Mark Morris News

The highly acclaimed Aspen Santa Fe Ballet will present a program of three NYC premieres, at The Joyce Theater (175 Eighth Avenue at 19th street) from October 16 - 21. Tickets range in price from $10-$59 and can be arranged online at www.Joyce.org or by calling JoyceCharge at 212-242-0800.

American Ballet Theatre's Opening Night Gala at New York City Center on Tuesday, October 16 will celebrate the 70th anniversary of Agnes de Mille's Rodeo with a special tribute to the ballet's premiere. ABT's Opening Night Gala will also include performances of Mark Morris's Drink to Me Only With Thine Eyes, a pas de deux from James Kudelka's Cruel World, and the Company premiere of the pas de deux from George Balanchine's Stars and Stripes.

Orchestra of St. Luke's (OSL) has just announced the release of the seventh album on its record label St. Luke's Collection: a live recording of Schoenberg and Riehn's masterful chamber arrangement of Gustav Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde. The work was performed to great acclaim in September 2011 by St. Luke's Chamber Ensemble with conductor George Manahan, mezzo-soprano Jennifer Johnson Cano and tenor Paul Groves at Baryshnikov Arts Center (BAC).

THE NEW BLACK FEST, a festival of theater, music and discussion from the African Diaspora will launch its 3rd season in October at various locations in Manhattan and Brooklyn. With support from TimeWarner and a partnership with 651 ARTS, the Festival will take place October 8 - 13 at various locations, including the National Black Theatre, Mark Morris Dance Center, the Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial and Education Center. All of the events are Free and open to the public.

The 2012-2013 season of the Bryn Mawr College Performing Arts Series opens in September with new works by the Voloshky Ukrainian Dance Ensemble and Bread and Puppet Theater. One explores a rich mix of cultures through music and dance, and the other reflects contemporary issues through theater and puppetry.

Gotham Chamber Opera announces its 2012-2013 season of three productions, featuring two site-specific works. The season begins with GOTHAM @ LPR: ORIENTALE on October 1 and 3, 2012 at (Le) Poisson Rouge and continues with the New York Premiere of Francesco Cavalli's ELIOGABALO(1667) from March 15-29, 2013 at The Box, staged by James Marvel. The season will conclude in June with a production of Daniel Catán's 1988 opera, LA HIJA DE RAPPACCINI (Rappaccini's Daughter), in site-specific venues.

American Ballet Theatre's 2012 Fall season at New York City Center opens Tuesday evening, October 16 for seven performances including the World Premiere of a new work by Alexei Ratmansky, a revival and repertory, October 16-20. Principal Dancers for the New York City Center engagement include Roberto Bolle, Herman Cornejo, Marcelo Gomes, Julie Kent, Veronika Part, Xiomara Reyes, Polina Semionova and Cory Stearns.

Tonight, September 5 at 7:30pm at NYU's Skirball Center for the Performing Arts (566 LaGuardia Place), dance icon Mikhail Baryshnikov will be honored at the NYC Dance Alliance Foundation's "Bright Lights Shining Stars" Gala where he will receive their prestigious Ambassador for the Arts Award which will be presented to him by longtime friend and colleague Liza Minnelli.

The NYC Dance Alliance has created a special discount for the September 5th BRIGHT LIGHTS SHINIG STARS event. It is such a rare occasion that Mikhail Baryshnikov, Liza Minnelli and all of these wonderful performers will share the same stage. They are offering 25% OFF General Seating and here is the link to the special discount: http://bit.ly/BLSS-Save25

Houston Ballet Artistic Director Stanton Welch announced touring plans for both the company and second company's 2012-2013 season today. Over the next year, touring engagements will take Houston Ballet from Chicago to Switzerland.

Orchestra of St. Luke's (OSL) will enter into a new phase of development with a 2012/2013 season marked by notable artistic collaborations and chamber music programs and the Carnegie Hall main stage debut of its recently-appointed Principal Conductor Pablo Heras-Casado. The season kicks off with the free Subway Series and food drive, reflecting OSL's continuing commitment to community engagement throughout New York City and at its state-of-the-art new home, The DiMenna Center for Classical Music.

