Mobile Ballet presents 'A Gala Evening'

On Nov. 3, the Mobile Ballet will be performing their first production this fall, "A Gala Evening." This spectacular one-night event will feature top performers from the New York City Ballet alongside the Mobile Ballet dancers. The program will consist of Act II from "Swan Lake." This piece will feature Nilas Martins and Abi Stafford from the New York City Ballet, along with the Mobile Ballet dancers. Stafford has been with the New York City Ballet since November 1999 and has since been promoted to the role of soloist. In 2003, Ms. Stafford was awarded the Martin E. Segal Award, acknowledging exemplary achievement of young artists. Martins received his training at the Royal Danish Ballet and became an apprentice with the New York City Ballet in June 1986. He has since been promoted to the role of principal dancer. Martins choreographed his first piece, "Maiden Melody," in 1995, and he has appeared in several live broadcasts with the New York City Ballet. The program will continue with "Tarantella pas de deux" featuring Amanda Edge and Daniel Ulbricht. This piece will be choreographed by George Balanchine. Balanchine was one of the artistic geniuses in charge of the start of the New York City Ballet and one of the founders of American Ballet. Balanchine's choreography served as the bridge between classical and modern ballet. Ulbricht received his training at the Judith Lee Johnson Studio of Dance and joined the New York City Ballet in Nov.ember 2001. He has also since been promoted to the role of soloist and principal dancer, as well as receiving the Janice Levin Dancer Honoree Award. The "Barber Violin Concerto," choreographed by Peter Martins, will feature Yvonne Borree and Albert Evans. This concerto is a work in three movements, consisting of an allegro, andante and presto. Borree began her training at the Tidewater Ballet Association, entering the School of American Ballet several years later. She was promoted to the rank of soloist six years after joining the New York City Ballet, since being promoted to principal dancer. Evans was trained at Terpsichore Expression in Atlanta and joined the New York City Ballet in 1988. He has since been promoted from soloist to principal dancer. The "Tchaikovsky pas de deux" will feature Rachel Rutherford and Charles Askegard, along with the choreography of George Balanchine. This piece was originally intended to appear in the Act III of "Swan Lake," but was not published with the rest of the score. It was discovered later by the Tchaikovsky Foundation of New York and premiered by the New York City Ballet. Rutherford began her training at the Joffrey Ballet School. After entering the School of American Ballet, Rutherford spent a summer studying with the Royal Danish Ballet. She has since been promoted to the role of soloist dancer at the New York City Ballet. Askegard began his training with Loyce Houlton and the Minnesota Dance Theatre, continuing at the School of American Ballet. After joining the New York City Ballet in 1987, he has since been promoted to the role of soloist, then the rank of principal dancer. The program will continue with "Gopak," a Russian solo featuring Daniel Ulbricht. The program will close with "Who Cares?" choreographed by George Balanchine, featuring all 8 dancers from the New York City Ballet. Winthrop Corey, artistic director of the Mobile Ballet, says "the evening will have something for everyone showing a wide range of dance styles." Corey boasts that "Mobile audiences will be treated, for the first time, to the best of the best, featuring 8 principal and soloist dancers from New York City Ballet dancing some of George Balanchine's classic ballets."