Contact: Public Relations
(863) 680-4118

Canadian Royal Winnipeg Ballet
performs in Lakeland

FSC and the Lakeland Center co-host the event at Youkey Theater

LAKELAND, Fla. (March 12, 2002) - Florida Southern's Festival of Fine Arts welcomes the Canadian Royal Winnipeg Ballet in its performance of "Sleeping Beauty." The event, featuring elaborate settings and full orchestra, is co-presented by FSC and the Lakeland Center at the Youkey Theater March 28 at 7:30 p.m.

"Sleeping Beauty" is a favorite Mother Goose tale written in 1697 by Charles Perrault. Tchaikovsky set the story to music in 1876, and in 1890 the ballet, choreographed by Marius Petipa, premiered before the Russian tsar in St. Petersburg. It has been popular with audiences ever since.

The Royal Winnipeg production stars Evelyn Hart, award-winning ballerina and internationally renowned dancer, as the young princess. "Seeing her move is like getting a message from another world," said the London Observer, "...taking dance beyond technique, beyond words."

Hart has been with the Royal Winnipeg company since 1976 and became its principal dancer in 1979. In 1980 she won a bronze medal at the World Ballet Concours in Japan and later that same year became the first Canadian to win a gold medal at the International Ballet Competition in Bulgaria. In June 2000 she was inducted into Canada's prestigious Walk of Fame, and recently was given the Chalmers Award for her contribution to dance in Canada. The production's choreographer, Galina Yordanova, has taught and coached internationally since 1960, inspiring and motivating dancers worldwide. She holds diplomas in choreography and teacher training from G.I.T.S. in Moscow. As resident guest teacher for the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, she has worked with dancers in productions of "Swan Lake;" "La Bayadere, Act II;" "Don Quixote;" and "The Nutcracker."

Tickets are $25. FSC students are admitted free of charge; cost for non-FSC students is $12.50. For ticket information, please contact the Branscomb Auditorium box office at (863) 680-4296.

About Florida Southern College
Florida Southern is a four-year, private, co-educational liberal arts college affiliated with the United Methodist Church. The college offers more than 40 undergraduate majors and a master of business administration degree accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Located in Lakeland, Fla., the college is home to the largest, single-site collection of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture in the world.

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