'Sleeping Beauty Waltz' to feature dancers, orchestra from college, community

The College Community Orchestra, under the direction of SUNY Oswego music professor Dr. Juan F. La Manna, and dancers from the community and college will perform Tchaikovsky's famous "Sleeping Beauty Waltz" at 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 3, in Tyler Hall's Waterman Theater.

Admission is free. The College Community Orchestra also will play other popular and classical selections.

Student dancers ages 4 to 21 will grace the stage from both a SUNY Oswego ballet class and Oswego Ballet Academy for the classic ballet.

"I thought it would be a great opportunity for dancers to perform to live, beautiful symphonic music," said La Manna, who has a great deal of experience conducting for ballet. "There are many talented dancers both in the college and in the community, so why not give them the experience? I then talked to Dr. Ligia Pinheiro, who teaches ballet at the college and at the OBA, and she agreed to choreograph to the beautiful score."

Pinheiro said the dancers have been working hard in rehearsals. "The waltz is beautiful, and to dance to live music is a unique experience, especially when played by a large symphony orchestra," she said. "You can feel the power of the music very strongly, and you need to feel the music and be in the moment with the musicians -- it is very different from dancing to recorded music. And it is a great honor to be performing in beautiful Waterman Theater."

Parking information for SUNY Oswego is available at oswego.edu/parking. For more information about the performance, contact the SUNY Oswego music department, 315-312-2130 or music@oswego.edu.