Alexandra

Jessica, I don't know, but I can say that often the way dancers look onstage and off is very different, and much of it is proportions -- people with long legs, and a small head and long neck, often look taller than they are, and people with a large head and short neck, or shorter legs, often look shorter. So it's possible. (And the person with shorter legs can still be a beautiful dancer )

Did she try Natalie? They've got that profile! http://www.nataliedancewear.com/profile_di...p3?ProfileID=25 Also, there's a tiny bio and pic on ABT's site. http://www.abt.org/dancers/kajiya.html

Thanks for these reports, Jeannie!

Hello, Rachel -- it's good to read you again! Yes, the new works at ABT are either crossover (short ones) or full-lengths. And ABT still bills itself as "America's premiere classical ballet company." There's a disconnect here somewhere.... I've been thinking about Diane and Mel's comment, that young choreographers "don't speak ballet," and I think one of the things that might be happening isn't political, or even overtly artistic, but simply the current incarnation of the Derivative Problem. A large percentage of dance works have always been derivative. The leader of the day sets the model, and others imitate it. There can be very interesting imitations, and there can be hack imitations, but what happens is that people look to the models to create a work. Interested in a piece of music? We're likely to get a "Son of Balanchine" or a "Son of Mark Morris" ballet. Want to tell a dark story? We might get a Pina Bausch ballet. Want to create something exciting and trendy? Turn to Forsythe and his "high energy" version. I think we need new forms rather than new movements (in ballet; modern dance is a different animal. I do think there are those who think Graham's vocabulary is passe, though. It's got steps in it.) I wrote something when I was young and rash, but I still believe in it. "What the world needs is a new Fokine, not a dozen Ivanovs." Fokine shook the world, but he spoke ballet.

I wonder if this is the late 18th century in rerun (without Vestris, of course ) That, too, was an age of virtuosity for men, and women had to compete, and came out a poor second. Then came the Romantic Rebellion. This is an unorthodox view, but I've always viewed the pointe shoe as the Great Equalizer. Got the women noticed again. And those new to ballet said, "Taglioni! Nothing like her has ever been seen before!" And those who were two generations older and had almost given up on ballet said, "Taglioni! She's Bigatoni all over again!" I believe in the cycles of history, or the pendulum, or both, whichever model you want to use. When something goes too far in one direction, the forces of nature thwap eveything back into the middle again, and when people become bored with that, it creeps to the extreme until the great cosmic THWACK sets things right. I have no timeline predictions....

I think that's a very good point, Ari.

Oh, yes. Indeed. But they're in a galaxy far, far away

I didn't think Calliope meant a No New Ballets! season. Since we're imaging the Grand Ballet Sublime, perhaps the new works could also be well cast and rehearsed!

Thanks for posting this, Jane. I was very interested in that part of the interview as well. I wonder if there are many dancers who would be comfortable saying that? There's such a competetion for new roles, a more junior dancer might think it, but might not want to risk losing those roles by saying it. I think all dancers want to have roles created on them, but perhaps in today's atmosphere, they'll realize, like Whelan, that they're not really getting a new role, just an old one with different colored bicycle shorts. To be fair, I think this could happen in the repertories of long ago as well. You could be the ingenue, the clown, the villain, in ballet after ballet. Companies often brought in guest choreographers when they couldn't generate their own repertory (the Royal was the great exception to this, I think). The down side of this is that the guests don't know the dancers, and so can either miscast them after watching one class, or typecast them. But one of the benefits was that often the guest choreographers would see something else in the dancer -- the little mousey one who never got good parts in a demi-caractere repertory might have gorgeous feet and a good jump, and would look fine in an abstract ballet -- and the confidence she got from dancing that ballet, from being successful in something -- might make her less mousey the next time she danced an ingenue part. Et cetera. I hope choreographers read that gentle complaint of Whelan's and think about it.

