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The USC Dance Company will present Blue Jeans to Ballet Encore March 18–20 at Drayton Hall Theater.
The concert will feature three works, including the ballet Apollo, by choreographer George Balanchine. Performances will be at 8 p.m., with an additional concert at 3 p.m. March 20.
The USC Symphony Orchestra will perform the music of Apollo, which was composed by Igor Stravinsky in 1928. The neoclassical ballet tells the story of the birth of the god Apollo and his education by the muses of poetry, mime, and dancing.
Susan Anderson, artistic director of USC's dance program, said securing the rights to perform Apollo is a coup because of its high quality and technical difficulty, typical of a Balanchine ballet. USC is one of 60 dance companies from around the world chosen to perform Balanchine ballets this year in honor of the choreographer's 100th birthday. Balanchine died in 1984.
Stacey Calvert, a new faculty member who was a soloist for 20 years with the New York City Ballet, will stage Apollo.
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| Norbert Nirewicz as Apollo |
Apollo features guest dancer Norbert Nirewicz in the title role. A native of Poland, Nirewicz was a principal dancer for the Polish National Theater, dancing lead roles in ballets such as Swan Lake, Giselle, The Sleeping Beauty, and La Fille Mal Gardee in Warsaw and throughout Europe. Nirewicz most recently performed the role of Tony in the USC Dance Company's ballet Star-Crossed Lovers.
Sarah Coats, Sara Wilson, and Kathryn Jensen complete the Apollo cast.
The concert also will feature the classical one-act ballet Paquita, staged by Stanislav Issaev, a gold medalist from the International Ballet Competitions in Varna, Bulgaria, and Moscow. He is the chair of the dance program at the Governor's School of the Arts in Greenville. With a Spanish flair, Paquita will feature elaborate tutus and scenic design. Mandy Jones and Gray Davis will be featured soloists. Jones, a native of Columbia, is a sophomore at USC and trained at the Nutmeg Ballet. Davis is a senior at the Governor's School of the Arts.
Completing the evening's concert will be the contemporary piece Passages, choreographed by Miriam Barbosa. Set to the music of Benoit Jutras and Revueltas, the piece will feature two solos and a duet, all symbolizing the "earthly journey of life." Solos will be by Rosemary Carnes and Wilson. Barbosa and Nirewicz will perform a love duet, accompanied by a 14-member chorus.
Blue Jeans to Ballet Encore is part of USC Theatre South Carolina's season subscription. Tickets are $14 for general admission; $12 for USC faculty/staff, senior citizens, and military; and $10 for students. For tickets, call the box office at 7-2551.
For more information, contact Anderson at 7-5636.
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The USC Dance Company presents Blue Jeans to Ballet Encore March 18–20.
