‘Triple Bill’ opens Colorado Ballet’s 50th season

A reprise of Lubovitch’s “…smile with my heart” is an expansion of his pas de deux “A Funny Valentine,” created for American Ballet Theatre in 2002 as part of a Richard Rodgers Centennial. It employs four themes from Melvin Laird’s “Fantasie on Themes by Richard Rodgers.” Sandra Brown, Colorado Ballet’s Ballet Mistress danced the world premier of “…smile with my heart” and worked with Lubovitch. He and Brown set the piece about different dynamics of love on Colorado Ballet in 2008 and she is working with dancers for the 2010 performance which will included Principal Dancer Maria Mosina in her first performance of the piece.

Closing the program will be a world premier of a witty work by choreographer Matthew Neenan, who is currently in residence with the Pennsylvania Ballet and was a principal Dancer with that company 1994 to 2007. He is co-director of BalletX in Philadelphia. He also was commissioned for a new work by Julliard in 2010. Boggs said his challenging choreography: “he has a very innovative way of looking at classical ballet.”

Colorado Ballet’s 50th season includes “Dracula Oct. 15 to 24; “The Nutcracker” Nov. 27 to Dec. 26; “Romeo and Juliet” Feb. 25 to March 6.

If you go:

Colorado Ballet’s 50th Anniversary Triple Bill plays Sept. 10 to 12 at the Newman Center for Performing Arts, University of Denver, Iliff and University. (Parking off Wesley). Performances: 7:30 p.m. Sept. 10 and 11; 2 p.m. Sept. 11 and 12. Tickets: $19 to $135. 303-837-8888 ext 2, www.colorado ballet.org, email tickets@colorado ballet.org. Season tickets are available, including flexible