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RiverPointBallet to tour 'The Nutcracker'
Originally Posted Online: Nov. 16, 2009, 12:44 pm
Last Updated: Nov. 16, 2009, 12:44 pm
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Print this story | Email this storyLast Updated: Nov. 16, 2009, 12:44 pm
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Press release submitted by Lora Adams, chief development officer, WQPT, Quad Cities PBS. MOLINE -- RiverPointBallet is taking "The Nutcracker" on the road. The tour begins Nov. 24, at the Ohnward Performing Arts Center in Maquoketa, Iowa in a performance that is being taped for television. They will then move to the Quad-Cities with two performances at the First Presbyterian Church in Davenport, on Dec. 12, at 2 and 7:30 p.m. and Dec, 13 at Jumer's Casino and Hotel with a luncheon and performance beginning at 1 p.m. "We had been doing 'The Snow Queen' the last several years, but after that performance we received several phone calls asking us to tour a 'Nutcracker' "said artistic director, Susan Snider. After having performed excerpts of the ballet for several years, RiverPointBallet made the decision to pull out all of the stops and launch a full length production. Professional ballet dancer, Ramon Gaitan became available to dance with the company as Artist-in-Residence. "Ramon has been a guest artist for us in the past having danced in 'Giselle.' He brings an intensity and grace to the production. He is dancing the Father, the Nutcracker and will dance the Grand Pas de Deux with Candace Boyer, who did intensive summer study with the Joffrey Ballet (New York)," said Ms. Snider. A native of Nicaragua Mr. Gaitan studied at the Academy of Movement and Music and Northern Illinois University where he earned his BFA. Mr. Gaitan joined Richmond Ballet as a second year apprentice and moved on to the Ballet Theatre of Maryland where he performed the Cavalier in "Nutcracker," Ichabod Crane in " Sleepy Hollow" and leading roles in "Tarantella," "Tango Oblivion," "Three by three by three," "Italian Symphonete" and "Red, White and Blue" to name a few. He had the privilege to work with choreographer Wayne McGregor, at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, for "Midsummer Marriage." Most recently Mr. Gaitan was a member of Dayton Ballet dancing one of the lost boys in Septime Weber's "Peter Pan," Seward in Steward Sebastian "Dracula," King Louis III in Christopher Fleming "Three Musketeers," Dermot Burke's "Nutcracker" and "There was a time"; Christopher Flemings "The Who's Tommy," and Septime Weber's "Swan Lake." Mr. Gaitan danced the lead in Burklyn Ballet's "Beauty and the Beast" at the Fringe Festival in Scotland. Also dancing is Niccole Farner, who has studied with American Ballet Theatre and Pacific Northwest Ballet, Tad Snider, who danced for many years with Houston Ballet and Jonathon Neuman. Tom Vaccaro returns to play Herr Drosselmeyer, a role he has portrayed for nearly fifteen years, first with Cassandra Manning Ballet Theatre and now with RiverPoint. RiverPointBallet is a pre-professional ballet company that replicates the experience of a professional dance company for pre-professional (unpaid) dancers. "We are making several changes, setting the piece in the Edwardian era, so the gowns are very different than traditional productions," Ms. Snider said. Additionally, there is a sword fight in the battle scene with the Rat Queen and her minions. Tickets are available by calling each venue. Performance Dates and Times *Nov. 24 at 7:00 p.m., Ohnward Fine Arts Center, 1215 E. Platt St., Maquoketa, Iowa; box office: 563-652-9815; tickets, $12 and $15 *Dec. 12 at 2:00 and 7:30 p.m., First Presbyterian Church, 1702 Iowa Street, Davenport; box office: 563-326-1691; tickets, $8 and $12 *Dec. 13 at 1:00 p.m., Jumer's Casino & Hotel, 777 Jumer Drive, Rock Island; box office: (309)-756-4600; tickets, $30 includes lunch. 
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