American Ballet Theatre News

The newly established Cleveland Ballet Youth Company will make its debut performance with the program Where it All Began, April 25 at 7:00 p.m. in PlayhouseSquare's Hanna Theatre. It is no coincidence that this production will take place on the very stage where the former Cleveland Ballet hosted its first professional performances during the late 1970's. Founded by former Cleveland San Jose Ballet principal dancer, Gladisa Guadalupe, who also serves as the company's artistic director, Cleveland Ballet Youth Company is laying the ground work to re-introduce professional ballet to Cleveland audiences. Where it All Began will feature the entire company of Cleveland Ballet Youth Company along with several guest artists from the company's professional division. Musical accompaniment will come courtesy of the newly-founded Cleveland Ballet Orchestra.

Daniel Mantei joined American Ballet Theatre's Studio Company in 2002 and became a member of American Ballet Theatre in 2003. Through his work, Mantei aims to explore themes of humanism by infusing classically inspired movement with an intention of anatomical and kinetic awareness. In his latest work, he collaborates with the Ensemble of the Romantic Century (ERC) representing some of the Tchaikovsky's balletic works through dance both choreographed and performed by Mantei.

Richmond Ballet has announced the return of the New Works Festival, the second installment of the Ballet's 2013-2014 Studio Series. The Festival - which will present four, new works in progress this season - is set to debut March 25-30, 2013, at the Ballet's downtown Studio Theatre. This year's Festival will feature the work of four contemporary ballet choreographers including former New York City Ballet dancer Melissa Barak, the classically trained Canadian-native Peter Quanz, the award-winning Mexican-born Edgar Zendejas as well as emerging choreographer Gavin Stewart, who is now in his second season with Richmond Ballet II. This is will mark the first time since the Festival's premiere in the spring of 2008 that a Richmond Ballet II company member has been invited to participate as a choreographer.

Hotel Nikko San Francisco and Michael Feinstein announced today that Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle award winner, Jason Graae, will bring his new one-man show, 49 ½ Shades of Graae, to Feinstein's at the Nikko for one performance only - Thursday, March 20 (8 p.m.) 49 ½ Shades of Graae is an evening with Broadway juvenile turned Hollywood misfit Jason Graae (pronounced Grah, means Grey in Danish) as he explores the many 'shades' of his life and career. From comedy to tragedy all rolled up in a madcap and heartfelt romp, Jason explores his life of sex, drugs and musical comedy, featuring old and new songs alike, by the people who wrote them. 49 ½ Shades of Graae is directed by Heather Lee with Music Direction by John Boswell. Tickets for Jason Graae range in price from $25 - $35 and are on-sale now and available by calling 866.663.1063 or visiting www.ticketweb.com.

DanceWorks, Toronto's longest-running contemporary dance series now in its 37th season, proudly presents the North American premiere of The Four Seasons, a powerful dance work choreographed and performed by Kevin O'Day and Robert Glumbek in which two middle-aged men ponder the cycle of life and its various stages. This exceptional full-length work runs Thursday March 6 to Saturday, March 8 at Harbourfront Centre's Enwave Theatre.

American Ballet Theatre will premiere an all-new production of The Sleeping Beauty, choreographed by Artist in Residence Alexei Ratmansky, March 3, 2015 at Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa, California. It was announced today by Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie. Set to the score by Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky,

Segerstrom Center for the Arts announces its 2014 - 2015 Season, a year of extraordinary artists in captivating performances that will give audiences one unforgettable experience after another. There will be great dance and Broadway hits, jazz, cabaret and classical music plus many special guests and events throughout the season. Audiences can expect to welcome back many of their favorites and enjoy new artists who will be seen at the Center for the very first time.

Ballet Conservatory dancers from the Franklin School for the Performing Arts (FSPA) will perform Sergei Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf and Benjamin Britten's The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra with the Metrowest Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of Music Director Peter L. Cokkinias. The collaborative performance is part of the Hopkinton-based Orchestra's "Artists in Bloom" Family Concert, to be presented on Sunday, March 9 at 3 p.m. at the Joseph P. Keefe Technical School Auditorium, 750 Winter Street, in Framingham. The program also features Aaron Copland's Outdoor Overture and Maurice Ravel's Tzigane, with 16-year-old violin soloist Elizabeth Kim, winner of the Orchestra's annual Young Artist Competition.

