Dale

A note about programing and casting for Weeks 3 and 4. From the press department: Christopher Wheeldon’sThis Bitter Earth has been added to the “Masters at Work” programs on Friday, October 10; Thursday, October 16; and Saturday, October 18 (matinee); and will not be performed on the remaining “21st Century Choreographers I” programs on Tuesday, October 7; Thursday, October 9; and Saturday, October 11 (evening). Casting will remain the same, with Wendy Whelan and Tyler Angle scheduled to dance This Bitter Earth at each performance.

From the company: AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE ANNOUNCES PLANS FOR 75th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION Plans were announced today for American Ballet Theatre’s 75th Anniversary season by Kevin McKenzie, Artistic Director, and Rachel S. Moore, CEO. The 15-month long celebration will be highlighted by performances of ABT’s historic repertoire presented during the Company’s 2014 and 2015 seasons, a special PBS American Masters documentary by Ric Burns, a touring exhibit by the Library of Congress, a 75th Anniversary Gala and a new commemorative souvenir program. HISTORIC REPERTOIRE The span of American Ballet Theatre’s 75th Anniversary celebration will offer a retrospective of the Company’s vast repertoire performed at the Company’s New York and tour venues. Works scheduled represent both the work of 20th century master choreographers most closely associated with Ballet Theatre, and newer works from leading 21st century choreographers. Beginning with the Fall season at the David H. Koch Theater, October 22-November 2, 2014, works such as Antony Tudor’s Jardin aux Lilas and Jerome Robbins’ Fancy Free will share the program with ballets by Liam Scarlett, Christopher Wheeldon and Alexei Ratmansky. ABT’s Spring season will feature ballets performed during the Company’s first decade which formed the foundation of ABT’s identity, including Michel Fokine’s Les Sylphides, George Balanchine’s Theme and Variations (created for ABT in 1947), Tudor’s Pillar of Fire (created for ABT in1942) and Agnes de Mille’s Rodeo (given its ABT Premiere in 1950). ALL-NEW PRODUCTION OF THE SLEEPING BEAUTY The cornerstone of American Ballet Theatre’s 75th Anniversary celebration will be an all-new, full-length production of The Sleeping Beauty choreographed by ABT Artist in Residence Alexei Ratmansky. Scheduled for its World Premiere on March 3, 2015 at Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa, California, the previously announced production of The Sleeping Beauty is set to the famous Tchaikovsky score, with scenery and costumes by Tony Award®-winning designer Richard Hudson. Hudson’s designs will be based on the historic work of Léon Bakst, who created a seminal version of The Sleeping Beauty for Serge Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes in 1921. ABT’s all-new version of The Sleeping Beauty is a co-production with Teatro alla Scala. NEW WORKS In keeping with American Ballet Theatre’s mission to encourage the creation of new works, the Company will present a new work by Liam Scarlett for Fall 2014 and by Mark Morris for Fall 2015. Scarlett’s new work, scheduled for its World Premiere on Wednesday, October 22, is set to music by Sergei Rachmaninoff and features costumes by Scarlett and lighting by Brad Fields. Details of the Fall 2015 World Premiere by Morris are still to be announced. 75th ANNIVERSARY GALA A diamond anniversary Gala performance and evening is planned for Monday, May 18, 2015 at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York. The evening will feature performances spanning ABT’s seven and a half decades, with film excerpts of historic performances, interviews with major figures in the dance world and special guest appearances. AMERICAN MASTERS – A FILM BY RIC BURNS American Ballet Theatre’s 75th Anniversary and its extraordinary history will be the subject of a film by Emmy award-winning filmmaker Ric Burns to be featured on American Masters, PBS’ acclaimed biography series highlighting arts and culture. Scheduled for broadcast in May 2015, American Ballet Theatre: A Documentary Film combines intimate rehearsal footage and dramatic performances featuring the stars of today with interviews of many key figures from ABT’s past, present and future (Alicia Alonso, Donald Saddler, Frederic Franklin, Kevin McKenzie, Alexei Ratmansky). The film chronicles the Company from its modest beginnings on the eve of World War II to the present as one of the most respected dance companies on the world stage today. LIBRARY OF CONGRESS EXHIBIT A special exhibit at the Library of Congress, American Ballet Theatre: Touring the Globe for 75 Years, is on view August 14, 2014 through January 24, 2015 in the Performing Arts Reading Room at the Library of Congress’ James Madison Building. The exhibition celebrates the Company’s vibrant history, with objects drawn primarily from the Library of Congress’ American Ballet Theatre Collection, as well as from its extensive dance and music collections. The exhibition will travel to the Library of Congress/Ira Gershwin Gallery at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, where it will be on view for six months (March 2015–August 2015). For more information, please visit www.loc.gov. GUGGENHEIM WORKS & PROCESS The Guggenheim Museum’s Works & Process performing arts series will present a three-part retrospective of American Ballet Theatre’s 75 years, April 19-20, 2015. Featuring repertory excerpts from ABT’s 2014-15 seasons, Works & Process’ combined format of seminar and performance will showcase the Company history and achievements in 25-year increments. Tickets are available beginning January 2015. For more information, please visit: http://www.guggenheim.org. COMMEMORATIVE SOUVENIR PROGRAM A new souvenir program will be issued for American Ballet Theatre’s Spring 2015 season. Combining historic photos with commissioned conceptual photos by renowned fashion and dance photographer Fabrizio Ferri, ABT’s 75th Anniversary souvenir program will include interviews with alumni and current dancers, along with essays on each quarter century of the Company’s history. ABT’s 75th Anniversary souvenir program will be offered for sale during performances beginning with the 2015 Spring season at the Metropolitan Opera House. Subscriptions for American Ballet Theatre’s 2015 Spring Season at the Metropolitan Opera House are available by phone and online beginning October 27, 2014. For more information, please visit www.abt.org. American Ballet Theatre gratefully acknowledges Lead Sponsor of The Sleeping Beauty, David H. Koch. Additional leadership support is generously provided by the Lloyd E. Rigler - Lawrence E. Deutsch Foundation. Costume support for The Sleeping Beauty is generously provided by Linda Allard. The Sleeping Beauty is generously supported through an endowed gift from The Toni and Martin Sosnoff New Works Fund. The Liam Scarlett World Premiere and New Mark Morris work are generously supported by the Toni and Martin Sosnoff Foundation and through an endowed gift from the Toni and Martin Sosnoff New Works Fund. Howard S. Paley is a Sponsor of the Liam Scarlett World Premiere. Follow American Ballet Theatre on Twitter at http://twitter.com/ABTBallet on Facebook at http://facebook.com/AmericanBalletTheatre or on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/ABTBalletTheatre

The release (it's a bit messy since I'm on my iPad): PALOMA HERRERA, JULIE KENT AND XIOMARA REYES TO RETIRE AS PRINCIPAL DANCERS WITH AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE Final Performances Scheduled for 2015 Spring Season at Metropolitan Opera House Paloma Herrera, Julie Kent and Xiomara Reyes, Principal Dancers with American Ballet Theatre, have announced their retirements from the Company at the conclusion of the 2015 Metropolitan Opera House season in New York City. These three unique ballerinas have each made such distinctive contributions to ABT throughout the years, Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie stated. With them, an era of our history resides. Their remarkable careers will be three more reasons to celebrate our 75th Anniversary season. Paloma Herrera will give her farewell on Tuesday evening, June 9 as Princess Aurora in Alexei Ratmanskys The Sleeping Beauty. Julie Kent will dance her final performance with ABT on Saturday evening, June 20 as Juliet in Romeo and Juliet. Xiomara Reyes will give her farewell on Wednesday evening, May 27 dancing the title role in Giselle. Paloma Herrera was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and began her ballet studies with Olga Ferri at the age of seven. As a young dancer, she was a first prize winner at several major competitions in South America, and, at the age of 11, studied at the Minsk Ballet School in Russia before returning to Buenos Aires to dance the role of Cupid in Don Quixote at the Teatro Colón. Herrera was a Finalist at the Fourteenth International Ballet Competition in Varna, Bulgaria in 1990, after which she was invited by Natalia Makarova to take class with the English National Ballet in London and by Hector Zaraspe to continue her studies at the School of American Ballet in New York. After just six months, Herrera was selected to dance the leading role in Raymonda at SABs annual workshop performance. She joined American Ballet Theatre as a member of the corps de ballet in June 1991, was promoted to Soloist in June 1993 and to Principal Dancer in March of 1995. Herreras roles with the Company include Mathilda Kchessinska in Anastasia, Terpsichore and Polyhymnia in Apollo, Gamzatti and Nikiya in La Bayadère, Zina in The Bright Stream, the second movement in Bruch Violin Concerto No. 1, the title role in Ben Stevensons Cinderella, Swanilda in Coppélia, Medora and Gulnare in Le Corsaire, the pas de deux Diana and Acteon, Kitri in Don Quixote, Katherine in Christopher Wheeldons VIII, the title roles in Giselle, Raymonda and Sylvia, His Memory and His (more) PRINCIPAL DANCERS TO RETIRE Page 2 Experiences in HereAfter, Hanna Glawari and Valencienne in The Merry Widow, Clara and the Sugar Plum Fairy in Kevin McKenzies The Nutcracker, Clara, the Princess in Alexei Ratmanskys The Nutcracker, the Paquita pas de deux, Cerrito in Pas des Déesses, the Siren in Prodigal Son, Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, a Lover in Sin and Tonic, Princess Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty, the Coupava in The Snow Maiden, Odette-Odile in Swan Lake, the Waltz in Les Sylphides, first movement in Symphony in C, the Sylvia Pas de Deux, The Awakening Pas de Deux, the Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux and leading roles in Allegro Brillante, Americans We, Bach Partita, Ballet Imperial, Brief Fling, Clear, Drink to Me Only With Thine Eyes, Duets, Duo Concertant, Études, Fancy Free, Glow- Stop, The Howling Cat, In the Upper Room, Majisimo, Overgrown Path, Petite Mort, Sinatra Suite, Sinfonietta, Stepping Stones, Symphonie Concertante, Theme and Variations and workwithinwork. She created Olga in On the Dnieper and leading roles in The Brahms- Haydn Variations, Chamber Symphony, Citizen, Cruel World, Disposition, From Here On Out, How Near Heaven, One of Three, Rabbit and Rogue, Triptych, Turnstile and Without Words. Herrera has been a member of Artists Committee for The Kennedy Center Honors since 2004. Julie Kent began her dance training with Hortensia Fonseca at the Academy of the Maryland Youth Ballet. She attended the American Ballet Theatre II and the School of American Ballet summer sessions before joining ABT as an apprentice in 1985. In that same year, Kent won first place in the regional finals of the National Society of Arts and Letters at the Kennedy Center. In 1986, as the only American to win a medal at the Prix de Lausanne International Ballet Competition, she became a member of ABT's corps de ballet and was cast in the Herbert Ross film Dancers opposite Mikhail Baryshnikov. She was appointed a Soloist with ABT in 1990 and a Principal Dancer in 1993, the year in which she won the Erik Bruhn Prize in Toronto and was named one of People Magazine's "50 Most Beautiful People. Kent's roles with the Company include the Girl in Afternoon of a Faun, the title role in Anastasia, Terpsichore and Calliope in Apollo, Nikiya in La Bayadère, Zina in The Bright Stream, the third movement in Bruch Violin Concerto No. 1, the title role in Frederick Ashton's Cinderella, the title role in James Kudelka's Cinderella, the title role in Ben Stevenson's Cinderella, Medora in Le Corsaire, the Lady with Him in Dim Lustre, Kitri and the Queen of the Dryads in Don Quixote, Titania in The Dream, The Dying Swan, Anne in Christopher Wheeldon's VIII, the Accused in Fall River Legend, the Glove Seller in Gaîté Parisienne, Giselle in Giselle, Caroline in Jardin aux Lilas, Marguerite in Lady of the Camellias, Manon in Manon, Hanna Glawari in The Merry Widow, Natalia Petrovna in A Month in the Country, His Wife in The Moor's Pavane, the Sugar Plum Fairy in Kevin McKenzie's The Nutcracker, Tatiana in Onegin, Desdemona in Othello, the pas de deux Other Dances, the pas de deux in Les Patineurs, Hagar in Pillar of Fire, the Siren in Prodigal Son, the Ranch Owner's Daughter in Rodeo, Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, a Lover in Sin and Tonic, Princess Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty, the Sylph in La Sylphide, Odette-Odile in Swan Lake, the second movement in Symphony in C, the Nocturne and the Prelude in Les Sylphides, Sylvia in Sylvia, Katherina in The Taming of the Shrew, the Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux, the Woman in Weren't We Fools? and leading roles in Ballet Imperial, Dark Elegies, Drink to Me Only With Thine Eyes, Duets, Fancy Free, The Garden of Villandry, Gong, Kaleidoscope, The Leaves Are Fading, Meadow, (more) PRINCIPAL DANCERS TO RETIRE Page 3 Mozartiana, Overgrown Path, Sinfonietta, "... smile with my heart", Spring and Fall, Stepping Stones, Symphonie Concertante and Theme and Variations. She created Artemis in Artemis, Sibyl Vane in Dorian, His Memory and His Experiences in HereAfter and leading roles in Apothéose, Americans We, Baroque Game, The Brahms-Haydn Variations, C. to C. (Close to Chuck), Chamber Symphony, Clear, Concerto No.1 for Piano and Orchestra,Cruel World, Getting Closer, Glow- Stop, Known by Heart, Rigaudon, Seven Sonatas, States of Grace, Within You Without You: A Tribute to George Harrison and Without Words. In 2000, Kent won the Prix Benois de la Danse and is the only American woman ever to have won this prize. Kent starred in the motion picture Center Stage (2000), directed by Nicholas Hytner. In June of 2012, she was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Performing Arts from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts and later in the same year, a Lifetime Achievement Award from Dance Magazine. Her appearances as a guest include invitations from many distinguished companies including New York City Ballet, Kirov/Mariinsky Theatre, La Scala Milan, Stuttgart Ballet, Berlin Staatsballett, Australian Ballet, Teatro Colón, Tokyo Ballet and Ballet de Santiago among others. At the time of her retirement in 2015, her 29 years with the Company will be a record for the most years served as a dancer with ABT. Kent is married to ABT Associate Artistic Director Victor Barbee and they have two children. Xiomara Reyes was born in Havana, Cuba, and studied at Cubas National Ballet School. Upon her graduation, she danced with the National Ballet of Cuba and performed as a soloist with La Joven Guardia. Two years later she was invited to appear with the Royal Ballet of Flanders in Belgium where she danced for seven years rising to the rank of First Soloist. Her repertoire with these companies included Nikiya in La Bayadère, Cinderella in Cinderella, Kitri in Don Quixote, Swanilda in Coppélia, Giselle in Giselle and Juliet in Romeo and Juliet. She also performed principal roles in ballets by George Balanchine, Paolo Bortoluzzi and Christopher DAmboise, among others. Reyes has danced as a guest with the Jeune Ballet de France, Balleto Del Sud, Nafsika Dance Theater, the International Dance Festival in Korea, the Bashkirian State Ballet, the National Ballet of Tokyo and the Georgian State Dance Company. In 2014, she made her debut as Odette/Odile in Swan Lake at Hakucho Ballet in Japan. Her awards include: Gold Medal for the Best Soloist at the International Ballet Competition of Chiclayo, Peru (1989), Best Couple Prize at the XIV International Ballet Competition in Varna, Bulgaria (1990), Silver Medal at the Cinquienne Concours International de Danse de Paris (1992) and Second Prize at the International Ballet Competition in Luxembourg (1995). Reyes joined American Ballet Theatre as a Soloist in January 2001 and was promoted to Principal Dancer in April 2003. Her roles with the Company include a leading role in Allegro Brillante, a Shade in La Bayadère, Zina in The Bright Stream, the first and fourth movements in Bruch Violin Concerto No. 1, the title role in Frederick Ashtons Cinderella, the title role in James Kudelkas Cinderella, Swanilda in Coppélia, Medora, Gulnare and an Odalisque in Le Corsaire, a leading role in Désir, Who Was She? in Dim Lustre, Kitri and Amour in Don Quixote, Sibyl in Dorian, Titania in The Dream, Anne in Christopher Wheeldons VIII, Lise in La Fille mal gardée, Giselle, the peasant pas de deux and Moyna in Giselle, Le Grand Pas de Deux, His Memory and His Experiences in HereAfter, Caroline in Jardin aux Lilas, the Two of Diamonds in Jeu de Cartes, Prudence in Lady of the Camellias, the title roles in Manon, Raymonda and Sylvia, Valencienne in The Merry (more) PRINCIPAL DANCERS TO RETIRE Page 4 Widow, Natalia Petrovna in A Month in the Country, His Wife in The Moors Pavane, Clara and the Sugar Plum Fairy in Kevin McKenzies The Nutcracker, Clara, the Princess in Alexei Ratmanskys The Nutcracker, the Debutante in Offenbach in the Underworld, Desdemona in Othello, Olga in Onegin, the Ballerina in Petrouchka, the Youngest Sister in Pillar of Fire, the Cowgirl in Rodeo, Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, Juliet in Antony Tudors Romeo and Juliet (Romeos Farewell to Juliet), a Celestial in Shadowplay, Princess Aurora and Princess Florine in The Sleeping Beauty, the Young Girl in Le Spectre de la Rose, the pas de trois and the Hungarian Princess in Swan Lake, the third movement in Symphony in C, the Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux and leading roles in Birthday Offering, The Brahms-Haydn Variations, Brief Fling, Clear, Duets, Études, The Garden of Villandry, Glow-Stop, The Leaves Are Fading, Majisimo, Overgrown Path, Petite Mort, Piano Concerto #1 and Without Words. She created leading roles in Seven Sonatas, Triptych and Within You Without You: A Tribute to George Harrison. Subscriptions for American Ballet Theatres 2015 Spring Season at the Metropolitan Opera House are available by phone and online beginning October 27, 2014. For more information, please visit www.abt.org.

Release about Public Programs: NEW YORK CITY BALLET PUBLIC PROGRAMS FALL 2014 Family Saturday Programs, Movement Workshops, Seminars and More To Be Presented by NYCB Dancers, Artistic Staff, and Insiders Seminar on October 6 to Pay Tribute to NYCB Principal Dancer Wendy Whelan NYCB Principal Dancer Daniel Ulbricht Appointed Creative Director and Host of NYCB Family Saturday Programs This fall New York City Ballet will present a series of public programs for both children and adults designed to give audiences a closer look at NYCB and its repertory. NYCB dancers, choreographers, ballet masters, and musicians will share insights and behind-the-scenes stories to help audiences better understand and appreciate all that goes into a performance. A highlight of this fall’s public programs will be a special seminar on Monday, October 6, honoring NYCB Principal Dancer Wendy Whelan, who will retire from the Company at the end of the 2014 fall season, after 30 years dancing with NYCB. The seminar will be hosted by NYCB Principal Dancer Tyler Angle, Whelan’s colleague and frequent onstage partner. Another highlight of the fall will be the Family Saturday program on Saturday, October 11, Fancy Footwork, that will offer an inside look at the remarkable dancers of NYCB and the complex and energetic steps featured in the Company’s fall season repertory. New for the 2014-2015 Season, NYCB Principal Dancer Daniel Ulbricht will assume the role of Creative Director and Host for the Family Saturday programs, leading all three programs throughout the 2014-2015 season. Additional Family Saturdays will take place during the 2015 winter season on February 7, and during the 2015 spring season on May 16. -more- Complete schedule of Fall 2014 public programs follows. For additional information visit: nycballet.com/publicprograms. Saturday, October 4, 10:30-11:45 AM BALLET ESSENTIALS: Adult Movement Workshop 75-minute movement workshop intended for adults with little or no dance training. NYCB dancers lead participants through a ballet warm-up and movement combinations with choreography inspired by repertory from the Company’s Fall season. Workshops also include a brief Q&A with the artists. * Appropriate for 21 and over * Location: NYCB Rehearsal Studios at the Rose Building (165 West 65th Street between Broadway and Amsterdam, 7th Floor) * Tickets: $22 per person; available at nycballet.com, 212-496-0600, or at the David H. Koch Theater Box Office **Currently Sold Out** Monday, October 6, 6:00-7:30 PM SEMINAR – A Tribute to Wendy Whelan 90-minute discussion with Principal Dancer Wendy Whelan, who will give her NYCB Farewell performance on October 18, after 30 years dancing with the Company. Hosted by NYCB Principal Dancer Tyler Angle. * Appropriate for all audiences * Location: David H. Koch Theater (Entrance at West 63rd Street and Columbus Avenue) * Tickets: $15 per person (free for NYCB members); available at nycballet.com, 212-496-0600, or at the David H. Koch Theater Box Office Friday October 10, 6:45 PM DANCER CHAT Informal pre-performance dancer chat, featuring the opportunity to ask NYCB dancers questions one-on-one. * Appropriate for all audiences * Location: NYCB Rehearsal Studios at the Rose Building (165 West 65th Street between Broadway and Amsterdam, 7th Floor) * Tickets: FREE; for reservations visit nycballet.com, 212-496-0600, or at the David H. Koch Theater Box Office Saturday, October 11, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM FAMILY SATURDAYS – Fancy Footwork One-hour onstage presentation featuring short works and excerpts from New York City Ballet's diverse repertory, performed by Company dancers and members of the NYCB Orchestra, and hosted by Daniel Ulbricht, NYCB Principal Dancer and newly appointed Family Saturdays Creative Director. The October 11 program will offer an inside look at the remarkable dancers of NYCB and their extraordinary footwork from company class to onstage performance. Ulbricht will lead a tour through complex and energetic steps featured in ballets performed during the Company’s fall season including The Steadfast Tin Soldier, Interplay, Mozartiana, and more. * Appropriate for children 5 and older * Location: David H. Koch Theater (Entrance at West 63rd Street and Columbus Avenue) * Tickets: $20 per person (both children and adults); available at nycballet.com, 212-496-0600, or at the David H. Koch Theater Box Office Saturday, October 18, 12:45 – 1:30 PM CHILDREN’S WORKSHOP 45-Minute interactive pre-performance program exploring the music, movement, and themes of George Balanchine’s The Steadfast Tin Soldier. NYCB Teaching Artists guide children in a ballet warm-up and movement combination, concluding in a performance for accompanying family and friends. No prior dance training needed. * Appropriate for children 5-8 * Location: NYCB Rehearsal Studios at the Rose Building (165 West 65th Street between Broadway and Amsterdam, 7th Floor) * Tickets: $12 per person (both children and adults); available at nycballet.com, 212-496-0600, or at the David H. Koch Theater Box Office Children’s Workshops take place before family-friendly matinee performances. Performance tickets must be purchased separately (you do not have to attend the corresponding performance to enjoy this activity). Saturday, October 18, 12:45 – 1:30 PM IN MOTION WORKSHOP 45-Minute pre-performance exploration of the music, movement, and themes of Jerome Robbins’ The Concert. Each workshop is led by led by artists of NYCB and features a ballet warm-up, a movement combination with choreography inspired by the featured ballet, and a brief interview with a NYCB dancer. No prior dance training needed. * Appropriate for children 9-12 * Location: NYCB Rehearsal Studios at the Rose Building (165 West 65th Street between Broadway and Amsterdam, 7th Floor) * Tickets: $12 per person (both children and adults); available at nycballet.com, 212-496-0600, or at the David H. Koch Theater Box Office. Performance tickets must be purchased In Motion Workshops take place before family-friendly matinee performances. Performance tickets must be purchased separately (you do not have to attend the corresponding performance to enjoy this activity). The Travelers Companies, Inc. is the Global Sponsor of New York City Ballet.

From the company: AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE OFFERS “VIP SWEET SEATS” FOR ALL PERFORMANCES OF THE NUTCRACKER AT THE BAM HOWARD GILMAN OPERA HOUSE TICKET PACKAGE INCLUDES PREMIUM SEATS, GIFT BAGS AND MORE VIP SWEET SEATS will be offered for each of the 13 performances of American Ballet Theatre’s The Nutcracker at the BAM Howard Gilman Opera House, December 12-21, 2014. The VIP SWEET SEAT package includes premium front orchestra or front mezzanine performance seating and a commemorative souvenir program and holiday gift bag. In addition, the package includes pre-performance and intermission access to the Natman Room at BAM, where ticketholders will meet a Nutcracker character in costume prior to the performance. The Nutcracker, set to a score by Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky, features choreography by ABT Artist in Residence Alexei Ratmansky, scenery and costumes by Richard Hudson and lighting by Jennifer Tipton. This production was given its World Premiere at the BAM Howard Gilman Opera House on December 23, 2010. American Ballet Theatre’s 2014 season of The Nutcracker will be the final New York performances of the ballet at the BAM Howard Gilman Opera House. VIP SWEET SEATS for American Ballet Theatre’s The Nutcracker, priced at $185-$195, can be purchased in person at the BAM box office, by phone at 718-636-4100 or online at www.bam.org. The BAM box office is located in the Peter Jay Sharp Building at 30 Lafayette Avenue, Brooklyn, New York. For more information, please visit ABT’s website at www.abt.org. David H. Koch is the Lead Underwriter of American Ballet Theatre’s The Nutcracker. Linda Allard is the Original Underwriting Sponsor of costumes for The Nutcracker. Joan Taub Ades and Alan M. Ades, the Susan and Leonard Feinstein Foundation, and Brian and Darlene Heidtke are Co-Underwriting Sponsors of The Nutcracker. A gift as Co-Underwriting Sponsor of costumes for The Nutcracker has been provided in loving memory of Ellen Everett Kimiatek. Lisa and Dick Cashin, Linda and Martin Fell, and Ruth and Harold Newman are Co-Underwriting Partners of The Nutcracker. ABT’s The Nutcracker is generously supported through an endowed gift from The Toni and Martin Sosnoff New Works Fund. Additional support has been provided by Ed Fox, Theresa Khawly, The Rockefeller Brothers Fund and The National Endowment for the Arts. American Airlines is the Official Airline of American Ballet Theatre. Northern Trust is the Leading Corporate Sponsor of the American Ballet Theatre Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School. 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 Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature; and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council.

Note: There was already a Korbes retirement thread, so I merged the two topics together.

