EUGENE–Two of Eugene’s premier youth arts organizations, the Conservatory of Classical Dance and the University of Oregon Suzuki Violin Program, will present two magical performances of the "Winter Holiday Celebration" on Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 18—19.

The Dec. 18 performance will be at 11 a.m. at the Conservatory of Classical Dance, 456 Charnelton St., while the Dec. 19 performance is set for 3 p.m. in Beall Concert Hall, 961 E. 18th Ave. on the University of Oregon campus. Tickets to either performance are $2 to $5 on a sliding scale.

The two groups will combine the talents of young dancers and musicians to present the delightful tale of Dancer the Reindeer, narrated by one of Santa’s elves from the North Pole. The family-oriented program will feature choreography to the music of Handel, Bach, Beethoven, Brahms and Tchaikovsky.

Students from two specially funded programs of the dance school–Ballet Northwest and Project: Dance!–will be featured in the performances, along with students from the main body of the conservatory.

The Willamette Apprentice Ballet, the performing arm of the Corvallis Academy of Ballet, also will present two selections on each program.

The Suzuki Violin Program is a branch of the UO School of Music’s Community Music Institute. Students ages 4—14 work with director Shelley Rich and a team of trained graduate students who provide lessons, group classes and performance opportunities to 80 young violinists in the Eugene-Springfield area.

The Conservatory of Classical Dance, a nonprofit ballet school, provides state-of-the-art classical dance education. Students from pre-ballet through advanced levels perform in concerts such as these as part of the school’s commitment to provide practical stage experience.

For information about the Dec. 18—19 concerts, call the UO Community Music Institute, (541) 346-5660, or the Conservatory of Classical Dance, 345-3632.

For other information, call the UO School of Music weekdays at 346-5678. To confirm concert times and ticket information, call GuardLine from a Touch-Tone phone at 485-2000, ext. 2533, for a 24-hours-a-day taped message of the week’s events.

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