Jetsettersblog

Las Vegas, Nev. – Celebrate the month of romance at the UNLV Performing Arts Center as it welcomes the Russian National Ballet performing the timeless story of never-ending love, Romeo & Juliet, at 8 p.m. on Thursday, February 3 as part of the Charles Vanda Master Series.

The Russian National Ballet Theatre was founded in Moscow during the transitional period of Perestroika in the late 1980s, when many of the great dancers and choreographers of the Soviet Union’s ballet institutions were exercising their new-found creative freedom by starting new, vibrant companies dedicated not only to the timeless tradition of classical Russian Ballet but to invigorate this tradition as the Russians began to accept new developments in the dance from around the world.

The company, then titled the Soviet National Ballet, was founded by and incorporated graduates from the great Russian choreographic schools of Moscow, St. Petersburg and Perm.

The principal dancers of the company came from the upper ranks of the great ballet companies and academies of Russia, and the companies of Riga, Kiev and even Warsaw. Today, the Russian National Ballet Theatre is its own institution, with more than 50 dancers of singular instruction and vast experience, many of whom have been with the company since its inception.

In 1994, the legendary Bolshoi principal dancer Elena Radchenko was selected by Presidential decree to assume the first permanent artistic directorship of the company. Radchenko is the founder of the Russian National Ballet Theatre, and she has focused the Company on upholding the grand national tradition of the major Russian ballet works and developing new talents throughout Russia, with a repertory of virtually all of the great full works of Petipa: Don Quixote, La Bayadere, The Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, Raymonda, Paquita, Coppelia and La Sylphide, as well as productions of, among others, The Nutcracker, Sylvia, and La Fille Mal Gardee.

Tickets to the Russian National Ballet are $35, $50, and $70 and can be purchased at the Performing Arts Center Box Office at 895-ARTS (2787) or by visiting http://pac.unlv.edu

Student rush tickets are $13 each and available one hour prior to each event, based on availability and with valid student I.D. UNLV faculty and staff discounts also are available.

A $1.25 facilities fee, in addition to the ticket price, is charged on all Performing Arts Center tickets. The box office is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday. Information about all of the season’s performances can be found on the Performing Arts Center website, located at pac.unlv.edu.

Founded in 1976, the Performing Arts Center at UNLV continues to be Southern Nevada’s premier performing arts venue. Located on the north end of the UNLV campus, the PAC hosts a variety of performances each year in three distinct series – the Charles Vanda Master Series, the New York Stage & Beyond Series, and the UNLV Classical Guitar Series. UNLV and Vegas PBS are graciously sponsoring the season.

- Tourist Board reveals star-studded 20th anniversary lineup -

The Saint Lucia Tourist Board today announces that R&B star, John Legend, will perform as the headline act at Saint Lucia Jazz 2011, which this year celebrates its 20th anniversary. John Legend joins a host of musical stars set to grace the main stage at the internationally acclaimed event, which will take place between 4th and 8th May 2011.

Confirmed artists include some of the world’s biggest Jazz, Reggae, Soul, World Music and R&B musicians with four-time Grammy nominated Ledisi, World Music marvel, Angelique Kidjo, and renowned Reggae band, Morgan Heritage, taking to the stage.

Delivering world-class sounds to crowds of thousands, the 20th anniversary event is set to be the biggest yet.

In celebration of this milestone, and for the first time ever, 2011 will see UK Facebook competition winners Bad Ass Brass wow the crowds with their New Orleans style jazz funk sounds. Bad Ass Brass beat off stiff competition to be crowned winner and will join the line up to perform a 30 minute set at the prestigious event.

Jean-Marc Flambert, Director of Marketing UK and Europe, Saint Lucia Tourist Board, comments: ‘We are really excited to announce our headline act and supporting line up for the 20th anniversary celebrations.

Saint Lucia Jazz truly is one of the most important dates in both the Saint Lucian and Caribbean calendar and the line up is always hotly anticipated.

The event draws in worldwide attention and we plan to make this year’s celebration the best yet.

‘The success of our Facebook competition has given the anniversary a unique twist for the UK and we’re delighted that Bad Ass Brass will represent us’.