Great question! (You're good at this, Calliope! You should go to work for Dance Gallup ) As I write this, Quality is beating Quantity -- it may well change -- but this surprised me, as when I've posed this question to friends, I've often gotten a response along the lines of, "I don't care how good it is. I wouldn't want to see the same thing every season." And I remember acquaintances back in the 1980s dropping their subscription because ABT opened every season with Kingdom of the Shades. They only would go to opening night, and they were sick of seeing Kingdom of the Shades. (And when it was danced by Makarova, Kirkland, Van Hamel, Gregory, Baryshnikov, Bujones, Bissell -- nice line up.) But then I remember reading comments by London Ballets Russes fans about how they loved those ballets and hated to see cast changes. "We were like children with a favorite fairy story," I remember reading once. "We wanted to see them every night, and got cross when there was the slightest change." They wanted new works, too -- you can't have season after season without new works or the art form will die -- but the pleasure of seeing perfectly cast, lovingly rehearsed first-rate ballets night after night is one I would like to experience!

Now, I think this is one of the better ones. I love the "I don't think I'm Swan material!" line. And compared to all those commercials where the guy gets a headache to avoid going to the ballet, they seem to treat ballet -- and the two women at the barre -- with respect. "It's good to try something new," one says. Any commercial that uses "new" and "classical ballet" in the same thought pattern can't be all bad!

I hope I don't have the last word here -- teachers, dancers? How do you see this question? (Others too, of course, but I hope some teachers and dancers weigh in.)

Good question. I'm sure many readers know that military service had quite an effect on British ballet. DeValois didn't try to get exceptions for the men. There were careers interrupted for six years. Denmark still has compulsory military service, but very few dancers have served. It's easy to get injury extensions, I've been told. Volkova's advice was to get any extension you could, because eventually, as a dancer, your chances of having an injury serious enough to keep you out of service was likely. A cheery, practical way of putting it.

