Guest Artist Alessandra Ferri to Dance in World Premiere Cast of AFTERITE at Spring Gala, Monday, May 21 at 6:30 P.M.

Casting for the first two weeks of American Ballet Theatre’s 2018 Spring Season at the Metropolitan Opera House was announced today by Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie.

The season will begin with eight performances of Giselle, beginning Monday, May 14, with Hee Seo, Roberto Bolle and Gillian Murphy in the leading roles.  Katherine Williams will debut as Myrta on Thursday, May 17.  Guest Artist Natalia Osipova will dance the role of Giselle on Friday, May 18, opposite David Hallberg as Albrecht.  Set to music by Adolphe Adam, with scenery by Gianni Quaranta, costumes by Anna Anni and lighting by Jennifer Tipton, Giselle features choreography after Jean Coralli, Jules Perrot and Marius Petipa and has been staged for ABT by Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie.

The 2018 Spring Gala on Monday, May 21 at 6:30 P.M. will feature excerpts from Alexei Ratmansky’s Harlequinade, led by Isabella Boylston as Columbine and James Whiteside as Harlequin.  An all-new production of Harlequinade, staged by Ratmansky after the original by Marius Petipa, will be given its World Premiere by American Ballet Theatre on June 4, 2018.  The Spring Gala will also be highlighted by a pièce d’occasion by tap dance choreographer Michelle Dorrance.  A work for fifteen dancers, Dorrance’s work is set to recorded music by the Brooklyn-based acoustic ensemble Dawn of Midi.  Co-commissioned with the Vail Dance Festival, the World Premiere by Dorrance is her first work for ABT.

The World Premiere of AFTERITE by Wayne McGregor, Resident Choreographer at The Royal Ballet, will round out the May 21 Gala program.  In his first work for ABT, McGregor creates a new scenario set to Igor Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring, with sets and costumes by Vicki Mortimer, video designs by Ravi Deepres and lighting by Lucy Carter.  The World Premiere of AFTERITE will be danced by Guest Artist Alessandra Ferri, Misty Copeland, Hee Seo, Cassandra Trenary, Stephanie Williams, Herman Cornejo, James Whiteside, Cory Stearns, Blaine Hoven, Calvin Royal III, Jeffrey Cirio, Aran Bell and Duncan Lyle.

The second week of the Spring season will continue with seven performances of McGregor’s AFTERITE sharing the program with Ratmansky’s Firebird.  Devon Teuscher, Isabella Boylston, Skylar Brandt, Catherine Hurlin, Courtney Shealy, Gabe Stone Shayer, Thomas Forster, Jose Sebastian, Arron Scott, Joo Won Ahn, Daniil Simkin, Tyler Maloney and Marshall Whiteley will debut in AFTERITE at the matinee on Wednesday, May 23. The season’s first performance of Firebird features Christine Shevchenko and Thomas Forster in their New York debuts as the Firebird and Ivan, respectively, alongside Stella Abrera as The Maiden and Cory Stearns as Kaschei.  On Wednesday, May 23, Duncan Lyle will make his New York debut as Kaschei at the matinee and Devon Teuscher will dance the title role for the first time in New York and Skylar Brandt will debut as The Maiden at the evening performance.  Catherine Hurlin will make her New York debut as The Maiden at the Saturday, May 26 matinee.  The one-act Stravinsky classic with original choreography by Ratmansky features scenery by Simon Pastukh, costumes by Galina Solovyeva, lighting by Brad Fields and projections by Wendall K. Harrington.  Ratmansky’s production of Firebird was given its World Premiere at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Costa Mesa, California on March 29, 2012, danced by Natalia Osipova (Firebird), Marcelo Gomes (Ivan), David Hallberg (Kaschei) and Simone Messmer (Maiden).  Ratmansky’s Firebird, co-commissioned by American Ballet Theatre and Dutch National Ballet, is American Ballet Theatre’s fourth production of the ballet.

Tickets for American Ballet Theatre’s 2018 Metropolitan Opera House season, beginning at $22, are available online, at the Met box office or by phone at 212-362-6000.  The Metropolitan Opera House is located on Broadway between 64^th and 65^th streets in New York City.  For more information, visit ABT’s website at www.abt.org.

Complete casting follows.

American Ballet Theatre’s performances of Giselle are generously supported through an endowed gift from Sharon Patrick. 

Leadership support for AFTERITE is generously supported through the Leila and Mickey Straus Family Foundation. Additional support through an endowed gift from The Toni and Martin Sosnoff New Works Fund. 

The World Premiere by Michelle Dorrance is generously supported through an endowed gift from The Toni and Martin Sosnoff New Works Fund. 

 Leadership support for The Ratmansky Project, including Harlequinade and Whipped Cream, has been generously provided by Avery and Andrew F. Barth, the Blavatnik Family Foundation, Mr. and Mrs. Hamilton E. James, and The Ted and Mary Jo Shen Charitable Gift Fund. Additional major support has been provided by Linda Allard, Sarah Arison, Lisa and Dick Cashin, Lloyd E. Rigler – Lawrence E. Deutsch Foundation, The Susan and Leonard Feinstein Foundation, William J. Gillespie, Brian J. Heidtke, Howard S. Paley, the Pearl T. Maxim Trust, Bernard L. Schwartz, Melissa A. Smith, The H. Russell Smith Foundation/Stewart R. Smith and Robin A. Ferracone, the Martin and Toni Sosnoff Foundation and Sutton Stracke.  ABT gratefully acknowledges Dr. Joan Taub Ades, Steven Backes, Mark Casey and Carrie Gaiser Casey, Linda and Martin Fell, Vicki Netter Fitzgerald, The Abraham Fuchsberg Family Foundation, Robin Chemers Neustein, John Leland Sills and Elizabeth Papadopoulos-Sills, and Sedgwick Ward for their generosity.

Firebird is generously supported through an endowed gift from The Toni and Martin Sosnoff New Works Fund.

American Airlines is the Official Airline of American Ballet Theatre. Northern Trust is the Leading Corporate Sponsor of the American Ballet Theatre Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School. 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 Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature; and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council.

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