PRESS RELEASE - SECOND ANNUAL ARTS FOR HEART
RECEPTION, PERFORMANCE AND TRIBUTE, Tuesday, March 7^th, 2000
Come join us as we pay tribute to Celia Franca C.C., O.Ont.

OTTAWA, ONTARIO. Thursday, February 10th, 2000. The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario presents the Second Annual "Arts for Heart", in conjunction with The School of Dance, the Kiwanis Music Festival of the National Capital Region, and the National Arts Centre. The event is being held on Tuesday, March 7, 2000 in the Studio of the National Arts Centre, at 8:00 p.m., and includes a complimentary cocktail reception in the Foyer at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are $50, available at the NAC Box Office, through TicketMaster at 755-1111 (surcharges apply) and at the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Ontario, Nepean/Kanata office, 1547 Merivale Rd. and by calling 727-5060 (Heart & Stroke Office Monday - Friday).

Honorary Chairperson for "Arts for Heart" is the Honourable Mitchell Sharp, P.C., C.C., with Celebrity Host Rob Clipperton of CBC Radio.

This elegant evening of dance, classical music and show tunes will feature The School of Dance performing two pieces: "Waltz of the Flowers", choreographed by award-winning Celia Franca, and "Destajo", an exciting Flamenco piece. Other featured performers include Julie Nesrallah - Canadian award-winning mezzo-soprano, Cantata Singers, The Volta Quartet, and The Harp Duet. The evening's grand finale will be a tribute to Miss Franca for her outstanding contribution to the Canadian Arts.

Miss Franca founded the National Ballet of Canada in 1951, and was its Artistic Director for 24 years. She is presently Co-Artistic Director of The School of Dance, with co-founders Merrilee Hodgins and Joyce Shietze. Miss Franca's multifaceted accomplishments include originating many roles as a dancer and choreographing over a dozen ballets. She is the author of "The National Ballet of Canada: A Celebration" (1978) and has also served on numerous boards. Miss Franca is a recipient of many honours and awards including honourary degrees from nine universities, the Canada Council's Molson Award in 1974, and the Governor General's Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Performing Arts in 1994. She became a Companion of the Order of Canada in 1985 and received the Order of Ontario in 1987.

In her choreographic notes on Romeo and Juliet, Miss Franca once tellingly said: "Every ballet is about love. There's no such thing in my opinion as an abstract ballet. Whether a man or a woman are dancing together and they're not telling a story ... there's still chemistry between them, and God help you if there isn't because it's going to be a bad performance." (Source: www.soundventure.com. Footnotes, The Classics of Ballet, copyright 1999, Sound Venture Productions Ottawa Limited. All rights reserved.)

All net proceeds to The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario. The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario. The Heart and Stroke Foundation's mission is to reduce premature death and disability from heart disease and stroke by raising funds for research and health promotion. Heart disease and stroke claim the life of someone in Canada every seven minutes. Please support this fundraising event and call 727-5060 to purchase your ticket. What a great gift of the heart!

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Maureen Ottman, HSFO Area Mgr., Tel.: 613-727-5060; Fax: 613-727-1895, E-mail: mottman (at) hsf.on.ca Web: www.hsf.on.ca
Media contact: Michelle Beaupré, Full-Circle Creative Communications, Tel.: 613-228-2246, Fax: 613-723-6057, E-mail: fccc (at) istar.ca, Web: http://home.istar.ca/~fccc