Balanchine’s Enchanting A Midsummer Night’s Dream Highlights Opening Week
Saratoga Premieres of Architecture of Dance Works by Wheeldon and Ratmansky
Season Also Includes Red Angels by Ulysses Dove, Balanchine’s The Steadfast Tin Soldier and Classic Works by Jerome Robbins and Peter Martins
The 2010 Season of New York City Ballet at Saratoga Performing Arts Center presented by HSBC Bank USA N.A., July 6 – 17, will feature 16 stunning ballets including three opening week performances of Balanchine’s full-length, story ballet A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM. The classic work, based on Shakespeare’s famous play, features elaborate sets and costumes and a cast of over 100 dancers including 27 children.
Other season highlights include the July 10 Ballet Gala featuring Saratoga premieres of new works by Alexei Ratmansky and Christopher Wheeldon, commissioned as part of the Ballet’s highly anticipated ARCHITECTURE OF DANCE – NEW CHOREOGRAPHY AND MUSIC FESTIVAL. Ratmansky’s ballet is set to Édouard Lalo’s Namouna; Wheeldon’s to Argentine composer Alberto Ginastera’s Estancia. Wheeldon’s work will also feature scenic design by internationally acclaimed architect Santiago Calatrava, best known for his dazzling public projects such as bridges, stadiums and train stations in cities around the world, and currently designing a new transit hub at the World Trade Center site in lower Manhattan.
The summer program also features THE STEADFAST TIN SOLDIER, a beloved Balanchine work based on a Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale that was commissioned and premiered at SPAC in 1975; STRAVINSKY VIOLIN CONCERTO, which Balanchine created as part of the legendary Stravinsky Festival and which was last performed at SPAC in 2004; several popular works by Jerome Robbins including N.Y. EXPORT: OPUS JAZZ and THE CONCERT; and RED ANGELS, a visually dramatic ballet choreographed by Ulysses Dove that was last performed at SPAC in 1998.
“In 2010, New York City Ballet will present for Saratoga audiences, a magnificent program that showcases the extraordinary gifts of its dancers and the exceptional breadth of its repertory. We are particularly excited to present Balanchine’s classic and enchanting A Midsummer Night’s Dream. There is no better stage for this woodland fairy tale than SPAC itself, which has the forest, fireflies and moonlight to make this lyrical work come to life,” said Marcia J. White, SPAC’s President & Executive Director.
“Another storytelling gem that will be part of the season is The Steadfast Tin Soldier, which has a special place in our history as a work SPAC commissioned and premiered on its stage in 1975,” she added.
“Just as remarkable as its mastery of classic works is New York City Ballet’s unparalleled commitment to new choreography, underscored by its innovative Architecture of Dance festival. Gala audiences will be treated to the Saratoga premieres of new ballets by Alexei Ratmansky and Christopher Wheeldon – two of the most gifted choreographers in the world today,” said White.
“The remainder of the repertoire is tremendously rich and diverse, showcasing the full range of ballet, from classical to neoclassical to contemporary. It’s truly a program that will remind audiences of why New York City Ballet is the foremost dance company in the world,” she said.
Other works on the 2010 program that have not been performed for Saratoga audiences in several years include: LA SOURCE which combines thrilling ensemble work with virtuoso pas de deux; WALPURGISNACHT BALLET which pairs Balanchine’s elegant choreography with a passionate score by Gounod; Jerome Robbins’ spirited FANCY FREE featuring Leonard Bernstein’s score; and Balanchine’s WHO CARES? set to George Gershwin’s classic score.
The schedule will also include Peter Martins’ BARBER VIOLIN CONCERTO which explores the contrast between classical ballet and modern dance, and Christopher Wheeldon’s AFTER THE RAIN.
Also announced were several pre-performance events that will occur during the Ballet’s season. The pre-events are free and open to all ticketholders for that evening’s ballet performance. Events include:
§ American Girl Night, July 14 – One of the biggest events of the season, American Girl Night sponsored by Emma Willard School features tea parties, crafts and giveaways. Lawn admission for children 12 and under is $5 this evening to benefit SPAC’s educational program, Classical Kids.
§ Children’s Workshops on the Lawn, July 9 and 16 – These fun, educational programs presented by NYCB dancers, musicians and teachers are designed to introduce children to the joys of dance and foster greater understanding of the works they will see on stage. Workshops take place on the apron in front of the Amphitheatre.
§ Friday Family Nights, July 9 and 16 – Children and families can enjoy free Stewart’s ice cream, strolling magicians, face painting and more before Friday evening performances.
