Spirited series includes a world premiere by Adam Hougland

MILWAUKEE – January 16, 2009 – Audiences of all ages can dance right into the New Year with the youthful and spirited American ballet, Fancy Free, and two additional dynamic works. Showing February 19-22 at the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts, this series is sure to brighten those winter blues.

Pairing two Broadway dynamos, Leonard Bernstein’s bouncy score with Jerome Robbins’ exuberant choreography, Fancy Free shows what happens when three sailors go out looking for fun and adventure in New York City. As the inspiration for the movie musical “On the Town” with Gene Kelly, this production will have audiences tapping their toes and swinging to the beats of its jazzy score.

Inspired by Paul Cadmus’ 1934 painting, “The Fleet’s In!” Fancy Free portrays members of the military as healthy and vital, rather than sordid and morbid. Fancy Free was the first of several collaborative efforts between Robbins’ choreography and Bernstein’s music. Together they went on to develop some of Broadway's most classic productions—On the Town and West Side Story.

In addition to Fancy Free, the performance includes a world premiere set to the music of Mozart by freelance choreographer Adam Hougland, known for his highly kinetic, physically daring and musically driven dance. Hougland is the 2006 recipient of the Princess Grace Award for Choreography, and one of Pointe Magazine’s 10 VIP's of 2006.

Rounding out the series, Milwaukee Ballet’s Denis Malinkine, Ballet Master, will set the third act of choreographer Marius Petipa’s Raymonda. A classical piece with music composed by Alexander Glazunov, this excerpt from Raymonda is often extracted and performed independently from the full-length ballet showcasing a wide variety of dance styles.

Fancy Free runs February 19-22 at the Marcus Center for Performing Arts, 929 N. Water Street, Milwaukee. Milwaukee Ballet provides world-class entertainment at an affordable price with tickets for every performance starting at just $22. To order or for additional information, call (414) 902-2103 or visit www.milwaukeeballet.org. Fancy Free is generously sponsored by The Ettinger Family Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Mini-Series Package
The Mini-Series package is a great way for people new to Milwaukee Ballet to grow their passion for dance. This package includes tickets to see Fancy Free, Genesis and Live and Kicking at a discounted price.

Milwaukee Ballet
Founded in 1970, Milwaukee Ballet strives to inspire its audiences to think within and beyond traditional ballet through the presentation of quality performances and the implementation of educational opportunities.  Milwaukee Ballet and Milwaukee Ballet School are recognized among the top companies in the nation.  Milwaukee Ballet School is the only professional dance school in the Midwest accredited by the National Association of Schools of Dance. With an annual operating budget of more than $5 million, Milwaukee Ballet presents more than 40 performances to more than 50,000 people each year.  Its resident company includes 25 professional dancers along with 18 trainees in its Nancy Einhorn Milwaukee Ballet II program and is one of the few dance companies in the country to maintain its own symphony orchestra. Milwaukee Ballet School, the official school of the Ballet, has an enrollment of nearly 900 students at three locations throughout Southeastern Wisconsin.