American Liberty Ballet presents "Romeo and Jewliet: Vienna 1938"
Company:
American Liberty Ballet
This 4th of July weekend on July 2nd, before the cook outs and fireworks, we will celebrate our freedom to express ourselves through the arts by presenting a romantic but cautionary tale of love destroyed by bigotry and mob mentality. It's called "Romeo and Jewliet: Vienna 1938", an original work by our director Valerie Mae Browne.
No need to trek all the way uptown and drop a small fortune to sit in the upper balcony where the dancers look like ants. We've made it easy to enjoy a professional story ballet, with a cast of NYC dancers who trained at places like The Bolshoi Academy, Boston College and the royal ballets of Germany and Taipei, because:
- Historic Theatre 80 is intimate at only 161 seats;
- The story is set to classical and current music;
- The tickets are budget friendly.
The story begins in Vienna just before Kristallnacht, when soldiers and civilians alike demolished Jewish homes and businesses all over German-occupied territory. Romeo is pressured to join German forces, despite his disdain for their ideology. Jewliet is horrified to watch her family and friends separate as they search for a means of survival. A kind gentile disguises her among her family and gets her a job as a nurse. Romeo is shot on the battle field, and it is Jewliet who nurtures him back to health and captures his heart. But the hatred of the time is too great, and their love falls victim to it.
When we dancers started rehearsals, it was just Shakespeare's classic story. But as we continue to study the research materials Valerie sends to us, we realize more and more the gravity and importance of sharing these memories of the Holocaust. This piece is dedicated to a people's struggles during that society's ugly past, and to the hope that we can apply lessons learned from their tragic mistakes to the real challenges with racial division and immigration that we face today
We look forward to sharing this real glimpse at the cultural heart of the city with our fellow New Yorkers and visitors from around the world. It could help make this Independence Day a unique holiday experience.
American Liberty Ballet
Valerie Mae Browne, director
AmericanLibertyBallet@gmail.com
AmericanLibertyBallet.com
Founded by Valerie Mae Browne in 2011, ALB is comprised of classically trained dancers from all over the world. We focus on virtuosity, athleticism, and innovation while promoting a healthy body image by including dancers of different shapes and sizes. At ALB we strive to include more audiences, so many of our ballets are set to popular music. Other upcoming performances this year include a A Night of Repertoire (September) and our annual NYC Nutcracker, In A Nutshell (December).
ALB School Adult Ballet Schedule:
Classes are taught by ALB company members.
Players Theatre Studio 2D
Visit AmericanLibertyBallet.com to sign up:
Mondays
5-630pm Adult Beg Ballet (Val)
Tuesdays
5:30-7 Adult Ballet Basics (Natasha)
Wednesdays
5:30-7pm Adult Ballet Basics (Juan Carlos)
7-830pm Adult Beginning-Intermediate Ballet (Juan Carlos)
Thursdays
7-830pm Beginner-Intermediate Adult Ballet (Kyle)
8:30-10pm Contemporary Jazz Open Level (Allan)
Fridays
7-830pm Adult Beginning Ballet (Natasha)
Saturdays
1030-12 Beginner Adult Ballet (Kyle)
12-1:30pm Contemporary Jazz Open Level (Allan)
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