Sierra Nevada Ballet Helps Lake Tahoe Fire Victims Jul 20, 2007 Media Contacts Kristen Power RKPR, Inc (775) 323-6333 Julie M Malkin Sales & Marketing Manager Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival (775) 298-0163 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  Artistic Contact: Rosine Bena, (775) 783-3223 Sierra Nevada Ballet, the professional ballet company for Northern Nevada, has adopted a new plan to help the Lake Tahoe fire victims and other non-profit organizations.  This plan will kick off this summer when SNB performs at Sand Harbor State Park as part of the Midsummer Nights program offered by the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival on August 22 and 23. 30% of each ticket for the performances will be donated to the Lake Tahoe fire victims by SNB in the name of the ticket holder. The plan was designed by Lee Weber Koch and will be implemented and spearheaded by SNB principal dancer, Ananda Bena-Weber, and members of the SNB board and volunteers.  "Sierra Nevada Ballet has always been dedicated to collaboration and helping others in the community, this has been part of our company's mission statement from the very beginning" states Bena-Weber.  "This company is not only about presenting quality art to the community, it is about creating a quality community."     Sierra Nevada Ballet has become known for its collaborations and has worked with over 50 organizations in the Northern Nevada Community. Sierra Nevada Ballet (SNB) will present  A Celebration of Genius II August 22 and 23, 2007, at 7:30 PM at the Sand Harbor Warren Trepp Amphitheater on beautiful Lake Tahoe. This event, designed especially for the Shakespeare Festival, is filled with musical genius and spectacular dancing. Music from greats such as Chopin, Dave Brubeck, George Gerhswin and the fabulous Gian Carlo Menotti with some original work by SNB composers in residence, Susan Mazer and Dallas Smith and Andy Heglund. The first half of this exciting program features original choreography designed to match each musical style with International Dance Stars including the artistry of Ballet Danseur  Domingo Rubio, Russian born , Eugene Petrov, and the "fastest feet in tap" of Sam Weber with the Sierra Nevada Ballet Company dancers and the live music of Susan Mazer and Dallas Smith. The second half of the program will feature THE UNICORN, THE GORGON and THE MANTICORE, a madrigal  comical story ballet with spectacular original costumes (considered works of art) commissioned by the library of Congress. This work was so popular when it was performed in the Spring of 2007 that SNB will perform it at Sand Harbor by audience request. This program is designed to please the entire family. SNB will donate 30% of the ticket price to the Lake Tahoe Fire Victims or to the non-profit organization of choice. Ticket holders should send or give their ticket stub to SNB with their name, address and email address and the name of the group to whom they wish to donate the $. SNB will send the $ to the organization in their name. Those who do not specify an organization will have 30% sent to the Lake Tahoe fire victims. Tickets range from $14 to $67. Buy tickets at LakeTahoeShakespeare.com or call (800) 74 -SHOWS. Jack Neal reviewed SNB as a " truly professional dance company emerging in the Reno metropolitan area."   Versatile and innovative, Sierra Nevada Ballet is northern Nevada's only professional ballet company and incorporates the popular with the experimental.  Always a crowd pleaser, it offers music and different types of dance from well known classical to new age contemporary original pieces.  To become a member of SNB or find out more information about the company, call 775-783-3223 or visit sierranevadaballet.com    ###