NEW YORK CITY BALLET ANNOUNCES 2013-14 SEASON

New York City Ballet has announced details of the 2013-14 season to include 159 performances across 21 weeks and feature 50 ballets in honour of the 50th Anniversary of NYCB’s home at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center, which opened in 1964 as the New York State Theater.

Highlights of the season include world premieres by Angelin Preljocaj on September 19, 2013, Liam Scarlett on January 31, 2014, Peter Martins on February 21, 2014, and Justin Peck on May 8, 2014. The season will also include 22 works by Balanchine, 7 by Robbins, plus ballets from Mauro Bigonzetti, William Forsythe, Benjamin Millepied, Alexei Ratmansky, and Christopher Wheeldon; and additional works by Martins, Peck, and Preljocaj.

2013 Fall performances: September 17-October 13

The fall season opens with six performances of Peter Martins’ “Swan Lake”. The opening week of the season will also feature a Gala performance on Thursday, September 19, that will include a premiere by Angelin Preljocaj.

The remaining three weeks of the fall season will include five programmes featuring 15 ballets. These include an all-Balanchine Black & White programme (“The Four Temperaments”, “Episodes”, “Duo Concertant”, and “Symphony in Three Movements”); an all-Balanchine Short Stories programme (“La Sonnambula”, “Prodigal Son”, and “Slaughter on Tenth Avenue”); a Contemporary Choreographers programme (Christopher Wheeldon’s “Soirée Musicale”, Alexei Ratmansky’s “Namouna”, “A Grand Divertissement”, and the Preljocaj premiere; and a mixed final programme (Mauro Bigonzetti’s “Vespro”, Balanchine’s “Duo Concertant”, and Robbins’ “Dances at a Gathering”).

The fall season also includes a family programme to include the return to the repertory of Christopher Wheeldon’s “Carnival of the Animals” alongside Martins’ “Jeu de Cartes”, and Robbins’ “The Four Seasons”.

“The Nutcracker”: November 29-January 4

George Balanchine’s “The Nutcracker” gets 47 performances from the end of November.

2014 Winter performances: January 21-March 2

The Winter season opens with an all-Balanchine program consisting of “Concerto Barocco”, “Kammermusik No. 2”, and “Who Cares?” with the second night devoted to the return of Balanchine’s full-length “Jewels”, which will be performed for six performances.

The opening week also sees “Saturday at the Ballet with George”, NYCB’s annual birthday celebration for George Balanchine on January 25, which will feature a day of all-Balanchine programming at both the matinee and evening performances, as well as a series of free pre- and post-performance events at the theatre.

Other winter highlights include a new ballet by young British choreographer Liam Scarlett that will debut as part of the Company’s annual New Combinations Evening on January 31.

The second premiere of winter will be a new ballet by Peter Martins in an evening of all-French music on February 21. Martins’ new ballet will be set to a commissioned score by the acclaimed French composer Marc-André Dalbavie, whose music Martins previously used for “Mes Oiseaux”.

The winter will also include six performances of NYCB’s full-length classic “Coppélia”, created by Balanchine and Alexandra Danilova in 1974. Other works returning to the repertory during the season include Balanchine’s “Union Jack” and “Stravinsky Violin Concerto”, as well as Robbins’ “Dances at a Gathering” and “The Four Seasons”.

Winter 2014 will also feature the return of NYCB’s Art Series. Launched in 2013, this is designed to produce annual collaborations between contemporary visual artists and the company.

The 2014 Art Series performances will take place on Thursday, January 23 (“Jewels”); Friday, February 7 (“La Stravaganza”, “Previn”, “Bernstein/Wheeldon pas de deux”, New Liam Scarlett ballet); and Thursday, February 13 (“Opus 19/The Dreamer”, “Barber Violin Concerto”, and “Stravinsky Violin Concerto”).

2014 Spring performances: April 29-June 8

Spring 2014 opens with a one-week festival of 21st Century Choreographers featuring 11 ballets by 10 choreographers: Mauro Bigonzetti, William Forsythe, Peter Martins, Benjamin Millepied, Justin Peck, Angelin Preljocaj, Alexei Ratmansky, Liam Scarlett, Richard Tanner, and Christopher Wheeldon.

The Spring Gala is on Thursday, May 8, and will feature a world premiere collaboration from choreographer and NYCB Soloist Justin Peck and the acclaimed American singer-songwriter Sufjan Stevens, who NYCB has commissioned to write a new score for the ballet. Peck and Stevens previously collaborated on the acclaimed Year of the Rabbit, which premiered in 2012.

Other Spring highlights include two all-Balanchine programs. The first, debuting on May 6, features “Raymonda Variations”, “The Steadfast Tin Soldier”, “Le Tombeau de Couperin”, and “Symphony in C”. The second, from May 14, features “Robert Schumann’s “Davidsbündlertänze”” and “Union Jack”. The spring also sees an all-Robbins program (“Glass Pieces”, “Opus 19/The Dreamer”, and “The Concert”). Balanchine’s “Jewels” and “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” will also be performed.

Tickets

Subscription series packages are now available through the NYCB subscription office (212-496-0600).

Single tickets go on sale August 5 at the David H. Koch Theater Box Office (212-496-0600), and online at nycballet.com.

Single tickets for “The Nutcracker” will go on sale in September.