American Repertory Ballet Will Open The New Brunswick Performing Arts Center

This September, American Repertory Ballet will be starting a new chapter. The company will become a Founding Resident Company of the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center (NBPAC) and will also be embarking on a new era of artistic growth.

The brand-new, state-of-the-art performing arts complex in downtown New Brunswick will feature two proscenium-style theaters and additional rehearsal space for the professional dance company, including studios for its acclaimed DANCE POWER program and an expanded New Brunswick presence of the Princeton Ballet School. (The Ballet School will also maintain its Princeton and Cranbury studio locations).

American Repertory Ballet is announcing that Douglas Martin, who had been directing the professional company since 2010, and with the organization since 1993, will be pursuing other opportunities. ARB thanks Mr. Martin for his longtime service and wishes him all the best on his future endeavors. A national search for a new Artistic Director is now underway.

During the search, Executive Director Julie Diana Hench will assume artistic responsibilities and has assembled a strong leadership team to work directly with the company. Ms. Hench was a Principal Dancer with San Francisco Ballet and Pennsylvania Ballet, and performed internationally as a guest artist, before transitioning into master teacher and administrative leadership roles.

Guest choreographers and stagers for the 2019-2020 season will include stars such as Ethan Stiefel (former Principal Dancer with American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, and former Artistic Director of the Royal New Zealand Ballet), Septime Webre (Artistic Director of Hong Kong Ballet and former Artistic Director of the Washington Ballet and ARB), Sean Mahoney (former ARB and Paul Taylor dancer), Riccardo De Nigris (award winning choreographer), and Ana Novoa (former Principal Dancer with the National Ballet of Cuba), among others.

This year, American Repertory Ballet celebrates its 40th anniversary season with four unprecedented performance series at the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center, opening September 20. The season will also include appearances at the Mandell Theater at Drexel University (Philadelphia), Two River Theater (Red Bank), McCarter Theatre Center (Princeton), the Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College (New York). The Company will perform its acclaimed Nutcracker at the Union County Playhouse (Rahway), McCarter Theatre Center (Princeton), State Theatre New Jersey (New Brunswick), and Patriots Theater at the War Memorial (Trenton).

American Repertory Ballet's mission is to bring the joy, beauty, artistry and discipline of classical and contemporary dance to New Jersey and nationwide audiences, and to dance students through artistic and educational programs. The organization comprises of the preeminent professional classical and contemporary ballet company in the state; Princeton Ballet School, one of the largest and most respected non-profit dance schools in the nation, with studios in Cranbury, New Brunswick and Princeton; and ARB's Access & Enrichment initiatives, including the acclaimed DANCE POWER, the longest continuously running community arts partnership in New Jersey. For more information, visit arballet.org.

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