Missoula News

Christmas Spectacular Fundraiser

Rocky Mountain Ballet Theatre Headed To 08 Olympics

By Matt Cochran, 11-21-06

	ABOVE: Rocky Mountain Ballet Theatre dancers at the bar during rehearsal. BELOW: Charlene Campbell, the artistic director of the Theatre instructs dancers rehersing for the fifth annual "Christmas Spectacular" scheduled to run Nov. 25-26 at the Wilma Theater. Photos by Matt Cochran.

With dance being vital to Chinese culture, the pomp surrounding the 2008 Beijing Olympics will be quite the spectacle, and dancers from Missoula's Rocky Mountain Ballet Theatre will help make sure of it.

The Rocky Mountain Ballet Theatre will travel to Beijing in the summer of 2008 for nearly three weeks and perform at several cultural events as well as diplomatic conferences. Charlene Campbell, the artistic director of the Theatre, will escort 12 to 16 young dancers along with technical and production assistants to various provinces. "I think China has a very romantic perception of Montana, and we want to contribute to that," said Campbell.

Sen. Max Baucus made the invitation possible, working with the China Arts and Entertainment Group and its director Wang Hongbo. The group is a government-funded cultural exchange program, which will help fund the Ballet Theatre's stay. Campbell estimates they will still need to raise nearly $150,000 for airfare, production costs, and costume repair and design. Fundraising will include the upcoming fifth annual "Christmas Spectacular" on Nov. 25-26 at the Wilma Theater and Dec. 2 in Anaconda. The group will also perform at The Missoula Symphony's production of "Holiday Pops" at the University Theater on Dec. 9-10. For additional event information visit The Rocky Mountain Ballet Theatre's site at www.rmbt.org.

The Theatre's staple piece "Bugs" will be performed abroad, but Campbell is striving for more pieces specific to the culture of each province they visit. An entirely new repertoire will be produced. The Theatre's tour of China will end in Missoula's sister province of Quangxi.

The Rocky Mountain Ballet Theatre began in 1998 with about 40 students, and now instructs nearly 120 dancers. Campbell moved from her faculty position at Mr. Stanley Holden's Ballet School in Los Angeles after eight years. Prior to L.A., Campbell was involved in training at the American Ballet Theatre in Chicago. She also danced at Radio City Music Hall as a Rockette. Campbell's entire life has been devoted to dance, inspired by her mother Elisabeth Gillette Campbell. Elisabeth was a ballet legend, coaching the likes of Madonna and other celebrities. Even Mary Tyler Moore sought out Elisabeth and her productions every time she was in Chicago.

This month, on Friday, Nov. 3rd, Charlene Campbell lost her mother. The upcoming "Christmas Spectacular" will be dedicated to Elisabeth Gillette Campbell. "She was my first teacher … I am her only child … I have obviously followed in her footsteps … I adored her. We all did," Campbell said.

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