DWB Performance Dates 2010

Performances In May 2002, DanceWest Ballet hosted the Regional Dance America MidStates Festival. This was the first time the festival has been held in Naperville, IL. Over 600 dancers, teachers, and choreographers attended the festival. Three days of classes and scholarship auditions were held. Three evenings of performances by members of the MidStates companies were presented at Pfeiffer Hall on the campus of North Central College in Naperville. Each spring the company performs several works from its extensive repertoire at Pfeiffer Hall in Naperville. "Rose Etudes" Choreography: Jennifer Holoubek, Michelle Zandovsky In the past, DanceWest Ballet has performed benefit concerts for DuPage PADS (Public Action to Deliver Shelter). Contributions to PADS, which provides shelter for the homeless, have totaled in excess of $5,000. Other PADS benefits have included former Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre principal dancers, Tamar Rachelle and Ernest Tolentino and Greg Begley, formerly of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. Throughout the year, the company visits public schools in the area providing lecture demonstrations and performing excerpts from the repertoire.

RDA Festival Each year, DanceWest Ballet participates in Regional Dance America's MidStates Festival. The events feature three nights of concerts and three days of intensive classes and culminates in a Gala performance. Fourteen pre-professional dance companies from across the Midwest participate in the festival. Each year a number of DanceWest Ballet Company members receive dance and choreograhy scholarships.

Three's Company 2011 North Central College:Pfeiffer Hall

Three's Company Ricardo has known and danced in Ballet Companies with Barbara Pontecarvo for over 25 years. They first danced together in Chicago Ballet under the direction of Ben Stevenson. Years later, they danced together in Dayton, Ohio for 2 Seasons. Later, Ricardo returned to Dayton Ballet to set his Ballet, L’ Arc de Triomphe and Barbara was in this original cast. They met up again as Artistic Directors in Regional Dance America; Barbara as Artisitc Director of GEM City Ballet, and Ricardo as Artistic Director of DanceWest Ballet. Both Regina and Ricardo have known Mary Geiger for the 15 years that they have been in the RDA together. GEM City Ballet previously belonged to RDA and when the Company took a different direction, Barbara Pontecarvo (Artistic Director) wanted to keep some of the positive aspects of membership in RDA. Barbara Pontecarvo knew that the opportunity of watching constituents and performing with peers was one of those features that she wanted to keep. She also knew that her dancers cherished meeting and making friends through attending RDA Festivals. GEM City Board of Directors and Ms. Pontecarvo’s solution resulted in the creation of Three’s Company. Originally formed six years ago with GEM City Ballet, Michigan Classics Ballet Company, and Cincinnati Repertoire Company, the annual performance is hosted by each Company on a rotating basis. Dancers are hosted by “Ballet Company Families” in each city, where they make new friendships, find support of fellow dancers in the same lifestyles in different cities, and learn about commonalities and diversities that exist for dancers that have a love and passion for the same interest as themselves. Travel by private cars and not paying for hotel accommodations helps keep costs down. DanceWest Ballet Company has the honor of being invited to join Three’s Company. We are very excited to join in this performing venture. The opportunities that are presented with this invitation are of great value to DWB Company Members. It presents another performing opportunity for Company Members, as well as the chance to meet new friends on a more personal level than at the larger RDA Festivals, and it is the possibility to travel to new cities and see and experience new things, and the occasion to perform for peers in cities other than their own.