The Robert Z. Hawkins Amphitheater at the Bartley Ranch Regional Park will come alive with ballet grace and passionate rock, dance, and alternative music as A.V.A. Ballet Theatre presents Vortex, the Ballet That Rocks July 19th and 20th as part of the Artown celebration.

Artistic director Alexander Van Alstyne has choreographed an exciting contemporary ballet that will be like no other you have ever seen. Imagine ballerinas performing grande jetés to music by popular rock artists. The stage will feature scaffolding and exciting props and sets that will create a visual spectacle that cannot be missed.

Thanks to generous support from the Robert Z. Hawkins Foundation, the E.L. Cord Foundation, the Nell J. Redfield Foundation, and the Arthur and Mae Orvis Foundation, the rock ballet Vortex is free to the public. The gates open at 7:00pm for picnicking and the shows begin at 8:30pm.

A.V.A. Ballet Theatre is the resident ballet company for the Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts. They are northern Nevada's largest company under the instruction of a professional faculty with years of performing experience in renowned metropolitan ballet and production companies across the United States and Europe.

Vortex during the month of July is part of the 29th annual Artown festival. The month-long summer arts festival features more than 500 events produced by more than 100 cultural organizations and businesses in locations citywide.

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