Edward Stewart

The fourth annual Dancing for Dancers held Saturday at Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts raised about $7,000 to benefit the Edward Stewart Memorial Scholarship Fund. Stewart was the founder of the Ballet Theatre of Annapolis (later the Ballet Theatre of Maryland) and served as the company's director for 22 years until his death from lung cancer in July 2002. He had expressed his wish to establish a scholarship fund to provide financial assistance for classical ballet training for promising students in Maryland.

In celebration of Ballet Theatre of Maryland artistic director Dianna Cuatto's receiving this year's Performing Arts Annie, BTM dancers entertained at the start of the 12th annual Annie Awards ceremony, offering excerpts from their "1812 Ballet" and from "Aladdin," along with Spanish and Irish dances. On Oct. 19 in the Key Auditorium at St. John's College, the Arts Council of Anne Arundel County awarded Annies to six people for their contributions to performing, literary and visual arts, and to arts education, patronage and lifetime achievement.

"Dancing for Dancers," a ballet performance to honor Edward Stewart, the late founder and artistic director of Ballet Theatre of Maryland, will be presented at 3 p.m. Aug. 16 at Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts. Stewart began the company with little except his talent and nurtured the Annapolis-based ballet company for 22 years. He died of lung cancer last year. "Dancing for Dancers" will consist of a series of ballets, each about 10 minutes long. Ballet segments will include selections from Stewart's choreography of The Eleventh Commandment, Alice in Wonderland and Annapolis Yesteryear.

The fourth annual Dancing for Dancers held Saturday at Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts raised about $7,000 to benefit the Edward Stewart Memorial Scholarship Fund. Stewart was the founder of the Ballet Theatre of Annapolis (later the Ballet Theatre of Maryland) and served as the company's director for 22 years until his death from lung cancer in July 2002. He had expressed his wish to establish a scholarship fund to provide financial assistance for classical ballet training for promising students in Maryland.

Suddenly on July 23, 2006, RICHARD HAMILTON STEWART of Sykesville, beloved husband of Kathleen Mae Stewart (nee Lisk); devoted father of the late Richard H. Stewart II and Glenn R. Stewart; step-father of Raymond Holloway and his wife Beverly; loving brother of Charles Stewart and his wife Nancy, T. Bonner Stewart, Edward Stewart and his wife Audrey and Anna Louisa Mc Cartney. He is also survived by two grandchildren, four great-grandchildren, several nieces, nephews and cousins. A Funeral Service will be held at 10 A.M., Saturday at the Haight Funeral Home & Chapel (6416 Sykesville Rd.)

Talk about contrasts. From a classic pas de deux to a jazzy ballet for four male dancers to a new piece with 17 female dancers, the Ballet Theatre of Annapolis is offering a wide variety of performances this weekend showcasing the strengths of its members. In performances tomorrow and Saturday, the ballet will perform Prokofiev's "Romeo and Juliet" balcony scene, choreographed by artistic director Edward Stewart, and "Le Corsaire" choreographed by Petipa, and Act II of "Giselle," with choreography by Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot.

A rich and varied selection of classical and contemporary works awaits dance enthusiasts in Ballet Theater of Annapolis' 18th season."We're excited," says Janet Morgan, executive director of Maryland's only full-time professional classical ballet company. "We have a lot of new things going on."Dancers have been added to the roster, a full slate of master classes is scheduled, and the company is planning Halloween weekend performances at Towson University. All this as well as a Maryland Hall season full of BTA favorites.

Poised to begin its 15th year of bringing the joys of classical dance to local audiences, the Ballet Theatre of Annapolis has announced the details of its new season.Performances begin Oct. 27 and Oct. 28, with guest artists Cynthia Harvey and Wes Chapman, both principal dancers with the American Ballet Theatre in New York City. They will perform Act II of Tchaikovsky's "Swan Lake" and the Grand Pas de Deux from "Sleeping Beauty."Also on the program are the world premiere of "Passion" by composer Leonard Moses, and "Sapphire Romance," which features music from Rachmaninoff's impassioned Piano Concerto No. 2. Both are creations of Edward Stewart, BTA's artistic director.

Airline strike postpones Chinese ballerina's arrivalBallet Theater of Annapolis' new soloist, Chinese ballerina Zhirui Zou, has had a change of plans. She was supposed to arrive tomorrow on a Northwest Airlines flight, but the airline's pilots have been on strike since last weekend.BTA artistic director Edward Stewart said the dancer has found a USAir flight that will bring her to the United States Saturday.BTA had planned a welcome for Zou tomorrow, with flowers, members of the ballet and a translator.

The state's largest professional classical dance company - Ballet Theatre of Maryland - has chosen Dianna Cuatto to serve as its artistic director, succeeding Edward Stewart, the company's founder, who died last July. Cuatto was selected after a four-month search by a committee appointed by the company's board. Having arrived late last month, Cuatto is recruiting faculty for the ballet school, interviewing dancers, handling administrative chores, planning the 2003-2004 season and getting acquainted with local ballet supporters.

