Kevin Mckenzie News

The 2012-2013 season at BalletMet isn't over just yet. As we head into spring and summer, the dancing continues with summer dance camps, opportunities for learning and enrichment, and the summer-ending free performance at Bicentennial Park by the talented dancers of BalletMet.

Casting for the first two weeks of American Ballet Theatre's 2013 Spring Season at the Metropolitan Opera House was recently announced by Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie. The season will begin tonight, Monday, May 13 at 6:30 P.M. with the Company's Opening Night Gala, featuring a piece d'occasion choreographed by Marcelo Gomes, set to the second movement of Beethoven's Seventh Symphony and danced by Julie Kent and Roberto Bolle.

Casting for the first two weeks of American Ballet Theatre's 2013 Spring Season at the Metropolitan Opera House was announced today by Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie.

Jacob's Pillow announces today that Executive and Artistic Director Ella Baff will soon present the seventh annual Jacob's Pillow Dance Award to Michelle Dorrance, an acclaimed tap dancer, choreographer, and Artistic Director of Dorrance Dance. Praised as a "talented choreographer, the most promising one in tap right now" by Brian Seibert of The New York Times, Dorrance is among the most respected tap performers of her generation.

Year-end performances for American Ballet Theatre's Studio Company and the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis (JKO) School are scheduled for today, April 5 and Saturday, April 6 at the Michael Schimmel Center for the Arts at Pace University.

American Ballet Theatre's Studio Company performance on Friday, April 5 at 7:30pm will include full performances of Alexei Ratmansky's Le Carnaval Des Animaux, Paul Taylor's Airs, Raymond Luken's Jerusalem Divertissement and George Balanchine's Tarantella. The show will be part of the second annual "Pace Presents" program, a series of performing and visual arts programs.

American Ballet Theatre's 2013 season at the Metropolitan Opera House, May 13-July 6 will be highlighted by the World Premiere of a three-part work set to music by Dmitri Shostakovich and choreographed by Alexei Ratmansky, the Company Premiere of Sir Frederick Ashton's A Month in the Country and a new production of Le Corsaire. Tickets for ABT's Spring Season at the Metropolitan Opera House are on sale now at the box office

Year-end performances for American Ballet Theatre's Studio Company and the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis (JKO) School are scheduled for Friday, April 5 and Saturday, April 6 at the Michael Schimmel Center for the Arts at Pace University.

American Ballet Theatre has announced an exchange program that will bring Steven McRae, a principal dancer with The Royal Ballet and Alban Lendorf, a principal dancer with the Royal Danish Ballet, to perform as exchange artists during ABT's 2013 Spring Season at the Metropolitan Opera House. The exchange program was announced today by Kevin McKenzie, ABT Artistic Director. McRae will dance the role of Lankendem in Le Corsaire at the June 5 matinee and June 8 evening performances. Lendorf will dance the role of Prince Désiré in The Sleeping Beauty at the Saturday, July 6 matinee.

American Ballet Theatre has announced an exchange program that will bring Steven McRae, a principal dancer with The Royal Ballet and Alban Lendorf, a principal dancer with the Royal Danish Ballet, to perform as exchange artists during ABT's 2013 Spring Season at the Metropolitan Opera House. The exchange program was announced today by Kevin McKenzie, ABT Artistic Director. McRae will dance the role of Lankendem in Le Corsaire at the June 5 matinee and June 8 evening performances. Lendorf will dance the role of Prince Désiré in The Sleeping Beauty at the Saturday, July 6 matinee.

American Masters Joffrey: Mavericks of American Dance, premiering nationally tonight, December 28, 2012 at 9 p.m. (ET) on PBS (check local listings), tells the story of the first quintessentially American dance company, the Joffrey Ballet.

American Masters Joffrey: Mavericks of American Dance, premiering nationally Friday, December 28, 2012 at 9 p.m. (ET) on PBS (check local listings), tells the story of the first quintessentially American dance company, the Joffrey Ballet.

JOFFREY: MAVERICKS OF AMERICAN DANCE will premiere Friday, December 28, 2012 at 9 p.m. (ET) on PBS (check local listings). Mandy Patenkin narrates this American Masters special. Get a sneak peek below!

Narrated by Mandy Patinkin (Homeland), the film features interviews with former and current Joffrey dancers, the breakthroughs of choreograpers Twyla Tharp, Laura Dean and Margo Sappington, and rare archival performance footage, including excerpts from signature works Astarte, Trinity, and Billboards (the latter with music by Prince).

The 2012 Bessies: New York Dance and Performance Award Recipients were held on Monday, October 15, 2012 at the Apollo Theater (253 West 125th Street), hosted by Elizabeth Streb. Scroll down for a full list of the award winners!

The Los Angeles Philharmonic begins its 2012/13 season with an evening honoring the rich tradition of dance rhythms in orchestral music with its Opening Night Concert and Gala: The Philharmonic Dances, led by Music Director Gustavo Dudamel, tonight, September 27, at Walt Disney Concert Hall. The Philharmonic Dances opens with a pre-concert cocktail reception, at 6 pm, followed by the 7 pm concert, with dinner and dancing to follow.

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.

The Los Angeles Philharmonic begins its 2012/13 season with an evening honoring the rich tradition of dance rhythms in orchestral music with its Opening Night Concert and Gala: The Philharmonic Dances, led by Music Director Gustavo Dudamel, Thursday, September 27, at Walt Disney Concert Hall. The Philharmonic Dances opens with a pre-concert cocktail reception, at 6 pm, followed by the 7 pm concert, with dinner and dancing to follow.

Jacob's Pillow announces that Executive and Artistic Director Ella Baff will present the sixth annual Jacob's Pillow Dance Award to Kyle Abraham, an acclaimed contemporary dancer, choreographer, and Artistic Director of Abraham.In.Motion. The Jacob's Pillow Dance Award honors outstanding, visionary dance artists and carries a prize of $25,000, one of the largest cash awards in the dance industry, to be used by the choreographer to enhance their artistry in any way they choose. The Award will be presented in person and celebrated at the Jacob's Pillow Season Opening Gala tonight, June 16.

Docurama Films today announced that Joffrey: Mavericks of American Dance, a feature-length documentary, directed by Bob Hercules (Bill T. Jones: A Good Man), will debut on DVD and standard digital platforms on June 12, 2012, following a festival premiere and nationwide theatrical release.