PRINCETON, N.J. – This October 13-15, American Repertory Ballet (ARB) is giving the community various opportunities to see and learn about ballet from unique vantage points.  ARB Company Director and Resident Choreographer Douglas Martin will lead demonstrations and discussions with ARB’s dancers and the Company’s other Resident Choreographers, Mary Barton and Matthew Keefe, about their approaches to and thoughts on choreography. There will be public programs at the Princeton Public Library and the Company’s Princeton Ballet School studio, as well as a special event at the Institute for Advanced Study.  It is rare for a company to have a Resident Choreographer, let alone three of them.  These events present special opportunities to learn from and speak with these artists in intimate settings.  Three choreographers; Three days; Three locations; Three exciting programs for curious dance lovers, professional artists, and aspiring dancers and choreographers.

ARB will present “Inspiring Choreography” at the Princeton Public Library on October 13 at 7:00pm.  This will be a discussion with ARB Resident Choreographers Mary Barton and Matthew Keefe about choreographic inspiration and thought.  Mary Barton, a former dancer with the Joffrey Ballet, Washington Ballet, and ARB, is also ARB’s Ballet Master.  Matthew Keefe danced with Charleston Ballet Theater, Louisville Ballet, Ohio Ballet, Ballet Met Columbus, and James Sewell Ballet, and now also serves as ARB’s Operations Manager.  “Inspiring Choreography” is a special opportunity for dance enthusiasts to listen and speak with choreographers about the spark behind the steps – how music and concepts inform their work.

Next, on October 14 at 5:15pm, ARB will present “Creating Choreography” as part of The Company’s On Pointe Enrichment Series.  On Pointe is a monthly program of lecture demonstrations, company performance previews, and panel discussions, giving the community a behind-the-scenes look at the dance world and the artists of ARB.  “Creating Choreography” will be a chance to follow ARB Resident Choreographers Mary Barton and Matthew Keefe into the Company’s studios, where they will share the process of how they bring their inspiration to life.  This program will also feature a sneak peek into each of their world premiere ballets for the company's Opening Night at Raritan Valley Community College on October 22.  “Creating Choreography” will be held at Princeton Ballet School, located at 301 N. Harrison Street in the Princeton Shopping Center.

Lastly, on October 15, the Institute For Advanced Study, one of the world’s foremost centers for theoretical research in the sciences and humanities, will host the Company’s program “Performing Choreography” exclusively for the Institute community.  This will be a lecture-demonstration on taking choreography to the stage, and will feature performance excerpts from Douglas Martin's new Romeo and Juliet.  Martin danced with the Joffrey Ballet, Cleveland Ballet, and ARB and is now ARB’s Company Director.  He and the dancers will discuss with the Institute community how rehearsals are translated to performance and, more specifically, they will talk about performing Romeo and Juliet.

These three intriguing and exciting discussions and demonstrations are wonderful examples of how American Repertory Ballet’s Access and Enrichment programming fulfills its mission of exposing New Jersey communities to the art form of dance, as active participants and informed observers, and to develop life-long dance enthusiasts.  For more information regarding American Repertory Ballet’s performances and Access and Enrichment programs, please visit www.arballet.org.

About American Repertory Ballet
American Repertory Ballet's mission is to bring the joy, beauty, artistry and discipline of classical and contemporary dance to New Jersey and nationwide audiences and to dance students through artistic and educational programs.  The organization is comprised of: American Repertory Ballet, the preeminent contemporary ballet company in the state; Princeton Ballet School, one of the largest and most respected non-profit dance schools in the nation; and the Access and Enrichment initiatives, ranging from the long-running and acclaimed DANCE POWER program to the newly launched On Pointe series.  The professional company is a classical and contemporary ballet company committed to presenting ballets from the 19th and 20th century alongside new and existing works by choreographers from today.  The company is now in its 37th Season and is currently under the artistic leadership of Douglas Martin, former principal dancer with the Joffrey Ballet.  The company's rich history of repertory includes established masterpieces by distinguished American choreographers such as George Balanchine, Gerald Arpino, Alvin Ailey, Paul Taylor and Twyla Tharp; cutting edge works by choreographers such as Val Caniparoli, Kirk Peterson, Dominique Dumais, Harrison McEldowney, Amy Seiwert, Susan Shields and Melissa Barak; and former Artistic Directors Dermot Burke, Marjorie Mussman, Septime Webre and Graham Lustig.

ARB has been designated a "Major Arts Institution" by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts consistently for the past two decades, and has repeatedly been awarded a Citation of Excellence by the Council.  ARB was voted People's Choice for Best Dance Company in 2008.