On Wednesday, September 5 at 7:30pm at NYU's Skirball Center for the Performing Arts (566 LaGuardia Place), dance icon Mikhail Baryshnikov will be honored at the NYC Dance Alliance Foundation's "Bright Lights Shining Stars" Gala where he will receive their prestigious Ambassador for the Arts Award which will be presented to him by longtime friend and colleague Liza Minnelli. Last year's Ambassador for the Arts Award recipient, celebrated American singer, songwriter, musician and four-time Grammy-winner Roberta Flack, will also be present on 9/5. Also set to appear that evening will be ABT star Julie Kent, Oscar-nominee and celebrated dancer Leslie Browne and Tony Award-winning choreographers Jerry Mitchell and Andy Blankenbuehler.

The final program line-up is set for the annual Chicago Dancing Festival, taking place at venues across downtown Chicago today, August 20 through August 25. The Festival, co-produced by renowned choreographer/Chicago native Lar Lubovitch and esteemed Chicago dancer Jay Franke, enters its sixth season, expanded this year to six consecutive days of dance events that are all completely free.

Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra (LACO) Music Director Jeffrey Kahane announces the appointments of Robert Brophy, viola (Los Angeles 90042); Sandy Hughes, flute (Portland, OR); Carrie Kennedy, violin II (Pasadena); and Joel Pargman, violin II (Pasadena) to LACO's roster, one of the nation's leading orchestras renowned for its wide-ranging repertoire and adventurous commissioning initiatives. The 2012-13 season marks the first full season with the Orchestra for Brophy, Kennedy and Pargman; and the first time that Hughes has performed with LACO. Kennedy and Pargman are husband and wife.

The 2012-2013 season of the Bryn Mawr College Performing Arts Series opens in September with new works by the Voloshky Ukrainian Dance Ensemble and Bread and Puppet Theater. One explores a rich mix of cultures through music and dance, and the other reflects contemporary issues through theater and puppetry.

The final program line-up is set for the annual Chicago Dancing Festival, taking place at venues across downtown Chicago August 20-25. The Festival, co-produced by renowned choreographer/Chicago native Lar Lubovitch and esteemed Chicago dancer Jay Franke, enters its sixth season, expanded this year to six consecutive days of dance events that are all completely free.

Jane Moss, Ehrenkranz Artistic Director, previously announced the programming for the 46th season of the Mostly Mozart Festival, which runs from tonight, July 28 - August 25, 2012. Spanning seven venues, the Festival will offer more than 37 events including concerts, dance, visual art, film, pre-concert recitals, late-night performances, lectures, and bird-watching tours through Central Park, a special accompaniment to this summer's birdsong theme.

On Wednesday, September 5 at 7:30pm at NYU's Skirball Center for the Performing Arts (566 LaGuardia Place), dance icon Mikhail Baryshnikov will be honored at the NYC Dance Alliance Foundation's "Bright Lights Shining Stars" Gala where he will receive their prestigious Ambassador for the Arts Award which will be presented to him by longtime friend and colleague Liza Minnelli.

Pace University has announced the 2012 / 2013 season of Pace Presents, hosted at The Michael Schimmel Center for The Arts located at 3 Spruce Street between Park Row and Gold Street in downtown Manhattan. Pace Presents is a world-class performing arts and culture series with an emphasis on music superstars from around the globe, charismatic and crowd-pleasing dance performances, spectacular theatre and contemporary cabaret. The Pace Presents season begins on September 22 with Gypsy brass superstars Fanfare Ciocarlia and culminates on April 20 with Jazz's living treasure, Hugh Masekela.

Today, July 19, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz welcomed Tony-winning and Emmy-nominated entertainer Ben Vereen (performing at 54 Below, July 10-21), the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation and the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to a day of events at Borough Hall as part of the 2012 "Lighten Up Brooklyn" campaign, an anti-obesity and healthy lifestyle initiative launched by BP Markowitz eleven years ago. Check out photos of the pair participating in the day's events below!