Official release: Pacific Northwest Ballet Principal Dancer Carla Körbes to Retire at End of the 2014-2015 Season Special Tribute to be part of Season Encore Performance, June 7, 2015 SEATTLE, WA — Pacific Northwest Ballet Artistic Director Peter Boal and principal dancer Carla Körbes have announced that Ms. Körbes will retire from the Company at the end of PNB’s 2014-2015 season. Ms. Körbes joined PNB as a soloist in 2005 and was promoted to principal in 2006. "I have had unforgettable moments with Pacific Northwest Ballet,” said Ms. Körbes regarding her decision. “I am thankful and honored to have shared the stage with all the dancers at PNB and have had the opportunity to work with such a generous staff. At this moment I am ready to start a new phase in my life. My body is ready to move on, so I need to respect that. Ballet has been my life, so I hope to continue to explore the art form in new ways and try new artistic endeavors." “I've been in denial about Carla's insistence that this season be her last,” said Mr. Boal in his announcement. “When I think about the many exquisite moments she has afforded us over the past decade, I think I might be selfish to want more. One more Kitri, one more Odette/Odile and one more In the Middle, please? Yes, we may have those, but I trust Carla with this difficult decision. After all, she's always had impeccable timing.”; Mr. Boal continued: “Our story began almost twenty years ago when I arrived in Porto Alegre, Brazil to perform Apollo with ‘a local girl.’ I was apprehensive to say the least, having performed with a few too many ‘local girls’ in my day. But when a stick of a girl named Carlinha entered the stage with a blonde bun the size of a brioche and arches to match, I was in awe. Trust me when say that I'm not the kind of person who would summon a translator to tell a fourteen-year-old she needed to leave her home and her family in order to move to New York City to train at the School of American Ballet, but after one seamless run-through of the pas de deux in Apollo, I knew I needed to take action. Carla was that rare bird with a gift greater than she, her parents or even her teachers understood. She offered the very essence of the Balanchine aesthetic coupled with true graciousness and instinctive musicality. She was a breath of fresh air and continues to be just that almost twenty years later at the height of her career. How fortunate we are to have her artistry on proud display in our city, on our stage and on stages around the world. Carla is an absolute treasure.”; Audiences will have several more opportunities to see Ms. Körbes perform during the 2014-2015 season, including the upcoming Jewels (September 26 – October 5), Nutcracker (November 28 – December 28), Don Quixote (January 30 – February 8, 2015), and Swan Lake (April 10 – 19), among others. (She will also be appearing in the preview performances of Justin Peck’s Debonair at The Joyce Theater in New York City on October 8 – 12, and in the work’s premiere in Seattle, November 7 – 16.) During the run of Jewels, Ms. Körbes is scheduled to dance the lead role in Diamonds on Friday, September 26 (opening night) and Saturday, October 4; and Emeralds on Saturday, September 27 (matinee), Thursday, October 2, and Friday, October 3. (For up-to-date casting information, check performance details on PNB.org. Schedule and casting is subject to change). The season will conclude with PNB’s annual Season Encore Performance (6:30 pm on Sunday, June 7) which will feature Ms. Körbes reprising some of her signature performances. Tickets to Jewels, in addition to the rest of PNB’s season offerings, may be purchased through the PNB Box Office, 206.441.2424, online at PNB.org, or in person at 301 Mercer Street. Tickets to the Season Encore Performance are on sale now for PNB’s season subscribers only, and will go on sale to the general public on January 19, 2015. Carla Körbes was born in Porto Alegre, Brazil, and began her ballet training at age five with local teachers. At age eleven, she began studying at Ballet Vera Bublitz. In 1996, Peter Boal danced with her as a guest artist of the school and encouraged her to come to New York to study at the School of American Ballet. For academic year 1997–1998, her tuition was paid by Alexandra Danilova so she could continue studying at the School of American Ballet. In 1999, she was the Mae. L. Wien Award recipient and was made an apprentice with New York City Ballet. She joined the company as a member of the corps de ballet in 2000 and was the Janice Levin Dancer Honoree for 2001–2002. She was promoted to soloist in 2005 and later that year joined Pacific Northwest Ballet as a soloist. Ms. Körbes was promoted to principal dancer in 2006. In 2006, DANCE magazine selected Ms. Körbes for their annual “25 to Watch” feature, and she appeared on the cover of DANCE in February, 2010. Gia Kourlas, in a New York Times profile, described Ms. Körbes as “one of America’s most remarkable ballerinas. When she burst onto the scene, seeing her glittering intensity and silky phrasing was like watching Balanchine with new eyes.” In a 2012 review of her performance at the Vail International Dance Festival, Alastair Macaulay, dance critic of The New York Times, wrote that “;There’s no question that she is one of the finest ballerinas appearing in America today; some think her the finest, and last weekend I felt in no mood to contradict them.”; For PNB she has originated leading roles in Paul Gibson's Sense of Doubt, Benjamin Millepied's 3 Movements, Christopher Wheeldon’s Tide Harmonic, and Twyla Tharp's Opus 111. She has performed leading roles in the majority of PNB’s repertory, including the works of George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, William Forsythe, Christopher Wheeldon, Alexei Ratmansky, Kent Stowell, and Twyla Tharp. She has danced leads in all of PNB’s full-length repertory, including Kent Stowell’s Swan Lake (Odette/Odile), Nutcracker (Clara, Flora), and Cinderella (Cinderella); George Balanchine’s Coppélia (Swanilda); Peter Boal’s Giselle (Giselle); Ronald Hynd's The Sleeping Beauty (Aurora, Gold and Silver pas de trois, Lilac Fairy); Jean-Christophe Maillot’s Roméo et Juliette (Juliet); and Alexei Ratmansky’s Don Quixote (Kitri). At New York City Ballet, Ms. Körbes first danced leading and featured roles in Balanchine's Divertimento No. 15, Episodes, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Titania, Helena), and Serenade; Peter Martins' Concerto for Two Solo Pianos, Sinfonia, The Sleeping Beauty, and Swan Lake; and Jerome Robbins' Antique Epigraphs, Fanfare, The Four Seasons, I’m Old Fashioned, and Interplay. She originated leading roles in Albert Evans' Haiku, Peter Martins' Chichester Psalms, Susan Stroman’s Double Feature, Richard Tanner's Soiree, and Christopher Wheeldon's An American in Paris and Shambards. Other leading roles have included George Balanchine's Agon, Apollo, Concerto Barocco, Diamonds, Duo Concertant, Emeralds, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Divertissement pas de deux), Prodigal Son, Serenade, Slaughter on Tenth Avenue, La Sonnambula, Symphony in Three Movements, and La Valse; Val Caniparoli's The Bridge; Merce Cunningham's Inlets 2; Sonia Dawkins' Ripple Mechanics; David Dawson’s A Million Kisses to my Skin; Ulysses Dove’s Red Angels and Serious Pleasures; Nacho Duato's Jardí Tancat and Rassemblement; William Forsythe's Artifact II and In the middle, somewhat elevated; Jiri Kylian's Petite Mort; Mark Morris' A Garden and Pacific; Alexei Ratmansky’s Concerto DSCH; Jerome Robbins' Fancy Free, Glass Pieces, In the Night, and West Side Story Suite (Anita); Kent Stowell's Carmina Burana, and Hail to the Conquering Hero; Susan Stroman's TAKE FIVE…More or Less; Richard Tanner's Ancient Airs and Dances; Twyla Tharp's Nine Sinatra Songs and Waterbaby Bagatelles; and Christopher Wheeldon's After the Rain pas de deux, Carousel (A Dance), and Polyphonia. In 2002, Ms. Körbes performed Richard Tanner's Ancient Airs and Dances for the nationally televised PBS Live from Lincoln Center broadcast, "New York City Ballet's Diamond Project: Ten Years of New Choreography." In addition to her performances with New York City Ballet and Pacific Northwest Ballet, Ms. Körbes has performed with Peter Boal and Company and in the debut performance of Morphoses/The Wheeldon Company. She has also performed as a guest artist on the Vail International Dance Festival’s “International Evenings of Dance” galas and at the “Dance Open” Gala in St. Petersburg, Russia in 2010. TICKET INFORMATION All performances are at Marion Oliver McCaw Hall, 321 Mercer Street at Seattle Center. George Balanchine’s Jewels runs September 26 – October 5. Carla Körbes is scheduled to dance the lead role in Diamonds on Friday, September 26 (opening night) and Saturday, October 4; and Emeralds on Saturday, September 27 (matinee), Thursday, October 2, and Friday, October 3. (For up-to-date casting information, check performance details on PNB.org. Schedule and casting is subject to change). Season Encore Performance will be presented one night only, Sunday, June 7 at 6:30 pm. The performance will include a special tribute to Carla Körbes. NOTE: Tickets to the Season Encore Performance are on sale now only to PNB’s subscribers, and will go on sale to the general public on January 19, 2015. Tickets may be purchased by calling the PNB Box Office at 206.441.2424, in person at 301 Mercer Street, or online at PNB.org. Programming and casting are subject to change. For further information and casting, please visit PNB.org. # # # Pacific Northwest Ballet’s 2014-2015 Season is proudly sponsored by ArtsFund and Microsoft Corporation. Programming subject to change. For further information, please visit: PNB.org.

A release: LIVE from the NYPL:Alexei Ratmansky | Paul Holdengräber Wednesday, October 8, 2014, 7 - 9 p.m. PROGRAM LOCATIONS: Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, Celeste Bartos Forum Fully accessible to wheelchairs $25 General Admission, $15 FRIENDS, Seniors and Students with valid ID - Become a FRIEND for a $10 discount on every ticket for LIVE GET TICKETS Assistive listening devices available Alexei Ratmansky has performed with and choreographed for some of the worlds greatest ballet companies, including American Ballet Theater and the Bolshoi Ballet. This time hell take to a very different stage to reflect on his lifes work, which earned him a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship in 2013. Co-presented with the Center for Ballet and the Arts at New York University. ALEXEI RATMANSKY was born in St. Petersburg and trained at the Bolshoi Ballet School in Moscow. His performing career has included positions as principal dancer with Ukrainian National Ballet, the Royal Winnipeg Ballet and the Royal Danish Ballet. He has choreographed ballets for companies around the world, including Mariinsky Ballet, the Royal Danish Ballet, Dutch National Ballet, New York City Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Kiev Ballet and the State Ballet of Georgia, as well as for Nina Ananiashvili, Diana Vishneva and Mikhail Baryshnikov. His 1998 work, Dreams of Japan, earned a Golden Mask Award from the Theatre Union of Russia, and in 2005, he was awarded the Benois de la Danse prize for his choreography of Anna Karenina for the Royal Danish Ballet. Ratmansky was named artistic director of the Bolshoi Ballet in January 2004 and joined American Ballet Theatre as Artist in Residence in January 2009, for which he created On the Dnieper (2009), Seven Sonatas (2009), The Nutcracker (2010), The Bright Stream (2011), Dumbarton(2011), Firebird (2012), Symphony #9 (2012),Chamber Symphony (2013) and Piano Concerto #1 (2013). Ratmansky was named a MacArthur Foundation Fellow in 2013. A note to our patrons: LIVE from the NYPL programs begin promptly at 7p.m. We recommend arriving twenty minutes before the scheduled start time to get to your seats. In order to minimize disturbances to other audience members, we are unable to provide late seating. LIVE from the NYPL is made possible with generous support from Celeste Bartos, Mahnaz Ispahani Bartos and Adam Bartos, and the Margaret and Herman Sokol Public Education Endowment Fund.

The company is launching a YouTube channel: AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE LAUNCHES YouTube CHANNEL American Ballet Theatre has launched the ABT YouTube Channel, under the channel name of “ABTBalletTheatre.” Offering an in-depth and candid look at the Company, the ABT YouTube channel showcases current dancers in two or three minute vignettes. Taped segments explore experiences and points of view of ABT dancers, while adding to the experience of ABT performances with behind-the-scenes footage of rehearsals and day-to-day Company life. Videos featuring special events and Company activity will also be posted. American Ballet Theatre’s YouTube channel covers such topics as performance rituals, perseverance and competition. Featured Meet the Dancer segments highlight dancers from each rank of the Company. The channel provides users with a new social media experience in addition to ABT’s Facebook and Twitter presence. Access to the ABT YouTube Channel can be found at www.youtube.com under the channel name of “ABTBalletTheatre.”

NYCB just sent out an email saying there is a limited amount of tickets going on sale for the retirement program at noon today (Monday, 9/14).

We've hit on some really interesting issues in this thread. Hot button issues. And I think we've been good about respecting each other's opinions. This is just a moderator's note to keep it that way. Continue on...

From Nexis: The Australian September 4, 2014 Thursday Australian Edition Swan's maiden flight brings joy to the heart BYLINE: Deborah Jones LENGTH: 463 words DANCE Swan Lake. American Ballet Theatre, Lyric Theatre, Brisbane, September 3 IT'S always a big deal when a dancer makes her debut as Odette-Odile in Swan Lake. It's a bigger deal when that dancer is Misty Copeland, the first African-American in American Ballet Theatre's 75-year history to be cast as Odette. It shouldn't be so, but it is. Copeland, 31, has waited a long time for this. She has earned it, and yesterday claimed it. No matter what the role, deep within every dancer's body are aspects of the story she is telling. They are an inextricable part of it. Copeland is tiny, but strong and womanly. She is not frail. Her Odette, then, instantly reminds one that swans are birds of considerable power as well as grace. Although she has been made a captive, she is not a victim. We are reminded, too, that Odette is not just a swan. She is the Swan Queen. Copeland's opening scene (apart from the brief prologue showing how Von Rothbart tricked Odette and enslaved her) was therefore individual, although a little too largely played on this first outing. But in her magisterial arms and shoulders, so evocative of a magnificent creature's wingspan, there is much promise. Already one could see Copeland had a clear and personal idea of Odette's character. The pas de deux that followed was ravishing. The first slow section was expressed as if one long tender sigh and the rapport between Copeland and her Prince Siegfried - Alexandre Hammoudi also making a role debut - was electrifying. Hammoudi undoubtedly would have wanted to dance more cleanly than he did yesterday but his partnering and his connection with Copeland were tremendously satisfying. Given Copeland's gifts, Odile would seem to hold no terrors for Copeland. Indeed not. Her dominion was amply demonstrated in a technical sense, but it was the little details that were so enjoyable: the avian stretches of the neck, the seductive expression, the sparkling eyes and, to top it off, the brief but super-sexy stroking of Siegfried's chest that clinched the deal between them. A short time later Copeland reappeared as Odette, as in Kevin McKenzie's production the action shifts immediately from Act III's ballroom to the lakeside Act IV. At this season's opening night last week I found the denouement far too rushed, but Copeland and Hammoudi seemed to stretch time and were profoundly moving. The audience stood and cheered lustily, and rightly. This was unfortunately Copeland's only Odette in Brisbane but it was enough to make the heart burst with joy.Tonight is the final performance of Swan Lake in ABT's Brisbane season, starring Paloma Herrera. Four performances of the triple bill Three Masterpieces begin tomorrow. Copeland is scheduled to appear in Twyla Tharp's Bach Partita tomorrow and Saturday night.

The 4th volume is up: http://www.vaimusic.com/product/4574.html

The release: NEW YORK THEATRE BALLET Announces 2014-15 Season New York Theatre Ballet announces the 2014-15 season, which will include a national tour and repertory performances at the 92nd Street Y (January 10-12, 2015), New York Live Arts (February 18-21, 2015) and Danspace (June 17-20, 2015). NYTB continues to maintain its association with the New York Pops at Carnegie Hall, and the Company's Once Upon A Ballet series for children will continue at Florence Gould Hall throughout the year. NYTB will also continue to offer its Free Ticket Program for families who are unable to afford to attend performances. New York Theatre Ballet's 2014-15 Season includes: September 5-7, 2014 - The Winter's Tale - Shakespeare in the Park October 24-25, 2014 - Dance on a Shoestring & Halloween Party November 21-22, 2014 - Dance on a Shoestring November 29, 2014 - Keith Michael's The Nutcracker at Tarrytown Music Hall December 1-14, 2014 - Allied Tour of Keith Michael's The Nutcracker December 16-18, 2014 - Keith Michael's The Nutcracker in Purchase, NY December 19-21, 2014 - Once Upon A Ballet Series - Keith Michael's The Nutcracker December 21, 2014 - Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer with the New York Pops at Carnegie Hall January 10-12, 2015 - 92nd Street Y January 23-24, 2015 - Dance on a Shoestring February 6-8, 2015 - Once Upon A Ballet Series - Cinderella February 16-22, 2015 - New York Live Arts February 27-28, 2015 - Dance on a Shoestring March 6-8, 2015 - Once Upon A Ballet Series - GOOSE! June 5-7, 2015 - Once Upon A Ballet Series - Carnival of the Animals June 17-20, 2015 - Danspace June 24-28, 2015 - Cinderella at Jacob's Pillow New York Theatre Ballet in The Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park! September 5-7, 2014 at 8pm Free Event New York Theatre Ballet joins the cast of The Public Theater's musical adaptation of William Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale with choreography by Chase Brock. Performances are at the legendary Delacorte Theater in Central Park. New York Theatre Ballet at 92nd Street Y January 10-12, 2015 Tickets: $25 The program will feature the Broadway dances of Agnes de Mille, Rondo by Jerome Robbins, and a new work by Gemma Bond. New York Theatre Ballet's Once Upon a Ballet Series of hour-long family ballets at Florence Gould Hall Tickets: $35 Children & $40 Adults; Subscriptions $85-$130 (Early Bird); $90-$140 Keith Michael's The Nutcracker - December 19-21, 2015 New York Theatre Ballet (NYTB) returns for a fourth year of Keith Michael's The Nutcracker, an enchanting holiday ballet. From clockwork imps to a luminous owl that flies above the audience, mice dressed in polka dots and dancers dancing with huge chopsticks, this timeless, re-imagined classic bursts with energy and excitement. This holiday ballet, danced to Tchaikovsky's beloved score, is set in Art Nouveau style circa 1907 with innovative choreography by long-time NYTB choreographer, Keith Michael; set design by Gillian Bradshaw-Smith; and costumes by Resident Costume Designer of the Metropolitan Opera, Sylvia Nolan. Cinderella - February 6-8, 2015 With a Dancing Clock, wacky Stepsisters and everyone's favorite princess, Cinderella features choreography by Donald Mahler, costumes by Metropolitan Opera's Resident Costume Designer, Sylvia Taalsohn Nolan and sets by Gillian Bradshaw Smith. Appropriate for girls and boys of all ages. GOOSE! - March 6-8, 2015 The wit, wisdom, and whimsy of a lively baker's dozen of Mother Goose characters. They literally leap from the page to the stage to stir the imagination of the young and the young-of-heart - just as they have for centuries! Carnival of the Animals - June 5-7, 2015 In a magical forest, Queen Diana and her shaggy lion rule a charming assortment of animals who live more or less peaceably until a pair of lost children wander in, and then the fun begins! New York Theatre Ballet at New York Live Arts February 18-21, 2015 at 7:30pm; February 21, 2015 at 2pm Tickets: $25/$15 New York Theatre Ballet will present four ballets in an unforgettable evening. The program will include two world premieres by Nicolo Fonte and Pam Tanowitz. Nicolo Fonte is choreographing a 20-minute piece for four dancers inspired by the Brothers Grimm classic story "Hansel & Gretel" in a wholly contemporary esthetic, performed to a new score for piano and violin by Kevin Keller. Pam Tanowitz will create One Plus One, a new 13-minute ballet for ten dancers set to the Andante movement of Beethoven's Sonata in D Major #15, which will be played live on piano two times at different tempos. The dance is based on the "pas de deux" and will be used as a metaphor for the age-old notion of unrequited love. The company will also revive Merce Cunningham's trio Cross Currents, staged by Jennifer Goggans and with coaching by Carolyn Brown, performed to an arrangement by John Cage of Conlon Nancarrow's Rhythm Studies for Player Piano Nos. 1-6. The evening is completed by a revival of Keith Michael's The Alice-In-Wonderland Follies, which Broadway World called "A fantastic production...there is no more delightful or charming production to be found in New York City." ABOUT NEW YORK THEATRE BALLET New York Theatre Ballet (NYTB), founded in 1978 by artistic director Diana Byer, is the most widely seen chamber ballet company in the United States and has been hailed by The New York Times as "an invaluable company." NYTB is dedicated to inspiring a love of dance in diverse audiences through performances of chamber ballet masterpieces and bold new works, as well as innovative one-hour ballets for children, all at affordable prices. By pairing the ballets of legendary creators with those of contemporary visionaries, NYTB brings a new understanding and appreciation of dance. The approach to live performance for children is groundbreaking and unique. New York Theatre Ballet offers an annual series of hour-long ballets tailored to the attention span of young audience members, while offering high production values and clever choreography sophisticated enough for discerning parents. NYTB is committed to reaching underserved audiences by performing in small cities throughout the U.S. Its professional school provides ballet training based on the Cecchetti syllabus. Classes are offered at affordable prices. Scholarships are awarded to talented homeless and underserved children along with support for well-rounded learning.

