Gillian Murphy as Princess Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty.

Casting for the final two weeks of American Ballet Theatre’s 2013 Spring Season at the Metropolitan Opera House was announced today by Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie.

The season’s first performance of Sir Frederick Ashton’s Sylvia will be given on Monday, June 24, led by Gillian Murphy (Sylvia), Marcelo Gomes (Aminta), Daniil Simkin (Eros) and Cory Stearns (Orion). Polina Semionova will dance the title role for the first time with ABT on Tuesday, June 25, opposite Roberto Bolle as Aminta. The matinee on Wednesday, June 26 will feature debuts by Veronika Part (Sylvia), Cory Stearns (Aminta) and James Whiteside (Orion). Jared Matthews will dance the role of the Aminta for the first time at the evening performance on June 26, opposite Paloma Herrera in the title role. On Thursday, June 27, the ballet will include debuts by Natalia Osipova (Sylvia), Herman Cornejo (Aminta) and Ivan Vasiliev (Orion). A ballet in three acts, Sylvia is set to music by Léo Delibes and features costumes and scenery after original designs by Robin and Christopher Ironside. Additional designs for the revival of Sylvia are by Peter Farmer and lighting is by Mark Jonathan. The World Premiere of the original production of Sylvia was given by The Royal Ballet on September 3, 1952 at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London, danced by Margot Fonteyn (Sylvia), Michael Somes (Aminta), John Hart (Orion) and Alexander Grant (Eros). The World Premiere of the revival of Sylvia by was given by The Royal Ballet on November 4, 2004 at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, danced by Darcey Bussell (Sylvia), Jonathan Cope (Aminta), Thiago Soares (Orion) and Martin Harvey (Eros). Sylvia received its American Ballet Theatre Company Premiere at the Metropolitan Opera House, New York on June 3, 2005, danced by Gillian Murphy (Sylvia), Maxim Beloserkovsky (Aminta), Marcelo Gomes (Orion) and Herman Cornejo (Eros). The ballet was staged for ABT by Christopher Newton. Sylvia is made possible with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency.

Paloma Herrera, Cory Stearns, Veronika Part and Martine van Hamel will lead the season’s first performance of The Sleeping Beauty on Monday, July 1. On Tuesday, July 2, Hee Seo and Leann Underwood will debut as Princess Aurora and the Lilac Fairy, respectively, and Guest Artist Vadim Muntagirov will dance the role of Prince Désiré for the first time with ABT. On Wednesday, July 3, Daniil Simkin will debut as Prince Désiré at the matinee and Guest Artist Maria Kochetkova will dance the role of Princess Aurora for the first time with ABT at the evening performance. Exchange Artist Alban Lendorf of the Royal Danish Ballet will make his ABT debut as Prince Désiré, at the matinee on Saturday, July 6, opposite Xiomara Reyes as Princess Aurora. Set to a score by Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky, The Sleeping Beauty, choreographed after Marius Petipa, has additional choreography and staging by Kevin McKenzie, Gelsey Kirkland and Michael Chernov. The production features scenery by Tony Walton, costumes by Willa Kim with additional designs by Holly Hynes, and lighting by Richard Pilbrow and Dawn Chiang. This production of The Sleeping Beauty received its World Premiere at the Metropolitan Opera House on June 1, 2007. Joan Taub Ades and Alan M. Ades, Adrienne Arsht, Arlene and Harvey Blau, Devon and Peter Briger, Susan and Leonard Feinstein, Edward A. Fox, Lori and Stephen Garofalo, Julia and David H. Koch, Konrad R. Kruger, Jill L. Leinbach, Charlotte and Macdonald Mathey, and Jean and Lawrence Shaw are Co-Underwriters of The Sleeping Beauty. Additional funding provided by the NIB Foundation. Special thanks to Caroline Newhouse. This production has been made possible with public funds from the National Endowment for the Arts.

American Airlines is the Official Airline of American Ballet Theatre. Northern Trust is the Leading Corporate Sponsor of the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at American Ballet Theatre. 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.

Tickets for American Ballet Theatre’s 2013 Metropolitan Opera House season, beginning at $20, are available online, at the Met box office or by phone at 212-362-6000. The Metropolitan Opera House is located on Broadway between 64th and 65th streets in New York City. For more information, visit ABT’s website at www.abt.org.

Complete casting follows:

*Editors please note first time in a role:
Wed. Mat., June 26 – Part (Sylvia), Stearns (Aminta), Whiteside (Orion) in Sylvia
Wed. Eve., June 26 – Matthews (Aminta) in Sylvia
Thurs. Eve., June 27 – Osipova (Sylvia), Cornejo (Aminta), Vasiliev (Orion) in Sylvia
Tues. Eve., July 2 – Seo (Princess Aurora), Underwood (Lilac Fairy) in The Sleeping Beauty
Wed. Mat., July 3 – Simkin (Prince Désiré) in The Sleeping Beauty

+Editors please note first time in a role with ABT:
Tues. Eve., June 25 – Semionova (Sylvia) in Sylvia
Tues. Eve., July 2 – Muntagirov (Prince Désiré) in The Sleeping Beauty
Wed. Eve., July 3 – Kochetkova (Princess Aurora) in The Sleeping Beauty
Sat. Mat., July 6 – Lendorf (Prince Désiré) in The Sleeping Beauty

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