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DANCE SALAD FESTIVAL OFFERS AUDIENCES
ANOTHER SEASON OF WORLD-RENOWNED DANCE

March 24, 25, 26, 2005
at the Wortham Center, Cullen Theater

HOUSTON, TX (February 17, 2005). Now celebrating the 10th anniversary season in Houston and 13th season since its inception in Brussels, Belgium, Dance Salad Festival promises another gathering of world-class performers. Famous in their own countries, the dance companies have won praise from critics and audiences everywhere they have traveled. Dance Salad Festival has presented dancers, choreographers and companies from the Americas, Europe, Asia and Africa. Most of the pieces in Dance Salad Festival 2005 are Houston premieres and six pieces are North American premieres.

Dancers from the following companies to perform at the 2005 Festival:
 
Norwegian National Ballet (Oslo, Norway): Established in 1945, the Norwegian National Ballet has created a repertory that blends classical ballet and modern dance styles for audiences in Europe. Dance Salad Festival will present a piece by internationally-known Spanish choreographer Nacho Duato. Por Vos Muero, performed by 12 visiting Norwegian Ballet dancers, pays tribute to 15th and 16th century Spanish culture through dance, traditional Spanish music and the poetry of Garcilaso de la Vega. Dance Salad Festival is an official event of the international celebration of 100 years of Norwegian independence through the Norwegian Consulate in Houston. Dancers from the Norwegian National Ballet have not toured the United States in many years outside an appearance at Dance Salad Festival in 2002.
 
Ballet de Monterrey (Mexico) is making its debut in the United States in Dance Salad Festival. This company will be seen only in Houston. Founder Yolanda Santos de Hoyos is committed to encouraging the appreciation of Mexican and Latin culture through ballet and insisting on the highest level of artistic skill. This company has brought the world of classical ballet to Nueva Leon. Recently appointed director Robert Hill, former principal dancer with American Ballet Theater, will premiere his choreography, Huapango with music by Mexican composer Pablo Moncayo and A. Marquez’s music with a section from his choreography, Danzon.

The Kylián Foundation (The Hague) will present a solo work, Double You, by Jirí Kylián, one of the greatest choreographers of our time. This piece will be performed by Václav Kunês, former dancer with Netherlands Dance Theatre I, who now performs freelance. Double You was re-worked and recently performed by Vaclav for Netherlands Dance Theatre in the Biennale De La Danse in Lyon, France. The piece is set to baroque harpsichord music.

Ballet du Grand Théâtre de Genéve (Switzerland) is one of the best-known companies in Europe and is now under the artistic direction of Philippe Cohen. They perform regularly in Switzerland and abroad. Ballet du Grand Théâtre de Genéve collaborates regularly with some of the best choreographers of our time. They will bring Remansos, choreographed by Nacho Duato with music by Enrique Granados, and KiKi La Rose by Michel Kelemenis, performed by Yanni Yin to the music of Hector Berlioz.

BJM Danse – Les Ballet Jazz de Montreal (Canada). Newly named, the company is expanding its horizons with a new artistic orientation. Capitalizing on its wealth of skills and experience, BJM Danse offers an original mix of dance styles that is vibrant, accessible and interfused with elements of the avante-garde. By collaborating with various top choreographers, BJM Danse is providing a showcase for leading figures of contemporary dance. Presented at Dance Salad Festival will be selections from both The Stolen Show and xspectacle by choreographer Crystal Pite (former Forsythe dancer) with music by Owen Belton.

Ballet de L’Opera de Lyon (France): Principal dancer and freelance choreographer Iratxe Ansa Santesteban is performing in her own work, A-Miga (the bread of sharing), which tells a beautiful allegorical tale of two loving souls who unite to recreate the perfect circle of exchange. The work is based on a poem by Leo Ferré entitled Bread is Made to be Shared and is set to a collage of music by Armand Amar and Lazar Kokelaere. Iratxe was formerly a dancer with Compania National De Danza (Madrid, Spain) under the direction of Nacho Duato. Ballet de L’Opera de Lyon was created in 1984 and has revolutionized the classical ballet world presenting new, contemporary works with its witty and often surprising choreography, while developing choreographers and dancers like Iratxe.

Cullberg Ballet (Sweden): Cullberg Ballet, in its fourth decade as a leading company in modern dance, has performed in more than forty countries and is an important cultural ambassador for Sweden. The company’s widespread performances have made it a European favorite. Under the direction of Johan Inger, the Cullberg Ballet is building a new repertory based on works by him, as well as guest choreographers. Dance Salad Festival will present two pas de deux from former Cullberg Director and world renowned choreographer, Mats Ek. His Sleeping Beauty is a liberal reprisal of the fairytale with music by Tschaikovsky. Also featured is Ek's wonderful Pas De Dans for two dancers.