Clever SFB. YOu have to read through the whole press release to find it -- but it's there! SAN FRANCISCO BALLET ANNOUNCES PROGRAM AND CASTING FOR 70TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON OPENING NIGHT GALA WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 29, 2003 AT 8:00 P.M. Evening Includes Three Benefit Dinners Post-Performance Celebration to be held at City Hall Wells Fargo is Lead Sponsor of Ballet's Opening Night Gala SAN FRANCISCO, CA, Thursday, January 16, 2003 - Artistic Director Helgi Tomasson announced today the repertory for the Opening Night Gala of San Francisco Ballet's 70th Anniversary Season, on Wednesday, January 29 at 8:00 p.m. at the War Memorial Opera House. For the one-time only performance, the Company will perform 13 different classical and contemporary works, including a world premiere by Helgi Tomasson choreographed especially for the Gala, and a San Francisco premiere by Val Caniparoli. Wells Fargo has provided a generous lead sponsorship gift. Mrs. John Misha Petkevich is chair of the San Francisco Ballet Auxiliary Opening Night Gala, and Mr. and Mrs. George P. Shultz are honorary chairs. Gala Performance The first half of the program begins with an encore presentation of Helgi Tomasson's Little Waltz, which had its San Francisco Ballet premiere on the 1993 Gala, as well as Lew Christensen's Divertissement d'Auber, a pas de trois, first choreographed for San Francisco Ballet in 1959. Little Waltz, first choreographed as a showcase for School of American Ballet students in 1985, is set to music by Eric Coates. San Francisco Ballet School students will perform this six-minute piece. Divertissement d'Auber, set to the music of Daniel-François Auber's operatic overtures, showcases the technique of classical ballet at its peak, and was originally choreographed on San Francisco Ballet dancers including Jocelyn Vollmar. Christensen expanded the piece in 1963 to include 18 dancers, with the pas de trois as the central movement. Katita Waldo, Vanessa Zahorian and Guennadi Nedviguine will perform the pas de trois. Also on the program are excerpts from Peter Martins' The Waltz Project, which is set to the music of thirteen waltzes by various composers, taken from a collection first published in 1978. Originally choreographed for New York City Ballet in 1988, San Francisco Ballet last performed the full ballet in 1997, and will perform the work on Program 5 of the 2003 Repertory Season. Nicole Starbuck and Stephen Legate will perform the excerpts. Ivonice Satie's Shogun, which had its San Francisco Ballet premiere on the 1997 Gala at Davies Symphony Hall, will also be on the program. The ceremonial duet, set to the music of Milton Nascimento and Fernando Brandt, was inspired by the Japanese 'shoguns', or masters, who traditionally passed their knowledge down to their students. In this work, the 'master' and 'student' wear long skirts, and the choreography is a fusion of classical ballet and powerful, contemporary movements reminiscent of samurai warriors. Shogun will be performed by Joan Boada and Peter Brandenhoff. Next on the program is an excerpt from Nacho Duato's Without Words, set to the music of Franz Schubert, which made its San Francisco Ballet premiere during the 2001 Repertory Season. The ballet is performed by eight dancers wearing flesh-toned costumes, and is known for its sensual and unusual partnering. An excerpt from Without Words was performed on San Francisco Ballet's 2002 Gala and Muriel Maffre and Benjamin Pierce will perform a different excerpt this year. In Norwegian Moods, Lew Christensen captures the delight of love in bloom with this buoyant pas de deux. The ballet, which was called Stravinsky Pas de Deux when it premiered in 1976, was conceived as a celebratory piece marking Christensen's twenty-fifth anniversary as artistic director of San Francisco Ballet. The pas de deux is set to Stravinsky's "Four Norwegian Moods", and will be danced by Gonzalo Garcia and Clara Blanco. Rounding out the first portion of the program is Tomasson's Chaconne for Piano and Two Dancers, set to the music of George Frideric Handel's Chaconne in G Major for Harpsichord. The piece was last performed on tour to New York City in fall 2002. The pas de deux, an ode to dance legend Jerome Robbins, was choreographed a few months after Robbins' death and was premiered in 1999 by San Francisco Ballet. Kristin Long and Yuri Possokhov will perform the work. The second half of the program begins with an excerpt from Act 2 of Tomasson's full-length, critically-acclaimed production of Giselle, choreographed in 1999, to be performed by Julie Diana and Zachary Hench. Another Tomasson ballet, Concerto Grosso, set on five men, is a world premiere and was choreographed especially for this event. The piece is set to the music of Francesco Geminiani after Arcangelo Corelli, and will be performed by Pascal Molat, Garrett Anderson, Jaime Garcia Castilla, Rory Hohenstein, and Hansuke Yamamoto. Also on the program is a pas de trois from Balanchine's Agon, a seminal work born out of the unique collaboration between Balanchine and composer Igor Stravinsky. Last performed by the Company in Greece in spring 2002, the piece was first choreographed in 1957 and had its San Francisco Ballet premiere in 1976. The pas de trois will be performed by Catherine Winfield, Leslie Young and Parrish Maynard. Next on the program is Victor Gsovsky's Grand Pas Classique, a piece that displays technical fireworks, set to the music of Daniel-François Auber, which will be performed by Yuan Yuan Tan and Vadim Solomakha. The San Francisco Ballet premiere of Grand Pas Classique was on the Company's 1998 Gala. A San Francisco premiere, Val Caniparoli's No Other, was performed in October 2002, first by Cincinnati Ballet's Lorna Feijoo (with Dimitri Trubchanov), followed by her sister, San Francisco Ballet principal dancer Lorena Feijoo (who performed with San Francisco Ballet dancer Damian Smith). Lorna Feijoo and Trubchanov performed the pas de deux October 18 for Cincinnati Ballet's opening season Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo Festival, in celebration of the company's fortieth anniversary. Three days later, at New York's City Center, Lorena Feijoo and Smith performed the work at Shall We Dance: A Dance Tribute to Richard Rodgers, the annual event benefiting Career Transition for Dancers. Both performances of the pas de deux, set to music from Rodgers' "Victory at Sea," received rave reviews from audiences and critics. Lorena Feijoo and Damian Smith will perform the pas de deux for the Gala. Finishing the evening will be the sparkling finale from Balanchine's "Diamonds," first performed as part of the full-evening length Jewels by San Francisco Ballet during the 2002 Repertory Season. Sarah Van