Dale

I actually think that's a beautiful thing. For Veyette to want to have one more run-around with the rest of the guys of the company is pretty cool.

I agree, volcannohunter. I used to load up on Saturdays with maybe two different programs but the pairings in the coming seasons aren't as interesting to me. On a different note, finally got around to reading the NYT story on the new seasons and I guess I missed this news: "Alexei Ratmansky (Feb. 6), the company’s artist in residence. He will stage a suite of dances from Petipa’s full-length “Paquita” that incorporates the “Minkus Pas de Trois,” Balanchine’s restaging of the ballet’s pas de trois." Again, another rare Balanchine is being brought back. I think it's interesting that Whelan herself performed in some of the works revived for the historic 1993 Balanchine Celebration season. I'm pleased to think that maybe Wendy, having that experience, has led to her bringing those ballets back. She was in the cast for the revival of Haieff Divertimento in 1993. I don't believe it was performed thereafter before being brought back more recently. Whoever is responsible for these revivals, kudos. I'm looking forward to seeing these works, again.

Agree with you, cobweb. Lots to look forward to on the schedule. I thought the Divertimento No. 15/Vienna Waltzes program seemed light. I don't think I've ever seen Vienna Waltzes on a two-ballet program unless it was paired with another long ballet like Liebeslieder or Dances at a Gathering.

I saw it performed with the Suzanne Farrell Ballet and when it was revived in 1993 for the Balanchine Celebration. Kistler did the lead and Farrell coached her. It did not go well. A few dance critics covered the coaching for that celebration by the former Balanchine dancers. Anita Finkel was one but her story is not online. This feature on Kistler a few years later gives a little hint on how it went: "In this case, the apostolic succession went awry. ''Maybe it was too soon for Suzanne to give over that role, in her theater,'' said Ms. Kistler, who began to feel that everything about herself ''was wrong, down to the color of my tights, and we all have the same color tights -- pink.'' (A month after the Balanchine Celebration, Ms. Farrell, who had been working in strained circumstances, was dismissed by City Ballet. She did not return calls for this article.)" https://www.nytimes.com/1997/04/27/arts/life-down-on-earth-for-everybody-s-darling.html Put me down as another who, while I understand the need to change the name, does not like using the name of a different, previous ballet. I would have been OK with "Ravel Violin" and just called it a day. Knowing how Farrell likes portents and signs, I wonder if she didn't like the idea of using the name of an old, very lost Balanchine ballet.

Yay! Looks like Suzanne Farrell will be back to set another one of her roles at NYCB: Variations for Orchestra (with the help of her ballet master Michael Cook - don't want to forget his assistance). I'm really hoping this relationship grows to the point where Farrell will have City Ballet be the depository of all the work she revived for her company: selections from Don Q, Clarinade, Divertimento Brilliant etc.. And another seldom seen Balanchine ballet at NYCB is also returning: Sylvia Pas de Deux. And Andrew Vedette is retiring. I must have missed that announcement. I think he's been dancing as well as he ever has. I will miss him.

Press release: NEW YORK PREMIERE OF WAYNE MCGREGOR’S WOOLF WORKS TO HIGHLIGHT AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE’S SUMMER SEASON AT THE METROPOLITAN OPERA HOUSE, JUNE 18 – JULY 20, 2024 FORMER ABT PRINCIPAL DANCER ALESSANDRA FERRI TO APPEAR AS GUEST ARTIST IN WOOLF WORKS GENERAL PUBLIC ON SALE BEGINS MONDAY, APRIL 22 AT 12:00 P.M. NEW YORK, NY (April 8, 2024) – Tickets for ABT’s 2024 Summer season go on sale Monday, April 22 at 12:00 P.M. at the Metropolitan Opera House box office. Performances will run from June 18 through July 20, 2024, and will feature the New York Premiere of Wayne McGregor’sWoolf Works, as well as repertory favorites Onegin, Swan Lake, and Romeo and Juliet, plus the return of Tony Award® winner Christopher Wheeldon’s Like Water for Chocolate. Principal Dancers for the 2024 Summer season include Joo Won Ahn, Aran Bell, Isabella Boylston, Skylar Brandt, Daniel Camargo, Herman Cornejo, Thomas Forster, Catherine Hurlin, Gillian Murphy, Calvin Royal III, Hee Seo, Christine Shevchenko, Cory Stearns, Devon Teuscher, Cassandra Trenary, James Whiteside, and Roman Zhurbin. New York Premiere ABT will present the New York Premiere of Wayne McGregor’s Woolf Works on Tuesday evening, June 25 at 7:30 P.M. featuring ABT Guest Artist and former Principal Dancer Alessandra Ferri. Woolf Works, an award-winning ballet triptych, re-creates the emotions, themes, and fluid style of three of Virginia Woolf’s novels: Mrs. Dalloway, Orlando, and The Waves. Enmeshed with elements from Woolf’s letters, essays, and diaries, Woolf Works expresses the heart of an artistic life driven to discover a freer, uniquely modern realism. It brings to life Woolf’s world of “granite and rainbow,” where human beings are at once both physical body and uncontained essence. Woolf Works has received notable recognition and outstanding critical acclaim. The full-length contemporary ballet won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Dance Production, and McGregor was awarded the Critics Circle National Dance Award for Best Classical Choreography for the work. Created for The Royal Ballet in 2015, Woolf Works is structured into three acts: “I now, I then,” “Becomings,” and “Tuesday,” each starkly distinct in visual design and choreography. Woolf Works features concept, direction, and choreography by Wayne McGregor and music by