CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY 2007
presented by the Fargo / Moorhead Ballet Company and the Jazz Arts Group
Christmas Holiday was and still is a tradition and performance that has been gracing the stage for many years. It all started when Kathy and Eddie Gasper started a ballet company in the early 80's. You can tell the love they have for the holiday season and the passion they have for dance. They choreographed many pieces that are now "famous" in this area and throughout the midwest. These pieces include: "Be A Santa", "Toy Shop", "March of the Wooden Soldiers" (tap number), and "Rockettes" - there are many more - but these are the numbers being brought back this season!
Sticking with tradition and adding his own flare - their son Matt has now taken on the responsibility of Artistic Director of the newly formed Fargo / Moorhead Ballet (in which he is also a principal dancer). Matt loves the numbers his parents choreographed and with the help of his mother Kathy they have reconstructed the numbers for this years performance. Matt also wanted to introduce something new into the mix - Duke Ellington's Nutcracker. At this time the company is only doing the "Suites" version, but in the coming years you better watch out - because the full Nutcracker will grace the stage.
Duke Ellington's Nutcraker has a jazzy twist on the classical piece. Other dance schools in the area already perform the classic Nutcracker, so Matt wanted to try something new. Traditional ballet (on pointe) combined with jazz, shows the versatility of the FM Ballet company and the complexity of the music.
All-in-all you will not be disappointed by this one-of-a-kind performance.
Not only am I performing - I am still amazed by the beautiful dancers in the company - I am proud of Matt and his accomplishments, hardwork, and passion for this art form - and his mother for creating this monster years ago and who still has the fire to choreograph these amazing peices!
Performance Dates & Times
Friday, December 21, 2007 @ 8:00pm
Saturday, December 22, 2007 @ 2:00pm
Saturday, December 22, 2007 @ 8:00pm
Performance Venue
NDSU - Reineke Fine Arts Center (Festival Concert Hall)
Ticket Cost
$20.00 (Adults)
$10.00 (Students)
$15.00 (Groups of 15 or more)
Tickets Available At
Gasper's School of Dance
Ph: 701-234-9440
524 7th Street N / Fargo, ND
Jazz Arts Group
http://www.jazzartsfm.com/
Ph: 218-359-4JAZZ (4529)
Ticketmaster.com
See you at the ballet - you'll be coming back for more!
1 comment:
This sounds awesome! Wish we were close enough to come see! Now I'm gonna have to see if I can find the music for Duke Ellington's Nutcracker. Gotta love the big band stuff. I've already got a couple of Christmas albums, but you can never have too many...
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