The Corps de Ballet News

Boston Ballet Artistic Director Mikko Nissinen announces the 2019a?"2020 season roster. A total of 69 dancers make up the Company roster, with 56 in the main company and 13 in Boston Ballet II (BBII), Boston Ballet's second company.

The Hollywood Bowl presented Siudy Flamenco Dance Theatre and Los Angeles guest artist, dancer Manuel Gutierrez with percussionist Diego Alvarez and the Los Angeles Philharmonic for an evening of fabulous Flamenco music and a production of El Amor Brujo. With the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Palio Bortolameolli, the first half of the evening began, playing an extraordinary Ravel piece, 'Alborada del gracioso,' or 'Morning Song of the Jester' that was a perfect intro for the evening ahead. Originally composed as a piano piece, it became part of a full length composition entitled 'Miroirs' and has a definite Spanish influence to it, akin to the seguidilla. Different sections went from a wide sweeping melody by the string and wind instruments, to pizzicato violins and harps hinting of Flamenco rhythms and a descriptive bassoon solo passage that led to an intricate full-sounding, rich ending.

Jacob's Pillow presents the highly-anticipated world premiere of THE DAY, featuring world renowned cellist Maya Beiser and legendary dancer Wendy Whelan with choreography by the groundbreaking postmodern dance artist Lucinda Childs and music by Pulitzer Prize-winning David Lang in the Doris Duke Theatre, July 31-Aug 4. Co-commissioned by Jacob's Pillow, the multidisciplinary work explores memory, life's journey, resilience, and survival of the soul through the shared language of music and dance. 

Something great is coming! As BroadwayWorld previously reported, the classic Leonard Bernstein musical West Side Story is making its return to Broadway this winter directed by Ivo van Hove, and the revival has found its cast (including 23 Broadway debuts!) In honor of the occasion, we've getting to know the production's cast of Jets and Sharks! Check it all out below!

Joo Won Ahn and Aran Bell have been promoted to the rank of Soloist with American Ballet Theatre.  The promotions, announced today by ABT Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie, become effective September 1, 2019.

Come to the 'masquerade' as Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera plays at the Blaisdell Concert Hall Aug. 7 through Sept. 1. This marks the first time Phantom has toured through Hawaii in nearly 25 years.

Karen Kain, Artistic Director of The National Ballet of Canada, today announced that Principal Character Artist Lorna Geddes will retire from the company at the end of the 201819 season after a remarkable 59-year career with the National Ballet.

San Francisco Ballet (SF Ballet) announces ten promotions, three new Company members, and five apprentices for the 2020 Repertory Season.

Emma Grimsley will assume the role of 'Christine Daae' beginning August 7 when the spectacular new production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, currently on tour in North America, starts performances in Honolulu, HI for the first time in almost 25 years.

Karen Kain, Artistic Director of The National Ballet of Canada, today announced seven promotions for the 2019/20 season: Brendan Saye to Principal Dancer, Ben Rudisin and Donald Thom to First Soloist, Jeannine Haller, Siphesihle November, Kota Sato and Calley Skalnik to Second Soloist.

Last night, approximately an hour before the curtain was raised for Moscow Ballet 'La Classique's' production of Tchaikovsky's ballet 'Swan Lake' at the New Frontier Theatre, the show's local promoters Yuri and Beth Mercado officially announced that the run has been canceled, which disappointed many.

The Miami City Ballet began its Friday Ballet across America evening with George Balanchine's Walpurgisnacht Ballet (1980), 'definitely the world according to Balanchine,' wrote Suzanne Farrell in her autobiography. The Miami ensemble got off to a ragged start, literally not up to speed, but once Principal Katia Carranza took the stage, in the role originated by Farrell, the ladies got with the program. Carranza combined necessary speed and technique with glorious attention to musical detail; every beat has been choreographed, and Carranza never missed one even if all she had to move was just a portion of an arm. Her cavalier, Rainer Krenstetter, added to his substantial elevation significant skill in landing--not only softly, but often exceptionally still. And by the time the Gounod score reached its feverish finish, the Corps de Ballet were at last working with the precision required for the final wedge formation; Balanchine's final image requires absolute solidity from the Corps as backdrop so that the sensational to the shoulder lift of Carranza by Krenstetter contains the power it's meant to.

The Miami City Ballet put on a varied and entertaining performance as part of the Kennedy Center's Ballet Across America on Saturday, June 1, 2019.

Since 2012 today's subject Lourdes Lopez has been living her theatre life as the Artistic Director of Miami City Ballet. The company is performing May 31st through June 2nd at the Kennedy Center as part of Ballet Across America. The May 31st performance is a shared program with Dance Theatre of Harlem who will be performing May 28th through the 30th.

New York City Ballet (NYCB) has gone through some changes in the past year. In an interview with Jonathan Stafford, Artistic Director, and Wendy Whelan, Associate Artistic Director, Whelan said, 'Change is hard, but change is natural. It's not always easy, but it is informative. And ultimately, it's healthy. It's part of life.'

Pennsylvania Ballet's Artistic Director Angel Corella is pleased to announce updates to the 2019-2020 season roster with two new ranks Demi Soloist and First Soloist and 20 promotions, including Zecheng Liang to Principal Dancer and Yuka Iseda, Albert Gordon and Nayara Lopes to First Soloists. The ranks at Pennsylvania Ballet are now (in ascending order): Apprentice, Corps de Ballet, Demi Soloist, Soloist, First Soloist and Principal Dancer.

Alonzo King LINES Ballet is pleased to announce that choreographer Alonzo King will receive an honorary doctorate from Juilliard during the school's 114th commencement ceremony, which takes place Friday, May 24, 2019, at 11am in Alice Tully Hall in New York City and will be live-streamed at juilliard.edu/live. Actress Rita Moreno and composer Kaija Saariaho will receive honorary doctorates as well.

Ballet Hispánico's Carnaval Gala on May 6, 2019 at The Plaza Hotel raised $1.2 million in support of the organization's artistic, educational, and community outreach programs in New York City, across the United States and around the world. This includes the creation of new Company works, scholarships for students at the renowned Ballet Hispánico School of Dance, as well as numerous community arts and educational programs.

The Washington Ballet (TWB) is pleased to announce the dancers taking part in this season's exchange program with The Royal Danish Ballet. TWB's Alexandros Pappajohn traveled to Copenhagen, Denmark on April 8 for two months and has been cast in Lady of the Camellias. Tobias Praetorius a member of The Royal Danish Ballet Corps de Ballet performed with TWB in the company's Three World Premieres at The Harman Center April 3-7, 2019. He had a lead role in Trey McIntyre's Teeming Waltzes.

Now celebrating the 24th anniversary in Houston and the 27th season since its inception in Brussels, Belgium, Dance Salad Festival promises another gathering of world-class performers. Famous in their own countries, classical and contemporary dancers share the Dance Salad Festival stage to form a mix of movement and compelling choreography.