FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press Contact:
Duke Dang, 212/758.0024; ddang@worksandprocess.org
Tickets & Info: (212) 423-3587 or www.worksandprocess.org

Works & Process at the Guggenheim Presents

American Ballet Theatre – Female Choreographers

Sunday and Monday, February 1 and 2, 7:30 p.m.

American Ballet Theatre recently launched Voices and Visions: The Altria/ABT
Women’s Choreography Project to foster emerging female choreographers. The
program will discuss this multi-year initiative and explore past works by
ABT. Members of ABT II will perform Barbara by Aszure Barton, a 2008
Altria/ABT Choreography Fellow, as well as slokas by Lauri Stallings.
Dancers from ABT will also perform choreography developed through Altria’s
Training and Mentoring Workshops. ABT II Artistic Director Wes Chapman
moderates a discussion with Aszure Barton and choreographic mentor Stephen
Pier.

Panel
Wes Chapman, moderator
Stephen Pier, workshop leader
Aszure Barton, choreographer

Performers
Xiomara Reyes
Misty Copeland
Elizabeth Mertz
Gemma Bond
Nicole Graniero

Dancers from ABT II
Kaia Annika, Sae Eun Park, April Giangeruso, Meaghan Hinkis, Courtney
Lavine, Irlan Silva, Colby Parsons, Brian Waldrep, Ty Gurfein, Calvin Royal


Program

slokas pdd
Choreography by Lauri Stallings
Music by J.S. Bach, Alexander Balanescu, & Javier Navaratte
Costumes by Santo Loquasto

Performed by Sae Eun Park & Ty Gurfein

Discussion

Demonstration by participants of The Altria/ABT Women’s Choreography Project


Discussion

Barbara
Choreography by Aszure Barton in collaboration with the ABT II Dancers
Collaborative Assistance by Ian Robinson
Music by Barbara
Sound Editing by Chris Downes and Ian Robinson
Performed by Kaia Annika, Sae Eun Park, April Giangeruso, Meaghan Hinkis,
Courtney Lavine, Irlan Silva, Colby Parsons, Brian Waldrep, Ty Gurfein,
Calvin Royal

Barbara, has been underwritten by The Altria/ABT Women's Choreography
Project and is the first new commission to be produced through the project.

Voices and Visions: The Altria/ABT Women's Choreography Project.
This multi-year initiative, generously funded by Altria Group, Inc., will
identify and nurture female choreographers and include annual commissions by
emerging female choreographers, as well as a series of training and
mentoring workshops open to female members of ABT and ABT II.

Altria/ABT Choreography Fellows: An emerging female choreographer will be
chosen annually as the Altria/ABT Choreography Fellow to create a new work
for ABT II. Under the Altria/ABT Choreography Fellows program, these newly
commissioned works, one each year for three years (2008-2010), will be
performed in New York City and at ABT II's tour venues.

Training and Mentoring Workshops: American Ballet Theatre will offer
Training and Mentoring Workshops, beginning September 2008, open to all
female members of ABT and ABT II. The Workshops, led by Stephen Pier,
Choreographic Mentor at the Juilliard School, will focus on developing
choreographic structure and the creative process with studies on intention,
theme, phrase, music, style, partnering and overall form, as well as
analysis of existing ballets. Participating dancers will progress at their
own rate from brief, highly defined studies to larger works of greater
complexity and scope. Staff members from ABT’s music and production
departments will also participate in the Workshops to offer their insights
on other elements of ballet productions.

The Training and Mentoring Workshops are designed to help promising
choreographers, create works-in-progress to be shared during organized
studio showings of their work with other members of the Company. At the
conclusion of the Workshops, participants will be invited to design an
independent study, working closely with Pier and other mentors to delve more
deeply into the art form. Dancers who wish to pursue further study will then
be able to explore their choreography by creating original work on students
from The Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School and ABT's Summer Intensive
program. The goal is to encourage potential female choreographers to explore
their craft more deeply in subsequent years and offer opportunities to
female members of ABT to choreograph future works for ABT II.

Works & Process at the Guggenheim
Since 1984 and in over 300 productions, Works & Process at the Guggenheim
has been a pioneer in creating groundbreaking and carefully crafted programs
that provide unprecedented access to today's leading performing artists,
choreographers, composers, writers, directors, poets, and minds. Each
program uniquely blends performance, demonstration, and discussion among
creative collaborators and explores the creative process. Following often
sold-out performances in the intimate Frank Lloyd Wright–designed 285-seat
theater, a reception for the audience and artists takes place in the
museum's rotunda. Described by the New York Times as "a popular series
devoted to shedding light on the creative process," by the Village Voice as
"revelatory," and by the New Yorker as "exceptional," Works & Process has
become well-respected by both artists and audiences alike and is produced by
Mary Sharp Cronson and Charles Fabius.

LOCATION:
The Peter B. Lewis Theater
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
1071 Fifth Avenue at 89th Street
Subway – 4, 5, 6 train to 86th Street
Bus – M1, M2, M3, or M4 bus on Madison or Fifth Avenue

TICKETS:
$30 General
$25 Guggenheim Members
$10 Students (25 and under with valid student ID)
(212) 423-3587, M-F, 1–5 PM or visit worksandprocess.org

For more information, press tickets, photos and to arrange interviews,
please contact:

Duke Dang
Works & Process at the Guggenheim
(212) 758-0024
ddang@worksandprocess.org