The Joffrey Ballet Concert Group Performs in Seaside May 2

The Merchants of Seaside will host the Joffrey Ballet Concert Group for a debut performance in the Seaside Amphitheater, Saturday, May 2, 2015, at 6:30 p.m. The one and a half hour show will include 30 Joffrey company members performing a variety of dances ranging from modern and jazz to classical ballet.      

The Joffrey Ballet Concert Group is under the direction of Davis Robertson, choreographer and artistic director of The Joffrey Ballet Concert Group, the performance company of the Joffrey Ballet School in New York City. There is no admission to attend the performance. 

 
“This is the first Joffrey Ballet Concert Group performance in our area featuring 30 company members who will perform classical ballet, modern, and jazz pieces under the stars in Seaside,” said Seleta Hayes Howard, Seaside Nutcracker ballet mistress and co-founder/ballet teacher of the Seaside Neighborhood School Dance Program. “This will be an unforgettable performance, leaving our community entertained and inspired.”
 
Founded by Robert Joffrey and Gerald Arpino and located in the heart of New York City, the Joffrey Ballet Concert Group has dazzled audiences for more than 50 years. The Joffrey Ballet School has remained on the forefront of American dance education since 1953.
 
Graduates have continued their professional dance careers at major dance companies such as American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, Miami City Ballet, San Francisco Ballet and other companies throughout the United States and Europe. Esteemed alumni include Patrick Swazye, Charlize Theron, Rudolf Nureyev and Yvonne Rainer.      

 
The school’s most advanced students are chosen by audition to perform with the Joffrey Ballet Concert Group. The company serves as a platform for some of the nation’s best young dancers to launch their professional careers. Under Artistic Director Davis Robertson, the company performs a diverse repertoire including classic works by Gerald Arpino as well as new works from emerging contemporary choreographers, such as Larry Keigwin. The group has recently completed multiple tours in the United States to rave reviews and opened the Florence Dance Festival in Italy this past summer, confirming Joffrey Ballet School’s world-renowned reputation as a premier institution of American dance.
 
In October, auditions were held to select as many as 15 local and regional dancers to participate in a workshop conducted by Robertson that will be held in April in Seaside. Intermediate to advanced dancers ages 13 and up from the Northwest Florida regions were eligible to audition. Robertson’s Joffrey Ballet Concert Group dancers will operate as demonstrators and teaching aides for the three-day workshop.
 
“The Joffrey Ballet Concert Group workshop offers local and regional dancers an incredible opportunity to study under one of the most premier dance schools in the country,” said Hayes Howard. “It is cultural experiences such as these which enrich and provide classical dance education and performances in our community.”
 
Seaside, built on 80 acres on Florida’s Gulf Coast, is located on South Walton County’s Hwy. 30-A, on Northwest Florida’s Gulf Coast. Acclaimed world-wide as one of the iconic examples of New Urbanism, Seaside offers a thriving town center with shopping and dining, all within walkable distance to homes, cottages and offices.