Feb. 20, 2004
CONTACT: LISA WOSKE
(805) 756-7110
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Les Ballets de Montreal Performs at Cal Poly March 19
SAN LUIS OBISPO, CALIFORNIA -- Solidly established on the
international dance scene, Les Ballets Jazz de Montréal celebrates
the
body in motion with a dynamic performance at 8 p.m. on Friday, March 19,
2004 in the Cal Poly Theatre.
"Sexy choreography, indefatigable dancers...a non-stop cyclone of
dizzying, polished moves." (Los Angeles Times)
Cal Poly Arts presents Les Ballets Jazz de Montréal, a company
which
continues to evolve with the vitality and openness that have been their
hallmark since its inception in 1972.
Since 1998, artistic director Louis Robitaille -- a dancer of
internationally-acclaimed virtuosity -- has transformed Les Ballets Jazz
de Montréal, infusing the troupe with fresh energy and a personality
embodying the new century and opening the company to new contemporary
trends.
In the course of his career, Robitaille has encountered many of the
outstanding artists of his (and previous) generations -- personalities
like Rudolph Nureyev, Rudy Brians, Michael Denard, Michael Baryshnikov,
and Vincent Warren, all of whom helped shape Robitaille's artistic
identity and his interpretative approach.
All thirteen highly-trained, energetic Les Ballets Jazz de Montréal’s
dancers have a strong background in classical dance. The vocabulary of
the new repertoire is a direct outgrowth of ballet, combined with more
contemporary currents, such as jazz and neo-classical styles. The
result is the creation of whimsical and inventive pieces.
Robitaille’s core mission is to showcase the interpreters’
talents while
encouraging a new generation of choreographers. One of the company's
primary objectives is "to show the body, pay homage to the splendour
of
its mechanism, of its strength and sensuality." (Le Devoir Magazine)
In the Montreal Daily La Presse, Les Ballets Jazz de Montréal's
art was
described as "...a dynamic, extremely physical dance, expressing
the
creative energy of young choreographers who give it life, and of the
excellent dancers who give it form."
Tickets for the performance are $32 & $38, with student discounts
available, and may be purchased at the Performing Arts Ticket Office,
10
a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays. To order by
phone, call 805/756-2787; to order by fax: 805/756-6088. Order on-line
at www.pacslo.org.
Sponsored by Patricia McNamara in loving memory of Francis McNamara;
the
Peach Tree Inn; KCBX 90.1 FM
For audio and video samples of Cal Poly Arts events, visit
www.calpolyarts.org.
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