Rochester City Ballet to perform at Clemens Center in Elmira

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Under new artistic director David Palmer, RCB announced plans for a David Bowie-influenced ballet. (April 23, 2016) Video by Will Cleveland

Rochester City Ballet will take the stage at the Clemens Center in Elmira at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 25.

The performance will include “Under the Moonlight,” with music by David Bowie, Adiemus and Bach de Trois.

Rochester City Ballet is the state’s only professional ballet company outside of New York City, and David Palmer leads the company as its artistic director. Established in 1987 by founder Timothy M. Draper, the troupe has earned critical praise for its versatility and repertoire, which includes award-winning contemporary ballets and masterworks.

The company performs in Rochester at the Nazareth College Arts Center, the Auditorium and Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre. In 2010, RCB presented its first New York City season. In July 2013, RCB was selected to perform in the Inside/Out performance series at the Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival in Massachusetts.

When the company offered its first professional contract in 2003, Jamey Leverett served as artistic director. During her tenure, she choreographed more than 20 new works. When she announced in 2015 that she would step down to focus on choreography and training students in her role as artistic director of RCB's partner school, the Timothy Draper Center for Dance Education, the board launched a national search and Palmer joined the company.

Since retiring as a principal dancer with San Francisco Ballet and The Joffrey, Palmer has created more than 40 ballets for companies, including San Francisco Ballet, the Australian Ballet, the Washington Ballet and the Miami City Ballet. A winner of the Choo-San Goh Award for choreography, he also led his own company Maximum Dance Company for nine years, which included four international tours and many national tours. In 2004, Palmer was awarded The New World School of the Arts Achievement Award.

Palmer, most recently associate artistic director of The Washington Ballet, became a choreographer after an international career dancing most of the prince roles in classical ballet and leading roles in contemporary works. Leading choreographers Mark Morris, Stanton Welch, Julia Adam, Lynn Taylor-Corbett and Gerald Arpino created roles for Palmer. He was renowned as a leading dancer in Balanchine works including “Apollo,” “Prodigal Son,” “Rubies,” “The Four Temperaments,” “Square Dance,” “Western Symphony” and “Who Cares.” He has also worked with other renowned choreographers such as Paul Taylor, Jiri Kylian, Christopher Bruce and William Forsythe.

IF YOU GO

•What: Rochester City Ballet

•When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 25

•Where: The Clemens Center, 207 Clemens Center Parkway, Elmira

•Tickets: $48, $38 and $28; purchase at the Clemens Center box office, by phone at 607-734-8191 or 800-724-0159; or online at www.clemenscenter.com.

•More information:rochestercityballet.org