American Ballet Theatre News

Artistic Director Julie Kent is pleased to announce participation in The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts JFK Centennial Week.

The award-winning series MetroFocus premieres new episodes in the New York and tri-state region weeknights at 5 p.m. on WLIW21, 5:30 p.m. on NJTV and 6 p.m. on THIRTEEN. All episodes are available at metrofocus.org following the broadcast.

Producer Q Theatricals announced today that after critically acclaimed and award winning productions in Seattle, New Jersey and Boston the new musical, ERNEST SHACKLETON LOVES ME, will begin performances on Friday, April 14, 2017 and officially open on Sunday, May 7, 2017 at Off-Broadway's Tony Kiser Theatre (305 West 43rd Street). This strictly limited engagement will play through Sunday, June 11th only.

Celebrating innovation and diversity in American ballet, the Kennedy Center presents the return of its weeklong Ballet Across America series, April 17 and April 19-23, for seven performances in the Opera House. Last seen in 2013, and illustrating the most exciting, creative dance happening across America today, this season's engagement explores new directions in the art form through programs curated by two of the biggest superstars in the ballet world: dancer-choreographer Justin Peck and principal dancer Misty Copeland.

On Thursday, March 30 at 7:30pm, Peter LeDonne, the Director of Community and Cultural Affairs at Bergen Community College (400 Paramus Road, Paramus, NJ), will present as part of the Ciccone Theatre's Distinguished Artist Series the World Premiere of music legend Larry Kirwan's highly anticipated musical voyage and masterful tribute to Ireland and its centuries of musical genius, IRELAND-A History In Song.

Visceral Dance Chicago will continue its fourth season offerings with SPRINGFOUR at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance in Millennium Park, the third mainstage Chicago performance of the company's fourth season.

As part of the 40th Anniversary of The Washington Ballet (TWB) performance Company, TWB is participating in an ebay auction and is pleased to announce a unique gift package for the balletomane and footwear aficionado: A pair of pointe shoes autographed by Misty Copeland, American Ballet Theatre principal dancer.

Thursday, February 16, 2017, in a one night only engagement, brought together MacArthur Fellow Michelle Dorrance and Bessie Award winner Nicholas Van Young for the world premiere of the inaugural Works & Process Rotunda Project at the Guggenheim Museum. This is a new residency and commissioning initiative that invites artists to create site-specific work for the iconic Guggenheim rotunda. This culminating residency performance that features the dancers and musicians from Michelle's company Dorrance Dance with special guests Ephrat 'Bounce' Asherie and Matthew 'Mega Watts' West combines dance and percussion to create a performative soundscape while incorporating the rotunda as a musical instrument.

Smuin concludes its 23rd season with Dance Series 02, featuring a world premiere by internationally acclaimed choreographer Trey McIntyre entitled The Chicken Sees. McIntyre returns to Smuin to pay tribute to the 50th anniversary of the "Summer of Love" in an energetic exploration of dance and the creative process. The program also includes an exciting new addition by Smuin dancer Nicole Haskins. Rounding out the bill is Choreographer-in-Residence Amy Seiwert's critically lauded Broken Open.

Due to unforeseen circumstances the performance of Houston Ballet II's Sleeping Beauty Act III, scheduled for March 18, 2017, has been cancelled. Ticket buyers may request refunds at point of purchase. 

The PNC Pops proves 'there's no business like show business' during an evening of Broadway showstoppers with 'Broadway Standing Ovations' on February 17-19 at Heinz Hall.

A pair of fresh Andrew Lloyd Webber musicals, a couple of critically-acclaimed, Tony Award-winning revivals, plus Broadway's biggest hit of the century (hint: Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote it) will all be a part of the spectacular 2017-2018 Broadway season at Orange County's Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa. Announced earlier this week, SCFTA will be offering the following national tours for next season: SOMETHING ROTTEN • THE KING & I (2015 Revival) • LOVE NEVER DIES • HAMILTON • SCHOOL OF ROCK • ON YOUR FEET! • MOTOWN - THE MUSICAL • KINKY BOOTS • THE COLOR PURPLE (2016 Revival) • JERSEY BOYS • THE BOOK OF MORMON

The Joffrey Academy of Dance, Official School of The Joffrey Ballet in collaboration with Chicago Public Library present four world premieres in the seventh annual Winning Works program, the culmination of Joffrey's national call for ALAANA (African, Latino(a), Asian, Arab and Native American) artists to submit applications for the Joffrey Academy's Seventh Annual Winning Works Choreographic Competition.

On February 10th and 11th the ABT Studio Company (formerly ABT ll), under the artistic direction of Kate Lydon, and graduate students of London's RBS met at the NYU Skirball Center for the Performing Arts to give three performances of classical and new classical repertory. The shared performances are part of a unique exchange, which began in 2003, between the ABT Studio Company and The Royal Ballet School. On alternate years, they perform in NYC, while on alternate years, they perform in London. I attended the opening night performance, February 10, 2017.

On Sunday and Monday, April 30 and May 1, 2017 at 7:30pm, Works & Process at the Guggenheim presents performance highlights and discussion on American Ballet Theatre's newest production, Whipped Cream by Artist in Residence Alexei Ratmansky in collaboration with pop surrealist Mark Ryden.  Ratmansky and moderator John Meehan will discuss the new work and ABT dancers will perform excerpts prior to the New York premiere.

NYU Skirball Center for the Performing Arts will present ABT Studio Company (formerly ABT II) and graduate students of The Royal Ballet School (RBS), in a shared bill of classical and new classical repertory, showcasing the talent of the next generation of ballet's professionals, on February 10 and 11 at 7 pm at NYU Skirball Center.

This Today, at 7pm, by invitation from artist Helene Nymann, Vangeline participates in an artist discussion about Butoh curated by Helga Christoffersen, Assistant Curator, New Museum.

This weekend, February 10 and 11 at 7:30 PM, conductor Randall Craig Fleischer leads guest vocalists Debbie Gravitte, KLea Blackhurst, Ron Raines, Jason Graae, Scott Coulter, and John Boswell in a performance of 'Jerry Herman: The Broadway Legacy Concert'.

NYU Skirball Center for the Performing Arts will present ABT Studio Company (formerly ABT II) and graduate students of The Royal Ballet School (RBS), in a shared bill of classical and new classical repertory, showcasing the talent of the next generation of ballet's professionals, on February 10 and 11 at 7 pm at NYU Skirball Center.

 The New York City Dance Alliance Foundation (NYCDAF), a forward-thinking charity committed to shaping the future lives and training of young dancers, returned to The Joyce Theater on January 30, 2017 with Destiny Rising. A yearly fundraising performance benefiting NYCDAF's college scholarship program, the evening opened with a commissioned premiere by NYCDA's Rachel Kreiling, spotlighting 2016 scholarship recipients. The program also included guest performances from prominent professional dance companies, including Desmond Richardson, Parsons Dance, and American Ballet Theatre soloists Catherine Hurlin and Aran Bell. Ten 2017 scholarships recipients were named during the program, from eight different states.