New York City Ballet's 2007 winter repertory season will open on Wednesday, January 3, and feature 38 different ballets from the Company's rich repertory, performed over the course of eight weeks.
The season begins with the first of 13 performances of the Company's full-length production of The Sleeping Beauty, choreographed by Ballet Master in Chief Peter Martins, and continues through February 25 with 10 distinct mixed-repertory programs. The programs have been designed to highlight various aspects of the Company's repertory and history, and each will be performed several times. All performances take place at the New York State Theater at Lincoln Center.
Among the highlights of the winter season are a major revival of Jerome Robbins' Dybbuk, which NYCB has not performed in its original version since 1974, and the Company premiere of Tribute by former NYCB Principal Dancer Christopher d'Amboise. Tribute and The Sleeping Beauty were both originally created to honor Lincoln Kirstein, NYCB's co-founder, and are being performed this winter to launch the festivities for the 100th anniversary of Kirstein's birth, which will be celebrated during the 2007 spring season.
On Friday, February 23, Valery Gergiev will make a special appearance with New York City Ballet, conducting the Company's orchestra in a program featuring Stravinsky's Jeu de Cartes and Firebird. Maestro Gergiev is the Artistic and General Director of the Maryinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, as well as the principal guest conductor of the Metropolitan Opera, the music director of the Rotterdam Philharmonic, and, as of January 2007, the principal conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra.
At the conclusion of the season, Principal Dancer Miranda Weese will end her career with New York City Ballet. Ms. Weese, who is from San Bernardino, California, joined NYCB in 1993, became a soloist in 1994, and was promoted to principal dancer in 1996. Following NYCB's 2007 winter season, Ms. Weese will appear as a guest artist with Pacific Northwest Ballet for the remainder of that company's 2006-2007 season.
This year New York City Ballet has adjusted its programming and scheduled the winter season to consist of 11 distinct programs that will each be performed several times. The programs, designed by Mr. Martins, have been created to provide a more focused way of approaching the repertory. Of the 38 ballets being performed during the winter season, 19 are by George Balanchine, 8 are by Jerome Robbins, 3 are by Mr. Martins, and 3 are by NYCB's Resident Choreographer Christopher Wheeldon, including Evenfall, which was created for the 2006 Diamond Project festival of new choreography. The season will also include three other 2006 Diamond Project ballets-In Vento by Mauro Bigonzetti, Russian Seasons by Alexei Ratmansky, and Slice to Sharp by Jorma Elo-as well as Eliot Feld's Intermezzo No. 1, which had its NYCB premiere during the 2006 spring season.
Tickets for NYCB's 2007 winter season are currently on sale through the NYCB website at www.nycballet.com, at the New York State Theater box office, and through Center Charge at 212-721-6500. Single tickets range in cost from $20 to $95.
New York City Ballet's 2007 spring season will open on April 24 and continue for nine weeks through June 24. On May 1, NYCB will premiere a new full-length Romeo and Juliet, choreographed by Peter Martins to Sergei Prokofiev's score. Additional programming for the spring season will be announced at a later date.
The New York State Theater is located on the Lincoln Center Plaza at Columbus Ave. and 63rd St. The mailing address for the NYCB Box Office is New York City Ballet, New York State Theater, 20 Lincoln Center, New York, NY 10023. For general information on tickets for any New York City Ballet performance, call 212-870-5570, or visit www.nycballet.com.
New York City Ballet is grateful to Movado for its generous support of the Company.
Major support for new work is provided by The Irene Diamond Fund and members of the New Combinations Fund.
The revival, refurbishment, and presentation of works by Jerome Robbins, particularly those works that have been absent from the repertory, is made possible in part by a lead gift from The Jerome Robbins Foundation.
Major support for French programming is provided by The Florence Gould Foundation.
Christopher Wheeldon's work as New York City Ballet's Resident Choreographer is made possible by a generous grant from the Geoffrey C. Hughes Foundation.
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.
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 gratefully acknowledges the Lila Acheson and DeWitt Wallace Endowment Fund, which provides support for new work and audience development.
New York City Ballet's 2006-2007 season is also made possible in part by grants from The Frank and Lydia Bergen Foundation, The Ambrose Monell Foundation, The Shubert Foundation, contributions to the Repertory and Education Funds, and public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts and New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.
American Airlines is New York City Ballet's preferred airline.
