Connecticut Concert Ballet Announces 2012 Nutcracker Season Performances

Manchester, CT, December 05, 2012 --(PR.com)-- Connecticut Concert Ballet is a community minded Performing Arts organization with 38 years of success in dance instruction and presenting professional quality performances throughout Connecticut.

Artistic Directors David Lawrence and Wendy Fish-Lawrence’s family-friendly production will be performed for two weekends. Three performances will be held each weekend at the Bailey Auditorium, 134 Middle Turnpike East, Manchester, on December 8 (2 p.m. and 7 p.m.), December 9 (2 p.m.), December 15 (2 p.m.) and December 16 (2 p.m. and 6 p.m.).

Ticket Information: Preferred Front & Center Seats $35; General Admission: Adults $25, Child/Student/Senior $15. Group discounts are available. Tickets are available by phone 860-418-7294, online www.ctconcertballet.org/Store, at Dance Village, 171 Spencer St, Manchester and Hairdresser on Fire, 176 Broad St, Windsor.

This exuberant production will light up the stage of the Bailey Auditorium, a state of the art venue that is one of the largest in Connecticut. The technical aspects of the production including costumes, lighting and stage crew are provided by professionals and 263 of CCB’s highly capable students from 36 towns are an integral part of the production. Each year, Connecticut Concert Ballet’s Nutcracker is one of the largest community events in the greater Hartford area.

According to Wendy Fish-Lawrence, “We always say ‘Experience the Magic’, but the real magic is what can happen when a community of people comes together for a common goal. Treat yourself to a fabulous Holiday show!”

Guest Artists Rebecca DeNies and Eddy Tovar will be performing the roles of Sugar Plum Fairy and Nutcracker Prince. Becky is a CCB aluma, Hartt BFA student, and Community Division faculty member. Eddy, originally from Cuba, began his training with the National Ballet School in Havana. He was most recently with the Texas Ballet Theater and had performed for many years with the Orlando Ballet.

Ronald Alexander, who until December 2011 was the Principal of the Nutmeg Conservatory for the Arts and its Dean of Admissions, attended CCB’s Nutcracker last year and said,

"I enjoyed this Nutcracker immensely -from the staging, the choreography, the obvious professionalism of the artistic directors, the dancers, and especially the overwhelming support of the Manchester community for their ballet school. Quite remarkable and the way it is supposed to be!"

Connecticut Concert Ballet is a 501(c)(3) classical ballet school and performing arts organization with studios in Manchester and Windsor, Connecticut, and has over 300 students from more than 40 towns in the Greater Hartford Area and statewide; ages range from 3 to Adult. CCB was founded in 1973, incorporated as a non-profit organization in 1985, and merged with the former Northern Connecticut Ballet in 2007. Connecticut Concert Ballet proudly employs the AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE® National Training Curriculum. CCB Alumni have been promoted to Company members (Corps de Ballet) at the Boston Ballet and Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre. Others have graduated from or are currently attending as dance majors, Manhattanville College, Marymount Manhattan College, the North Carolina School of the Arts, the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Goucher College and the University of Hartford Hartt B.F.A. program. Current students attend the Creative Arts Program at the Watkinson School and the Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts. Internationally-competitive Intensive Summer Program placements in 2012 include the Joffrey Ballet, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, The Rock School in Philadelphia, American Ballet Theatre (New York City, Alabama and North Carolina), Bolshoi Ballet, Boston Ballet, Gelsey Kirkland Academy, Walnut Hill School for the Arts, Princeton Ballet, Briansky Ballet, the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet and the Koltun Dance Academy, with numerous students offered year-round placements.

For more information on the Nutcracker please visit www.connecticutnutcracker.com or call 860-418-7294.

For more information on Connecticut Concert Ballet please visit www.ctconcertballet.org, call 860-643-4796 or visit us at www.facebook.com/connecticutconcertballet.