WORLD PREMIERE OF NEW WORK BY JORMA ELO
TO HIGHLIGHT ABT’S FALL SEASON
AT NEW YORK CITY CENTER,
OCTOBER 18-NOVEMBER 5, 2006


Revivals of Twyla Tharp’s Sinatra Suite, George Balanchine’s Symphonie Concertante, Lar Lubovitch’s Meadow and Mark Morris’ Drink To Me Only With Thine Eyes Scheduled


6/26/2006 - The World Premiere of a new work by Jorma Elo and Revivals of Twyla Tharp’s Sinatra Suite, George Balanchine’s Symphonie Concertante, Lar Lubovitch’s Meadow and Mark Morris’ Drink To Me Only With Thine Eyes will highlight American Ballet Theatre’s 2006 Fall season at New York City Center, October 18 through November 5, 2006.

Principal Dancers for the engagement include Maxim Beloserkovsky, Irina Dvorovenko, Jose Manuel Carreño, Angel Corella, Herman Cornejo, Marcelo Gomes, Paloma Herrera, David Hallberg, Julie Kent, Gillian Murphy, Xiomara Reyes, Ethan Stiefel and Michele Wiles.

American Ballet Theatre’s 2006 Fall Season at City Center will kick off with an Opening Night Gala at 6:30pm featuring ABT’s Principal Dancers in selections of the season’s works.

Countrywide Financial is the National Sponsor of American Ballet Theatre, CA, Inc. is the Leading Sponsor of ABT's 2006 Family Initiative and Saks Fifth Avenue is the Leading Sponsor of ABT's Costume Fund. ABT’s 2006 City Center season is also made possible with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs. (more)


World Premiere

The World Premiere of a new work by Jorma Elo is scheduled for Thursday evening, October 19 at 7:30 p.m. A former dancer with Finnish National Ballet, Netherlands Dance Theater and Cullberg Ballet, Elo is currently Resident Choreographer at Boston Ballet. The new Elo work will be given six performances during the City Center season.


Revival Premieres

Twyla Tharp’s Sinatra Suite, a ballet for two dancers, will have its Revival Premiere on Thursday evening, October 19. Set to five songs by Frank Sinatra, Sinatra Suite features costumes by Oscar de la Renta and lighting by Jennifer Tipton. The ballet, last performed by ABT in 1984, is a suite of dances from Tharp’s Nine Sinatra Songs, created in 1982 for the Twyla Tharp Dance Company. Sinatra Suite received its American Ballet Theatre Company Premiere in Washington, DC in 1983. The ballet will be staged for ABT by Elaine Kudo.

George Balanchine’s Symphonie Concertante will have its Revival Premiere on Friday evening, October 20 at City Center. Set to Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante in E flat Major for Violin and Viola, Symphonie Concertante was created in 1947 for Ballet Society and received its American Ballet Theatre Premiere in 1983. The ballet features costumes by Theoni V. Aldredge and lighting by David K.H. Elliott. Symphonie Concertante , which was last performed by ABT in 1999, will be staged for ABT by Susan Jones and Susan Pilarre.

Mark Morris’ Drink To Me Only With Thine Eyes, last performed by ABT in 1998, will have its Revival Premiere on Tuesday evening, October 24. Staged by Tina Fehlandt, the ballet for twelve dancers is set to the music of Virgil Thomson and features costumes by Santo Loquasto. Drink To Me Only With Thine Eyes was given its World Premiere by ABT in 1988. An excerpt of the ballet was given its first performance at the Dancing For Life benefit at the New York State Theater in 1987.

A revival of Lar Lubovitch’s Meadow is scheduled for its premiere on Tuesday evening, October 24. Set to music by Franz Schubert, Gavin Bryars, Ferruccio Busoni and William David Brohn, with costumes by Ann Hould-Ward, Meadow received its World Premiere by ABT in 1999. Following its Revival Premiere, the ballet will be given four performances.


Returning Repertory

American Ballet Theatre’s 2006 City Center season will also feature performances of Kurt Jooss’ The Green Table, Agnes de Mille’s Rodeo, Jerome Robbins’ Afternoon of a Faun and Fancy Free, Twyla Tharp’s In The Upper Room, Antony Tudor’s Dark Elegies, and Stanton Welch’s Clear.

