National Ballet of Cuba Kicks-Off 2018 Season with Capital Region Debut – Only One of Five U.S. Locations
Editors Note: The 2018 SPAC Classical Season Programming has been released. It has such rich detail that we are presenting it in multiple parts this week. In Part One, we preview the debut performance of the National Ballet of Cuba, making their first appearance in this area to kick off the season
SARATOGA SPRINGS – The Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) will welcome the National Ballet of Cuba for its first-ever Capital Region appearance as part of a vibrant, eclectic 2018 line-up that integrates great works of the classical repertoire with artist debuts and SPAC premieres. Kicking off SPAC’s season is one of the world’s great ballet companies, NATIONAL BALLET OF CUBA (BNC), whose first-ever SPAC appearance is one of just five locations on the company’s 2018 U.S. tour. Known around the world for its exuberant flair and uniquely Cuban athletic training based in the Russian style, National Ballet of Cuba is slated for three performances of Alicia Alonso’s Giselle on June 6, 7 and 8, presented in partnership with Skidmore College.
“The National Ballet of Cuba brings Alicia Alonso’s legendary choreographic version of Giselle, along with a company whose style is infused with energy, passion and vigor that is completely unique to Cuba,” said Elizabeth Sobol, President and CEO of SPAC. “This is a cultural coup for Upstate New York and we are delighted to share this new experience with our audiences.”
Performance Dates and Times:
Wednesday, June 6 – 8 pm
Thursday, June 7 – 2 pm
Friday, June 8 – 8 pm
Based on a fairy tale about a peasant girl who falls in love with a dashing prince disguised as a commoner, Giselle follows its heroine through a haunting story of betrayal, heartbreak, forgiveness and redemption. The title role of Giselle has been called “the ballerina’s Hamlet” and is regarded as one of the most difficult in ballet due to the intensely dramatic nature of the role as well as the physical stamina required to dance the lead throughout the full-length production.
Director of the National Ballet of Cuba and one of the most important personalities in the history of dance, Alicia Alonso is the leading figure of classical ballet in the Ibero-American sphere. Alonso’s deeply humanistic interpretation of Giselle is considered the epitome of the romantic ballet tradition. Taking a French masterpiece based on a German poem, once best known through Russian interpretations, Alonso’s spectacularly re-created Giselle now defines the classic work.
Tickets will be available online at www.spac.org on Thursday, February 22st at 10 am. Prices range from $18-$103. Children ages 15 and under are free on the lawn, and for $20 in the amphitheater. Individuals 29 and under are $29 in the amphitheater on day of show only, and SPAC members receive a 15 percent discount on tickets purchased before the day of the show. Complete details are at spac.org
