Nutcracker tickets are onsale now! Call Ticketmaster at 404-249-6400 or visit a Ticketmaster location.

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Nutcracker tickets are now on sale! Call Ticketmaster at 404-249-6400 or visit any Ticketmaster location, including the Gwinnett Center Box Office to get your best seats available! Prices remain the same as last year. Our public shows begin Saturday, December 5th at 2:30. At the 7:30 show that night, GBT is pleased to present “FISH RADIO 104.7 NIGHT AT THE NUTCRACKER!” Listen to 104.7 to win free tickets to that show, plus radio personalities will be on hand. Along with the Sunday, December 6th 2:30 show, this first weekend is performed to recorded music. Tickets are $20 adults, $15 students and seniors, and $10 for groups of ten or more.

Friday, December 11th begins the live music shows, accompanied by the Gwinnett Ballet Theatre Orchestra, a 30 piece, live, professional orchestra conducted by Predrag Gosta. December 11th is also United Way Night at the Nutcracker! Bring a toy for a girl or boy for United Way to distribute. Live music performances dates and times are: Friday, December 11th at 7:30; December 12th at 2:30 and 7:30; December 13th at 2:30; December 18th at 7:30; December 19th at 2:30 and 7:30; December 20th at 2:30. Tickets for these performances are $27 for adults, $22 for students and seniors, and $18 for groups of ten or more.

GBT also has four school performances and a Scout Night on Friday, December 4th. For information about these outreach shows, please call the studio at 770-978-0188.

The 2009-2010 Season begins August 10th, and GBT is signing up new and returning students now. Be sure to reserve your place in class by calling the studio at 770-978-0188 and registering! Classes are available beginning at age 3. GBT excels in producing beautiful young dancers proficient in classical ballet, jazz, tap, modern, and hip-hop.  A special Open House will be held on Saturday, August 8th from 10 till 2 where you can meet the teachers, tour the studios, and sign up for classes! Nutcracker auditions are open to all existing registered students and will be held in September, the date to be announced.

SUMMER INTENSIVES 2009! Summer is a wonderful time for a dancer to focus on technique. Gwinnett Ballet Theatre offers four full weeks of Summer Intensive classes that will enable dancers to work on technique in classical ballet and a variety of other dance forms. The dates for Summer Intensive are: June 15-19; June 22-26; July 6-10: and July 13-17. For information about cost and other details, please call the GBT studios at 770-978-0188. Dancers not currently enrolled at GBT are welcomed to attend!

ALICE IN WONDERLAND is headed your way March 7^th at 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. at the Gwinnett Performing Arts Center! Join our Gwinnett Ballet Theatre dancers as they explore the world of “Wonderland” with Alice, the Mad Hatter, the Cheshire Cat, the Queen of Hearts, and all the wonderful characters that make this story a well-loved classic.

A cast of over 80 dancers will interpret this family-friendly ballet, complete with sumptuous sets, costumes, and wonderful, melodic music by Tchaikovsky, Ravel, and Adam. Audiences will laugh out loud at the antics of many adorable creatures and characters!

The performance also includes five contemporary ballets which will constitute the first act. Award-winning choreographer and GBT alumnus Robert Dekkers has created “Push the Bar” to music by Meredith Monk. Atlanta Ballet soloist and GBT instructor David Blumenfeld has created “Floe,” an edgy, sophisticated piece with music by Phillip Glass. Three GBT pre-professional company dancers have choreographed two pieces. Lauren Clark has choreographed a piece based on exploring the spirit of good versus evil and the seven deadly sins, to music by Bond. Allison Bridgers and Mallory Retter collaborated on a challenging piece full of unusual movement to music by Peter Gabriel. Also included is Ashlie Solomon Wells’ “Mind FX,” a piece to music by War Machine which was a crowd favorite at GBT’s Tanzsommer tour in Austria this past summer!

Tickets for this fun filled program are $17 for adults, $15 for students and seniors, and $12 each for groups of ten or more. Tickets can be purchased by calling Ticketmaster at 404-249-6400, by visiting any Ticketmaster location, or by calling or visiting the Gwinnett Center Box Office, 770-813-7600. For more information about Alice In Wonderland, call GBT at 770-978-0188.

GWINNETT BALLET IS IN THE NEWS! GBT dancers can be found in national and local publications! Our alumna Jessica Collado has been included in Dance Magazine’s “25 to Watch in 2009.” This story in the January issue features young dancers, choreographers, and other dance professionals who have caught the eye of this magazine’s very discerning editors! Jessica has been dancing with Houston Ballet since she graduated from GBT in 2003 and then from Houston’s Ben Stevenson Academy in 2004. See Jess’ bio in this web site’s “Alumni” tab under Our Company.