Kurt Jooss’ The Green Table (A Dance of Death in 8 Scenes), staged by Anna Markard, was given its Company Premiere last season at City Center. Inspired by World War I and its aftermath, The Green Table is set to music by Frederick Cohen with costumes by Hein Heckroth, and lighting and masks by Hermann Markard. The Green Table was given its World Premiere by Jooss Ballet in Paris in 1932 with the choreographer portraying the role of Death. The Green Table will be given five performances this season beginning Thursday evening, October 19.

Agnes de Mille’s Rodeo, which was revived for ABT’s 2005 City Center season, will be given four performances this season beginning Saturday, October 21 matinee. Set to music by Aaron Copland with scenery by Oliver Smith and costumes by Santo Loquasto, Rodeo, subtitled The Courting at Burnt Ranch, was given its World Premiere at the Metropolitan Opera House by the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo in 1942. It was first presented by Ballet Theatre in 1950 in Wiesbaden, Germany. The 2005 revival of Rodeo was staged for ABT by Paul Sutherland with assistance from Christine Sarry.

Antony Tudor’s Dark Elegies will be given two performances at City Center, Thursday evening, November 2 and Saturday evening, November 4. The ballet is set to music by Gustav Mahler, with scenery and costumes by Nadia Benois and lighting by Jean Rosenthal. Dark Elegies received its World Premiere by Ballet Rambert in 1937 and was first presented by Ballet Theatre in 1940. ABT’s current production of the Tudor ballet was staged by Donald Mahler.

Two works by Jerome Robbins will be presented by ABT this season. Afternoon of a Faun, which received its Company Premiere at City Center in 2005, will be given four performances beginning Thursday evening, October 26. Set to music by Claude Debussy, with costumes by Irene Sharaff and décor and lighting by Jean Rosenthal, Afternoon of a Faun was given its World Premiere by New York City Ballet at City Center in 1953. ABT’s production of Afternoon of a Faun was staged by Jean-Pierre Frohlich.

Robbins’ Fancy Free, last performed by ABT in 2003, will be given four performances beginning Thursday evening, October 26. Staged by Jean-Pierre Frohlich, Fancy Free is set to music by Leonard Bernstein, with scenery by Oliver Smith, costumes by Kermit Love and lighting by Jennifer Tipton, after original designs by Nananne Porcher. Fancy Free was created for American Ballet Theatre and received its World Premiere in 1944.

Twyla Tharp’s In The Upper Room will have six performances at City Center beginning Tuesday evening, October 24. Set to music by Philip Glass with costumes by Norma Kamali and lighting by Jennifer Tipton, the ballet received its World Premiere by Twyla Tharp Dance in 1986 and its ABT Company Premiere in 1988. ABT’s current production of In The Upper Room was staged by Keith Roberts.

Stanton Welch’s Clear will be given four performances beginning Thursday evening, October 26. Last performed by ABT in 2003, Clear is set to music by Johann Sebastian Bach with costumes by Michael Kors for Celine. Clear was given its World Premiere by ABT at City Center in 2001.

Tickets for American Ballet Theatre’s 2006 Fall season at City Center, priced from $26-$93, go on sale beginning Monday, July 17 by mail, online, or by calling CityTix at 212-581-1212. Discounts are available for packages of three or more performances. The box office will open Sunday, August 27. City Center is located at West 55th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues in New York City.

An interesting article on siblings at ABT and NYCB in the NY Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/20/arts/ ... 0milz.html


The articles reports that Carmen Corella and Herman Cornejo have married - many congratulations to them!

Kate

(Interesting to note that Ethan Stiefel is schedule to dance, so far, only in two performances in the second week - perhaps tender knees?)

CASTING ANNOUNCED FOR FIRST TWO WEEKS OF
AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE¹S 2006 NEW YORK CITY CENTER SEASON


Casting for the first two weeks of American Ballet Theatre's
2006 season at NY City Center was announced today by Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie.

