Acclaimed Dance Company Comes To The Grand

Acclaimed Dance Company Comes To The Grand
Aszure Barton & Artists Perform April 20; Student Class April 19

The internationally acclaimed dance company Aszure Barton & Artists comes to the Grand Theatre this month for a dynamic performance and an exclusive masterclass.

On April 20 at 8 p.m., the company will perform two works choreographed by Aszure Barton, one of Canada's - and possibly the world's - most talented young choreographers.

"Busk" is a piece that questions the source of self-worth, and "Blue Soup" is a celebration of the power and connection of sound and movement. Both have received rave reviews at recent performances in Albany and Vancouver. Tresca Weinstein of the Times Union says, "Individually and together, 'Busk' and 'Blue Soup' reveal the breadth of Barton's palette; she paints with a multitude of tones, emotions and vocabulary. To put it another way: the girl's got game."

Rare opportunity for dance students: A masterclass with Aszure Barton.

On April 19 at 5:30 p.m., members of Aszure Barton and Artists will present a masterclass on the stage of the Grand Theatre. The class will be open to dance students at any level and will last approximately an hour and a half. The cost is only $5 or free with a ticket to the April 20 performance. This is an amazing opportunity that dancers in Kingston do not want to miss!

Aszure Barton & Artists is an organization dedicated to the growth of artists and production of contemporary dance performance. Since its founding in 2002, the company has developed its activities as an international contemporary dance project with its current home base in New York City. Aszure Barton has earned the distinguished reputation of producing striking choreography for stage and film, and together with her intimate ensemble, she continues to develop critically acclaimed productions around the globe. Aszure's works have toured to Europe, Brazil, Argentina, Australia, Asia, Africa, Canada, and the United States.

Aszure Barton was born and raised in Alberta and received her formal training at the National Ballet School, and also trained at John Cranko Schule in Stuttgart, Germany. She is the founder and director of Aszure Barton & Artists. As well as perpetually producing new work for her own project, Barton has choreographed for many prestigious individuals and companies worldwide including Mikhail Baryshnikov, Fang-Yi Sheu, The National Ballet of Canada, American Ballet Theatre, Sydney Dance Company, Martha Graham Dance Company, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Les Ballets jazz de Montreal, The Juilliard School, among many others. She choreographed the Broadway production of The Threepenny Opera. She has also participated in international outreach activities, including Kenya's Earth Project: Healing the Rift, at the Laikipia Nature Conservancy. Barton was the Resident Choreographer for Les Ballets jazz de Montreal from 2005-2008 and is an artist in residence at both The Banff Centre a!

nd The Baryshnikov Arts Center in New York City. She was recently proclaimed Ambassador of Contemporary Choreography in Alberta, Canada.

"Aszure Barton makes dance like no one else, each piece a wild ride of enthusiastic movement and eclectic ideas." - Kaija Pepper, the Globe and Mail

Tickets for Aszure Barton and Artists can be purchased online at <http://www.kingstongrand.ca>, or through the Grand Theatre Box Office at 218 Princess St., 613-530-2050. The Grand Theatre Box Office hours are Monday through Saturday 12-6 p.m. on non-show days; 12-8:30 p.m. on performance days and two hours prior to the performance on Sundays and holidays.

The Grand Theatre offers its appreciation to its Season Partners including The Kingston Radisson as its Official Hospitality Underwriter, CKWS Television as its Official Television Partner and Kingston Life as its Official Print Media Partner.

For more information on the 2009-2010 Grand Theatre Presents season, including dates and prices visit <http://www.kingstongrand.ca>.