ABT Fall 2023

[eduardo]

Thank you, nanushka!

[Dale]

Official announcement:

 

AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE ANNOUNCES 2023 FALL SEASON AT THE DAVID H. KOCH THEATER,OCTOBER 18–29, 2023 

 

THREE PROGRAMS FEATURING SEVEN BALLETS INCLUDING THE RETURN OF PETITE MORT, ÉTUDES, AND BALLET IMPERIAL 

 

BOX OFFICE TO OPEN WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6 

 

NEW YORK, NY (July 19, 2023) – American Ballet Theatre’s Fall season programming was announced today by Artistic Director Susan Jaffe. The season will run from October 18–29 at the David H. Koch Theater and will feature three programs of works titled Classics Old and New, 20th Century Works: Balanchine and Ashton, and 21st Century Works: King and Ratmansky. Classics Old and New will consist of Alexei Ratmansky’s Piano Concerto No. 1, Jiří Kylián’s Petite Mort, and Harald Lander’s Études. 20th Century Works: Balanchine and Ashton will follow with George Balanchine’s Ballet Imperial and Frederick Ashton’s The Dream. To close out the season, 21st Century Works: King and Ratmansky will include Alonzo King’s Single Eye and Ratmansky’s On the Dnipro.  

 

Principal Dancers for the 2023 Fall 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.  

 

Fall Gala 

The Fall Gala will take place on Tuesday evening, October 24 at 6:30 P.M. at the Koch Theater. For more information on ABT’s 2023 Fall Gala, please contact the Special Events Office at specialevents@abt.org. 

 

Classics Old and New 

Classics Old and New will run from Tuesday, October 18 through the Saturday matinee on October 21 and will feature Alexei Ratmansky’s Piano Concerto No. 1, Jiří Kylián’s Petite Mort, and Harald Lander’s Études. 

 

Piano Concerto No. 1 is part of a trilogy of works, choreographed by Alexei Ratmansky and set to the music of Dimitri Shostakovich with scenery by George Tsypin, costumes by Keso Dekker, and lighting by Jennifer Tipton. A mercurial romp that veers from energetic to languid, precise to chaotic, Piano Concerto No. 1 was given its World Premiere by American Ballet Theatre on May 31, 2013, under the title Piano Concerto #1, danced by Diana Vishneva, Cory Stearns, Natalia Osipova, and Ivan Vasiliev. 

 

Petite Mort was originally created by Jiří Kylián for the Salzburg Festival on the second centenary of Mozart’s death, incorporating the slow movements of two of Mozart’s most beautiful and popular piano concertos. With costumes by Joke Visser and lighting by Joop Caboort, Petite Mort features six men, six women, and six foils and expresses themes of aggression, desire, energy, silence, anarchy, and vulnerability. Petite Mort was given its World Premiere at the Salzburg Festival on August 23, 1991, at the Kleines Festpielhaus, Salzburg, Austria. It was given its American Ballet Theatre Company Premiere at City Center, New York on October 30, 2003. Petite Mort will be staged for ABT by Elke Scheppers. 

 

Last performed by ABT in 2008, Harald Lander’s Études is an exhilarating tribute to the art form of classical ballet. Set to music by Carl Czerny and arranged by Knudaage Riisager, Études ingeniously illustrates the development of a dancer’s technique and artistry, from the regime of exercises at the barre to the dazzling heights of balletic proficiency. Created in 1948 at the Royal Opera House in Copenhagen for the Royal Danish Ballet, Études was later staged for the Paris Opera in 1952 and has been performed at the opening performances in Moscow, London, and Brussels. American Ballet Theatre first presented Études at the 54th Street Theatre on October 5, 1961, with the cast headed by Toni Lander, Royes Fernandez, and Bruce Marks. Études will be staged for ABT by Thomas Lund. 

 

20th Century Works: Balanchine and Ashton 

20th Century Works: Balanchine and Ashton, ABT’s second Fall program, will be given four performances on Saturday evening, October 21; Sunday matinee, October 22; Wednesday evening, October 25; and Thursday evening, October 26. 20th Century Works: Balanchine and Ashton will consist of George Balanchine’s Ballet Imperial and Frederick Ashton’s The Dream. 

