February 2, 2009
ABT SPONSORS
PAGE TO STAGE POETRY CONTEST
FOR NYC PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS
Grand Prize-Winning Poem to be Choreographed by ABT Dancer
American Ballet Theatre has announced the first ever Page to Stage Poetry Contest, open to fourth and fifth grade public school students around New York City. The grand prize winner of the contest will have the poem choreographed as a ballet to be performed as part of the Young’s People Ballet Workshop at the Metropolitan Opera House on June 5, 2009. The winning poem and three runner-up poems will be published on ABT’s website.
American Ballet Theatre’s Page to Stage Poetry Contest invites students to submit one-page, handwritten or typed poems based on the theme of “What Makes You Move?” Entries will be judged on creativity and emotion, as well as poetic structure. A Company dancer participating in The Altria/ABT Women’s Choreography Project will choreograph the winning poem. With generous support from Altria Group, Inc., American Ballet Theatre created Voices and Visions: The Altria/ABT Women’s Choreography Project in an effort to identify and nurture female choreographers. The winner of the Page to Stage Poetry Contest will join the performers for an on-stage bow during ABT’s Young People’s Ballet Workshop, a free performance for over 3,500 New York City public school students.
Contest entries should be submitted to Kevin Edwards, American Ballet Theatre,
890 Broadway, New York, NY 10003, and must be postmarked by Tuesday, March 3, 2009. Winners will be notified during school hours on April 1, 2009. Winning poems and honorable mentions will be published on ABT’s website www.abt.org by April 15, 2009. For more information on ABT’s Page to Stage Poetry Contest, please contact Kevin Edwards, Manager of School Programs, at kedwards@abt.org or visit www.abt.org/education/pagetostage.asp.