Mark Stanley News

Casting for the first two weeks of American Ballet Theatre's 2019 Spring Season at the Metropolitan Opera House was announced today by Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie.

The new artistic director and co-director of the New York City Ballet looked a little nervous Tuesday as they awkwardly welcomed the Kennedy Center audience to their annual week-long residency.

New York City Ballet will open its 2019-20 Season at Lincoln Center on Tuesday, September 17 with George Balanchine's full-length Jewels. The season will continue with 21 weeks of performances, through Sunday, May 31, and will feature 54 ballets and choreography by 12 different choreographers.

The 2019 Tribeca Film Festival, presented by AT&T, today unveiled its feature film lineup. Continuing its tradition of elevating exceptional storytelling rooted in today's global film communities, the 18th annual Festival will showcase debut works from emerging talent and new works from notable filmmakers. The program includes discoveries, comedies, music-centered, political and social films. The 2019 Tribeca Film Festival takes place April 24 - May 5.  

The wait is finally over!!! An artistic director for New York City Ballet has been named. Or should I say, two artistic directors?

The NYCB's five-part 'Classic NYCB' program, performed this past Wednesday, February 6th at Lincoln Center, featured a broad choreographic landscape. Through the work of four choreographers and spanning four decades, the evening featured not only the 'Classic NYCB,' as promised by the program title, but also a rare brand of 'Iconoclastic NYCB.' While some audiences might be nostalgic for the glory of 50's Balanchine, this evening proved that perhaps the best is yet to come and that even Balanchine did not shy away from experimentation as he reached towards artistic relevancy.

San Francisco Ballet opens Program 02, Kaleidoscope, on February 12, with performances through February 23 at SF War Memorial Opera House. Kaleidoscope features the SF Ballet premiere of Benjamin Millepied's Appassionata, and the returns of Justin Peck's Hurry Up, We're Dreaming, created for Unbound: A Festival of New Works in 2018, and George Balanchine's Divertimento No. 15.

Boston Ballet presents George Balanchine's Coppelia, a full-length comedic story ballet about love, mistaken identity, and foolhardy fun. Coppelia, set to music by Leo Delibes, runs March 21-31 at the Boston Opera House.

On September 27, New York City Ballet presented the seventh installment of its annual Fall Fashion Gala, celebrating choreography and costume design with an evening of world premiere ballets and creative collaborations between some of today's most exciting artists from the worlds of dance and design. Go inside the gala in the video below!

On September 27, New York City Ballet will present the seventh installment of its annual Fall Fashion Gala, celebrating choreography and costume design with an evening of world premiere ballets and creative collaborations between some of today's most exciting artists from the worlds of dance and design. 

Something has refreshed the Hong Kong Cultural Centre since early this month when Hong Kong Ballet's season finale, WHEELDON, RATMANSKY, MCINTYRE & THE BEATLES, a showcase of three short pieces by arguably the best contemporary ballet choreographers at this day and age, was presented on the Grand Theatre stage.

Following the death of her father, Alice (Golden Globe®-winner Ruth Wilson, “The Affair”) returns to her home village for the first time in 15 years to claim from her estranged brother (Mark Stanley, “Game of Thrones”) the family farm she believes is rightfully hers. From acclaimed filmmaker Clio Barnard, one of the premier new voices in British cinema, DARK RIVER is a taut and powerful psychological drama.

New York City Ballet's 2018 Spring Season opens on Tuesday, April 24 and will continue for six weeks through June 3. The centerpiece of the Spring Season will be Robbins 100, a celebration of Jerome Robbins, NYCB's co-founding choreographer, whose remarkable contributions to the worlds of ballet and Broadway musical theater have made an indelible impression on both art forms. The three-week celebration will run from May 3 to May 20, featuring 20 works created by Robbins over the course of 40years, as well as two world premiere ballets in tribute to Robbins. Robbins 100 will open on Thursday, May 3 with a Spring Gala performance featuring Robbins'

The 49th Annual Nashville Film Festival continues its expansion of film screenings with an international roster of twenty-eight Special Presentations, Animated Feature, Spectrum and Spectrum Q films including the world premiere of BENCHED, produced by Robert Deaton and George Flanigen, ON CHESIL BEACH, starring Saoirse Ronan, fresh off her award winning role in Lady Bird, HOT SUMMER NIGHTS, starring Timothée Chalamet, whose role in Call Me By Your Name was critically acclaimed, BRAMPTON'S OWN, starring Rose McIver, Spencer Grammer and Jean Smart, as well as the 50th anniversary screening of ROSEMARY'S BABY, starring Mia Farrow, and a special screening of JURASSIC PARK, starring Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Richard Attenborough, BD Wong and Samuel L. Jackson. Other leading talent include Daveed Diggs, Alexander McQueen, John C. McGinley and many more.

On March 1, 2018, I saw one of the final performances of New York City Ballet's Winter 2018 season (ending March 4th). The Stravinsky/ Balanchine program presents some of Balanchine's most appreciated ballets, which is exciting to experience. Over the years, many dancers have had the opportunity to perform these ballets. Now, many years since the death of the choreographer/artistic director, April 30, 1983, the NYCB company continues to thrive. While a number of the older dancers take on the style of the Master, many of the corps de ballet members seem to be dancing without the full comprehension of the spirit, even the technique, which created these works. This, of course, can be explained in part by the changes in the world in which they live. We can hope for evolution in a positive direction.

It's back! The craziest night of scripted theatre you have ever experienced is back to not only entertain but, as always, to raise funds and do some good in our community!

New York City Ballet will open its annual season of George Balanchine's The Nutcracker today, November 24 at 8 p.m. at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. The 2017 season of the holiday classic, sponsored by The Travelers Companies, Inc., will include 47 performances through Sunday, December 31, 2017. Scroll down for a sneak peek at the production!

New York City Ballet will open its annual season of George Balanchine's The Nutcracker on Friday, November 24 at 8 p.m. at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. The 2017 season of the holiday classic, sponsored by The Travelers Companies, Inc., will include 47 performances through Sunday, December 31, 2017. Scroll down for a sneak peek at the production!

Boston Ballet's 2017-2018 season opens with Obsidian Tear, featuring the North American premiere of Wayne McGregor's Obsidian Tear, a co-production with The Royal Ballet of London, and a world premiere by Resident Choreographer Jorma Elo.

On Saturday evening, October 14, 2017, at the David H. Koch Theater, I saw a performance by NYCB including five contemporary pieces choreographed by four members of NYCB and the fifth who had trained at SAB (School of American Ballet, the official school of NYCB).