Beaver Creek audience will be the first to experience ‘Sidd (hartha)’ on March 25, 2023!
Beaver Creek, Colo., Nov. 11, 2022 — The Vilar Performing Arts Center is celebrating its 25th anniversary in style this winter including groundbreaking, never-before-seen performances. As part of the 25th anniversary celebration, a special BalletX World Premiere has been co-commissioned by the venue in Beaver Creek to be debuted March 25 at 7 p.m. at the Vilar Center.
The specially commissioned world premiere ballet choreography, titled “Sidd (hartha),” draws inspiration from the 1992 Indian novel Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse which explores the spiritual journey of self-discovery and has influenced generations of readers, writers, artists and thinkers alike. BalletX is a Philadelphia-based dance company that has performed numerous times in the Vail Valley before, most recently as the Company in Residence at the 2021 Vail Dance Festival.
“First of all, it’s the Vilar Performing Art Center’s 25th anniversary, and if that’s not a time to celebrate then I don’t know what is,” said Sara Friedle, a member of the VPAC’s 25th Anniversary Planning Committee and the philanthropist behind the BalletX World Premiere coming to Beaver Creek. “And second of all, a world premiere ballet outside of Vail Dance Festival is a wonderful opportunity for people who aren’t necessarily here in the summer to see a world-class ballet performance [at the Vail Dance Festival].”
Beaver Creek audiences will be treated to the world premiere ballet choreographed by Nicolo Fonte, co-commissioned by BalletX and the Vilar Performing Arts Center. The evening is underwritten by Friedle and Michael Towler in honor of the VPAC’s 25th anniversary season.
For Friedle, who grew up an aspiring dancer, it’s a unique opportunity to work with such an esteemed dance company as BalletX.
“I saw BalletX perform ‘The Little Prince’ at the Vail Dance Festival and was blown away. It was one of the best performances I had ever seen and wanted it to be the standard for VPAC’s 25th anniversary. We hoped to present something that would get people laughing and crying all in the same performance. And I knew BalletX could deliver,” says Friedle.
Cox founded BalletX in 2005 along with Matthew Neenan. Under Cox’s tenure as Artistic & Executive Director, BalletX has produced over 100 world premiere ballets by nearly 60 choreographers, a record “few companies can match,” according to The New York Times. In 2020, the company launched its online streaming platform, BalletX Beyond.
“Sidd (hartha)” is choreographed by Nicolo Fonte, who is known for his daring and original approach to dance. Born in Brooklyn, Fonte started dancing at the age of 14 and has studied at prestigious dance schools across the country. After a distinguished career dancing, Fonte retired in 2000 to devote himself to choreography. Since that time, he has created or staged his ballets for 25 ballet companies around the world.
“Just like Misty Copeland got her first exposure to dance at a Boys & Girls Club in a playground, the more we reach out to children about everything that’s possible and let their parents see what’s possible for their kids, the more they’ll be able to let their kids find their passion,” Friedle said.
“Sidd (hartha)” features artistic collaborator and dramaturg Nancy Meckler, lighting and set design by Michael Korsch, costume design by Mark Eric and puppet design by Sebastienne Mundheim.
In addition to the world premiere performance on March 25 at the VPAC, BalletX will present a special Support the Arts Reaching Students (STARS) performance on March 24 at 12:30 p.m. Tickets are sold out for the STARS performance.
“There’s so many opportunities to bring art to everyday life,” Friedle said. “We do an excellent job of bringing nature and extreme sports to the forefront, and here’s another opportunity that shows there’s more than that in this valley.”
For tickets and more information, visit vilarpac.org.
###
About VPAC
Located in the heart of Colorado’s Beaver Creek Resort, the Vilar Performing Arts Center is a 535-seat theatre, operated by the Vail Valley Foundation, which presents a variety of year-round performances including Broadway musicals, concerts, family entertainment, comedy, dance, classical music and more. Visit vilarpac.org for more.
About the Vail Valley Foundation
The Vail Valley Foundation is a 501c3 Colorado nonprofit corporation with a mission to enhance the quality of life in the Vail Valley and showcase our community to a global audience through arts, athletics, and education.
The organization’s work in education is through YouthPower365, a 501c3 Colorado nonprofit organization with a mission to inspire, educate and empower youth and families from early childhood to college and career readiness. The Vail Valley Foundation also provides the Vail Valley with several of its most treasured annual events, such as the GoPro Mountain Games, the Xfinity Birds of Prey Audi FIS Ski World Cup races, the Vail Dance Festival, and the Hot Summer Nights and ShowDown Town free concert series. The Vail Valley Foundation also manages and operates two performing arts centers, the Vilar Performing Arts Center in Beaver Creek Village and the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater in Vail, providing more than 100 Broadway, dance, comedy, classical, rock, pop, jazz, community and family events per year.
Vail Valley Foundation activities and events are in part made possible by cornerstone partners: the Town of Vail, Vail Resorts, Beaver Creek Resort Company, GMC, Nature Valley, Constellation Brands, CELSIUS Energy and Slifer Smith & Frampton Real Estate.
To learn more about the Vail Valley Foundation visit www.vvf.org.