The Metropolitan Repertory Ballet – a company already known for being the forerunners in dance innovation – continue their winning ways. They have chosen an art gallery as the venue for their upcoming dance performances. This means that for two sensational evenings, The Metropolitan Repertory Ballet will be performing at the White Box art gallery. The White Box is located at 329 Broome Street in New York City. The dates for this daring, dazzling dance event are August 11th and September 8th. Why an art gallery? Leonora Volpe, the Artistic Director and Principal Dancer of The Metropolitan Repertory Ballet believes that the starkness of the museum will highlight and enhance the richness of the program presented. She should know, for it was her creative genius that caused uptown ballet to travel a little south to meet the downtown crowd head-on in this sure-fire, spectacular, one-of-a-kind event.

Both evenings will include three distinct and separate styles of dance. These include excerpts from Swan Lake, the Sylvia Pas de Deux (as choreographed by Frederick Ashton) and Havana, an original dance created for them by Victor Litvinov. It’s as hot and sultry as its name implies and is sure to send audience temperature’s soaring. To make the evening even more complete, these performances will be seamlessly interwoven by the incomparable operatic stylings of the celebrated spinto tenor, Jonathan Kness. The result promises to be a dizzying, exuberant evening and one that we know you’ll want to attend.

Metropolitan Repertory Ballet proudly joins forces
with Chic Galleria in making that wish come true. The ballet company
has generously donated two tickets which means one lucky winner and
guest will get to thoroughly enjoy this very special evening of art,
opera and ballet up-close and personal!  To enter to win these fabulous
tickets, you must live in the New York City area or plan to be in the
area on August 11, 2009.  A comment on this article
will enter you to win.

While The Metropolitan Repertory Ballet has a solid loyal following, here is a bit of history for those that are new to this company’s name. The Metropolitan Repertory Ballet was founded in 1992 for the express purpose of preserving and developing the art of ballet. They are now the third largest classical ballet company in New York City. From the beginning, they have shown creative vision and innovation by creating works that they call “Ballet/Operas.” These works combine the richness of opera with the beauty of ballet. Their first Ballet/Opera was based on Faust. This piece was performed with an orchestra and singers – three of which were onstage. Three dancers represented the singer’s characters and so gave life and a body to Faust and Marguerite … and Mephistopheles. It was met with much critical success – and standing ovations. Their next was an original Ballet/Opera called Tears of Aphrodite. It was commissioned by the Cypriot Consulate and made its debut at Lincoln Center. It was also met with critical acclaim and enthusiastic audience approval.

The Metropolitan Repertory Ballet never rested on their laurels. Instead they continued to infuse tradition and excellence into this kind of joyous originality. They know that art needs this type of approach to keep it fresh and alive and so for they reached back and rediscovered the Grand Salon style of performance. Grand Salon performances are seldom seen these days. The term itself refers to the fact that historically, the stars of ballet would regularly perform in private residences – usually the homes of very wealthy persons, such as noblemen. Last year, The Metropolitan Repertory Ballet used this intimate style of performance to breathe new life into The Nutcracker by selecting the Liedenkranz Foundation to perform this Christmas classic. The mansion was built in 1847, and perfectly parallels the actual time when this beloved ballet was originally commissioned by Nichols II for the Kirov Ballet. Thus, the mansion became a living set by incorporating the actual audience into Clara’s party.

Now the Metropolitan Repertory Ballet continues stretching and reaching beyond the boundaries of the stage by electing to dance in an art gallery. In doing so, they continue to push the performance envelope. Simply stated, they are putting a classical art form on display in an ‘art-within-art’ performance. Again, it was Ms. Volpe’s vision that caused it to happen. Her original concept in choosing the White Box was to have a three-tiered effect that will “spillover” from stage onto the cobblestone streets of downtown New York. Thus the stage performance will flow to the audience. From the audience, it will flow to the art on the walls where photos of the company and its dancers will be displayed. From there, it will flow to an outside garden for a lavish reception. The implications are startling and the direction decidedly at the forefront of the ballet world, but then that is where Ms. Volpe is comfortable being.

Ms. Leonora Volpe received her early training at The Royal Academy in London and holds the distinction of being the last Juliet selected by ballet legend Igor Youskevitch for his production of Romeo & Juliet. She has danced for numerous ballet companies including Manhattan Ballet, The Ukrainian National Ballet in Kiev and The Metropolitan Opera Ballet. Her roles include the leads in Les Sylphides, Giselle and Shaharazade. It was through these roles that she earned the title “Prima Ballerina.” She was also privileged to appear as a guest artist at Grosspoint County Club in Grosspoint, Michigan. Only one other ballerina was ever accorded this honor. Her name? Dame Margot Fonteyn.

What’s next for Metropolitan Repertory Ballet? We asked Ms. Volpe, “We are looking to expand our dance options and venues and are actively seeking more touring opportunities. For example, we could envision a “Faust Tour” being a strong contender to attract audiences across the country. We know ballet and opera fans alike would welcome the opportunity to become more acquainted with our unique offering. No one else is doing anything like this and would relish the chance to introduce our creation.”

Sounds good! In the meantime, you can see them at the White Box. Although the event was recently announced by Ms. Volpe in an interview done for Dance.net, a popular dance forum, it is already generating lots of buzz and favorably press. Word is quickly spreading so we suggest you purchase your tickets early – before they sell-out.

To read Ms. Volpe’s complete interview please visit Dance.net. If you wish to receive further information about The Metropolitan Repertory Ballet or would like to information on becoming a sponsor, please contact them at metrorepballet@hotmail.com.

This contest ends Friday July 31st at midnight EST. Congratulations Aimee!

Tags: ballet, Metropolitan Repertory Ballet, New York, tickets