2010 Cultural Olympiad muscles up with 36 additional projects

A Russian prima ballerina known for portraying the fleeting final moments of a dying swan and an acrobatic New York youth dance troupe that dodges swinging cinder blocks and "flies" through glass like action heroes are adding some muscle to the Vancouver 2010 Cultural Olympiad which starts in just 64 days.

Another 36 Vancouver 2010 Cultural Olympiad projects were announced today which include: Passion of Russia starring famed ballerina in her Canadian debut and viola master Yuri Bashmet in an evening marrying music and ballet from the Host Nation of the 2014 Winter Games, a soulful double-bill of R&B crooners Raphael Saadiq and India.Arie, as well as Phoenix, an alternative rock outfit from France with early links to Daft Punk. And for those more interested in seeing the riskier side of show business, STREB's dancers will perform acrobatic and show-stopping jumps, falls and live action dance stunts using found materials and bizarre contraptions in Raw.

"Amazing feats of athleticism at the 2010 Winter Games won't be restricted to the snow and ice - they'll also be on our stages throughout the Games region as some of the world's premiere dancers, actors and musicians join our cultural celebrations," said Burke Taylor, vice president of culture and celebrations for the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC).

Starting in January, international visitors and locals alike will also encounter contemporary art by simply stepping out their door and walking through downtown Vancouver as they happen upon one of the most visible Cultural Olympiad projects - Endlessly Traversed Landscapes - featuring large-scale versions of dozens of works of art by Canadians on transit shelters, the SkyTrain and other public spaces.

The festival of music, theatre, visual arts, dance, and digital programming kicks off January 22, 2010 in Metro Vancouver and British Columbia's Sea to Sky corridor. Tickets and information are available on all 186 projects announced to date at http://www.vancouver2010.com/culturalolympiad.

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