[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 8]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 11138]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   CONGRATULATING BALLET MEMPHIS ON THEIR PERFORMANCE AT THE KENNEDY 
                                 CENTER

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. STEVE COHEN

                              of tennessee

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 17, 2010

  Mr. COHEN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Ballet Memphis 
for their invitation to perform as part of ``Ballet Across America II'' 
at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, 
D.C. on June 17 and 19, 2010. This will be Ballet Memphis' debut 
performance at the Kennedy Center and it will be the first Tennessee 
dance company to perform on the main stage. Ballet Memphis joins eight 
notable dance companies from around our nation to take part in the 
second installment of this week-long production.
  Dorothy Gunther Pugh founded Ballet Memphis in 1986 as Memphis 
Concert Ballet and currently serves as Artistic Director. Ballet 
Memphis began as a company with two professional dancers and an 
operating budget of $75,000. Now in its 23rd season, it employs 16 
dancers, trains 700 students, tours local schools and has an operating 
budget of $3.3 million. The company performs at various venues in 
Memphis including the Orpheum Theatre, the newly renovated Playhouse on 
the Square and their own award-winning studio in East Memphis.
  Ballet Memphis has had the distinct honor of performing at various 
festivals around the world. They have performed as part of the Inside/
Out Series at Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival in Becket, Massachusetts, 
Spring to Dance in St. Louis and the Joyce Theater in New York. Ballet 
Memphis has performed in productions in Paris and Quebec as well. 
Recognized by the Ford Foundation as a ``national treasure,'' the 
Andrew W. Mellon Foundation awarded Ballet Memphis a grant to explore 
opportunities for redefining midsize ballet companies in the nation. 
Ballet Memphis' performance this week at The Kennedy Center will bring 
nationwide attention to dance companies of similar size and talent.
  Ballet Memphis will take to the Kennedy Center main stage performing 
their 2007 original piece ``In Dreams'' choreographed by Trey McIntyre 
and set to music recorded at Memphis' Sun Studio by Roy Orbison. Mrs. 
Pugh's choreographers reflect the musical and literary history of 
Memphis and merge both rock-and-roll and soul music to bring to the 
forefront the importance of all humanity living together. Mrs. Pugh 
stated ``this is a really good piece for us to perform because it sets 
us apart in terms of the different ways we create work to reflect the 
community.''
  Through their commitment to hard work and outstanding performances, 
Ballet Memphis has built a distinguished name of which they can be 
justly proud. Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me today in 
congratulating Ballet Memphis for their many accomplishments and for 
being invited to perform in ``Ballet Across America II.''

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