Patten and Sergio Torrado are the principal couple in this work. Program, program order, and casting are subject to change. Wells Fargo Provides Lead Sponsorship To celebrate San Francisco Ballet's 70th Anniversary Season, Wells Fargo has provided generous underwriting for the Opening Night Gala. "Supporting the arts in our community is very meaningful to our culture," said Bob Worth, Bay Area Region President for Wells Fargo & Company, "especially when we can help further the distinguished tradition of San Francisco Ballet which embodies such grace, poise, and elegance. Wells Fargo is proud to participate as lead sponsor for the Opening Night Gala for San Francisco Ballet's 70th Repertory Season." Dinners Benefit San Francisco Ballet Prior to the Gala performance, three black tie fundraising dinners will be held. The theme of the evening is a celebration of San Francisco Ballet's 70th Anniversary, with a retro 1930s style, honoring the era in which San Francisco Ballet was founded. All proceeds from the dinners benefit San Francisco Ballet's annual fund. The San Francisco Ballet Auxiliary will host the Benefactor dinner as well as the Patron dinner. ENCORE!, the social and networking group of young professionals supporting San Francisco Ballet, will host a third dinner, entitled DecoDance. All dinners will be catered by Patina Catering. For all dinners: wine by La Crema Winery, water by Crystal Geyser, coffee by Starbucks Coffee Company, and special vodka bars by Blue Ice Vodka. The evening begins with cocktail receptions at 5:00 p.m. in the City Hall Mezzanine for guests of the Benefactor and Patron dinners, and in the War Memorial Opera House Grand Foyer for those attending the ENCORE! Dinner. The dinners begin at 6:00 p.m. The Benefactor dinner will be held in City Hall's North Light Court and Rotunda. Robert Fountain Designs will create an elegant Art Deco supper club theme that carries throughout City Hall. In the Rotunda, tables will be covered in full-length black velvet linens, lamps will feature velvet leopard print shades with crystal beading, and silver julep cups will be filled with miniature calla lilies and white ranunculus. In the North Light Court, the room will be draped out in blue velvet with the tables covered in different shades of blue taffeta. The Patron dinner will take place in City Hall's South Light Court and also feature décor by Robert Fountain. The main color in the South Light Court will be red and the room will be draped in red velvet, with the tables covered in red silk. Benefactor and Patron dinner invitations and Gala performance programs are generously underwritten by KPMG LLP. The reception honoring San Francisco Ballet Opening Night Gala and Opening Night Dinner Gifts are courtesy of Gump's. Ms. Leslie Taglio is gala dinner chair. Ms. Nina Fedoroff and Ms. Caroline Prioleau are co-chairs of the ENCORE! event; former San Francisco Ballet principal dancer and current rehearsal assistant Joanna Berman and husband René Mandel, and Shawn and Heather Estes will serve as honorary co-chairs. The ENCORE! dinner, DecoDance, will be sponsored by Audi of America. The dinner, catered by Patina Catering, will be held at The Café at the Opera House in the lower level of the War Memorial Opera House. Décor will be reminiscent of the Art Deco style popular in the 1930s, with lighted Lady Lamps, kentia palms, and Erte prints. Tables will be set with gold linens and floral centerpieces featuring white calla lilies, peach amaryllis, and peacock feathers. The room will be lit in soft amber hues with votive candles throughout the room. The décor chairs are Marci Dublin and Karen Murphy, and décor sponsors are Classic Party Rentals and Hartmann Studios. The ENCORE! vodka sponsor is Blue Ice Vodka, and the wine sponsor is La Crema Winery. Table gifts are provided by Thomas Pink and Zoelle Jewelry. For those attending the Gala performance only, the Gala champagne promenade will begin at 7:00 p.m. in the Opera House. The champagne promenade is open to all ticket holders. Post-Performance Celebration VERTU, the first luxury communications company, is the sponsor of the post-performance celebration. Launched this past year, VERTU specializes in a collection of hand-crafted mobile phones that combine the best in craftsmanship, precision engineering, proven technology, high performance and unique personal service. For $70 a ticket, guests can attend the post-performance celebration and late supper buffet, catered by Patina Catering, which begins at 10:30 p.m.. The post-performance celebration, held in City Hall, will include a sumptuous buffet of sushi, salmon, roast beef, cheeses, and desserts, in addition to three fully appointed liquor bars, offering wine by La Crema, specialty vodka cocktails by Blue Ice Vodka, and Piper Sonoma champagne. The post-performance celebration will also feature the twelve-piece band "Big Bang Beat", capturing the musical mood of the 1930s, as well as a DJ, spinning the latest dance hits. Tickets Limited seating is available for the dinners. For information about the Benefactor and Patron dinners, call (415) 553-4614. For information about the ENCORE! dinner, call (415) 553-4634. Tickets for the performance go on sale to the public on January 15, 2003. Tickets are $35-250 and are limited. Tickets for the post-performance party are $70. To order, call the Ticket Services Office at (415) 865-2000, Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. A limited quantity of Standing Room tickets at $35 each will go on sale at noon on January 29, 2003, at the Ballet Box Office in person only. About San Francisco Ballet As America's first professional ballet company, San Francisco Ballet has enjoyed a long and rich tradition of artistic "firsts" since its founding in 1933, performing the first American productions of Swan Lake and Nutcracker, as well as the first twentieth-century American Coppélia. A lively, vital ensemble, San Francisco Ballet is one of the three largest ballet companies in the United States with its current sixty-nine member roster. Since its early years under the direction of American dance pioneers and brothers Lew, Willam and Harold Christensen, San Francisco Ballet now presents more than one hundred performances annually, both locally and internationally. Under the direction of Helgi Tomasson since 1985, the Company has achieved an international reputation as one of the preeminent ballet companies in America. By commissioning new works by some of today's most sought-after choreographers, giving rise to young talent, acquiring existing works by master choreographers and introducing new interpretations of classic full-length productions, Tomasson has created a sophisticated, diverse international repertory that offers powerful entertainment for all audiences.

