Studio Four

Ershter Vals
Choreography by Ma Cong
Music by Klezroym

A World Premiere by Nicolo Fonte

Ma Cong’s moving piece Ershter Vals had its beginnings in our 2009 New Works Festival, was fully commissioned in the fall of 2010, and has since been performed by Richmond Ballet in both London and Washington, D.C., receiving critical and audience acclaim along the way. Ershter Vals features music originating in the Jewish ghettos during World War II and uses engaging choreography to portray the light people find in relationships and communities, even in the darkest of times. Cong’s captivating ballet weaves folk dance influences with classical technique while carrying a penetrating message of redemption.

Nicolo Fonte, Resident Choreographer for Ballet West, brings a wealth of experience to the studio having created ballets across the country and across the globe. Known for his unique movement vocabulary and dramatic, technically challenging works, Fonte’s world premiere is sure to be an exciting way to close the season.