Max Richter, with set design by Ciguë (“I now, I then”), We Not I (“Becomings”), and Wayne McGregor (“Tuesday”); costume design by Moritz Junge; lighting design by Lucy Carter; film design by Ravi Deepres; and dramaturgy by Uzma Hameed. Woolf Works is produced in association with the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London. This production was first seen at the Royal Opera House, London on May 11, 2015. The ballet will receive its North American Premiere by American Ballet Theatre on April 11, 2024, at Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa, California. During ABT’s 2024 Summer season, Woolf Works will be given seven performances through June 29. In addition to the opening night performance, Ferri will make a guest appearance on Friday, June 28, during ABT’s 2024 production of Woolf Works at the Metropolitan Opera House. This performance, as one of ABT’s 2024 Summer season celebratory evenings, will be dedicated to honoring Ferri and her career. 2024 Summer Season Celebratory Evenings This season, ABT unfolds a series of celebratory evenings, complete with a post-show toast on the Grand Tier of the Metropolitan Opera House. Admission is extended to that evening’s ticket holders with the purchase of an additional reception ticket. In the month of June, ABT will celebrate Opening Night of the Summer season on Tuesday, June 18, the New York Premiere of Wayne McGregor’s Woolf Works on Tuesday, June 25, and an evening honoring Guest Artist and former ABT Principal Dancer Alessandra Ferri on Friday, June 28. During July, the Corps de Ballet Celebration will take place on Friday, July 5, while Herman Cornejo’s 25th Anniversary Toast will take place on Friday, July 19. Reception tickets can be purchased for $98. For more information, visit www.abt.org/SummerEvents. Full-Length Productions ABT’s Summer season will kick off with seven performances of John Cranko’s Onegin beginning on Tuesday evening, June 18 at 7:30 P.M. with Devon Teuscher and Daniel Camargo in the leading roles. Set to music by Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky, arranged and orchestrated by Kurt-Heinz Stolze, Onegin is based on the verse-novel Eugene Onegin by Alexandrer Pushkin. Onegin received its World Premiere on April 13, 1965, by Stuttgart Ballet in Stuttgart, Germany. The ballet received its Company Premiere by American Ballet Theatre on June 1, 2001, at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York led by Julie Kent (Tatiana), Robert Hill (Onegin), Vladimir Malakhov (Lensky), and Maria Riccetto (Olga). This new production, with sets and costumes by Santo Loquasto and lighting by James F. Ingalls, was premiered by National Ballet of Canada on June 19, 2010, at the Four Seasons Center for the Performing Arts, Toronto, Canada, and was first performed by ABT on June 4, 2012, at the Metropolitan Opera House. Onegin is staged for ABT by Reid Anderson and Jane Bourne. Opening night at the Metropolitan Opera House on Tuesday, June 18 will conclude with a post-performance toast to kick off the Summer season. Week three of ABT’s Summer season will open on Monday evening, July 1 with the first performance of Swan Lake, led by Isabella Boylston as Odette-Odile and Daniel Camargo as Prince Siegfried. Set to music by Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky, Swan Lake is choreographed by Kevin McKenzie after Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov and features scenery and costumes by Zack Brown and lighting by Duane Schuler. This production of Swan Lake premiered on March 24, 2000, at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. with Julie Kent (Odette-Odile) and Angel Corella (Prince Siegfried) in the leading roles. The ballet will be given eight performances this season. Complete with a post-performance toast, the Friday, July 5 performance of Swan Lake will be a Corps de Ballet Celebration to honor ABT’s world-class talent in the corps de ballet. Kenneth MacMillan’s Romeo and Juliet will open on Tuesday evening, July 9 with Devon Teuscher and Aran Bell in the title roles. Set to the score by Sergei Prokofiev, Romeo and Juliet features scenery and costumes by Nicholas Georgiadis and lighting by Thomas Skelton. Romeo and Juliet received its World Premiere by The Royal Ballet in London on February 9, 1965, and was given its ABT Premiere at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. on January 3, 1985, with Leslie Browne and Robert La Fosse in the leading roles. Romeo and Juliet will be given seven performances through July 13 at the Metropolitan Opera House. The final week of the 2024 Summer season will feature seven performances of Like Water for Chocolate beginning Tuesday evening, July 16at 7:30 P.M. with Cassandra Trenary as Tita and Herman Cornejo as Pedro. Based on the bestselling novel by Laura Esquivel, Like Water for Chocolate tells the story of Tita, a young Mexican woman who is overwhelmed by a sense of duty and family tradition. Tita’s only form of expression is through cooking, but her life takes an unexpected turn when she falls in forbidden love with her neighbor Pedro. From the award-winning team of choreographer Christopher Wheeldon and composer Joby Talbot, this co-production with The Royal Ballet features scenery and costumes by Bob Crowley, lighting by Natasha Katz, and video design by Luke Halls. The ballet received its World Premiere by The Royal Ballet on June 2, 2022, at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London, led by Francesca Hayward as Tita and Marcelino Sambé as Pedro. It received its North American Premiere by American Ballet Theatre on March 29, 2023, at Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa, California, led by Cassandra Trenary as Tita and Herman Cornejo as Pedro. The Friday, July 19 