In collaboration with Ballet Hartford, Claire Kretzschmar Productions has announced the upcoming multistate tour of A Ceremony of Carols, a Christmas program premiering in New York, Philadelphia and Winston-Salem. Ticket prices range from $25 to $65 and are available for purchase through the Claire Kretzschmar Productions and Ballet Hartford websites.

A Christmas Carol Ceremony is a new Christmas tradition featuring original ballets by Claire Kretzschmar, artistic director of Hartford Ballet and former soloist with New York City Ballet. The program begins with the world premiere of Weihnachtsbaum to the music of Franz Liszt and ends with A Ceremony of Carols, featuring twelve glorious songs by Benjamin Britten. Co-produced by Grammy Award-winning singer Katy Avery, this double feature is enhanced with live piano, harp and choral music.

Schedule of performances:

• New York City, NY: Monday, December 9 at 7:30 p.m. at Symphony Space
• Philadelphia, PA: Wednesday, December 11 at 7:30 p.m. at Performance Garage
• Winston-Salem, North Carolina: Sunday, December 15 at 3:00 p.m. at Reynolds Auditorium

Claire Kretzschmar, a native of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, shared her excitement and anticipation: “Christmas has always been my favorite season, so introducing A Ceremony of Carols as a new holiday offering is especially exciting. Both ballets are inviting and joyful; Weihnachtsbaum (meaning Christmas Tree) captures the essence of a Christmas concert or gathering and A Ceremony of Carols is an angelic embodiment of the Nativity story. I am very grateful to collaborate with such talented artists on this project, and I hope these performances are a success. gift to the communities that have shaped my artistic journey.

Co-producer and Winston-Salem native Katy Avery added, “Having grown up dancing for many years, I always dreamed of combining my love of dance with my singing career. When I saw Claire’s post on A Ceremony of Carols last year, I knew this could be the perfect opportunity to do just that. I’m excited to get to know Claire through this process and return to the stage I performed on many times as a child in Winston-Salem.

Avery will be a featured vocalist in the performances, joined by Liz Lang and Abigail Chapman, and the tour will feature a special solo by Kretzschmar during the Winston-Salem performance, adding a personal touch to the hometown performance. Additionally, Kretzschmar will host two master classes at the Academy of Dance Arts in Winston-Salem on Saturday, December 14: a beginner’s class from 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. and an advanced master class from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. p.m.

A Ceremony of Carols debuted in Connecticut during last year’s holiday season, choreographed by Claire Kretzschmar for Ballet Hartford. The three-state tour will mark the first time a Christmas carol service will be performed with live music. The three-state tour will be Kretzschmar’s first staged choreographic program to perform in New York, where she trained and danced professionally for 13 years.

Please visit Ballet Hartford’s website for more tour information, to purchase tickets, and to view its full schedule of performances and events this fall.

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