American Ballet Theatre¹s Fall 2006 season will open on
Wednesday, October 18 at 6:30 pm with a gala performance highlighted by the Revival Premiere of Twyla Tharp's Sinatra Suite featuring Herman Cornejo in the leading role and the first movement from George Balanchine's Symphonie Concertante with Michele Wiles and Veronika Part in the leading roles.
ABT's opening night will also include the pas de deux from Lar Lubovitch's
Meadow performed by Julie Kent and Marcelo Gomes, Diana and Acteon Pas de Deux performed by Xiomara Reyes and Jose Manuel Carreño, Swan Lake, Act II Pas de Deux with Paloma Herrera and Maxim Beloserkovsky and a performance of Tharp's In the Upper Room.

A new work by Jorma Elo will receive its World Premiere on
Thursday, October 19. The evening will also feature the debut of Jose
Manuel Carreño in Sinatra Suite, the pas de deux from Tharp's Known By Heart performed by Irina Dvorovenko and Maxim Beloserkovsy, and Kurt Jooss' The Green Table, featuring David Hallberg in the leading role of Death.

The first week at NY City Center will also be highlighted by the
Revival Premieres of Symphonie Concertante and Mark Morris' Drink To Me Only With Thine Eyes, as well as the season's first performances of Agnes de Mille's Rodeo. Debut performances for the first week include Gennadi
Saveliev in Symphonie Concertante on Friday, October 20 and Michele Wiles, Marcelo Gomes and Veronika Part in the leading roles at the matinee on Saturday, October 21. Marian Butler will make her New York debut as The Cowgirl in Rodeo on Saturday evening, October 21.

American Ballet Theatre's second week at NY City Center includes
the Revival Premiere of Lubovitch's Meadow on Tuesday evening, October 24, the Revival Premiere of Stanton Welch's Clear featuring Julie Kent and Angel Corella in the leading roles on Thursday evening, October 26, and the season's first performances of Jerome Robbins' Afternoon of a Faun and Fancy Free on the same evening. Jose Manuel Carreño will make his New York debut in Afternoon of a Faun at the matinee on Sunday, October 29.

Debuts scheduled for the second week include Maxim Beloserkovsky in Symphonie Concertante on Wednesday evening, October 25, Marcelo Gomes in Sinatra Suite on Thursday evening, October 26, and Stella Abrera and David Hallberg in Meadow on Friday evening, October 27.

Xiomara Reyes and Herman Cornejo will dance the leading roles in
Clear for the first time at the matinee on Saturday October 28, and Irina
Dvorovenko and Gillian Murphy will debut in Symphonie Concertante in the
evening. The Sunday matinee performance on October 29 will feature Angel Corella in the lead role of Sinatra Suite.

Tickets for American Ballet Theatre¹s 2006 Fall season at NY
City Center, priced from $26-$93, are available on-line at www.abt.org
<http://www.abt.org> or by calling CityTix at 212-581-1212. Performance-only tickets for American Ballet Theatre¹s Opening Night at New York City Center are priced from $35 to $130. NY City Center is located on West 55th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues in New York City.

Countrywide Financial is the National Sponsor of American Ballet Theatre.
Superfund Asset Management, Inc. is the Sponsor of ABT's New York City
seasons. The 2006 NY City Center season is also made possible with public funds from the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency, and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs. ABT's Opening Night Gala is generously underwritten by Reckson Associates.

Complete casting follows:
FIRST WEEK

Wed. Eve., Oct. 18, 6:30 P.M.
GALA
SYMPHONIE CONCERTANTE (First Movement) ­ Wiles,Part
SINATRA SUITE (Revival Premiere) ­ Cornejo*
SWAN LAKE, Act II Pas de Deux ­ Herrera, Beloserkovsky
MEADOW Pas de Deux ­ Kent, Gomes
DIANA & ACTEON Pas de Deux ­ Reyes, Carreño
IN THE UPPER ROOM ­ Company


Thurs. Eve., Oct. 19, 7:30 P.M.
NEW ELO BALLET (World Premiere) ­ Company
SINATRA SUITE ­ Carreño*
KNOW BY HEART Pas de Deux ­ Dvorovenko, Beloserkovsky
THE GREEN TABLE - Hallberg

