Annual Fall Season, October 21-November 2,
to be Highlighted by Revival Premiere
of Tudor's Jardin aux Lilas and
Company Premieres of Paul Taylor's Company B
and Jirķ Kyliįn's Overgrown Path

In honor of the centennial of Antony Tudor, one of the masters of twentieth-century dance, American Ballet Theatre will dedicate an evening of works in tribute to the choreographer’s genius on Friday, October 31, 2008 at New York City Center. This dedicated evening is part of ABT’s annual Fall season at City Center, October 21-November 2, which will also celebrate the late choreographer with works performed on each program throughout the two-week engagement. ABT’s Tudor Centennial Tribute and its 2008 City Center season was announced today by Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie.

American Ballet Theatre’s Tudor Centennial Tribute, including special guest appearances and film excerpts depicting Tudor at work, will complement performances of several of the choreographer’s greatest works, many originally created for ABT. The evening will begin with a performance of Continuo (1971) and will be highlighted by Jardin aux Lilas (1936) and pas de deux from Romeo and Juliet (1943) and The Leaves Are Fading (1975). Performances of Judgment of Paris (1938) and Pillar of Fire (1942) will complete the tribute evening. ABT’s Tudor Centennial Tribute is made possible by a generous grant from The Howard Gilman Foundation.

ANTONY TUDOR, 1908-1987

Antony Tudor, one of the giants of twentieth century choreography, began dancing professionally with Ballet Rambert in London. All of his early ballets Cross garter’d (1931), Lysistrata (1932) and The Planets (1934) were created for that company.

In 1939, Tudor was invited by Ballet Theatre to join its first season and to restage three of the works he was known for in London – Jardin aux Lilas, Dark Elegies, and Judgment of Paris. Since that time, he has been represented in every American Ballet Theatre season. Gala Performance was added to the repertory in 194l, Pillar of Fire in 1942, Romeo and Juliet and Dim Lustre in 1943, Undertow in 1945, Shadow of the Wind in 1948, ,Nimbus in 1950, The Leaves Are Fading and Shadowplay in 1975, The Tiller in the Fields in 1978, Little Improvisations in 1980 and Fandango in 1988.

Tudor performed in many of his own ballets as well as in works of other choreographers. In 1950, Tudor gave up performing to become head of faculty of the Metropolitan Opera Ballet School. He choreographed Offenbach in the Underworld in 1955 and set it for American Ballet Theatre the following year. In 1963, he choreographed Echoing of Trumpets for the Royal Swedish Ballet; it was staged for American Ballet Theatre in 1967.

In May 1986, Tudor was presented with the Handel Medallion, New York City’s highest cultural honor. In December of the same year, he was the recipient of a Kennedy Center Honor.

In 1951, Tudor joined the Juilliard School’s Dance Division as a founding faculty member; a position be held until 1971. He was appointed Associate Director of ABT in 1975 in which capacity he served until his appointment as Choreographer Emeritus in 1980. He continued in this position until his death in 1987.

OPENING NIGHT

American Ballet Theatre’s Opening Night Gala on Tuesday evening, October 21 at 6:30pm will celebrate Antony Tudor with the pas de deux from his 1943 production of the one act Romeo and Juliet. The full production, last performed by ABT in 1976, is set to music by Frederick Delius, arranged by Antal Dorati, with scenery and costumes by Eugene Berman. Tudor’s Romeo and Juliet, created for Ballet Theatre, was given its World Premiere at the Metropolitan Opera House on April 6, 1943.

COMPANY PREMIERES

American Ballet Theatre’s 2008 season at New York City Center will feature the Company Premiere of Paul Taylor’s Company B on Opening Night, Tuesday, October 21. Set to songs by the Andrews Sisters with costumes by Santo Loquasto and lighting by Jennifer Tipton, Company B received its World Premiere in 1991 by the Paul Taylor Dance Company. Staged for ABT by Patrick Corbin, the ballet will receive seven performances during the Company’s two-week City Center season.

Jiřƒ∑ KyliƒØn’s Overgrown Path, set to music by Leos JanƒØček (On an Overgrown Path, 1902), will receive its American Ballet Theatre Premiere on Thursday evening, October 23. Created by KyliƒØn as an homage to Antony Tudor, the ballet features sets and costumes by Walter Nobbe and lighting by Kees Tjebbes. Overgrown Path was given its World Premiere by the Netherlands Dance Theatre in 1980 at The Hague, The Netherlands. Overgrown Path, which will be given five performances this season, will be staged for ABT by Roslyn Anderson.