Gracing the cover of February’s “Dance Studio Life Magazine” is GBT’s pre-professional company member Pablina Lopez. Pablina and the GBT company ballerinas all enjoyed a photo session with photographer Richard Calmes this past August in Hiawassee, Georgia. Set in the beauty of the mountains, rivers, and other scenic areas of North Georgia, this photo session produced many fabulous photos of our dancers. To view them all, visit http://www.pbase.com/rcalmes/mountain_dancers

“Atlanta ShowGuide” magazine’s February Dance issue features photographer Richard Calmes. His photo of the Atlanta skyline is the cover shot, and on the index page GBT company dancer Nicole Ranieri is featured. GBT alumna Garet Erwin, now with Milwaukee Ballet, is also depicted in one of Richard’s photos in the story about his journey from Viet Nam combat photographer to architect to ballet photographer.

Many GBT dancers can also be seen in Richard’s gallery exhibition at the Hudgens Center for the Arts. This photography exhibition includes 5 other area photographers and will be on view through mid March.

November is a time when most young ladies are thinking about what fun they’ll have during the upcoming Holiday Season. But Sydney and Ariel Finks, the daughters of Shana and Adrian Finks, know exactly where they will be this Thanksgiving and Christmas. Since the first of September, their schedules have been filled with dance classes and rehearsals for Gwinnett Ballet Theatre’s exciting production of The Nutcracker. Their Holidays will be spent dancing!

Gwinnett Ballet Theatre (GBT) has produced this popular event since 1986. GBT’s The Nutcracker has been performed at the Gwinnett Performing Arts Center in Gwinnett Center since the theatre opened in 1992. And for the third year in a row, there will be a live, professional orchestra to accompany the dancers for most performances. This massive production includes 85 young students, 20 company members, three professional male dancers, a professional magician, and approximately 15 adult performers, mostly parents, in “character” roles. Over 120 costumes, plus lavish sets, are a part of this magical event.

This year is especially exciting for Ariel Finks. Her dream of performing as one of the “Party Girls” in the first act has come true. Ariel, 10, will be one of four young ladies in her cast who play the parts of friends of the young heroine, Clara. Ariel will enjoy a very substantial role of dancing and acting, plus she wears a beautiful costume! But that’s just in Act One. In Act Two, Ariel will perform as a “Chinese Ribbon Girl.” Ariel says, “I love being in the Nutcracker because I get to learn different roles and the costumes are really fun!” Ariel should know all about roles and costumes. She has been in The Nutcracker since she was four years old, starting as a Baby Mouse and Arabian Princess, then a Polichinelle and Soldier. Ariel is very motivated. She is currently the youngest apprentice in GBT’s pre-professional company.

Sister Sydney, age seven, will return this year as a Polichinelle. This very entertaining dance in Act Two has “Mother Ginger” in a huge costume coming onstage with a dozen young gymnast/dancers under her enormous skirt. It is a very fun role to perform. Sydney loves being in The  Nutcracker every year because, in her own words, “It’s fun! I love when we’re on stage and the audience claps for us!” She also likes to “become” her character. This is Sydney’s 5^th year in Nutcracker. She also started out as a Baby Mouse and Arabian Princess at the tender age of three. In subsequent years she was a Page and an Angel.

Don’t count out Mom and Dad! Shana will appear this year as a Party Mother. Adrian was a Party Father in 2006. And watch out for ballerina number three, little sister Alexis who is now just two and a half years old. She should be making her first appearance in 2010! After all, The Nutcracker is a Finks Family Tradition. “Each year brings new challenges to balance schoolwork and dance, but it’s worth it,” says Shana.

Gwinnett Ballet Theatre’s The Nutcracker will be performed December 6^th through the 21^st for eleven public performances. Eight of these shows are accompanied by the live, professional Gwinnett Ballet Theatre Orchestra conducted by Predrag Gosta. Outreach and school shows are also available as well as great group rates. For more information about The Nutcracker, visit www.gwinnettballet.org or call 770-978-0188.

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The Nutcracker: December 6-21^st , 2008 at the Gwinnett Performing Arts Center.

Alice in Wonderland: March 7-8^th , 2009 at the Gwinnett Performing Arts Center.

Southeastern Regional Ballet Association Festival: May 9-10^th , Montgomery, Alabama

THE NUTCRACKER:

Gwinnett Ballet Theatre (GBT) proudly presents its 27^th edition of The Nutcracker for eleven public performances held December 6^th – 21^st, 2008. Eight of these performances will be danced to the accompaniment of the live, professional Gwinnett Ballet Theatre Orchestra conducted by Predrag Gosta.

