American Ballet Theatre Reveals Casts for 2023 Fall Season at David H. Koch Theater

Casting for American Ballet Theatre’s 2023 Fall season at the David H. Koch Theater from October 18–29 has been revealed. General public on sale for the 2023 Fall season begins Wednesday, September 6 at 12:00 P.M. at the Koch Box Office.

 

The season will feature three programs of works, showcasing the breadth and depth of American Ballet Theatre’s classical and contemporary repertoire. The first program Classics Old and New will consist of Alexei Ratmansky’s Piano Concerto No. 1, Jiří Kylián’s Petite Mort, and Harald Lander’s Études. 20th Century Works: Balanchine and Ashton will follow with George Balanchine’s Ballet Imperial and Frederick Ashton’s The Dream. To close out the season, 21st Century Works: King, Ratmansky, and Bond will include Alonzo King’s Single Eye, Ratmansky’s On the Dnipro, and the New York Premiere of Gemma Bond’s Depuis le Jour.

 

The Fall Gala will take place on Tuesday evening, October 24 at 6:30 P.M. at the Koch Theater. ABT’s Artistic team has assembled a special one-night-only Gala program for this celebratory evening, featuring a curated selection of beloved classic and contemporary pieces performed by this season’s Principal Dancers. The evening will also feature up-and-coming talent at American Ballet Theatre with a performance by ABT Studio Company and students of the ABT Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School. Gala casting to be announced at a later date. For more information on ABT's 2023 Fall Gala or to purchase tickets and tables, please contact Megan Stahlberg, Associate Director of Special Events, at mstahlberg@abt.org.

 

Classics Old and New will run from Wednesday, October 18 through the Saturday matinee on October 21 and will feature Alexei Ratmansky’s Piano Concerto No. 1, Jiří Kylián’s Petite Mort, and Harald Lander’s Études.

 

Piano Concerto No. 1 will open the Fall season on October 18 led by Christine Shevchenko, Calvin Royal III, Skylar Brandt, and Jake Roxander in a debut. Hee Seo, Thomas Forster, Catherine Hurlin, and Aran Bell will debut in principal roles on Thursday, October 19. The ballet was choreographed by Alexei Ratmansky and is set to the music of Dmitri Shostakovich with scenery by George Tsypin, costumes by Keso Dekker, and lighting by Jennifer Tipton. Piano Concerto No. 1 was given its World Premiere by American Ballet Theatre on May 31, 2013, under the title Piano Concerto #1, danced by Diana Vishneva, Cory Stearns, Natalia Osipova, and Ivan Vasiliev.

 

Petite Mort was originally created by Jiří Kylián for the second centenary of the death of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, to the slow movements of two of Mozart’s most beautiful and popular piano concertos. Costumes are by Joke Visser and lighting by Joop Caboort. Petite Mort was given its World Premiere at the Salzburg Festival on August 23, 1991, at the Kleines Festpielhaus, Salzburg, Austria. It was given its American Ballet Theatre Company Premiere at City Center, New York on October 30, 2003. Petite Mort will be staged for ABT by Elke Scheppers.

 

Études will conclude the first program led by Devon Teuscher, Daniel Camargo, and Herman Cornejo on October 18, with both Teuscher and Camargo debuting in these roles. On Thursday, October 19, Joo Won Ahn and Aran Bell will debut in leading roles, while on Friday, October 20, Catherine Hurlin and Jake Roxander will make their debuts. Set to music by Carl Czerny and arranged by Knudåge Riisager, Études was created in 1948 at the Royal Opera House in Copenhagen for the Royal Danish Ballet and was later staged for the Paris Opera in 1952. American Ballet Theatre first presented Études at the 54th Street Theatre on October 5, 1961, with the cast headed by Toni Lander, Royes Fernandez, and Bruce Marks. Études will be staged for ABT by Thomas Lund.

 

20th Century Works: Balanchine and Ashton, ABT’s second Fall program, will be given four performances on Saturday evening, October 21; Sunday matinee, October 22; Wednesday evening, October 25; and Thursday evening, October 26. 20th Century Works: Balanchine and Ashton will consist of George Balanchine’s Ballet Imperial and Frederick Ashton’s The Dream.

 

Ballet Imperial will open the second program of the Fall season, featuring Isabella Boylston, James Whiteside, and Skylar Brandt debuting in the leading roles. Christine Shevchenko, Calvin Royal III, and Chloe Misseldine will debut in these leading roles at the matinee on Sunday, October 22. Ballet Imperial, set to Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky’s Concerto No. 2 in G for Piano and Orchestra, received its World Premiere by American Ballet Caravan at the Hunter College Playhouse, New York on May 27, 1941, danced by Marie-Jeanne, Gisella Caccialanza, and William Dollar. The American Ballet Theatre Company Premiere of Ballet Imperial was given on February 10, 1988, at the Auditorium Theatre, Chicago, danced by Susan Jaffe, Ross Stretton, and Amanda McKerrow. Scenery and costumes are by Rouben Ter-Aruntuian and lighting is by Jennifer Tipton. Ballet Imperial will be staged for ABT by Colleen Neary.

