American Repertory Ballet is excited to be opening its 2011-2012 season with a program full of innovation.  On Saturday, October 22 at 8:00pm, Opening Night will be performed at The Theatre at Raritan Valley Community College.  The program will feature world premieres by ARB Resident Choreographers Mary Barton and Matthew Keefe and a revival of Kirk Peterson’s acclaimed The Eyes that Gently Touch.

Peterson’s piece for three couples will be danced to music by Philip Glass, performed live by pianist Jonathan Benjamin.  Peterson began choreographing while still a member of American Ballet Theatre.  He has served as Resident Choreographer for San Francisco Ballet and Cleveland Ballet, Artistic Director for Hartford Ballet, and Ballet Master for American Ballet Theatre.  ARB premiered The Eyes that Gently Touch premiered in October 1999.  The piece is one part of his trilogy of ballets to music by Philip Glass - a trilogy which has been met with high acclaim.  Robert Johnson says in a Dance Magazine review of Hartford Ballet’s production of the piece, “Peterson's inventive and musical handling of a demanding range of ballet steps, and the work's careful structure, made the piece a delight to watch.”  The work has been referred to as both spectacular and poetic - a balance of lyricism and stirring physicality. 

Mary Barton is a former dancer with the Joffrey Ballet, Washington Ballet, and ARB, and is now ARB Ballet Master and Resident Choreographer.  She will be creating a world premiere to music by violinist, composer, and music educator Kaila Flexor from her album “Listen.”  The work promises to blend Barton’s rich senses of narrative and neo-classicism.  “I am trying to create a fresh, enthusiastic, playful mood, with a little sensuality thrown in,” Barton explains.  “There isn’t a specific storyline, but I am hoping each section [of the work] creates a particular mood.”

Matthew Keefe’s premiere work, Fantasy for Violin, Piano and Ballet, will be, in his words, “a dance in the classical tradition, with a wink.”  To Franz Schubert’s Fantasy for violin and piano in C, D, no. 934, Keefe aims to create an homage to famous ballet classics such as Giselle, Swan Lake, and La Bayadere, known for their ethereal plots, precise corps de ballet work, and white costumes, with a hint of humor weaving throughout the work.  Keefe danced with Charleston Ballet Theater, Louisville Ballet, Ohio Ballet, Ballet Met Columbus, and James Sewell Ballet, and now serves as ARB’s Operations Manager in addition to Resident Choreographer. 

ARB Presents: Opening Night at the theater at Raritan Valley Community College promises to be an evening of beautiful dancing and refreshingly creative choreographic voices.  Come join us in opening American Repertory Ballet’s 2011-2012 season.

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.