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The Joyce Theater Presents The Joyce Debut of the World-Renowned Hamburg Ballet
By: A.A. Cristi Mar. 03, 2017
The Joyce Theater Foundation, Inc. (Linda Shelton, Executive Director) is thrilled to welcome the revered Hamburg Ballet in its Joyce debut, featuring the New York Premiere of Ballet Director and Chief Choreographer John Neumeier's Old Friends, from March 21 - 25. Tickets range in price from $26-$66 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 19th Street. For more information, please visit www.Joyce.org.
John Neumeier has served as Director and Chief Choreographer of the internationally acclaimed Hamburg Ballet since 1973. Focusing on creating innovative, contemporary dance forms that serve to expand and enrich the vast classical ballet tradition, Mr. Neumeier has brought global attention to this 60-member company, creating more than 150 ballets. For its Joyce debut, with support by The Joyce Theater's 2017 Rudolf Nureyev Prize for New Dance, The Hamburg Ballet will present the New York Premiere of Mr. Neumeier's Old Friends. A collage of ballets featuring 25 dancers, Old Friends aims to explore the ever-changing nature of relationships by having dancers in constant motion, moving in and out of various pairings. Are they old friends? New Friends? Lovers, past or present? Set to the iconic Simon and Garfunkel song of the same name, as well as the music of Frederic Chopin, this exciting premiere is sure to both thrill and inspire.The Hamburg Ballet is an internationally acclaimed ballet company based in Hamburg, Germany. John Neumeier has been the Director and Chief Choreographer of the ballet since 1973 and the Ballet Intendant since 1996. His maIn Focus has been on creating innovative, contemporary dance forms to expand and enrich the classical ballet tradition. During his tenure, he has brought global attention to the 60-person company. Now, as one of Germany's major artistic institutions, the Hamburg Ballet has become a cultural ambassador, receiving high praise from audiences and critics from around the world. A great proponent of arts education, John Neumeier has conducted ballet workshops since 1973 in association with the company's matinee performances. In these workshops, he illuminates the historical background of his ballets and offers unique insights into his creative process. In 1975, to enhance the company's commitment to diverse programming, the company began celebrating the Hamburg Ballet-Days. This ballet festival marks the end of each season and showcases the current repertoire, features performances by a guest company, and culminates with the annual Nijinsky Gala. While the Hamburg Ballet typically performs at the Hamburg State Opera, the creative work begins at the "Ballettzentrum" in Hamburg-Hamm, which was opened in 1989. The building, previously a high school for girls, is one of the last buildings designed by the famous Hamburg architect Fritz Schumacher. This edifice has been converted into a training facility with nine studios, used by both the Hamburg Ballet and the School of the Hamburg Ballet. The school, established in 1978, trains young people from all over the world for professional dance careers. In 2011, John Neumeier also founded the National Youth Ballet. This company features eight professional dancers between the ages of 18 to 23 and has begun work at its new home at the "Ballettzentrum" in Hamburg.
John Neumeier was born in 1939 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he received his first dance training. He continued his dance studies in Chicago as well as at Marquette University in Milwaukee where he created his first choreographic works. After further ballet study, both in Copenhagen and at The Royal Ballet School in London, John Cranko invited him in to join Stuttgart Ballet in 1963, where he progressed to soloist and continued his choreographic development. In 1969, Ulrich Erfurth appointed Mr. Neumeier Director of Ballet Frankfurt, where he soon caused a sensation with his new interpretations of such well-known ballets as The Nutcracker and Romeo and Juliet. In 1973, August Everding invited him to become Director and Chief Choreographer of the Hamburg Ballet. Under his direction, the Hamburg Ballet became one of the leading ballet companies on the German dance scene and soon received international recognition. As a choreographer, Mr. Neumeier has continually focused on the preservation of ballet tradition, while giving his works a modern dramatic framework. His ballets range from new versions of full-length story ballets to musicals and to his symphonic ballets, especially those based on Gustav Mahler's compositions, as well as his choreographies to sacred music. His latest creations for The Hamburg Ballet: Peer Gynt and Duse in 2015 and Turangalîla in 2016. In 1975, Neumeier conceived the Hamburg Ballet Festival as a climax and end to each season. In 1978, he founded The School of The Hamburg Ballet. In 1989 the school, together with the company, moved into its own "Ballettzentrum" (ballet center) provided by the city of Hamburg. Its facilities include nine studios and a boarding school for over 30 students. Today more than 80% of the company's dancers are graduates from the school. Neumeier has worked as guest choreographer with many companies, including The Royal Ballet in London; The Vienna, Munich and Dresden State Operas; The Stuttgart Ballet (for which he has created several works); The Royal Danish Ballet; The Ballet of the Paris Opera; The Tokyo Ballet; American Ballet Theatre in New York; San Francisco Ballet; Joffrey Ballet; Boston Ballet; The National Ballet of Canada; The Ballet of the Mariinsky Theater; Moscow Bolshoi and Stanislavsky Ballet; and The National Ballet of China, among others. Mr. Neumeier holds the Dance Magazine Award (1983), Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany and French Order of Arts and Letters and the Legion of Honour. In 2006, he was awarded the prestigious Nijinsky Award for Lifetime Achievement. He received the Herbert von Karajan Musikpreis in 2007 and the Deutscher Jubiläums Tanzpreis in 2008. In 2007, he was made an honorary citizen of the city of Hamburg. In November 2012, he accepted the Order of Friendship of the Russian Federation. In 2015, the Inamori Foundation presented Mr. Neumeier with the Kyoto Prize for his contributions to the Arts and Philosophy; in 2016, he received the renowned Prix Benois de la Danse for Lifetime Achievement. Neumeier established the John Neumeier Foundation in February 2006, with the aim of preserving and eventually making available to the public his collection of dance and ballet related objects. The Foundation will maintain and secure his repertoire and related materials for the city of Hamburg. In 2011, Neumeier founded Germany's National Youth Ballet. The young company of eight dancers is based at the Ballettzentrum in Hamburg but finds its performing spaces away from the Hamburg Opera. In addition to international touring this creative young company dances in schools, retirement homes, and prisons. ABOUT THE Joyce Theater Foundation
The Joyce Theater Foundation ("The Joyce," Executive Director, Linda Shelton), a nonprofit 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.
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