol Theatre ROMEO AND JULIET April 28-30, 2017 | Ohio Theatre ABOUT BALLETMET Renowned for its versatility and innovative repertory, BalletMet ranks among the nation’s 20 largest professional ballet companies. Since its inception in 1978, BalletMet has made the commission and performance of new works a core organizational priority, with more than 150 World Premieres and hundreds of Company Premieres performed throughout its history. BalletMet stages 60 to 70 performances each year at home and on tour. In the past, the company toured 28 U.S. states and internationally to Russia, Poland, Egypt, Spain and Canada. BalletMet’s Academy has also been recognized as an institution of local and national stature. It offers hundreds of classes to roughly 1,700 students, ages 3 to 84, each year. Students in our Intensive, Boys and Trainee Programs gain invaluable training and experience, including the opportunity to dance on stage alongside the company’s professional dancers. BalletMet developed DanceReach, a series of educational and outreach programs serving nearly 30,000 people annually. The DanceReach program offers up to 60 scholarships each year to talented youth, many from minority and underserved groups, who could not otherwise participate in dance training. For more information, visit www.BalletMet.org.

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