 

Ashton’s The Dream will be performed by Gillian Murphy as Titania, Daniel Camargo as Oberon, and Jake Roxander in his debut as Puck. Aran Bell will make his debut as Oberon at the matinee on Sunday, October 22. The Dream is Frederick Ashton’s beguiling retelling of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream set to a spellbinding score by Felix Mendelssohn and arranged by John Lanchbery with sets and costumes by David Walker and lighting by John B. Read. The Dream received its World Premiere by The Royal Ballet at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London on April 2, 1964, danced by Antoinette Sibley as Titania, Anthony Dowell as Oberon, and Keith Martin as Puck. The Dream was given its American Ballet Theatre Company Premiere at the Metropolitan Opera House, New York on May 24, 2002, danced by Alessandra Ferri as Titania, Ethan Stiefel as Oberon, and Herman Cornejo as Puck.

 

The final four performances of ABT’s 2023 Fall season, titled 21st Century Works: King, Ratmansky, and Bond, will feature Alonzo King’s Single Eye, the New York Premiere of Gemma Bond’s Depuis le Jour, and Ratmansky’s On the Dnipro with performances from Friday, October 27 to Sunday, October 29.

 

The first performance of Alonzo King’s Single Eye will be led by Isabella Boylston, Thomas Forster, Calvin Royal III, Skylar Brandt, and Cory Stearns, the original principal cast of the ballet at its World Premiere by American Ballet Theatre on March 16, 2022, at Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa, California. Set to music by celebrated jazz artist and composer Jason Moran, Single Eye features sets  and costumes by Robert Rosenwasser and lighting by Jim French.

 

Gemma Bond’s pas de deux Depuis le Jour will be given its New York Premiere, danced by Hee Seo and Joo Won Ahn. Katherine Williams and Jose Sebastian will dance these roles for the first time in New York at the matinee on Saturday, October 28. Choreographed by Gemma Bond, the piece is set to the Act III aria fromLouise by Gustave Charpentier, with costumes by Bond and lighting by Serena Wong. Depuis le Jour was given its World Premiere on November 28, 2012, at the International Competition for the Erik Bruhn Prize, danced by Devon Teuscher and Calvin Royal III.

 

On the Dnipro will be danced by Cory Stearns as Sergiy, Devon Teuscher as Natalia, Christine Shevchenko as Olga, and James Whiteside as Olga’s Fiancé. Debuts will include SunMi Park as Natalia and Michael de la Nuez as Olga’s Fiancé at the matinee on Saturday, October 28; and Aran Bell as Sergiy and Cassandra Trenary as Natalia at the matinee on Sunday, October 29. Ratmansky’s production of Sergei Prokofiev’s On the Dnipro received its World Premiere on June 1, 2009, at the Metropolitan Opera House, under the title On the Dnieper, danced by Marcelo Gomes as Sergiy, Veronika Part as Natalia, Paloma Herrera as Olga, and David Hallberg as Olga’s Fiancé. The title of the ballet and the leading character’s name have been adjusted to reflect a Ukrainian spelling. The production features scenery by Simon Pastukh, costumes by Galina Solovyeva, lighting by Brad Fields, and projections by Wendall K. Harrington. Prokofiev’s score for On the Dniprowas originally commissioned by the Paris Opera, and the original ballet production received its World Premiere in 1932 by the Paris Opera Ballet.

 

Tickets for American Ballet Theatre’s 2023 Fall season at the David H. Koch will be available for general public on sale beginning Wednesday, September 6 at 12:00 P.M. Tickets begin at $30 and are available online, in person at the Koch Theater box office, or by phone at 212-496-0600. For more information, visit ABT’s website at www.abt.org.

 

Complete casting follows.

 

ABOUT AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE

American Ballet Theatre is one of the greatest dance companies in the world. Revered as a national treasure since its founding season in 1940, its mission is to create, present, preserve, and extend the great repertoire of classical dancing for the widest possible audience. Headquartered in New York City, ABT is the only cultural institution of its size and stature to extensively tour, enchanting audiences for eight decades in 50 U.S. states, 45 countries, and over 480 cities worldwide. ABT’s repertoire includes full-length classics from the nineteenth century, the finest works from the early twentieth century, and acclaimed contemporary masterpieces. In 2006, by an act of Congress, ABT was designated America's National Ballet Company®.

 

For more information, please visit www.abt.org.