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March 16, 2018 <u><span style="font-family:"Calibri Bold",serif"><o:p></o:p></span></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u><span style="font-family:"Calibri Bold",serif">IMMEDIATE RELEASE</span></u><span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span><u><span style="font-family:"Calibri Bold",serif"><o:p></o:p></span></u></p>
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<u><span style="font-family:"Calibri Bold",serif">Contact: <o:p></o:p></span></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:
normal">
Julia Dillard, Marketing Manager<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:
normal">
info@clevelandballet.org<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:
normal">
216-320-9000 <o:p></o:p></p>
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<o:p> </o:p></p>
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Cleveland Ballet presents the World Premiere of <span style="font-family:
"Calibri Italic",serif">
Alice</span>, choreographed by Joffrey Ballet Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Margo Sappington.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Bold",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Bold",serif">CLEVELAND, OH March 16, 2018:
</span>Cleveland Ballet is pleased to announce our premiere of <span style="font-family:"Calibri Italic",serif">
Alice</span>, an original evening-length ballet choreographed by Margo Sappington.
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<p class="MsoNormal">Sappington is not new to Cleveland audiences.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">‘If He Were Mine’</i>, a glamorous pas de deux choreographed by Sappington for America’s favorite ballerina, Cynthia Gregory received standing ovations in the mid 90’s.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>This work was created for the former Cleveland Ballet.<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">The production of Alice marks the final performance of Cleveland Ballet’s third season.
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<p class="MsoNormal">Commissioned by Cleveland Ballet to create this new work, Sappington is bringing fresh fantasies and an original score to this modern re-imagining based on the 1865 novel by Lewis Carroll. Inspired by a turn-of-the century circus, Sappington
says the production will have a “belle époque” aesthetic, with an open “circus ring stage” that will enable the audience to witness the dancers as they transform into various characters.<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Since the creation of her first ballet for the Joffrey Ballet in 1971, Sappington’s vibrant career has taken her around the world, creating original works for companies such as Pennsylvania Ballet, Hubbard Street Dance, Ballet Next, Kansas
City Ballet, Ballet du Capitole (France), and Central Ballet of China, among many others.
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<p class="MsoNormal">She has received nominations for both a Tony Award for Best Choreographer and Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Choreography as recognition of her work on the Broadway revival of “<span style="font-family:"Calibri Italic",serif">Where’s
Charley?”. </span>She is also the recipient of Joffrey Ballet’s Lifetime Achievement award for her contributions to the art of ballet.<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="Body"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"">Sappington says, of this production: “The thing that’s exciting to me about the story of
</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Italic",serif">Alice</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman""> is that it’s so
theatrical. This production is not just going to be a dance, it’s a theater experience
</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Italic",serif">through</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman""> dance. Reading
the book again after many years, I was struck by how it’s all over the place.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>It’s funny, creepy, weird and nonsensical, so I thought to do it like a circus.
</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;
mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Italic",serif">Alice</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman""> will take place
inside a big circus ring, where you’ll see dancers turn into different characters as they step outside the ring and pick up a hat, or a coat. It’s going to have a funky, inclusive feel as opposed to a presentational feel where we hide everything from you.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="Body"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="Body"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"">“The musical score will be original, I’m putting it together with a composer friend of mine. We will have a string
quartet playing a Mozart minuet, a trumpet and an accordion for some of the transitions, and then some Ravi Shankar, Esquivel, Django Reinhardt, and British Light Classical music. I want there to be surprises, musical surprises, and also things that are familiar.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="Body"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Cleveland Ballet is dedicated to creating an appreciation for reimagined classical, modern and contemporary ballet.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Bold",serif">Media professionals are invited to schedule interviews with Margo Sappington or Cleveland Ballet Artistic Director Gladisa Guadalupe.</span> Please contact Cleveland Ballet 216-320-9000 x102
and speak with Maureen Basista to schedule times or for more company-related information.<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">For more information on our world premiere of <span style="font-family:"Calibri Italic",serif">
Alice </span>at the Ohio Theatre at Playhouse Square on Friday, May 11<sup>th</sup> at 8pm and Saturday, May 12<sup>th</sup> at 11am., visit our website
<a href="http://www.clevelandballet.org/" id="LPlnk296459" previewremoved="true">
<span class="Hyperlink1">www.clevelandballet.org</span></a> or playhousesquare.org to purchase tickets ($25-$69).
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">What:</b> Alice<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Who:</b> Cleveland Ballet<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Performances:</b> May 11<sup>th</sup> and May 12<sup>th</sup> 2018<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Time:</b> Friday at 8pm and Saturday at 11am<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Location:</b> Ohio Theatre at Playhouse Square
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Admission: </b>$25 - $69<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Curlz MT";color:#0070C0">Celebrating Alice</span></b><span style="color:#0070C0">
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<p class="MsoNormal">Opening Night Benefit Dinner and Show<br>
Friday May 11, 2018<br>
5:30 pm, cocktails & dinner<br>
at Cibr<span style="font-family:"High Tower Text",serif">é</span>o Privato<br>
2037 E. 14<sup>th</sup> Street Cleveland Ohio<br>
8:00 pm, performance at Ohio Theatre<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Cost of the evening is $150 per person<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">For more information on Cleveland Ballet, visit clevelandballet.org, or call 216-320-9000
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Stay connected on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.<o:p></o:p></p>
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