Bad news for those of us who were watching these ballet broadcasts at Digiplex theaters. They've been bought by Carmike Cinemas. While I see they have some arts offerings, they might not have the same ones with as many dates as Digiplex did. I'm holding out hope because the banner for their "events" selections is all ballet http://www.carmike.com/Events On the other hand, good news for Hartford viewers is that Cinestuio is showing the Bolshoi's Legend of Love on October 26.

The release: DAVID HALLBERG TO WITHDRAW FROM UPCOMING PERFORMANCES WITH AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE DUE TO INJURY Due to a recurring foot injury requiring surgery, American Ballet Theatre Principal Dancer David Hallberg will withdraw from upcoming performances with the Company this Fall, it was announced today by Kevin McKenzie, Artistic Director. In addition to ABT’s Fall Season at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center, Hallberg was scheduled to perform on tour with the Company in Swan Lake at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre in Brisbane, Australia and in Fancy Free at the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago, Illinois. "It is with great regret that I have to step off the stage for this period of recovery," said David Hallberg. "But as an artist that relies on his body as his instrument, my main priority is to dance in full health and take the time needed to perform at that level again." For more information on American Ballet Theatre, please visit www.abt.org.

Press release: Dances Patrelle presents Romeo & Juliet 25th Anniversary Performance September 11-14, 2014 PLEASE JOIN US: Thursday, September 11, 2014 at 7pm Friday, September 12, 2014 at 7pm Saturday, September 13, 2014 at 7pm Sunday, September 14, 2014 at 2pm Dances Patrelle presents Romeo & Juliet, a dazzling 25th Anniversary Performance from September 11-14, 2014 at The Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College, E. 68th Street between Park and Lexington Avenues, NYC. Performances: Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7pm and Sunday at 2pm. Tickets are $35-50 (student and senior discounts available) and will be available beginning August 1, 2014 at www.dancespatrelle.org by phone at 212-772-4448, or in person at The Kaye Playhouse Box Office. In celebration of Shakespeare's 450th birthday,thisevening-length revival of Romeo & Juliet will feature Francis Patrelle's choreography, based on Shakespeare's Play and Prokofiev's Score. Jennifer Dunning stated in the 1993 New York Times in 1993, "Francis Patrelle gives the traditional tale ingenious twists...the stories behind the stories." Following dP's tradition of educating children and nurturing professionals in the art of ballet, this Romeo & Juliet casts aspiring ballet students alongside a diverse professional cast of the highest quality, including Matthew Dibble, Amy Brandt, Julie Voshell, John Mark Owen, and Grant Dettling. The roles of Romeo and Juliet will be played by Alexander Castillo and Chloé Sherman. Mr. Castillo and Ms. Sherman both performed for Francis Patrelle as students and now dance professionally on the West Coast. Alexander Castillo was born in Bayside, New York. At the age of thirteen, he started his dance training at Ballet Academy East, under the direction of Darla Hoover. At this time Alexander was also seen in Francis Patrelle's Yorkville Nutcracker, first as a party child and mouse, and later in the Spanish Divertissement. Mr. Castillo then finished his training at the School of American Ballet under the direction of Peter Martins. Upon leaving the School of American Ballet, Alexander joined the Los Angeles Ballet where he is currently a Soloist. He has danced featured roles in Balanchine's "Concerto Barrocco," "La Valse," "Western Symphony," and "Serenade"; Jiří Kylián's "Return to a Strange Land"; and Los Angeles Ballet's "The Nutcracker," and "Swan Lake." Mr. Castillo is thrilled to return to New York and perform with Dances Patrelle as a professional. Chloé Sherman is a member of Los Angeles Ballet's corps de ballet. She was born in New York, where she began her dance training at the age of 2 at Ballet Academy East. As a student, Ms. Sherman performed in Francis Patrelle's "Yorkville Nutcracker," dancing the roles of Mary and Lead Marzipan. She began studying at the School of American Ballet (SAB) during the 2009 summer course and enrolled as a full-time student that fall. In 2011, Ms. Sherman became a company member with the Los Angeles Ballet. Ms. Sherman has recently performed in a world premiere of Christopher Stowell's Cipher, as well as featured roles in Balanchine's "La Valse" and "La Sonnambula." She is excited to be back in New York to perform with Dances Patrelle once again. Dances Patrelle (dP) is a dynamic professional ballet company celebratingits 25th season! dP presents two annual seasons in New York -- the timeless holiday tradition, The Yorkville Nutcracker, and a spring repertory season featuring world premieres and classic Patrelle favorites. Mr. Patrelle's body of work includes over 50 original ballets choreographed for Dances Patrelle, and spans an incredibly wide range of styles, from his beloved American Songbook collection, to such contemporary classics as Madame X,Macbeth and Rhapsody in Blue. Heralded by Lynn Garafola in Dance Magazine as a choreographer with "a personal vision...classical because it is rooted in metaphor and symbolic language [and] populist because of its legibility and broad cultural resonance," Patrelle has also cultivated a long-time collaboration with composer Patrick Soluri, commissioning four original scores including 2009's Murder at the Masque for dP's 20th Anniversary. Known for attracting the great talent of each generation, Dances Patrelle is pleased to count ballet stars such as Marcelo Gomes, Jenifer Ringer, Donald Williams, Lourdes Lopez,andCynthia Gregory among its dancers. For 25 seasons, Dances Patrelle has tapped into the human experience, connecting intimately with the audience and continuously reinventing dramatic dance. In 2013, the company was named the resident ballet company of the Kaatsbaan International Dance Center. "In Francis Patrelle's ballets, the characters come alive. His choreography is full of heart and soul." - Cynthia Gregory, Prima Ballerina For more information, visit www.dancespatrelle.org.

