| Performances 2010 |
AN EVENING OF RUSSIAN CULTURE
Allen Public Libary Program
Thursday July 29th, 2010 - 7:00PM
Allen Civic Auditorium (map)
300 N. Allen Drive
Allen, Texas
Russian Dance and Music at Library
By Tom Keener
Bach to Books celebrates the majesty and fun of Russian dance and music, 7 p.m., Thursday, July 29, Allen Public Library, 300 N. Allen Drive. No reservations are required.
Stefanie Best, Artistic Director of the Allen Civic Ballet states, “With the exception of the Russian Winter Festival held in Dallas, I am not aware of any recent programs that have both classical and folk music and dance from Russia.” The Allen Civic Ballet will perform several variations from Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty and Don Quixote. |
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“Ballet may have originated in the French Court, but the Russians were responsible for shaping ballet into the art form we know today. The classics that we still enjoy, Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker, etc., all sprang from the artistic environment in Imperial Russia. Nobody contributed more to the art of ballet than the Russians,” declares Stefanie Best. “Russian composers produced a copious amount of classical music masterpieces. Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev, Stravinsky, Shastakovich, et al, have dominated the world of classical music in the last 100 years.”
Allen Civic Ballerina Taylor Muller states, “It’s nice to be able to celebrate Russian culture with dance because of its importance in the art of ballet.”
After a brief intermission, a trio comprised of cellist Martin Guerra, violinist Bethany Wildes and pianist David Yi from Southern Methodist University will perform Russian classical and folk musical selections.
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Born in Portland, Maine, violinist Bethany Wildes studied at the Baltimore School for the Arts in the Oberlin Conservatory of Music. A graduate with a Master in Music degree from SMU, Bethany has been a member of the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra and played a concert tour in Mexico City. She regularly performs with the Meadows Wind Ensemble and premiered “Generations: A Concerto for Violin and Orchestra” by Daniel James Chan as well as Anne Strickland’s “Sophie’s Dream” for string quartet.
A native of Houston, cellist Martin Guerra has been a member of the Texas Music Educators Association All-State Orchestra for two years, finishing fourth in Texas. Martin is the recipient of scholarships from the Children’s Foundation for the Arts Grant, American Festival for the Arts and the Interlochen Center for the Arts. Recently, he participated with Viva Vivaldi Music Festival in Mexico City and currently studies with Andres Diaz at SMU’s Meadows School of the Arts. |
Pianist David Yi is a senior at SMU, majoring in Piano Performance. In 2006, he won first place in the Dallas Music Teachers Association piano competition. A native of Korea, David has provided pianist accompaniment for the prestigious Meadows Chorale. After graduating, he plans to pursue a Masters degree in Orchestra Conducting.
For information, call Tom Keener at 214-509-4911.
Tom Keener is the cultural arts manager with the Allen Public Library.
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