Christopher Wheeldon News

Pam Tanowitz Dance makes its long awaited Joyce Theater debut from tonight, February 4 - 6. Presented by The Joyce Theater Foundation, this engagement will include a program of two new works by Tanowitz, a choreographer known for creating work that juxtaposes ballet with classic modern dance. The pieces, both world premieres, will feature live accompaniment.

Karen Kain, Artistic Director of The National Ballet of Canada, today announced the 2014/15 season. The season features the Canadian premiere of The Tempest by Alexei Ratmansky and the return of Kenneth MacMillan's Manon, after an absence of 16 years. Alice's Adventures in Wonderlandby Christopher Wheeldon and Nijinsky by John Neumeier are back due to popular demand and Principal Dancer and Choreographic Associate Guillaume Cote will create a new work. The 2014/15 season will continue the company's touring activity with performances in Los Angeles and Ottawa.

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.

Pacific Northwest Ballet Artistic Director Peter Boal has announced that after a 17-year career with the Company, principal dancer Kaori Nakamura will retire from performing at the end of PNB's 2013-2014 season. Ms. Nakamura joined PNB as a soloist in 1997 and was promoted to principal in 1998. Following her retirement, Ms. Nakamura will be joining the faculty of PNB School.

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, February 22 – March 1, 2014. Four works will appear on the bill, three of which were or will be created on the dancers of OBT. Former Artistic Director Christopher Stowell returns to choreograph his first new work on the company since departing from that post a year ago. Returning to the OBT stage are James Kudelka's “Almost Mozart”, created for the company to much acclaim in 2006 and chosen for the ballet's most recent appearance at the Kennedy Center in the Ballet Across America festival last June, and Christopher Wheeldon's “Liturgy”, a profound meditation set to the music of Arvo Pa?rt which OBT first performed in 2012. Rounding out this feast of dance is Nicolo Fonte's daring and visually striking “Bolero”. Former Principal Dancer Artur Sultanov returns to the stage for only these performances to partner Principal Dancer Alison Roper in every show of this work, originally created on the duo in 2008.

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 Wednesday, 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 12-23.

Richmond Ballet has announced the return of a fairytale favorite, as Malcolm Burn's full-length Cinderella will be presented at the Carpenter Theatre at Richmond CenterStage, February 13-16, 2014. Sergei Prokofiev's romantic score will be brought to life by the Richmond Symphony for all five performances. In addition, 28 children from The School of Richmond Ballet will perform alongside the professional company and Richmond Ballet II. Richmond Ballet last performed Burn's Cinderella in February of 2009 to sold-out audiences. In a landmark season when the company is celebrating 30 years of its own dreams coming true, Cinderella's inclusion is both poignant and fitting.

Pam Tanowitz Dance makes its long awaited Joyce Theater debut from February 4 - 6. Presented by The Joyce Theater Foundation, this engagement will include a program of two new works by Tanowitz, a choreographer known for creating work that juxtaposes ballet with classic modern dance. The pieces, both world premieres, will feature live accompaniment.

Following the record-breaking attendance of Festival 2013, Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival announces the 2014 Festival schedule. Jacob's Pillow is a National Historic Landmark, home to America's longest-running dance festival, and a recipient of the National Medal of Arts. Noted dance writer Jennifer Dunning has called the Pillow "the dance center of the nation, possibly the world."

As I was leaving the theater after watching a live Bolshoi Ballet production of Sleeping Beauty, the purple fairy of civility appeared and asked to speak with me. As we could not find a restaurant fit for royalty, we adjourned to a nearby Dunkin' Donuts and sat down to chat. The following is a live transcription of our talk.

The world-renowned Joffrey Ballet School presented Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker this past weekend with 355 dancers - the largest cast in the school's 60-year history

The National Historic Landmark Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University, led by Executive Director Brett Batterson and Board Chairman Melvin L. Katten, celebrates the milestone 125th Anniversary and announces programming for 2014 - 15 Season.

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 the Shreveport Metropolitan Ballet's production of The Nutcracker tonight and tomorrow, December 7 and 8, 2013 at the Riverview Theatre in Shreveport, Louisiana.

The Joffrey Ballet celebrates the 26th annual presentation of Robert Joffrey's The Nutcracker, Chicago's most popular holiday tradition and America's #1 Nutcracker, in a 23-performance engagement at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University, 50 E. Congress Parkway, tonight, December 6 - 28, 2013.

STARZ announced today the involvement of internationally-renowned dancers in the original drama series 'Flesh and Bone' (previously announced as an 'Untitled Ballet Project') currently in development at the network, from award-winning 'Breaking Bad' Writer and Co-Executive Producer, Moira Walley-Beckett. 'Flesh and Bone' follows a young ballet dancer, Claire Robbins, who has a distinctly troubled past, as she joins a prestigious ballet company in New York. The dark and gritty series will unflinchingly explore the dysfunction and glamour of the ballet world.

STARZ announced today the involvement of internationally-renowned dancers in the original drama series 'Flesh and Bone' (previously announced as an 'Untitled Ballet Project') currently in development at the network.

New York City Ballet announced today that Principal Dancers Jenifer Ringer, Janie Taylor, Sebastien Marcovici, and Jonathan Stafford will retire from the Company during the 2014 Winter and Spring Seasons. All four of these Principal Dancers joined the Company during the 1990s as members of the corps de ballet, and have performed countless roles by numerous choreographers during careers spanning from 15 to 24 years with New York City Ballet.

Ballet San Jose's All-Star Gala features cocktails, dinner, performance and VIP after-party with artists from Ballet San Jose, American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Boston Ballet and others. It all takes place tonight, November 16, 2013.

One of the most iconic and recognizable 19th century novels, Lewis Carroll's literary masterpiece ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND has been translated into countless iterations over the nearly 150 years since its debut, yet the new Fathom Events presentation of noted director/choreographer Christopher Wheeldon's incredibly imaginative and vivid ballet production may be the most satisfying yet.