GBT’s traditional interpretation of this favorite holiday classic will include beautifully performed classical dancing, a live magician, and colorful sets and costumes. GBT utilizes the talents of its pre-professional company plus a cast of 80 young students from its non-profit school.

Performances will be given at the beautiful Gwinnett Performing Arts Center located at 6400 Sugarloaf Parkway in Duluth, Georgia. Dates and times are as follows:

Saturday, December 6^th at 2:30 and 7:30

Sunday, December 7^th at 2:30

The above will be performed to recorded music.

Friday, December 12^th at 7:30

Saturday, December 13^th at 2:30 and 7:30

Sunday, December 14^th at 2:30

Friday, December 19^th at 7:30

Saturday, December 20^th at 2:30 and 7:30

Sunday, December 21^st at 2:30

These performances are accompanied by the

Gwinnett Ballet Theatre Orchestra

Tickets for December 6^th and 7^th are $20 for adults, $15 for students and seniors, and $10 for groups of 10 or more. Tickets for December 12^th-21^st are $27 for adults, $22 for students and seniors, and $18 for groups of ten or more.

Tickets can be obtained by calling Ticketmaster at 404-249-6400 or by visiting any Ticketmaster location or the Gwinnett Center Box Office.

For more information contact GBT at 770-978-0018.

Gwinnett Ballet Theatre (GBT) will present its 27th edition of The Nutcracker for eleven public performances held December 6th – 21st, 2008. Eight of these performances will be danced to the accompaniment of the live, professional Gwinnett Ballet Theatre Orchestra conducted by Predrag Gosta.

GBT’s traditional interpretation of this favorite holiday classic will include beautifully performed classical dancing, a live magician, and colorful sets and costumes. GBT utilizes the talents of its pre-professional company plus a cast of 80 young students from its non-profit school. The GBT Orchestra conductor, Predrag Gosta, is also the Artistic Director of Atlanta’s highly esteemed New Trinity Baroque Ensemble.

But it isn’t just the students, professional and pre-professional dancers who get in on the action! For the past three years, GBT has invited some of Gwinnett’s most visible business and social personalities to appear onstage as one of our “Celebrity Mother Gingers.”

Mother Ginger is a character in the second act, a very tall “woman” with a huge skirt. Underneath the skirt area dozen small dancers called “Polichinelles” who dash out from underneath the costume and entertain the audience with dance and gymnastic feats.

In reality, the Mother Ginger volunteer enjoys these three minutes of fame at a small “price.” A great deal of stage makeup, a big wig, false eyelashes and a false bust are all a part of the package. Mother Ginger stands on a platform and is literally wheeled onstage by stage hands who also keep the apparatus steady. GBT is happy to say that they have never “lost” a Mother Ginger yet.

This year’s Celebrity Mother Gingers are still being recruited, but so far the list is impressive: Paige Havens of Spitfire Media Group, Cheryl Gee of Gwinnett Center, Demetrius Jordan of United Way, and Jeffrey Scott Bailey of Suwanee Performing Arts have all agreed to appear. And just to top it off, 680 The Fan on-air personality John Kincaid has also just signed on to appear as Mother Ginger. A complete list of “CMG’s” will be forthcoming.

Performances will be given at the beautiful Gwinnett Performing Arts Center located at 6400 Sugarloaf Parkway in Duluth, Georgia. Dates and times are as follows:

Saturday, December 6th at 2:30 and 7:30
Sunday, December 7th at 2:30
The above will be performed to recorded music.

Friday, December 12th at 7:30
Saturday, December 13th at 2:30 and 7:30
Sunday, December 14th at 2:30
Friday, December 19th at 7:30
Saturday, December 20th at 2:30 and 7:30
Sunday, December 21st at 2:30
These performances are accompanied by the
Gwinnett Ballet Theatre Orchestra

Tickets for December 6th and 7th are $20 for adults, $15 for students and seniors, and $10 for groups of 10 or more. Tickets for December 12th-21st are $27 for adults, $22 for students and seniors, and $18 for groups of ten or more.
Tickets can be obtained by calling Ticketmaster at 404-249-6400 or by visiting any Ticketmaster location or the Gwinnett Center Box Office.

For more information contact GBT at 770-978-0018 or visit www.gwinnettballet.org.

Gwinnett businessman Matt Retter has been elected as Gwinnett Ballet Theatre’s new Board Chairman effective July, 2008. Mr. Retter follows Stan Hall in this position. Mr. Hall held the Chairmanship for four years before moving from the GBT Board to become Chairman of the Board of the Hudgens Center for the Arts.

