More Class Acts to Join the Festival of the Arts BOCA 2008 Line-up

More Class Acts to Join the Festival of the Arts BOCA 2008 Line-up

The 2008 Festival Introduces New Free Community Program - Celebrates Local Talent

BOCA RATON, Fla., Feb. 20 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Centre for the Arts at Mizner Park's mission to enhance cultural arts in the community continues with the announcement of two additional programs to the already ambitious schedule of the Festival of the Arts BOCA 2008.

"The quality and level of the performances and exhibits are extraordinary in that they bring forth internationally acclaimed talent, while celebrating and showcasing our own community's exceptional artists," says Charles Siemon, the Festival's Chairman.

"This year we are excited to add two free community nights and a fine arts gallery that feature local and national collaborations. And in addition to public performances, many of the world-renowned artists and authors participate in youth educational programs. "

Monday March 3rd at 7:00 p.m.

Boca Ballet Theater: Les Sylphides, Music by Frederyk Chopin: A "romantic reverie," Les Sylphides is composed of a suite of dances in the romantic atmosphere of a moonlit park. The sylphides (magical figures) dance with the "poet" in search of the ideal. This ballet is presented courtesy of the Countess Henrietta de Hoernle.

This magnificent yet short ballet will feature Boca's very own ballerina, Sarah Smith (originally with the Boca Ballet Theatre) who currently performs in New York City with the famed American Ballet Theater. Accompanying her, as lead dancer, is Eric Tamm, another celebrated dancer who also heralds from the American Ballet Theater. The two will be accompanied by the dancers of the Boca Ballet Theatre, a local nonprofit dance school providing professional training for aspiring young dancers.

The evening also features a film on the giant amphitheater screen: The Impressionists, Degas. Profoundly influenced by the Renaissance painters, Hilaire Degas pioneered precision of line and the use of the human form in space within the Impressionist school. This film does all the things a good art documentary should do. It speaks of the artist's work and life in an attention grabbing way that other artistic documentaries do not.

The Festival also encourages a visit to the Boca Raton Museum where the "Degas in Bronze" exhibit will be open throughout the Festival. Please note that the Boca Raton Museum of Art will be open late on that Monday, March 3rd till 7:00 p.m.

Wednesday March the 5th at 7:00 pm.

Rob Kapilow, the Boca Raton Symphonia and the PickleShoes Dance Company present Family Musik A performance of Peter and the Wolf by Sergei Prokofiev. This musical fantasy is about a disobedient boy who leaves the safety of the garden for the unknown world of the meadow, cleverly conquering the danger he encounters. The family classic will be performed by the world-class New York dance company the PickleShoes, accompanied by our very own Boca Raton Symphonia, with celebrated national conductor Rob Kapilow.

Kapilow's career as a composer conductor is dedicated to sharing the joy and wonder of classical music with audiences of all ages. Time Out New York dubbed him "a kind of Bill Nye the Science Guy for classical music," and Katie Couric called him "a wonderful guy who brings music alive."

The PickleShoes Dance Company is a recognized dance company based in New York City. The PickleShoes Dance Company has toured internationally and performed repeatedly at Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall as part of the Center's Great Performers Series.

February 29-March 16 (Donna Long's opening reception - Thursday Feb. 28th from 6pm to 8pm).

Donna Long Exhibition: This artist's inspiration first came to life in Boca. Born in New York City and exhibiting nationally and internationally including many world-renowned festivals, Donna Long's natural talent for paint and sketch did not come alive until later in life. Remarkably, she picked up her first brush only in 2003, enrolling in a class at the Armory Art Center in West Palm Beach. Long's background as a photographer is apparent in her compositional devices.

Like Degas, who also chose horses as subjects, she focuses in, crops the view and freezes the action to mimic the immediacy of a snapshot in many of her paintings. Long's exhibit will include a number of her newest sketches featuring some of this year's Festival's renowned performers including Joshua Bell and the Russian National Orchestra. The art exhibition is located at the Festival Headquarters at 432 Plaza Real in Mizner Park, Boca Raton.

More about the Festival of the Arts BOCA 2008

Presented by the Centre for the Arts, The Festival of the Arts Boca is a sister festival to two world renowned festivals, Tuscan Sun Festival in Cortona, Italy and Festival del Sole in Napa, California. Daily concerts will feature top names in classical, opera, jazz and Latin music, while literary discussions and readings will be presented by leading authors. The star-studded roster includes the Russian National Orchestra; celebrated soprano, Renee Fleming; pianist, Lang Lang; violinist, Joshua Bell; virtuoso sibling pianists, The 5 Browns; musical child prodigy, Conrad Tao; flutists, Lady Jeanne and Sir James Galway; Miami-based and Grammy-nominated, Tiempo Libre; Grammy winning guitarist, Chick Corea; five-time Grammy winning vibraphonist, Gary Burton; Nobel Prize nominee, Joyce Carol Oates; Pulitzer Prize winning historian, Doris Kearns Goodwin; stateswoman, Kathleen Kennedy Townsend; publishing director of The Modern Library and author of The Danish Girl, David Ebershoff; and PEN/Faulkner Award winner and author of the celebrated novel Bel Canto, Ann Patchett.

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: Centre for the Arts

CONTACT: Angela D'Costa, +1-305-866-4944, cell: +1-305-491-1047,
adprcom@bellsouth.net, for Centre for the Arts

Web Site:

http://www.festivaloftheartsboca.org/

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