Suddenly on July 23, 2006, RICHARD HAMILTON STEWART of Sykesville, beloved husband of Kathleen Mae Stewart (nee Lisk); devoted father of the late Richard H. Stewart II and Glenn R. Stewart; step-father of Raymond Holloway and his wife Beverly; loving brother of Charles Stewart and his wife Nancy, T. Bonner Stewart, Edward Stewart and his wife Audrey and Anna Louisa Mc Cartney. He is also survived by two grandchildren, four great-grandchildren, several nieces, nephews and cousins. A Funeral Service will be held at 10 A.M., Saturday at the Haight Funeral Home & Chapel (6416 Sykesville Rd.)

"Dancing for Dancers," a ballet performance to honor Edward Stewart, the late founder and artistic director of Ballet Theatre of Maryland, will be presented at 3 p.m. Aug. 16 at Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts. Stewart began the company with little except his talent and nurtured the Annapolis-based ballet company for 22 years. He died of lung cancer last year. "Dancing for Dancers" will consist of a series of ballets, each about 10 minutes long. Ballet segments will include selections from Stewart's choreography of The Eleventh Commandment, Alice in Wonderland and Annapolis Yesteryear.

The state's largest professional classical dance company - Ballet Theatre of Maryland - has chosen Dianna Cuatto to serve as its artistic director, succeeding Edward Stewart, the company's founder, who died last July. Cuatto was selected after a four-month search by a committee appointed by the company's board. Having arrived late last month, Cuatto is recruiting faculty for the ballet school, interviewing dancers, handling administrative chores, planning the 2003-2004 season and getting acquainted with local ballet supporters.

Edward D. Stewart, artistic director of the Annapolis-based Ballet Theatre of Maryland since its founding, died Tuesday of lung cancer at Stella Maris Hospice at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore. He was 59 and lived in Hampden. He had been associated with the dance troupe since 1980 and taught numerous students privately, and as a faculty member at Towson University, Villa Julie College and the Baltimore School for the Arts. The son of a coal-miners union official, he was born in Kulpmont, Pa., and graduated from Mount Carmel Catholic High School in Mount Carmel, Pa. In a 1981 Sun interview, he credited Fred Astaire's movies with getting him interested in dance.

Ballet Theatre of Annapolis (BTA) ended an extraordinary season last weekend with a nod to the future in a program that focused on youth in its fairy-tale subject matter and by showcasing young dancers. Forty-six dance students from Anne Arundel County and the Eastern Shore performed with the troupe's professional dancers. The children's joy and pride were contagious, adding enjoyment to the program. Newly choreographed works by the theater's prolific artistic director, Edward Stewart, spotlighted the strengths of his 26-member company and the youngsters who joined them.

Talk about contrasts. From a classic pas de deux to a jazzy ballet for four male dancers to a new piece with 17 female dancers, the Ballet Theatre of Annapolis is offering a wide variety of performances this weekend showcasing the strengths of its members. In performances tomorrow and Saturday, the ballet will perform Prokofiev's "Romeo and Juliet" balcony scene, choreographed by artistic director Edward Stewart, and "Le Corsaire" choreographed by Petipa, and Act II of "Giselle," with choreography by Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot.

Edward Stewart, artistic director of the Ballet Theatre of Annapolis, is decidedly ambitious. Unfortunately, Mr. Stewart's choreographic ambition far exceeded his dramatic grasp. How else can one explain the disappointing choreography that Mr. Stewart's dancers bravely struggled through this weekend at the Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts in Annapolis?Fortunately, BTA's performance was bolstered by the guest appearance of local pianist and composer Stefan Scaggiari, whose considerable musical talents and performance savvy warmly charmed the audience.

Ballet Theatre of Annapolis (BTA) ended an extraordinary season last weekend with a nod to the future in a program that focused on youth in its fairy-tale subject matter and by showcasing young dancers. Forty-six dance students from Anne Arundel County and the Eastern Shore performed with the troupe's professional dancers. The children's joy and pride were contagious, adding enjoyment to the program. Newly choreographed works by the theater's prolific artistic director, Edward Stewart, spotlighted the strengths of his 26-member company and the youngsters who joined them.

Airline strike postpones Chinese ballerina's arrivalBallet Theater of Annapolis' new soloist, Chinese ballerina Zhirui Zou, has had a change of plans. She was supposed to arrive tomorrow on a Northwest Airlines flight, but the airline's pilots have been on strike since last weekend.BTA artistic director Edward Stewart said the dancer has found a USAir flight that will bring her to the United States Saturday.BTA had planned a welcome for Zou tomorrow, with flowers, members of the ballet and a translator.

A rich and varied selection of classical and contemporary works awaits dance enthusiasts in Ballet Theater of Annapolis' 18th season."We're excited," says Janet Morgan, executive director of Maryland's only full-time professional classical ballet company. "We have a lot of new things going on."Dancers have been added to the roster, a full slate of master classes is scheduled, and the company is planning Halloween weekend performances at Towson University. All this as well as a Maryland Hall season full of BTA favorites.