COMPANY PREMIERE OF WILLIAM FORSYTHE'S workwithinwork AND WORLD PREMIERE BY ROBERT HILL TO HIGHLIGHT SEASON

Preview From Full-Length Raymonda and Revival of Pillar of Fire Also Planned

American Ballet Theatre’s 2003 Fall Season at New York’s City Center was announced today by Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie. The 2003 season will expand to three weeks,
October 22-November 9, for the first time since ABT began its regular fall engagement at City Center in 1997.

Highlighting the City Center engagement will be the Company Premiere of William Forsythe’s workwithinwork and the World Premiere of Robert Hill’s Dorian, based on the novel by Oscar Wilde. The season will also feature a preview of Raymonda (Grand Pas Classique) from its new full-length ballet with choreography by Anna-Marie Holmes after Marius Petipa. Revivals scheduled for the season include Antony Tudor’s Pillar of Fire, Agnes de Mille’s Three Virgins and a Devil and Sir Frederick Ashton’s Symphonic Variations.

American Ballet Theatre’s City Center season will begin with an Opening Night Gala on Wednesday evening, October 22 at 7:00 p.m. featuring all of ABT’s Principal Dancers performing selections of the season’s works.

American Ballet Theatre’s City Center season is sponsored by UBS, ABT’s National Presenting Sponsor, and Movado Watch Company, a leading benefactor. ABT’s 2003 City Center season is made possible with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, a State Agency.

Company Premieres

The Company Premiere of workwithinwork on Friday evening, October 24 will be ABT’s first-ever presentation of the work of William Forsythe, renowned choreographer and Artistic Director of the Frankfurt Ballet. workwithinwork is set to the music of Luciano Berio and Thom Willems with costumes by Stephen Galloway and lighting by William Forsythe. The ballet received its World Premiere by the Frankfurt Ballet in October, 1998.

The Company Premieres of Jiri Kylian’s Petite Mort and Sechs T√§nze are scheduled for Thursday evening, October 30. Set to the music of Wolfgang Mozart, Petite Mort features costumes by Joke Visser and Sechs T√§nze features costumes and scenery by Jiri Kylian. Petite Mort was given its World Premiere by Netherlands Dance Theatre I in August, 1991, and Sechs T√§nze received its World Premiere by NDT I in October, 1986. ABT has previously performed Kylian’s Sinfonietta and Stepping Stones.

Christian Spuck’s Le Grand Pas de Deux will be given its Company Premiere at the Saturday, October 25 matinee. Set to Gioachino Rossini’s overture from The Thieving Magpie, Le Grand Pas de Deux features costumes by Nicole Siggelkow. The ballet was first performed by the Stuttgart Ballet in 1999.

World Premiere and a Preview

The World Premiere of Dorian by Robert Hill is scheduled for Thursday evening, October 30. Based on the Oscar Wilde novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Dorian is set to the music of Ernest Chausson, orchestrated by Jon Magnussen and features sets and costumes by Zack Brown. Dorian will be Mr. Hill’s fourth work for the Company including Baroque Game (1999), Marimba (2001) and Concerto No. 1 for Piano and Orchestra (2002).

On Thursday, October 23, ABT will preview an excerpt from the full-length Raymonda, choreographed by Anna-Marie Holmes after Marius Petipa. Raymonda, a ballet in two acts is a co-production with the Finnish National Ballet and will be given its ABT premiere during the Company’s 2004 Metropolitan Opera House season. This new production, which received its World Premiere by the Finnish National Ballet in May of this year, was conceived and directed by Anna-Marie Holmes and Kevin McKenzie and generously underwritten by Patricia Hagan. Set to the music of Alexander Glazounov, Raymonda was first performed at the Maryinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg in January, 1898. For its City Center season, ABT will preview the Grand Pas Classique from Raymonda for six performances.

Revivals

Antony Tudor’s Pillar of Fire, created for American Ballet Theatre in 1942, will receive its Revival Premiere on Thursday, October 23. Set to the music of Arnold Schoenberg, ABT’s new production of Pillar of Fire will feature scenery and costumes by Robert Perdziola. ABT last presented the ballet in 1990 for the Company’s 50th Anniversary season. Pillar of Fire‘s revival will be staged by Donald Mahler.

Agnes de Mille’s Three Virgins and a Devil, will be given its Revival Premiere at the Saturday, October 25 matinee. Last presented by ABT in 1993, Three Virgins and a Devil is set the music of Ottorino Respighi with a scenario written by Ramon Reed. Scenery and costumes by Motley are supervised by John Jensen. ABT’s revival of de Mille’s Three Virgins and a Devil will be staged by Dennis Nahat.

Symphonic Variations, created by Sir Frederick Ashton in 1946, was first performed by ABT in 1992. Set to the music of Cesar Franck with scenery and costumes by Sophie Fedorovitch, Symphonic Variations will have its Revival Premiere on Thursday, October 23. Wendy Somes will stage the ballet for ABT.

American Ballet Theatre’s 2003 City Center season will be presented in three separate programs and will also feature Family Friendly Matinees on Saturday and Sunday afternoon performances. Additional repertory scheduled for the season includes George Balanchine’s Theme and Variations, Jerome Robbins’ Fancy Free, Martha Graham’s Diversion of Angels, Nacho Duato’s Without Words, classical pas de deux and Within You Without You: A Tribute to George Harrison.

ABTKids

ABTKids, a special performance for families, is scheduled for Saturday, November 1 at 11:30 a.m. This one-hour presentation is narrated by members of ABT and features a full orchestra. All tickets for ABTKids are priced at $15 and $20. Reckson Associates is the official corporate sponsor of ABTKids.

ABTTalks

ABTTalks, pre-curtain discussions held one hour prior to performances, are free to ABT ticket holders at City Center. A detailed schedule will be announced at a later date.

Tickets for American Ballet Theatre’s 2003 City Center season are priced from $30 to $80. Discounts for packages of two and three performances are available beginning July 1 by calling CityTix at 212-581-1212. The box office will open on September 2. City Center is located at West 55th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues in New York City.

Back To ABT News >>