American Choreographers Stamps Dance
April 26 2004 - 3:53PM
PR Newswire (US)
American Choreographers Stamps Dance U.S. Postal Service to
Dedicate Stamps Honoring Extraordinary Artists WASHINGTON, April 26
/PRNewswire/ -- Four choreographers of the 20th century -- Alvin
Ailey, George Balanchine, Agnes de Mille and Martha Graham -- who
left a profound mark on the language of dance will be honored by
the U.S. Postal Service with commemorative postage stamps. The
first-day-of-issue ceremony is scheduled for 10 a.m. Tuesday, May
4, at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center's Victoria Theater, One
Center St., Newark, NJ. The event is free and open to the public,
and will feature live performances by the New York City Ballet, the
Alvin Ailey Dance Theater and the American Ballet Theater
showcasing each choreographer's style. (Photo:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040426/DCM052 ) "The American
Choreographers stamps vividly show both the choreographers - - and
a touch of the choreographies -- that are so beloved by audiences
around the world," said Linda Kingsley, Vice President Strategic
Planning for the U.S. Postal Service, who will dedicate the stamps.
"The Postal Service is delighted to commemorate these artists, as
well as the grace and beauty they created through dance, for the
enjoyment of fans everywhere." Joining Kingsley at the ceremony
will be Agnes de Mille's son, James Prude, Professor of History,
Emory University, Atlanta, GA; and Sylvia Waters, former Alvin
Ailey American Dance Theater company member and current Artistic
Director of Ailey II. Alvin Ailey was one of the leading
choreographers of his era. His work incorporated elements of jazz,
modern dance, classical ballet, and African and Caribbean
movements-different styles that made tremendous demands on his
dancers-and helped popularize dance in America. Born Jan. 5, 1931,
in rural southeast Texas, Ailey was comforted and stimulated by the
traditions of the black church, and the more vibrant life of the
local roadhouse. The experiences would serve as his inspiration
later in life as he sought to present the beauty and complexity of
African-American culture to a diverse audience. Through the years,
he choreographed for his own company, the Alvin Ailey American
Dance Theater, and others, earning repeated honors. He died Dec. 1,
1989, in New York City. A graduate of St. Petersburg's Imperial
Theatre School, George Balanchine's choreography blends the
classical with the modern and is intensely musical, reflecting his
early interest in becoming a composer. Balanchine created more than
200 ballets, as well as numerous dances for theater and film, and
he made the New York City Ballet into one of the finest companies
in the world. Balanchine created an American style of classical
ballet, one that reflected the accelerating speed of life in
20th-century American cities like New York. Balanchine died in New
York City on April 30, 1983. He is remembered as a brilliant
choreographic artist who was idolized by many of the most famous
dancers of his era. Agnes de Mille built a bridge between the world
of ballet and the Broadway musical. The genius of de Mille lay in
her ability to blend the language of classical ballet, the
expressive quality of modern dance and the traditions of American
folk dance. The result was superior choreographic entertainment
that appealed to a broad audience. She choreographed several noted
musicals, using dance to advance the plot, to great critical
acclaim. Also an engaging writer, de Mille published several books,
including two autobiographical volumes. She died at her home in New
York City on Oct. 6, 1993. The principal founder of modern dance in
America -- Martha Graham -- created dances distinguished by their
expressive qualities and by the way they acknowledged gravity.
Before Graham, dancers usually pretended they were lighter than
air, not subject to the same laws of gravity that affect mere
mortals. A decade after her first dance lesson, Graham established
her own dance company, starring in productions that were
distinguished by their sharp, angular movements and blunt gestures
imbued with tension and pathos. In 1969, at the age of 75, Graham
gave her last performance in "The Lady of the House of Sleep." She
continued to choreograph, teach and travel with her company until
her death at age 96. An acknowledged genius in the world of dance,
Graham choreographed more than 180 works in her lifetime. She died
on April 1, 1991, at her home in New York City. To see the American
Choreographers stamps and other images from the 2004 Commemorative
Stamp Program, visit the Postal Store at http://www.usps.com/shop
and click on "Release Schedule" in the Collector's Corner. Current
U.S. stamps, as well as a free comprehensive catalog, are available
by toll-free phone order at 1 800 STAMP-24. A wide selection of
stamps and other philatelic items is also available at the Postal
Store at http://www.usps.com/shop. Beautifully framed prints of
original stamp art for delivery straight to home or office may be
purchased at http://www.postalartgallery.com/. Since 1775, the U.S.