performance of Like Water for Chocolate will mark the final 2024 Summer season celebratory evening in commemoration of Herman Cornejo’s 25th Anniversary with American Ballet Theatre. Family Programming ABTKids, American Ballet Theatre’s annual one-hour introduction to ballet for families, is scheduled for Saturday, June 22 at 11:00 A.M. with ABT Principal Dancer Misty Copeland set to host. A limited number of $150 VIP tickets are available for purchase that include premium seating, a souvenir gift bag, and a post-performance meet-and-greet with an ABT dancer. All other tickets for the ABTKids performance are $30. ASL interpretation will be provided. The 2024 Summer season will also include the return of ABT’s Pre-Performance Workshop series at the Metropolitan Opera House. Young fans will have the opportunity to participate in an hour of hands-on activities, designed as an introduction to the works they will see on the Met stage. Workshops will take place at 9:15 A.M. before the ABTKids performance on Saturday, June 22, and at 11:00 A.M. before the matinees of Swan Lake on Thursday, July 4 and Saturday, July 6. Workshop tickets are $20 and require a corresponding performance ticket. ABT Masters Series This summer, ABT launches the ABT Masters Series, a day long immersive experience for ballet fans to study one of ABT’s 20th century classical works. Designed for adults 20-years or older with beginner to advanced-beginner ballet experience, participants will start the day at ABT’s 890 Broadway studios for body conditioning and ballet technique classes before diving into a 90-minute repertoire workshop, exploring the history of the session’s ballet, its movement, and characters, all taught by ABT Artistic Staff members and notable ABT alumni. That evening, participants will attend a pre-show talk with an ABT dancer before watching the corresponding ABT performance in an Orchestra seat at the Metropolitan Opera House. The 2024 ABT Masters Series will run on Saturday, June 22 and Saturday, July 13 alongside performances of Onegin and Romeo and Juliet, respectively. The day-long experience can be purchased for $250, including workshop fees, pre-performance talk, and one Orchestra ticket to attend the evening performance at the Metropolitan Opera House. For more information, visit ABT’s website. Single Tickets Single tickets for American Ballet Theatre’s 2024 Summer season at the Metropolitan Opera House will be on sale beginning Monday, April 22 at 12:00 P.M. Tickets can be purchased by phone at 212-362-6000, in person at the Met Box Office, or online at ABT’s website. Tickets start at $30. The Metropolitan Opera House is located on Broadway between 64th and 65th streets in New York City. Ticket holders for the 2024 Summer season at the Metropolitan Opera House may exchange tickets up until noon the day of the performance at no charge, minus any difference in the ticket price. We regret that there are no refunds or cancellations. Discounted Tickets and Student Ticket Policy American Ballet Theatre offers $12-30 advance tickets and day of rush tickets for any full-time undergraduate or graduate student. A valid student ID is required. Tickets are subject to availability and require advance registration on the Met website. Limit two tickets per person, per performance. American Ballet Theatre offers $35 orchestra day of rush tickets to the general public for all performances. Two tickets may be purchased for one performance every seven days. Tickets are subject to availability and require advance registration on the Met website. American Ballet Theatre offers theatergoers under 30 years old $30 advance tickets to select performances. A limited number of tickets are available. Tickets are subject to availability and require an ID for pick up. Limit two tickets per person, per performance. *All casting, programming, and pricing are subject to change. ABOUT AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE American Ballet Theatre is one of the greatest dance companies in the world. Revered as a national treasure since its founding season in 1940, its mission is to create, present, preserve, and extend the great repertoire of classical dancing for the widest possible audience. Headquartered in New York City, ABT is the only cultural institution of its size and stature to extensively tour, enchanting audiences for eight decades in 50 U.S. states, 45 countries, and over 480 cities worldwide. ABT’s repertoire includes full-length classics from the nineteenth century, the finest works from the early twentieth century, and acclaimed contemporary masterpieces. In 2006, by an act of Congress, ABT was designated America's National Ballet Company®. Swan Lake is generously underwritten by R. Chemers Neustein. American Ballet Theatre’s performances of Romeo and Juliet are generously underwritten through an endowed gift from Ali and Monica Wambold. Leadership support of ABT’s New Works Initiative is provided by the Blavatnik Family Foundation, Mark Casey and Carrie Gaiser Casey, The Ted and Mary Jo Shen Charitable Gift Fund, and through an endowed gift from The Toni and Martin Sosnoff New Works Fund. Commissions and presentations of new works by women choreographers are supported by the ABT Women’s Movement. Champion support for the ABT Women’s Movement is provided by Jenna Segal. Special thanks to Denise Littlefield Sobel for her leadership gifts to: ABT Today Fund, advancing the Company’s mission; and ABT RISE, fueling the Company’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. ABT is supported, in part, with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of The Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature; and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council. For more information, please visit www.abt.org.

Press release: ABT STUDIO COMPANY CONCLUDES SPRING U.S. TOUR AT THE JOYCE THEATER IN NEW YORK CITY, MAY 1–5, 2024, WITH THREE NEW YORK PREMIERES AND ONE WORLD PREMIERE NEW YORK, NY (April 2, 2024) – American Ballet Theatre Studio Company returns to New York City to conclude their 2024 Spring U.S. tour with five performances at The Joyce Theater, May 1–5, 2024. The performance series will feature richly varied programs of original commissions plus classical and neoclassical favorites, including the New York Premieres of choreography by Amy Hall Garner, Jamar Roberts, and ABT Principal Dancer James Whiteside, and the World Premiere of a pas de deux by ABT Studio Company dancer Brady Farrar. Led by ABT Studio Company Artistic Director Sascha Radetsky, the central mission of ABT Studio Company is to prepare its pre-professional dancers – currently ages 17-22 – for careers at American Ballet Theatre or other leading ballet companies worldwide. 80% of current American Ballet Theatre dancers are alumni of ABT Studio Company, including 14 Principal Dancers and 9 Soloists. Each year, ABT Studio Company commissions new works from emerging and established choreographers and engages the broadest possible ballet audience by performing varied repertoire in a range of venues around the globe. ABT Studio Company’s 2023-2024 season features performances in 15 cities across the United States and in Córdoba, Mexico. ABT Studio Company dancers performing at The Joyce Theater are Max Barker, Kayke Carvalho, YeonSeo Choi, Brady Farrar, Elijah Geolina, Lilia Greyeyes, Daniel Guzmán, Arisu Hirata, Chaeyeon Kang, Audrey Lynn, Vince Pelegrin, and Trinity Santoro. ABT Studio Company Trainee and current ABT Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School student Sooha Park will additionally appear in the performances. ABT Studio Company welcomes four recent alumni to perform alongside the group at The Joyce, courtesy of American Ballet Theatre: ABT corps de ballet member Alejandro Valera Outlaw and ABT apprentices Madison Brown, Kyra Coco, and Sylvie Squires. ABT Studio Company’s repertory at The Joyce will include the following New York Premieres: Within the Sunset by Amy Hall Garner, a new work commissioned for ABT Studio Company, with music by Rodrigo y Gabriela, Lawson Rollins, and Estas Tonne. In the Face of Darkness by Jamar Roberts, a new work commissioned for ABT Studio Company, with music by Franz Schubert. Young & Beautiful by ABT Principal Dancer James Whiteside, a new work commissioned for ABT Studio Company, with music by Lana Del Ray. Night Falls (World Premiere) by ABT Studio Company dancer Brady Farrar, a new work commissioned for ABT Studio Company, with music by Frédéric Chopin. Lighting for all new works is designed by ABT Studio Company Production Manager Audrey Schultz. Additional repertory works presented by ABT Studio Company at The Joyce will be The Seasons pas de deux by Alexei Ratmansky, Known By Heart Duet © by Twyla Tharp, “Country Gardens” from Brief Fling © by Tharp, Flight of the Bumblebee by Brady Farrar, excerpts from The Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake after Marius Petipa, and the Diana and Acteon pas de deux after Agrippina Vaganova. Tickets starting at $12, including fees, can be purchased online and at The Joyce box office at 175 Eighth Avenue. *All casting, programming, and pricing are subject to change. Wednesday, May 1, 2024, 7:30 P.M. Diana and Acteon pas de deux (after Agrippina Vaganova) Flight of the Bumblebee (Brady Farrar) The Seasons pas de deux (Alexei Ratmansky) “Neapolitan Dance” from Swan Lake (after Marius Petipa) Young & Beautiful (James Whiteside) – New York Premiere Known By Heart Duet © (Twyla Tharp) “Rose Adagio” from The Sleeping Beauty (after Marius Petipa) Night Falls (Brady Farrar) – World Premiere Within the Sunset (Amy Hall Garner) – New York Premiere Thursday, May 2, 2024, 8:00 P.M. Diana and Acteon pas de deux (after Agrippina Vaganova) Flight of the Bumblebee (Brady Farrar) The Seasons pas de deux (Alexei Ratmansky) “Neapolitan Dance” from Swan Lake (after Marius Petipa) Young & Beautiful (James Whiteside) Known By Heart Duet © (Twyla Tharp) “Rose Adagio” from The Sleeping Beauty (after Marius Petipa) Night Falls (Brady Farrar) Within the Sunset (Amy Hall Garner) Friday, May 3, 2024, 8:00 P.M. Diana and Acteon pas de deux (after Agrippina Vaganova) Flight of the Bumblebee (Brady Farrar) The Seasons pas de deux (Alexei Ratmansky) “Rose Adagio” from The Sleeping Beauty (after Marius Petipa) “Country Gardens” from Brief Fling © (Twyla Tharp) In the Face of Darkness (Jamar Roberts) - New York Premiere “Neapolitan Dance” from Swan Lake (after Marius Petipa) Night Falls (Brady Farrar) Within the Sunset (Amy Hall Garner) Saturday, May 4, 2024, 8:00 P.M. Diana and Acteon pas de deux (after Agrippina Vaganova) The Seasons pas de deux (Alexei Ratmansky) “Neapolitan Dance” from Swan Lake (after Marius Petipa) Young & Beautiful (James Whiteside) “Country Gardens” from Brief Fling © (Twyla Tharp) Night Falls (Brady Farrar) “Rose Adagio” from The Sleeping Beauty (after Marius Petipa) Flight of the Bumblebee (Brady Farrar) Within the Sunset (Amy Hall Garner) Sunday, May 5, 2024, 7:30 P.M. Diana and Acteon pas de deux (after Agrippina Vaganova) Flight of the Bumblebee (Brady Farrar) The Seasons pas de deux (Alexei Ratmansky) “Neapolitan Dance” from Swan Lake (after Marius Petipa) Young & Beautiful (James Whiteside) Known By Heart Duet © (Twyla Tharp) “Rose Adagio” from The Sleeping Beauty (after Marius Petipa) Night Falls (Brady Farrar) Within