UNCW and Carolina Ballet Announce Summer Residency Partnership
4/24/2006 4:10:00 PM
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Wilmington, NC - University of North Carolina Wilmington and Carolina Ballet on Saturday announced that starting July 2007, UNCW will become the summer home for the Carolina Ballet. In making the announcement, UNCW Chancellor Rosemary DePaolo called this development "an extraordinary milestone in the life of this university."
The partnership will bring many of the finest young dancers from around the nation to Wilmington to work with the seasoned professional dancers and choreographers of Carolina Ballet in the ongoing four-week residency program.
Carolina Ballet Artistic Director Robert Weiss will select between 60 and 70 participating students through a national audition process with opportunities for local dance students to participate as well. The students will be in residence with the entire Carolina Ballet ensemble. In addition to daily teaching, training and mentoring activities, they will be featured in two gala performances during the course of the residency.
"The university is extremely pleased to have the opportunity to work in such close partnership with artists and students of this caliber," said DePaolo. "The fact that this is an ongoing relationship, and not just a one-year event, makes it all the more exciting. UNCW is committed to excellence in cultural arts, and this innovative opportunity will bring a whole new level of artistic opportunities to Southeastern North Carolina."
"This is a fantastic opportunity," said UNCW Director of Cultural Arts Norman Bemelmans. "In essence our university will be the summer home for a wonderfully talented group of dancers and choreographers from around the state, region and nation."
Based in Raleigh, the Carolina Ballet has in a few short years quickly established itself as a world-class American ballet company and was recently hailed in The Wall Street Journal as one of America's top arts organizations. Weiss was for 16 years a principal dancer for the New York City Ballet, and is internationally recognized for his creative and energetic choreography. In September 2006, the Carolina Ballet will embark on a two and a half week tour of the People's Republic of China, one of the very few American ensembles to be invited to do so.
"We couldn't be more pleased," said Carolina Ballet Executive Director Lisa Jones. "The commitment to the cultural arts at UNCW is a perfect match for our hopes to participate actively in an on-going residency program of a national scope and quality. It's a wonderful opportunity for us all."
DePaolo and Weiss made the official announcement at a reception for community leaders, members of the local media and the general public on Saturday, April 22. The announcement came one day prior to the Carolina Ballet's performance of Shakespeare Suite in Kenan Auditorium.
Media Contact
Courtney Reilly
UNCW Office of Cultural Arts
(p) 910.962.7416 / (e) reillyce@uncw.edu
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Carolina Ballet
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