Thank you so much, Francoise, vila and Alymer, for writing about this evening. Alymer, I must say I agree wiith your opening assessment, that Nureyev was "the man who really set the agenda which took the company finally to world-class status and has kept it there, even ten years after his death." If there's any example of how one person can make a difference, it must be this one. (In a way, by virtue of its academy and its history, Paris has always been one of the great international companies, in my book, and there were some wonderful dancers during its down years. But it sure was "on the skids" for a long time, and Nureyev snapped it out of those doldrums in one season.)

Yes and no It's still quite alive in the classrooms -- at least below the professional level. There is a theory (Croce wrote about it very well about 10 years ago) that in times of choreographic drought the pedants take over and iron every ounce of life and interest out of the classical vocabulary in the interests of perfection. STRETCH IT, kick it higher, more turns, more more more more more. And if history is any guide, some brave boy will come along and say CUT IT OUT YOU IDIOTS! LESS LESS LESS and it will be alive and everything will be fine again There are still some performances where I think that I'm watching something alive. I think it would be very hard to make a case that classical ballet is alive and will as a living, breathing entity from watching new choreography, though. I think it's too early to tell if it's extinct, truthfully. It's certainly on its way there! (One of the reasons I started this site.) Also, what disturbs me are that there seem to be people who want it to be extinct, whom classical ballet seems to make angry. I've heard some dancers say it's got five years to turn around, others more generously give it 20. But if it doesn't, as Rachel said on another thread, it will end up being like Latin. Still there, still taught in schools, but not alive.

Thank you all again -- especially for mentioning the photos I've put a few new ones up, and if I may humbly suggest, they look ever so much better if you switch your browser to full screen view The first photo now is the one Paul mentions above, a cabriole from Sleeping Beauty (a solo made for Somes by Ashton that found its way to Denmark). Several dancers told me that this photo was tacked up on several American and French dancers' dressing room mirrors as an ideal. Kronstam as Florimund

And before we start down the road to Naziism, we might remember that Hitler loved ballet and had a favorite ballerina, and also called new art -- in painting -- "vile and decadent." (The theory on that one is he never quite got over not being accepted into either architecture or art school.)What we have of his student work is very pallid and derivative.)

I got this response: No Saturday evening performance. The Orchestra will be playing with the Washington Opera.

I'm surprised there hasn't been more response to this thread, too. To those who've seen the company on tour this season, which dancers impressed you? I'll cast a vote for Alexandrova, whose dancing is on as high a level as anyone I've seen recently. Confident, strong. Not especially poetic, but she's by no means a circus performer, either. The dancing is beautifully modulated -- by which I mean I enjoy her phrasing, and the way she varies the dynamics; she's different as a ballet progresses.

