Frederick Ashton News

Sarasota Ballet Hits the Trifecta of Dance

Karen Kain, Artistic Director of The National Ballet of Canada, today announced the principal casting for Frederick Ashton's The Dream and Guillaume Cote's Being and Nothingness. The mixed programme is onstage November 21 - 25, 2018 at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts in Toronto. #TheDreamNBC #BeingandNothingnessNBC

TORONTO INTERNATIONAL BALLET THEATRE (TIBT), in collaboration with BOLSHOI BALLET, proudly presents an unforgettable production of THE NUTCRACKER. This classic presentation will feature ballerina powerhouses Anastasia Stashkevich and Vyacheslav Lopatin, principal dancers of the world-renowned Bolshoi Ballet in Moscow. THE NUTCRACKER will be presented at the Sony Centre for the Arts on December 22, 2018, for two shows only, 2pm and 7pm.

K'Arts Ballet of Korea will present the American premiere of Song of the Mermaid, a fantasy ballet choreographed by SunHee Kim, running October 20 and 21 at New York City Center. Song of the Mermaid, inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's beloved tale 'The Little Mermaid,' will star Kimin Kim, principal dancer of Mariinsky Ballet, and feature 40 dancers and an original score composed by Hana Ryou.

This spring, the internationally lauded dance troupe BalletBoyz will present the London premiere of Them/Us, an innovative double bill and a brand new collaboration from the company's own critically acclaimed dancers and the Olivier Award-winning choreographer Christopher Wheeldon. A co-production with Sadler's Wells, Them/Us will arrive at the London venue from 5 to 9 March, 2019, with opening night for press on 6 March.

The 15th Fall for Dance, at NY City Center, are the variety of New York's art and dance. It featured ballet, contemporary, modern, funk, street dancing, and much more. Don't forget to get your tickets before these performances are sold out.

From October 31 - November 4 at The Harman Center for the Arts in the heart of the nation's capital, The Washington Ballet will showcase its range of abilities and depth of versatility in an extraordinary program that pays tribute to the 20th century's most accomplished American modern choreographers. Contemporary Masters will include iconic works by three of the greatest influencers of modern American dance, Mark Morris, Merce Cunningham and Paul Taylor.  

The Washington Ballet opened their 2018.19 Season at the Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theatre last night to a full house of delighted fans and patrons. TWB Welcomes included acclaimed highlights from choreographer George Balanchine as well as iconic masterworks by Alexei Ratmansky and Marius Petipa. The company also played host to four internationally recognized stars of the dance world who shared the stage as special guest artist alongside TWB dancers.  

Ashley Wheater, The Mary B. Galvin Artistic Director of The Joffrey Ballet, is pleased to announce the addition of seven dancers to the Joffrey roster for the 2018-2019 season:

The Washington Ballet is excited to launch its season opener TWB Welcomes at the Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater. The program, which includes acclaimed highlights from choreographers Alexei Ratmansky and Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, as well as iconic masterworks (likeSerenade and Les Sylphides), provides a highly curated production that defines ballet as an art form over the last century. TWB Welcomes is named so because the company will play host to the audience and also welcome internationally recognized stars of the dance world who will share the stage as guest artists alongside TWB dancers.

K'Arts Ballet of Korea will present the American premiere of Song of the Mermaid, a fantasy ballet choreographed by SunHee Kim, running October 20 and 21 at New York City Center. Song of the Mermaid, inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's beloved tale 'The Little Mermaid,' will star Kimin Kim, principal dancer of Mariinsky Ballet, and feature 40 dancers and an original score composed by Hana Ryou.

On Saturday, August 18, 2018, I attended the 8pm performance, Program B, of the Sarasota Ballet, at the Joyce Theater. Iain Webb, former dancer with both the Sadler's Wells and the Royal Ballet of London, dancing lead roles, took over the directorship of the Sarasota Ballet in July 2007. This program included pieces by Christopher Wheeldon and Sir Frederick Ashton.

Before the curtain even went up on the Sarasota Ballet on August 16, 2018, at the Joyce Theater, I was wondering if all the disruptions in the auditorium were a harbinger of things to come.

Joffrey Board Chair Zachary Lazar and President & CEO Greg Cameron are thrilled to welcome former Joffrey dancer John Mark Giragosian to the Joffrey Board of Directors. Giragosian becomes the first former Company-turned-Board member in Joffrey history. Board members serve as the governing body of the Joffrey, providing leadership, overseeing policy and direction, and are responsible for the fiscal accountability of the organization. Mayor Rahm Emanuel serves as the Honorary Chair of the Joffrey's Board.  

The Joyce Theater Foundation (Linda Shelton, Executive Director) announced today a schedule change to its upcoming presentation of The Sarasota Ballet. The final performance of the engagement on Sunday, August 19 will now be Program B, A Celebration of Sir Frederick Ashton, featuring a guest performance by former American Ballet Theatre principal Marcelo Gomes. 

The Joyce Theater Foundation (Linda Shelton, Executive Director) is pleased to present the return of The Sarasota Ballet, following its highly successful, critically acclaimed 2016 Joyce debut, from August 14-19, 2018. Under the Artistic Direction of Iain Webb, The Sarasota Ballet will present two programs featuring works by Tony Award-winner Christopher Wheeldon, Sarasota Ballet Resident Choreographer and Principal dancer Ricardo Graziano. and Sir Frederick Ashton, whose work the company has become renowned for executing with such skill and strength. Indeed, one of the programs has been designed to celebrate Ashton, commemorating the 30th anniversary of his death, and will include a guest performance by Marcelo Gomes.

ZHONG-JING FANG, soloist of American Ballet Theatre, PAOLA HARTLEY, former principal dancer of Ballet Arizona, KARL CONDON, former principal dancer of the Boston Ballet, and ILYA KOZADAYEV, former soloist of the Houston Ballet will be on the Shreveport Dance Academy's Summer Intensive to be held in Shreveport, Louisiana.   Zhong-Jing Fang and Paola Hartley will be on the faculty from July 23-27, 2018, and Karl Condon and  Ilya Kozadayev will be on the faculty from July 30-August 3, 2018.  

The Joyce Theater Foundation (Linda Shelton, Executive Director) is pleased to present the return of The Sarasota Ballet, following its highly successful, critically acclaimed 2016 Joyce debut, from August 14-19, 2018. Under the Artistic Direction of Iain Webb, The Sarasota Ballet will present two programs featuring works by Tony Award-winner Christopher Wheeldon, Sarasota Ballet Resident Choreographer and Principal dancer Ricardo Graziano. and Sir Frederick Ashton, whose work the company has become renowned for executing with such skill and strength. Indeed, one of the programs has been designed to celebrate Ashton, commemorating the 30th anniversary of his death, and will include a guest performance by Marcelo Gomes.

Balancing Ashton's charming choreography with bright characterisation and breezy ballon, Birmingham Royal Ballet are absolutely beaming in this most charming of ballets.

The Gerald Arpino Foundation announces Dimensions Dance Theatre of Miami's performances of Gerald Arpino's Light Rain and Esferas, part of The Joffrey/Arpino Celebration, today, June 26 and Wednesday, June 27, 2018 at 7:30pm at The Joyce Theater, 175 Eighth Avenue, NYC.