Russian Pointe Dance Boutique to host reception to honor the Republic of Georgia’s State Ballet of Georgia

CONTACT: Aleksandra Efimova

NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JANUARY 26, 2008

CHICAGO, IL – Russian Pointe Dance Boutique is delighted to announce a reception in honor of the State Ballet of Georgia, on Friday, March 7, 2008 from 5 to 7 PM at the Boutique, to be followed by a performance at 7:30 PM of mixed repertory at Chicago’s historic Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University. The reception will celebrate the first visit to Chicago of the national ballet company of the Republic of Georgia (formerly part of the former Soviet Union).

Aleksandra Efimova, president of Russian Pointe, Inc., expects the reception to draw together an exciting mix of local dancers, ballet enthusiasts, theater donors, and artistic staff from the ballet company. “Several dancers who are not performing that night will be in attendance,” she says. “The reception will be a wonderful opportunity for people who enjoy and appreciate ballet to get an inside look.”

Guests at the reception will enjoy a selection of specially selected Russian hors d’oeuvres and Georgian wines, in the opulent setting of the theater-inspired Boutique. Following the reception, guests will ride trolley buses (courtesy of London Limos, LTD) to the Auditorium Theatre, for a performance of selected choreography by Balanchine, Ratmansky, and Possokhov. The cost of the evening will be $75 per person, which includes refreshments at the reception, transportation to the Theatre, and upper box seats for the performance. Tickets are available from Auditorium Theatre, and up to 100 may attend.

The State Ballet of Georgia is a critically acclaimed company under the artistic direction of Nina Ananiashvili, Bolshoi prima ballerina and principal dancer of American Ballet Theatre. The company performs classics of the traditional ballet repertory as well as new choreography, and a selection of ballets by George Balanchine, a native of Georgia who became an American artistic icon in the 20th century for his New York City Ballet and revolutionary choreography.

Russian Pointe Dance Boutique is the retail location of Russian Pointe, Inc., a celebrated importer of Russian ballet shoes since 1998. Russian-born company president Efimova is a prolific supporter of the arts, and created the Boutique as a meeting place for dancers as well as a retail store. Located in a historical landmark building on Chicago’s Magnificent Mile, the Boutique’s décor includes velvet curtains, French crystal chandeliers, English antique velvet theater seats, and a small stage used for shoe fittings and performance events.

The Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University, located at 50 E. Congress Parkway, is an independent, not-for-profit organization committed to presenting the finest in international, cultural, and community programming to Chicago, and to the continued restoration and preservation of the National Historic Landmark Theatre. An online history of the Auditorium from 1889 through today, made possible by the generous support of the American Express Performing Arts Fund, is available for view at www.auditoriumtheatre.org.

To purchase tickets to the reception and performance, please call 312-922-2110, extension 300, or visit www.auditoriumtheatre.org. Please also contact the Auditorium Theatre for information about programming, volunteer and donor opportunities or theatre tours.

For further information about Russian Pointe Dance Boutique and the reception for the State Ballet of Georgia, please call 312-332-7200 or visit www.russianpointe.com.

For further information about the State Ballet of Georgia:
Biography of Nina Ananiashvili http://www.ananiashvili.com/NinaBio.htm
Nina Ananiashvili and State Ballet of Georgia www.ananiashvili.com