With further acts still to be announced at the official Saint Lucia Jazz launch party on 10th February, here’s a sneak preview of this year’s star-studded line up so far:

4th May 2011
Ledisi
Regina Carter
Allison Marquis

5th May 2011
Sixun
Augustin ‘Jab’
Duplessis, featuring Derede Williams
Bad Ass Brass

6th May 2011
Morgan Heritage
Carimi
Angelique Kidjo
Mervvin Wilkinson

7th May 2011
Maceo Parker
Yellowjackets
Taj Weekes

8th May 2011
John Legend
Chuck Brown
Mike Stern/Richard Bona
Saint Lucia Collective
Anacanoeana

For more information on Saint Lucia Jazz visit www.stluciajazz.org.
For general information on Saint Lucia, visit www.stlucianow.co.uk

Ski accommodation specialist Pierre & Vacances has something for those feeling the financial strain this January.

The ’11 for 11′ deal has up to 60 per cent off the original price of self-catering properties in 11 top French skiing resorts including Val d’Isere, Les Arcs and Méribel.

The offer is valid for bookings made before January 31 on selected dates for seven night holidays. Below are listed a selection of the deals.

To view all of the deals or to make a booking, please visit: http://www.pv-holidays.com/gb-en/11for11_os

Pierre & Vacances Residence Les Balcons de Bellevarde, Val D’Isère- 60 per cent off

A one bedroom apartment sleeping up to five people from 23-30 April is reduced from €870 (£726) to €348 (£290)- just €10 per night per person.

The charming wood and stone-clad residence is located in La Daille area of the resort facing the piste and is only 100 metres from the shops and 200 metres from the Funival lift. Featuring balconies that enjoy maximum sunshine levels, these comfortable and welcoming apartments boast excellent facilities and international television channels.

http://bit.ly/gBQEQ5

Maeva Residence La Daille, Val D’Isère – 60 per cent off

A studio apartment sleeping up to four people from 23-30 April is reduced from €620 (£517) to €248 (£207)- just €9 (£7) per person per night.

The residence is located in the La Daille district of Val D’Isere, just 1km from Val D’Isere town. La Daille has its own choice of shops, bars and restaurants within 100 metres of the residence. The apartments have been recently refurbished and offer an uninterrupted view over the valley. Opposite the residence are the La Daille lifts offering quick access to both Tignes and Val D’Isere.

http://bit.ly/gBQEQ5

Premium Residence Les Alpages de Chantel, Arc 1800 – 40 per cent off

A one bedroom apartment for up to six people from 2-9 April is reduced from €1130 (£949) to €678 (£571)- just €16 (£13) per night per person.

This Premium property offers spectacular panoramic views over the valley and has direct access to the ski slopes. The two stone and wood buildings boast a superior standard of accommodation with free Wifi and international TV channels.

After a day’s skiing, guests can use the onsite Deep Nature Spa by Algotherm. The spa centre is free of charge, with an indoor heated swimming pool, saunas, steam rooms, a gym and a relaxation room. Facial and body treatments are available for a supplement.

http://bit.ly/h5b0Yl

Carnival Cruise Lines is searching for a wedding couple to get married after the Cooper River Bridge Run in Charleston, S.C.

Carnival is inviting couples to submit an application for the chance to tie the knot or renew vows at Carnival’s “beach” in Marion Square, after racing to the altar in the 2011 Cooper River Bridge Run.

The fundraiser will benefit MUSC Children’s Hospital as part of a year-long partnership.

Couples interested can enter to win by Feb. 18.

To enter, complete the submission form at www.bridgerun.com  or email lmiller@rawlemurdy.com  to request the form.

Couples can submit an optional brief video description explaining who they are, how they met and why they would be perfect to win.

On Feb. 25, the winners will be announced.

The winning couple will receive the first dance on the festival main stage in front of family, friends and 40,000 fellow runners, and a honeymoon in an ocean-view stateroom on a five-day Bahamas cruise aboard Carnival’s Fantasy.

For more information, visit www.bridgerun.com.

Blount Small Ship Adventures is adding two new cruise itineraries in the American south.

Beginning in Baltimore, “Charming Chesapeake Bay” is an 11-day cruise to the towns and ports of coastal Maryland and Virginia. Ports of call include Annapolis and Alexandria.

Optional excursions will head to Colonial Williamsburg and Mount Vernon, George Washington’s plantation home. The cruise will feature an onboard wine tasting, local music and entertainment, a guest lecture from a regional historian and a lesson in crab-picking for Maryland’s mouth-watering blue crabs.

Travelers on “Cultures and Traditions: Charleston to the Chesapeake” will spend 10 days along the East Coast.

The excursion begins in Charleston, S.C., and will visit the Wilmington, N.C.; Norfolk, Va.; and Philadelphia.

The cruise will feature onboard music and historical lectures, a drawing demonstration by a local artist and a cocktail hour featuring regional wines.

The company’s website, which was recently upgraded and redesigned, now features interactive elements designed to aid agents in the sales process.