 

Ballet Imperial, set to Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky’s Concerto No. 2 in G for Piano and Orchestra, evokes the era of Russia’s Imperial Ballet with its grandeur. The ballet received its World Premiere by American Ballet Caravan at the Hunter College Playhouse, New York on May 27, 1941, danced by Marie-Jeanne, Gisella Caccialanza, and William Dollar. The American Ballet Theatre Company Premiere of Ballet Imperial was given on February 10, 1988, at the Auditorium Theatre, Chicago, danced by Susan Jaffe, Ross Stretton, and Amanda McKerrow. Ballet Imperial will be staged for ABT by Colleen Neary with scenery and costumes by Rouben Ter-Arutunian and lighting by Jennifer Tipton. 

 

Returning for ABT’s 2023 Fall season, The Dream is Frederick Ashton’s beguiling retelling of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream and its comedy of errors set in the magical woods of Victorian England. This happy ode to the illusory nature of love is set to a spellbinding score by Felix Mendelssohn and arranged by John Lanchbery, sets and costumes by David Walker, and lighting by John B. Read. The Dream received its World Premiere by The Royal Ballet at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London on April 2, 1964, danced by Antoinette Sibley as Titania, Anthony Dowell as Oberon, and Keith Martin as Puck. The Dream was given its American Ballet Theatre Company Premiere at the Metropolitan Opera House, New York on May 24, 2002, danced by Alessandra Ferri as Titania, Ethan Stiefel as Oberon, and Herman Cornejo as Puck.  

 

21st Century Works: King and Ratmansky 

The final four performances of ABT’s 2023 Fall season, titled 21st Century Works: King and Ratmansky, will feature Alonzo King’s Single Eyeand Ratmansky’s On the Dnipro with performances from Friday, October 27 to Sunday, October 29. 

 

Single Eye is a subtle entreaty for peace and natural harmony during trying times. This visually stunning ballet is set to music by celebrated jazz artist and composer Jason Moran, with choreography by Alonzo King, sets and costumes by Robert Rosenwasser and lighting by Jim French.Single Eye was given its World Premiere by American Ballet Theatre on March 16, 2022, at Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa, California, danced by Isabella Boylston, Thomas Forster, Calvin Royal III, Skylar Brandt, and Cory Stearns.  

 

Ratmansky’s production of Sergei Prokofiev’s On the Dnipro brings audiences to the banks of the mighty Ukrainian river, the Dnipro, and into the life of young soldier Sergei as he arrives home from the battlefields of war. Ratmansky’s On the Dnipro received its World Premiere on June 1, 2009, at the Metropolitan Opera House, under the title On the Dnieper, danced by Veronika Part as Natalia, Marcelo Gomes as Sergei, Paloma Herrera as Olga, and David Halberg as Olga’s Fiancé. The production features scenery by Simon Pastukh, costumes by Galina Solovyeva, lighting by Brad Fields, and projections by Wendall K. Harrington. Prokofiev’s score for On the Dnipro was originally commissioned by the Paris Opera, and the original ballet production received its World Premiere in 1932 by the Paris Opera Ballet.  

 

Ticket Policies 

Tickets for American Ballet Theatre’s 2023 Fall season at the David H. Koch Theater will be available for general public on-sale beginning Wednesday, September 6 at 10:00 A.M. Tickets can be purchased by phone at 212-496-0600, in person at the Koch Theater box office, or online at ABT’s website. Tickets start at $30. During the 2023 Fall season, ABT will offer audience members the opportunity to exchange tickets up until Noon the day of the performance at no charge, minus any difference in ticket price. We regret that there are no refunds or cancellations.  

 

Donor Advance Sale will begin on Tuesday, August 29 at 10:00 A.M. Visit ABT’s website to learn more and become a Member. 

 

Health and Safety Protocols 

American Ballet Theatre and the David H. Koch Theater ask audiences to review the following health and safety protocols on the Koch Theater website before attending performances. 

 

 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®. 

 

The production of Piano Concerto No. 1 was made possible with Lead Underwriting from David H. Koch. 

 

In addition, Leadership support for Piano Concerto No. 1, part of the Ratmansky Project, has been generously provided by Avery and Andrew F. Barth, the Blavatnik Family Foundation, Mr. And Mrs. Hamilton E. James, the Lloyd E. Rigler-Lawrence E. Deutsch Foundation, the Ted and Mary Jo Shen Charitable Gift Fund, and through an endowed gift from The Toni and Martin Sosnoff New Works Fund.  

 

This production of The Dream is generously supported through an endowed gift from Anka Palitz, in memory of Clarence J. Palitz, Jr.  

 

This production of On the Dnipro is generously supported through an endowed gift from The Toni and Martin Sosnoff New Works Fund. The World Premiere of On the Dnipro (originally titled On the Dnieper) was generously sponsored by Leila and Micky Straus. 

