Ballet Theatre Company will hold ‘Up Close: Winter’ in the Ron and Nancy Compton Studio in West Hartford.

Ballet Theatre Company dancers perform Marguerite de Anguera’s Apres Degas, restaged by Tracy Dorman in 2015. Photo credit: Tracy Dorman

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As part of its 25th Anniversary celebration, Ballet Theatre Company (BTC) is proud to present Apres Degas, as part of its program in its next performance, Up Close: Winter. The intimate, mixed-repertoire performance series, Up Close: Winter will be presented in the Ron and Nancy Compton Studio at the end of the month, Jan. 26-28, 2024.

Apres Degas is a comic spoof on the ballet paintings of Edgar Degas. Originally choreographed by Marguerite de Anguera of the Connecticut Valley Regional Ballet in 1975, Apres Degas was then later reconstructed and restaged at BTC by Tracy Dorman in 2008 and 2015. The ballet depicts a day in the life of the Paris Opera Ballet during the Romantic Era of the mid-1800s; daily class is enacted including barre and center, followed by rehearsal that follows the struggle between three prima ballerinas.

Ballet Theatre Company dancers perform Marguerite de Anguera’s Apres Degas, restaged by Tracy Dorman in 2015. Photo credit: Tracy Dorman

Alongside Artistic Director Stephanie Dattellas, Company Repetiteur Anna Laghezza will be tackling the staging of the ballet for the upcoming performance. Laghezza shares, “I welcome the challenge of working with these accomplished dancers to try and get across the stylistic intentions of the choreographer in respect to the drama depicted in Degas’ paintings, and taking into account the dancers’ best individual skills.”

In addition to Apres Degas, the winter performance will include several excerpts from the vivacious, and fan favorite ballet Don Quixote. Based on episodes taken from the famous novel Don Quixote de la Mancha by Miguel de Cervantes, the ballet follows the adventures and misadventures of the trusty old knight, Don Quixote, as well as the romance between two young lovers Kitri and Basilio. BTC will present an excerpt from each Act highlighting key characters: Kitri, Basilio, Mercedes, Espada, Queen of the Dryads, and Cupid.

Up Close: Winter offers the unique chance to view Ballet Theatre Company’s professional dancers and advanced students of the Junior Corps de Ballet at close range in Apres Degas and excerpts from Don Quixote, giving a completely new perspective on ballet, and appealing to new and returning audience members alike. While both works being presented in BTC’s Up Close: Winter are of the same genre, classical ballet, each work has a distinctly different style and energy. This unique mixed-repertoire performance offers the opportunity for audience members to watch BTC’s professional dancers tackle multiple contrasting characters and styles within one performance.

Up Close: Winter will be presented in four performances: Friday, Jan. 26 at 7 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 27 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., and Sunday, Jan. 28 at 2 p,m. All performances will take place in the Ron and Nancy Compton Studio located at Ballet Theatre Company, 20 Jefferson Ave., West Hartford.

For every ticket purchase to Up Close: Winter BTC is offering a $5 discount for its next performance in the series, Up Close: Spring. For tickets and more information about Up Close: Winter visit, dancebtc.org/up-close. Limited seating is available for all performances. Be sure to follow BTC on Facebook and Instagram (@dancebtc) to stay up to date with performance details, behind-the-scenes sneak-peeks, ticket giveaways and more!

Ballet Theatre Company is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. Up Close is sponsored by Taylor Rental. Support for Season 25 is provided by: Connecticut Humanities. CT Office of the Arts, The Maximilian E. & Marion O. Hoffman Foundation, The Edward C. and Ann T. Roberts Foundation, The J. Walton Bissell Foundation, The William & Alice Mortensen Foundation, Ahearn Family Foundation, The Ellen Jeanne Goldfarb Memorial Charitable Trust, The Davenport Hatch Foundation, Henry Hall Charitable Trust, Bank of America, N.A. Trustee, The Buchalter and Breslow Family, The John and Kelly Hartman Foundation, The Petit Family Foundation, The Robert & Margaret Patricelli Family Foundation, The Ensworth Charitable Trust, We-Ha.com, Laurel Graphic Design, Cricket Press, Connecticut Public, Massage Envy West Hartford, Homestead Funding, Theatrical Stage Employees Local 84, and Beam & Barre.

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