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Show Dcl3l M: Braa ffe 1 Ballet West officials have announced the appointment of Bruce Marks, the internationally interna-tionally acclaimed dancer and choreographer of the Royal Danish Ballet, as a new artistic artis-tic director of Ballet West. Mr. Marks will assume the position posi-tion as co-equal with current artistic director William F. Christensen on June 1, 1976. THE APPOINTMENT was announced by Mrs. John M. Wallace, founder and honorary life president, and Robert Brickell, general manager and executive vice president of the board of directors of Ballet West. "For some time we have been looking for the person who could share the load of the artistic direction of Ballet West," said William F. Christensen, Chris-tensen, Ballet West Artistic Director. "WE HAVE been looking for someone with imagination, wisdom, energy, and above ' all, talent. Bruce Marks is that person. Ballet West considers con-siders itself extremely fortunate for-tunate in having secured a person ot his distinction as co-artistic co-artistic director." Mr. Christensen, who is 73, noted that the appointment of a co-artistic director will help assure the continuity and continued con-tinued growth of Ballet West. In 1951. Mr. Christensen established es-tablished the first fully-accredited fully-accredited university ballet department at the University of Utah. OUT OF that department grew the Utah Civic Ballet and in 1968, Ballet West. Ballet West is now a fully professional profes-sional company of 35 dancers who give over 150 performances perfor-mances during each year. Mr. Marks is spending August with Ballet West and will set a new ballet on the company to Richard Strauss' Don Juan for Ballet West's February "Discovery Season." Mr. Marks will return re-turn to Salt Lake , City in February for a month, and will assume his new position on June 1, 1976. MR. MARKS is currently a principal dancer with the Royal Danish Ballet and has choreographed two ballets for that company. He is also choreographing an opera for the Royal Danish for the fall During the coming year lie will be dancing with Carla Fracci in Raymonda in Naples, Italy in March, 1976 and with the Royal Danish in May at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York and the Kennedy Center in Washington, D. C. MR. MARKS and his wife. Toni Lander, were principles with the American Ballet Theatre in the 1960s. They are presently living jn Copenhagen, Denmark and are the parents of three children. Ms. Lander, a citizen of Denmark, is currently a ballet instructor at the Royal Danish Ballet School and trains the dancers of the Royal Danish Company. She will also join Ballet West in an artistic capacity which will include teaching and staging ballets. BRUCE MARKS and Toni Lander have appeared previously as guest artists with Ballet West in 1966 and 1969. dancing the leading roles in Ballet West's Christmas J Ruction Nutcracker". ' York in l- 'r-. 01 Musir ' W; Univers a B,, MR- Marks k experience "?Stv. Rues He k ti! L ABT. both m1 sical. including m MS- LANDER k any 1, ; U "Miss Jul,- fJ I Variail0ns ",. u Sylph." ms'-; a'so one of n,, "' Danish dattrs Srdert 01 II Kim's-Danish Kim's-Danish Flag. 8,. . . Km8 Frederick ix " ' j |