In celebration of the 25th anniversary of the American Friends of the Paris Opera & Ballet, New York City Ballet and the Paris Opera Ballet will each host dancers from the other company for two performances during November 2009.
On Thursday, November 12 at the Palais Garnier in Paris, NYCB Principal Dancers Ashley Bouder and Gonzalo Garcia will dance the leading roles in George Balanchine’s Rubies, in the Paris Opera Ballet’s full-length production of Balanchine’s Jewels. On Tuesday, November 24 POB Étoiles Aurélie Dupont and Mathias Heymann will perform the Rubies pas de deux as part of NYCB’s Opening Night Benefit at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center.
Founded in 1984 the American Friends of the Paris Opera & Ballet’s mission is to share the many treasures of the Paris Opera with the American public, and to foster the artistic cooperation between the Paris Opera and the creative community of the United States. During the past 25 years the organization has helped to underwrite numerous U.S. tours by the Paris Opera and Paris Opera Ballet and School, as well as traveling exhibitions from the Paris Opera Museum and appearances by guest artists with many U.S. companies.
New York City Ballet’s Opening Night Benefit, which will take place at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, November 24, will also feature Alexei Ratmansky’s Concerto DSCH and a world premiere by Peter Martins to John Adams’ Naive and Sentimental Music.
Tickets for the performance only are priced from $20 to $115 and are available at the David H. Koch Theater Box Office, by calling Center Charge at 212-721-6500, or online at www.nycballet.com. Benefit-priced tickets, which also include a pre-performance cocktail reception and post-performance supper ball, are also 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.
The world premiere of Peter Martins' new ballet is made possible by contributions from members of the New Combinations Fund. Additional funding for new choreography is provided by The Fan Fox and Leslie R. Samuels Foundation and the Lila Acheson and DeWitt Wallace Endowment Fund.
New York City Ballet’s programming is made possible in part by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, the National Endowment for the Arts and the Recovery Act, and the New York State Council on the Arts.
New York City Ballet’s musical leadership is endowed in part by the Agnes Gund and Daniel Shapiro Fund for Musical Excellence.
The creation and performance of works by Peter Martins is funded in part by an endowment gift from the Solomon family, given in loving memory of Carolyn B. Solomon.
New York City Ballet’s performances of works by George Balanchine are supported in part by the Balanchine Production Fund, an endowment created through The Campaign for New York City Ballet.
American Airlines is New York City Ballet’s Preferred Airline.