Fri Eve., Oct. 20, 8 P.M.
SYMPHONIE CONCERTANTE ­ Kent, Saveliev*, Herrera
DRINK TO ME ONLY WITH THINE EYES ­ Company
IN THE UPPER ROOM ­ Company

Sat. Mat., Oct. 21, 2 P.M.
SYMPHONIE CONCERTANTE ­ Wiles*, Gomes*, Part*
DRINK TO ME ONLY WITH THINE EYES ­ Company
RODEO ­ Reyes, Radetsky, Matthews

Sat. Eve., Oct. 21, 8 P.M.
NEW ELO BALLET ­ Company
SINATRA SUITE ­ Cornejo
GRAND PAS CLASSIQUE ­ Wiles, Gomes
RODEO ­ Butler**, Salstein, Stappas

Sun. Mat., Oct. 22, 2 P.M.
DRINK TO ME ONLY WITH THINE EYES ­ Company
SWAN LAKE, Act III Pas de Deux ­ Dvorovenko,Beloserkovsky
LE CORSAIRE Pas de Deux ­ Herrera, Carreño
THE GREEN TABLE ­ Stappas

SECOND WEEK

Tue. Eve., Oct. 24, 7:30 P.M.
DRINK TO ME ONLY WITH THINE EYES - Company
MEADOW ­ Kent, Gomes
IN THE UPPER ROOM ­ Company

Wed. Eve., Oct. 25, 7:30 P.M.
SYMPHONIE CONCERTANTE ­ Wiles, Beloserkovsky*, Part
NEW ELO BALLET - Company
THE GREEN TABLE - Hallberg

Thurs. Eve., Oct. 26, 7:30 P.M.
CLEAR ­ Kent, Corella
AFTERNOON OF A FAUN ­ Abrera, Stiefel
SINATRA SUITE ­ Gomes*
FANCY FREE ­ Salstein, Radetsky, Carreño, Herrera, Murphy

Fri. Eve., Oct. 27, 8 P.M.
NEW ELO BALLET - Company
MEADOW ­ Abrera*, Hallberg*
RODEO ­ Reyes, Radetsky, Stappas

Sat. Mat., Oct. 28, 2 P.M.
CLEAR ­ Reyes*, Cornejo*
AFTERNOON OF A FAUN ­ Abrera, Stiefel
RODEO ­ SWAN LAKE, Act II Pas de Deux ­ Part, Gomes
FANCY FREE ­ Salstein, Radetsky, Carreño, Herrera, Murphy

Sat. Eve., Oct. 28, 8 P.M.
SYMPHONIE CONCERTANTE ­ Dvorovenko*, Beloserkovsky, Murphy*
MEADOW ­ Kent, Gomes
IN THE UPPER ROOM - Company

Sun. Mat., Oct. 29, 2 P.M.
NEW ELO BALLET - Company
AFTERNOON OF A FAUN ­ Kent, Carreño**
SINATRA SUITE ­ Corella*
RODEO ­ Butler, Salstein, Matthews


-30-

*Please Note: first time in a role:
Wed., Oct. 18 ­ Cornejo in Sinatra Suite
Thurs., Oct. 19 ­ Carreño in Sinatra Suite
Fri., Oct. 20 ­ Saveliev in Symphonie Concertante
Sat. Mat., Oct.21 ­ Wiles, Gomes, Part in Symphonie Concertante
Sat. Eve., Oct. 21 ­ Butler in Rodeo
Wed., Oct. 25 ­ Beloserkovsky in Symphonie Concertante
Thurs., Oct. 26 ­ Gomes in Sinatra Suite
Fri., Oct. 27 ­ Abrera, Hallberg in Meadow
Sat. Mat., Oct. 28 ­ Reyes, Cornejo in Clear
Sat. Eve., Oct. 28 ­ Dvorovenko, Murphy in Symphonie Concertante
Sun. Mat., Oct. 29 ­Corella in Sinatra Suite

**Please Note: first time in a role in New York
Sat Eve., Oct. 21 ­ Butler in Rodeo
Sun. Mat., Oct. 29 - Carreño in Afternoon of a Faun

Thursday, September 28, 2006

CASTING ANNOUNCED FOR THIRD WEEK OF AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE¹S 2006 NEW YORK CITY CENTER SEASON


Casting for the third week of American Ballet Theatre's 2006
season at NY City Center was announced today by Artistic Director Kevin
McKenzie.

