Media Contact: Lori N. Jones, ljones@fairfield.edu, 203-254-4000 x2975

FAIRFIELD, Conn. (March 14, 2018) – The famed Moscow Festival Ballet will bring soulful performance and grand tradition to Fairfield with their stunning rendition of the classic ballet, Giselle . With brilliant choreography, a haunting score, and magnificent costumes and sets, this enchanting presentation of Giselle will be performed at the Quick Center for the Arts at Fairfield University on Friday, April 6.

The story follows a peasant girl named Giselle, who has fallen in love with a count. The count has led Giselle to believe that he too is a common villager. After an agonizing realization leads to ultimate heartbreak, Giselle takes her own life. Following her death, Giselle is brought back to life by a group of haunting specters who have also been betrayed or abandoned by their lovers.

The mournful tale of Giselle dates back to mid-19th century Paris, where it was first performed by the Ballet du Théâtre de l'Académie Royale de Musique. In the time since its debut over 175 years ago, it has become one of the most famed ballets of all time.

Founded in 1989 by principal dancer -- now director -- Sergei Radchenko, the Moscow Festival Ballet has collected some of the most talented leading dancers from all over Russia. The troupe has had several global tours. In addition to Giselle, the Moscow Festival Ballet has performed other classics, including Cinderella, Romeo and Juliet, Legend of Love, Stone Flower and The Golden Age . The group’s current tour will be their first return to the United States since spring 2016.

This year the Quick Center is offering the unique opportunity for a double dose of Giselle – the traditional ballet as performed by the Moscow Festival Ballet -- and the contemporary reinterpretation by South African choreographer Dada Masilo. Tickets for both performances are available for $85 (Section A only. Call the Box Office for this special offer). This performance is sponsored by The Westport Inn.

The Moscow Festival Ballet will perform Giselle on Friday, April 6 at 8:00 p.m. at the Quick Center for the Arts at Fairfield University. Tickets are $55, $45 | $35 for Quick Members. For more information about the performance or to reserve your seat, visit www.quickcenter.com or call the box office at 203-254-4010 or call toll free at 1-877-ARTS-396.

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Posted On: 03-20-2018 11:03 AM

Volume: 50 Number: 117

Fairfield University is a modern Jesuit Catholic university rooted in one of the world’s oldest intellectual and spiritual traditions. More than 5,000 undergraduate and graduate students from the U.S. and across the globe are pursuing degrees in the University’s five schools. Fairfield embraces a liberal humanistic approach to education, encouraging critical thinking, cultivating free and open inquiry, and fostering ethical and religious values. The University is located on a stunning 200-acre campus on the scenic Connecticut coast just an hour from New York City.