Christopher Wheeldon News

Producers Erin Fogarty and Daniel Ulbricht have partnered with the American Cancer Society to present the fourth annual Dance Against Cancer on Monday, May 5, 2014 with cocktails at 6pm (VIP ticket only), followed by a performance at 7pm, and a post-show reception at the AXA Equitable Theater, 787 Seventh Avenue (between 51st and 52nd Streets), NYC. Tickets are $150 ($300 for VIP) and are available at www.dacny.org.

Christopher Wheeldon's playful choreography perfectly matches Sergei Prokofiev's talent for combining characters, story and music. Both artists have a unique quality that makes their work instantly recognizable. So it's only fitting that Wheeldon should take on Prokofiev's 'Cinderella.' And he partners with a long list of scenic, lighting and puppet designers, most with experience working in the Broadway, film and opera industries. The result led to sold-out crowds for last year's run at San Francisco Ballet. Now the production returns for a limited time with the audience anticipation and enthusiasm just as strong.

Australia's longest serving ballerina Lucinda Dunn OAM will take her final bow at the end of the Manon season following an unprecedented 23-year career with The Australian Ballet.

Following up the numerous rapturously-received productions of Tchaikovsky's renowned and beloved ballet SWAN LAKE in cinemas earlier this year and before, Fathom presents a new entry in the lauded Tchaikovsky canon byway of a lavish and lovingly-produced new production of THE SLEEPING BEAUTY, comprising the talents of many of the world's top talents in dance.

Rattlestick Playwrights Theater's Artistic Director David Van Asselt and Managing Director Brian Long have announced that following strong reviews, the world premiere of Ode to Joy, written and directed by Craig Lucas, will extend three weeks through Saturday, April 19 at the Cherry Lane Theatre, 38 Commerce Street.

The Washington Ballet (TWB) and Artistic Director Septime Webre are pleased to announce the 2014.15 Performance Season, a bold season which includes the world premiere of Sleepy Hollow, MASTERWORKS, ALICE (in wonderland), Tour-de-Force: Serenade, The Nutcracker, and for the first time in The Washington Ballet's history, Swan Lake.

Celebrating its 13th season, the Ensemble of the Romantic Century (ERC) presents Tchaikovsky: None But the Lonely Heart at The Fishman Space in the new BAM Fisher. A fully staged theatrical concert blending striking music, powerful language and biography, Tchaikovsky: None But the Lonely Heart delves into the unconventional 16-year long relationship between one of the great composers of the 19th century and his patroness, Madame von Meck. Written by Eve Wolf and directed by Donald T. Sanders, this evening-length production seamlessly interweaves a dramatic script performed by actor Simon Fortin (Tchaikovsky) and actress Ariel Bock (Madame von Meck) of Shakespeare & Company with live chamber and vocal music performed by violinist Rachel Lee Priday, cellist Adrian Daurov, pianist Eve Wolf and tenor Blake Friedman. Featuring some of Tchaikovsky's epic pieces including Piano Trio in A Minor, Tchaikovsky: None But the Lonely Heart represents some of the composer's balletic works through dance both choreographed and performed by American Ballet Theatre dancer Daniel Mantei.

Philadelphia, PA

New York City Ballet announced today that JR, the prize-winning artist and creator of NYCB's 2014 Art Series installation, The Eye of New York City Ballet, will next collaborate with the Company on an original theatrical work that will premiere on Tuesday, April 29, on the opening night of the Company's 2014 Spring Season.

On the heels of a highly successful run of George Balanchine's 'The Nutcracker', Oregon Ballet Theatre will show a multitude of facets with REVEAL at the Keller Auditorium, today, February 22 - March 1, 2014.

Choreographers Camille A. Brown, Gabrielle Lamb, and Rashaun Mitchell and Silas Riener, who will be working together, have been awarded New York City Center's 2014 Choreography Fellowships. The Fellowship supports choreographers at critical stages in their careers and reflects City Center's long history of nurturing dance makers, from George Balanchine to Christopher Wheeldon.

