Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and More Set for STARS OF THE 21st CENTURY at Lincoln Center, 10/18

An enchanting one-night-only performance celebrating the 20th anniversary of Stars of the 21st Century will take place on October 18, 2012 at 7:30 PM at David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center.

The Stars of the 21st Century performance will feature the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s Alicia Graf Mack and Jamar Roberts; Bolshoi Ballet’s Svetlana Zakharova, Olga Smirnova, and Semyon Chudin; Complexions Contemporary Ballet’s Desmond Richardson; The Mariinsky (Kirov) Ballet‘s Maria Shirinkina and Vladimir Shklyarov; National Opera and Ballet of Ukraine’s Katerina Chebykina and Denis Matvienko; Royal Ballet’s Sarah Lamb and Erik Underwood; Staatsballett Berlin‘s Elisa Cabrera, Nadijda Saidakova, Vladimir Malakhov, and Mikhail Kaniskin; and the Vienna State Opera Ballet’s Olga Esina and Eno Peci (artists are subject to change).

This special event once again will highlight many new and a few extraordinary veteran dance talents from around the world. Some of the anticipation and excitement of this special occasion will be the New York debuts of the exquisite award-winning dancers such as Ukraine’s Katerina Chebykina and the Mariinsky‘s Maria Shirinkina. Plus audiences will be dazzled by Vienna State Opera Ballet’s Olga Esina; as well as the brilliant dancers from across the ocean and here at home. This will also be the final New York performance of Staatsballett Berlin‘s Vladimir Malakhov. Of course the great talents of the Bolshoi Ballet’s Svetlana Zakharova and Olga Smirnova will be a highlight than no ballet fan will want to miss.

The shows impresario, Solomon Tencer, says, "For the discriminating New York audiences our Gala will present diamonds, rubies and emeralds, each and every dancer a fantastic jewel."

Stars of the 21st Century is an annual international ballet event that has taken to the stages of Paris, Cannes, Bucharest, Panama City, New York, Toronto, and Moscow to great acclaim bringing together unforgettable one night only events of international dance companies and unforgettable dancers. This year makes Stars of the 21st Century 20 anniversary (and the 15 anniversary of their annual Paris Gala event).

Their high standard of performances and acclaim was established with their 1993 Premier Ballet Gala, A Tribute to Alla Osipenko, the legendary dancer of the Kirov Ballet, followed by a Tribute Gala in Memory of Rudolf Nureyev in 1995.

In 1998 Stars of the 21st Century was staged at the prestigious Theatre des Champs-Elysee in Paris. This was followed by the enormously successful End of Millennium Ballet Gala des Etoiles du XXIe Siecle at Palais des Festivales in Cannes, France in 1999 and in 2000 the Millennium International Ballet Gala at Lincoln Center in New York. In 2010Stars of the 21st Century’s made it’s hugely successful premier in Moscow at the Kremlin Palace Theatre, as well as staging the Grand Opening Gala for the Sony Centre for Performing Arts in 2010. Continuing their tradition of leadership in international dance, in 2010, Stars of the 21st Century created the annual International Ballet Competition at the Instituto Nacional de Cultura in Panama. Expanding their focus in 1997, at the invitation of Luciano Pavarotti, Stars of the 21st Century created the World Opera Gala featuring winners of the 5th Luciano Pavarotti International Voice Competition.

Solomon Tencer and his wife, Nadia Veselova Tencer, began their work together in 1992 and founded Solomon Tencer Productions in 1995. Nadia, who serves as both a business partner with Solomon as well as the artistic director is a graduate of the world-renowned Kirov Ballet Academy in St. Petersburg. She has served as a judge at the Youth American Grand Prix, New York, and Prix Benois de la Danse, Bolshoi Theatre, Moscow. Her many awards include Outstanding Teacher, Youth American Grand Prix 2009. Nadia was named one of Dance Magazine’s “Master Teachers” in 1997.

Presenting this year’s Patron Sponsor – PhosAgro: PhosAgro is a leading global vertically integrated phosphate-based fertiliser producer. The Group focuses on the production of phosphate-based fertilisers, feed phosphate and high-grade phosphate rock, as well as ammonia and nitrogen-based fertilisers. The Group is the largest phosphate-based fertiliser producer in Europe and the largest producer of high-grade phosphate rock worldwide, according to Fertecon.

For more information go to www.starsofthe21stcentury.com. Tickets are: $34, $45, $65, $75, $85, $95, $125, $150 ($200 are Sold Out). Tickets will be available beginning August 9 at The David H. Koch box office at Lincoln Center, also by phone at 212.496.0600; by fax at 212.580.2545 and on the web at davidhkochtheater.com.