American Ballet Theatre News

Casting for the first two weeks of American Ballet Theatre's 2013 Spring Season at the Metropolitan Opera House was announced today by Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie.

Christine Baranski, Kelli Barrett, Walter Bobbie, Jeremy Cohen, Dalton Harrod, Randy Skinner, Shonn Wiley, Karen Ziemba, New York City Ballet Principal dancer Joaquin De Luz and American Ballet Theatre principal dancer Irina Dvorovenko will star in Rodgers and Hart's On Your Toes, the final Encores! presentation of the 2012-13 New York City Center season. Directed and choreographed by Warren Carlyle. On Your Toes will have guest music direction by Encores! founding music director Rob Fisher and will play seven performances, from May 8 - 12 at New York City Center, W. 55th Street (between 6th and 7th Avenues). The "Slaughter on Tenth Avenue" ballet, originally choreographed by George Balanchine, will be staged by Susan Pilarre, who served as a Ballet Mistress of the show's 1983 Broadway Revival.

Gotham Chamber Opera announces the 2013-2014 season, featuring four new productions, including a world premiere and a U.S. premiere.

The New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) has announced that author and co-director of the Acquavella Gallery Michael Findlay, composer Elliot Goldenthal, filmmaker Mira Nair and visual artist Fred Wilson were inducted into the NYFA Hall of Fame on Tuesday, April 23rd at Espace (635 West 42nd Street). Check out a photo of the honorees below!

American Repertory Ballet will perform in New Jersey Performing Arts Center's second annual Jersey Moves! Festival of Dance. The performance will be tonight, April 27, 2013 at 7:30pm at NJPAC's Victoria Theater. ARB will be performing Gerald Arpino's Viva Vivaldi. This charming, virtuosic work in the classical ballet vocabulary will share the stage with Irish dance presented by Timothy Kochka and The Davis Academy, Indian dance by Bani Ray and her dancers, tap by New Jersey Tap Ensemble, and contemporary dance by Dance Tactics and Nimbus Dance Works.

Patty Smith, the elder stateswoman of the Vermont dance scene, has performed at Town Hall Theater as a solo dancer, with her students, and with dancers from around the state. On Wednesday, May 8th, she joins Karen Amirault and Shelley Ismail to create an evening of dance under the title Standard Poodle.

The San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus (SFGMC) announced today they have appointed George Thompson as Executive Director. Mr. Thompson joins SFGMC during their current 35th anniversary season and - with Artistic Director Dr. Timothy Seelig - will lead the institution to new levels of organizational growth and artistic excellence. With over 25 years of senior level management experience, Thompson has worked previously as both a presenter and producer at nationally recognized institutions.

Rose Caiola, Stuart Coleman, Julia Gruen, Heather Watts, Christopher Wheeldon and producers Erin Fogarty and Daniel Ulbricht present the third annual Dance Against Cancer on Monday, May 6, 2013 with cocktails at 6pm (VIP ticket only), a performance at 7pm, and a reception at 8:30pm at the AXA Equitable Theater, 787 Seventh Avenue (between 51st and 52nd Streets), NYC. Tickets are $150 ($300 for VIP) and are available at dacny.org.

Princeton Ballet School, the official school of American Repertory Ballet, will present the full-length classical ballet Swan Lake on May 18, 2013 at the Patriots Theater at the War Memorial in Trenton, NJ. Performances will be at 2:00pm and 7:00pm.

On Monday, April 22 at 7:30pm at The Joyce Theater, the NYC Dance Alliance Foundation will present DESTINY RISING, an evening of dance artistry benefiting the NYC Dance Alliance Foundation College Scholarship Program. Featuring outstanding NYC Dance Alliance alumni, choreography from NYC Dance Alliance faculty, and special guest performances from prominent professional dance companies, there will also be a post-performance talkback available to all in attendance. VIP tickets are $100 (prime orchestra ticket and a ticket to the after party), additional tickets are priced at $45 (orchestra seating) and $25 (for loge or front row orchestra seating).

Maria Youskevitch, longtime faculty member at Princeton Ballet School, is one of this year's American Repertory Ballet Gala Honorees, and is the recipient of this year's Audree Estey Award for Excellence in Dance Education. Daughter of one of the leading dancers of the 20th century, Igor Youskevitch, Ms. Youskevitch brings a strong background in and deep knowledge of ballet to her students. She teaches for a variety of levels and, every year, re-stages a full-length classical ballet on Princeton Ballet School students for the School's Spring Production. She has also served as Rehearsal Director for American Repertory Ballet, the professional company associated with Princeton Ballet School, on several occasions.

