Stanton Welch News

Houston Ballet Artistic Director Stanton Welch announced plans today for the company's 2013-2014 season, including eight promotions and additions of several new dancers. Houston Ballet's roster now stands at 53 dancers.

Houston Ballet Artistic Director Stanton Welch announced touring plans for both the professional company and Houston Ballet II, the second company, for the 2013-2014 season today. During Mr. Welch's tenth anniversary as artistic director, touring engagements will take Houston Ballet to New York City, Paris, Montreal, and Chicago.

On Friday, September 6 from 6:00 - 7:00 pm, Houston Ballet will sponsor the first FREE Dance Talk of its 2013 -14 season: Politics and Pop Music in Ballet. The event will feature an open rehearsal of Houston Ballet Artistic Director Stanton Welch's hip one-act work Play, followed by a discussion with Mr. Welch and a group of Houston Ballet dancers. The Dance Talk will be held at Houston Ballet Center for Dance, 601 Preston Street, Houston 77002.

From tonight, September 5-15, 2013, Houston Ballet launches its 44th season with a mixed repertory program of premieres by emerging and established choreographers. Famed choreographer James Kudelka will create a new work for the company. British master and Houston Ballet's associate choreographer Christopher Bruce's Intimate Pages will have its Houston Ballet premiere. World premieres by Garrett Smith and Melissa Hough round out the program.

From September 19-29, 2013, Houston Ballet presents Ronald Hynd's comic and enchanting The Merry Widow. Adapted from Franz Lehar's beloved operetta, the internationally-admired British choreographer Ronald Hynd adds a new layer of lavish spectacle and choreography to the original story of The Merry Widow to create an irresistibly charming and intoxicating tale of high jinks, finance, romance, and intrigue. The production features magnificent scenery and costumes by Italian designer Roberta Guidi di Bagno. The company will give seven performances at Wortham Theater Center in downtown Houston. Tickets start at $19, and may be purchased at www.houstonballet.org or by calling 713 227 ARTS (2787).

From September 19-29, 2013, Houston Ballet presents Ronald Hynd's comic and enchanting The Merry Widow.Adapted from Franz Lehar's beloved operetta, the internationally-admired British choreographer Ronald Hynd adds a new layer of lavish spectacle and choreography to the original story of The Merry Widow to create an irresistibly charming and intoxicating tale of high jinks, finance, romance, and intrigue. The production features magnificent scenery and costumes by Italian designer Roberta Guidi di Bagno. The company will give seven performances at Wortham Theater Center in downtown Houston. Tickets start at $19, and may be purchased at www.houstonballet.org or by calling 713 227 ARTS (2787).

The Australian Ballet launched its 2014 season in Melbourne today at its Production Centre in Altona, recreating the magical moment from The Nutcrackerwhere Clara is transported to the Land of the Sweets by a giant flying goose! Check out a sneak peek below!

From September 5-15, 2013, Houston Ballet launches its 44th season with a mixed repertory program of premieres by emerging and established choreographers. Famed choreographer James Kudelka will create a new work for the company. British master and Houston Ballet's associate choreographer Christopher Bruce's Intimate Pages will have its Houston Ballet premiere. World premieres by Garrett Smith and Melissa Hough round out the program.

The Chicago Dancing Festival has announced the programming schedule for its seventh season. Co-produced by internationally renowned choreographer and native Chicagoan Lar Lubovitch and highly esteemed Chicago dancer Jay Franke, this 'Free-to-All' Festival is set to take place today, August 20 - 24, featuring top ballet, modern, ethnic and rhythmic dance companies from Chicago and across the country.

What happens when The Cleveland Orchestra, considered to be one of the world's great ensemble of musical performers, couples with the Joffrey Ballet, hailed as 'America's Ballet Company of Firsts?' After their well-received five sold-out performance of THE NUTCRACER last winter at PlayhouseSquare, and their past linking at Blossom, the very large opening night audience was filled with high expectations.

The Joffrey Ballet kicks off its 2013-14 "Masters of Dance" season with a special addition to its home engagement line-up, a one-weekend-only program titled "Russian Masters" celebrating the centennial of Vaslav Nijinsky's ground-breaking 1913 ballet Le Sacre du Printemps (The Rite of Spring), alongside George Balanchine's Allegro Brillante and two works byYuri Possokhov, the Chicago Premiere of Adagio and the return of his 2011 Joffrey commission, Bells. These four powerful works by Russian choreographers and composers are presented in four performances only in the Joffrey's home venue, the historic Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University in downtown Chicago at 50 E. Congress Parkway, September 19 - 22.

Casting for American Ballet Theatre's 2013 Fall Season at the David H. Koch Theater was announced today by Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie.

Ballet West has announced the appointment of Scott Altman as the company's new Executive Director. Altman joins the ballet the first week in August and brings with him nearly three decades of experience in the performing arts and non-profit arts administration.

Houston Ballet Artistic Director Stanton Welch has announced the company's 2013-2014 season. Eight new works enter Houston Ballet's repertoire, including world premieres by James Kudelka, Garrett Smith and Melissa Hough in September 2013; the North American premiere of David Bintley's Aladdin in February 2014; company premieres of Jiri Kylian's Sechs Tanze, Christopher Bruce's Intimate Pages and Stanton Welch's Of Blessed Memory as well as a world premiere A Young Person's Guide to Orchestra by Mr. Welch in March 2014.

The Cleveland Orchestra has announced the 2013 Blossom Music Festival season. The Orchestra will present 19 concerts at Blossom Music Center in Cuyahoga Valley National Park from today, July 3 - September 1.

The World Premiere of The Tempest by Alexei Ratmansky will highlight American Ballet Theatre's inaugural Fall season at the David H. Koch Theater, October 30-November 10, 2013. The Fall 2013 season, announced today by Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie, will also feature revivals of Bach Partita by Twyla Tharp, Les Sylphides by Michel Fokine, Gong by Mark Morris and Clear by Stanton Welch.

The Chicago Dancing Festival has announced the programming schedule for its seventh season. Co-produced by internationally renowned choreographer and native Chicagoan Lar Lubovitch and highly esteemed Chicago dancer Jay Franke, this 'Free-to-All' Festival is set to take place August 20 - 24, featuring top ballet, modern, ethnic and rhythmic dance companies from Chicago and across the country.

Single tickets for The Cleveland Orchestra's 2013 Blossom Music Festival go on sale Tuesday, May 28, online at clevelandorchestra.com, by telephone, and in person at the Severance Hall Ticket Office.

'Dancing The Rite of Spring', A Conversation between Shen Wei Dance Arts Company Manager Stephen Xue and Houston Ballet's Artistic Director Stanton Welch will be held tonight, May 17 at 6:30 P.M.