Nashville Ballet presents 'Carnival of the Animals' at Renaissance Center Nov. 7

Release Date: 10/9/2008. Expired: 11/7/2008

The Nashville Ballet presents a program embracing what makes people unique in a story using the animals of the jungle when it presents Carnival of the Animals at The Renaissance Center Friday, Nov. 7, in a special, one-day-only field trip opportunity for students.

The 10 a.m. performance is recommended for students in pre-kindergarten through fourth grade and is presented at a special price of $4 per student. The one-hour performance is limited to 450 students and, like all of the annual programs brought by the Nashville Ballet, is expected to reach capacity quickly.

In Carnival of the Animals, the Lion, King of Beasts, cannot understand why everyone isn't exactly like him. If he's the King, he must be the best, so of course all the other animals should change. A wise and patient Bird teaches the arrogant Lion to appreciate the beauty in each animal's unique qualities. Follow the Lion as he journeys through this wild jungle full of whimsical characters. It's a joyous celebration when the Lion learns that we are basically all the same on the inside, but it's our differences that make life interesting.

Carnival of the Animals is choreographed by Paul Vasterling, artistic director for the Nashville Ballet. Vasterling is a Fulbright Scholar and internationally award-winning choreographer who is celebrating his first decade with the Nashville Ballet. He is regarded as an authority in the field of dance and a strong influence on the art form’s national landscape. During his tenure, he has presented 48 world and 17 company premieres.

His choreographic works are in the repertoire of nationally and internationally acclaimed dance companies. His more than 40 works have been seen on three continents and nearly 50 cities around the world. Vasterling, along with Nashville Ballet, is a three-time recipient of National Endowment for the Arts Creation Grants and is a Magna Cum Laude graduate of Loyola University.

Carnival of the Animals is performed to Bob Mahler’s two-piano arrangement of Charles-Camille Saint-Saens’ original 1886 composition of the same name. The entire Carnival of the Animals was never performed publicly or published until after the French composer’s death in 1921.

The Nashville Ballet performance features costumes designed by Aubrey Hyde and an original narrative by Brian Hull.

For more information on The Renaissance Center’s presentation of Nashville Ballet’s Carnival of the Animals, call (615) 740-5600 or visit www.rcenter.org. To schedule a school group for the program or learn about other field trip opportunities, contact Laura Jackson at (615) 740-5533 or laura.jackson@rcenter.org.

The Renaissance Center is a fine arts education and performing arts center at 855 Highway 46 South in Dickson, just 35 miles west of Nashville on Interstate 40 at exit 172.

Visit the Dance page for more about dance at The Renaissance Center.

News

Date Released	Expiration	Headline
No Press Releases to show...