Mr. Retter owns his own real estate appraisal business in Lawrenceville, Billingsley, Retter and Associates, Inc., and is involved in consulting and developing real estate. He has been a resident of Gwinnett for the past 34 years and graduated from Berkmar High School. He is a graduate of Georgia State University with a Degree in Business Administration and received the MAI designation from the Appraisal Institute. He has been active in the South Gwinnett Rotary and has served as a Gwinnett County Planning Commissioner. He has held the offices of President and also Trustee of the Bethesda United Methodist Church Men’s Club.

“I hope to raise awareness within the Greater Gwinnett County business, civic and arts communities about the accomplishments and potential of Gwinnett Ballet Theatre,” he says.

GBT Artistic Director Lisa Sheppard Robson is also very enthusiastic about Mr. Retter’s taking the helm of the Board. She states, “I feel so fortunate that Matt has taken such interest in contributing his strengths to the Board. Performing arts organizations meet with challenges in our non-profit status and the cost of production versus funding. This is an area where Matt is always particularly focused and has met with success in the past. I am looking forward to his administration and following his direction to great new heights.”

Mr. Retter and his wife Meredith have three daughters, Mallory, Meagan and Molly. Mallory dances in the GBT pre-professional company. Matt, Meredith and Mallory traveled to Austria this summer where GBT dancers, including Mallory, participated in the Young Tanzsommer Festival. Mr. Retter says of the experience, “It was an opportunity of a lifetime and our dancers proved Gwinnett Ballet’s level of excellence as one of the top non-professional performing companies.”

Gwinnett Ballet Theatre has been “nurturing young dancers since 1977.” Located with studios in Snellville’s Fountain Square, the school and company are both non-profit, 501C3 entities. GBT will be producing its 27^th annual production of The Nutcracker this year from December 6-21^st at the Gwinnett Performing Arts Center.

For more information about Gwinnett Ballet Theatre, call 770-978-0188 or visit www.gwinnettballet.org.

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Four dancers from Gwinnett Ballet Theatre gained international performing experience when they participated in the Young! Tanzsommer Dance Festival in Tanzsommer, Austria this past June. One of four pre-professional dance companies from the USA, GBT was represented by Mallory Retter, Allison Bridgers, Lauren Ring and Maggie Ellington with the splendid addition of Atlanta Ballet soloist David Blumenfeld who performed with the young ballerinas.

Beginning June 14, the Festival’s first tour, titled “Solaris,” saw GBT dancers performing four ballets: “Something,” “Mind FX,” “Impromptu,” and “Five Points.” The venues in which they performed were exquisite locales such as the Austrian ski villages of St. Johann and Lienz. They performed in the famous Dogana Theatre in Innsbruck, which was built in 1630, to an audience of 3,000 people.

GBT Artistic Director Lisa Sheppard Robson says, “The public at all venues stated that this was the highest quality performance and talent overall from the Tanzsommer Tour to date.” The festival is ten years old this year.

Ms. Robson continues, “The highlight would be the performance at Elizabetina, a school for physically challenged children. The children watched every step with such excitement and enthusiasm! The dancers mingled with them after the show and signed autographs. The children were precious and star struck with delight.”

The dancers didn’t want for the tour to come to an end. Lauren Ring, a Brookwood High School graduate who will be going to Point Park University this fall on scholarship, said of the experience, “This is the best time I’ve ever had in my life!”

Parents went along as well. Cathy Ellington accompanied Maggie, and GBT new Board Chairman Matt Retter and his wife Meredith accompanied their daughter Mallory.

Mr. Retter was also impressed with the event. “The dancers experienced performing in front of hundreds of Europeans and in various historical venues with other young performers from across the United States. It was an opportunity of a lifetime, and our dancers proved Gwinnett Ballet’s level of excellence as one of the top pre-professional performing companies.”

The addition of David Blumenfeld was another big plus for the Gwinnett dancers. David is not only a highly acclaimed soloist for the Atlanta Ballet, but he is also one of their company teachers and on GBT’s faculty.

“David treated the girls as if he was their big brother,” adds Ms. Robson. “He added so much to their enjoyment of the venues and performances.”

She adds in summary, “I was so proud of our dancers. They took advantage of every minute, sightseeing, shopping, getting to know the other dancers. And just when I thought they were exhausted, they would perform with a vengeance! They were so professional and performed with perfection and artistry.”

To learn more about the Young! Tonzsommer Festival, go to http://www.youngtanzsommer.com/index.htm. For more about Gwinnett Ballet Theatre, visit www.gwinnettballet.org.

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