the Sunset (Amy Hall Garner) For more information about ABT Studio Company, please visit ABT’s website and follow @ABTStudioCo on Instagram. *All casting, programming, and pricing are subject to change. American Ballet Theatre recognizes the following donors for their extraordinary giving in support of ABT Studio Company: Sofia Elizalde, Patricia R. Morton, James M. and Nora C. Orphanides, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, and The Ted and Mary Jo Shen Charitable Gift Fund. Additional support provided by Edward "Chip" Beam in loving memory of John and Jack, Sandra and Charles Carmeci, Mr. and Mrs. Peter L. Malkin, The Agnes Varis Fund, Constance A. Woo, and four anonymous donors. Commissions and presentations of new work by women choreographers are supported by the ABT Women’s Movement. Champion support for the ABT Women’s Movement is provided by Jenna Segal. Leadership support of ABT’s New Works initiatives is provided by the Blavatnik Family Foundation, Mark Casey and Carrie Gaiser Casey, The Ted and Mary Jo Shen Charitable Gift Fund, and through an endowed gift from the Toni and Martin Sosnoff New Works Fund. Special thanks to Denise Littlefield Sobel for her leadership gifts to: ABT Today Fund, advancing the Company's mission; and ABT RISE, fueling the Company’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Thank you for the excerpt. New release date is March 12. https://www.academicapress.com/node/611#:~:text=Balanchine and Me is dedicated,to lead for 35 years. https://www.amazon.com/Balanchine-Me-Peter-Martins/dp/1680536265/ref=sr_1_1?crid=AVDDNZ7UIXVE&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.rSYwLjBUrjJQZ-oPUKJ6X5qZ7ZGwbUws7tjwgmy_wjylWI1gHXIk-IRHnogw6YkO1i3K43Tibl_ysRSYGdGkWo7l3a0GTT1SUHU3my1XHyLv8Q_6AdoHBCeWVW7zDiIFDvCXni8kFQZ9aUwWNp16q7uqV9w2wbUt9v-xuqgQ4E8J3jDH25qH8_MV48Uy7Iiq8MbD5vJmdb_FIhXjwbQ3CqaGSUGy2AvErfthicwbfMs.xFPoBumw7Q-r04oyTV2Xg3_AY-a6NHljJEWzmZMx_pg&dib_tag=se&keywords=Balanchine&qid=1711490227&s=books&sprefix=balanchine%2Cstripbooks%2C99&sr=1-1

A news release: 2023 CLIVE BARNES AWARD FINALISTS ANNOUNCED 14th ANNUAL AWARDS CEREMONY TO BE HELD MONDAY, APRIL 29 AT 5:30PM AT FLORENCE GOULD HALL CEREMONY TO BE HOSTED BY NY1’S FRANK DiLELLA, NINA ARIANDA AND NORTON OWEN TO SERVE AS PRESENTERS AWARD CEREMONY TO FEATURE PERFORMANCES BY ZOEY ANDERSON, CHRISTOPHER BLOOM, GILBERT BOLDEN III, MIRA NADON, AND EVAN RUGGIERO New York, NY – March 26, 2024 - The Clive & Valerie Barnes Foundation (CVBF) has announced the 2023 finalists for The Clive Barnes Award in Dance and Theatre. The finalists are among the many outstanding young artists of promise in New York theatre and dance. Emmy Award winning journalist and TV host Frank DiLella will host the Awards ceremony on Monday, April 29 at 5:30pm at Florence Gould Hall, 55 East 59th Street in New York City. Dance Finalists: Michael de la Nuez, Frances Lorraine Samon, Jake Roxander, Mac Twining Theatre Finalists: Jordan Dobson, Liam Pearce, Lark White, Anna Zavelson For the first time, the ceremony will include featured performances by dancers Zoey Anderson, Christopher Bloom, Gilbert Bolden III, and Mira Nadon, and actor Evan Ruggiero. Tony Award® winner Nina Arianda (CBVF, 2009 winner) and Jacob’s Pillow Director of Preservation Norton Owen will serve as Presenters at the Awards Ceremony on Monday, April 29 at 5:30pm at Florence Gould Hall, 55 East 59th Street in New York City. This year’s finalists have been nominated by the Foundation’s 11-member Selection Committee comprised of arts journalists and accomplished professionals in each field. Nominees were selected based on live performances given in New York City between January and December of 2023. Winners in each category will be awarded an unrestricted gift of $5,000. "We are delighted to honor this year's finalists and winners, and to expand the celebration of young emerging talent with special performances by our alumni in theatre and dance,” said Lloyd Mayor, President of the Clive & Valerie Barnes Foundation and 2014 winner of the Clive Barnes Award for Dance. “The Foundation has planned a thrilling and vibrant award ceremony, a showcase of the best in today’s performing arts.” Tickets to The Clive Barnes Awards Ceremony and post-awards reception are priced at $30 for general admission, and $20 for artists, students of the arts, and arts administrators. To purchase tickets and read bios on the Award’s finalists, please visit: https://www.cvbarnesfoundation.org/ About the Foundation The Clive and Valerie Barnes Foundation supports young artists through recognition, encouragement, and financial support. Throughout his professional life, Clive Barnes was caring and generous to his colleagues and friends, always ready to advise and listen. After his death, many condolence letters spoke of his generosity and practical help, especially to young people. In this spirit, The Clive Barnes Foundation was formed in 2009 (renamed in 2020 to honor founder Valerie Taylor-Barnes) to create Annual Awards giving recognition, encouragement, and financial support to two talented young professionals, one in Dance and one in Theatre, thus, honoring the memory of the many years of critical work and the warm personal generosity of Clive Barnes and Valerie Taylor. Select past winners of The Clive Barnes Award include Nina Arianda (2009), Isabella Boylston (2011), Michaela Jaé Rodriguez (2011), Rob McClure (2012), Alex Sharp (2014), Zoe Anderson (2018), Andrew Burnap (2019), Celia Rose Gooding (2019), Mira Nadon (2021), Justin Cooley (2021), and Lorna Courtney (2022).

