The Sarasota Ballet And Marcelo Gomes to Participate in Works & Process at the Guggenheim in New York

The Sarasota Ballet announces today that the Company, alongside American Ballet Theatre Principal Marcelo Gomes, will be presented by Works & Process, the distinguished and celebrated performing arts series at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York City. The program, titled The Sarasota Ballet - Classical and New Voices, will be performed twice on 19 November 2017 at 3:00PM and 7:30PM. Inside the museum's Frank Lloyd Wright-designed theater, the program will blend performance highlights with illuminating discussion between Iain Webb, Director of The Sarasota Ballet, and Gomes. The program includes Webb's recent coaching of Gomes and Gomes performing excerpts from Sir Frederick Ashton's masterpiece The Two Pigeons juxtaposed with Gomes' newly commissioned choreography for his upcoming World Premiere for The Sarasota Ballet.

"Returning to New York to perform at Works & Process at the Guggenheim is a wonderful opportunity for us," says Joseph Volpe, Executive Director of The Sarasota Ballet. "This is an exciting continuation of a partnership with Marcelo, and gives New York audiences the chance to see the remarkable things going on in Sarasota." This project will mark the third collaboration between Gomes and The Sarasota Ballet, combining Gomes' guest performances with the Company as the Young Man in Ashton's touching masterpiece The Two Pigeons and his upcoming commission as a part of The Sarasota Ballet's program, titled Metropolitan, featuring Ashton's Illuminations, George Balanchine's Theme and Variations and Gomes' World Premiere. "Working with Marcelo has been very special for all of us," explains Webb. "He is a beautiful artist and an incredibly kind and generous person. The respect and passion he has for the art form is one of the many reasons we are so thrilled to see this relationship grow."

Since 1984, Works & Process has championed new works in the performing arts and offered audiences extraordinary access to leading creators and performers, blending performance with stimulating conversations with the creators. The Sarasota Ballet - Classical and New Voices will continue this tradition, bringing a unique focus on historic choreographic works intertwined with today's choreographic voices. "It is important, both for dancers and audience alike to have new works created on them, to experience the unique relationship between choreographer and dancer," says Margaret Barbieri, Assistant Director of The Sarasota Ballet. "However to lose sight of our heritage, to forget those artists that gave so much to the world of dance, is to risk losing the art form as a whole. That is why this program is so special, as it brings both of those worlds together in a perfect and intimate way."

Works & Process at the Guggenheim
Described by the New York Times as "an exceptional opportunity to understand something of the creative process," Works & Process at the Guggenheim champions new works and offers audiences unprecedented access to leading creators and performers. In its 33-year history of more than 540 productions, Works & Process has enabled New Yorkers to see, hear, and meet the most acclaimed artists in the world, in an intimate setting unlike any other.

About The Sarasota Ballet
Since 1990, the mission of The Sarasota Ballet has been enriching lives, captivating emotions and strengthening the community through the art of dance. Under the leadership of Director Iain Webb and Executive Director Joseph Volpe, the company's expanded repertoire includes works by world-renowned choreographers such as Sir Frederick Ashton, George Balanchine, Sir Matthew Bourne, Dame Ninette de Valois, Michel Fokine, Sir Kenneth MacMillan, Rudolf Nureyev, Jerome Robbins, Paul Taylor, Twyla Tharp, Antony Tudor and Christopher Wheeldon. The Sarasota Ballet has received national and international recognition for its diverse repertoire of rarely performed ballets, as well as the integrity and artistry of its performances. In the last five years, The Sarasota Ballet has been invited to perform twice at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC and the Fall for Dance Festival at New York City Center, as well as week-long residencies at the Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival and The Joyce Theater in New York. The Company performed in May 2017 at the inaugural National Choreographic Festival in Salt Lake City.

Photo credit: Frank Atura