TCHCC debut of Czech Ballet performers

The Texas Czech Heritage and Cultural Center is proud to announce that The National Theatre Ballet of Prague will participate in the Dance Salad Festival performances scheduled for March 20, 21 and 22 at 7:30 p.m. at the Wortham Center's Cullen Theater.

Národní divadlo, The National Theatre Ballet, Prague (Czech Republic) is making its North American debut to perform three choreographic works, two of them U.S. premiers.

Among the Mountains, by Artistic Director/ Choreographer Petr Zuska, is a passionate and dramatic performance set to Czech and Moravian folk songs arranged by the popular Czech band, Cechomor.

Stamping Ground, Jirí Kylián's historic, ground-breaking work, is inspired by his experience with aboriginal dance in Australia, which he used as a model to create his new vocabulary, and is accompanied by music from Carlos Chávez.

Maria's Dream, another work by Zuska, is a witty and poetic ballet inspired by a bizarre dream of Marie Taglioni, one of the most famous figures of dance history. This work is set to music by Camille Saint- Saëns and Cesare Pugni.

Founded in 1883, this company is the flagship of the Czech ballet institutions. Between WWI and WWII, the company gained notoriety by collaborating with modern choreographers and set designers whose influences shaped the direction of the company.

In the 1990s, the company began incorporating productions from George Balanchine, Alvin Ailey and Jirí Kylián, making The National Theatre Ballet Prague one of the premier European companies on the world stage. Artistic Director Petr Zuska joined the company in the 2002-2003 Season. He has elevated the company further while continuing to incorporate works by noted international choreographers. Zuska's vision for the 65-member company is to excel at both classical and contemporary genres.

In addition to performers from the Czech Republic, dancers from the Netherlands, Germany, Poland and Japan are scheduled for the 2008 Festival.

Dance Salad Festival is a curated, international production with performances by companies from around the world, chosen solely for their excellence. It is an event that can be seen only in Houston.

Now celebrating the 13th anniversary season in Houston and 16th season since its inception in Brussels, Belgium, Dance Salad Festival promises another gathering of worldclass performers. Famous in their own countries, the dance companies have won praise from critics and audiences wherever they have toured.

For the latest information on the upcoming season and photos of the dancers coming, visit www.dancesalad.org.

This multicultural presentation has received international recognition for its quality and innovativeness and has consistently been a source of cultural pride for many foreign communities that are represented in Dance Salad Festival.

To order tickets, call 1-877- 772-5425 (8 a.m. - 9 p.m.-7 days a week) or www.dancesalad.