Gala news: AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE TO HOST 2024 SPRING GALA: BALLET BRILLIANCE TUESDAY, MAY 14, 2024, AT CIPRIANI 42ND STREET NEW YORK, NY (March 25, 2024) – American Ballet Theatre will host the 2024 Spring Gala: Ballet Brilliance on Tuesday, May 14, 2024, at 6:30 P.M. at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York City. Performed by ABT’s extraordinary dancers, this one-night-only program will feature a curated selection of excerpts from ABT’s upcoming 2024 Summer season, including a preview of Wayne McGregor’s Woolf Works ahead of the New York Premiere. Repertory for ABT’s 2024 Spring Gala will include the pas de deux from Acts II and III from Kevin McKenzie’s production of Swan Lake with music by Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky; two pas de deux excerpts from John Cranko’s Onegin with music by Tchaikovsky; excerpts of “Becomings” and “Tuesday” from Wayne McGregor’s Woolf Works; the Act III pas de deux from Kenneth MacMillan’s Romeo and Juliet set to music by Sergei Prokofiev; and the Act III pas de deux from Christopher Wheeldon’s Like Water for Chocolate with music by Joby Talbot. Dancers scheduled to perform are Joo Won Ahn, Aran Bell, Isabella Boylston, Skylar Brandt, Herman Cornejo, Thomas Forster, Catherine Hurlin, Gillian Murphy, Calvin Royal III, Christine Shevchenko, Cory Stearns, Devon Teuscher, Cassandra Trenary, James Whiteside, Chloe Misseldine, and Jake Roxander. Following the performance, Gala guests will enjoy dinner and dancing. The Gala evening will honor Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Chai Vasarhelyi for her incomparable commitment to artistic excellence and innovation as a filmmaker, as well as her fervent advocacy of classical ballet. Honorary Chairs for the 2024 Spring Gala are Susan Fales-Hill, Elizabeth Segerstrom, and Blaine Trump. Gala Chairs include Sarah Arison, Amy Astley, Avery and Andrew Barth, Emily Blavatnik, Hamish Bowles, Malcolm Carfrae, Mr. and Mrs. Austin T. Fragomen, Christine and Stephen Schwarzman, Jenna and Paul Segal, Melissa A. Smith, and Sutton Stracke. Casey Kohlberg, Lilah Ramzi, and Zachary Weiss will serve as Junior Chairs. To learn more and purchase tickets, please visit ABT’s website or contact ABT’s Special Events Department with any questions. Complete casting follows. ABT 2024 Summer Season ABT’s 2024 Summer season will run from June 18 – July 20 at the Metropolitan Opera House. The season will kick off with seven performances of John Cranko’s Onegin beginning on Tuesday evening, June 18 at 7:30 P.M. with Devon Teuscher and Daniel Camargo in the leading roles. The New York Premiere of Wayne McGregor’s Woolf Works is set for Tuesday evening, June 25 at 7:30 P.M. Woolf Works, an award-winning ballet triptych, re-creates the emotions, themes, and fluid style of three of Virginia Woolf’s novels: Mrs. Dalloway, Orlando, and The Waves. Woolf Works will be given seven performances through June 29. Week three of ABT’s Summer season will open on Monday evening, July 1 with the first of eight performances of Swan Lake, led by Isabella Boylston as Odette-Odile and Daniel Camargo as Prince Siegfried. Next, Kenneth MacMillan’s Romeo and Juliet will open on Tuesday evening, July 9 with Devon Teuscher and Aran Bell in the title roles, running for seven performances through July 13. The final week of the 2024 Summer season will feature seven performances of Like Water for Chocolate beginning Tuesday evening, July 16 at 7:30 P.M. with Cassandra Trenary as Tita and Herman Cornejo as Pedro. *All casting, programming, and pricing are subject to change. ABOUT AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE American Ballet Theatre is one of the greatest dance companies in the world. Revered as a national treasure since its founding season in 1940, its mission is to create, present, preserve, and extend the great repertoire of classical dancing for the widest possible audience. Headquartered in New York City, ABT is the only cultural institution of its size and stature to extensively tour, enchanting audiences for eight decades in 50 U.S. states, 45 countries, and over 480 cities worldwide. ABT’s repertoire includes full-length classics from the nineteenth century, the finest works from the early twentieth century, and acclaimed contemporary masterpieces. In 2006, by an act of Congress, ABT was designated America's National Ballet Company®. Swan Lake is generously underwritten by R. Chemers Neustein. American Ballet Theatre’s performances of Romeo and Juliet are generously underwritten through an endowed gift from Ali and Monica Wambold. Leadership support of ABT's New Works Initiative is provided by the Blavatnik Family Foundation, Mark Casey and Carrie Gaiser Casey, The Ted and Mary Jo Shen Charitable Gift Fund, and through an endowed gift from The Toni and Martin Sosnoff New Works Fund. Commissions and presentations of new works by women choreographers are supported by the ABT Women’s Movement. Champion support for the ABT Women’s Movement is provided by Jenna Segal. Special thanks to Denise Littlefield Sobel for her leadership gifts to: ABT Today Fund, advancing the Company’s mission; and ABT RISE, fueling the Company’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. ABT is supported, in part, with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of The Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature; and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council. For more information, please visit www.abt.org. 2024 SPRING GALA - CASTING.pdf

Other news: AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE WELCOMES BARRY HUGHSON AS NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR NEW YORK, NY (March 14, 2024) – American Ballet Theatre and Andrew Barth, Chairman of the Board of Governing Trustees, are delighted to announce Barry Hughson's appointment as the Company's new Executive Director, effective July 1, 2024. Hughson, known for his transformative leadership within the arts sector, joins ABT with an impressive track record from his previous tenure at The National Ballet of Canada, where he was pivotal in strengthening the company’s financial foundations and international stature. Hughson’s career is distinguished by his commitment to the arts, demonstrated through his strategic leadership roles at some of the most respected ballet companies, including the Boston Ballet and Atlanta Ballet. His achievements encompass a broad range of initiatives to expand audience engagement, enhance financial health, and foster artistic collaboration. At The National Ballet of Canada, he led significant projects that elevated the company’s profile and ensured its sustainability, underscoring his ability to merge artistic vision with operational excellence. Andrew Barth expressed his enthusiasm for Hughson’s appointment, emphasizing the alignment of his experience with ABT’s mission: “It is a great honor to welcome Barry Hughson to ABT. His commitment to the arts and his visionary leadership are exactly what ABT needs as we move forward. Barry's ability to balance artistic excellence with operational acumen promises an exciting new chapter for our beloved institution.” Susan Jaffe, Artistic Director, shared her anticipation of collaborating with Hughson: “What a profound honor it is for me to work alongside Barry as we chart ABT's future. His leadership and dedication to the arts will undoubtedly enrich our Company, furthering our commitment to excellence and innovation.” Barry Hughson shared his vision for ABT’s future: “ABT is an American treasure and holds an important place in dance history. It is a profound honor to help navigate post-pandemic challenges, pursue opportunities for growth, and protect a Company that I have loved from the time I was a young ballet student dreaming big dreams. I look forward to working with the exceptional team at ABT, Andrew Barth, and Susan Jaffe to continue the legacy of excellence and to introduce our remarkable artists to wider audiences. Together, we will write the next chapter in the storied history of this remarkable Company.” With Hughson, the Company looks forward to continuing its tradition of excellence and innovation in the world of ballet. For more details about Barry Hughson's professional journey and vision for American Ballet Theatre, please visit abt.org. ABOUT AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE American Ballet Theatre is one of the greatest dance companies in the world. Revered as a national treasure since its founding season in 1940, its mission is to create, present, preserve, and extend the great repertoire of classical dancing for the widest possible audience. Headquartered in New York City, ABT is the only cultural institution of its size and stature to extensively tour, enchanting audiences for eight decades in 50 U.S. states, 45 countries, and over 480 cities worldwide. ABT’s repertoire includes full-length classics from the nineteenth century, the finest works from the early twentieth century, and acclaimed contemporary masterpieces. In 2006, by an act of Congress, ABT was designated America's National Ballet Company®.

