'The Rite of Spring with Richmond Ballet and Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra' at UB

JoAnn Falletta is conductor

The Center for the Arts, University at Buffalo, will present "The Rite of Spring with Richmond Ballet and Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra" at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 21, in the Mainstage Theatre at the Center for the Arts North Campus. The performance is sponsored by M&T Bank and, in part, by UB University Life and Services.

There will be a pre-performance talk at 6:45 p.m. The performance was rescheduled from Nov. 21, 2014 ("Snowvember"). Existing tickets will be honored, and seats are available for purchase.

Igor Stravinsky's enduring and influential masterwork sent shockwaves throughout the worlds of music and dance when it premiered in Paris in 1913.

This performance will also mark the Western New York premiere of Richmond Ballet, The State Ballet of Virginia.

The year 2013 marked the 100th anniversary of Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring, as well as the 30th anniversary of Richmond Ballet. BPO Music Director JoAnn Falletta, who also serves as music director for the Richmond Symphony, conducted the orchestra for a special performance of the work with the Richmond Ballet and was moved to bring the event to Buffalo.

Maestro Falletta said, "More than a hundred years after its premiere, Stravinsky's seminal Rite of Spring ballet retains its aura of innovation. The BPO is proud to work with the Center for the Arts and the Richmond Ballet, making its debut in Western New York, in bringing this important work to the area."

The piece will feature choreography created by Salvatore Aiello in 1993. In his vision of the historic ballet, Aiello invented a primitive society to explore the myth of earth and life, imagining a chosen group of women pampered, protected and prepared for the ultimate offering to the gods. The fluid movement of the dancers builds with the music to a final shattering scene.

The evening's program will also include: "Ancient Airs and Dances" (music by Ottorino Respighi, choreography by Richmond Ballet Artistic Director Stoner Winslett) and "Stolen Moments" (music by Jean-Philippe Rameau, choreography by Val Caniparoli).

Tickets for "The Rite of Spring with Richmond Ballet and Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra" are available at the Center box office (10 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays) and tickets.com. To charge tickets, call 1-888-223-6000. Groups can call 716-645-6771. For more information, call 716-645-2787 or visit www.ubcfa.org.

This performance is made possible in part through a gift from The Bernice Poss Memorial Fund. Bernice L. Poss had a 23-year career with the University at Buffalo. After her tragic death in 1988, the Bernice Poss Award was established to honor her many contributions to the community. The children of Ms. Poss have chosen to honor her memory by funding an annual event at the Center for the Arts.