Pamper Yourself at SPAC July 16, 2011

Linda Gold and AAUW present a Bus Trip

NY City Ballet at Saratoga Performing Arts Center

Magic Flute/ Circus Polka/ Apollo/ Serenade

Saturday, July 16, 2011    Cost $122

                               

                    

Pamper yourself for a day! The cost of $122 includes luxury coach, gratuities, mimosas with breakfast en route, an hour to explore the charming town of Saratoga, elegant lunch at the Hall of Springs restaurant and superb seats for this wonderful combination of four ballets. Hors d’oeuvres with wine and chilled beverages will be served on the return trip.

The bus departs from the front of the Monticello Government Center on North Street at 8am and from the back of the former Ames, Kingston Plaza at 9:15am. We return to Kingston at approximately 7pm and Monticello at approximately 8:15pm.

A highlight of the performance is Peter Martins’s Magic Flute, which is revived for the first time since City Ballet performed it in 1983. This Magic Flute has nothing to do with the famous opera by Mozart, although the story does contain the wondrous instrument of the title. This one has a score by Riccardo Driga and was originally danced by Peter Martins. It’s a tale of a pretty heroine who loves a poor but proud village lad, but her parents have their sights on a wealthy, but elderly buffoon.

Circus Polka, was originally choreographed by Balanchine for circus elephants – a commission by Ringling Brothers, Barnum and Bailey Circus. The story is told that after receiving the commission, Balanchine asked his friend Stravinsky to compose the music. “What kind of music?” asked Stravinsky. “A polka.” was Balanchine’s reply. “For whom?” “Elephants.”  After its premier in 1944 the ballet was  re-choreographed by Balanchine and later by Jerome Robbins (1972) for young students with a Ringmaster (who was often a notable guest such as the Russian dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov).

Apollo is a charming ballet choreographed by Balanchine with a score by Stravinsky. It is with this ballet that Balanchine, at age twenty-four, achieved international recognition and began his lifelong partnership with the composer. Apollo, the young god of music is visited by three muses: Terpsichore, muse of dance and song, Polyhymnia, muse of mime, and Calliope, muse of poetry.

Serenade with a score by Tchaikovsky, is the first original ballet Balanchine created in America and is one of the signature works of New York City Ballet’s repertory. It’s an exquisite ballet – ethereal and hypnotic­ - in four movements.

We always have a full bus for our Saratoga trip, so sign up early to insure a spot. Make your check payable to AAUW (American Association of University Women) and mail it to: Linda Gold, 1 Jacobs Lane, New Paltz, NY 12561. For further information call Linda at 845-255-5256 or email artladyLG@aol.com. Specify “art tours” in the space for “subject” so that your message is not deleted.