I wouldn't worry too much about this year -- I don't think the company was pulling back, but since the Opera House is out of commission for at least another 11 months, it was difficult to schedule them. I think Kaiser is committed to this, and he seems to be very good at putting his plans into action.

I wondered that, too -- I might amend that to [no casting listed]. The cast sheet doesn't have it. It could be omitted inadvertently, or there could have been a concert already scheduled in the Concert Hall? Usually, ballet companies only do seven performances a week now, because of the orchestra contract. p.s. I just checked the Kennedy Center web site and it lists ABT at 1:30 only. It doesn't list anything else in the Concert Hall that day. Rather than continue to speculate, I'll ask the press office and post when I know

Here you go, Medora, and other ABT fans. This is what we have so far of casting for ABT's run of Romeo and Juliets. A caveat: as always, this casting is subject to change. The roles listed are: Juliet, Romeo, Mercutio. An * indicates a debut. Tuesday, Feb. 18: Ferri, Bocca, DeLuz Wed., Feb 19: Reyes*, Corella, H. Cornejo Thurs. Feb 20: Kent, Bocca, DeLuz Fri. Feb 21: Herrera, Gomes, H. Cornejo Sat mat, Feb 22: Dvorovenko*, Belotserkovsky*, Lopez* Sat eve, Feb 22: NO PERFORMANCE Sun mat, Feb 23: Tuttle, Carreno, Salstein* Sun eve. Feb 23: Reyes, Corella, H. Cornejo

This press release from ABT just in: DIANA VISHNEVA OF KIROV BALLET TO PERFORM THE ROLE OF JULIET WITH AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE, JUNE 11, AT THE METROPOLITAN OPERA HOUSE Julie Kent to Perform Giselle with Kirov Ballet as Part of Artist Exchange Program In a special exchange with Kirov Ballet, American Ballet Theatre has invited Kirov Principal Dancer Diana Vishneva to perform as a guest artist during the 2003 Metropolitan Opera House season. Reciprocally, ABT Principal Dancer Julie Kent will travel to St. Petersburg, Russia to perform with the Kirov at the Mariinsky Theatre. For ABT, Ms. Vishneva will perform the role of Juliet opposite Vladimir Malakhov in Romeo and Juliet on Wednesday evening, June 11, at the Metropolitan Opera House. Ms. Kent will perform the title role of Giselle with Kirov Ballet at the Mariinsky Theatre in late March. Of the artists’ exchange, Kevin McKenzie, Artistic Director of American Ballet Theatre, said, “This exchange of talent is an extraordinary opportunity for ABT to work with great artists and to display ABT’s own artistry in other parts of the world. It is an experiment I hope to continue in the coming years.” Born in St. Petersburg, Russia, Diana Vishneva graduated from the Vaganova Ballet Academy and joined the Mariinsky Theatre (Kirov) Ballet in 1995. She was promoted to Principal Dancer in 1996. Her repertory with the company includes the title roles in Giselle and Manon, Kitri in Don Quixote, Nikiya in La Bayadère, Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, Princess Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty and Clemance in Raymonda. She has also danced leading roles in works by George Balanchine, including the third movement in Symphony in C, Terpischore in Apollo, Rubies in Jewels, and the Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux. Among the many prizes and awards bestowed on Ms. Vishneva are the Prix de Lausanne in 1994, the Prix Benois de la Danse in 1995, the BALTIKA prize in 1998 and the Golden Mask, the highest theatrical prize of Russia, in 2001. She was named “Best in Europe” for 2002 by Dance Europe magazine. (more) American Ballet Theatre Principal Dancer Julie Kent joined ABT in 1985 as a member of the corps de ballet. She was promoted to Soloist in 1990 and to Principal Dancer in 1993. She has danced all of the leading ballerina roles in the Company’s repertory including Odette/Odile in Swan Lake, Juliet in Romeo and Juliet and Princess Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty. Her contemporary repertoire includes roles in Apollo, Antony Tudor’s The Leaves Are Fading, Mark Morris’ Drink To Me Only With Thine Eyes, Clark Tippet’s Bruch Violin Concerto No. 1, James Kudelka’s Cruel World and Twyla Tharp’s Americans We and The Brahms/Hadyn Variations. Ms. Kent has won many awards including the Prix de Lausanne in 1986 and the Erik Bruhn Prize in 1993. In 2000, she captured the Prix Benois de la Danse, the only American to have won this prize. Subscriptions for American Ballet Theatre’s 2003 Metropolitan Opera House season are on sale now by phone at 212-362-6000. For more information, please visit ABT’s website at www.abt.org. American Ballet Theatre’s 2003 Metropolitan Opera House season is sponsored by UBS, ABT’s National Presenting Sponsor, and Movado Watch Company, a leading benefactor. ABT’s Spring season is also made possible with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

