American Ballet Theatre Announces Casting For Weeks Three & Four of Spring Season

Casting for the third and fourth weeks of American Ballet Theatre's 2014 Spring Season at the Metropolitan Opera House was announced by Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie.

The third week will feature five performances of La Bayadère, May 26-29. Vladimir Shklyarov, an Exchange Artist for the 2014 Metropolitan Opera House season, will dance the role of Solor with ABT for the first time on Monday evening, May 26 opposite Polina Semionova as Nikiya and Hee Seo as Gamzatti. Guest Artist Denys Nedak, a principal dancer with the National Ballet of Ukraine, will debut with ABT on Tuesday evening, May 27 in the role of Solor opposite Gillian Murphy as Nikiya and Isabella Boylston as Gamzatti.

Guest Artist Olga Smirnova, a leading soloist with Bolshoi Ballet will debut with ABT as Nikiya on Wednesday evening, May 28 opposite Guest Artist Vladimir Muntagirov as Solor and Hee Seo as Gamzatti. Guest Artist, Viktoria Tereshkina, a principal dancer with the Mariinsky Ballet, will debut with ABT in the role of Nikiya on Thursday evening, May 29 opposite Vladimir Shklyarov as Solor and Isabella Boylston as Gamzatti.

La Bayadère is generously sponsored by an endowed gift from Drs. Philip and Marjorie Gerdine. La Bayadère is presented in loving memory of Mrs. Caroline Newhouse. A generous grant from the Rockefeller Foundation has made this production possible. Major funding for this production has been provided by the National Endowment for the Arts.

Misty Copeland will dance the role of Swanilda in Coppélia for the first time in New York on Friday evening, May 30 opposite Herman Cornejo as Franz. Sarah Lane will make her New York debut as Swanilda on Saturday matinee, May 31 opposite Daniil Simkin as Franz. Original funding for Coppélia was provided by The Lucia Chase Foundation and The Green Fund, Inc.

The first of eight performances of Kenneth MacMillan's Manon begin Monday, June 2 and features Julie Kent in the title role, Roberto Bolle as Des Grieux, Stella Abrera as Lescaut's Mistress and Daniil Simkin as Lescaut. Kevin Jackson, a principal artist with Australian Ballet, will debut with ABT as Des Grieux at the matinee on Wednesday, June 4 opposite Xiomara Reyes as Manon. Misty Copeland will make her New York debut as Lescaut's Mistress on Tuesday, June 3 and Isabella Boylston will dance this role for the first time at the matinee on Wednesday, June 4. The evening performance on Wednesday, June 4 will feature New York debuts by Polina Semionova as Manon, Cory Stearns as Des Grieux, Veronika Part as Lescaut's Mistress and James Whiteside as Lescaut.

Principal Dancer Diana Vishneva will celebrate her 10th Anniversary with ABT at the matinee performance on Saturday, June 7 dancing the role of Manon opposite Marcelo Gomes as Des Grieux. Staged for ABT by Julie Lincoln and Yuri Uchiumi, with designs by Peter Farmer and lighting by Christina Giannelli, the ballet is set to music by Jules Massenet, orchestrated and arranged by Martin Yates. Manon was given its World Premiere by The Royal Ballet at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London on March 7, 1974, danced by Antoinette Sibley as Manon and Anthony Dowell as Des Grieux. Manon was given its United States premiere by The Royal Ballet at the Metropolitan Opera House, New York on May 7, 1974, danced by the same cast. The Company Premiere of the full-length Manon, with sets and costumes by Nicholas Georgiadis and lighting by Thomas R. Skelton, was given on May 28, 1993 at the Metropolitan Opera House, New York, danced by Alessandra Ferri as Manon, Julio Bocca as Des Grieux and Gil Boggs as Lescaut. Manon was last performed by ABT in New York in 2007. The ballet received its Revival Premiere on February 23, 2014 at Biwako Hall in Shiga, Japan. Manon is generously supported through an endowed gift from Ruth and Harold Newman.

American Airlines is the Official Airline of American Ballet Theatre. ?Northern Trust is the Leading Corporate Sponsor of the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at American Ballet Theatre. ?ABT is supported, in part, with public funds from the National Endowment for the Arts; the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature; and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council.

Tickets for American Ballet Theatre's 2014 Metropolitan Opera House season, beginning at $20, are available online, at the Met box office or by phone at 212-362-6000. The Metropolitan Opera House is located on Broadway between 64th and 65th streets in New York City. For more information, visit ABT's website at www.abt.org.

Casting for the third week by performance includes Mon. Eve., May 26, 7:30 P.M.: LA BAYADÈRE - Semionova, Shklyarov**++, Seo; Tues. Eve., May 27, 7:30 P.M.: LA BAYADÈRE - Murphy, Nedak*++, Boylston; Wed. Mat., May 28, 2 P.M.: LA BAYADÈRE - Herrera, Whiteside, Copeland; Wed. Eve., May 28, 7:30 P.M.: LA BAYADÈRE - Smirnova*++, Muntagirov*, Seo; Thurs. Eve., May 29, 7:30 P.M.: LA BAYADÈRE - Tereshkina*++, Shklyarov**, Boylston; Fri. Eve., May 30, 7:30 P.M.: COPPÉLIA - Copeland+++, Cornejo; Sat. Mat., May 31, 2 P.M.: COPPÉLIA - Lane+++, Simkin; and Sat. Eve., May 31, 8 P.M.: COPPÉLIA - Murphy, Matthews.

Casting for the fourth week of performance includes Mon. Eve., June 2, 7:30 P.M.: MANON - Kent, Bolle, Abrera, Simkin+++; Tues. Eve., June 3, 7:30 P.M.: MANON - Vishneva, Gomes, Copeland+++, Cornejo; Wed. Mat., June 4, 2 P.M.: MANON - Reyes, Jackson**++, Boylston,+ Radetsky; Wed. Eve., June 4, 7:30 P.M.: MANON - Semionova+++, Stearns+++, Part+++, Whiteside+++; Thurs. Eve., June 5, 7:30 P.M.: MANON - Kent, Bolle, Abrera, Simkin; Fri. Eve., June 6, 7:30 P.M.: MANON - Reyes, Jackson**, Boylston, Radetsky; Sat. Mat., June 7, 2 P.M.: MANON - Vishneva, Gomes, Copeland, Cornejo; and Sat. Eve., June 7, 8 P.M.: MANON- Semionova, Stearns, Part, Whiteside.

+First time in a role: Wed. Mat., June 4 - Boylston (Lescaut's Mistress) in Manon.

++First time in a role with ABT: Mon., May 26 - Shklyarov (Solor) in La Bayadère; Tues., May 27 - Nedak (Solor) in La Bayadère; Wed. Eve., May 28 - Smirnova (Nikiya) in La Bayadère; Thurs., May 29 - Tereshkina (Nikiya) in La Bayadère; and Wed. Mat., June 4 - Jackson (Des Grieux) in Manon.

+++First time in a role in New York: Fri., May 30 - Copeland (Swanilda) in Coppélia; Sat. Mat., May 31 - Lane (Swanilda) in Coppélia; Mon., June 2 - Simkin (Lescaut) in Manon; Tues., June 3 - Copeland (Lescaut's Mistress) in Manon; and Wed. Eve., June 4 - Semionova (Manon), Stearns (Des Grieux), Part (Lescaut's Mistress) and Whiteside (Lescaut) in Manon.

Photo Credit: Rosalie O'Connor