John Cranko News

Juilliard Dance, under the direction of Lawrence Rhodes, presents New Dances: Edition 2016 featuring four world-premiere dances by choreographers John Heginbotham (First-Year Dancers), Katarzyna Skarpetowska, (Second-Year Dancers), Pam Tanowitz (Third-Year Dancers), and Matthew Neenan (Fourth-Year Dancers).  Heginbotham and Skarpetowska are Juilliard alums, and Tanowitz and Neenan are returning as New Dances choreographers. 

 Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, under the artistic direction of Glenn Edgerton, announces today, full programming for Season 39 Fall Series November 17- 20, 2016 at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance. Highlighting the engagement, Hubbard Street Resident Choreographer Alejandro Cerrudo's 15th original work for the company, a world premiere piece by 2013 Guggenheim Fellow and inaugural Harris Theater Choreographer in Residence Brian Brooks as well as the revival of two ensemble works by Ji?i Kylian.

American Ballet Theatre's 2017 Spring season at the Metropolitan Opera House, May 15-July 8, will feature the New York Premiere of Alexei Ratmansky's Whipped Cream and the Company Premiere of Ratmansky's Souvenir d'un lieu cher, it was announced today by Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie.  

ANAIS CHALENDARD, principal dancer of the Boston Ballet, and PATRICK YOCUM, soloist of the Boston Ballet, will be appearing as guest artists in the Shreveport Metropolitan Ballet's production of The Nutcracker on Friday, December 9 (Evening), Saturday, December 10 (Matinee), and Sunday, December 11 (Matinee), 2016 at the Riverview Theatre in Shreveport, Louisiana. The Shreveport Metropolitan Ballet has added a third performance for the company's annual engagement of The Nutcracker for this season.

The Australian Ballet, Bolshoi Ballet, The Royal Ballet, The National Ballet of Canada, and San Francisco Ballet will collaborate for the third time to broadcast 20 hours of behind-the-scenes footage on Tuesday, October 4. For the first time, World Ballet Day LIVE will be streamed via Facebook LIVE-the longest broadcast ever to be shown on the platform.

Houston Ballet Artistic Director Stanton Welch AM announces the appointment of Madeleine Onne as Director of Houston Ballet Academy.

Instead of the usual gala fare -- bits of firecracker variations and pieces of ballet classics -- Sergei Danilian's 'Ardani 25 Dance Gala' at New York City Center, August 19 and 20, is classic Danilian. The intrepid impresario, who has never side-stepped risk, will celebrate Ardani Artists's quarter century of producing in the United States and abroad with a trio of U.S. premieres, two by young, unknown, but up-and-coming Russian choreographers, and one by American Ballet Theatre principal Marcelo Gomes.

The Joyce Theater Foundation (Linda Shelton, Executive Director) is proud to present The Sarasota Ballet, making its Joyce Theater debut with the New York City premiere of A Knight of the British Ballet, a program of works honoring legendary choreographer Sir Frederick Ashton, from August 8to 13 at The Joyce Theater. Tickets range in price from $26-$66 and can be purchased atwww.Joyce.org, or by calling JoyceCharge at 212-242-0800. Please note: ticket prices are subject to change. The Joyce Theater is located at 175 Eighth Avenue at 19th Street. For more information, please visit www.Joyce.org. 

Boston Ballet Artistic Director Mikko Nissinen and Executive Director Meredith (Max) Hodges announce the success of the 2015-2016 season, which enjoyed the highest attendance in more than a decade and the most ticket revenue in Boston Ballet's 53-year history. At $13.8 million net, it is the best box office year by a margin of $1.4 million. With fuller houses, the organization also hit a best-ever milestone in capacity sold at 75 percent and a record number of 33 sold out shows (35 percent of this season's performances). An especially mission-critical achievement, the two mixed repertory programs, entitled Kaleidoscope and Mirrors, saw record-breaking revenue and high attendance. Both programs finished in the top five for attendance of mixed repertory programs. Mirrors is the highest-grossing mixed repertory program in Boston Ballet's history.

Miami City Ballet School, the official school of Miami City Ballet, adds to its roster of esteemed faculty members by welcoming Kathryn Moriarty, who begins her tenure by teaching at the MCB Summer Intensive that began on June 20. Moriarty will serve as principal faculty for Levels IV and V in the Student Division beginning in September.

