Sarah Lane News

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 and Terry Dwyer, Segerstrom Center President. Choreographed by ABT Artist in Residence Alexei Ratmansky, The Nutcracker will be given 12 performances at Segerstrom Center for the Arts, December 9-18, 2016. The Nutcracker, set to music by Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky, features choreography by Alexei Ratmansky, scenery and costumes by award-winning designer Richard Hudson and lighting by Jennifer Tipton. The Pacific Symphony performs the beloved holiday score. In the Los Angeles Times review from last year's inaugural Center performance, it declared, "Choreographer Alexei Ratmansky has made his own Christmas miracle: a joyful 'Nutcracker' ballet that is ravishing and clever enough to inspire multiple viewings."

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.  

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 and Terry Dwyer, Segerstrom Center President. Choreographed by ABT Artist in Residence Alexei Ratmansky, The Nutcracker will be given 12 performances at Segerstrom Center for the Arts, December 9-18, 2016. The Nutcracker, set to music by Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky, features choreography by Alexei Ratmansky, scenery and costumes by award-winning designer Richard Hudson and lighting by Jennifer Tipton. The Pacific Symphony performs the beloved holiday score. In the Los Angeles Times review from last year's inaugural Center performance, it declared, "Choreographer Alexei Ratmansky has made his own Christmas miracle: a joyful 'Nutcracker' ballet that is ravishing and clever enough to inspire multiple viewings."

Napa Valley Performing Arts Center at Lincoln Theater has announced its August 2016 events. Scroll down for details!

At its best, classical ballet has the ability to utterly transfix, bending the boundaries of what we as human beings think is possible. With every gravity-defying grand jete and blossoming developpe, dancers transform into otherworldly beings, physicalizing that which can't be believed. At the 2016 Spring Season premiere of American Ballet Theatre's Le Corsaire, the company did just this, mesmerizing the audience and showcasing their ability to create a unique world of beauty, unto its own.

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.

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.

The Sixth Annual Dance Against Cancer was held on Monday, April 25, 2016.  The event had over 500 guests in attendance and raised more than $250,000 for the American Cancer Society, which will fund lifesaving cancer research and support patient and family service programs like Hope Lodge New York City.

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.

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.

For the second time this year, dancers from American Ballet Theatre will be featured in a special ballet category on the television quiz show JEOPARDY!. Today, November 17, 2015, in a category entitled 'Tough Ballet,' ABT Company members will demonstrate iconic excerpts from its repertoire and read the accompanying clues.

For the second time this year, dancers from American Ballet Theatre will be featured in a special ballet category on the television quiz show JEOPARDY!. On Tuesday, November 17, 2015, in a category entitled 'Tough Ballet,' ABT Company members will demonstrate iconic excerpts from its repertoire and read the accompanying clues.

According to a 1998 review of ABT by Jack Anderson in The New York Times, publicists for the company in the early days used to call the troupe 'a museum of the dance.' Anderson commented that this is a good phrase to describe the company 'provided one realizes that great museums can encourage new art as well as preserve old'. I heartily concur. As I've mentioned before, I always remind my ballet students that we can hang a Rembrandt or a Picasso on a museum wall for posterity, but each generation of dancers must be capable performing both the old and the new if we are to keep our history alive. Fortunately, true to ABT's founding mission 'to develop a repertoire of the best ballets from the past and to encourage the creation of new works by gifted young choreographers,' this national treasure continues to present accurate historical reconstructions as well as new works by today's choreographers.

The New 42nd Street celebrates the 25th anniversary of its founding tomorrow, September 18, 2015.

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.

In the wake of Julie Kent's Saturday retirement performance of 'Romeo and Juliet' emerges American Ballet Theatre's week-long run of 'Swan Lake' - their first production without the talents of their three recently retired superstars: Kent, Paloma Herrera, and Xiomara Reyes. Now one of only two American principal ballerinas, Gillian Murphy led the Monday night production as Odette/Odile, bringing new subtlety to the role.

Casting for the third and fourth weeks of American Ballet Theatre's 2015 Spring Season at the Metropolitan Opera House was announced today by Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie.