AEROS returns to the Phillips Center - Groundbreaking work was created at UF

January 17, 2010

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — This January the groundbreaking collaboration AEROS, which was created on the University of Florida campus and made its world premiere at the Phillips Center, comes home to Gainesville.

World-renowned contemporary choreographers Daniel Ezralow, David Parsons and Moses Pendleton, in collaboration with STOMP creators Luke Cresswell and Steve McNicholas, joined forces with athletes from the Romanian Gymnastics Federation to create this soaring evening of entertainment. Challenging the laws of gravity and combining the physical power of world-ranking athletes with the creative genius of some of the world’s best choreographers, AEROS is the first in its genre.

In 1997, a multinational company looking for a never-before-seen event, approached Antonio Gnecchi of AGR Associati in Milan. Gnecchi came up with the idea of a performance experience that would combine the creativity of dance with the athleticism of gymnastics. Gnecchi and Columbia Artists, one of the producers of STOMP, traveled to Bucharest, Romania in 1999 to meet with Adrian Stoica, the General Secretary of the Romania Gymnastics Foundation, about the possibility of a creative collaboration with Romania’s best gymnasts. Stoica embraced the idea and AEROS was born.

Creative work began at the University of Florida in Gainesville in 2000. The work made its world premiere on April 22, 2001 at the Phillips Center. The performance was filmed by Bravo and featured in a documentary about the creative collaboration.

Since its world premiere, AEROS has toured around the world, dazzling audiences and delighting millions with its unique combination of athleticism and choreography.

AEROS will perform at the Phillips Center for the Performing Arts Thursday, Jan. 31 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $35, front orchestra, mezzanine and mid-orchestra; $30, rear orchestra; and $25, balcony. The performance is sponsored by Davis, Monk & Company and Florida Food Service.

Tickets are available by calling the Phillips Center Box Office at 352-392-ARTS (2787) or 800-905-ARTS (toll-free within Florida) or by calling Ticketmaster at 904-353-3309 or toll free at 800-277-1700. Orders may also be faxed to 352-846-1562. Tickets are also available in person at the Phillips Center Box Office, University Box Office at the Reitz Student Union, all Ticketmaster outlets and online atwww.ticketmaster.com. Cash, checks, Visa and MasterCard are accepted. Group tickets are also available.

The Phillips Center Box Office is open Monday-Saturday, noon to 6 p.m. and two hours prior to the performance. Performance dates, times and programs are subject to change.