Ballet San Jose, one of California's premier ballet companies, presents SONG & DANCE. Shown above are Beth Ann Namey & Maximo Califano. Ballet San Jose photo by: Robert Shomler. Ballet San Jose presents SONG & DANCE, a unique ending to the 2008-2009 season with a variety of themes, orchestration, and vocals.   SONG & DANCE presented by Ballet San Jose May 7-10, 2009   Ballet San Jose 2008-09 season ends with a bang, some say, though we prefer to look at this sizzling hot event as SONG & DANCE. San Jose's ballet company features a variety of songs from Puccini, 11 operatic songs by Giacomo Puccini,  and Gustav Mahler’s Kindertotenlieder. A classical ballet infused with airy lightness for three couples, New York City Ballet principal dancer Nilas Martins’ PUCCINI SONGS is set to a score of eleven operatic songs by Giacomo Puccini performed live. Alternating between  soprano Olga Makarino and tenor John Matz  set to piano accompaniment by Ron Valentino, the songs include: A te, Salve Regina!, Storiella d'amore, Ad una morta, Mentia l'avviso, E l'uccellino, Morire?, Casa mia,casa mia, Sole e amore, Sogno d'or, and Terra e mare. All these songs are musical settings of lyrical poetry that span the length of the composer’s career.  A vaguely timeless setting creates the mood for the six dancers taking the stage individually and then pairing off in flirtatious, romantic and emotional play. Passionate operatic arias they are not! Delightful & exciting, yes! DARK ELEGIES set to five songs from Mahler’s Kindertotenlieder (“Songs on the Death of Children”)  is virtually plotless but an emotionally rich work danced by rough dressed village peasants expressing resignation and acceptance of some unspecified disaster—usually thought to be the death of a child or children. Noted expert on Antony Tudor, Donald Mahler, will stage the penetrating performances, using a free ballet style with very little pointe work for the piece. The music for the piece will be played by pianist Ron Valentino and sung by baritone Michael Taylor. Twyla Tharp set NINE SINATRA SONGS to some of Frank Sinatra’s most popular recordings. The songs are: “One for My Baby (and One More for the Road)” “Strangers in the Night,” “All the Way,” “That’s Life,” “My Way,” “Softly as I Leave You,” “Something Stupid” “Forget Domani.” and a second version of “My Way”, recorded later in his career than the first recording. It’s roots date back to a pas de deux with Twyla and Mikail Baryshnikov called ‘Once More Frank’ and research done on ballroom dance Twyla did for the movie ‘Ragtime.’ Danced by 7 men and 7 women, this 28-minute piece is elegantly costumed by famed couturier Oscar de la Renta. The choreography is delightfully sophisticated and witty. SONG & DANCE will run May 7-10 only, at San Jose Center for the Performing Arts, 255 Almaden Boulevard in downtown San Jose. For tickets or additional information on SONG & DANCE, call 408.288.2800, Mondays through Fridays, 9am to 5pm or visit the website at www.balletsanjose.org. Tickets are $25 to $85 with discounts for students, seniors and groups. For group sales call 408.288.2820 x 204 during regular business hours. SONG & DANCE A Program of Company Premieres Ballet San Jose May 7-10, 2009 San Jose Center for the Performing Arts, 255 Almaden Boulevard (at Park Avenue) in downtown San Jose Tickets: $25-$85 with discounts for students, seniors and students Box Office: 408.288.2800 or www.balletsanjose.org Thursday, May 7 at 8pm Friday, May 8 at 8pm Saturday, May 9 at 8pm Sunday, May 10 at 1:30pm Sponsored in part by SummerHill Homes and the City of San Jose   The Nutcracker Ballet & Ballet Gala Premier Ballet San Jose in 1986 began offering Silicon Valley and the greater Bay Area world-class dance performances. Artistic/Executive Director Dennis Nahat’s award-winning company of dancers, a not-for-profit ballet school, a series of one-hour children’s ballets for audiences as young as three years old, and an outreach program that brings professional dance productions to some 10,000 children and underprivileged families every year, all weave a fabric to enrich the community arts in a region filled with the world's top talents. Recognized as a jewel in the crown of the San Jose-Silicon Valley arts scene, Ballet San Jose has produced classics such as ROMEO AND JULIET, GISELLE, SWAN LAKE and THE FIREBIRD.