The Joyce Presents Swiss Contemporary Ballet Company BALLET DU GRAND THEÂTRE DE GENÈVE

The Joyce Theater Foundation, Inc. (Linda Shelton, Executive Director) is pleased to welcome back onto its stage one of Europe's most glorious companies, Ballet du Grand Théâtre de Genève, performing the U.S. premiere of Bessie Award-nominee Pontus Lidberg's acclaimed evening-length work Une Autre Passion, from April 24-29. Tickets, ranging in price from $10-$56, 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.Joyce.org.

Established at the turn of the 19th century in Geneva, Switzerland, Ballet du Grand Théâtre de Genève has long been considered one of the most original dance companies in Europe. Currently under the artistic leadership of Philippe Cohen, the company is known for its vast repertoire of neo-classical and contemporary ballets that showcase the talents of its youthful and highly-skilled dancers from across the globe.

Following a successful 2014 Joyce Theater engagement, Ballet du Grand Théâtre de Genève returns to Chelsea with the U.S. premiere of Une Autre Passion by the acclaimed Swedish choreographer, filmmaker, and dancer Pontus Lidberg. This abstract reimagining of Johann Sebastian Bach's Saint Matthew Passion explores the universal theme of passion by juxtaposing suffering and desire. Disregarding the narrative elements of Jesus' death, Lidberg creates a constellation of dance and video in which pain and beauty intersect.

ABOUT BALLET DU GRAND THÉÂTRE DE GENÈVE

The history of ballet in Geneva dates back to the 19th century and is intimately linked with the "Théâtre de Neuve," initially located in the Bastions, and subsequently in the present-day Ballet du Grand Théâtre de Genève. By the 1870s, the ballet master at the time had two dozen dancers under his instruction, of whom several held the rank of soloist. From the beginning of the 20th century, the evolution of dance in Geneva was strongly influenced by Emile Jaques-Dalcroze and subsequently Ernest Ansermet, who introduced Diaghilev's Ballets Russes and Nijinski to Swiss audiences. In 1962, the Grand Théâtre acquired a sizable company under the direction of Artistic Director Janine Charrat (1962-64). Other Artistic Directors include Serge Golovine, George Balanchine (Artistic Advisor), Alfonso Cata, Patricia Neary, Peter van Dyk, Oscar Araiz, Gradimir Pankov, François Passard, and Giorgio Mancini under whom the Company invited neo-classical and contemporary guest choreographers from around the world to Geneva. In 2003, Philippe Cohen was appointed to head the Ballet. Since his appointment, Cohen has introduced to the Company choreographers such as Andonis Foniadakis, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Gilles Jobin, and Benjamin Millepied; and has enriched the repertoire with works by renowned choreographers, such as Carolyn Carlson, Lucinda Childs, Jerome Robbins, Nacho Duato, and Saburo Teshigawara.

ABOUT Pontus Lidberg

Choreographer, filmmaker, and dancer, Pontus Lidberg has firmly established himself as a creative and visionary artist, bringing dance and film together. Recently, he has been appointed as the new Artistic Director of Danish Dance Theatre and will take that position in April 2018. Lidberg's dance film, The Rain, received numerous awards. The New York Times wrote that The Rain, "illustrates what filmed dance can say that staged dance cannot." As a choreographer for the stage, Lidberg has created works for international dance companies including New York City Ballet, Martha Graham Dance Company, Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo, Semperoper Ballet Dresden, Royal Swedish Ballet, Le Ballet du Grand Théâtre de Genève, Royal Danish Ballet, BalletBoyz, Beijing Dance Theatre, and Morphoses, as well as for his own concert group, Pontus Lidberg Dance. His film Labyrinth Within won Best Picture at the Dance on Camera Festival in 2012. He was nominated for a New York Dance and Performance Award (Bessie) in Outstanding Visual Design, for his dance and film evening WITHIN (Labyrinth Within)-created during his 2012 tenure as Resident Artistic Director of Morphoses. The New York Times applauded this contemporary story ballet, "told without mime and driven by emotional and psychological textures... [Lidberg] sublimates the academic language of ballet, dissolving it into knotty partnering that manages, by and large, to avoid the churning clichés of much contemporary movement in the form. It is refreshing to see a ballet embracing the virtues of restraint." Raised in Stockholm, Sweden, Lidberg trained at the Royal Swedish Ballet School. He holds an MFA in Contemporary Performing Arts from the University of Gothenburg, Faculty of Fine, Applied and Performing Arts.

ABOUT THE Joyce Theater Foundation

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 presented dance at Lincoln Center since 2012, and launched Joyce Unleashed in 2014 to feature emerging and experimental artists. 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.

Performances of Ballet du Grand Théâtre de Genève will be April 24-29 at The Joyce Theater (175 Eighth Avenue at West 19th Street) according to the following schedule: Tuesday and Wednesday at 7:30pm; Thursday and Friday at 8pm; Saturday at 2pm & 8pm; and Sunday at 2pm. There will be a post-performance Curtain Chat with Ballet du Grand Théâtre de Genève on Wednesday, April 25, which is open to all patrons attending that evening's performance. Tickets range in price from $10-$56 and 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.Joyce.org