Postal Service has connected friends, families, neighbors and
businesses by mail. An independent federal agency, the Postal
Service makes deliveries to more than 141 million addresses every
day and is the only service provider to deliver to every address in
the nation. The Postal Service receives no taxpayer dollars for
routine operations, but derives its operating revenues solely from
the sale of postage, products and services. With annual revenues of
more than $68 billion, it is the world's leading provider of mail
and delivery services, offering some of the most affordable postage
rates in the world. Moreover, today's postage rates will remain
stable until at least 2006. The U.S. Postal Service delivers more
than 43 percent of the world's mail volume -- some 202 billion
letters, advertisements, periodicals and packages a year -- and
serves seven million customers each day at its 38,000 retail
locations nationwide. TECHNICAL DETAILS Issue: American
Choreographers Item Number: 456000 Denomination & Type of
Issue: 37-cent Commemorative Format: Pane of 20 with header (4
designs) Series: N/A Issue Date & City: May 4, 2004, Newark, NJ
07102 Designer: Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, MD Engraver: N/A Art
Director: Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, MD Typographer: Ethel Kessler,
Bethesda, MD Modeler: Joseph Sheeran Manufacturing Process: Offset
Printer: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU) Printed at: Williamsville,
NY Press Type: Mueller Martini, A76 Modified Stamps per Pane: 20
Print Quantity: 57 million stamps Paper Type: Prephosphored,
Phosphor 175 PMU Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive Processed at:
Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. Colors: Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, PMS
7506 (Beige) PMS 2776 (Purple) Stamp Orientation: Horizontal Image
Area (w x h): 1.42 x 0.84 in./36.068 x 21.336mm Overall Size (w x
h): 1.56 in.0.99 in/39.625 x 25.146 mm Full Pane Size (w x h): 7.24
x 6.47 in./183.896 x 164.433mm Plate Size: 240 stamps per
revolution Plate Numbers: "P" followed by six (6) single digits
Marginal Markings: (C) 2003 USPS * Plate numbers * Price * Header
"American Choreographers" Plate position diagram * Proprietary
notices * 4 Barcodes on back Catalog Item Number(s): 456020 Block
of 4 - $1.48 456030 Block of 10 - $3.70 456040 Full Pane of 20 -
$7.40 456063 First Day Cover Set of 4 - $3.00 456091 Ceremony w/FDC
Set of 4 - $8.95 456093 Full Pane w/FDC Set of 4 - $10.40 HOW TO
ORDER THE FIRST DAY OF ISSUE POSTMARK Customers have 30 days to
obtain the first day of issue postmark by mail. They may purchase
new stamps at their local post office, by telephone at 1 800
STAMP-24, and at the Postal Store at http://www.usps.com/shop. They
should affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the
envelopes (to themselves or others), and place them in a larger
envelope addressed to: AMERICAN CHOREOGRAPHERS COMMEMORATIVE STAMPS
POSTMASTER 2 FEDERAL SQUARE NEWARK NJ 07102-9998. After applying
the first day of issue postmark, the Postal Service will return the
envelopes through the mail. There is no charge for the postmark.
All orders must be postmarked by June 3, 2004.
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040426/DCM052 DATASOURCE:
U.S. Postal Service CONTACT: Rita Peer, +1-202-268-2126, or George
Flood, +1-973-468-7126, both of U.S. Postal Service Web site:
http://www.usps.com/ http://www.postalartgallery.com/
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