Young Artists Featured Along with Valley Dance Theatre Ballerina/Choreographer and Livermore-Amador Symphony Youth Competition Winner

Valley Dance Theatre will present its 2013 spring repertory production, Ballet Masterworks, on Saturday, May 25, 2013 at 7:00 p.m. and Sunday, May 26, 2013 at 2:00 p.m. at the Bankhead Theater. The theater is located at 2400 First Street in Livermore.

Dancers will perform masterworks such as Vitali’s Chaconne and Katchurian’s Masquerade, as well as new pieces by American composer Leroy Anderson. The program concludes with Arthur Sullivan’s humorous and rarely performed, Pineapple Poll.

Valley Dance Theatre ballerina/choreographer, Sarah Marlett, has recreated four of famous ballerina Anna Pavlova’s most memorable solos. Marlett, a St. Mary’s College senior, has performed with Valley Dance Theatre for 10 years and has also designed and constructed costumes for the company.
She says, “In the early 20th Century, Anna Pavlova strove to inspire a revival of romanticism in ballet. I believe she knew that the audience truly connects more with the emotional and artistic expression of the story than with the technical aspects of ballet. I choreographed the piece to replicate her work as closely as possible and designed the costumes to imitate her originals.” Marlett performs in the Dying Swan segment of Pavlova Suite.

Several of Ballet Masterworks’ pieces will be accompanied by the Pleasanton Community Concert Band. Chaconne will be accompanied by Dublin High School student pianist, Vivian Sung, winner of the Livermore-Amador Symphony competition for young musicians, and Amador Valley High School student violinist, Daniel Song.

Tickets to Ballet Masterworks are $25 for adults and $12 for students 17 years and younger. They may be purchased online at www.bankheadtheater.org; by phone at 925-373-6800 or in person at the theater box office, 2400 First St., Livermore. Box office hours are Tuesday-Saturday, 12 noon-6:00 p.m., and for two hours prior to show time.