I did eventually get it sent to me. Yes, they said "check your junk folder" but it wasn't there. That's fine. About the pictures of Farrell and d'Amboise from Apollo. It's so weird that they're credited as from 1972 when Farrell was no longer in the company. They are probably either the 1960s when the two were filmed performing Apollo. Anyway, I really do hope this book comes out. The forward talks about Croce's mastery as a critic but that in her book, she's grappling and wrestling with a swarm of thoughts on Balanchine's work. I'm totally there for that.

Yup. Same. From Helene's experience, I figured somebody forwards it by hand, so I waited until business hours the next day. When I didn't receive anything, I emailed. But never heard back. I'll try to track it down next week if it doesn't come.

I've been picking my way through this. Pleasant nighttime reading. I do find it interesting where Homan goes heavy on a topic and where she just glosses over. For example, she had a page or so on the composer Xenakis and practically nothing on Gelsey Kirkland. She looked closely at Balanchine's use or non-use of Black dancers, quoting from an interview she did with Mel Tomlinson before he passed away in 2019, yet didn't mention Debra Austin, for whom he made an indelible solo in Ballo della Regina. Homan writes a lot about Arthur Mitchell but never mentions the charming pas de deux Balanchine created for him and Mary Hinkson for The Figure in the Carpet. Seems odd not to mention, in the context of a discussion on Balanchine and race, the two times he did choreograph parts on Black women.

Official release: NEW YORK PREMIERE OF WAYNE MCGREGOR’S WOOLF WORKS TO HIGHLIGHT AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE’S SUMMER SEASON AT THE METROPOLITAN OPERA HOUSE, JUNE 18 – JULY 20, 2024 FORMER ABT PRINCIPAL DANCER ALESSANDRA FERRI TO APPEAR AS GUEST ARTIST IN WOOLF WORKS SUBSCRIPTIONS ON SALE MONDAY, NOVEMBER 20 AT 12:00 P.M. NEW YORK, NY (November 15, 2023) – American Ballet Theatre’s 2024 Summer season at the Metropolitan Opera House, June 18 – July 20, will feature the New York Premiere of Wayne McGregor’s Woolf Works, as announced today by Artistic Director Susan Jaffe. The season will also see the return of Tony Award® winner Christopher Wheeldon’s Like Water for Chocolate, as well as beloved classic productions of Onegin,Swan Lake, and Romeo and Juliet. Principal Dancers for the 2024 Summer season include Joo Won Ahn, Aran Bell, Isabella Boylston, Skylar Brandt, Daniel Camargo, Herman Cornejo, Thomas Forster, Catherine Hurlin, Gillian Murphy, Calvin Royal III, Hee Seo, Christine Shevchenko, Cory Stearns, Devon Teuscher, Cassandra Trenary, James Whiteside, and Roman Zhurbin. New York Premiere ABT will present the New York Premiere of Wayne McGregor’s Woolf Works on Tuesday evening, June 25 at 7:30 P.M. Woolf Works, an award-winning ballet triptych, re-creates the emotions, themes, and fluid style of three of Virginia Woolf’s novels: Mrs. Dalloway, Orlando, and The Waves. Enmeshed with elements from Woolf’s letters, essays, and diaries, Woolf Works expresses the heart of an artistic life driven to discover a freer, uniquely modern realism. It brings to life Woolf’s world of “granite and rainbow,” where human beings are at once both physical body and uncontained essence. Woolf Works has received notable recognition and outstanding critical acclaim. The full-length contemporary ballet won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Dance Production, and McGregor was awarded the Critics Circle National Dance Award for Best Classical Choreography for the work. Created for The Royal Ballet in 2015, Woolf Works is structured into three acts: “I Now, I Then,” “Becomings,” and “Tuesday,” each starkly distinct in visual design and choreography. Woolf Works features choreography by Wayne McGregor and music by Max Richter, with set design by Ciguë (“I Now, I Then”), We Not I (“Becomings”), and Wayne McGregor (“Tuesday”); costume design by Moritz Junge; lighting design by Lucy Carter; film design by Ravi Deepres; and dramaturgy by Uzma Hameed. It is set to receive its North American Premiere by American Ballet Theatre on April 11, 2023, at Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa, California. Woolf Works will be given seven performances through June 29. Alessandra Ferri, former Principal Dancer with ABT from 1985 to 2007, will make a guest appearance for two performances, on Tuesday, June 25 and Friday, June 28, during ABT’s 2024 production of Woolf Works at the Metropolitan Opera House. The performance on Friday, June 28 will be dedicated to honoring Ferri and her career. Full-Length Productions ABT’s Summer season will kick off with seven performances of John Cranko’s Onegin beginning on Tuesday evening, June 18 at 7:30 P.M. with Devon Teuscher and Daniel Camargo in the leading roles. Set to music by Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky, arranged and orchestrated by Kurt-Heinz Stolze, Onegin is based on the verse-novel Eugene Onegin by Alexandrer Pushkin. Onegin received its World Premiere on April 13, 1965, by Stuttgart Ballet in Stuttgart, Germany. The ballet received its Company Premiere by American Ballet Theatre on June 1, 2001, at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York led by Julie Kent (Tatiana), Robert Hill (Onegin), Vladimir Malakhov (Lensky), and Maria Riccetto (Olga). This new production, with sets and costumes by Santo Loquasto and lighting