The third week will feature the season¹s first performance of
Antony Tudor's Dark Elegies on Thursday evening, November 2, with Melissa Thomas, Julie Kent, Isaac Stappas, Sascha Radetsky, Hee Seo and Jesus Pastor in the leading roles. At the evening performance on Saturday, November 4, Melanie Hamrick and Roman Zhurbin will make their debuts in the second song of Dark Elegies.

The third week will also include the debut of Gillian Murphy in
Lar Lubovitch's Meadow, dancing opposite Marcelo Gomes at the matinee on Saturday, November 4.

Tickets for American Ballet Theatre's 2006 Fall season at NY
City Center, priced from $26-$93, are available on-line at www.abt.org
<http://www.abt.org> or by calling CityTix at 212-581-1212. Performance-only tickets for American Ballet Theatre's Opening Night at New York City Center are priced from $35 to $130. NY City Center is located on West 55th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues in New York City.

Countrywide Financial is the National Sponsor of American Ballet
Theatre. Superfund Asset Management, Inc. is the Sponsor of ABT¹s New York
City seasons. The 2006 NY City Center season is also made possible with
public funds from the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York State
Council on the Arts, a state agency, and the New York City Department of
Cultural Affairs. ABT's Opening Night Gala is generously underwritten by
Reckson Associates.

Complete casting follows:

THIRD WEEK

Tue. Eve., Oct. 31, 7:30 P.M.
SYMPHONIE CONCERTANTE ­ Kent, Saveliev, Herrera
NEW ELO BALLET - Company
THE GREEN TABLE ­Hallberg

Wed. Eve., Nov. 1, 8:00 P.M. DRINK TO ME ONLY WITH THINE EYES -
Company
CLEAR ­ Kent,
Gomes
IN THE UPPER ROOM
­ Company

Thurs. Eve., Nov. 2, 7:30 P.M. SYMPHONIE CONCERTANTE ­Dvorovenko,
Beloserkovsky, Murphy
DARK ELEGIES ­
Thomas, Kent, Stappas, Radetsky, Seo, Pastor
IN THE UPPER ROOM
­ Company

Fri. Eve., Nov. 3, 8 P.M. CLEAR ­ Reyes, Corella
AFTERNOON OF A FAUN
­ Riccetto, Hallberg
SWAN LAKE, Act III
Pas de Deux - Dvorovenko, Beloserkovsky
FANCY FREE ­
Cornejo, Stiefel, Gomes, Abrera, Kent

Sat. Mat., Nov. 4, 2 P.M. NEW ELO BALLET - Company
MEADOW ­ Murphy*,
Gomes
THE GREEN TABLE ­
Stappas

Sat. Eve., Nov. 4, 8 P.M. DRINK TO ME ONLY WITH THINE EYES -
Company
DARK ELEGIES ­ Wiles,
Hamrick*, Zhurbin*, Matthews, Schulte, Lopez
FANCY FREE ­ Cornejo,
Stiefel, Gomes, Abrera, Kent

Sun. Mat., Nov. 5, 2 P.M. CLEAR ­ Kent, Corella
MEADOW ­ Abrera,
Hallberg
IN THE UPPER ROOM -
Company


-30-

*Please Note: first time in a role:
Sat. Mat., Nov. 4 ­ Murphy in Meadow
Sat. Eve., Nov. 4 ­ Hamrick, Zhurbin in Dark Elegies

Wednesday, October 4, 2006

As per ABT's newsletter, some happy recent events!

Marriages
* Sascha Radetsky & Stella Abrera
* Isaac Stappas & Kristi Boone

Congratulations also to Karen Ellis Wentz on the birth of her first child!

