DANCE

Cirque du Symphony and The Planets—An HD Odyssey featuring the world-renowned Houston Symphony are just two of the programs highlighting a season of the extraordinary and unexpected at The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion. This season encompasses a journey filled with classical music, Broadway hits, patriotic fanfare, acrobatics, images from outer space, dancing and more. The season begins with the Houston Symphony’s Tribute Concert to Cynthia Woods Mitchell, a concert showcasing the music Cynthia Mitchell loved. In addition to eight exhilarating performances by the Houston Symphony, the Texas Music Festival Orchestra returns to the stage along with Houston Ballet for a mixed-repertory program, Three for the Ages. And the 15th Annual Children’s Festival erupts with family fun.

Friday, August 20
Houston Ballet
Three for the Ages
8 p.m. / Gates open at 7 p.m.

Tickets: $15 orchestra seating / Free mezzanine and lawn seating courtesy of The Wortham Foundation and George P. Mitchell.

Houston Ballet’s Three for the Ages takes the audience on a journey through time and history. Fancy Free (1944) is set in New York City on a hot summer night and portrays three sailors on shore leave in the 1940s. With music by Leonard Bernstein and choreography by Jerome Robbins, the audience is sure to get a kick out of this performance and have a gas of a time.

Apollo (1928) features music by Igor Stravinsky and choreography by George Balanchine. A seminal piece in the history of 20th century ballet, Apollo traces the birth of the god of music, poetry and prophecy and his education by three muses – Calliope, Polyhymnia and Terpsichore. Calliope personifies poetry and rhythm. Polyhymnia represents mime. And Terpsichore combines poetry and gestures in dance. In the final dance, Apollo and the muses ascend to Parnassus.

And finally, Falling (2005) is a classical, playful piece for five couples set to the music of Mozart’s Salzburg Symphonies. Originally created for the San Francisco Ballet in 2005, it is now in the repertory of companies across the globe. Featuring music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and choreography by Stanton Welch, the audience will dance to their seats for this delightful ballet.

Pre-concert activities in the Fidelity Investments Plaza begin at 7 p.m.

For more information regarding upcoming events at The Pavilion, call 281-363-3300 or visit www.woodlandscenter.org.

The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion's 2010 Seasonis presented by The Woodlands Development Company and sponsored by Audi of America, Donoho’s Jewellers, Houston Community Newspapers, The Pavilion Partners, The Wortham Foundation and Continental Airlines, official airline of The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion.

Pictured above: Ballet - Falling.  Photo by Amitava Sarkar; Choreographer: Stanton Welch; and Dancers: Melody Herrera & Ian Casady.