Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre Celebrates 50th Anniversary At The Joyce

Marking a half century of enriching lives through dance, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre commemorates the milestone with its first Joyce Theater engagement in 15 years, presenting a mixed bill of classics and a New York City premier from April 28-May 3. Tickets, ranging in price from $10-$65, can be purchased at www.Joyce.org, or by calling JoyceCharge at 212-242-0800. Please note: ticket prices are subject to change. The Joyce Theater is located at 175 Eighth Avenue at West 19th Street. For more information, please visit www.PBT.org.

In celebration of their golden anniversary, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre returns to The Joyce with a program centered on human relationships. The trio of pieces on the bill features Mark Morris's Maelstrom, a joyous ensemble piece for seven couples set to Beethoven's "Ghost Trio," blurring the lines between the creation of shapes and voids to create a mosaic of bodies in motion. In Nacho Duato's Duende, dancers embody the sculptural score of Claude Debussy with charm and panache, creating a seamless marriage of body and movement. Rounding out the program is the New York premiere of Pittsburgh choreographer Staycee Pearl's SKIN + saltwater, a new work created for PBT in which, like Morris's and Duato's pieces on the Joyce program, music provides the backbone for connection. Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre's first season at The Joyce since 2005 promises to celebrate the company's remarkable history while continuing to amplify new artistic voices in dance through the next 50 years and beyond.

Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre has built a legacy of excellence and innovation since 1969. The company's eclectic style and irrepressible energy have been shaped by a series of distinguished artistic directors over five decades. In the 1980's, former New York City Ballet Principal Dancer Patricia Wilde led the company to new heights and national acclaim with an emphasis on virtuosic technique and works by the modern masters, including her mentor, George Balanchine. Since 1997, the company has flourished under the direction of Terrence S. Orr, former American Ballet Theatre ballet master and Principal Dancer. Mr. Orr has created a powerful repertoire, including fresh versions of traditional ballets, original works commissioned to contemporary American music, and dramatic works that push the boundaries of ballet as an art form. Through more than 50 performances each year at home and on tour, PBT audience discover the passion and joy of ballet.

The Joyce Theater Foundation ("The Joyce," Executive Director, Linda Shelton), a non-profit organization, has proudly served the dance community for over three decades. Under the direction of founders Cora Cahan and Eliot Feld, Ballet Tech Foundation acquired and The Joyce renovated the Elgin Theater in Chelsea. Opening as The Joyce Theater in 1982, it was named in honor of Joyce Mertz, beloved daughter of LuEsther T. Mertz. It was LuEsther's clear, undaunted vision and abundant generosity that made it imaginable and ultimately possible to build the theater. Ownership was secured by The Joyce in 2015. The theater is one of the only theaters built by dancers for dance and has provided an intimate and elegant home for over 400 U.S.-based and international companies. The Joyce has also expanded its reach beyond its Chelsea home through off-site presentations at venues ranging in scope from Lincoln Center's David H. Koch Theater, to Brooklyn's Invisible Dog Art Center, and to outdoor programming in spaces such as Hudson River Park. To further support the creation of new work, The Joyce maintains longstanding commissioning and residency programs. Local students and teachers (K-12th grade) benefit from its school program, and family and adult audiences get closer to dance with access to artists. The Joyce's annual season of about 48 weeks of dance now includes over 340 performances for audiences in excess of 150,000.

Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre will makes its return to The Joyce Theater from April 28-May 3. The performance schedule is as follows: Tuesday and Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.; Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m.; and Sunday at 2 p.m. A Curtain Chat, a free post-performance talkback with members of the company, will take place on Wednesday, April 29. Tickets, ranging in price from $10-$65, can be purchased at www.Joyce.org, or by calling JoyceCharge at 212-242-0800. Please note: ticket prices are subject to change. The Joyce Theater is located at 175 Eighth Avenue at West 19th Street. For more information about Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, please visit www.PBT.org