The Earl and Margie Holland School of Visual and Performing Arts at Southeast Missouri State University will present the Russian National Ballet Theatre in a full-length performance of “Cinderella” at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, May 1, in the Donald C. Bedell Performance Hall located in the Cultural Arts Center at Southeast's River Campus.

A feast of color, spectacle and excitement, the world renowned Russian National Ballet Theatre performs one of the most famous and best loved classical ballets with a company of more than 60 dancers. Danced to Prokofiev's rich score, this classic tale has all the ingredients of a perfect ballet and features virtuoso dancing performed with effortless style and impressive grace. This traditional Russian version provides a spellbinding confection guaranteed to enchant and delight.

This will be the first performance in the history of Southeast directly funded by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).  The NEA grant will provide an opportunity for over 100 elementary school children to see this outstanding, international ballet company.

RUSSIAN NATIONAL BALLET THEATRE
The Russian National Ballet Theatre was founded in Moscow during the transitional period of “Perestroika” in the late 1980s, when many of the great dancers and choreographers of the Soviet Union's ballet institutions were exercising their newfound creative freedom by starting new, vibrant companies dedicated to the timeless tradition of classical Russian Ballet and invigorating this tradition as the Russians began to accept new developments in the dance from around the world.

The company, then titled the Soviet National Ballet, was founded by and incorporated graduates from the great Russian choreographic schools of Moscow, St. Petersburg and Perm. The principal dancers of the company came from the upper ranks of the great ballet companies and academies of Russia, and the companies of Riga, Kiev and even Warsaw. Today, the Russian National Ballet Theatre is its own institution, with more than 60 dancers of singular instruction and vast experience, many of whom have been with the company since its inception.

Although this event is sold out, tickets occasionally become available at the last minute. For more information, or to be placed on a waiting list, contact the River Campus Box Office, located in the Cultural Arts Center, 518 S. Fountain St., weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., or by calling (573) 651-2265.

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