Opera and ballet team up

The IU Jacobs School of Music and the IU Ballet Department will team up once again to bring “A Night of Opera (at the Ballet)” to the Musical Arts Center at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday. \nThe night will feature music from operatic composers like Charles Gounod, Giaocchino Rossini, George Frederic Handel and Giacomo Meyerbeer. The choreography will feature pieces from George Balanchine and Frederick Ashton as well as new work from choreographer and IU Distinguished Professor Violette Verdy and a pas de deux by visiting dancer Sasha Janes, principal dancer for North Carolina Dance Theatre. \nThe contribution of operatic music to the IU Ballet Department is a flip of history; the Ballet Department was originally created to add to the Opera Department. Michael Vernon, chair of the IU Jacobs School’s Ballet Department, said “A Night of Opera (at the Ballet)” will give tribute to the history of the ballet and music schools.