by James F. Ingalls, was premiered by National Ballet of Canada on June 19, 2010, at the Four Seasons Center for the Performing Arts, Toronto, Canada, and was first performed by ABT on June 4, 2012, at the Metropolitan Opera House. Onegin is staged for ABT by Reid Anderson and Jane Bourne. Week three of ABT’s Summer season will open on Monday evening, July 1 with the first performance of Swan Lake, led by Isabella Boylston as Odette-Odile and Daniel Camargo as Prince Siegfried. Set to music by Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky, Swan Lake is choreographed by Kevin McKenzie after Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov and features scenery and costumes by Zack Brown and lighting by Duane Schuler. This production of Swan Lake premiered on March 24, 2000, at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. with Julie Kent (Odette-Odile) and Angel Corella (Prince Siegfried) in the leading roles. The ballet will be given eight performances this season. The Friday, July 5 performance of Swan Lake will be a “Corps de Ballet Celebration” to honor ABT’s world-class talent in the corps de ballet. Kenneth MacMillan’s Romeo and Juliet will open on Tuesday evening, July 9 with Devon Teuscher and Aran Bell in the title roles. Set to the score by Sergei Prokofiev, Romeo and Juliet features scenery and costumes by Nicholas Georgiadis and lighting by Thomas Skelton. Romeo and Juliet received its World Premiere by The Royal Ballet in London on February 9, 1965, and was given its ABT Premiere at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. on January 3, 1985, with Leslie Browne and Robert La Fosse in the leading roles. Romeo and Juliet will be given seven performances through July 13 at the Metropolitan Opera House. The final week of the 2024 Summer season will feature seven performances of Like Water for Chocolate beginning Tuesday evening, July 16 at 7:30 P.M. with Cassandra Trenary as Tita and Herman Cornejo as Pedro. Based on the bestselling novel by Laura Esquivel, Like Water for Chocolate tells the story of Tita, a young Mexican woman who is overwhelmed by a sense of duty and family tradition. Tita’s only form of expression is through cooking, but her life takes an unexpected turn when she falls in forbidden love with her neighbor Pedro. From the award-winning team of choreographer Christopher Wheeldon and composer Joby Talbot, this co-production with The Royal Ballet features scenery and costumes by Bob Crowley, lighting by Natasha Katz, and video design by Luke Halls. The ballet received its World Premiere by The Royal Ballet on June 2, 2022, at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London, led by Francesca Hayward as Tita and Marcelino Sambé as Pedro. It received its North American Premiere by American Ballet Theatre on March 29, 2023, at Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa, California, led by Cassandra Trenary as Tita and Herman Cornejo as Pedro. The Friday, July 19 performance of Like Water for Chocolate will celebrate Herman Cornejo’s 25th Anniversary with American Ballet Theatre. ABTKids ABTKids, American Ballet Theatre’s annual one-hour introduction to ballet for families, is scheduled for Saturday, June 22 at 11:00 A.M. All tickets for ABTKids are $25. Subscriptions Subscriptions for American Ballet Theatre’s 2024 Summer season at the Metropolitan Opera House, on sale beginning Monday, November 20 at 12:00 P.M., or online at ABT’s website www.abt.org. *All casting, programming, and pricing are subject to change. ABOUT AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE American Ballet Theatre is one of the greatest dance companies in the world. Revered as a national treasure since its founding season in 1940, its mission is to create, present, preserve, and extend the great repertoire of classical dancing for the widest possible audience. Headquartered in New York City, ABT is the only cultural institution of its size and stature to extensively tour, enchanting audiences for eight decades in 50 U.S. states, 45 countries, and over 480 cities worldwide. ABT’s repertoire includes full-length classics from the nineteenth century, the finest works from the early twentieth century, and acclaimed contemporary masterpieces. In 2006, by an act of Congress, ABT was designated America's National Ballet Company®. Swan Lake is generously underwritten by R. Chemers Neustein. American Ballet Theatre’s performances of Romeo and Juliet are generously underwritten through an endowed gift from Ali and Monica Wambold. Leadership support of ABT’s New Works Initiative is provided by Mark Casey and Carrie Gaiser Casey, The Ted and Mary Jo Shen Charitable Gift Fund, and through an endowed gift from The Toni and Martin Sosnoff New Works Fund. Commissions and presentations of new works by women choreographers are supported by the ABT Women’s Movement. Champion support for the ABT Women’s Movement is provided by Jenna Segal. Special thanks to Denise Littlefield Sobel for her leadership gifts to: ABT Today Fund, advancing the Company’s mission; and ABT RISE, fueling the Company’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. ABT is supported, in part, with public funds from the National Endowment for the Arts; the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of The Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature; and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council. For more information, please visit www.abt.org.