NYCB is auctioning off memorabilia and costumes again on On Kings Lane: https://www.onekingslane.com/

Official release: ABT DONATES ARCHIVES TO LIBRARY OF CONGRESS AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE COLLECTION: TOURING THE GLOBE FOR 75 YEARS TO BE EXHIBITED AT LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, AUGUST 14, 2104-JANUARY 24, 2015 American Ballet Theatre, America’s National Ballet Company®, has announced the donation of its archival holdings, to be known as the American Ballet Theatre Collection, to the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. Announced today by ABT CEO Rachel Moore, the American Ballet Theatre Collection is comprised of more than 50,000 items of visual and written documentation of the Company’s 75-year history. The acquisition of ABT's archives by the Music Division of the Library of Congress will enable the Company's historic documents, photographs, correspondence, recordings and other ephemera to be stabilized and preserved for future viewing and study. A finding aid of the collection is available to researchers. Please contact the music division two weeks prior to your visit www.loc.gov/rr/askalib/ask-perform.html In celebrating the acquisition, the Library of Congress will open an exhibit, American Ballet Theatre: Touring the Globe for 75 Years, on August 14, 2014 to be on view through January 24, 2015 in the Performing Arts Reading Room at the Library of Congress’ James Madison Building. The exhibition celebrates American Ballet Theatre’s vibrant 75-year history, with objects drawn primarily from the Library of Congress’ American Ballet Theatre Collection, as well as from its extensive dance and music collections. “The American Ballet Theatre Collection represents the most comprehensive record to date of ABT’s vast trove of historic materials,” said Moore. “Much of the collection, including early correspondence, original music scores and rare photographs, stands as a priceless testament to ABT’s rich history. We are grateful to the Library of Congress for helping to preserve this important material for generations to come.” "It has been my honor to work with both ABT and the Library of Congress to help bring the archives of America’s National Ballet Company to the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States,” said Victoria Phillips, ABT Board member and one of three curators of the exhibit. “ABT's collection will encourage the general public and professional researchers to explore this great institution of American aesthetic history." Following its closing in Washington, D.C., the exhibition will travel to the Library of Congress/Ira Gershwin Gallery at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, where it will be on view for six months (March 2015–August 2015). About the Library of Congress The Library of Congress, the nation's oldest federal cultural institution and the largest library in the world, holds more than 158 million items in various languages, disciplines and formats. The Library serves the U.S. Congress and the nation both on-site in its reading rooms on Capitol Hill and through its award-winning website at www.loc.gov.

2014 Fall Gala release: NEW YORK CITY BALLET’S 2014 FALL GALA CELEBRATES BALLET AND FASHION With World Three World Premiere Ballets Featuring Collaborations by Choreographer JUSTIN PECK and Designer MARY KATRANTZOU Choreographer LIAM SCARLETT and Designer SARAH BURTON Choreographer TROY SCHUMACHER and Designer THOM BROWNE PETER MARTINS’ Morgen With All New Costumes Designed by CAROLINA HERRERA CHRISTOPHER WHEELDON’S This Bitter Earth With Costumes by VALENTINO GARAVANI New York City Ballet’s Third Annual Fashion Gala Conceived and Co-Chaired by SARAH JESSICA PARKER Takes Place on Tuesday, September 23 at Lincoln Center New York City Ballet’s annual Fall Gala will once again celebrate ballet and fashion with a program that will include three world premiere ballets by Justin Peck, Liam Scarlett, and Troy Schumacher, as well as existing works by Peter Martins and Christopher Wheeldon, all featuring costumes designed by an international roster of some of the fashion world’s most renowned talents: Thom Browne, Sarah Burton, Valentino Garavani, Carolina Herrera, and Mary Katrantzou. The one- time-only gala evening will take place on Tuesday, September 23, 2014, opening New York City Ballet’s four-week Fall Season at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center. This year’s gala program will include world premiere ballets by three exciting young choreographers including Justin Peck, NYCB Soloist and the Company’s newly named Resident Choreographer, who will collaborate with London-based Greek fashion designer Mary Katrantzou; British choreographer Liam Scarlett, who will work with Sarah Burton, the British designer who is Creative Director of the Alexander McQueen brand; and NYCB corps de ballet member Troy Schumacher, who will make his NYCB choreographic debut in collaboration with New York-based designer Thom Browne. The evening will also feature Peter Martins’ 2001 work Morgen, with all-new costumes by the world renowned luxury womenswear designer Carolina Herrera, as well as Christopher Wheeldon’s This Bitter Earth, which premiered at the Company’s 2012 Fall Gala featuring costumes by the legendary couturier Valentino Garavani. The gala evening will take place at New York City Ballet’s home at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, the David H. Koch Theater, and will launch NYCB’s four-week Fall Season, which will run from Tuesday, September 23 through Sunday, October 19. All five ballets on the September 23 gala evening will also be performed on Thursday, October 2; Tuesday, October 7; Thursday, October 9; and Saturday, October 11 (eve). Sarah Jessica Parker, the actress, producer, and philanthropist, who is a Vice Chair of the NYCB Board of Directors and has been instrumental in bringing together the worlds of ballet and fashion for a special gala evening at NYCB, will serve as a chairman for the event for the third consecutive year. Other Chairmen for the 2014 Fall Gala include jewelry artist Cindy Chao, fashion advertising executive Trey Laird and his wife Jennifer, and JPMorgan Chase & Co. Chief Financial Officer and NYCB Board Member Marianne Lake. World Premiere by Justin Peck Costumes Designed by Mary Katrantzou Justin Peck, NYCB Soloist and newly appointed Resident Choreographer, will premiere the seventh work he has created for NYCB in less than two and a half years. The new work will be set to César Franck’s Untitled piece (Solo de piano), for piano accompanied by string quintet, Op. 10, marking the first time that Franck’s music has been included in the NYCB repertory. Peck, who joined NYCB as a member of the corps de ballet in 2007, was promoted to Soloist in 2013, and was named NYCB Resident Choreographer in July 2014. The costumes for Peck’s Fall Gala premiere will be designed by London-based Greek designer Mary Katrantzou, who launched her first collection in 2009. Born in Athens, Katrantzou moved to the U.S. to study architecture at the Rhode Island School of Design, before transferring to Central Saint Martins College of Arts and Design in London, where she received a BA in Textile Design. After graduating in 2005, Katrantzou shifted her direction from textile design to womenswear with a focus on print, and went on to receive her MA in Fashion from Central Saint Martins. Her first ready-to-wear collection debuted at London Fashion Week in Spring/Summer 2009. Katrantzou received the prestigious Swiss Textiles Award in 2010, and in November 2011 was awarded the British Fashion Award for Emerging Talent in Womenswear. In February 2012, Katrantzou was awarded Young Designer of the Year at the Elle Style Awards. World Premiere by Liam Scarlett Costumes Designed by Sarah Burton The second world premiere of the evening will be choreographed by British choreographer Liam Scarlett. A former dancer with The Royal Ballet, Scarlett made his first work for that company in 2010, and was named The Royal Ballet’s Artist in Residence in 2012. In 2009, Scarlett participated in the Fall session of the New York Choreographic Institute, an affiliate of New York City Ballet. This is Scarlett’s second work for NYCB, following the premiere of Acheron in January 2014. For Scarlett’s Fall Gala premiere he will collaborate with Sarah Burton, the renowned British designer and Creative Director of the Alexander McQueen brand. Burton studied fashion at Central Saint Martins College of Arts and Design in London and joined the Alexander McQueen company in 1996. In 2000, Burton was made Head of Design for womenswear at Alexander McQueen, and was promoted to Creative Director of the Alexander McQueen brand in 2010, having worked alongside McQueen for more than 14 years. In April 2011, she received global recognition as the designer of the wedding dress for HRH the Duchess of Cambridge, Catherine Middleton, on the occasion of her marriage to HRH Prince William. Burton was recipient of the Designer of the Year award at the British Fashion Awards in November 2011. Burton was named one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people in April 2012 and was awarded an Order of the British Empire (OBE) for her services to the British fashion industry in 2012. World Premiere by Troy Schumacher Costumes Designed by Thom Browne The final world premiere of the evening will be choreographed by NYCB corps de ballet member, Troy Schumacher, marking Schumacher’s choreographic debut with the Company. The work will be set to a score by Judd Greenstein, the Brooklyn-based composer of contemporary classical music, who is also a Co-Founder of New Amsterdam Records. Schumacher joined NYCB as a member of the corps de ballet in 2005 and participated in the Fall 2012 session of the New York Choreographic Institute. In 2010 Schumacher founded BalletCollective (formerly Satellite Ballet), a creative collaboration of artists, poets, composers, musicians, choreographers, and designers that has performed the collaborative work of more than 30 artists since its founding. Costumes for the new Schumacher work will be designed by New York-based designer Thom Browne, who introduced his first ready-to-wear collection in New York in 2003. Known for creating clothes that are based on hand-made tailoring, Browne’s collections have evolved into creations which have drawn attention from the fashion and design industry worldwide, often pushing the boundaries of conventional conceptions. He has been honored with the Council of Fashion Designers of America Menswear Designer of the Year Award in 2013 and 2006 and the Cooper Hewitt National Design Award in 2012. Browne’s women's ready-to-wear collection was introduced in 2011. The Thom Browne collections are available through his flagships stores in New York and Tokyo as well as at designer specialty stores around the world, such as Bergdorf Goodman, Barneys New York, Colette and Le Bon Marché in Paris, Harrods, Selfridges and Dover Street Market in London and Tokyo, Isetan, Restir and United Arrows in Tokyo. Peter Martins’ Morgen Costumes Designed by Carolina Herrera In addition to the evening’s three world premiere ballets, the Fall Gala will also include the return of Peter Martins’ Morgen, featuring all-new costumes designed by internationally renowned fashion designer Carolina Herrera. Created in 2001, Morgen is set to 10 songs for soprano and orchestra by composer Richard Strauss and was last performed by the Company in 2010. Peter Martins began his long association with the New York City Ballet as a guest artist in 1967, and has spent more than 40 years with the Company as a dancer, choreographer, and ballet master. In 1983, following the death of NYCB Co-Founder George Balanchine, Martins served as the Company’s Co-Ballet Master in Chief with Jerome Robbins, assuming sole artistic leadership of NYCB in 1989. Martins began his career as a choreographer in 1977 and has since created more than 80 ballets for NYCB. Martins is also the Artistic Director and Chairman of the Faculty at the School of American Ballet, the official school of NYCB, and the Co-Founder and Artistic Director of the New York Choreographic Institute, an affiliate of NYCB that was created in 2000 to foster new choreography. Establishing a globally recognized style aesthetic, Carolina Herrera has resided at the helm of her eponymous label for over three decades. With the endorsement of legendary Vogue editor Diana Vreeland, Carolina Herrera presented her first collection of women’s ready‐to‐wear at New York’s Metropolitan Club in 1981. Herrera opened her New York‐based atelier shortly thereafter, cultivating a team trained in haute couture craftsmanship and aligning her name synonymously with the city and all things luxury. With wedding gowns often included in her ready‐to‐wear runway shows, Carolina Herrera introduced her bridal collection in 1987. Herrera launched her first fragrance, Carolina Herrera Eau de Parfum in 1988. She has since released 13 additional fragrances for both men and women in collaboration with her daughter Carolina Herrera de Baez, the brand’s fragrance Creative Director. Today, Carolina Herrera New York counts three flagship boutiques in New York, Los Angeles and Dallas. In 2001 Herrera introduced CH Carolina Herrera, a lifestyle sportswear brand created in the spirit of Carolina Herrera’s design ethos including ready‐to‐wear and accessories for men, women and children with 125 boutique locations worldwide. The House of Herrera’s product portfolio of fragrance, apparel, accessories, and eyewear has over 15,000 points of distribution in 105 countries. Herrera was named the Council of Fashion Designers of America Womenswear Designer of the Year in 2004 and honored with the Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008. Acting as a mentor and critic to graduating design students for years, Herrera received an honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts from the Fashion Institute of Technology in 2012. In addition, she was awarded the 2012 Fashion Group International Superstar Award, and was recently presented with the Nat King Cole Award for her charitable works and contributions to the EIF Women’s Cancer Research Fund. Christopher Wheeldon’s This Bitter Earth Costumes Designed by Valentino Garavani The Fall Gala evening will also include a performance of Christopher Wheeldon’s This Bitter Earth, a pas de deux set to a score by Dinah Washington and Max Richter, which premiered at the Company’s 2012 Fall Gala featuring costumes by the legendary couturier Valentino Garavani. Christopher Wheeldon joined New York City Ballet as a dancer in 1993, and created his first ballet for the Company in 1997. In 2000, he retired from dancing and served as the Company’s first-ever Artist in Residence during the 2000-2001 Season before being named the Company’s first Resident Choreographer, a position he held until 2008. In 2007, Wheeldon founded Morphoses/The Wheeldon Company, serving as the Company’s Artistic Director until early 2010. Wheeldon has created works for the Bolshoi Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet, The Royal Ballet, and San Francisco Ballet, among others. His production of An American in Paris, which he is directing and choreographing, will premiere in Paris in November 2014 and will come to Broadway in 2015. Valentino Garavani, often known simply as Valentino, founded his eponymous fashion house in Rome in the late 1950s and has since established an illustrious career designing for the world’s most glamorous women, from royalty to Hollywood icons, including Elizabeth Taylor and Sophia Loren. Throughout his career Valentino has been awarded the highest recognitions and achievements, including Italy’s highest distinction, Cavalier di Gran Croce, and France’s Chevalier de la Légion d’honneur, in addition to numerous awards in the fashion industry. In 2008 Valentino took his final bow at his haute couture show and officially retired from his career in fashion, though he continues to create and follow his passions. In 2009, Valentino designed costumes for the Vienna Ballet, and in 2011 he and Giancarlo Giammetti, Valentino’s long-time business partner, launched the Valentino Garavani Virtual Museum. In 2012 NYCB’s inaugural fashion-themed Fall Gala celebrated the master couturier, who designed more than 15 original costumes for that gala evening performance. Tickets Benefit-priced tickets for the gala evening, which include the 7 pm performance, a pre- performance reception, and a black-tie supper ball following the performance, are available through the NYCB Special Events Office at 212-870-5585. Tickets for the performance only start at just $29 and will be available beginning August 11 at nycballet.com, by calling 212-496-0600, or at the David H. Koch Theater box office, located at West 63rd Street and Columbus Avenue at Lincoln Center. Major support for new work is provided by members of the New Combinations Fund and Jeffrey and Shiou-Der Kossak. Major support for the new ballet by Justin Peck is provided by J.P. Morgan. Major support for the new ballet by Troy Schumacher ballet is provided by Stephen Kroll Reidy. Additional support is provided by The Rudolf Nureyev Fund for Emerging Choreographers, established through a leadership grant from the Rudolf Nureyev Dance Foundation, with additional grants from the Harriet Ford Dickenson Foundation and the Joseph and Sylvia Slifka Foundation, to support New York City Ballet’s commissioning of emerging choreographers. The Travelers Companies, Inc. is the Global Sponsor of New York City Ballet.

