Provided by Gainesville Ballet
Gainesville Ballet presents Collection and the 2nd Act of Giselle, one of the most iconic romantic ballets in the classical ballet repertoire, on Saturday, April 16th, 2016, at 7:30 p. m. at the Ernst Cultural Center in Annandale, Virginia.
The production features Gainesville Ballet’s professional company and junior company, with special guest stars Aaron Smyth and Aria Alekzander. Aaron Smyth has danced with the Royal Ballet in England, the Joffrey Ballet, American Ballet Theatre 2, in numerous international ballet galas, and is a frequent guest star in top companies around the world. He was also third place winner in Australia’s Got Talent, and was a Quarter finalist in this year’s America’s Got Talent television series on NBC. His partner, Aria Alekzander, has danced with Houston Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, American Ballet Theatre 2, Anaheim Ballet, and is now freelancing along with Aaron Smyth.
Gainesville Ballet is an exciting, young, professional company in Northern Virginia, led by the husband and wife team, Rafik Hegab and Elysabeth Muscat Hegab. The Artistic Director, Rafik Hegab, of Cairo, Egypt, thrilled audiences at the Hylton Performing Arts Center with his premiere of Carmina Burana in March 2015, followed by another originally choreographed premiere, Carmen, based on the opera by Bizet, in February 2016. Hegab chooses a mix of original, contemporary and neo-classical works, with traditional repertoire such as The Nutcracker, Giselle, Le Corsaire, and Swan Lake. Elysabeth Muscat Hegab grew up in Annandale, very close to the NOVA campus where the Giselle performance is being held. She studied ballet with Oleg Tupine and Tania Rousseau with Virginia Ballet, and at the Harkness Ballet Company in NYC. Before becoming the Managing Director of Gainesville Ballet in March of 2013, she was the Co-Founder and Managing Director of Baltimore Ballet from 2000-2012.
Tickets for this production are available at tututix.com; search for Gainesville Ballet. PWL Tickets are $35 adults, $15 children under 12, and $25 for students of NOVA. Special VIP tickets for $100 are available (premium seating and backstage passes to meet the artists and guest stars) and must be purchased through Gainesville Ballet at 703-753-5005.
For more information about Gainesville Ballet, visit the website at http://gainesvilleballetcompany.org or the Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/GainesvilleBalletCompany.
Gainesville Ballet is a federal 501(c)3 nonprofit organization and is supported in part by The Dominion Foundation, NOVEC, and Prince William County.
