A.V.A. Ballet Theatre's Nutcracker

The stage at the Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts will be alive with a sugar plum fairy and dancing mice as A.V.A. Ballet Theatre presents its 15th annual Nutcracker Ballet on December 11, 12, 13, 2009. A.V.A. Ballet Theatre’s artistic director Alexander Van Alstyne has choreographed an exciting rendition of the popular holiday ballet and the Reno Philharmonic Orchestra will perform Tchaikovsky’s moving score.

Principal dancers from professional ballet companies such as the San Francisco Ballet, Ballet West, and the Diablo Ballet will perform the leading roles along side a large cast of local talent.

Nutcracker performances will be held Friday December 11th at 8pm, December 12th at 8pm and Sunday December 13th at 2pm at the Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Reno. Ticket prices for adults are from $26 to $51. Ticket prices for children 12 and under and seniors 65 and older are from $21 to $41.

A special Sugar Plum party will be held after the Sunday afternoon performance where children can meet the Nutcracker characters.

A.V.A. Ballet Theatre is the resident ballet company of the Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts. They are northern Nevada's largest company under the instruction of a professional faculty with years of performing experience in renowned metropolitan ballet and production companies across the United States and Europe.

Mark your calendars now for this spectacular holiday tradition. For tickets call the Pioneer Center box office at 775-686-6600 or on-line at pioneercenter.com. Box office hours are Monday through Friday 11am to 6pm.

For more information call A.V.A. Ballet Theatre at 775-762-5165 or on-line at avaballet.com or call the Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts at 775-686-6600.

Evening With The Swans Fundraiser

A.V.A. Ballet Theatre will be holding a fundraiser on the stage of the Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts October 17, 2009 at 6pm. The event will have an elegant Evening with the Swans theme and will feature performances by the dancers of A.V.A. Ballet Theatre and A.V.A. Ballet Theatre II.

Tickets are $100 or $75 for tables of eight or more and include dinner, dessert and the entertainment. A.V.A. Ballet Theatre is the largest ballet company in Northern Nevada and the only one to have a live orchestra at all of their classical ballet performances at the Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts.

This fundraiser will ensure that A.V.A. Ballet Theatre can continue to bring in high quality professional dancers and create new costumes and exciting sets for their performances.

For more information call A.V.A. Ballet Theatre at 775-762-5165 or online at avaballet.com. Tickets can be purchased at pioneercenter.com.

A.V.A. Ballet Theatre is the resident ballet company for the Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts. They are Northern Nevada's largest company under the instruction of a professional faculty with years of performing experience in renowned metropolitan ballet and production companies across the United States and Europe.

A.V.A. Ballet Theatre II, A Youth Ballet Company

A.V.A. Ballet Theatre is pleased to announce the creation of A.V.A. Ballet Theatre II, a youth ballet company. A.V.A. Ballet Theatre II will be comprised of a select group of young aspiring ballet dancers ages 11 to 14. These dancers will train with A.V.A. Ballet Theatre’s artistic director Alexander Van Alstyne, co-director Miriam Allen, corps dancers from the company, and various guest dancers who visit the Reno area.

A.V.A. Ballet Theatre II dancers will receive a free class per week. The emphasis will be on pre-professional achievement with each level carefully crafted to provide the most unique and comprehensive training and produce the highest caliber of dancer.

The youth ballet will perform for at risk schools, local libraries, retirement homes and at various other venues throughout Northern Nevada.

Backstage, youth ballet dancers will have the unique opportunity to connect with A.V.A. Ballet Theatre professional dancers and the corps de ballet. The students will build relationships with these experienced dancers and have the opportunity to learn about costumes, make-up, set design, choreography, and strength training.

There will be open auditions for A.V.A. Ballet Theatre II. Those students ages 11 to 14 who wish to audition for the youth company should signup at the September 19, 2009 Nutcracker auditions at the Pioneer Center.

A.V.A. Ballet Theatre is the resident ballet company for the Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts. They are Northern Nevada’s largest ballet company under the instruction of a professional faculty with years of performing experience in renowned metropolitan ballet and production companies across the Unites States and Europe.

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Nutcracker Auditions

A.V.A. Ballet Theatre will hold open auditions for its upcoming production of the Nutcracker Ballet, a holiday favorite choreographed by artistic director Alexander Van Alstyne.