 

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. Additional leadership support is provided by the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation. 

 

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.  

[California]

Brilliant programming for fall! I want to see it all!

[fondoffouettes]

I'm excited to see Ballet Imperial with tutus! Especially now that NYCB's costumes are so dreadful. I found this photo online of Susan Jaffe in the ABT premiere of the ballet, which shows the Rouben Ter-Arutunian costumes.

https://tessa2.lapl.org/digital/collection/photos/id/26439 

Edited July 19, 2023 by fondoffouettes

[abatt]

20 minutes ago, California said:

Brilliant programming for fall! I want to see it all!

Me too.  But I will probably walk out on for Single Eye, which is not a great ballet.  The rest is great.  So what happened to the Marston ballet that was supposed to be shared with Houston Ballet.  Not that I'm complaining...

No Misty again.

Glad to see that ABT is still performing Ratmansky's work. 

 

 

[nysusan]

I did not like On the Dnieper dring its premiere season, and if I didn't like it with Part, Gomes, Hallberg & Herrera I can't imagine liking it with ABT's current dancers. I may skip it, but the other 2 programs look wonderful.

[fondoffouettes]

16 minutes ago, abatt said:

No Misty again.

In her interview on Whiteside's podcast, she said she was aiming to return for this winter's Nutcracker. 

[nanushka]

Forster was fantastic in On the Dnieper in 2019. It was a great role for him.

I too am excited to see Ballet Imperial in tutus, which I think is as it should be — given the work's original title, and its echoes in the choreography.

Edited July 19, 2023 by nanushka

[ABT Fan]

42 minutes ago, nanushka said:

Forster was fantastic in On the Dnieper in 2019. It was a great role for him.

I too am excited to see Ballet Imperial in tutus, which I think is as it should be — given the work's original title, and its echoes in the choreography.

Forster really was fantastic, as was Hurlin (in one of her first principal roles). Anyone else notice that they misspelled Dnieper repeatedly in the announcement? 

Very excited about this line up!

[RUKen]

1 minute ago, ABT Fan said:

 Anyone else notice that they misspelled Dnieper repeatedly in the announcement?

It's not a misspelling.  "Dnipro" is the transliteration of the Ukrainian name for the river, whereas "Dnieper" is transliterated from Russian.  

[nanushka]

Yes, Ratmansky has presumably chosen to use the Ukrainian transliteration going forward. The announcement includes the following:

Quote

Ratmansky’s On the Dnipro received its World Premiere on June 1, 2009, at the Metropolitan Opera House, under the title On the Dnieper...

 

[ABT Fan]

1 hour ago, RUKen said:

It's not a misspelling.  "Dnipro" is the transliteration of the Ukrainian name for the river, whereas "Dnieper" is transliterated from Russian.  

Ah, thank you!

[bingham]

Program 3 seems to be the least interesting of the fall schedule.Maybe, they can add a PDD or two for the younger promising member of the corps. Le Corsaire or Diana and Acteon would be a showcase for J Roxander/Cooker. Just a thought.

[matilda]

Sounds like the "Women's Movement" is no longer a fall season centerpiece. No complaints from me about the absence of Jessica Lang or Lauren Lovette, or the lack of "identity"-themed works. And yes, interesting that Cathy Marston's "Summer and Smoke" is off the table. 

Jaffe seems a lot less tone deaf and with overall better programming judgement than McKenzie so far. This is all around the most intriguing fall season in a long time. Hopefully it will draw a bigger crowd than some past fall season programs. "Single Eye" is the weakest link, but it's perfectly watchable and there are a lot of great solo moments for corps dancers to shine. 

Will be fun to see Ballet Imperial danced back to back by both NYCB and ABT this fall. 

I thought "Other Dances" was supposed to come back this fall after hints from ABT dancers on Instagram. I guess they are just doing it for the summer BAAND festival. 

Edited July 19, 2023 by matilda

[NinaFan]

4 hours ago, bingham said:

Program 3 seems to be the least interesting of the fall schedule.Maybe, they can add a PDD or two for the younger promising member of the corps. Le Corsaire or Diana and Acteon would be a showcase for J Roxander/Cooker. Just a thought.

Yes, the program is much too light, and one I'll be skipping unless they add something like a couple of exciting PDDs.   And I'd be very pleased to see the PDDs you've mentioned!

[coffeelover]

Not sure if this info has already been put out onto this forum, but I listened to James Whiteside’s podcast with Misty Copeland which was released February of 2023. She says that she’ll “definitely [be] dancing in, I think, Romeo and Juliet and Giselle in the spring.”

