New York City Center's FALL FOR DANCE FESTIVAL Runs 9/27-10/13

New York City Center's ninth annual Fall for Dance Festival, running September 27 – October 13, has been expanded to 12 evenings of dance to meet the extraordinary ticket demand. The international festival will feature 20 acclaimed dance companies and choreographers in five unique programs. (Programs 1 – 3 will be repeated twice; Programs 4 and 5 will be repeated three times.) In keeping with its commitment to make dance affordable to everyone, all tickets will be $15. Tickets will go on sale Sunday, September 9 at 11 a.m.

"The Fall for Dance Festival has been wildly popular since its inception in 2004, with performances selling out more and more quickly each year," said New York City Center President & CEO Arlene Shuler. "This enthusiasm has been very gratifying to us, but we want to ensure that as many people as possible have a chance to experience the Festival and perhaps discover dance for the first time. To that end, we're thrilled to be able to offer two additional performances this year."

The Festival will also feature many free pre-show events, including discussions with choreographers and artists, dance lessons and a lounge where artists and audiences can meet.

AN INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL
The Fall for Dance Festival has received international acclaim for its quality, innovation and success in introducing new and younger audiences to the world of dance. Since its inception, the Festival has presented 165 different dance companies to almost 200,000 people. Newcomers and dance enthusiasts alike look forward to Fall for Dance as both an introduction to new artists and a welcome return to familiar and beloved companies.

The 2012 Festival features 20 companies from all across the globe and will include performances by BalletBoyz from London, U.K.; Circa from Brisbane, Australia; Fang-Yi Sheu & Artists, based in Taipei, Taiwan; The Hong Kong Ballet from China; LDP-Laboratory Dance Project from Seoul, South Korea; María Pagés Compañia from Madrid, Spain; Moiseyev Dance Company from Moscow, Russia; Nan Jombang from Jakarta, Indonesia; and Shantala Shivalingappa from Madras, India.

Acclaimed American companies include Ballet West from Salt Lake City, Utah; Ka Leo O Laka I Ka Hikina O Ka L? from Honolulu, Hawaii; Pacific Northwest Ballet from Seattle, Washington; and TU Dance from Saint Paul, Minnesota. New York companies and performers include American Ballet Theatre, Jared Grimes, Jodi Melnick, Juilliard Dance, Martha Graham Dance Company and Shen Wei Dance Arts (whose artistic director, Shen Wei, is a 2011-12 New York City Center Choreography Fellow). The 20th company is yet to be announced.

New York City Center gratefully acknowledges Fall for Dance Leadership Sponsor, Bloomberg, and its Principal Sponsor, MetLife Foundation. Fall for Dance is also made possible through the generosity of its Presenting Partners, Jody and John Arnhold, Barbara and David Zalaznick, Perry and Marty Granoff, and Caroline Howard Hyman.

"Bloomberg is firmly committed to supporting a diverse range of artists around the world," said Erana Stennett, Manager of Corporate Giving for the Americas, "and we are thrilled to continue our sponsorship of New York City Center's Fall for Dance Festival, which brings a variety of the world's best dance to New York."

"MetLife Foundation is committed to fostering access to the arts for people of all ages and backgrounds," said Dennis White, President and CEO of MetLife Foundation. "We are pleased to continue our support for this groundbreaking festival that creates opportunities for diverse audiences to experience world-class dance."

New York City Center also recognizes the extraordinary leadership support of The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, which inaugurated a $10 million endowment campaign to ensure the future stability of the annual Fall for Dance Festival. Additional generous funding for the Fall for Dance Festival endowment has been received from The Peter Jay Sharp Foundation, The Irene Diamond Fund, Ford Foundation, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, The Fan Fox and Leslie R. Samuels Foundation and an anonymous donor. More than $6.5 million in commitments have been received to date.

Stanford Makishi serves as Artistic Advisor to the Festival.

EDUCATION
New York City Center and the NYC Department of Education will co-present a Fall for Dance Lab linking the Blueprint for Teaching and Learning in the Arts with the Fall for Dance Festival. The Lab will provide training for dance teachers and teaching artists who work in NYC public schools. Each participant will take two master classes from two Festival performers. They will learn about each company's unique aesthetic by studying pieces of repertoire performed in the Festival. A follow-up workshop will explore approaches to teaching dance, critical and creative responses to different dance styles and genres, and applications to classroom practices. The Lab will take place in City Center's studios on a date to be announced.

The Fall for Dance Festival will also offer two pre-performance panel discussions as part of its free DanceTalk series. The first, "Dance and Live Music: How do Choreographers Work with Composers?", will take place on Sunday, September 30, from 5:30–6:30 p.m. The second, "For Public Consumption: Shaping Social and Cultural Dance for the Stage", will take place on Wednesday, October 3, from 6:30–7:30 p.m. Most panelists are affiliated with the companies performing in the Festival. The discussions will take place in City Center's studios and are free and open to the public. Educational groups may make reservations by calling 212-763-1247.

FESTIVAL LOUNGE
For each Fall for Dance performance, City Center's beautifully restored Grand Tier lobby will be transformed into Lounge FFD, a vibrant gathering place for audience members and artists. Lounge FFD offers Festival attendees and performers a place to relax and mingle, share a cocktail and have a snack before and after the show. Lounge FFD is open to the Festival artists and attendees.

New York City Center (Arlene Shuler, President & CEO) has played a defining role in the cultural life of the city for nearly 70 years. It was Manhattan's first performing arts center, dedicated by Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia in 1943 with a mission to make the best in music, theater and dance accessible to all audiences. Today, City Center is home to many distinguished companies, including City Center's Principal Dance Company, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater; American Ballet Theatre, New York City Opera, and Manhattan Theatre Club; a roster of renowned national and international visiting artists; and its own critically acclaimed and popular programs. The Tony-honored Encores! musical theater series has been hailed as "one of the very best reasons to be alive in New York." Dance has been integral to the theater's mission from the start, and dance programs, including the annual Fall for Dance Festival, remain central to City Center's identity. City Center is dedicated to providing educational opportunities to New York City students and teachers with programs such as Encores! In Schools and the Young People's Dance Series. Last year, City Center completed an extensive renovation to revitalize and modernize its historic theater.

The 2012 Fall for Dance Festival runs September 27 – October 13 at New York City Center (West 55th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues). All performances are at 8 p.m., except for Sunday, September 30, which is at 7 p.m. All tickets are $15 and go on sale on Sunday, September 9 at 11 a.m. Tickets can be purchased online at www.NYCityCenter.org, by calling CityTix at 212.581.1212, or at the City Center Box Office.