FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
BALLETX PERFORMS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD FRINGE FESTIVAL
With performances at The Porch and Bridgette Mayer Gallery
September 6th, 9th, 12th, and 14th
Philadelphia, PA--BalletX, Philadelphia’s premier contemporary ballet and Resident Dance Company of The Wilma Theater, is participating in the 2014 Neighborhood Fringe Festival with three solo performances at Bridgette Mayer Gallery and a free public performance at The Porch at 30th Street Station. This marks BalletX’s second performance at The Porch, and the second consecutive year BalletX has been chosen as the non-profit beneficiary of Bridgette Mayer Gallery’s annual Benefit Exhibition. These performances reflect the company’s ongoing efforts to bring contemporary dance to all audiences and strengthen its ties with the Philadelphia community.
BalletX returns to The Porch on Saturday, September 6th at 5:00PM (with a rain date of September 10th) to perform beside 30th Street Station against the backdrop of the Philadelphia skyline. The full company will perform an hour-long program featuring signature BalletX repertory. Free and open to the public, this performance is part of a series presented by University City District (UCD), made possible with generous support from the William Penn Foundation, which has provided leadership support for UCD's efforts to showcase innovative cultural programming at The Porch.
Bridgette Mayer Gallery’s 2014 Benefit Exhibition showcases the work of over 250 artists with local, national, and international roots. Each artist is provided with a ten inch square panel on which they will create paintings, photographs, collages, and sculptures. The artwork will be sold for $500-$2,000, with 20% of the proceeds benefitting BalletX. Last year’s Benefit Exhibition raised an impressive $17,000 for BalletX, which helped support the creation of three world premiere ballets for the company’s Fall Series 2013. This year, three BalletX dancers will perform intimate improvisational solos in the gallery space inspired by the work on display. These performances will feature live accompaniment by Murmuration, a classical chamber ensemble with pop influences based in improvisation, comprised of Andrew Marsh (vocals) Russell Kotcher (violin), and Eric Coyne (cello). Performances will take place at Bridgette Mayer Gallery, 709 Walnut Street:
Tuesday, September 9th at 7PM
Friday, September 12th at 7PM
Sunday, September 14th at 1PM
BalletX’s performances at The Porch and Bridgette Mayer Gallery are part of the 2014 Neighborhood Fringe Festival presented by FringeArts, which provides programming that creates a vibrant cultural experience unique to each Philadelphia neighborhood. BalletX’s Fringe performances are free of charge. Visit www.fringearts.com/festival/index.cfm or call (215) 413-1318 to RSVP.
BalletX’s 2014-2015 Season opens at The Wilma Theater November 19-23 with Fall Series 2014, featuring a world premiere by Jorma Elo, the East Coast premiere of Matthew Neenan’s Untitled, and Olivier Wever’s 2013 ballet Instantly Bound.
About BalletX: BalletX unites world-class choreographers with an outstanding company of professional dancers to forge new works of athleticism, emotion, and grace. Through the daring vision of its award-winning founders, Christine Cox and Matthew Neenan, BalletX challenges the boundaries of classical ballet by encouraging formal experimentation while preserving rigorous technique. The Company is committed to producing new works of the highest quality and integrity that bring the combined visions of choreographers and dancers to life and cultivate in audiences a collective appetite for bold new dance. For more information, visit www.balletx.org.
About Bridgette Mayer Gallery: Bridgette Mayer Gallery, established in 2001, represents and exhibits artists whose work display the variety and genius of contemporary art now being created in the United States. The gallery exhibits painting, sculpture and photography with an emphasis on innovative process and content-driven ideas that speak to beauty, technology, culture and the contemporary landscape. Housed in a historic 1799 Philadelphia brownstone, the gallery presents ten exhibitions a year in its 3,000 square foot space and participates in several art fairs in the United States each year. Visit www.bridgettemayergallery.com for more information.
About FringeArts: FringeArts supports artists and brings the world’s newest and most cutting-edge cultural experiences to Philadelphia, amplifying the vibrancy of the city as a renowned cultural center and an unparalleled place to live, work and visit. Founded in 1997 and formerly known as the Philadelphia Live Arts Festival and Philly Fringe, the organization serves local, national and international artists of all disciplines and levels of achievement through an annual 18-day Festival along with a year-round series of high-quality contemporary dance, theater and music performances; commissioned public art installations; and a residency program that continues to expand and grow as a state-of-the-art incubator for artists. In 2013, FringeArts opened the doors to its brand-new waterfront headquarters in Old City Philadelphia. For more information, visit www.FringeArts.com.
About University City District: University City District is a partnership of world-renowned anchor institutions, small businesses and residents that creates opportunity and improves economic vitality and quality of life in the University City area of West Philadelphia. UCD’s primary mission is community revitalization that works within a place-based, data-driven framework to invest in world-class public spaces, address crime and public safety, bring life to commercial corridors, connect low-income residents to careers, and promote job growth and innovation. UCD actively manages amenities and plans activities at The Porch at 30th Street Station. Visit www.universitycity.org/the-porch for more information.