Not sure if this means Giselle and R&J will on during MET season again, just something to ponder haha. 

[MoMo]

9 minutes ago, coffeelover said:

Not sure if this info has already been put out onto this forum, but I listened to James Whiteside’s podcast with Misty Copeland which was released February of 2023. She says that she’ll “definitely [be] dancing in, I think, Romeo and Juliet and Giselle in the spring.”

Not sure if this means Giselle and R&J will on during MET season again, just something to ponder haha. 

I saw a recent interview where she said she would dance in Fall 2024. 

[nanushka]

12 minutes ago, coffeelover said:

Not sure if this info has already been put out onto this forum, but I listened to James Whiteside’s podcast with Misty Copeland which was released February of 2023. She says that she’ll “definitely [be] dancing in, I think, Romeo and Juliet and Giselle in the spring.”

Not sure if this means Giselle and R&J will on during MET season again, just something to ponder haha. 

If she said "in the spring" in February, that wouldn't seem to refer to 2024. Perhaps she was intending at that time to return for the now-almost-finished season?

They couldn't possibly program R&J for the third Met season in a row. (I hope!)

[bingham]

1 hour ago, NinaFan said:

Yes, the program is much too light, and one I'll be skipping unless they add something like a couple of exciting PDDs.   And I'd be very pleased to see the PDDs you've mentioned!

They used To have a PDD  in their mixed Programs . I think it’s a good training for eventual  full length  performances..

[volcanohunter]

6 hours ago, bingham said:

Program 3 seems to be the least interesting of the fall schedule.Maybe, they can add a PDD or two for the younger promising member of the corps. Le Corsaire or Diana and Acteon would be a showcase for J Roxander/Cooker. Just a thought.

Except that these bits of crass razzle-dazzle would throw the program's artistic integrity out the window.

[ba11et0mane]

1 hour ago, coffeelover said:

Not sure if this info has already been put out onto this forum, but I listened to James Whiteside’s podcast with Misty Copeland which was released February of 2023. She says that she’ll “definitely [be] dancing in, I think, Romeo and Juliet and Giselle in the spring.”

Not sure if this means Giselle and R&J will on during MET season again, just something to ponder haha. 

i think she meant met 2023 season because since they’re doing swan lake at the kennedy center in 2024 that would mean swan lake at the met in 2024. so swan lake, R&J, and giselle is almost a complete repeat of the 2023 season and i doubt jaffe would do that.

[ABT Fan]

33 minutes ago, volcanohunter said:

Except that these bits of crass razzle-dazzle would throw the program's artistic integrity out the window.

They could do the central pas from Leaves are Fading. Remember when they did that on tour several years ago with Bell and Abrera - Bell was in the corps and it was his first “big” role. Imagine Curley with Hurlin or Park. Or, Klein and Coker. That would be stunning.

[nanushka]

Why would they add PDDs to a program they've already started to publicize, when doing so would mean reconceiving the program (and having to alter marketing materials that are likely already in process), given that the program is currently titled "21st Century Works"? I'd assume that, if they wanted to include PDDs in the program, they'd have designed it to include them, and they'd have done so before making the initial season announcement. Anything's possible, of course, but I think further additions are unlikely. (It'd be a different story if for some reason they had to swap out a currently planned work.)

As for Misty, I will personally be rather surprised if she performs another full-length classical role with ABT.

Edited July 20, 2023 by nanushka

[coffeelover]

She mentioned Giselle and R&J after talking about how she plans to be back for Nutcracker. I agree it would be odd to have a near replicate met season. 
 

It is about 2 and a half minutes from the end of Episode 7: Misty Copeland of Whiteside’s Front Row podcast. To me it sounded like she was speaking of met 2024, but I could be wrong. 

[MoMo]

56 minutes ago, nanushka said:

Why would they add PDDs to a program they've already started to publicize, when doing so would mean reconceiving the program (and having to alter marketing materials that are likely already in process), given that the program is currently titled "21st Century Works"? I'd assume that, if they wanted to include PDDs in the program, they'd have designed it to include them, and they'd have done so before making the initial season announcement. Anything's possible, of course, but I think further additions are unlikely. (It'd be a different story if for some reason they had to swap out a currently planned work.)

As for Misty, I will personally be rather surprised if she performs another full-length classical role with ABT.

I agree. I think Misty is moving on to her other projects ( a book, a short film etc). She will be 43 in 2024 and hasn’t danced onstage since 2019 ( Manon. I saw it).