George Balanchine News

On Friday, August 22 at 8:30p.m., there will be an American Sign Language Interpretation of 'Zorro!' produced by the award-winning Equity professional East Lynne Theater Company.

From September 4-14, 2014, Houston Ballet launches its 45th season with the company premiere of John Neumeier's three-act ballet A Midsummer Night's Dream. The ballet is based on Shakespeare's lighthearted play of the same name and follows the hijinks and hilarity that ensues when a well-intentioned plan with a love potion goes awry. Created in 1977, A Midsummer Night's Dream has served as Mr. Neumeier's calling card, being seen as one of his most joyous and popular creations. Houston Ballet is the first American ballet company to perform the famous work and it is the first piece by Mr. Neumeier to enter the Houston Ballet repertoire.

American Repertory Ballet is pleased to announce the addition of Daphne Jones, Stephen Loughran, and Rachel Samoil to its Board of Trustees, effective immediately. They bring to the Board backgrounds in dance, music, science, and business in addition to personal connections with ARB and Princeton Ballet School.

New York City Center's 2014-15 season features an exciting lineup of dance and musical theater that begins with the 11th season of City Center's acclaimed Fall for Dance Festival. The Festival features 24 acclaimed dance companies and artists from around the world, and will kick off in September with two free dance performances at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park in association with The Public Theater, followed by five unique programs at City Center in October. The Band Wagon, an Encores! Special Event starring Brian Stokes Mitchell, follows in November, and the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, City Center's Principal Dance Company, returns for a month-long engagement in December.

The world's most celebrated dancing partners, Natalia Osipova and Ivan Vasiliev are re-united for this summer's hottest ticket, at the London Coliseum, beginning tonight, Wednesday 6th, and continuing through Saturday 9th August in producer Sergei Danilian's presentation of SOLO FOR TWO.

KANSAS CITY, MO (Aug. 5, 2014) — Kansas City Ballet will present the 4th Annual KC Dance Day at the Todd Bolender Center for Dance & Creativity on Saturday, Aug. 23rd from 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. The full day will feature FREE dance performances, classes, demonstrations, giveaways and FUN for the whole family.

New York City Ballet's annual Fall Gala will once again celebrate ballet and fashion with a program that will include three world premiere ballets by Justin Peck, Liam Scarlett, and Troy Schumacher, as well as existing works by Peter Martins and Christopher Wheeldon, all featuring costumes designed by an international roster of some of the fashion world's most renowned talents: Thom Browne, Sarah Burton, Valentino Garavani, Carolina Herrera, and Mary Katrantzou. The one- time-only gala evening will take place on Tuesday, September 23, 2014, opening New York City Ballet's four-week Fall Season at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center.

New York City Ballet's annual Fall Gala will once again celebrate ballet and fashion with a program that will include three world premiere ballets by Justin Peck, Liam Scarlett, and Troy Schumacher, as well as existing works by Peter Martins and Christopher Wheeldon, all featuring costumes designed by an international roster of some of the fashion world's most renowned talents: Thom Browne, Sarah Burton, Valentino Garavani, Carolina Herrera, and Mary Katrantzou. The one- time-only gala evening will take place on Tuesday, September 23, 2014, opening New York City Ballet's four-week Fall Season at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center.

Denver's Wonderbound is gaining national attention this October as Artistic Director Garrett Ammon's "Serenade for Strings" premieres with San Francisco's Smuin Ballet. In addition, the work will be a part of Wonderbound's season opening production of "Enduring Grace" with musicians of the Colorado Symphony. "Enduring Grace" also features a world premiere work by Company Artist Sarah Tallman.

Pacific Northwest Ballet raises the velvet curtain on its 2014-2015 season with George Balanchine's Jewels. Costumed in emerald green, ruby red and luminous white, the trio of gems in Jewels pays tribute to golden ages of music and dance. Evoking the birthplace of Romantic ballet, Emeralds' graceful clouds of tulle whisper French courtesy, fashion, and fragrance. A sassy, jazzy collaboration with composer Igor Stravinsky, Rubies mirrors the carefree spontaneity of America, Balanchine's beloved adopted country. The splendor of Diamonds recalls the great choreographer's heritage, so that "if the entre Imperial Russian inheritance of ballet were lost, Diamonds would still tell us of its essence" (Mary Clarke and Clement Crisp). Jewels runs from September 26 through October 5 at Seattle Center's Marion Oliver McCaw Hall. Tickets and more information are available through the PNB Box Office, 301 Mercer Street at Seattle Center, 206.441.2424, or online at PNB.org.

