Collin County Ballet Theatre
“Firebird”
Saturday April 3rd, 2010 7:30pm
Centennial High School, Frisco Texas

Collin County Ballet Theatre, under the direction of Kirt Hathaway& Linda Hathaway will close the 2010 spring performance season with the companies production of “Firebird” Saturday April 3rd,  2009 7:00pm at Centennial High School Frisco, Texas .

The dancers of the Collin County Ballet Theatre Youth Ensemble will end the 2009-2010 Season with an evening of varied classical and historic repertoire. Highlighting the evenings concert will be Stravinsky’s dramatic “Firebird” choreographed by artistic director, Kirt Hathaway. The title role of the Firebird will be performed by guest artist Michele Gifford, Prince Ivan will be performed by Evegeny Lushkin, formerly with the American Ballet Theatre and Alexander Vetrov, Co-Artistic Director of Classical Metropolitan Ballet in Arlington will dance the role for the sinister Kastchei Lord The performance will also include Brandon McGee of Houston Contemporary Dance Theatre
“Le Grande Tango” choreographed by Chung Lin-Tseng set to music of Astor Piazolla. This unique work has been selected to be performed on the Showcase Concert at the Regional Dance America Southwest Festival held in San Antonio, TX.  Another work presented in the concert is a new work by company dancer Monica Hernandez, “Lost Depression” which will be performed as well at the San Antonio Festival. The program will also feature the Collin County Ballet Theatre Youth Ensemble members performing in “Minkus Divertissement” and “Glazuunouv Suite”

For further information please call 972-747-0600.
$15 General Admission

Guest Artists
Michele Gifford
Michele grew up in Dallas, Texas. She began her training with Ann Etgen and Bill Atkinson at the Dallas Metropolitan Ballet. At the age of sixteen she moved to New York City to attend the School of American Ballet on full scholarship. Two years later, she became a member of the New York City Ballet. In her twelve year career at New York City Ballet, Michele had the opportunity to perform many soloist and principal roles including :Balanchine’s “Apollo”,” Rubies”, “Agon”, “Symphony in Three Movements”, ”A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, “ Stars and Stripes” as well as originating roles in Jerome Robbins’ West Side Story Suite. “ West Side Story Suite”, Peter Martins’” Echo”, Christopher Wheeldons’” Slavonic Dances”, and David Parsons’ Touch”. In 2000, Michele returned home and joined Texas Ballet Theater under Ben Stevenson. While at TBT, she  performed several principal roles including Ben Stevenson’s “Coppelia”, “Four Last Songs”,” Dracula”, and “Peer Gynt” along with Balanchine’s “Allegro Brilliante” and “The Four Temperaments”. Michele has also made several guest artist appearances including “Tchaikovsky pas de Deux”, “Who Cares”, ”Barber Violin Concerto”, ”Carmina Burana”, and most recently with the Bruce Wood Dance Company. In 2006, Michele joined the Bruce Wood Dance Company as a full time company member and Company Manager. This is her third appearance as a Guest artist with Collin County Ballet Theatre.

Evgeny Lushkin
Yelena Ryabinkina, Vaganova Instructor and honored artist of Russia has described Evgeny Lushkin as "an artist of heroic character, with excellent natural abilities and musicality. He excels in his masculine technique and has great acting abilities." He graduated from Perm State Academy of Ballet in Russia in 1998, and shortly thereafter, joined St. Petersburg Ballet as a principal dancer. He has also performed with Stuttgart Ballet and the Russian State Ballet in Moscow. His repertoire includes principal roles in Walpurgis Nights, Diana and Acteon, Giselle, Swan Lake, Esmeralda, Don Quixote, Corsaire and The Nutcracker.

While visiting Moscow, Roy Kaiser, the director of Pennsylvania Ballet, observed Mr. Lushkin and invited him to perform in his company's gala in 2001. Mr. Lushkin was delighted to come to the United States and desired to stay. He joined Columbia Classical Ballet in South Carolina for one season, which afforded him the opportunity to dance in Allegro Brillante, his first Balanchine ballet, and principal roles in other ballets including Carmina Burana and Four Seasons.

Wishing to see more of America, Mr. Lushkin became a freelance guest artist, performing extensively with ballet companies nationwide, including the American Ballet Theatre where he became a full time member of the company for one season.  Since then, Mr. Lushkin has been a regular guest with the professional companies nationwide, performing such roles as Cavalier and Snow King in The Nutcracker, Bluebird and Rose Adagio Suitor in Sleeping Beauty, and Escamillo the Toreador in Carmen.  In addition to his performance career, Mr. Lushkin has served numerous companies as both a teacher and Assistant Artistic Director. Mr. Lushkin has now settled in the Dallas/Ft.Worth area where he has been appointed Ballet Director at the Coppell Dance Center. Additionally, he is offering both private and master classes throughout the metroplex for aspiring talent.