Charlottesville, Va. – February 27, 2020 –Piedmont Virginia Community College (PVCC) will host Richmond Ballet, the state ballet of Virginia, on Wednesday, March 11, at 7:30 p.m., in the Main Stage Theatre in the V. Earl Dickinson Building on the PVCC main campus, located at 501 College Drive in Charlottesville.

The company will perform a full-length program of four dances that includes new works on the cutting edge of the art form and classics from its repertoire. This twenty-second year of partnership between the PVCC Fine Arts and Performance season and Richmond Ballet will feature the following:

• “Ancient Airs and Dances” premiered in 1986 as the first piece choreographed for the company by artistic director Stoner Winslett. The uplifting work is set to Italian and French lute songs by Ottorino Respighi and features four couples who each gradually shed the masks of custom and form, exploring emotional aspects that reach across generations to bind people together.
   
• “Sweet Bitter Love” takes the point of view of a couple in an ill-fated love affair. With choreography by long-admired dancer and choreographer Carmen de Lavallade and lyrics sung by Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway, this duet evokes passion and heartbreak while highlighting the strength, grace and emotional depth of its dancers.
   
• “Excerpt from Swan Lake” captures the magnificent score and virtuosic dancing for which “Swan Lake” is known with a segment from the iconic Black Swan pas de deux between the characters Prince Siegfried and Odile. Regarded by many as the pinnacle of classical ballet, Swan Lake has captivated audiences for over 125 years. Choreography is by Nicholas Beriozoff after Marius Petipa, Lev Ivanov, and Alexander Gorsky and music is by legendary composer Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky.
   
• “Chiaroscuro” is inspired by choreographer Ma Cong’s impassioned response to the music of Italian composer Ezio Bosso. The ballet is distinct in its strong sense of design and choreographic contrasts, and explores shared connections and emotions as well as the love, passion and power of humanity in its three movements.

After its founding in 1957, Richmond Ballet became the first professional ballet company in Virginia in 1984 and was designated the state ballet of Virginia in 1990 by then Governor Douglas Wilder. In pursuing its mission “to awaken and uplift the human spirit,” Richmond Ballet has become one of Richmond’s most respected arts and educational institutions and has gained national recognition as one of the country’s premiere touring dance organizations.

Reserved seating ticket prices are $23 for adults and $17 for seniors and students. Tickets are available for purchase online at www.pvcc.edu/performingarts, by calling the PVCC Box Office at 434.961.5376 (major credit cards accepted) or by visiting Greenberry’s Coffee (Barracks Road Shopping Center) or the PVCC Cashier’s Office during normal business hours. Tickets may also be purchased starting two hours prior to the performance at the PVCC Box Office (if still available).

For more information, email boxoffice@pvcc.edu or call 434.961.5376. More information about the PVCC Fine Arts and Performance season is available online at www.pvcc.edu/performingarts.

Richmond Ballet’s performance is made possible in part by a grant from the Virginia Commission for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts with additional support from the Watterson Foundation. Promotional support provided by NBC29.

About Piedmont Virginia Community College

Established in 1972, Piedmont Virginia Community College is a nonresidential two-year institution of higher education that serves Central Virginia – principally, residents of the City of Charlottesville and the counties of Albemarle, Buckingham, Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa, and Nelson. PVCC is committed to providing access to a college education for all who can benefit, an opportunity for each student to reach her/his potential, and excellence in all programs and services. Visit www.pvcc.edu.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Susian Brooks
Director, Marketing and Media Relations
434.961.6574 | sbrooks@pvcc.edu