Photo By Rene Micheo

Bellet Russe de Monte Carlo

This week the CINCINNATI BALLET announced its 2004-2005 season -- in fact, it's the company's 42nd year of dancing. The coming year offers an intriguing array of choreography, opening in October with SEVENTH SYMPHONY (Oct. 8-9) based on Beethoven's Seventh Symphony with choreography that Léonide Massine created for the legendary Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo back in 1938. The work hasn't been produced since then; the Cincinnati Ballet was roundly praised when it revived several Ballet Russe works two seasons ago, marking that historic company's many Cincinnati connections. This production aims to build on that national and international recognition. A month later we'll see a version of CARMEN (Nov. 12-14), choreographed by Kirk Peterson. The Cincinnati Opera will offer Georges Bizet's classic opera this summer; the ballet will be danced to Rodion Shchedrin's arrangement of a collection of melodies from the opera. After the holiday presentation of The Nutcracker (Dec. 17-26 at Music Hall), the Cincinnati Ballet will offer two traditional "story" ballets: a revival of the 2000 world-premiere staging of Artistic Director Victoria Morgan's CINDERELLA (Feb. 11-13, 2005) and PETER PAN (April 1-3, 2005), featuring an original score by Music Director Carmon DeLeone. For its fifth annual COME TOGETHER FESTIVAL (March 4-13, 2005), the ballet will take a new approach. Instead of the Aronoff Center, where most of its productions are presented, the ballet will use its newly expanded Performance Studio at the Cincinnati Ballet Center on Central Parkway, the result of a $2 million addition to the existing facility. The program, celebrating African-American and Hispanic-American themes, in addition to contemporary and classical ballet, features world premiere choreography by Donald Byrd, Devon Carney, Kirk Peterson, Darrell Moultrie and Luca Veggetti, a new talent from Italy. Susan Redman-Rengstorf, recently appointed as the ballet's executive director, says, "This season has it all -- a revived masterpiece, new works and familiar classics. Best of all is the caliber of our dancers, which continues to thrill audiences here and nationally." Info: 513-621-5282 or www.cincinnatiballet.com.