Houston Ballet Heading to Los Angeles This Fall

Distinguished American choreographer William Forsythe has selected Houston Ballet to perform in Los Angeles at The Music Center's Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Oct. 21-23, as part of "Celebrate Forsythe", a program with a never-before-seen approach that salutes his works. Houston Ballet will perform Artifact Suite, after its September premiere in Houston, a piece that both deconstructs and reconstructs the rules of traditional ballet. As the third Forsythe piece added to Houston Ballet's diverse repertoire, the visit to Los Angeles adds exciting momentum to a growing relationship with Mr. Forsythe's iconic works.

"Having William Forsythe personally select Houston Ballet to represent his work at The Music Center is an extraordinary honor," said Houston Ballet Executive Director, Jim Nelson. "Over the past decade we have steadily increased the number of Forsythe ballets in our repertoire, and the opportunity to perform his Artifact Suite in Los Angeles is an exceptional opportunity to

showcase our gifted dancers."

San Francisco Ballet and Pacific Northwest Ballet will also perform, rounding out a program of three American companies, each hand-picked by Forsythe himself to pay homage to his unique style with confidence.

Intended for 35 dancers, Artifact Suite is an edited version of an evening-length ballet, Artifact, created in 1984 for Ballett Frankfurt. Here Mr. Forsythe shortens the ballet into a stunning piece that preserves all of the original ballet's striking innovation and power.

Active in the field of choreography for more than 45 years, and one of the most prolific and influential choreographers of this era, Forsythe has been recognized for revolutionizing the practice of ballet from its traditional association with classical repertoire to a dynamic 21st century art form. Many consider him the greatest innovator in ballet since George Balanchine.

Mr. Forsythe's ballets have entered the repertoires of the world's leading companies, including the New York City Ballet, the Paris Opera Ballet, the Royal Ballet of London, the Nederlands Dans Theater, and the Royal Swedish Ballet. In March 2003, he received the prestigious Dance Magazine Award for his contribution to the field of dance.

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