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<h1 style="text-align:left" align="left"><span style="font-size:13.0pt">FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span></span></h1>
<div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:20.0pt">Moscow Ballet’s<span style="color:red"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Great Russian
Nutcracker</i> welcomes Cleveland’s student dancers on stage, Dec. 1!</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt"> </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="color:black;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold">Local student dancers audition,
rehearse and perform side-by-side with 40 Moscow Ballet professionals </span></i></div>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";
color:windowtext"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"></span></span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:
"Times New Roman","serif";color:windowtext"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span style="mso-no-proof:yes"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"></span></span></b></span></i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""> </span><br>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:
normal"><span style="color:black">(Berkshires, Mass.) Nov. 19, 2012</span></b><span style="color:black"> – </span>Cleveland area<span style="color:black"> youth
have been selected to perform alongside 40 Moscow Ballet professionals in the
20<sup>th</sup> Anniversary <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Great Russian
Nutcracker</i> at <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Music Hall Cleveland
on December 1, at 3 pm and 7:30 pm<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight:bold">.</span></b></span><span class="apple-converted-space"> <a href="http://www.enpointedanse.com/">En
Pointe Danse</a><b><span style="color:#525253;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;
mso-border-alt:none windowtext 0in;padding:0in;background:white"> </span></b></span><span style="color:black">is the host studio for Moscow Ballet’s Student Program<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>and a Moscow Ballet soloist</span><span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="color:red"> </span></b></span><span style="color:black">serves as Audition and Rehearsal Director.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="color:black"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="color:black">Every
year since 1993, Moscow Ballet has engaged local ballet students and host
studios in cities on the North American tour, offering them the most unusual
opportunity of auditioning, rehearsing and performing in a professional
setting. Cathy Napolitano-Mucci hosted the auditions in her studio, Dance
Center North (Syracuse, NY) for the first <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Great
Russian Nutcracker</i> tour and has done so every year since that the company
is in town. “I know from watching my students grow and advance since the very
first Moscow Ballet tour, that this is one of the most significant experiences
a young dancer can have. It lifts them up and humbles them all at the same
time,” remarks Cathy Mucci, “I am honored to have been Moscow Ballet’s host
dance studio for 20 years.” Children ages 7 to 16, under 5’2” and with some
ballet training are eligible to audition.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="color:black"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="color:black">Selected
student dancers in<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Act I</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>are<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><b>Party
Children:</b><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span>Giuliana
Martin, Anna Arsham, Haley Ross, Holly Annmarie Smith, Madeline Halley, Rachael
Quandt, Brady Patrick Rowan, Rachel Wilson, Amy Bransky, Amelia Broadbent,
Alyssa Lorence. <b><span style="color:black">Mice:<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></b>Hannah Basali, Mary Bell,
Hannah Fitzsimmons, Ava Lambert, Meara Mahoney, Elena Novak, Katherine Rankin,
Grace Wanamaker, Bronwyn Warnock, Elena Yefimov. <strong><span style="color:black">Snowflakes</span></strong><b><span style="color:black">:</span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color:black"> </span></span>Maia
Atzemis, Victoria Blechschmid, Erin Burchard, Anna Campbell, Molly Cohen, Carly
DeMille, Viviana Elin, Elizabeth Huang, Alexandra Kanarsky, Krista Latore, Liza
Marra, Megan Michael, Sarah Porter, Lily Prebul, Majdi Rudmann, Katerina
Santos, Phoebe Shi, Lena Sprinzl, Kate Stephenson, Miabella Wallace, Emily
Wilson, Marjeigh Wilson, Alyssa Zaffiro. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Angels:
</b>Audrianna Bando, Meghan Bhanoo, London Rose Koprowski, Jane Peck, Barbora
Ptackova, Mateja Rudmann, Ruby Snavely, Laura Van DerSchuur, Giuliana Martin, Anna
Arsham, Haley Ross, Holly Annmarie Smith.<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color:black"> </span></span><i><span style="color:black">Dancers in
Act II’s variations</span></i><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color:black"> </span></span><span style="color:black">are<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><b>Spanish:<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></b></span>Jordyn Henderson, Patricia
Constantine, Natalie Welch. <b><span style="color:black">Russian:</span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color:black"> </span></span>Katherine
Ference, Jamie Holkovic, Alison Patterson, Patricia Constantine, Ellie
Burchard, Claire Stinson. <b><span style="color:black">French:<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></b>Kathleen Guo, Veronika
Ptackova.<span style="color:black"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Arabian:
