Frederick Ashton News

Today, the Royal Opera House has announced that, in addition to both The Dante Project and Giselle, a further five productions will be released on select dates from New Year's Eve, offering audiences across the globe a rich range of ballet and opera this New Year.  

he Joyce Theater Foundation announced today the full lineup of U.S. and international talent that will grace The Joyce’s storied stage for its Spring/Summer 2022 season. Nearly two dozen companies and dance creators will bring their unparalleled creativity and astounding artistic innovation to the iconic, intimate home for dance in New York City.

The Royal Opera House will continue its first full Season since 2019 with a selection of world class productions throughout 2022, showcasing the very best of opera and ballet.  In anticipation of the new year, here are a selection of upcoming world premieres and classic revivals from The Royal Opera and The Royal Ballet.

Sarah Lane, former principal dancer of American Ballet Theatre, and Simon Wexler, former principal dancer of Texas Ballet Theater, will appear as guest artists in the Shreveport Metropolitan Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker on December 11 and 12, 2021 at the Riverview Theatre in Shreveport, Louisiana.

Raymond Rodriguez has announced Christopher Marney as the new Head of Studio Company and Trainees at the Academy. Marney begins his new role on November 3, 2021, just eight weeks after the Joffrey Academy of Dance opened its new “Joffrey for All” studio space and training facilities at 1920 South Wabash Avenue.

Celebrated Royal Ballet Principal Dancer Edward Watson makes his final performance with the Company on Saturday 30th October in Wayne McGregor's critically acclaimed new work The Dante Project.

Isadora Now is a one-act ballets program by Viviana Durante Company (Great Britain), presented by DanceInversion International Festival of Contemporary Dance.

Throughout the month of October The Royal Opera House will present live-streamed performances featuring artists from both The Royal Ballet and The Royal Opera, alongside a range of archival content and dedicated social media takeovers from our global community of Black creatives and performers. 

Today, the Royal Opera House will mark 30 years of its flagship learning outreach programme Chance to Dance by broadcasting a special film on 19 October as part of #WorldBalletDay.

On Friday, the Royal Opera House opened its doors to students, holding the first Schools' Matinee of the new Season, and hosting a special prizegiving ceremony to celebrate winners of the 10th annual Design Challenge. Both initiatives form part of a wider strategy to engage, inspire and educate a new generation.  

Celebrating 40 years of association with The Royal Ballet, world renowned ballerina Alessandra Ferri returns to the Linbury Theatre this October for L'Heure Exquise: Maurice Béjart's interpretation of Samuel Beckett's play Oh les beaux jours (Happy Days).  

Ballet Arizona will present its momentous 2021-2022 season, celebrating a revival from the pandemic and overcoming the pause in arts programs across the nation. The season will mark the 36th year for Arizona's official ballet company as well as the first full lineup after the pandemic.

Betsy McBride, Simon Wexler, and Daniel Saez, will be members of the faculty for the Shreveport Dance Academy’s Summer Intensive which will be taking place from July 26 – August 6, 2021.

The Board of Directors of The National Ballet of Canada today announced that following a two-year international search, Hope Muir has been appointed Artistic Director of the company effective January 1, 2022.

Ballet Hispánico, the nation's renowned and the largest Latinx cultural organization in the U.S. recognized as one of America's Cultural Treasures, will be featured on The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts' David Vaughan's The Dance Historian Is In on June 30, 2021 at 1pm ET. Registration for this FREE event is required at EventBrite. 

This group of ballet stars discuss their careers, inspirations and share tales of their time at Yorkshire Ballet Seminars exclusively on Saturday 24 July at 7:00pm (BST). Tickets are available to buy online now!

American Repertory Ballet will welcome iconic ballerina Gillian Murphy to be the organization’s first-ever Artistic Associate, effective immediately. Gillian Murphy’s repertoire includes leading roles in all of ABT’s current full-length classics and in shorter works by George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, Jiri Kylian, Antony Tudor, and more.

In celebration of Pride month, Backstage Babble is releasing a series of episodes with LGBT artists that fulfill it's mission-painting a picture of what it has been like to be gay in the theater world from the 1950s up until the present day. It is hosted by 13-year old Charles Kirsch.

Following the recent presentation of works by Crystal Pite and Kyle Abraham, George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins, The Royal Ballet continues to share a broad range of classics and new work across this Season and into the next, shining a light on the Company's rich history and vibrant future as it turns 90. 

Broadway's Lawrence Leritz will discuss the topic 'Success As A Dancer,' as he joins the free livestream event ONE-HOUR SERIES - to be streamed live on Facebook and YouTube on Sunday, June 13 at 5pm EST.