Auditions will be held Saturday, September 19, 2009 at the Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts 100 South Virginia Street Reno, Nevada. Auditions will be held at the following times:

2:00 pm 8–9 year olds (Boys and girls)
2:45 pm 10-11 year olds (Boys and girls)
4:00 pm 12-14 years old (Boys and girls)
5:00 pm Corps de Ballet & Soloists (Girls en Pointe)
6:00 pm Parents and walk on roles

There will also be positions for gymnasts 14 years and up.

Please be prepared for a call-back on Sunday September 20th.

The Nutcracker Ballet will be performed at the Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts December 11 to 13, 2009 with the Reno Philharmonic Orchestra.

For more information please contact (775) 762-5165.

A.V.A. Ballet Theatre is the resident ballet company for the Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts. They are northern Nevada's largest company under the instruction of a professional faculty with years of performing experience in renowned metropolitan ballet and production companies across the United States and Europe.

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Joffrey Ballet's Jonathan Dummar to Star in Vortex

The Hawkins’ Amphitheater at Bartley Ranch will come alive with ballet grace and passionate rock, dance, Broadway and alternative music as A.V.A. Ballet Theatre presents the rock ballet Vortex July 10th and 11th as part of the Artown celebration.

Artistic director Alexander Van Alstyne has choreographed an exciting contemporary ballet that will be like no other you have ever seen. Imagine ballerinas performing grande jetés to music by popular rock artists. The stage will feature scaffolding and exciting props and sets that will create a visual spectacle that can not be missed.

Featuring a cast of extremely talented performers from Reno and starring Jonathan Dummar from Chicago’s Joffrey Ballet and other guest artists from Ballet West, the rock ballet Vortex will feature demanding and passionate movement inspired by the dynamic of the music.

The performances of Vortex are at 8:30pm July 10th and 11th at the beautiful Bartley Ranch Hawkins Amphitheater. Ticket prices are $15 for adults. Students with I.D. only $10. This is a PG 13 show. Special VIP tickets that include wine/beer and hors d’oevres are available for $40. The gates open at 7:30pm for picnicking and the VIP party. Tickets can be purchased online at avaballet.com, by calling 775-762-5165 or at the Bartley Ranch box office the nights of the shows.

A.V.A. Ballet Theatre is the resident ballet company for the Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts. They are northern Nevada's largest company under the instruction of a professional faculty with years of performing experience in renowned metropolitan ballet and production companies across the United States and Europe.

Vortex is a part of the Artown festival July 1 – 31, 2009. The month long summer arts festival features more than 300 events produced by more than 80 cultural organizations city wide with major funding provided by the City of Reno.

Mark you calendars now for this spectacular production. For more information call A.V.A. Ballet Theatre at 775-762-5165.

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A.V.A. Ballet Theatre's Vortex Rock Ballet

The Hawkins Amphitheater at Bartley Ranch will come alive with ballet grace and passionate rock, dance, Broadway and alternative music as A.V.A. Ballet Theatre presents the rock ballet Vortex July 10th and 11th as part of the Artown celebration.

Artistic director Alexander Van Alstyne has choreographed an exciting contemporary ballet that will be like no other you have ever seen. Imagine ballerinas performing grande jetés to music by popular rock artists. The stage will feature scaffolding and exciting props and sets that will create a visual spectacle that can not be missed.

Featuring a cast of extremely talented performers from Reno and starring guest artists from Ballet West, the rock ballet Vortex will feature demanding and passionate movement inspired by the dynamic of the music.

The performances of Vortex are at 8:30pm July 10th and 11th at the beautiful Bartley Ranch Hawkins Amphitheater. Ticket prices are $15 for adults. Students with I.D. only $10. This is a PG 13 show. Special VIP tickets that include wine and hors d’oevres are available for $40. The gates open at 7:30pm for picnicking and the VIP party. Tickets can be purchased online at avaballet.com, by calling 775-762-5165 or at the Bartley Ranch box office the nights of the shows.

A.V.A. Ballet Theatre is the resident ballet company for the Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts. They are northern Nevada's largest company under the instruction of a professional faculty with years of performing experience in renowned metropolitan ballet and production companies across the United States and Europe.

Vortex is a part of the Artown festival July 1 – 31, 2009. The month long summer arts festival features more than 300 events produced by more than 80 cultural organizations city wide with major funding provided by the City of Reno.

