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Singapore Dance Theatre’s Ambassador’s Circle is a new group specifically designed to enhance the theatre going experience of watching dance with a more personal involvement and knowledge. The intention is to involve the group in the process of the acquisition of new works for the company’s repertoire. As a member of the Ambassador’s Circle, you will help to bring a ballet on stage both locally and overseas.

You will have a better insight into what is involved in producing a new work for Singapore Dance Theatre – everything from acquiring the licence, creating and performing a new work, to costumes, and staging. It will offer a rare inside glimpse to the whole artistic endeavour with you witnessing how the artists hone and refine their dancing in the rehearsal studio leading to the finished product on stage.

Concerto Barocco, choreographed by George Balanchine

In 2009, the first new work acquired will be Concerto Barocco, choreographed by George Balanchine, a legendary choreographer of the 20th century. It will be featured in Season of Brilliance – A Contemporary Triple Bill, which will be staged at NUS University Cultural Centre on 4 and 5 September 2009.

Born in St. Petersburg in 1904, George Balanchine began his dance training at the age of nine. As the son of a composer, Balanchine was also trained as a musician. This rendered him the unique ability in revealing the structure of composition through choreographic movements, which became the definitive hallmark of his style. Following an early career throughout Europe, Balanchine was invited by Lincoln Kirstein to United States to establish the School of American Ballet in 1933 and later, they co-founded the New York City Ballet in 1948. Balanchine’s canon of works includes Apollo, Serenade, Symphony in C, Theme and Variations, The Four Temperaments, Allegro Brillante, Agon, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Jewels, Stars and Stripes, Who Cares, Violin Concerto, and many more.

Concerto Barocco was a one act ballet, with music set to Bach’s Double Violin Concerto in D Minor. It epitomizes Balanchine’s love of creating a dance dialogue with music. It was first premiered at the Teatro Municipal in Rio de Janeiro. Considered to be one of the most musically attuned pieces and virtually flawless in terms of choreography, it has been staged by all major ballet companies around the world - Royal Ballet, Washington Ballet and Paris Opera Ballet - to name a few. Over the years, dancers’ techniques have become more sophisticated and elegant and yet they still struggle to achieve the choreographic demands of Concerto Barocco. To dance the ballet with accomplishment is a major achievement in the life of any dancer privileged enough to be cast in it.

Benefits

All members of the Ambassador’s Circle will enjoy:

Photo Credit: Tan Ngiap Heng	Invitation to an “in-studio” run-through rehearsal of the new work prior to the opening night performance. An interview with the person responsible for the setting of the new work for SDT. A dinner reception at SDT’s home, where you can mingle the artists and dancers. A souvenir programme autographed by the artists and dancers.
A photograph of the work in rehearsal or performance as a memento. Credit acknowledgement in the souvenir programme of the work acquired. Complimentary Friends of SDT (FSDT) membership, enjoying discounts to our performances and dance classes, as well as privileges offered by our FSDT merchant partners. Priority ticket booking to the performance.

* Not applicable to fundraising gala events and performances not presented by SDT, e.g. Esplanade or Singapore Arts Festival