Alonzo King’s Lines Ballet (San Francisco): Since 1982, this company has been producing innovative choreography by establishing unusual collaborations with composers from all over the world. A resident of San Francisco’s Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, the company presents its home seasons to a loyal following of fans as well as touring throughout the United States, Europe and Latin America. Its brilliant dancers along with Alonzo King’s choreography have received international recognition. King will present, Who Dressed You Like a Foreigner, with music by Zakir Hussain, recently performed at La Biennale in Venice. In addition, Alonzo King's new piece, Before the Blues, will be performed with music by Pharoah Sanders and Bernice Johnson Reagon with narrative recording by Danny Glover.

Armitage Gone! Dance (New York) – Legendary choreographer Karole Armitage works as an independent choreographer in addition to directing her own company and serving as Associate Choreographer for the Centre Chorégraphique Nationale – Ballet de Lorraine based in Nancy, France. She was also dance curator for The Biennale in Venice, 2004. Besides her extensive career working with world-class dance companies, Armitage has choreographed videos for such pop icons as Madonna and Michael Jackson and her work appears in many feature films. Recently presented at the Venice Biennale, a pas de deux from Armitage’s work, Time is the Echo of an Axe Within the Woods with music by Béla Bartók (3rd movement of Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta) will be performed at Dance Salad Festival.
 
Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux, choreographed by George Balanchine(© The George Balanchine Trust) and performed by guest artists from Houston Ballet, Zdenek Konvalina and Leticia Oliveira, is an eight-minute display of ballet bravura and technique that uses music that the composer,Peter llyitch Tschaikovsky, belatedly created for Act III of Swan Lake. The music was hurriedly composed in 1877 for a Bolshoi prima ballerina who was scheduled to make her debut in the title role. Because the music was not in the original score, it was not published with the rest of Swan Lake, and disappeared for more than half a century. When it was discovered in the Bolshoi Theater archives in 1953, Balanchine sought -- and was granted -- permission to use it for his own choreography. (© 1998-2005 New York City Ballet)

Dominic Walsh Dance Theater (Houston): Dominic Walsh, former principal dancer with Houston Ballet, returns to Dance Salad with his choreographic work. Walsh created his new dance company in May 2002 to present his work and that of other contemporary choreographers to audiences in Houston and abroad. Once de Septiembre, a commemorative work based on the coup to overthrow Chilean President, Salvador Allende in 1973, is performed by Dominic Walsh and Paola Georgudis ,with music by Jamie Barria. Bello, Part I, performed by Walsh and guest artist from the Houston Ballet, Sara Webb, is set to music by Georg Frideric Handel and performed live by Mercury Baroque with Countertenor, Gerrod Pagenkopf. Guest choreographer, Gustavo Ramirez Sansano, created 2&1 for Mr. B. in honor of George Balanchine. The music for this piece will be performed live by cellist Richard Belcher and danced by Walsh and Houston Ballet guest artist, Ian Casady.
 
Dance Salad Festival is a curated, international production made up of performances by companies in the United States and around the world chosen solely for their excellence. Dance Salad Festival occurs only in Houston.
 
Modern, contemporary, and classical dance merge on the stage in Dance Salad to form a magnificent mélange of styles and traditions. Members of some of the most respected dance companies world-wide come to Houston specifically to participate in the Festival that includes a full week of education and outreach activities culminating in three nights of performance. Each night’s production is different yet is choreographed as a coherent, expressive performance designed to interweave – a “salad” of pieces—creating a compelling whole. Many of the pieces are performed twice in the three-day format.

This multicultural presentation has received international recognition for its quality and innovativeness and has consistently been a source of cultural pride for many foreign communities that are represented in Dance Salad Festival. Community outreach programs include lectures, demonstrations and exhibits. The Festival also invites students from across Texas and even the Mexican border to participate in a Master Class Series and lectures presented by the internationally acclaimed artists. The involvement of the artists in the community also serves as an introduction to various countries and cultures, which fosters understanding and mutual respect. Houston’s Consular Corps is a strong community partner and many members serve as sponsors and hosts. BJM Danse from Montreal, Iratxe Ansa of the Ballet de L’Opera de Lyon, and Ballet du Grand Théâtre de Genéve, will be included in the Francophonie Festival (month of March) and supported by Houston’s French Consulate. Director Nancy Henderek strongly believes that through the arts, we can educate people and build bridges between different cultures.

Dance Salad Festival has been praised by local, national and international publications. Dance Magazine said of Dance Salad: “The quality of the work…rivaled that of other week-long festivals. Producer Nancy Henderek’s eye for some of the best international dance is unparalleled….(Dance Salad) could wind up as the premier contemporary dance festival between the East and West coasts.” In a recent special section to The Houston Chronicle entitled “Houston’s Ultimate People,” Nancy Henderek is described as a “one-woman United Nations.”

For more information and ticket sales visit www.dancesalad.org. Press photos are available on the website in the photo gallery. Tickets are now on sale on the website or by calling 713.315.2525.

Media Contact:
Julie Lambert
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