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Famed Miami City Ballet makes Kalamazoo debut

April 6, 2005

KALAMAZOO--Described as among the most exciting ballet companies in the country, the Miami City Ballet is in Kalamazoo for its first-ever performance at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 12, in Miller Auditorium at Western Michigan University. Tickets range from $25 to $50.

In its 19th season, Miami City Ballet is among the largest ballet companies in the United States, with 48 dancers, and is an acknowledged force in the international dance world. This must-see world-caliber company has a unique South Florida ambiance, and its repertoire includes 80 ballets, including 12 world premieres. It has toured 33 states and 104 U.S. cities and performed internationally in Europe, South America, Central America and Israel.

Included in the versatile performance program are the works "Ballo della Regina" with choreography by George Balanchine and music from Giuseppe Verdi's opera, "Don Carlos" (1867), "Stravinsky Violin Concerto" with choreography by Balanchine and music from Igor Stravinsky's "Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D major" and "Nine Sinatra Songs" with choreography by Twyla Tharp and music from Frank Sinatra's original recordings.

Prior to the April 12 performance, Edward Villella, artistic director of the Miami City Ballet, will present a pre-concert talk at 6:30 p.m. in the Miller Auditorium Grand Tier lobby. The talk is free and open to the public. A legendary dancer, Villella has been recognized as a National Medal of Arts winner, a Kennedy Center Honoree and as the first American-born male star of the New York Ballet.

Tickets for the Miami City Ballet are available by calling (269) 387-2300 or (800) 228-9858, online at www.millerauditorium.com, or by visiting the Miller Auditorium Ticket Office or the Epic Center Box Office in downtown Kalamazoo.

Miami City Ballet at Miller Auditorium is sponsored by Coca-Cola and AM 590 WKZO.

Media contact: Tracey Lawie, 269 387-2309, tracey.lawie@wmich.edu

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