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For the first time, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre (PBT) and musicians from the Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra will join forces to pair live music with PBT's second annual performance at the ��������ϲʹ������� University Performing Arts Center on Sunday, April 1, at 3 p.m.

In an afternoon of mixed repertoire, PBT's company dancers will perform two works that premiered in Pittsburgh this season, Mark Morris’ innovative ensemble piece “Maelstrom” and Dwight Rhoden’s ornately physical “Chromatic.”

“Live music adds an exceptional dimension to a ballet performance. By partnering with the Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra, we look forward to elevating our ��������ϲʹ������� performances and bringing these cutting-edge works to more of the region’s audiences,” said Harris Ferris, executive director for Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre.

A 2012 Pittsburgh premiere, Morris’ “Maelstrom” couples classical music with innovative ballet technique. Described as “undeviating in his devotion to music,” Morris set “Maelstrom” to Beethoven’s “Ghost Trio,” three contrasting piano pieces that alternate from bright and playful to haunting and brooding. In “Chromatic,” a Pittsburgh world premiere, Rhoden melds the classical ornamentation of the Baroque era with contemporary and physically challenging movement. Set to music by Johann S. Bach, Rhoden created the piece on PBT's dancers.

“The Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra looks forward to this first collaboration with the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre at ��������ϲʹ������� University’s Performing Arts Center,” said Morrie Brand, managing director of the Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra. “I think the audience will truly be captivated by the combination of the incredible dancers of the PBT and the musicians of the Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra. The afternoon is truly a milestone in our goal to bring the finest talents in the performing arts to this region.”

“How exciting once again to host the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre at the dramatic venue of our ��������ϲʹ������� Center for the Performing Arts,” said ��������ϲʹ������� University President JoAnne Boyle. “With music provided by the Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra, the ballet on Sunday, April 1, should be a knock-out.”

Tickets are available for $35 and can be purchased online or by calling 724-836-8000. Premium tickets also are available for $100 and include premium seating and a post-performance reception with the artists. To purchase premium tickets, call 412-454-9137.

About Choreographer Dwight Rhoden
Dwight Rhoden is a founding artistic director of Complexions Contemporary Ballet, based in New York City. A former principal dancer with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, he has established a remarkably wide-ranging career. According to the New York Times, Rhoden is “one of the most sought-after choreographers of the day.” He has created more than 80 ballets for his own company, and his work has been featured in television productions from PBS’s Great Performances specials to the popular series, So You Think You Can Dance. Dance Magazine has praised his “new aesthetic in movement, stage, picture, and performance concepts reflecting a post-modern, techno-savvy worldview.”

About The Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra
The Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra, under the artistic direction of Daniel Meyer, presents four classical concerts and one holiday pops all at the Palace Theatre in downtown Greensburg. For more than four decades the Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra has brought world-class soloists as well as the talented local musicians to the concert stage. The Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra's Academy of Music provides educational programs including the Visiting Artists Program, Young People Concert, Youth Orchestra, Community Strings and private lessons.