Since its 2005 inception, BalletX has unveiled close to 70 world premieres. Beaver Creek audiences will be treated to the latest when Philadelphia’s premier contemporary ballet company returns to town Saturday, Feb. 9. Along with two other works, BalletX will perform a world premiere by choreographer Nicolo Fonte at the Vilar Performing Arts Center (VPAC) as part of the VPAC Winter Dance Series.
BalletX will perform at the VPAC at 7 p.m. Tickets are $69 for adults and $25 for students, and are available now by calling 970-845-8497 or visiting http://www.vilarpac.org. A limited number of tickets for a post-performance dinner with Fonte, Christine Cox and the BalletX cast are available for $150 (price includes both the performance and dinner).
In the dance world, BalletX is known for pushing the boundaries of traditional ballet; choreographer Nicolo Fonte is equally daring. Vail Valley dance lovers are sure to recognize the company—BalletX has performed at the Vail Dance Festival six times since 2012. In 2016, the company served as the resident dance company at the renowned festival and most recently, the company performed at the festival’s 30th anniversary closing night celebration.
The program for BalletX’s Beaver Creek performance includes three works. The evening will begin with the troupe performing “Yonder,” choreographed by Wubkje Kuindersma. The piece premiered at The Wilma Theater in Philadelphia in November 2018.
“Yonder means ‘there, over there,’ a poetic point on the horizon, a place of hope and dreams where we want to move towards by connecting our personal yonder to each others; together we become a horizon of hope and dreams,” said Kuindersma.
Next up, the group will perform “Increasing,” a piece choreographed by Matthew Neenan and set to Franz Schubert’s final chamber work, “String Quintet in C major (D. 956, Op. posth. 163).”
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After intermission, and to finish the evening, the dancers will perform the world premiere of “Steep Drop, Euphoric” by choreographer Nicolo Fonte and set to symphony music by Ezio Bosso and Olafur Arnalds.
Choreographer Fonte is known for his daring and original approach to dance. His work embraces a unique movement language as well as a highly developed fusion of ideas, dance and design. Born in Brooklyn New York, Fonte started dancing at the age of 14. He studied at the Joffrey Ballet School in New York, San Francisco Ballet and New York City ballet schools while completing a Bachelor Degree of Fine Arts at SUNY Purchase. After a distinguished career dancing with Peridance in New York City followed by Les Grands Ballets Canadiens in Montreal, and then Duato’s Compania Nacional de Danza in Madrid, Fonte retired from performing in 2000 to devote himself to choreography. Since that time he has created or staged his ballets for 25 ballet companies around the world. Since 2012, he’s served as the Resident Choreographer for Ballet West in Salt Lake City, and the Resident Choreographer at Oregon Ballet Theatre since 2016.
The New York Times recently named BalletX’s dancers “among America’s best,” and The Boston Globe has included the company in their top 10 of the year in dance. In 2018, BalletX reaffirmed its commitment to expanding the vocabulary of classical dance for all audiences by opening the Center for World Premiere Choreography—a 5,000 square foot home in South Philadelphia that provides a creative space for the company to enhance its repertory with 40 more world premieres over the next decade.
If you go …
What: BalletX with a world preier of a Nicolo Fonte-choreographed piece.
When: Saturday, Feb. 9, 7 p.m.
Where: Vilar Performing Arts Center in Beaver Creek.
Cost: $69 for adults and $25 for students.
More information: 970-845-8497, http://www.vilarpac.org.
