SALUTE TO EASTERN CONN BALLET’S 25th ANNIVERSARY TO FEATURE DANCERS FROM NEW YORK CITY BALLET AT THE GARDE

Eastern Connecticut Ballet (ECB) will celebrate its 25th anniversary with a must-see event for dance lovers at the Garde Arts Center: a glittering gala of world-class ballet. Stars of American Ballet, an ensemble of principal dancers and soloists from the renowned New York City Ballet, will take center stage for the performance on Saturday, March 11 at 7:30 p.m

Known for “bringing the best dancers to America’s front door,” Stars of American Ballet often perform in cities where professional ballet is rarely seen. For its southeastern Connecticut debut presented by ECB and the Garde, the Stars have created a program inspired by the music of all-American composers from Gottschalk to Gershwin.

ECB’s special anniversary event is made possible through a lead sponsorship from the Dominion Foundation and additional support from the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development and an anonymous donor.

The March 11 performance will spotlight the brilliant choreography of George Balanchine (1904-1983). Widely acknowledged as “the father of American ballet,” Balanchine founded New York City Ballet (NYCB) and served as its artistic director for 35 years. The Stars will perform Balanchine’s “Tarantella” (music by Louis Moreau Gottschalk), “Stars and Stripes” (John Phillip Sousa), and “Who Cares?” an exuberant tribute to George Gershwin’s best-known melodies. A fourth work, Samuel Barber’s “Violin Concerto,” will feature the choreography of NYCB’s current ballet master in chief, Peter Martins.

The cast will include three ballerinas known for their grace as well as their powerful stage presence: NYCB principal dancers Sara Mearns and Teresa Reichlen, and soloist Lauren King. The ensemble’s three male principal dancers are among the leading lights of NYCB: Amar Ramasar, Daniel Ulbricht, and Jared Angle. Several of the Stars, including the highly acclaimed Mearns, are no strangers to the Garde stage; in recent years they’ve earned standing ovations as guest artists in ECB’s “The Nutcracker.”

“The program will highlight the artistry, musicality, high energy and athleticism that distinguish dancers from New York City Ballet,” said ECB executive director and founder Lise Reardon. “We’re committed to cultivating audiences for professional dance in our region, and this is a program that will appeal to everyone.”

Eastern Connecticut Ballet was founded in East Lyme in 1992 as a nonprofit school for dance and a regional arts presenter. Since it first opened its doors, ECB has trained nearly 3,000 students; it has a current enrollment of 300 students of all ages from throughout eastern Connecticut. Tens of thousands of area residents, many of them school children, have attended past performances by ECB, most notably the annual “Nutcracker.”

The school’s community outreach includes: presenting a free performance for 2,700 school children each year; partnering with local human service agencies to provide free tickets to those in need; and raising funds for dance scholarships. ECB dancers regularly perform with groups such as the Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra and conduct programs at schools, libraries and venues such as the Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center the Garde.

“We are excited that the Garde Arts Center, which just celebrated its own 90th anniversary, is helping us to observe our silver anniversary and to promote dance in the community,” said Reardon.

For tickets to the Salute to ECB’s 25th Anniversary, visit tickets.gardearts.org or call the Garde box office at 860-444-7373, Ext 1.