REVIVAL PREMIERES

Antony Tudor’s Jardin aux Lilas, last performed by ABT in 2001, will have its Revival Premiere on Wednesday evening, October 29. Created for Ballet Rambert in 1936, Jardin aux Lilas was first performed by Ballet Theatre during the Company’s inaugural season in 1940. With music by Ernest Chausson (Poeme), this production of Jardin aux Lilas features costumes by Ramond Sovey, after sketches by Hugh Stevenson, scenery by Zack Brown and lighting by Jennifer Tipton. The ballet explores human relationships with the use of gestures – quick glances, a suddenly outstretched arm, a gesture of sympathy – movements that have become Tudor’s hallmarks. Staged for ABT by Donald Mahler, Jardin aux Lilas will be given five performances by ABT.

Twyla Tharp’s Brief Fling, last performed by ABT in 1991, will receive its Revival Premiere on Tuesday evening, October 28 at 7:30pm. Set to music by Michel Colombier and Percy Grainger (Country Gardens and Handel in the Strand) with costumes by Isaac Mizrahi, Brief Fling received its World Premiere by ABT in San Francisco in 1990. A work for eighteen dancers, Brief Fling will have five performances during ABT’s City Center season.

RETURNING REPERTORY

Last season’s revival of Antony Tudor’s The Leaves Are Fading will highlight the returning repertory for American Ballet Theatre’s 2008 City Center season. Additional repertory scheduled for the season will include Tudor’s Pillar of Fire, Twyla Tharp’s Baker’s Dozen and George Balanchine’s Ballo della Regina and Theme and Variations.

The Leaves Are Fading will be given four performances this season beginning Wednesday evening, October 22. Created for ABT in 1975, the ballet has music by Antonín Dvořák, scenery by Ming Cho Lee, costumes by Patricia Zipprodt and lighting by Jennifer Tipton. The ballet was given its revival premiere by ABT in 2007, staged by Amanda McKerrow and John Gardner.

Pillar of Fire, last performed by ABT in 2004, will be given five performances beginning Friday, October 24. Set to Arnold Schoenberg’s Verkl√§rte Nacht (Transfigured Night), Tudor’s masterpiece received its World Premiere by Ballet Theatre in 1942 performed by Nora Kaye (Hagar), Lucia Chase (Eldest Sister), Annabelle Lyon (Youngest Sister), Antony Tudor (The Friend), and Hugh Laing (The Young Man From the House Opposite). ABT’s current production was revived in 2003 with scenery and costumes by Robert Perdziola and lighting by Duane Schuler.

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Twyla Tharp’s Baker’s Dozen will receive five performances at City Center beginning Wednesday evening, October 22. A work for twelve dancers in five sections, Baker’s Dozen is set to music by Willie "The Lion" Smith and features costumes by Santo Loquasto and lighting by Jennifer Tipton. Baker’s Dozen received its World Premiere by Twyla Tharp Dance on February 15, 1979 and featured Tharp in the original cast. The ballet received its ABT Company Premiere in 2007 staged by Elaine Kudo.

George Balanchine’s Ballo della Regina, staged for American Ballet Theatre by Merrill Ashley, will have five performances at New York City Center beginning Tuesday, October 28. Set to music by Giuseppe Verdi from the opera Don Carlos, with costumes by Ben Benson constructed by Dale Wibben, Ballo della Regina received its World Premiere by New York City Ballet in 1978. The ballet was given its ABT premiere at City Center in 2007. Balanchine’s Theme and Variations will have five performances at City Center beginning Tuesday evening, October 21. Set to "Theme and Variations" from Suite No. 3 for Orchestra by Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky, the ballet features costumes by Theoni V. Aldredge and lighting by David K. H. Elliott. Theme and Variations, created for Ballet Theatre, received its World Premiere at New York’s City Center on November 7, 1947, performed by Alicia Alonso and Igor Youskevitch.

American Ballet Theatre’s 2008 Season at New York City Center is made possible with public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, the New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Saks Fifth Avenue is the Leading Sponsor of ABT’s Costume Fund. American Airlines is ABT’s Official Airline.

Tickets for American Ballet Theatre’s 2008 Fall season at New York City Center go on sale in July.

FALL SEASON AT NEW YORK CITY CENTER