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| ARKA BALLET: SPRING PROGRAM AT LISNER AUDITORIUM |
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 11, 2000 Contact: Tania Chichmanian (301) 587-6225 or taniac@erols.com Washington, DC - ARKA Ballet will bring its mix of classical and contemporary ballet to area theater-goers when it performs at The George Washington University‘s Lisner Auditorium Sunday, May 7, 2000 at 7 p.m. The program will consist of two original one-act ballets, La Vie en Rose and Stabat Mater, and excerpts from favorites of the classical repertoire. The evening features the world premiere of ARKA Ballet Artistic Director Roudolf Kharatian’s Stabat Mater, set to the famous musical work by Pergolesi. The Stabat Mater - which literally translated means "the mother was standing" is based on a Latin hymn of the same name generally ascribed to the 13th century Franciscan monk Jacopone. Based on passages of Holy Scripture, it describes the sufferings of the Virgin Mary, Mother of God, during the Passion of Christ. The list of composers of its numerous musical settings includes Josquin des Pres, Palestrina, Astorga, Scarlatti, Pergolesi, Vivaldi, Haydn, Schubert, Rossini, Liszt, Dvorak, Verdi and Penderecki. The setting of Giovanni Battista Pergolesi (1710-1736), for two solo voices, soprano and contralto, accompanied by strings and organ, is vocal chamber music. It is one of the most celebrated compositions of the Stabat Mater. ARKA Ballet performed an excerpt of the new ballet - which was then a work in progress - during the Dance for Life benefit gala for the Whitman Walker Clinic at the Kennedy Center, November 30. For this work, Kharatian drew on ancient and medieval forms of Armenian sacred dance, which he adapted and blended with contemporary movement. The mood is in turn grieving and reflective, in turn joyful and filled with hope. It speaks to the healing power of faith and love, taking us on a spiritual journey from suffering and shared sorrow to comfort and eternal life. The result is a hauntingly beautiful contemporary ballet for seven women where the choreography and the music effectively recreate the atmosphere of the period. Winner of many awards and medals as dancer, teacher and choreographer, Kharatian is a two-time recipient of the Maryland State Arts Council’s Individual Artist Award for Choreography (1997 and 1999). La Vie en Rose, by respected area choreographer Mark Mejia, is a one-act ballet set to popular songs by French chanteuse Edith Piaf. Piaf was a singer and actress whose interpretation of the chanson, or French ballad, made her internationally famous. Piaf’s singing reflected the tragedies of her own life - abandonment at birth, singing in the streets of Paris, illness, accidents and personal unhappiness - an ironic contrast to her great professional success and fame. Her simple yet dramatic style and throaty, tender voice with its tragic overtones brought her wide acclaim both in her native France and on her countless tours to Europe, South America and the United States. For La Vie en Rose, Mejia has selected the lighter, at times even comical chansons of Piaf’s repertoire, deftly recreating the atmosphere of the French cabaret or music hall. Mejia maintains a busy schedule as choreographer and coach, working throughout the country and abroad. He has been co-director of the Kintz-Mejia Academy of Ballet in McLean, VA, together with his partner Linda Kintz, for 15 years. Continuing its tradition of presenting the classics, ARKA Ballet will also highlight excerpts from such classical gems as Paquita and other ballet standards. ARKA Ballet debuted one year ago at the Kennedy Center. Since then, ARKA has been very active, notwithstanding the fact that it as yet does not have its own studio space or contracted dancers. Since its Inaugural Gala, the group has performed at the Mary Louise Jackson Amphitheater in Virginia, at the Kennedy Center in Dance for Life, a gala benefit for the Whitman Walker Clinic;. in Music That Moves with the National Symphony Orchestra, and in Meet Mr. Beethoven also with the National Symphony Orchestra. As part of its outreach activities, the company has also performed in a community center, a senior center, and at the Blessed Sacrament School. ARKA Ballet dancers include company regulars Helen Marie Bunch, Heather Dowell, Sona Kharatian (receipient of 2000 Maryland State Arts Council Individual Artist Award for Dance) and Amy Wilks, along with resident guest artists Jeanette Hanley and Hagop Kharatian of Les Grands Ballets Canadiens. Recent additions to the roster include Katie Keith, Elizabetta Stanculescu, Steven Hammell, Jonathan Jordan, and David Smith. For this program, ARKA Ballet will be joined by Michele Jimenez and Alvaro Palau of the Washington Ballet. Linda Kintz and Mark Mejia will also perform. ARKA Ballet is a non-profit, 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization whose mission is to bring high-level dance to diverse audiences and to nurture, develop and showcase international-level dance talent through inspiring and challenging choreography. ARKA Ballet is committed to the development of the art of ballet as a contemporary form of expression. Tickets for the performance are on sale now. Reserved seating adult tickets are $30, $25 and $20 and can be purchased at all TicketMaster outlets, by PhoneCharge at (202)432-SEAT, (301)808-6900, (703)572-SEAT, or on-line at www.ticketmaster.com. Discounted tickets for seniors, students and groups are also available. For more information or to arrange an interview with Roudolf Kharatian, Artistic Director of ARKA Ballet, call (301) 587-6225, or e-mail: info@arkaballet.org". Patrons may also contact GW’s Lisner Auditorium 24-hour concert line at (202) 994-1500 or visit its web page www.gwu.edu/~lisner. |