Casting for Final 2 Weeks of the Season

[Alexandra]

[Note: Sorry, but I'm short on time today and can't take the time to clean up the press release. Whenever you see a question mark [?] it means a dash [-]

CASTING ANNOUNCED FOR FINAL TWO WEEKS OF

AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE AT METROPOLITAN OPERA HOUSE

Eleven Performances of Swan Lake and Repertory Program Featuring The Dream and Artemis to Highlight Seventh and Eighth Week

Nina Ananiashvili to Celebrate 10th Anniversary with ABT on June 20

Casting for the seventh and eighth week of American Ballet Theatre’s 2003 Spring season at the Metropolitan Opera House was announced today by Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie.

Principal Dancer Nina Ananiashvili will commemorate her 10th anniversary with ABT, performing Odette/Odile in Swan Lake, on Friday evening, June 20. The event was previously announced for Saturday evening, June 28. The ballet, with choreography by Kevin McKenzie and sets and costumes by Zack Brown, will be given its first performance of the season on Tuesday evening, June 17 with Irina Dvorovenko and Maxim Belotserkovsky in the leading roles. Swan Lake will be given 11 performances June 17-21 and June 26-28.

Lar Lubovitch’s Artemis, which received its World Premiere earlier in the season, will highlight Repertory Program Two for four performances, June 23-25. Also on the program are Sir Frederick Ashton’s The Dream and alternating pas de deux including The Leaves are Fading, Don Quixote and Grand Pas Classique. On Tuesday evening, May 24, Sandra Brown and Angel Corella will dance the roles of Artemis and Aktaion in Artemis for the first time and Marcelo Gomes will debut as Oberon in The Dream. The pas de deux from The Leaves are Fading will be danced for the first time by Alessandra Ferri and Carlos Molina on Tuesday, May 24 and by Ashley Tuttle at the Wednesday matinee, June 25.

American Ballet Theatre’s 2003 Metropolitan Opera House season is sponsored by UBS, ABT’s National Presenting Sponsor, and Movado Watch Company, a leading benefactor. ABT’s Spring season is also made possible with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Tickets for American Ballet Theatre’s 2003 Spring season are on sale at the Metropolitan Opera House box office or by calling 212-362-6000. For more information, visit ABT’s website at www.abt.org A complete cast listing follows. Casting is subject to change.

SEVENTH WEEK

Mon. Eve., June 16, 8 P.M. DON QUIXOTE ? Ananiashvili, Gomes, C. Corella, Molina

Tues. Eve., June 17, 8 P.M. SWAN LAKE ? Dvorovenko, Belotserkovsky, Gomes

Wed. Mat., June 18, 2 P.M. SWAN LAKE ? Herrera, Gomes, Molina

Wed. Eve., June 18, 8 P.M. SWAN LAKE ? Murphy, Stiefel, Torres

Thurs. Eve., June 19, 8 P.M. SWAN LAKE ? Kent, Carreño, Radetsky

Fri. Eve., June 20, 8 P.M. SWAN LAKE ? Ananiashvili, Bocca, Gomes

Sat. Mat., June 21, 2 P.M. SWAN LAKE ? Dvorovenko, Belotserkovsky, Gomes

Sat. Eve., June 21, 8 P.M. SWAN LAKE ? Murphy, Corella, Torres

EIGHTH WEEK

Mon. Eve., June 23, 8 P.M. REPERTORY PROGRAM TWO

ARTEMIS ?Kent, Gomes;

THE LEAVES ARE FADING Pas de Deux ? McKerrow, Gardner+;

DON QUIXOTE Pas de Deux ? Herrera, Bocca

THE DREAM ? Ferri, Stiefel

Tues. Eve., June 24, 8 P.M. REPERTORY PROGRAM TWO

ARTEMIS ? S. Brown*, Corella*

THE LEAVES ARE FADING Pas de Deux ? Ferri*, Molina*

GRAND PAS CLASSIQUE ? Wiles, Hallberg

THE DREAM ? Kent, Gomes*

Wed. Mat., June 25, 2 P.M. REPERTORY PROGRAM TWO

ARTEMIS ? Kent, Gomes

THE LEAVES ARE FADING Pas de Deux ? Tuttle*, Molina

GRAND PAS CLASSIQUE ? Murphy, Carreño

THE DREAM ? McKerrow, Belotserkovsky

Wed. Eve., June 25, 8 P.M. REPERTORY PROGRAM TWO

ARTEMIS ? S. Brown, Corella

GRAND PAS CLASSIQUE ? Wiles, Hallberg

DON QUIXOTE Pas de Deux ? Herrera, Bocca

THE DREAM ? Ferri, Stiefel

Thurs. Eve., June 26, 8 P.M. SWAN LAKE ? Tuttle, Corella, Belotserkovsky

Fri. Eve., June 27, 8 P.M. SWAN LAKE ? Herrera, Gomes, Molina

Sat. Mat., June 28, 2 P.M. SWAN LAKE ? Kent, Carreño, Radetsky

Sat. Eve., June 28, 8 P.M. SWAN LAKE ? Ananiashvili, Bocca, Gomes

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*Editors please note: first time in a role:

Tues. Eve., June 24 ? S. Brown and Corella in Artemis; Ferri and Molina in The Leaves Are Fading Pas de Deux; Gomes as Oberon in The Dream Wed. Mat., June 25 ? Tuttle in The Leaves Are Fading Pas de Deux

+Editors please note:

Mon. Eve., June 23 ? Guest Artist John Gardner in The Leaves Are Fading Pas de Deux