Kate

ALESSANDRA FERRI TO RETIRE AS PRINCIPAL DANCER
WITH AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE

Final Performance Scheduled for June 23, 2007 with Guest Artist Roberto
Bolle


Principal Dancer Alessandra Ferri has announced she will retire
from American Ballet Theatre following a 22-year career with the Company.
She will dance her final performance in the role of Juliet in Sir Kenneth
MacMillan¹s Romeo and Juliet on Saturday evening, June 23, 2007 at the
Metropolitan Opera House. In her final bow as Juliet, Ferri will dance
opposite Guest Artist Roberto Bolle as Romeo.

Ferri was born in Milan, Italy and studied at Teatro alla Scala
until the age of 15 when she joined The Royal Ballet School. Ferri joined
The Royal Ballet in 1980 and danced leading roles in The Sleeping Beauty,
The Two Pigeons, Swan Lake, Mayerling, the title role in Manon and Juliet in
Romeo and Juliet. She created roles in Sir Kenneth MacMillan¹s Valley of
Shadows and A Different Drummer, as well as Anna in Seven Deadly Sins. She
danced Odette in Franco Zeffirelli¹s Swan Lake in Milan, and the title role
in Roland Petit¹s Carmen with the London Festival Ballet (now English
National Ballet).

Ferri joined American Ballet Theatre as a Principal Dancer in
1985. Her roles with the Company include the title role in Anastasia,
Nikiya in La Bayadère, the pas de deux from Roland Petit¹s Carmen, Titania
in The Dream, Katherine in Christopher Wheeldon¹s VIII, The Accused in Fall
River Legend, the Glove Seller in Gaîté Parisienne, the title roles in
Giselle and Manon, Hanna Glawari in The Merry Widow, Tatiana in Onegin, the
pas de deux Other Dances, the Youngest Sister in Pillar of Fire, Juliet in
Romeo and Juliet, a featured role in Sinfonietta, Princess Florine in The
Sleeping Beauty, the leading role in Some Assembly Required, the Sylph in La
Sylphide, the leading role in Les Sylphides and Katherina in The Taming of
the Shrew.

A permanent guest artist with La Scala in Milan, Ferri has also
appeared with the Ballet National de Marseille in Roland Petit¹s Le Diable
Amoreux, which Petit created especially for her. Other guest appearances
have included the role of Juliet in John Cranko¹s Romeo and Juliet with
National Ballet of Canada, Manon with Kirov Ballet, Blanche Du Bois in A
Streetcar Named Desire, Tatiana in Onegin and Katherina in The Taming of the
Shrew with Stuttgart Ballet, and the title role in Roland Petit¹s Carmen and
Esmeralda in Notre Dame de Paris with Paris Opera Ballet. She has also
appeared with the National Theatre of Tokyo, the Colon Theatre in Buenos
Aires and the Ballet Nacional de Cuba.

Ferri won the Prix de Lausanne in 1980 and the Sir Laurence
Olivier Award in 1982 (for her role in Valley of Shadows). In 2005, Ferri
celebrated her 20th year with ABT. In the same year, she received the honor
of Cavaliere della Repubblica Italiana by the President of the Italian
Republic.

Guest artist Roberto Bolle, Ferri¹s partner for her final
performances with American Ballet Theatre, has been a Resident Guest Artist
at La Scala since 1998. Bolle trained at Teatro alla Scala and joined La
Scala Ballet in 1994. He was promoted to principal dancer with the company
in 1996. His repertory at La Scala includes The Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake,
La Bayadère (Makarova), Giselle (Guillem), Le Spectre de la Rose, Romeo and
Juliet, Onegin and Apollon Musagète, among others. The 2007 Metropolitan
Opera House season marks Bolle¹s first appearance with American Ballet
Theatre.

In addition to Ferri¹s performance as Juliet on June 23, she is
scheduled to dance Desdemona in Othello and the title role in Manon.

Veronika Part sent four of us an e-mail today saying that she had an injury this morning and will be out for the season. She was scheduled to perform tomorrow and Saturday. I wish her a very quick recovery.

Robert Gottlieb reviews the first week in the New York Observer:

NY Observer