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Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at the Music Center welcomes the return of American Ballet Theatre (ABT), America's National Ballet Company, led by Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie, to the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, July 15-18, with its full-evening production of The Sleeping Beauty.
Five casts will dance The Sleeping Beauty beginning with Gillian Murphy and Marcelo Gomes on Thursday evening, July 15. On Friday, July 16, Paloma Herrera and David Hallberg will lead the cast. On Saturday, July 17, Irina Dvorovenko and Maxim Beloserkovsky dance at the matinee, and Xiomara Reyes and Herman Cornejo dance in the evening. The engagement ends on Sunday, July 18 with Veronika Part and Cory Stearns leading the cast.The timeless fairy tale of the beautiful Princess Aurora, the evil sorceress Carabosse, a century of sleep and the awakening kiss of a handsome prince comes to life in an all-new production. ABT Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie stages this perennial favorite, along with former ABT ballerina Gelsey Kirkland and Michael Chernov, with sets by Tony Walton and costumes by Willa Kim with additional designs by Holly Hynes.
To order tickets, visit online at www.ticketmaster.com or call (800) 982-2787. Tickets can be purchased in person at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion Box Office (135 N Grand Ave.). American Ballet Theatre's production of The Sleeping Beauty received its World Premiere at the Metropolitan Opera House, New York on June 1, 2007, with Veronika Part (Princess Aurora), Marcelo Gomes (Prince Désiré), Michele Wiles (Lilac Fairy), Martine van Hamel (Carabosse), Xiomara Reyes (Princess Florine) and Herman Cornejo (Bluebird).Joan Taub Ades and Alan M. Ades, Adrienne Arsht, Arlene and Harvey Blau, Devon and Peter Briger, Susan and Leonard Feinstein, Edward A. Fox, Lori and Stephen Garofalo, Mrs. Marjorie S. Isaac, Julia and David H. Koch, Konrad R. Kruger, Jill L. Leinbach, Charlotte and MacDonald Mathey, and Jean and Lawrence Shaw are Co-Underwriters of this production. Additional funding provided by the NIB Foundation. Special thanks to Caroline Newhouse. This production has been made possible with public funds from the National Endowment for the Arts.
American Ballet Theatre is recognized as one of the great dance companies in the world. Few ballet companies equal ABT for its combination of size, scope and outreach. Recognized as a living National Treasure since its founding in 1940, ABT annually tours the United States, performing for more than 600,000 people, and is the only major cultural institution to do so. It has also made more than 15 international tours to 42 countries as perhaps the most representative American ballet company and has been sponsored by the State Department of the United States on many of these engagements. In October 1992, former American Ballet Theatre Principal Dancer Kevin McKenzie was appointed Artistic Director. Mr. McKenzie, steadfast in his vision of ABT as "American," is committed to maintaining the Company's vast repertoire, and to bringing the art of dance theater to the great stages of the world.
When American Ballet Theatre was launched in 1940, the aim was to develop a repertoire of the best ballets from the past and to encourage the creation of new works by gifted young choreographers, wherever they might be found. Under the direction of Lucia Chase and Oliver Smith from 1940 to 1980, the Company more than fulfilled that aim. The repertoire, perhaps unmatched in the history of ballet, includes all of the great full-length ballets of the nineteenth century, such as Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty and Giselle, the finest works from the early part of this century, such as Apollo, Les Sylphides, Jardin aux Lilas and Rodeo, and acclaimed contemporary masterpieces such as Airs, Push Comes to Shove and Duets. In acquiring such an extraordinary repertoire, ABT has commissioned works by all of the great choreographic geniuses of the 20th century: George Balanchine, Antony Tudor, Jerome Robbins, Agnes De Mille and Twyla Tharp, among others.
In keeping with the Company's long-standing commitment to bringing the finest in dance to the widest international audience, ABT has recently enjoyed triumphant successes with engagements in Tokyo, London, Paris, Beijing, and Seoul. Over its 70-year history, the Company has appeared in a total of 132 cities in 42 countries. ABT has also appeared in all fifty states of the United States. The Music Center - Performing Arts Center of Los Angeles County is one of the largest and most highly regarded performing arts centers in the United States. Every year, almost 2 million people visit its four main venues - Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Ahmanson Theatre, Mark Taper Forum, and Walt Disney Concert Hall - along with its vibrant collection of outdoor theatres, plazas, and gardens. The Music Center produces a variety of programming including Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at the Music Center, Active Arts at the Music Center, and The Blue Ribbon Presents Global Pop, along with programming for children and families throughout the year. The Center also provides extensive services and leadership in support of K-12 arts education, and offers tours of all four venues. The Music Center is home to four internationally acclaimed resident companies: Los Angeles Philharmonic, Center Theatre Group, LA Opera and Los Angeles Master Chorale.