As a catalyst for professional development between choreographers, directors, producers and creative team members, BC Beat provides a platform for curious and innovative theatrical choreographers to share story driven work in an inspired environment of heightened energy and intimate support. In just two years since its premiere in the spring of 2011, BC Beat has created a family of 32 choreographers, each with a unique tie to Broadway and a dedication to developing theatrical work, including Stephen Hoggett (choreographer of Tony Award winning Once), Camille A. Brown (Camille A. Brown & Dancers, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater), Al Blackstone (Capezio Award Winning Choreographer), Jon Rua (Assistant Choreographer In the Heights, Bring It On the Musical, Hands on a Hard Body), Cherice Barton (Associate Choreographer of Spiderman), and Richard Hinds (Associate Director of Newsies).

American Repertory Ballet will perform in New Jersey Performing Arts Center's second annual Jersey Moves! Festival of Dance. The performance will be on April 27, 2013 at 7:30pm at NJPAC's Victoria Theater. ARB will be performing Gerald Arpino's Viva Vivaldi. This charming, virtuosic work in the classical ballet vocabulary will share the stage with Irish dance presented by Timothy Kochka and The Davis Academy, Indian dance by Bani Ray and her dancers, tap by New Jersey Tap Ensemble, and contemporary dance by Dance Tactics and Nimbus Dance Works.

Ballet Next, the ballet company founded by Michele Wiles and Charles Askegard, will be part of the inaugural season of the Fishman Space at BAM tonight, April 17 and tomorrow, April 18.

Christine Baranski, Kelli Barrett, Walter Bobbie, Jeremy Cohen, Dalton Harrod, Randy Skinner, Shonn Wiley, Karen Ziemba,New York City Ballet Principaldancer Joaquin De Luz and American Ballet Theatre principal dancer Irina Dvorovenkowill star in Rodgers and Hart's On Your Toes, the final Encores! presentation of the 2012-13 New York City Center season. Directed and choreographed by Warren Carlyle, On Your Toes will have guest music direction by Encores! founding music director Rob Fisher and will play seven performances, from May 8 - 12 at New York City Center, W. 55th Street (between 6th and 7th Avenues). The "Slaughter on Tenth Avenue" ballet, originally choreographed by George Balanchine, will be staged by Susan Pilarre, who served as a Ballet Mistress of the show's 1983 Broadway Revival.

One of America's most versatile, popular and highly acclaimed choreographers, Lar Lubovitch leads the Lar Lubovitch Dance Company in New York City, which he founded 44 years ago. Lubovitch's dances are renowned for their musicality, rhapsodic style and sophisticated formal structures.

Exemplifying its commitment to provide Los Angeles with inspiring, immersive entertainment for all ages, The Music Center announced its 2013-2014 Season, which includes major dance premieres, multi-cultural and multi-disciplinary performances for families and its nationally recognized series of free 'do-it-yourself' arts events. According to The Music Center, this extensive group of performances and arts-making opportunities - which includes engagements at all four of its venues and Grand Park - is The Music Center's most comprehensive, diverse season to date.

Acclaimed Off-Broadway theater company Playwrights Horizons has announced additional details for its 2013 special online Auction in connection with its annual Spring Gala. Bidding for the auction, which will feature an eclectic array of items and unique opportunities, began Friday March 29 at 10AM at www.biddingforgood/playwrightshorizons. Online bidding will continue through Monday, April 15 at 8PM.

Christian Siriano launched his Spring 2013 video and print campaign. Shot by Brad Walsh at New York's historic Waldorf-Astoria, both feature the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at American Ballet Theatre dancers Katerina Eng, Isabelle Seiler, and Carolyn Lippert.

The New York Philharmonic will present A Dancer's Dream: Two Works by Stravinsky, a multidisciplinary, theatrical reimagining of the ballets The Fairy's Kiss and Petrushka, created by Giants Are Small. Sara Mearns, New York City Ballet principal dancer, will star in the production, which will be conducted by Music Director Alan Gilbert, directed and designed by Doug Fitch, choreographed by Karole Armitage, and produced by Edouard Getaz - Thursday, June 27, 2013, at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, June 28 at 8:00 p.m.; and Saturday, June 29 at 8:00 p.m.