Hee Seo News

Sir Kenneth MacMillan silenced the Bard to the wordless storytelling of corporeal movement. His three-act Romeo & Juliet remounted at MetOpera this June 20-25, ennobled by three decades in American Ballet Theatre repertory.

Casting for the seventh and eighth weeks of American Ballet Theatre's 2016 Spring Season at the Metropolitan Opera House was announced today by Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie.

A funny thing happened on the evening of May 22, 2016, at the Metropolitan Opera House, where ABT was presenting Alexei Ratmansky's 'Shostakovich Trilogy.' There were lots of empty seats. Since Ratmansky's reputation has pretty much enveloped the entire ballet world, I was very surprised to see this. On the other hand, an evening of three Shostakovich works can be enervating, putting high demands on the eyes and ears of an audience. Many might prefer to just stay away.

Casting for the fifth and sixth weeks of American Ballet Theatre's 2016 Spring Season at the Metropolitan Opera House was announced today by Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie.

On the evening of May 16th 2016 at the Metropolitan Opera House in Lincoln Center, the beloved troupe that was recognized as 'America's National Ballet Company' in 2006 by the United States Congress proved once again that the American Ballet Theatre is indeed a treasure. Dancegoers in dazzling formal attire were treated to a Spring Gala that eschewed traditional staples and showcased instead an appetite-whetting smorgasbord of excerpts from the spring season as well as a world premiere and the one-act Firebird.

Casting for the third and fourth weeks of American Ballet Theatre's 2016 Spring Season at the Metropolitan Opera House was announced today by Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie.

Principal Dancer Polina Semionova will take a medical leave during American Ballet Theatre's Spring season at the Metropolitan Opera House, withdrawing from all previously scheduled performances, it was announced today by Kevin McKenzie, Artistic Director.

Casting for the first two weeks of American Ballet Theatre's 2016 Spring Season at the Metropolitan Opera House was announced today by Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie.

The World Premiere of a new work by Artist in Residence Alexei Ratmansky will highlight American Ballet Theatre's 2016 Spring Gala benefit on Monday, May 16 at 6:30 P.M. at the Metropolitan Opera House.

American Ballet Theatre's 2016 Spring season will be highlighted by a World Premiere work by Alexei Ratmansky, the American Premiere of Ratmansky's The Golden Cockerel and a revival of Frederick Ashton's La Fille mal gardee. Tickets for ABT's Spring Season at the Metropolitan Opera House go on sale at the box office on Sunday, March 20 at 12 Noon.

American Ballet Theatre's The Nutcracker, co-presented by Segerstrom Center for the Arts and ABT, and choreographed by ABT Artist in Residence Alexei Ratmansky, will be given 14 performances at Segerstrom Center for the Arts, tonight, December 10-20, 2015.

The Joyce Theater Foundation, Inc. (Linda Shelton, Executive Director) is proud to present the New York premiere of Daniil Simkin's INTENSIO, a program of works featuring an exceptional company of dancers, including Simkiin's fellow American Ballet Theatre members Isabella Boylston, Alexandre Hammoudi, Blaine Hoven, Calvin Royal III, Hee Seo, Cassandra Trenary and James Whiteside and guest artist Céline Cassone. Featuring works by acclaimed choreographers Gregory Dolbashian, Alexander Ekman, Jorma Elo and Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, this must-see event will take place from January 5-10 at The Joyce Theater. Tickets range in price from $10-$75 and can be purchased through JoyceCharge at www.Joyce.org, or by calling 212-242-0800. Please note: ticket prices are subject to change. The Joyce Theater is located at 175 Eighth Avenue at 19th Street.

American Ballet Theatre's 2016 Spring season at the Metropolitan Opera House was announced today by Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie. A World Premiere work by Alexei Ratmansky and the American Premiere of Ratmansky's THE GOLDEN COCKEREL will highlight the season, which includes six additional full-length ballets.

Casting for American Ballet Theatre's The Nutcracker, co-presented by Segerstrom Center for the Arts and ABT, was announced today by Kevin McKenzie, ABT Artistic Director. Choreographed by ABT Artist in Residence Alexei Ratmansky, The Nutcracker will be given 14 performances at Segerstrom Center for the Arts, December 10-20, 2015.

American Ballet Theatre opens its Fall season on Wednesday, October 21 at 6:30 P.M. with a special opening night Gala performance, highlighted by the New York City premiere of a new work by Mark Morris, with music by Johann Nepomuk Hummel (Septet in C Major, No. 2 'Military') and costumes by Issac Mizrahi, and the Company Premiere of Frederick Ashton's Monotones I and II set to music by Erik Satie with costumes by Ashton.

Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival presents the highly-anticipated world premiere of Daniil Simkin's INTENSIO, featuring the remarkable talent of eight American Ballet Theatre (ABT) stars and guest artist Céline Cassone of Les Ballet Jazz de Montréal in the intimate Ted Shawn Theatre, today, July 22, through July 26.

Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival presents the highly-anticipated world premiere of Daniil Simkin's INTENSIO, featuring the remarkable talent of eight American Ballet Theatre (ABT) stars and guest artist Céline Cassone of Les Ballet Jazz de Montréal in the intimate Ted Shawn Theatre, July 22-26. INTENSIO, co-produced, directed by, and starring ABT principal dancer Daniil Simkin, features four world premiere contemporary dance works by top-notch international choreographers including Alexander Ekman of Sweden, American dancemaker Gregory Dolbashian, resident Boston Ballet choreographer Jorma Elo of Finland, and Colombo-Belgian artist Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, currently based in Amsterdam.

Programming for American Ballet Theatre's 2015 Fall season at the David H. Koch Theater was announced today by Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie. Highlighting the season will be the New York City Premiere of a new work by Mark Morris and the Company Premieres of Frederick Ashton's Monotones I and II, George Balanchine's Valse-Fantaisie and AfterEffect by Marcelo Gomes. The 2015 Fall season at the David H. Koch Theater, October 21 through November 1, marks the conclusion of ABT's 75th Anniversary celebration.

When the Sadler's Wells (now the Royal Ballet) first performed "Cinderella" on its triumphant 1949 debut performance at the old Metropolitan Opera, John Martin, the eminent New York Times dance critic, was not engrossed. He wrote that it was difficult to be enthusiastic about it, but "if it were stripped of all its dead wood, both musical and choreographic, it would run considerably less than the two and a half hours it now undertakes to fill."

American Ballet Theatre's 75th anniversary spring season honored the legacy of the company's seasoned dancers and showcased its younger ranks. Mixed bills displaying a range of classic and neo-classic roles segued into ABT's strongest realm: the story ballet. Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie offered his artists as heroes and heroines. From 'Othello' to 'Giselle' to 'La Bayadere' to Ratmansky's 'The Sleeping Beauty' to Monday, June 15th's 'Romeo and Juliet' at Lincoln Center's Metropolitan Opera House, his dancers remained in a stratosphere of romanticism.