Julio Bocca to guest

[Alexandra]

Now, here's some news!

JULIO BOCCA TO APPEAR AS GUEST ARTIST WITH

NEW YORK CITY BALLET IN JANUARY 2005

New York City Ballet has announced that international ballet star Julio Bocca will appear as a guest artist during the Company’s 2005 winter repertory season at the New York State Theater at Lincoln Center. Mr. Bocca, who is from Buenos Aires, will appear in Peter Martins’ Todo Buenos Aires, which Mr. Martins is re-choreographing for the occasion.

Mr. Bocca began his dance training in Buenos Aires with his mother at age four. He studied at the Instituto Superior de Arte del Teatro Colon and during that time danced with the Caracas Ballet Company. In 1983, he joined the Ballet del Teatro Municipal de Rio de Janeiro as a principal dancer, and in the same year appeared with the International Ballet of Caracas. In May 1985, Mr. Bocca won the Gold Medal at the Fifth International Ballet Competition in Moscow, and in 1986 he joined American Ballet Theatre as a principal dancer.

In 1997, Mr. Bocca became artistic director of Ballet Argentino, a touring group of young Argentinean dancers. With these dancers, he created “Boccatango,” a collection of dances based on the tango that recently had its first U.S. performances at New York City Joyce Theater.

Todo Buenos Aires was choreographed by Peter Martins to two tangos by Astor Piazzolla, orchestrated by John Adams, and had its premiere on May 3, 2000. For the winter 2005 performances featuring Mr. Bocca, Mr. Martins is re-choreographing the piece and adding a third section, also to a Piazzolla tango that has been orchestrated by Mr. Adams. Todo Buenos Aires will be performed Saturday, January 8, at 8 p.m.; Tuesday, January 11, at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, January 14, at 8 p.m.; and Sunday, January 16, at 3 p.m.

Winter season subscription series are now on sale by mail, through the NYCB website at www.nycballet.com, and by calling the NYCB subscription office at 800-580-8730. Single-ticket orders for the winter repertory season will be accepted by mail and through the NYCB website at www.nycballet.com beginning September 27. Single tickets will also be available by calling Ticketmaster at 212-307-4100 beginning November 21 and at the New York State Theater box office beginning November 22.

The New York State Theater is located on the Lincoln Center Plaza at Broadway at 63rd Street. The mailing address for the NYCB Box Office is New York City Ballet, New York State Theater, 20 Lincoln Center, New York, NY 10023. For general information on tickets for any New York City Ballet performance, call 212-870-5570, or visit www.nycballet.com.