FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

James Sewell Ballet FALL Season

October 24^th November 2nd

JSB serves up a mixed cocktail of dances for its 21^st birthday

MINNEAPOLIS James Sewell Ballet (JSB), pulls from its repertoire treasure chest as well as dreams up new, exciting collaborations to celebrate its 21^st season.

FALL SEASON: The season opens with Guy Noir: The Ballet Oct. 24-Nov.2. This delightful murder mystery ballet leaps from the radio airwaves into the limelight in a collaboration with Garrison Keillor that puts dance in the noir with a colorful cast of mavericks and misfits and narration by Keillor himself. Also on the bill is the world premiere of Rib Cage in partnership with the Schubert Club, bringing live music and dance to the stage. Celebrated soprano Carrie Henneman Shaw and composer Abbie Betinis join Sewell to explore where old meets new and tradition bends to innovation.

AND COMING UP

WINTER SEASON: Jan Ballet Works Project returns to the Cowles Centers intimate TEK BOX in Feb. 6-15. JSB dancer Nic Lincoln, Amy Earnest and Lance Hardin, co-dance directors at the Reif Center in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, Manhattan-based Joanne Kotze, and Houston based Jane Weiner of Hope Stone Dance will test the boundaries and artistry of contemporary dance in this choreographic laboratory.

SPRING SEASON: April 24-May 3. The Spring Season featers an epic premiere, a Best of from Ballet Works Project and new collaboration with hip hop Spoken Word Artist, Dessa. Silk Road, set to the music of acclaimed cellist Yo Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble, is a crossroads of Eastern and Western cultures. It is paired with a restaging of Norbert de la Cruz IIIs haunting Dusty Realms, which premiered at the 2013 Ballet Works Project. Sewell also teams up with rapper, singer and spoken word artist Dessa with another premiere that rides the driving pulses in Dessas music and dives into her poignant and challenging verse.

Season subscriptions are on sale now. Single tickets go on sale October 7, 2014. For more information, visit JSBallet.org/14-15-season. In addition to its main productions, JSB continues to offer family-friendly performances. House lights remain partially lit during these 60-minute performances that invite all ages to engage with dance. For more information, visit JSBallet.org/14-15-season.

About James Sewell Ballet

James Sewell Ballet was founded in New York City and brought to Minnesota in 1993. The professional company of ten dancers performs innovative work that explores the technical boundaries of ballet and engages with new audiences through outreach initiatives. Nearly two decades later, the companys critically acclaimed performances move and delight audiences across the country.

About the artistic director

A Minneapolis native, James Sewell studied in New York City at the School of American Ballet with David Howard, and began performing with American Ballet Theatres second company. He was a lead dancer with Feld Ballets/NY for six years and has performed as a guest artist with the New York City Ballet, Zvi Gottheiner and Dancers, and Denishawn. Since founding JSB twenty years abot Sewell has choreographed more than 70 ballets for his and other companies in the United States and around the world. He is also a former trustee of Dance/USA and a past director of the American Composers Forum.