Mark you calendars now for this spectacular production. For more information call A.V.A. Ballet Theatre at 775-762-5165.

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A.V.A. Ballet Theatre's Summer Dance Camp

A.V.A. Ballet Theatre will be holding its annual summer dance camp June 15–June 26, 2009. This dance camp is designed for students age 8 years of age and older who have had previous ballet training. The dance camp includes instruction in ballet, jazz, and pointe variations.Classes are held Monday through Friday at the Conservatory of Movement, 73 West Plumb Lane, Reno, Nevada. The morning session is for students 8-9 years of age and includes ballet technique and jazz. Students ages 11 to 12 will learn ballet technique, jazz and choreography. The afternoon session is for advanced students and includes ballet technique, pointe/variations, and jazz. The dance camp includes guest instructors from Utah’s Ballet West.“Our summer camp provides an intense level of training,” says A.V.A Ballet Theatre artistic director Alexander Van Alstyne. “For those students who want to greatly improve their dance skills this summer camp will provide the instruction and technical expertise that they are seeking.”For more information on the A.V.A. Ballet Theatre summer camp call 775-762-5165.A.V.A. Ballet Theatre is the resident ballet company for the Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts. They are Northern Nevada’s largest company under the instruction of a professional faculty with years of experience in renowned metropolitan ballet and production companies across the United States and Europe.

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Jack Neal's Review of Alice in Wonderland

The A.V.A. Ballet Theatre’s presentation, in collaboration with the Reno Philharmonic, of “Alice in Wonderland” is as bright and sunny as a van Gogh painting. Lewis Carroll’s classic tale, “The Adventures of Alice in Wonderland,” was published in 1865. Given the joyous dance presentation that opened last night at Reno’s Pioneer Center (3/21/09), Alice will remain forever young. With gorgeous costumes designed by AVABT’s Alexander Van Alstyne, and marvelously creative choreography by the same Mr. Van Alstyne, it’s clear the company’s impresario is a jack-of-all-trades who, like the Mad Hatter, wears all kinds of hats with roguish elegance. The production’s able assistant is Miriam Allen, a gifted dance director of note in her own right. “Alice” comes with glowing Don Smith lighting, handsome sets and set decorations, and an elegant score by Joseph Horovitz played by members of the Reno Philharmonic with the same care as if they were playing Mozart. The orchestra is conducted with dash, and sensitivity to the needs of dancers, by Nevada Opera’s Michael Borowitz. The Horovitz is a rarely heard score that comes by its droll wit with a well-grounded history for musical whimsy. Horovitz provided choice musical sketches for the hilarious Hoffnung’s Music Festival concerts and recordings popular in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Hoffnung, a tuba player, loved thumbing his nose at upper-crust customs in music that were considered “erudite” and “superior.” Two of Horovitz’s contributions to Hoffnung’s concerts stand out: “Horrortorio” and “Metamorphosis on a Bedtime Theme.” Each gives insight into what Horovitz is up to as he breathes renewed life into the whimsical characters that have made their way from Carroll’s original “Alice” to this highly imaginative presentation. From the Caterpillar, played with seductive grace by Nicole Shutt, to the Duchess’s mansion inhabited by the comedic Duchess of Doreen Begley’s creation and the Duchess’s pepper-fetish cook (Kathleen Bolotin), “Alice in Wonderland” never once loses its momentum to entertain. Eve Allen is Alice and she evokes the mix of youth, innocence and curiosity that has made Alice the endearing personality she is for over a century. Allen is given a great deal to do and she does it with the assurance of a beautifully groomed ballerina. The Rose Garden, ruled with cold disdain by Katherine McCall as the haughty Queen of Hearts, also commands attention. As does the always-late White Rabbit who is danced with intelligence and energy by Aidan DeYoung. Beau Pearson dances the Knave of Hearts with authority and panache. Emily Adams is an exquisite Tiger Lily. Adams and Pearson are a captivating couple and dance the production’s understated, yet rapturous pas de deux with no hint of affectation. They are simply who they are – young lovers in Wonderland. Each of the animals has its own vocabulary that charms. The Cheshire Cat (Michael Heredia), Dinah (Brylee Garcia), The Dormouse (Kelly Rubero) all charm, as do Bruce Lundstrom’s Mad Hatter and Colton Harrah’s March Hare. Also bringing pleasure is the duet of Tweedledee (Becca Kitchen) and Tweedledum (Jessica Evans), and the giddy, animated quadrille of lobsters which just have to please even the most dour. Not to be forgotten is the corps de ballet which shines it on as Act I’s Living Flowers and as Act II’s bouquets of Roses. With arm movements as precise as a Bach fugue and legs as nimble as prodigy’s fingers, these young dancers are a beautifully turned out matched set. This impressive “Alice in Wonderland” is a feast of color and dance with a multitude of delectable delights. What's not to love about a land of wonder filled with adorable rabbits, butterflies, lady bugs, gardners and cards that move? The end result is simply to enjoy. The AVA Ballet Theatre and the Reno Philharmonic’s “Alice in Wonderland” can be seen at the Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts, 100 South Virginia Street, Reno, Nevada, Saturday, March 21 (2009) at 8 p.m. (the performance reviewed) and Sunday, March 22 (2009) at 2 p.m. For information call 775-686-6600.

