Richmond Ballet, The State Ballet of Virginia, has flourished as a home for the past, present, and future of dance since its inception as a professional company in 1984. The Ballet boasts an expansive repertory that includes 19th and 20th-century masterpieces as well as more than 80 new ballets by contemporary choreographers from around the world.

 

Richmond Ballet Studio Company’s tour program features a contemporary pas de deux,Vestiges, and works from Associate Artistic Director Ma Cong and Studio Company Director Igor Antonov. Ma Cong’s Calling is playful and energetic and Igor Antonov’s The Legend of the Swan Queen is a beautiful take on a classic favorite, featuring the music of Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky.

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Calling is a vibrant, modern ballet filled with energetic movement and delicate partnering. Set to playful Mediterranean music by Kroke Trio and Goran Bregovic, Ma Cong’s work exudes passion and power.

 

Ma Cong has been widely recognized by the dance world as a bold, bright, and inspired artist and choreographer. Ma started his dance career at the Beijing Dance Academy, where he trained in the art of Chinese classical dance. He danced with The National Ballet of China from 1995 until 1999, prior to his move to the USA.

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Get ready to be enchanted by The Legend of the Swan Queen featuring the spirited Prince Siegfried who falls in love with the beautiful Swan Queen Odette. An evil sorcerer comes between them as this story of magic, mystery, and transformation unfolds. Paired with the classical selections from Swan Lake with Tchaikovsky’s emotive score, The Legend of the Swan Queen displays the innovation of dance today and will delight novice and experienced audiences alike.

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Igor Antonov is a former professional dancer from Ukraine who has danced for Donetsk Ballet, Deutsche Oper am Rhein in Dusseldorf, Germany, and was a medalist and best couple award winner at the International Ballet Competition in Jackson, Mississippi.

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In an excerpt from Colin Connor’s Vestiges, two dancers display their undeniable connection, reminiscent of a moth to a flame. With music by Michael Nyman, this contemporary and powerful duet explores what happens when our world is shattered and how we recapture the sources of our power, our natural elegance, and the immediacy of the world around us.

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Colin Connor’s wide ranging dance career encompasses being the award winning choreographer of over sixty works, the Artistic Director of the American legacy Limón Dance Company, an educator at many of the world’s foremost dance centers, a Professor Emeritus at the California Institute for the Arts, and a widely recognized dancer.

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Pro-Art partners with a variety of venues, therefore individuals with mobility issues or general questions are encouraged to call (276) 376-4520 or email the Pro-Art office at pro-art@uvawise.edu. For evolving conditions related to weather cancellations, or similar unforeseen circumstances, patrons are encouraged to check proartva.org for up-to-date information. 

 

This performance is made possible in part by a grant from the Virginia Commission for the Arts, which receives support from the Virginia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts. Pro-Art is additionally supported by the C. Bascom Slemp Foundation, The University of Virginia’s College at Wise, Mountain Empire Community College, the Columbus Phipps Foundation, and the Lee County Community Foundation.

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Photo Credit: Former Houston Ballet II Artists Sareen Tchekmedyian and Harper Watters in Ma Cong’s Calling. Photo by Amitava Sarkar (2009). Courtesy of Houston Ballet.