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Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 01, 2007

ARLINGTON, TEXAS - Metropolitan Classical Ballet will present a special condensed version of The Nutcracker ballet for thousands of third grade students from area public and private schools. Performances will be held at Texas Hall on the campus of the University of Texas in Arlington on December 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th at 10:30 a.m. On the 5th, there will be also be a performance at 12:45 p.m.

Frank Hill, president of Metropolitan Classical Ballet’s Board of Directors said, “The Metropolitan Classical Ballet Company in conjunction with the University of Texas at Arlington is proud to announce that it has added several public school districts and private schools to the list of schools sending their children to the special performances of The Nutcracker at Texas Hall on the University of Texas at Arlington campus. This outreach program has gone from serving about 7,500 school children to something close to 12,000 children and other school districts have already signed up for next year. Outreach will continue to be a fundamental part of the Company's program.”

Metropolitan Classical Ballet’s Children’s Cultural Enrichment program was created in 2000 as a part of its ongoing Artistic Outreach program. Since that time, the Company has provided special performances of The Nutcracker to thousands of third grade students from the Arlington Independent School District, as well as area private schools and other special needs children.

This year, in addition to the Arlington ISD, public school districts that are sending some, if not all, of their third grade students are: Grand Prairie, Hurst-Euless-Bedford, Grapevine-Colleyville and Mansfield ISDs. Private schools include two Montessori schools. In order to accommodate the newly added schools, two performances were added necessitating the addition of an extra day to the performance schedule.

The Nutcracker choreography is by Artistic Director Alexander Vetrov, and the musical score is by Peter Iliych Tchaikovsky. Students from the Metropolitan Ballet Academy and Youth Company members will perform along with the Metropolitan Classical Ballet Company dancers. The academy is the official school of the Company.

Public performances of The Nutcracker will be held at Texas Hall on the campus of the University of Texas in Arlington on Friday, December 21st at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, December 22nd at 2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, December 23rd at 2:00 p.m. Music for The Nutcracker will be performed live at all four public productions by the Metropolitan Classical Ballet Orchestra under the direction of distinguished guest conductor, Bernard Rubenstein.

Tickets range in price from $10 - $30, and are available only through Metropolitan Classical Ballet. Call (817) 275-0598 or (817) 465-4644 or order online at www.mcballet.org. Tickets are also available at the administrative office at 500 West Abram Street, Arlington, Texas. Group discounts are available. Season sponsors include American Airlines, the University of Texas at Arlington, and the law firm of Hill Gilstrap.

In addition to its annual production of The Nutcracker at Texas Hall, at the University of Texas at Arlington, the Metropolitan Classical Ballet performs a season of ballet at the prestigious Nancy Lee and Perry R. Bass Performance Hall in Fort Worth. Considered to be one of the leading dance companies in Texas, the Company is led by Artistic directors Paul Mejia and Alexander Vetrov. Mr. Mejia, former dancer with the New York City Ballet who danced principal roles in many Balanchine ballets, carries on Balanchine’s style and artistic vision through his acclaimed choreography. Mr. Vetrov, former leading male principal dancer with the prestigious Bolshoi still maintains close connections with the Bolshoi today. The Company administrative office and spacious state of the arts studios, unsurpassed in the North Texas area, are located in Arlington, Texas.

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Media Note: Further information may be obtained by calling (817) 465-4644.

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