The 2014-2015 Season marks a milestone for Oregon Ballet Theatre as it celebrates a quarter century of entertaining, exciting, and inspiring audiences in Portland and around the world. The 25th Anniversary season will also be the first programmed solely by Artistic Director Kevin Irving, who joined OBT in July 2013. Irving fills the season with nods to an impressive past while offering a clear vision of the company's bright future.

The World Premiere of Stories From the Night Before, a new evening of dance theater created by Maurice Brandon Curry, Chair of the Dance Department of Usdan Center for the Creative and Performing Arts, will be presented on Sunday and Monday March 16 and 17 at 7 PM at New York University's Skirball Center, 566 LaGuardia Place (just off Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village), New York, NY 10012. (Tickets: www.nyuskirball.org, or call 212.352.3101 (Theatermania) or 866.811.4111?(Ovation Tix).

On the heels of a highly successful run of George Balanchine's 'The Nutcracker', Oregon Ballet Theatre will show a multitude of facets with REVEAL at the Keller Auditorium, today, February 22 - March 1, 2014.

STARZ announced today that acclaimed filmmaker David Mich'd will direct the first episode of the new original drama series 'Flesh and Bone.' Mich'd is known as both a writer and director and his debut feature film Animal Kingdom went on to win multiple awards, as well as Golden Globe(R) and Oscar(R) nominations. His next feature film, The Rover, which he wrote and directed, stars Guy Pearce and Robert Pattinson.

Society for the Performing Arts welcomes Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater back to Houston for three performances in Jones Hall, Friday, March 14 at 8 p.m.; Saturday, March 15 at 2 p.m.; and Friday, March 15 at 8 p.m. BroadwayWorld has a sneak peek below!

World's largest dance network and international student ballet scholarship audition - YOUTH AMERICA GRAND PRIX - will celebrate its 15th Anniversary with three spectacular performances at Lincoln Center's David H. Koch Theater on April 9-11, 2014.

On March 15, 2014, American Repertory Ballet will hold its annual Gala performance and reception, Diamond Gala, in downtown New Brunswick, NJ. The performance will begin at 6:00pm at Crossroads Theater, and the reception will begin at 7:00pm across the street at the Heldrich Hotel. The reception, designed by Cassandre Snyder Events and Design, will include a gourmet dinner, dancing to the music of The Kenny i Orchestra, live and silent auctions, and more. Princeton Ballet School students ages 12-18 years can enjoy a Junior Gala party with dinner, dancing and silent auction, also at the Heldrich Hotel.

Scarsdale Ballet Studio, Westchester's premier destination for classical and contemporary ballet training presents Coppelia on March 29 and 30 at the Dance Lab at SUNY Purchase College.

GINGER THATCHER, former principal dancer of the Cleveland Ballet and former soloist of the Lar Lubovitch Dance Company, and PHILLIP BROOMHEAD, former principal dancer of the Royal Ballet and the Houston Ballet, will members of the faculty for the Goh Ballet Academy's Summer Program in Vancouver, Canada from July 7-August 9, 2014.

James Kudelka, Resident Choreographer at Coleman Lemieux & Compagnie, creates a work exclusively for the puppet Malcolm in this personal full-length 'duet' with himself as performer. Malcolm premieres at the intimate Mimi Herrndorf Studio Theatre at The Citadel from today, February 19-23.

Excitement in dance circles is mounting as the fourth South African International Ballet Competition (SAIBC) draws closer. The event takes place at the Artscape Theatre in Cape Town, from today 18 to 23 February, with generous support from the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund (NLDTF). Formerly known as the Cape Town International Ballet Competition, it is the only event of its kind on the African continent and attracts top dancers from South Africa and the world.