Here's the casting:

The official release: GILLIAN MURPHY AND JAMES WHITESIDE TO LEAD OPENING NIGHT CAST OF AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE’S THE NUTCRACKER AT BAM HOWARD GILMAN OPERA HOUSE, DECEMBER 12-21, 2014 SEASON TO MARK FINAL NEW YORK PERFORMANCES PRIOR TO WEST COAST ENGAGEMENT SEASON DEBUTS TO INCLUDE STELLA ABRERA AND MISTY COPELAND AS CLARA Box Office Opens Monday, August 18 American Ballet Theatre’s The Nutcracker will return to the BAM Howard Gilman Opera House for 13 performances beginning Friday, December 12, 2014 for its final New York season, it was announced today by Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie. Tickets go on sale Monday, August 18 online, by phone and at the BAM box office. Gillian Murphy and James Whiteside will lead the Opening Night cast on December 12 at 7:00pm as Clara, The Princess and the Nutcracker Prince, respectively. Debuts for the engagement include Stella Abrera in the role of Clara, The Princess on Sunday afternoon, December 14 and Misty Copeland in the role of Clara, The Princess on Sunday evening, December 14. The Nutcracker, set to a score by Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky, features choreography by ABT Artist in Residence Alexei Ratmansky, scenery and costumes by Richard Hudson and lighting by Jennifer Tipton. This production was given its World Premiere at the BAM Howard Gilman Opera House on December 23, 2010, led by Gillian Murphy as Clara, The Princess and David Hallberg as the Nutcracker Prince. American Ballet Theatre’s 2014 season of The Nutcracker will be the final performances of the ballet at the BAM Howard Gilman Opera House. Beginning December 2015, Segerstrom Center for the Arts and American Ballet Theatre will co-present annual engagements of The Nutcracker at Segerstrom Center in Costa Mesa, California. The 2015 performances will mark the production’s West Coast Premiere. The BAM box office opens Monday, August 18 for advance ticket sales. Tickets for American Ballet Theatre’s The Nutcracker, beginning at $20, can be purchased in person at the BAM box office, by phone at 718-636-4100 or online at www.bam.org. The BAM box office is located in the Peter Jay Sharp Building at 30 Lafayette Avenue, Brooklyn, New York. For more information, please visit ABT’s website at www.abt.org. David H. Koch is the Lead Underwriter of American Ballet Theatre’s The Nutcracker. Linda Allard is the Original Underwriting Sponsor of costumes for The Nutcracker. Joan Taub Ades and Alan M. Ades, the Susan and Leonard Feinstein Foundation, and Brian and Darlene Heidtke are Co-Underwriting Sponsors of The Nutcracker. A gift as Co-Underwriting Sponsor of costumes for The Nutcracker has been provided in loving memory of Ellen Everett Kimiatek. Lisa and Dick Cashin, Linda and Martin Fell, and Ruth and Harold Newman are Co-Underwriting Partners of The Nutcracker. ABT’s The Nutcracker is generously supported through an endowed gift from The Toni and Martin Sosnoff New Works Fund. Additional support has been provided by Ed Fox, Theresa Khawly, The Rockefeller Brothers Fund and The National Endowment for the Arts. American Airlines is the Official Airline of American Ballet Theatre. Northern Trust is the Leading Corporate Sponsor of the American Ballet Theatre Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School 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 Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature; and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council.

Clips have been posted on YouTube.

Just to clarify, Under Armour isn't an "underwear company." it's athletic wear. It's akin to Nike or adidas. It's proven to be a major athletic brand. We actually covered the signing:http://espn.go.com/espnw/athletes-life/article/11291626/espnw-why-armour-banking-ballerina-misty-copeland

Wow. This definitely helps. It moved it out of the small, old theater that puts the culture offerings in a tiny theater with a broken speaker system and a loud air vent. These other theaters are the ones where The Met and/or NT Live broadcasts are shown. Much better.