A.V.A. Ballet Theatre Teams Up with Rotary to Combat Polio

The Reno/Sparks members of Rotary International are teaming up with A.V.A. Ballet Theatre to help eradicate polio – a disease that infects and paralyzes children – from the planet. The Rotarians will be attending A.V.A. Ballet Theatre’s performances of Alice in Wonderland on March 21st and 22nd at the Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts.
At each of the Alice in Wonderland performances, there will be several End Polio Now donation drop boxes. The Rotarians are encouraging their members and caring people throughout the community to come and enjoy the ballet and donate to this wonderful cause.

Since 1985, Rotary has raised over $700 million, and 2 billion children have been vaccinated. In this final global push, Rotary is working to match a generous $355 million pledge by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

We can help make this a polio-free world. It costs about 60¢ to immunize a child... $5 will immunize eight against this crippling disease.

The Alice in Wonderland ballet is re-staged and re-choreographed by Alexander Van Alstyne and is the captivating story of Alice’s adventures through the looking glass. The Reno Philharmonic Orchestra will perform the exciting score. The White Rabbit, Mad Hatter and the Queen of Hearts have starring roles in this fantasy adventure. This classic story is filled with mesmerizing dance, intrigue, comedy and is fun for the entire family.
A.V.A. Ballet Theatre’s Eve Allen will star as Alice. Kate Crews and Jason Linsley from Ballet West will also perform as Tiger-lily and the Knave of Hearts. The large cast includes many talented dancers from numerous different ballet studios in the Reno area.
The Saturday March 21st performance will be held at 8pm and the Sunday March 22nd performance will be at 2pm. Ticket prices for adults are from $25 to $40. Ticket prices for children 12 and under and seniors 65 and older are from $15 to $35. For tickets call the Pioneer Center at 877-840-0457 or on-line at pioneercenter.com. Box office hours are Monday through Friday 11am to 6pm.
A.V.A. Ballet Theatre is the resident ballet company of the Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts. They are northern Nevada's largest company under the instruction of a professional faculty with years of performing experience in renowned metropolitan ballet and production companies across the United States and Europe.
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A.V.A. Ballet Theatre's High Tea Fundraiser

A.V.A. Ballet Theatre will be holding an Alice in Wonderland High Tea Sunday March 8, 2009 at the Country Garden Restaurant in Arlington Gardens. The tea party will be from 2:00pm to 4:00pm.

Tickets are $30 and include finger sandwiches, scones with butter and jam, lemon tarts, frosted brownies, butter cookies, strawberries with whip cream and tea and hot chocolate. Many of the characters from the upcoming Alice in Wonderland ballet will be in attendance.

A.V.A. Ballet Theatre is the largest ballet company in Northern Nevada and the only one to have the Reno Philharmonic Orchestra perform at all of their classical ballet performances at the Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts.

This fundraiser will ensure that A.V.A. Ballet Theatre can continue to bring in high quality professional dancers, new costumes and exciting sets for their performances.

For more information call A.V.A. Ballet Theatre at 775-762-5165 or online at avaballet.com.

Mark you calendars for the Alice in Wonderland ballet which will be held at the Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts on March 21 and 22nd.

A.V.A. Ballet Theatre is the resident ballet company for the Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts. They are northern Nevada's largest company under the instruction of a professional faculty with years of performing experience in renowned metropolitan ballet and production companies across the United States and Europe.