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TITAS Presents The 2005 Command Performance of International BalletThe Greatest Night of Dance in Dallas This Year
Since its inception in 1995, TITAS' Command Performance has introduced North Texas to more than fifty of the world's most acclaimed dancers. This one-night-only performance has made The Dallas Morning News' Top Ten Dance Events nine times, the only dance event that has accomplished this feat. In reviewing the 2004 gala, The Dallas Morning News commented, “many bravos voiced the audience’s appreciation and longing for another night of dance magic.”
American Ballet Theatre Principal Julie Kent will also be making a return to the Music Hall stage. Ms. Kent last appeared on the TITAS gala in 2002 and will partner Damian Woetzel, a Principal dancer with the New York City Ballet. The pair will perform Other Dances and the White Swan Pas de Deux.
The final couple of the evening consists of Boston Ballet Principals Larissa Ponomarenko and Carlos Molina. Both dancers will be making their debut at the TITAS ballet gala. Born in the Ukraine and a graduate of the Vaganova Ballet Academy in St. Petersburg, Ms. Ponomarenko has been a Principal with the Boston Ballet since 1993 and has distinguished herself in the lead roles in most of the company’s repertoire. Carlos Molina, a native of Colombia, is a former Soloist with American Ballet Theatre and is currently in his first season with the Boston Ballet. Ms. Ponomarenko and Mr. Molina will be performing the Giselle Pas de Deux and the Spartacus Pas de Deux. In addition to these spectacular international stars, TITAS is proud to welcome Texas Ballet Theater to the Music Hall stage. This is the first time that the local company has been a part of the Command Performance. Their repertoire is yet to be determined. La Fête du Ballet follows the performance at the Hall of State. This elegant event invites Medici patrons to dine with the fabulous dancers they have witnessed on stage. The Command Performance of International Ballet, and La Fête du Ballet, are TITAS' major fund-raising events of the season. The proceeds from this spectacular ballet gala go to help fund the TITAS CROSSROADS educational and outreach program. During the season, TITAS works with local schools and organizations, often taking TITAS performers into schools for lecture demonstrations and master classes, allowing the children the opportunity to see and hear world-class artists first hand. The goal of the program, and a major part of TITAS' mission, is to help increase awareness and appreciation of the arts, and to encourage the students to take part in artistic endeavors. Every year, TITAS exposes several thousand students in the Dallas/Fort Worth area to performers that they might never see otherwise, through the CROSSROADS program. TITAS (Texas International Theatrical Arts Society) is the premier presenter of international dance and music performers in North Texas. Founded by Tom Adams in 1982 as a non-profit 501(c)(3) cultural/educational institution, TITAS has provided Metroplex audiences with such performers as Mikhail Baryshnikov, Laurie Anderson, KODO Drummers, STOMP, and many others. The Command Performance of International Ballet is made possible by the generous support of Neiman Marcus and American Airlines. Additional TITAS season sponsors include WFAA-Channel 8, The Dallas Morning News, AmeriSuites-West End, Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs, HeritageGalleries, Inc., Heritage Comics, Altria Companies, Inc, GroupBaronet, TACA and WRR 101.1 FM. Tickets range from $15.00 to $150.00, and TITAS Season Subscribers receive a 10% discount on Command Performance ticket purchases. Group discounts are also available. Medici tickets for La Fête du Ballet are $350.00 and include attendance at the Command Performance with a champagne reception at intermission and post-show dinner. To purchase tickets, or for more information, contact the TITAS Box Office at 214-528-5576, or visit the TITAS offices at 3101 N. Fitzhugh Ave, Suite 301, Dallas, Texas 75204. |
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TITAS presents the 11th annual Command Performance of
International Ballet, Saturday, April 16, 2005 at 7:00 p.m. at Dallas' Music
Hall at Fair Park. This year's guest artists will include past Command
Performance favorite Rasta Thomas, who is rapidly ascending to the top of
the dance world and is one of the most powerful and athletic dancers performing
today. This year’s ballet gala also welcomes a whopping six new artists to the
star-studded roster, the most Dallas premieres in years, in addition to a
special performance by the Metroplex’s own Texas Ballet Theater.
Having appeared in the 1999, 2000 and 2004 Command
Performance galas, Rasta Thomas has built up a strong following among Metroplex
dance fans and his unique energy and vibrancy are guaranteed to light up any
stage. A Principal dancer with Dance Theater of Harlem, Thomas has performed
with such prestigious companies as the Joffrey Ballet, Hartford Ballet, National
Ballet of China and was the first American to become a member of the Kirov
Ballet of St. Petersburg. He is currently touring with the company of Twyla
Tharp’s Movin’ Out, set to the music of Billy Joel. He will partner New
York City Ballet Principal Alexandra Ansanelli, who is making her debut
in the Command Performance. The duo will be dancing Le Corsaire Pas de Deux,
and Ansanelli will perform the solo The Man I Love from Who Cares?
Thomas will perform a new solo piece entitled Soulo. 
English National Ballet Principal Agnes Oaks, a
native of Estonia, and recognized as one of the finest classical dancers in
Britain today, will make her Command Performance debut. Ms. Oaks will partner
Viacheslav Samodurov, a Principal with The Royal Ballet who has also
danced with the Kirov Ballet and the Dutch National Ballet. Mr. Samodurov will
also be making his debut with the TITAS ballet gala, where he will perform the
Pas de Deux from Mysterious Ball and the Tchaikivsky Pas de
Deux with Ms. Oaks.