This press release from ABT just in: DIANA VISHNEVA OF KIROV BALLET TO PERFORM THE ROLE OF JULIET WITH AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE, JUNE 11, AT THE METROPOLITAN OPERA HOUSE Julie Kent to Perform Giselle with Kirov Ballet as Part of Artist Exchange Program In a special exchange with Kirov Ballet, American Ballet Theatre has invited Kirov Principal Dancer Diana Vishneva to perform as a guest artist during the 2003 Metropolitan Opera House season. Reciprocally, ABT Principal Dancer Julie Kent will travel to St. Petersburg, Russia to perform with the Kirov at the Mariinsky Theatre. For ABT, Ms. Vishneva will perform the role of Juliet opposite Vladimir Malakhov in Romeo and Juliet on Wednesday evening, June 11, at the Metropolitan Opera House. Ms. Kent will perform the title role of Giselle with Kirov Ballet at the Mariinsky Theatre in late March. Of the artists’ exchange, Kevin McKenzie, Artistic Director of American Ballet Theatre, said, “This exchange of talent is an extraordinary opportunity for ABT to work with great artists and to display ABT’s own artistry in other parts of the world. It is an experiment I hope to continue in the coming years.” Born in St. Petersburg, Russia, Diana Vishneva graduated from the Vaganova Ballet Academy and joined the Mariinsky Theatre (Kirov) Ballet in 1995. She was promoted to Principal Dancer in 1996. Her repertory with the company includes the title roles in Giselle and Manon, Kitri in Don Quixote, Nikiya in La Bayadère, Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, Princess Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty and Clemance in Raymonda. She has also danced leading roles in works by George Balanchine, including the third movement in Symphony in C, Terpischore in Apollo, Rubies in Jewels, and the Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux. Among the many prizes and awards bestowed on Ms. Vishneva are the Prix de Lausanne in 1994, the Prix Benois de la Danse in 1995, the BALTIKA prize in 1998 and the Golden Mask, the highest theatrical prize of Russia, in 2001. She was named “Best in Europe” for 2002 by Dance Europe magazine. (more) American Ballet Theatre Principal Dancer Julie Kent joined ABT in 1985 as a member of the corps de ballet. She was promoted to Soloist in 1990 and to Principal Dancer in 1993. She has danced all of the leading ballerina roles in the Company’s repertory including Odette/Odile in Swan Lake, Juliet in Romeo and Juliet and Princess Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty. Her contemporary repertoire includes roles in Apollo, Antony Tudor’s The Leaves Are Fading, Mark Morris’ Drink To Me Only With Thine Eyes, Clark Tippet’s Bruch Violin Concerto No. 1, James Kudelka’s Cruel World and Twyla Tharp’s Americans We and The Brahms/Hadyn Variations. Ms. Kent has won many awards including the Prix de Lausanne in 1986 and the Erik Bruhn Prize in 1993. In 2000, she captured the Prix Benois de la Danse, the only American to have won this prize. Subscriptions for American Ballet Theatre’s 2003 Metropolitan Opera House season are on sale now by phone at 212-362-6000. For more information, please visit ABT’s website at www.abt.org. American Ballet Theatre’s 2003 Metropolitan Opera House season is sponsored by UBS, ABT’s National Presenting Sponsor, and Movado Watch Company, a leading benefactor. ABT’s Spring season is also made possible with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency, and the National Endowment for the Arts.