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Romeo and Juliet Choreographer Ib Andersen

Danish dancer and choreographer Ib Andersen visited Kansas City recently to help stage the Kansas City Ballet's full-length production of Romeo and Juliet.

By Laura Spencer

http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/national/local-national-699294.mp3

Kansas City, MO – Choreographer Ib Andersen was born in Denmark and began his ballet training at the age of 7 at the school of the Royal Danish Ballet. Andersen joined the company as a teenager and became a principal dancer at 20. Five years later, George Balanchine invited him to join the New York City Ballet.

After 10 years with NYCB, Andersen retired as a dancer and went on to choreograph his own works, as well as stage ballets around the world by Balanchine, Robbins, and Bournonville. Andersen is currently the artistic director of Ballet Arizona, where he's choreographed a number of full-length ballets, including Romeo and Juliet.

The Kansas City Ballet presents the Kansas City premiere of Romeo and Juliet, choreographed by Ib Andersen to the music of Sergei Prokofiev, April 25 - 27, and May 1 - 3 at the Music Hall.

Kansas City is known for its style of jazz, influenced by the blues, as the home of Walt Disney’s first animation studio and the headquarters of Hallmark Cards. As one of KCUR’s arts reporters, I want people here to know a wide range of arts and culture stories from across the metropolitan area. I take listeners behind the scenes and introduce them to emerging artists and organizations, as well as keep up with established institutions. Send me an email at lauras@kcur.org or follow me on Twitter @lauraspencer.
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