New York City Ballet announced today that the program for the Company’s 2010 Spring Gala performance, which will take place on Thursday, April 29 at 7 p.m., will consist of World Premiere ballets by choreographers Benjamin Millepied and Alexei Ratmansky. The two new ballets will open NYCB’s 2010 spring season, and are being created as part of Architecture of Dance – New Choreography and Music Festival, the Company’s spring season celebration of new work, which will include seven world premiere ballets, and four commissioned scores during the course of NYCB’s eight-week spring season. The 2010 spring season will continue through Sunday, June 27 at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center.
Acclaimed architect Santiago Calatrava, who is creating scenic designs for five of the season’s world premieres, and his wife Robertina, will serve as Honorary Gala Chairmen for the evening, with Claudia Cisneros and Katie von Strasser serving as the Gala Chairmen.
The new Millepied ballet will be set to a commissioned scored by the French organist and composer Thierry Escaich, who is currently the composer in residence for the Orchestra National de Lyon. The ballet will feature a scenic design by Calatrava, costumes by Marc Happel, and lighting by Mark Stanley. A principal dancer with NYCB, Millepied has also created works for American Ballet Theatre, Paris Opera Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Mikhail Baryshnikov, and Grand Théâtre de Genéva, among other companies. This will be Millepied’s second work for NYCB.
The new Ratmansky ballet will be set to French composer Édouard Lalo’s Namouna. Lalo’s only ballet, the score was written in 1881, but was mostly unknown until a recording of the complete score by the Monte Carlo Philharmonic helped to rekindle interest in the neglected rarity. Ratmansky is currently artist in residence at American Ballet Theatre, and is the former artistic director of the Bolshoi Ballet. For NYCB, he has created two previous works – Russian Seasons (2006) and Concerto DSCH (2008). The ballet will feature costumes by Marc Happel and Rustam Khamdamov, and lighting by Mark Stanley
Performance only tickets for the Spring Gala called are priced from $20 to $115 and available at the David H. Koch Theater Box Office, by calling Center Charge at 212-721-6500, or online at www.nycballet.com.
Benefit tickets, which include a pre-performance cocktail reception, and post-performance supper ball start at $1,500; and tickets for the pre-performance cocktail reception and performance only are also available for $250. Benefit-priced tickets are available through the NYCB Special Events Office at 212-870-5585.
The David H. Koch Theater is located on the Lincoln Center Plaza at Broadway at 63rd Street. For general information on tickets for any New York City Ballet performance, call 212-870-5570, or visit www.nycballet.com
