BALLET HAWAII

Ballet Hawaii 2004-05
tickets on sale

Tickets go on sale Saturday for Ballet Hawaii's 2004-05 season, including the presentation of the Paul Taylor Dance Company at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 10 and Pilobolus at 8 p.m. Jan. 21 and 22, both at the Hawaii Theatre, plus the annual holiday favorite, "Nutcracker," at the Blaisdell Concert Hall.

In writing about the Paul Taylor Dance Company, the Chicago Sun Times said "modern dance doesn't come any better than this." Now in its 50th year, this is one of the world's most exquisite ensembles, a creative giant and cultural icon, returning to Hawaii to present a repertoire chosen by Taylor to represent various facets of his half-century career.

Pilobolus is a cutting-edge dance company that mixes zany comedic antics with brainy illustrations of the daily dilemmas of the contemporary human condition. The company combines dance, acrobatics and living sculpture.

Tickets to the Paul Taylor Dance Company and Pilobolus are $25, $35 and $45 each, with discounts for students, seniors and military. They are available at the Hawaii Theatre box office, 1130 Bethel St., by calling 528-0506 or by logging on to hawaiitheatre.com.

This year's "Nutcracker" showcases international soloists, a large corps de ballet, live music by the Honolulu Symphony conducted by Stuart Chafetz, new sets by Peter Dean Beck and new costumes by Anne Namba. Performances begin 8 p.m. Dec. 17, with a pre-show opening VIP dinner package available by calling Ballet Hawaii at 521-8600.

Other performances are at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 18 and 2 p.m. Dec. 19. Tickets are available at the Blaisdell box office and Ticketmaster locations, at $25, $40 and $55, with discounts for students, seniors and military. Call 877-750-4400 or visit www.ticketmaster.com.

Ballet Hawaii will also present "Nutcracker" at the Maui Arts & Culture Center Nov. 27 and 28, with stars Amanda Schull and Joan Boada from the San Francisco Ballet. Tickets are $20, $25 and $35, with discounts for children. Call 808-242-SHOW (7469).