FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Please include in all Calendar listings)

May 7, 2004

Contact: Marvel Gentry Davis, (513) 608-6961, marvel@zoomtown.com

Please visit our Media Press Room at http://www.ballettechohiopaa.org/PressRoom.htm for press releases and photos

ballet tech ohio presents Shall We Dance?

May 21-22, 2004 at the Aronoff

Starring Lise Sovdsnes and Val Libertore

Featuring Michelle Becker Teyke, Oliver Arana, Kyne Franks

Jane Burkhalter Speidel and the talented dancers of ballet tech ohio

On May 21-22, 2004, ballet tech ohio performing arts association presents the premier of Shall We Dance? at the Aronoff’s Jarson-Kaplan Theater with original choreography by Post-Corbett Individual Award Winner, Founding Artistic Director, Claudia Rudolf Barrett.  “She is very creative when she works on choreography” Cincinnati Enquirer  The dynamic and textured music of George Gershwin takes you back to the "satin ‘n’ platinum" world of Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers.

The story involves romances, misunderstandings and a luxury liner across the Atlantic when ballet star Pete "Petrov" Peters played by Cincinnati Ballet Company Principal Character Dancer Val Libertore arranges to cross the Atlantic aboard the same ship as the dancer he's fallen for but barely knows, Broadway musical star Ginger, musical theater veteran Lise Sovdsnes. By the time the ocean liner reaches New York, a little white lie has churned through the rumor mill and turned into a hot gossip item: that the two celebrities are secretly married.  Jackie Award Winner Michelle Becker Teyke and veteran dancer Oliver Arana keep the story percolating as jealous love interests from Petrov and Ginger’s past. Jane Burkhalter Speidel, an original cast member of George Balanchine’s American Ballet and dance teacher extraordinaire, plays the Ballet Mistress. Cincinnati native, dancer and choreographer Kyne Franks, surprise celebrity guests and the talented dancers of ballet tech ohio round out the cast.

The audience will share in the backstage life of dancers from classical to tap and relish  the entertainment on the ocean liner cruise.  Shall We Dance? is a footloose, fancy-free and joyous evening of dance in the gayest, gladdest show of the season!

Tickets on sale now $18.  To charge by phone call (513) 241-SHOW.  For more information, call ballet tech ohio performing arts association at

(513) 683-6860, e-mail btopaa@ballettechohiopaa.org,

or visit our website www.ballettechohiopaa.org 

FOUNDED IN 1997 by Claudia Rudolf Barrett, the non-profit ballet tech ohio performing arts association presents a Season Series of major dance programs and about a dozen community performances each year to provide Greater Cincinnati with a new venue for high quality dance performances featuring pre-professional and professional dancers and a wide variety of artists, dance styles and music.  The ballet tech ohio performing arts association mission is to educate, entertain and amaze by providing diverse and innovative performances that have a phenomenal community impact.  We have touched over 15,000 audience members in the last two years with our Season Series and community performances to further educate the public.  Our Dance 2 Community Kids community outreach program engaged individuals and sponsor companies to partner with us to introduce over 500 youth from underserved communities to ballet and the Aronoff Center in support of our initiative to expand the audience for the arts and downtown Cincinnati venues. ballet tech ohio performing arts association sponsors the  ballet tech ohio Summer Intensive Seminar which offers professional dance training by internationally acclaimed dance teachers from all over the world and Master Classes by Gala of International Ballet Stars performers as guest teachers.  For more information about

ballet tech ohio performing arts association, visit www.ballettechohiopaa.org