Ballet presents 'Giselle,' new works

IF YOU GOWhat: "Giselle - Act II" and new works by Chattanooga Ballet.When: 8 p.m. today and Saturday.Where: UTC Fine Arts Center, corner of Vine and Palmetto streets.Admission: $15 adults, $13 seniors, students and children.Phone: 425-4269.Online: www.utc.edu/fineartscenter

Chattanooga Ballet will present "Giselle - Act II" and three new works at the UTC Fine Arts Center in two performances this weekend.

GISELLE

The final act of this two-act ballet tells the story of a peasant girl, Giselle, whose ghost, after her premature death, protects her lover, Albrecht, from the vengeance of a group of female evil spirits called the Wilis.

Amanda Walker Gray, principal company member, will dance the title role. Gray is a recipient of the Tennessee Arts Commission's fellowship for artistic excellence in dance performance. Albrecht will be danced by guest artist Eduard Forehand, a Miami native currently with Louisville (Ky.) Ballet.

"Giselle" was first presented in 1841 in Paris. It is widely considered the supreme achievement of romantic ballet. Its poetic second act deals with the supernatural conflict between mortal and immortal.

NEW WORKS

* Elizabeth Stich's "Rising Tide" features 10 company members dancing to music by Philip Glass. She serves as co-artistic director of Revolve Ariel Dance in Salt Lake City.

* Alan Arnett's contemporary jazz work, "Rock U," is danced to the music of Queen's "We Will Rock You," George Thorogood's "Bad to the Bone," Ram Jam's "Black Betty" and Linda Ronstadt's "You're No Good." He is on the faculty at Shenandoah Conservatory.

* Frank Hay's "Trio" ballet is set to a composition by J.S. Bach. It received a choreographic award from the Tennessee Association of Dance for new works.

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