</b></span>Sarah Kuchcinski, Madison Sala. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Chinese:
</b>Calla Martin, Taylor Martin, Olivia Tarr, Jordyn Henderson, Caroline
Holland, Samantha E. Lee.</div>
<div style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black"> </span></div>
<div style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:150%"><b><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black">For tickets visit<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></b><span style="font-family:
"Times New Roman","serif""><a href="http://www.nutcracker.com"><b><span style="color:purple">www.nutcracker.com</span></b></a><b><span style="color:black">. For groups of 10 or more, call 800-320-1733 x15.</span></b></span></div>
<div style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:150%"><b><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black"> </span></b></div>
<div style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:150%"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><a href="http://www.enpointedanse.com/">En Pointe Danse</a>’s </span></span><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">goal is to provide a nurturing
environment for beginner through adult dancers, inspiring the joy and passion
of dance by fostering creative expression. The studio offers a variety of dance
forms to aid in exploring the wonders of dance including creative movement,
ballet, pointe, tap, and modern dance. The focus of the studio is on technique
and fostering discipline and critical thinking in the dancers. This is the
studio’s third year hosting Moscow Ballet auditions for the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Great Russian Nutcracker.</i></span></div>
<div style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman""> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:
normal"><a href="http://www.nutcracker.com/support/history">Over 20 Years 50,000+
Children Receive Arts Enrichment</a> – </b>Moscow Ballet’s 20th anniversary <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Great Russian Nutcracker</i> celebrates the
50,000+ student dancers (an average of 50 students in 50 cities over 20 years
time) who have performed along-side the Russian cast of 40 on annual North
American tours.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The commitment to
deliver children’s programming, in tandem with acclaimed ballet performances, began
twenty years earlier when Moscow Ballet producers, then working with Connecticut
Dance Theatre, invited Dance Theater of Harlem directors to work with their
Hartford students. Among those dedicated students was Charmaine Hunter who went
on to become star of Arthur Mitchell’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Fire
Bird</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Other children’s programming
includes 1984 “Cynthia Gregory Celebration Tour” with the “Just Say No”
campaign as it’s official message and chaired by First Lady Nancy Reagan; Russian-Cultural
Ballet program produced in museums and art institutions; “Cinderella Around the
World” dance and literacy program; and “First International Glasnost Festival
Tours” included symposiums, screenings, poetry readings, and more for students
and public at Dartmouth, Yale, and other colleges.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Today Moscow Ballet offers all children <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><a href="http://www.nutcracker.com/support/new-horizons">New Horizons – A
Children’s Program for Life</a></i> addressing diet, exercise and creative
expression through interactive experiences with Moscow Ballet dancers. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><a href="http://www.nutcracker.com/support/history">www.nutcracker.com/support/history</a>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="color:black"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height:150%"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:
normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Moscow
Ballet’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><a href="http://www.nutcracker.com/"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:
150%">20<sup>th</sup> Anniversary</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;
line-height:150%;font-style:normal"> </span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;
line-height:150%">Great Russian Nutcracker</span></a></i></span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">
overflows with spectacular<span style="color:red"> </span>and award-winning
principal dancer Karyna Shatkovskaya and Vladimir Tkachenko; company of 40
women and men; Christmas Tree that grows to 5 stories tall; playful 10’ tall silk
puppets; 200 all new, hand-made costumes; and falling snow. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;
line-height:150%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;
line-height:150%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Russian cultural
elements include a Troika styled sleigh escorted by Ded Moroz (Father
Christmas) and Snegurochka (Snow Maiden) and 9 hand-painted backdrops by
Valentin Federov, set to Tchaikovsky’s complete <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:
normal">Nutcracker Suite</i> score. For 20 years Moscow Ballet’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Great Russian Nutcracker</i> performances
have introduced the finest Russian ballerinas and danseurs to audiences across
North America. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:
normal">Great Russian Nutcracker</i> - 20 years of acclaim, 20 years of soaring
holiday spirit!</b> <a href="http://www.nutcracker.com"><span style="font-size:
11.0pt;line-height:150%">www.nutcracker.com</span></a><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></span></div>
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