February 25, 2014
World Premiere of All-New Production of The Sleeping Beauty Choreographed by Alexei Ratmansky, Set for March 3, 2015 at Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Costa Mesa, California
Lead Matching Gift of $2.5 Million from David H. Koch to Underwrite Production
Alexei Ratmansky. Photo: Fabrizio Ferri.American Ballet Theatre will premiere an all-new production of The Sleeping Beauty, choreographed by Artist in Residence Alexei Ratmansky, March 3, 2015 at Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa, California. It was announced today by Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie. Set to the score by Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky,
The Sleeping Beauty will be given eight performances, March 3-8, 2015, in California, and will receive its New York Premiere during ABT’s 2015 Spring Season at the Metropolitan Opera House.
American Ballet Theatre’s all-new production of The Sleeping Beauty will feature scenery and costumes by Tony Award®-winning designer Richard Hudson. Hudson’s designs will be based on the historic work of Léon Bakst, who created a seminal version of The Sleeping Beauty for Serge Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes in 1921. The production represents Hudson’s third collaboration with Ratmansky for American Ballet Theatre, having previously designed scenery and costumes for The Nutcracker (2010) and costumes for Dumbarton (2011).
“I have long wanted to choreograph a version of The Sleeping Beauty,” said Ratmansky. “Tchaikovsky’s complex score and Petipa’s choreography represent the highest achievement of Russian classical art. It symbolizes the harmony and magic of classical dance for me.”
“Having Alexei put his touch to this classic, incorporating elements of a historical reproduction, will make us look anew at The Sleeping Beauty, “ said McKenzie. “The prospect of this venture is very exciting to me.”
Underwriting American Ballet Theatre’s new production of Alexei Ratmansky’s The Sleeping Beauty will be a lead matching gift from David H. Koch of $2.5 million. The gift is a matching grant with funds raised for The Sleeping Beauty matched 1:1 by Koch.
“I am very proud to support Alexei Ratmansky’s next work for American Ballet Theatre,” said ABT Trustee David H. Koch. “I look forward to seeing the artistry and creativity he will surely bring to The Sleeping Beauty.”
David H. Koch is the Lead Underwriter of American Ballet Theatre’s The Sleeping Beauty. The Sleeping Beauty is generously supported through an endowed gift from The Toni and Martin Sosnoff New Works Fund.
American Ballet Theatre’s new production of The Sleeping Beauty is the Company’s fourth production of the ballet. The production marks Ratmansky’s eleventh work for ABT.