On Saturday, March 21st, 2015 at 8 p.m., the Ulster Ballet Company will proudly present The 32nd Annual Festival of Dance, to be held at Ulster Performing Arts Center (UPAC) in Kingston, NY. Since 1983, the festival has showcased both aspiring and professional dancers and choreographers, with a diverse range of styles and techniques. Each year, its stunning, original programs captivate dance enthusiasts of all ages. There are very few dance productions in the Hudson Valley where one can experience phenomenal, first-rate dancing of so many different genres, all in one night!
The Festival of Dance is an electrifying, explosive, and dynamic coming together of dance companies and dance styles from around the metropolitan area and around the region, who will be presenting works in keeping with an international theme. Highlighted will be performances by returning favorites: Silver Screen Ballroom, formerly Ballroom Dancing for Tough Guys; Syncopated City Dancers, and the Ellen Sinopoli Dance Company. Also performing in this grand tour of dance will be newcomers: ZEST COLLECTIVE Contemporary Performance Art, the Dance Conservatory Project, and Vanessa Van Wormer Dance, with Chamber Ballet Brockport.
From the metropolitan area comes Silver Screen Ballroom, partner dancing at its best, in the style of movie greats, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Syncopated City Dancers, a dynamic New York City Company, takes its inspiration from the jazz era of the 1920s to the 1950s. From the Albany region comes, the Ellen Sinopoli Dance Company presenting provocative contemporary modern dance.
New to Festival this year is ZEST COLLECTIVE Contemporary Performance Art, an ensemble of performance artists from New York City, who uses the dancers’ bodies to tell stories of contemporary society. In addition, Ulster Ballet is excited to host former soloists who are performing with new companies at this year’s Festival. Justine Valentine and Nikita Boris will be representing the Dance Conservatory Project, under the direction of Valentina Kozlova. Koslova is an innovator in the international ballet world and trained at the Bolshoi Ballet School. And Maleda Funk, will be dancing with Vanessa Van Wormer Dance with Chamber Ballet Brockport, a western New York company noted for its collaborations among dance, music, and the visual arts.
Tickets for Ulster Ballet’s Festival of Dance are $22 for adults; and $18 for senior citizens, and UPAC/Bardavon members. For groups of ten or more, and children 12 and under, tickets are $15. To purchase tickets, call the UPAC box office at 845-339-6088; visit Ticketmaster at ticketmaster.com, or call 800-745-3000.
The Ulster Ballet Company is a non-profit organization that has been bringing area residents innovative and creative dance entertainment since 1977. For further information, visit www.ulsterballet.org or call 845-246-4316.
