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ABOUT USRochester City Ballet is a contemporary ballet company based in Rochester, New York, and established in 1987 by its founding artistic director Timothy M. Draper. The Rochester City Ballet (RCB) has been led since 2003 by Jamey Leverett and executive director Katherine Ertsgaard. Rochester City Ballet has a growing reputation for its excellence, versatility, and singular repertoire, which includes award-winning contemporary ballets and masterworks. The company presents an extensive season of performances at the Nazareth College Arts Center and Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre. In July 2010, RCB presented its first New York City season at Pace University's Michael Schimmel Center for Performing Arts and performed in the prestigious River to River Festival. RCB had its debut performance at the Nazareth College Arts Center Dance Festival in July 2011 as a featured performance along with Garth Fagan Dance and Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company.RCB remains committed to the creation of new work. In the past eight years, artistic director Jamey Leverett has choreographed more than 20 new works including 4Play, A Common Thread, Bravo! Colorado, LumaVoce, Gershwin Preludes, Respect, Pedestal, How to Break a Heart, An Intimate Portrait, and Peter and the Wolf, as well as the critically acclaimed full-length ballet The Blood Countess. Many Rochester City Ballet productions are presented with live music or through artistic collaboration with a vibrant array of musicians and ensembles such as the Cello Divas, Stephen Kennedy, Jeff Tyzik and the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO), Deborah Fox, Hans Davidsson and the Eastman Rochester Orchestra Initiative, Arabesque Winds, The Ying Quartet, and pianist Elinor Freer. This year the RPO and RCB are celebrating the 14th year of their highly regarded The Nutcracker. Other Rochester City Ballet collaborations of note include work with artist Steve Carpenter and the Memorial Art Gallery. Over the years, artistic director Jamey Leverett has invited celebrated guest choreographers like Inma Rubio Thomas, Patrick Corbin, Daniel Gwirtzman, Bill Evans, and Edward Ellison to set work on the company. RCB also has performed American masterworks by Balanchine (Serenade) and Arpino (Valentine). Rochester City Ballet is committed to enriching the quality of life in the greater Rochester community. For the past few years, the company has performed for the entire second grade of the Rochester City School District. RCB has donated thousands of tickets to underserved youth affiliated with the Boys and Girls Club, Sojourner House, Ibero-American Action League, Wilson Commencement Park, East House, and Hillside Children's Center. Additionally, RCB conducts outreach activities at Barnes and Noble, The Strong, Stepping Stones Learning Center, and public libraries as well as at numerous community child care and senior centers. RCB was the recipient of a 2010 Arts Award presented by the Arts and Cultural Council of Greater Rochester. Rochester Business Journal has for the past few years listed RBC among the top 20 cultural attractions (based on attendance) and awarded them the 2012 Best of the Web Award for a cultural non-profit. |
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