Lar Lubovitch News

Curtains up! AIR TWYLA propels Pacific Northwest Ballet into its new season with a trio of works by its first artist-in-residence, renowned choreographer Twyla Tharp. The program includes the world premiere of Waiting at the Station with a commissioned score by New Orleans music legend Allen Toussaint. Sharing the program with Waiting at the Station are the Scottish-inspired Brief Fling (a PNB premiere) and Tharp's homage to Ol' Blue Eyes and ballroom dance, the unforgettable Nine Sinatra Songs. AIR TWYLA runs for only seven performances, September 27 – October 6 at Seattle Center's Marion Oliver McCaw Hall. Tickets start at $28 and may be purchased by calling 206.441.2424, online at pnb.org, or in person at the PNB Box Office at 301 Mercer Street. AIR TWYLA is made possible through the generous support of presenting sponsor The Paul G. Allen Family Foundation.

New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA) has awarded $925,000 in National Dance Project (NDP) grants to support the development of new dance works that will tour the U.S. during the 2014-2015 season.

Company C Contemporary Ballet founder and Artistic Director Charles Anderson has announced details of the Company's 2014 season of two programs plus a benefit gala in San Francisco and Walnut Creek with performances January 30 through May 11, 2014, at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts and ODC Theater in San Francisco and the Lesher Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek. The 12th season will feature a wide range of the kinds of ballets that have set the barre high for this 14-member Bay Area Company, which will return to New York for its third season there at the Joyce Theater August 9 and 10. Theatricality, precision technique, bravura performance, wit and a flair for the off-beat and innovative will be embodied in world premieres by Anderson, Susan Jaffe, Maurice Causey and Charles Moulton, as well as in the return of repertory favorites by Anderson, Patrick Corbin, Alexandre Proia, Charles Moulton and Yuri Zhukov. The complete 2014 season schedule may be found below. For more details about Company C and the 2014 season, visitwww.companycballet.org.

Due to overwhelming demand, the Barrymore Theatre box office (243 West 47th Street) will open early, for one week only, on Monday, July 29 at 10:00 am through Sunday, August 4 at 6:00 pm, for tickets to Harold Pinter's BETRAYAL, starring Daniel Craig, Rachel Weisz, and Rafe Spall, and directed by ten-time Tony Award-winner Mike Nichols. The box office will be open July 29-August 3 from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm, and August 4 from Noon to 6:00 pm. After August 4, the box office at the Barrymore will reopen on Tuesday, September 3.

Juilliard Dance, under the direction of Lawrence Rhodes, opens its 2013-2014 season with New Dances PLUS: Edition 2013, Wednesday, December 11 through Sunday, December 15, 2013 in Juilliard's Peter Jay Sharp Theater and features Juilliard alumna Pina Bausch's Wind von West (Wind from the West) performed by the Senior Class, plus three world premiere commissions created for each of the classes of Juilliard's Dance Division. Next season's innovative choreographers are Juilliard alumnus Takehiro Ueyama (1st Year Dancers); Brian Brooks (2nd Year Dancers); and Juilliard alumnus Darrell Grand Moultrie (3rd Year Dancers).

Internationally recognized dance companies and fast-rising choreographers shared the picturesque stage of the 19th annual edition of Fire Island Dance Festival on July 19-21, raising a record $393,647 for Dancers Responding to AIDS, a program of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. For the third year in a row the festival set a fundraising record, surpassing last year's all-time high of $374,260. In its 19 editions, Fire Island Dance Festival has raised $3.3 million for the most vulnerable among us, helping to ensure they receive life-saving medications and health care, nutritious meals, counseling and emergency financial assistance.

This weekend is the fabulous - Fire Island Dance Festival today, July 19 -Sunday the 21st featuring more than 40 dancers from world-class dance companies. Wildly entertaining humorist and actor Mo Rocca returns this summer for a second turn as host of Fire Island Dance Festival, the most-anticipated charity event to land on the shores of the Great South Bay. It is produced by and benefits Dancers Responding to AIDS, a program of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. The 19th edition includes a stunningly varied program spanning Broadway to ballet, performed outdoors at a landmark bay-front home. Tickets are still available.