Segerstrom Center for the Arts begins its 30th Anniversary celebration with another one-night-only star-studded evening of dance: Tour de Force III. The performance will be the first event to represent the array and diversity of the Center's artistic programming, in this case, 30 years of presenting the greatest ballet companies and the world's most celebrated dancers. Tour de Force III will be on Saturday, August 27 in Segerstrom Hall. Produced in collaboration with Ardani Artists, the program will include four Center premieres: Clay by Vladimir Varnava, Zeitgeist by Alastair Marriott, Tristesse by Marcelo Gomes and Le Divertissement du Roi by Maxim Petrov. The international cast includes Diana Vishneva, Joaquin de Luz, Marcelo Gomes, Denis Matvienko, Marcelino Sambe?, Friedemann Vogel and Edward Watson, as well as members of the The Royal Ballet, Mariinsky Ballet and the National Ballet of Canada.

From June 9 - 19, 2016, Houston Ballet will conclude its 2015-16 season with the world premiere of artistic director Stanton Welch's Giselle. The world premiere of Giselle is made possible through the generosity of longtime Houston Ballet supporter and trustee Lynn Wyatt. This production will showcase the company's strength and depth of talent, while staying true to the original story of love, betrayal, and redemption, set in the Romantic era. The ballet is set to the famous score by Adolphe Adam and designed by renowned Italian designer Roberta Guidi di Bagno, who will create the scenery and costumes for the production.

The Royal Swedish Ballet, one of Europe's first and most revered ballet companies, returns to Segerstrom Center for the Arts today, June 10 through June 12 with the West Coast debut of Juliet and Romeo by choreographer Mats Ek.

May 26, 2016 (BOSTON, MA)—Mikko Nissinen, Artistic Director of Boston Ballet, has announced six promotions from within the company for the 2016–2017 season. Soloists Anaïs Chalendard and Seo Hye Han have been promoted to the rank of Principal Dancer, Second Soloist Junxiong Zhao to Soloist, and Corina Gill to Second Soloist. Samivel Evans and Desean Taber, two dancers from Boston Ballet II—Boston Ballet's second company—will join the Company as Corps de Ballet dancers. All promotions are effective August 15, 2016. The full 2016–2017 roster of dancers will be announced at a later date.

From June 9 - 19, 2016, Houston Ballet will conclude its 2015-16 season with the world premiere of artistic director Stanton Welch's Giselle. The world premiere of Giselle is made possible through the generosity of longtime Houston Ballet supporter and trustee Lynn Wyatt. This production will showcase the company's strength and depth of talent, while staying true to the original story of love, betrayal, and redemption, set in the Romantic era. The ballet is set to the famous score by Adolphe Adam and designed by renowned Italian designer Roberta Guidi di Bagno, who will create the scenery and costumes for the production.

Birmingham Royal Ballet announces the 2016/2017 Birmingham Hippodrome season, the 27th season at its home theatre in the Midlands. The season will celebrate the Company's varied repertory, from the spectacular new The Tempest in the autumn through to the return of The Nutcracker for Christmas and Coppelia in the summer of 2017. Over the course of the season, the Company will perform four full-length classic ballets and a programme of shorter works to include the return of Michael Corder's Le Baiser de la fee, John Cranko's Pineapple Poll and a brand new ballet from Company member Ruth Brill called Arcadia.

Cape Town City Ballet is nothing if not ambitious. SHADES OF LOVE sees the company's featured artists dancing superbly, but the production never coheres into a fully-realised evening of ballet.

Smuin Ballet concludes its 22nd Season with Dance Series Two featuring Oasis, a world premiere by acclaimed choreographer Helen Pickett, set to an original score by 'House of Cards' composer Jeff Beal.

WHAT:          Smuin Ballet concludes its 22nd Season with Dance Series Twofeaturing Oasis, a world premiere by acclaimed choreographer Helen Pickett, set to an original score by “House of Cards” composer Jeff Beal. With water scarcity and abundance as her theme and inspiration, Pickett's powerful new work will be both timely and universal. Pickett's work was last seen in San Francisco when Smuin Ballet presented her work “Petal,” which received critical acclaim. The series includes the highly anticipated return of Ji?í Kylián's Return to a Strange Land. The piece, set on six dancers, combines classical ballet and swiftly-changing geometric poses in a meditation on loss, healing, and hope, created as a tribute to Kylián's mentor John Cranko. Also on the bill is Val Caniparoli's spirited Tutto Eccetto il Lavandino (everything but the kitchen sink), which marries his trademark style and physicality with the music of Antonio Vivaldi. Caniparoli's work celebrates the versatility of the Smuin dancers, blending high-energy athleticism with wit and elegance.

Boston Ballet's spring season kicks off with Mikko Nissinen's Swan Lake, back by popular demand after a record-breaking world premiere in October 2014.