American Repertory Ballet Presents BEHIND THE CURTAIN: INSIDE SWAN LAKE Today, 11/9

Princeton Ballet School, the Official School of American Repertory Ballet, produces a full-length classical ballet each spring. This year, the school will restage the iconic ballet Swan Lake. At BEHIND THE CURTAIN: INSIDE SWAN LAKE, an On Pointe Enrichment Series event, ARB Artistic Director Douglas Martin, Princeton Ballet School Director Mary Pat Robertson, and the advanced students of Princeton Ballet School will present an intimate sneak peek at the preparations for this year's Annual Spring Production today, November 9, 2012 at 5:15pm at Princeton Ballet School (301 North Harrison Street, above McCaffrey's Supermarket).

At BEHIND THE CURTAIN: INSIDE SWAN LAKE, excerpts from Swan Lake will be performed by Princeton Ballet School’s advanced students. These advanced students have the opportunity to work closely throughout the rehearsal process with esteemed faculty member Maria Youskevitch, daughter of premiere danseur of the 20th Century Igor Youskevitch. Ms. Youskevitch stages and coaches the advanced variations and ensemble dances with careful reverence for the original choreography by Marius Petipa. After her own professional dance career with American Ballet Theatre, Maryland Ballet, and her father’s concert group, Ballet Romantique, Ms. Youskevitch set and coached classical ballet such as Swan Lake for professional companies throughout the United States.

Discussion at this On Pointe will include the history of Swan Lake and how Princeton Ballet School’s renowned faculty, such as Ms. Youskevitch, restage this timeless classic for a wide range of levels - from young students through pre-professional dancers. Any enrolled Princeton Ballet School student is able to participate in the Annual Spring Production, including young students in Children’s Ballet levels and adult students in Open Enrollment classes. All rehearsals take place outside of class time; Princeton Ballet School is committed to providing performance opportunities alongside continued technical training.

"The School has been presenting a professional-quality, full-length classical ballet annually for many years now," says Martin. "It's a great opportunity for the students to work together outside of their technique classes, as professional company members do, and to learn the kind of work that goes into presenting such a large-scale production. I think it's important for the audience to understand the kind of rigorous work that goes into producing a ballet, too, which is our purpose in presenting this On Pointe."

Princeton Ballet School’s Spring 2012 Production of SWAN LAKE will be performed on May 18, 2013 at the Patriots Theater at the War Memorial in Trenton, NJ.

ARB launched On Pointe in 2010 to help make ballet more accessible to the community. The Enrichment Series brings guest speakers, lecture demonstrations, intimate company performance previews and panel discussions to seasoned dance enthusiasts and new students alike on a monthly basis. BEHIND THE CURTAIN: INSIDE SWAN LAKE will be presented on November 9, 2012 at 5:15pm at Princeton Ballet School (301 North Harrison Street, above McCaffrey's Supermarket).