For more information, visit

www.blountsmallshipadventures.com

Insight Cuba, a leading provider of legal people-to-people educational travel for Americans to Cuba, is preparing to resume its travel programs that were halted in 2003. With the White House signaling its intention to ease the travel restrictions, legal travel to Cuba could resume in the coming months.

“We’ve been preparing for the possibility of again offering our Cuba programs since August 2010, when reports surfaced that President Obama was going to ease the travel restrictions,” said Tom Popper, director of Insight Cuba. “Once the new Cuba travel regulations are published in the next few weeks, we’ll be looking to renew our license. Our hope is that we’ll be able to operate programs similar to those we offered from 2000 through 2003 that provided participants with unique access to Cuban society and allowed for unprecedented interaction between Americans and Cubans.”

On Jan. 14, President Obama announced that he would ease the Cuba travel restrictions and restore the once-legal people-to-people programs operated by organizations like Insight Cuba. In 2000, Insight Cuba began offering Americans the rare opportunity to discover Cuba through its people. Nearly 2,500 Americans traveled there legally with Insight Cuba in the second half of 2003 alone, until stronger travel restrictions between the U.S. and Cuba brought such programs to a halt.

“Insight Cuba participants were introduced to an amazing travel experience with rare access to people and places average travelers never see. When local Cubans and our American participants came together, an instant friendship was born. They shared stories, traded smiles, and walked away with memories to last a lifetime. It really is what traveling is all about,” Popper said. “In fact, Americans who visited Cuba with us 10 years ago have phoned and emailed us, passionately reminiscing about their experiences, and encouraging us to resume our programs as soon as possible. This really validates what we do.”

Insight Cuba plans to operate programs similar to its pre-2003 offerings. The trips always included stays in Havana, and often included excursions to Santiago de Cuba and to the eastern and western provinces. With the guidance and expertise of local professionals, participants were immersed in Cuban culture, visiting schools, historic sites, hospitals and farms, interacting and mingling with local community groups, women’s groups, artists, musicians, religious leaders, and more.

“Provided we receive authorization to resume our programs, we are planning a special inaugural trip to Cuba, and with that in mind, we’re urging interested parties to follow our updates on Facebook and to join our email list,” Popper said.

For more information, visit www.insightcuba.com

After more than 12 years of planning, the Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas has opened in Irving, Texas. The $133 million, copper-clad facility is a 275,000-square-foot, multi-functional building with a 50,000-square-foot, column-free exhibit hall; a 20,000-square-foot ballroom; and 20,000 square feet of breakout space.

The center’s stacked layout enables Irving to simultaneously host sporting events, corporate and trade meetings, and civic functions.

For more information, call Diana Pfaff at 972-401-7722, email dpfaff@irvingtexas.com  or visit www.irvingconventioncenter.com

Universal Orlando Resort is the home of the biggest and best Mardi Gras Celebration outside of New Orleans and you can be part of the action from February 12 until April 23

Universal Orlando has been creating its special Mardi Gras celebration for more than 15 years – bringing the perfect combination of the Big Easy and spectacular theme park entertainment to its guests all for the price of a regular ticket.

“If you can’t be in New Orleans or if you can’t get enough of Mardi Gras, then Universal Orlando is the place to be,” said Jim Timon, senior vice president of entertainment for Universal Orlando Resort. “We bring all of what makes Mardi Gras great together with national-level musical artists to create a family-friendly celebration that fills the entire theme park.”

This year’s special Mardi Gras concert line-up features some of the biggest names in Rock, Country, Pop and R&B. Together, the headliners have had more than 100 songs on Billboard’s Hot 100 Chart and more than 20 Grammy nominations.

Along with top-name talent comes the world-famous parade – straight from the streets of New Orleans. Elaborate, hand-crafted, authentic floats will make their way through the streets of Universal Studios along with dozens of colourfully costumed performers and hundreds of float riders – all of whom throw beads to eager guests.

The parade, with its Fire, Air, Water, Earth theme, also features music and a nightly King and Queen of Mardi Gras.

Nearby, in the Universal Studios “French Quarter Courtyard,” the celebration continues.

This area will feature New Orleans-inspired food creations by Universal’s chefs – including jambalaya, Po Boy sandwiches and more. And nearly one-dozen hand-picked, authentic New Orleans bands will perform the best of The Big Easy’s Blues, Jazz and Zydeco.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.universalorlando.com/mardigras  or www.universalorlando.co.uk

Universal Orlando Resort

There are many ways to enjoy your Orlando vacation – but there is only one Universal Orlando Resort. It is a completely separate destination featuring two theme parks, three magnificently themed on-site hotels and a nighttime entertainment complex.

