Christopher Wheeldon News

Artistic Director Mikko Nissinen today announced Boston Ballet will tour to London, England July 1 - 7, 2013 for a six performance debut at the London Coliseum. The date marks the return of Boston Ballet to London for the first time in 30 years. The Company will present two programs, showcasing the diversity of Boston Ballet's repertoire and the versatility of its artists.

L.A. Dance Project, which gave its inaugural performances at Disney Hall in Los Angeles this past September, will make its Peak Performance debut, October 25-28, with a program of classic works by two of the greatest dance innovators of their generations, William Forsythe ("Quintett") and Merce Cunningham ("Winterbranch"), and the local premiere of "Moving Parts" by L.A. Dance Project's Founding Director Benjamin Millepied.

Just in time for Halloween, the first national tour of the new musical The Addams Family, will make its Seattle premiere October 24-November 11, 2012 at The 5th Avenue Theatre. Based on the bizarre and beloved family of characters created by legendary cartoonist Charles Addams, this smash Broadway hit brings the darkly delirious world of Gomez, Morticia, Uncle Fester, Grandma, Wednesday, Pugsley and, of course, Lurch to spooky and spectacular life.

The tenth anniversary season of Glorya Kaufman presents Dance at The Music Center continues with the U.S. debut of The National Ballet of Canada's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland choreographed by Christopher Wheeldon with music by Joby Talbot, at The Music Center's Dorothy Chandler Pavilion with live orchestra for five performances only October 19-21, 2012. Karen Kain is the Artistic Director of The National Ballet of Canada.

Georgian mezzo-soprano Anita Rachvelishvili, who made an acclaimed Met debut as the title character of Bizet's Carmen in 2010, will reprise the role for 14 performances this season, beginning tonight, September 28. Young Italian conductor Michele Mariotti will make his Met debut leading Richard Eyre's critically acclaimed production of the repertory classic.

Cineplex Entertainment today announced the 2012-13 schedule for the Front Row Centre Events Dance Series. Each month, Front Row Centre Events bring performances from the world's leading dance companies live to the Canadian big screen.

New York City Ballet announced that its 2012 Fall Gala tonight, September 20 will feature a special one-time-only celebration of the legendary fashion designer and master couturier, Valentino Garavani, often known simply as Valentino.

Ivan Vasiliev, principal dancer with the Mikhailovksy Ballet, has been named a Principal Dancer with American Ballet Theatre, effective immediately, it was announced today by Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie. He is scheduled to perform during the 2013 Metropolitan Opera House season and on ABT's national and international tours.

Georgian mezzo-soprano Anita Rachvelishvili, who made an acclaimed Met debut as the title character of Bizet's Carmen in 2010, will reprise the role for 14 performances this season, beginning September 28. Young Italian conductor Michele Mariotti will make his Met debut leading Richard Eyre's critically acclaimed production of the repertory classic.

Producers of THE ADDAMS FAMILY announced additional dates today for the Fall 2012 leg of the musical's North American tour. The production will play Dallas (Oct. 2 - 21), Seattle (Oct. 24 - Nov. 11), Salt Lake City (Nov. 13 - 18), Las Vegas (Nov.20 - 25), Tempe (Dec. 11 - 16) and Costa Mesa (Dec. 18 - 30). Plus, Curtis Holbrook (West Side Story, Xanadu) will join the cast of the national tour as "Lucas Beineke."

Young dancers in central Indiana can study with ballet greats by taking part in the Indianapolis City Ballet's Master Class Series. The 2012-2013 series, ICB's fourth season, is sponsored by philanthropists Jock and Penny Fortune and takes its first leap Sept. 9, 2012.

The final program line-up is set for the annual Chicago Dancing Festival, taking place at venues across downtown Chicago today, August 20 through August 25. The Festival, co-produced by renowned choreographer/Chicago native Lar Lubovitch and esteemed Chicago dancer Jay Franke, enters its sixth season, expanded this year to six consecutive days of dance events that are all completely free.

Carolina Performing Arts (CPA) at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-Chapel Hill) today announced the addition of an exceptional two-night program to the performance season of The Rite of Spring at 100. Presented at 8pm on Friday, April 26 and at 9pm on Saturday, April 27,Myth & Transformation by the renowned Martha Graham Dance Company will bring to a conclusion the performance season of this unprecedented nine-month festival celebrating the centennial of the premiere of the Stravinsky-Nijinsky-Roerich masterpiece.

The final program line-up is set for the annual Chicago Dancing Festival, taking place at venues across downtown Chicago August 20-25. The Festival, co-produced by renowned choreographer/Chicago native Lar Lubovitch and esteemed Chicago dancer Jay Franke, enters its sixth season, expanded this year to six consecutive days of dance events that are all completely free.

The tenth anniversary season of Glorya Kaufman presents Dance at The Music Center continues with the U.S. debut of The National Ballet of Canada's "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" choreographed by Christopher Wheeldon, music by Joby Talbot, at The Music Center's Dorothy Chandler Pavilion with live orchestra for five performances only October 19-21, 2012. Karen Kain is the Artistic Director of The National Ballet of Canada.

New York City Ballet previously announced that 24-year-old corps de ballet member Justin Peck has been commissioned to create two new ballets for NYCB, his first-ever for the Company.

One of Russia's most famous actressses, Chulpan Khamatova, along with Bolshoi Theater soloist Andrei Merkuriev, will play for audiences in Boston with POOR LIZA, based on the novel by Nikolay Karamzin. This envelope-pushing choreographed theatrical performance was dreamt up by lauded choreographer Alla Sigalova and composer Leonid Desyatnikov, and produced by Russia's Theatre of Nations. Maestro Artist Management will present the performances in the US.

According to The New York Times' Patrick Healy, the trustees of George and Ira Gershwin's estates are developing a musical adaptation of An American in Paris by Craig Lucas, to be directed and choreographed by Christopher Wheeldon.

One of Russia's most famous actressses, Chulpan Khamatova, along with Bolshoi Theater soloist Andrei Merkuriev, will play for audiences in New York and Boston with POOR LIZA, based on the novel by Nikolay Karamzin. This envelope-pushing choreographed theatrical performance was dreamt up by lauded choreographer Alla Sigalova and composer Leonid Desyatnikov, and produced by Russia's Theatre of Nations. Maestro Artist Management will present the performances in the US.

New York City Ballet announced today that its 2012 Fall Gala on Thursday, September 20 will feature a special one-time-only celebration of the legendary fashion designer and master couturier, Valentino Garavani, often known simply as Valentino.