Alexandra Meister and Nicolas Scheuer will Compete in Bulgaria July 15-30

Two Nashville Ballet company dancers, Alexandra Meister and Nicolas Scheuer, have been selected to compete in the 27th International Ballet Competition in Varna, Bulgaria. Meister and Scheuer will join more than 100 dancers from 30 countries July 15-30, 2016, marking the first time anyone from Nashville has been chosen to participate.

Founded in 1964, The Varna International Ballet Competition is the oldest, and arguably one the most prestigious, ballet competitions worldwide. Held every two years, dancers from all over the globe compete in a two-week, Olympic-style event for gold, silver and bronze medals in various categories.

Nashville Ballet will bring the story of world-renowned sculptor Edgar Degas and his artistic muse, aspiring young ballerina Marie van Goethen, vividly to life in Degas + The Little Dancer for seven performances May 8-22, 2016, at The Martin Center for Nashville Ballet.

Based on the children’s book of the same name by Laurence Anholt, Degas + The Little Dancer follows the story of young Marie, who dreams of becoming a prima ballerina, but cannot afford to take dance lessons. She gives up her dreams to support her family as an artist’s model and, in an ironic turn of events, becomes one of the most famous dancers in the world as the subject of French artist Degas’ bronze statue La Petite Danseuse de Quatorze Ans.

Nashville Ballet has been awarded a Fellowship Initiative grant from the New York Choreographic Institute, an affiliate of New York City Ballet, to support the development of new choreography in a studio setting. The choreographer will be Christopher Stuart.

Peter Martins, Founder and Artistic Director of the Institute, states: “The Fellowship is meant to help ballet companies to create an environment in which a choreographer can develop ideas without the pressure of stage production. The Institute is committed to classical choreographers who will be creating works for the future.”

Upcoming Performances Include Tour to the Kennedy Center with Ben Folds

Nashville Ballet will uncover the untold during its 2016-2017 performance season that includes fresh takes on familiar stories, returning favorites and brand-new works. Upcoming Music City collaborations include Sugar + The Hi-Lows and Ten out of Tenn, as well as a tour to the Kennedy Center with Ben Folds.

“Someone once told me that our ballet company is ‘very human,’ and that particularly struck me because that’s exactly our goal at Nashville Ballet,” Paul Vasterling, Nashville Ballet Artistic Director & CEO, said. “We want to connect with audiences on a very human level to allow them to feel something authentic and real. It’s when we open our worlds a little and allow ourselves to see things from a different perspective that we’re able to grow, and that’s the inspiration behind this season.”

Season tickets and tickets for groups of 10 or more are on sale now and can be purchased through www.nashvilleballet.com/ticket-packages or (615) 297-2966 x710. Tickets to individual performances go on sale July 1.

Season Finale Includes World Premiere of Layla & The Majnun

Nashville Ballet will conclude its 30th anniversary season on the main stage with a local collaboration of epic proportions during Carmina Burana April 22-24, 2016, at TPAC’s Jackson Hall. The season finale will also include the world premiere of Nashville Ballet Artistic Director & CEO Paul Vasterling’s Layla & The Majnun.

Carmina Burana will feature 148 singers from The Nashville Symphony Chorus, 61 musicians from The Nashville Symphony, 25 choristers from the Nashville’s Children’s Choir and three guest vocalists, alongside 24 dancers from Nashville Ballet. Based on a collection of poems written by clergy and theology students in the 11th, 12th and 13th centuries, Carmina Burana examines love, fortune and the cycle of life.

Ballet’s Largest Annual Fundraiser to Feature Inaugural Synergy Award and Televised Special

Country music star Jana Kramer is among a diverse group of artists to perform at Nashville Ballet’s largest annual fundraiser, Ballet Ball, at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center on Saturday, March 12. In the midst of the company’s 30th anniversary season, this year’s Ballet Ball entertainment will celebrate the richness and diversity of dance as well as Music City artists.

Kramer will perform her hit single I Got The Boy from her latest studio album, Thirty One. Nashville Ballet company dancer Christopher Stuart will choreograph an original piece to be presented alongside Kramer’s live performance featuring Nashville Ballet dancers.

Fourth Valentine’s Day Evening Performance Added by Popular Demand

Nashville Ballet’s acclaimed Attitude series shakes up its annual performance by collaborating with the world-famous Bluebird Cafe. A Valentine’s Day evening performance has been added to the original schedule due to popular demand, with a total of four performances February 12-14, 2016, at TPAC’s Polk Theater.

Nashville Ballet’s first collaboration with The Bluebird Cafe since 2007, the ballet will convey the look and feel of one of the world’s preeminent listening rooms. Songwriters Victoria Banks, J.T. Harding and Georgia Middleman will perform a selection of their biggest hits in typical Bluebird fashion, a writers’ round featuring a stripped down sound, the stories behind their songs and spontaneous collaboration.

Holiday Classic Pays Tribute to Nashville’s Rich, Vibrant History

Nashville Ballet returns with one of the city’s most beloved holiday traditions, Nashville’s Nutcracker, for the eighth consecutive year December 5-23, 2015, at TPAC’s Jackson Hall. Due to popular demand, this year’s production will feature a record-setting amount of performances, with a grand total of 13.

Beginning at the 1897 Centennial Exposition in Nashville, the tale weaves together the city’s historic landmarks and characters with the world’s most popular ballet to deliver a unique Nashville holiday tradition. Nashville Ballet Artistic Director & CEO Paul Vasterling’s original concept and choreography incorporates local landmarks like the Parthenon, Shelby Bottoms and Belle Meade Mansion as Clara journeys into her holiday dream, complete with all of the magical characters you know and love.