The Joyce Theater 2010 Gala Honors Aspen Santa Fe Ballet; Cast of 'Million Dollar Quartet' Performs

The Joyce Theater Foundation will honor Aspen Santa Fe Ballet's Tom Mossbrucker (Artistic Director) and Jean-Phillippe Malaty (Executive Director) at its annual Spring Gala on Monday, April 19 at ESPACE (635 West 42nd Street).

This black-tie event will begin with cocktails at 6:30 PM followed by dinner, dancing and presentations at 7:30 PM. The evening, co-chaired by Joyce Board Members Anh-Tuyet Nguyen and Saul I. Sanders, will feature dance performances by the Stephen Petronio Company, the Aspen Santa Fe Ballet and the cast of Broadway's Million Dollar Quartet.

Linda Shelton, Executive Director of The Joyce Theater, remarks, "Honoring Tom Mossbrucker and Jean-Philippe Malaty at The Joyce Gala is a perfect way to pay tribute to all that they have done for dance and to acknowledge how far their reach has extended beyond the two cities represented by their company to include an international audience for dance. As the Artistic and Executive Directors of Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, Tom and Jean-Philippe have commissioned work, created work for other companies, presented work at the Santa Fe Dance Festival, and attracted talented dancers who value their relationship with this remarkable company."

Proceeds from the Spring Gala will support The Joyce's education program as well as dance companies that will perform at The Joyce Theater and Joyce SoHo.

The Joyce Theater Foundation Spring Gala, honoring Aspen Santa Fe Ballet's Tom Mossbrucker (Artistic Director) and Jean-Phillippe Malaty (Executive Director), will take place Monday, April 19 at ESPACE (635 West 42nd Street, between 10th and 11th Avenues). For reservations, please call Maureen Cavanaugh, Development Officer for Individual Giving and Events for The Joyce Theater, at (646) 467 8556 or email mcavanaugh@joyce.org. Individual tickets are $500 - $1,250 and reserved tables are $5,000 - $25,000. For more information, please visit www.joyce.org.

Executive Director Jean-Philippe Malaty has been instrumental in building the Aspen Santa Fe Ballet from the ground up. He was born in the Basque region of France, and recently became a United States citizen. After receiving his degree in dance, he accepted scholarships to train at Europe's prestigious Mudra, Maurice Béjart's school in Brussels, and John Cranko's ballet school in Stuttgart. At the invitation of David Howard, Jean-Philippe traveled to America to study at the David Howard Dance Center in New York City. He then performed soloist roles as guest artist with various companies throughout the U.S., including Joffrey II, Los Angeles Classical Ballet, Ballet Hispanico of New York, and the Lyric Opera of Chicago. He is much in demand as a guest teacher and has taught at schools and universities throughout the country. Jean-Philippe is dedicated to asserting the prominence of the arts in the West, spearheading initiatives to bring dance into the community and programs that introduce children to the arts. He continues to provide invaluable creative assistance in all facets of the company's operations. Jean-Philippe is equally proud to have forged a company based on an American ideal of energy, invention, popularity, eclecticism, and precision in what's been called the "all star, no star" system.

Artistic Director Tom Mossbrucker began his dance training at age 4 studying tap in his hometown of Tacoma, Washington. He studied ballet in New York City at the School of American Ballet and the Joffrey Ballet School. He began his career dancing with Joffrey II before joining the main company, the Joffrey Ballet, where he performed as principal dancer to great acclaim in over 70 ballets. He danced ballets by some of the world's greatest choreographers including Twyla Tharp, William Forsythe, Jirí Kylián, John Cranko, Fredrick Ashton, Agnes De Mille, Jose Limon, Paul Taylor and George Balanchine, and was lauded for his work in Moor's Pavane, in which he played Iago, and Billboards, a full-length rock ballet set to music by Prince. He also danced with the Atlanta Ballet and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. Tom serves on the Board of Dance USA.Following in the tradition of Robert Joffrey, Tom is dedicated to presenting an eclectic repertoire, and committed to acquiring new works that persistently challenge, enliven, and educate both audiences and the company dancers. Building relationships with choreographers has become a hallmark of the company.

The Joyce Theater Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization, has proudly served the dance community and its audiences since 1982. The founders, Cora Cahan and Eliot Feld, acquired and renovated the Elgin Theater in Chelsea, which opened as The Joyce Theater in 1982. The Joyce is 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 establish the theater. One of the only theaters built by dancers for dance, The Joyce Theater has provided an intimate and elegant New York home for more than 290 domestic and international companies. The Joyce has also commissioned more than 130 new dances since 1992. In 1996, The Joyce created Joyce SoHo, a dance center providing highly subsidized rehearsal and performance space to hundreds of dance artists. New York City public school students and teachers annually benefit from The Joyce's Dance Education Program, and adult audiences get closer to dance through pre-engagement Dance Talks and post-performance Humanities discussions. The Joyce Theater now features an annual season of approximately 48 weeks with over 340 performances for audiences in excess of 135,000.

Test and expand your Broadway knowledge with our new game - The Broadway Match-Up! How well do you know your Broadway casting trivia?	Play the Daily Game, explore current shows, and delve into past decades like the 2000s, 80s, and the Golden Age. Challenge your friends and see where you rank!
How well do you know your Tony Awards history? Take our never-ending quiz of nominations and winner history and challenge your friends.	Can you beat your friends? Play today’s daily Broadway word game, featuring a new theatrically inspired word or phrase every day!