Triple Bill

The Colorado Ballet kicks off it's 50th anniversary season with three modern pieces, "a proven work from Edwaard Liang, the choreographic genius of Lar Lubovitch, and a new work from a rising star in the ballet world, Matthew Neenan," said Colorado Ballet Artistic Director Gil Boggs.

The performances of Triple Bill take place at the Gates Concert Hall at the Newman Center for the Performing Arts at the University of Denver and run for four performances only from Sept. 10, through Sept. 12.

Artists of the Colorado Ballet perform Feast of the Gods Photo: Terry Shapiro

The opening piece, Liang's Feast of the Gods, which received its world premiere in 2009 by Colorado Ballet, celebrates the history and passion of a band of gypsies. The dance features intricate choreography and a fast-paced pas de deux all set to Italian composer Ottorino Respighi's "Ancient Airs and Dances."

Lubovitch's "... smile with my heart," which was first performed by the company in 2008, employs excerpts from Marvin Laird's "Fantasie on Themes by Richard Rodgers," presented in four sections: 1) "Do I Hear a Waltz?" and "It Might As Well Be Spring"; 2) "The Sweetest Sounds"; 3) "I Didn't Know What Time It Was" and "Where Or When"; and 4) "My Funny Valentine."

Emily Bromberg and Alexei Tyukov were breathtaking in My Funny Valentine in 2008 Photo: Terry Shapiro

Simple sexy dresses and stylish shirts and pants add zest to a mix of swing-era and contemporary styles. Lubovitch's palette dazzles with inventive steps and shapes, wild flips and twirls, primo waltzes with showy lifts, seductive pas de deux, and even some rough stuff. Trust issues in one couple serve as a prelude to a pair lost in love, thankful, in the moment. Romantics will swoon over the magnetic pas de deux for "My Funny Valentine."

Colorado Ballet's own Ballet Mistress Sandra Brown danced the world premiere of this piece at American Ballet Theatre and also worked closely with Lubovitch, restaging the ballet at the Joffrey Ballet. Brown will borrow on this to assist the dancers with Lubovitch's distinct choreographic style.

The program will close with The Faraway, a world premiere by popular choreographer, Matthew Neenan, marking his debut with the company. Neenan is currently the choreographer-in-residence at the Pennsylvania Ballet and co-artistic of BalletX. "I am very excited about the new work from Neenan," Boggs said. "He has a very innovative way of looking at classical ballet."

To purchase tickets call 303-837-8888 ext. 2, visit www.coloradoballet.org or email tickets@coloradoballet.org. The Colorado Ballet Ticketing Office is located at 1278 Lincoln St. Denver, CO 80203 and is open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. through 5 p.m.

Bob Bows