It’s the only Orlando destination where you are not just entertained – you are part of the most exhilarating entertainment ever created.

You can soar above Hogwarts with Harry Potter, swing above the streets with Spider-Man, battle aliens alongside Agent J, and help Shrek save Princess Fiona in Shrek 4-D. You can be courageous, be outrageous – and be extraordinary.

Mardi Gras is included as part of regular admission to Universal Studios

JET OFF TO MARDI GRAS…

Mardi Gras Getaway

Flying with Virgin Atlantic, prices from:

£428.70 including taxes London Gatwick to Orlando

These are for travel any time between now and 06Feb, and 21st Feb- 22nd Mar.

Passengers must include a Saturday night stay, and give at least 7 days notice for this fare

Tickets from:

£83 – 2-park bonus ticket

Unlimited access for 14 consecutive days from the first day of use

Peaches and cherry blossom, Savannah at the heart of international music, the world’s second largest St Patrick’s parade and the best of Atlanta’s food and wine: Georgia has a full calendar of festivals in the coming months of this year.

March 17, 2011: Savannah hosts the 2nd largest St. Patrick’s Day in the world. The 187th St. Patrick’s Day celebration starts two weeks before the parade with events like the Investiture of the Grand Marshal and the Greening of the Fountain in Forsyth Park,

On the morning of the parade a mass is held at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist.

All are welcome to join in the celebration.

Visit www.savannahsaintpatricksday.com  to find out more information.

March 18-27 2011: The Cherry Blossom Festival in Macon, Georgia, celebrates 300,000 blooming Yoshino cherry trees.

For 10 days the festival continues with events such as a street party, parade, bed race, central city park nightly concerts, ending with a grand finale on March 27.

For more information please visit the official website. www.cherryblossom.com

March 24-April 9 2011: This is the 22nd season of the Savannah Music Festival and is the largest festival in Georgia, held in downtown Savannah.

It is a multi-venue programme showcasing an array of internationally acclaimed artists in over 100 productions with musical performances from a variety of genres including jazz, world, blues and classical..

The Times described this festival as “one of the best events around the world” To view the 2011 lineup, visit the official website.

www.savannahmusicfestival.org

May 19-20, 2011: Atlanta Food and Wine Festival 2011, this is the nation’s first festival dedicated to experiencing the rich food and beverage traditions of the South. Seminars and demonstrations have been carefully designed to represent the region.

The goal of the festival is to bring together the barbeque pit masters, award-winning chefs, mixologists, fry cooks, and local growers so visitors can experience the best Southern flavors.

For more information visit the official website at www.atlfoodandwinefestival.com

June 11-19 2011: The Georgia Peach Festival takes place in Fort Valley and Byron, Georgia. Dedicated to honour peach growers for their contribution to the state’s economy and food industry nationwide, the festival will include concerts, a parade, fireworks and peach ice cream! The festival is home to the world’s largest peach cobbler. For more information visit www.gapeachfestival.com

In anticipation of the worldwide release of Sony Pictures’ “Just Go With It,” in theaters Feb. 11, 2011, Hilton Worldwide and its portfolio of hotel brands has launched its latest sweepstakes, HHonors “Just Go With It.” The film is set in part at the Grand Wailea, a Waldorf Astoria resort.

The sweepstakes will award one grand-prize winner and three guests with a 10-day vacation to Hawaii.

The adventure features a five-night stay at Maui’s Grand Wailea, a Waldorf Astoria resort and one of the featured locations in the film, and four nights at the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Honolulu.

In addition, the grand prize winner will receive 1 million Hilton HHonors points and a $10,000 Hilton Worldwide gift card.

Ten additional first-prize winners will each receive a $1,000 Hilton Worldwide gift card and 500,000 Hilton HHonors points to create their own “Just Go With It” experience at any property within the Hilton Worldwide portfolio in the U.S., Mexico or Canada.

Participants can enter the sweepstakes at www.HHonors.com/JustGoWithIt

by enrolling in Hilton HHonors.

Additional entries may be obtained by staying at any hotel in the Hilton Worldwide portfolio between Jan. 18 and March 31, 2011 or by entering by mail.

There is no limit to the number of times participants can enter by mail, but there is a limit of one mailed entry per envelope. Mailed entries must be received by April 8, 2011. The sweepstakes is open to U.S. residents only. The winners will be selected during a drawing at random on or around April 15, 2011.

For more information, visit www.HHonors.com/JustGoWithIt.