Pacific Northwest Ballet opens its Box Office for 2014-2015 ticket sales on Monday, July 21. As is its tradition, PNB is offering a special money-saving deal for early-bird ticket-buyers, to celebrate the company's 42nd season: Pay no service fees on tickets purchased thru July 31.* Tickets (as well as money-saving subscriptions) may be purchased either by phone (206.441.2424), online (PNB.org) or in person at the PNB Box Office, 301 Mercer Street at Seattle Center.

Princeton Ballet School's Summer Intensive Program will be hosting several guest teachers this year, including New York City Ballet dancer Unity Phelan. Phelan originally trained at Princeton Ballet School from 2000 to 2009, and then continued her training at the School of American Ballet, the official training academy of New York City Ballet. She became an apprentice of the company in December of 2012, and joined New York City Ballet as a member of the corps de ballet in November of 2013.

American Repertory Ballet has named Vanessa Logan as its new Executive Director. Logan joins ARB from Boston Ballet, where she most recently served as Chief of Staff.

April 26, 2014 marks the 450th anniversary of William Shakespeare's birth. In honor of this milestone in world culture, Houston Ballet will present dance interpretations of great Shakespearean works by choreographers from three continents: a lavish new production of Romeo and Juliet by Stanton Welch; the company premiere of John Neumeier's A Midsummer Night's Dream, and a revival of John Cranko's The Taming of the Shrew.

Single tickets went on sale today for Colorado Ballet's 54th season, which will include A Midsummer Night's Dream,Dracula, The Nutcracker and Ballet MasterWorks at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House and Peter and the Wolf at the Newman Center for the Performing Arts.

Daniel Ulbricht/BALLET 2014 offers an exclusive opportunity for audiences to experience some of today's most remarkable ballet dancers in the intimate Ted Shawn Theatre at Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, July 16-20. New York City Ballet Principal Dancer Daniel Ulbricht directs and performs with a select ensemble of top stars including Tyler Angle, Craig Hall, Robert Fairchild, Russell Janzen, Emily Kikta, Rebecca Krohn, Tiler Peck, Georgina Pazcoguin, and Teresa Reichlen. The program is equally impressive, including Christopher Wheeldon's Liturgy, danced to Arvo Pärt's ”Fratres;” Two Hearts, a collaboration between Benjamin Millepied and composer Nico Muhly; Furiant, created by NYCB Soloist Justin Peck; Sunshine, a solo for Ulbricht by Larry Keigwin; the world premiere of Opus 19. Andante, a duet by critically acclaimed young choreographer Emery LeCrone; and the classic Fancy Free, the first ballet created by Jerome Robbins and Leonard Bernstein in 1944, which subsequently inspired the full-length musical On the Town. Cast subject to change.

The Kansas City Ballet calendar for the 57th season will be filled with Kansas City premieres, the presentation of The Nutcracker at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts and other exciting and diverse events at the Bolender Center for Dance & Creativity. Single tickets for the 2014-15 season will be available to the public on Monday, August 18 at 9 a.m. Tickets for The Nutcracker will be available to the public on Monday, Sept. 8 at 9 a.m. Purchase tickets online at www.kcballet.orgor through the Kansas City Ballet ticket office 816.931.2232.

For those who didn't have the opportunity to meet the cast of the award-winning Equity professional East Lynne Theater Company's "Zorro!" at the opening night after-show party at the Washington Inn on July 23, another chance is to be had on Friday, August 1 at an after-show Q&A. It's a wonderful opportunity for patrons to ask actors, director, and technical team such questions as "why do they do what they do?" and "how do they do it?"

If I ever become famous-the odds are against me--but if I do, I want Patricia Ward Kelly to give a talk about me. Bright, articulate, witty, insightful, eloquent, compassionate, she spoke about her late husband, the very famous Gene Kelly, for over two and a half with not an 'uh, er or' to be heard. Yes, it's entertainment, but it's much more: professional speaking of the highest caliber. To say that I was impressed is an understatement. I wanted to hand her a prize. I'll zing to the point: Patricia Ward Kelly, you were superb. I can't think of a higher compliment.