Ashley Wheater, Artistic Director of The Joffrey Ballet, announces programming for the company's 2014-15 season celebrating 20 years of the Joffrey calling Chicago home. The 2014-15 anniversary season features both company favorites and a slate of eight premieres.

New York City Ballet announced today that Zachary Catazaro has been promoted to Soloist. Peter Martins, NYCB's Ballet Master in Chief, made the promotion following the Company's rehearsals on Thursday, February 13.

Colorado Ballet Artistic Director Gil Boggs announced the 2014-2015 season, which will feature technically-challenging classical ballet and innovative contemporary pieces.

With Fashion Week 2014 under way in the tents at Lincoln Center from February 6th to 13th, New York City Ballet dusted off Peter Martins' 2012 tribute to iconic designer Valentino for the evening performance at Koch Theater on Saturday, February 8th. A description of 'Bal de Couture' on the company's web site enthused that we would feel as though we were 'on a runway at the ballet'. Not so much. The unwieldy black and white ball gowns with red petticoats, described in a handout available in the lobby as 'dazzling', managed to make the svelte ballerinas appear to be thick-waisted as they maneuvered through Peter Martins' uninspired choreography along with male dancers in black suits. Three dancers in tutus darted in and out of the scenes set to the waltz and the polonaise from Tschaikovsky's Eugene Onegin, looking as though they had ended up at the wrong party. The central section, a cliched love triangle to Tschaikovsky's Elegie in G for Strings, went on far too long - as often happens in ballets by Martins.

The Met: Live in HD, the Metropolitan Opera's award-winning series of live transmissions to more than 2,000 movie theaters in 65 countries around the world, will feature ten operas in the 2014-15 season, including all six new productions in the Met season. All ten performances, transmitted live from the Met stage, will feature the world's finest singers, conductors, and theatrical artists.

Rattlestick Playwrights Theater's Artistic Director David Van Asselt and Managing Director Brian Long have announced that the world premiere of Ode to Joy, written and directed by Craig Lucas, will begin previews tonight, February 12 at the Cherry Lane Theatre, 38 Commerce Street. The opening night is set for Thursday, February 27. The cast features Kathryn Erbe ('Law & Order: Criminal Intent'), Roxanna Hope (Frost/Nixon) and Arliss Howard (Moneyball, Natural Born Killers). Ode to Joy is scheduled to run through Sunday, March 30.

This winter, The Joffrey Ballet revisits its contemporary roots with a mixed repertory program titled 'Contemporary Choreographers,' an evening of three pieces, two by some of contemporary ballet's most luminous choreographers working today and one by a local 'rising star' choreographer. 'Contemporary Choreographers' is presented in 10 performances only at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University, 50 E. Congress Parkway, February This winter, The Joffrey Ballet revisits its contemporary roots with a mixed repertory program titled 'Contemporary Choreographers,' an evening of three pieces, two by some of contemporary ballet's most luminous choreographers working today and one by a local 'rising star' choreographer. 'Contemporary Choreographers' is presented in 10 performances only at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University, 50 E. Congress Parkway, tonight, February 12-23.12-23.

Following hip surgery that took place just one week after the August 14, 2013 premiere of her Restless Creature, Wendy Whelan, in consultation with her doctors, has concluded that her body needs more time to heal and that she must postpone her spring 2014 (March 16 – April 11) inaugural U.S. tour of the work. Rescheduled dates will be announced at a later time. See below for a list of postponed engagements. The UK premiere, presented by The Royal Opera House, will take place at the Linbury Studio Theatre in London as scheduled (July 22–26).

SASHA DE SOLA, soloist of the San Francisco Ballet, and TIIT HELIMETS, principal dancer of the San Francisco Ballet, will appear as guest artists in a collaborative performance co-presented by the Allen Civic Ballet and the Allen Philharmonic. Ms. De Sola and Mr. Helimets will dance the Grand Pas de Deux in The Sleeping Beauty Act III in collaboration with the Allen Civic Ballet and the performance will be accompanied by the Allen Philharmonic at the Performing Arts Center at Allen High School in Allen, Texas on May 17, 2014.