Nashville Ballet announces line-up for upcoming season

The Nashville Ballet announced Monday the exciting line-up planned for its 2009/2010 season, featuring an array of classic, romantic, whimsical and comical performances.

The season will begin with a presentation of Giselle, one of the most popular ballets for more than 150 years, October 23-25. Giselle, a poor country maiden, falls madly in love with a young man, a prince parading as a commoner. After learning of this deception, Giselle takes her life and is transformed into a Willi (a ghost). When all the Willis try to revenge her lost love, Giselle defends her former love, saving his life and earning eternal peace. This ballet is the ultimate story of love and forgiveness, danced in the graceful and technically proficient manner Nashville Ballet is known for.

To celebrate the winter holiday season, the Nashville Ballet will present an encore performance of The Nutcracker, which was debuted last year after a multi-million dollar reimagining. It was stunningly colorful with dazzling costumes, resplendent sets, brand-new choreography and the children’s cast of more than 200 youngsters. The The Nutcracker will run from Dec. 12-20.

As the first performance of 2010, American Originals, running from Feb. 12-14, will pay homage to some of the greatest American Classics. Three ballets will be performed: "Filling Station," a rare comedic marvel which follows the lively activities of a busy day at the filling station; "Awaiting Redemption," a raw, melancholy, introspective look at love, real life and coming to terms with the wisdom that comes with age; and "Who Cares?," which showcases the golden age of Broadway with the unforgettable music of George Gershwin.

The last piece of the season will be A Midsummer Night’s Dream, from April 23-25, 2010. The performance, which will feature the Nashville Symphony, is the retelling of one of Shakespeare's favorite comedies through an original ballet adaptation. The costumes and sets are being designed by the talented team that created the new Nutcracker, including choreographer Paul Vasterling, and designer Campbell Baird.

Subscription packages for the season range from $37-$234 per person. For more information, visit nashvilleballet.com, email subscriptions@nashvilleballet.com or call 297-2966, ext. 10.