This weekend is the fabulous - Fire Island Dance Festival Friday, July 19 -Sunday the 21st featuring more than 40 dancers from world-class dance companies. Wildly entertaining humorist and actor Mo Rocca returns this summer for a second turn as host of Fire Island Dance Festival, the most-anticipated charity event to land on the shores of the Great South Bay. It is produced by and benefits Dancers Responding to AIDS, a program of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. The 19th edition includes a stunningly varied program spanning Broadway to ballet, performed outdoors at a landmark bay-front home. Tickets are still available.

Tickets for the 7th annual Chicago Dancing Festival, the 'Free-to-All' Festival at venues across downtown Chicago, become available to the general public next week, beginning today, July 16 at noon. During the Festival's five-day run there are five completely free performance showcases, though tickets for indoor events must be reserved in advance. Co-produced by internationally renowned choreographer and native Chicagoan Lar Lubovitch and highly esteemed Chicago dancer Jay Franke, the 2013 Chicago Dancing Festival features top ballet, modern, ethnic and rhythmic dance companies from Chicago and across the country, set to take place August 20 - 24.

Tickets for Harold Pinter's BETRAYAL, starring Daniel Craig, Rachel Weisz, and Rafe Spall, and directed by ten-time Tony Award-winner Mike Nichols, are set to go on sale tonight at 12:01 AM. Tickets will be available at www.telecharge.com or by calling Telecharge.com at 212-239-6200.

The New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) presents Swiss Family Robinson, a world premiere musical comedy by John and Patrick Kennedy. Patrick Kennedy directs a cast of seventeen including Tom Bozell*, William James Daniels*, Paul DeBoy* (Mamma Mia), Alexander Ferguson, Danielle Gimbal, Patrick Oliver Jones* (The Addams Family), Heidi Kloster, Michael Lorz (Gross Indecency), Matt Mundy*,Sergio Pasquariello, James Patterson* (Mary Poppins), Jessie Shelton*, Barbara Tirrell* (Wicked), Meg Schneider, Emily Shoolin* (Spider-man: Turn Off the Dark), Sam Tedaldi*, and Elisa Van Duyne* (Finian's Rainbow, 110 in the Shade). ?

Tickets for the 7th annual Chicago Dancing Festival, the "Free-to-All" Festival at venues across downtown Chicago, become available to the general public next week, beginning Tuesday, July 16 at noon. During the Festival's five-day run there are five completely free performance showcases, though tickets for indoor events must be reserved in advance. Co-produced by internationally renowned choreographer and native Chicagoan Lar Lubovitch and highly esteemed Chicago dancer Jay Franke, the 2013 Chicago Dancing Festival features top ballet, modern, ethnic and rhythmic dance companies from Chicago and across the country, set to take place August 20 - 24.

The New York Philharmonic will present A Dancer's Dream: Two Works by Stravinsky, a multidisciplinary, theatrical reimagining of the ballets The Fairy's Kiss and Petrushka, created by Giants Are Small. Sara Mearns, New York City Ballet principal dancer, will star in the production, which will be conducted by Music Director Alan Gilbert, directed and designed by Doug Fitch, choreographed by Karole Armitage, and produced by Edouard Getaz - tonight, June 27, 2013, at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, June 28 at 8:00 p.m.; and Saturday, June 29 at 8:00 p.m.

Wildly entertaining humorist and actor Mo Rocca returns this summer for a second turn as host of Fire Island Dance Festival, the most-anticipated charity event to land on the shores of the Great South Bay. Fire Island Dance Festival is July 19-21 and features more than 40 dancers from world-class dance companies. It is produced by and benefits Dancers Responding to AIDS, a program of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. The 19th edition of will include a stunningly varied program spanning Broadway to ballet, performed outdoors at a landmark bay-front home.

American Ballet Theatre has named Keith Roberts, former Principal Dancer with ABT, to the post of Ballet Master. The appointment, which was announced yesterday by Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie, becomes effective September 2013.

The 2013 River To River Festival opens today and runs through July 14, featuring music, dance, theater, visual arts, literature, family events... Plus, for the first time, a series of evenings guest-curated by none other than Laurie Anderson.