§ Girls Night Out, July 13 – A very special event featuring fine wine and chocolate tastings, spa treatments and products, massages, hair and skin care, boutique shopping and entertainment.
§ Thursday Date Nights, July 8 and 15 – Wine tastings, entertainment and other pre-performance attractions for couples.
“One of our highest priorities is to introduce new audiences to the sheer beauty and excitement of New York City Ballet. The addition of the Children’s Workshops on the Lawn, American Girl Night, Family Night and other pre-performance events have been a tremendous hit among families who’ve discovered that these evenings offer wonderful quality time together, as well as the opportunity to give children the unforgettable experience of attending a live classical performance,” White concluded.
Ticket prices for SPAC’s New York City Ballet performances start at $18 for lawn seats; inside seating ranges from $26 - $72.50. The “Kids Free on the Lawn” promotion entitles children 12 and under to free lawn admission for classical performances (excluding the Gala and American Girl Night); middle school, high school and college student lawn admission is $10. Order forms for tickets to New York City Ballet’s SPAC season are available on SPAC’s website at www.spac.org or by contacting SPAC at 518.584.9330.
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Saratoga Performing Arts Center
Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC), founded in 1966, is the northeast’s premier performing arts center. Located within the historic Saratoga Spa State Park, SPAC’s 25,000 capacity venue becomes a showcase each summer for the world-class programming of its resident companies, New York City Ballet and The Philadelphia Orchestra. SPAC also presents the Freihofer’s Saratoga Jazz Festival, the Saratoga Chamber Music Festival, Lake George Opera, the Extended Season and rock and pop concerts by Live Nation. Each season approximately 350,000 guests visit SPAC to attend classical or contemporary performances.
2010 NEW YORK CITY BALLET SPAC SEASON, JULY 6 – 17
July 6 – 8:00 p.m.
ALL AMERICAN
Fancy Free (Bernstein/Robbins)
Red Angels (Einhorn/Dove)
Barber Violin Concerto (Barber/Martins)
Who Cares? (Gershwin orch. by Kay/Balanchine)
July 7 – 8:00 p.m.
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
(Mendelssohn/Balanchine)
July 8 (Matinee) – 2:00 p.m.
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
(Mendelssohn/Balanchine)
July 8 – 8:00 p.m.
La Source (Delibes/Balanchine)
Fancy Free (Bernstein/Robbins)
Who Cares? (Gershwin orch. by Kay/Balanchine)
July 9 – 8:00 p.m.
MIXED REP
Divertimento No. 15 (Mozart/Balanchine)
Red Angels (Einhorn/Dove)
Barber Violin Concerto (Barber/Martins)
Fancy Free (Bernstein/Robbins)
July 10 (Matinee) – 2:00 p.m.
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
(Mendelssohn/Balanchine)
July 10 – 8:00 p.m.
BALLET GALA – SARATOGA PREMIERES
New Ratmansky Ballet (Lalo/Ratmansky)
New Wheeldon Ballet (Ginastera/Wheeldon)
Fireworks after the performance
July 13 – 8:00 p.m.
ALL ROBBINS
N.Y. Export: Opus Jazz (Prince/Robbins)
In the Night (Chopin/Robbins)
The Concert (Chopin/Robbins)
July 14 – 8:00 p.m.
EMMA WILLARD AMERICAN GIRL NIGHT
The Steadfast Tin Soldier (Bizet/Balanchine)
Walpurgisnacht Ballet (Gounod/Balanchine)
New Ratmansky Ballet (Lalo/Ratmansky)
July 15 (Matinee) – 2:00 p.m.
Divertimento No. 15 (Mozart/Balanchine)
Red Angels (Einhorn/Dove)
Barber Violin Concerto (Barber/Martins)
New Wheeldon Ballet (Ginastera/Wheeldon)
July 15 – 8:00 p.m.
La Source (Delibes/Balanchine)
After the Rain (Pärt/Wheeldon)
Stravinsky Violin Concerto (Stravinsky/Balanchine)
July 16 – 8:00 p.m.
ALL ROBBINS
N.Y. Export: Opus Jazz (Prince/Robbins)
In the Night (Chopin/Robbins)
The Concert (Chopin/Robbins)
July 17 (Matinee) – 2:00 p.m.
The Steadfast Tin Soldier (Bizet/Balanchine)
Walpurgisnacht Ballet (Gounod/Balanchine)
After the Rain (Pärt/Wheeldon)
Stravinsky Violin Concerto (Stravinsky/Balanchine)
July 17 – 8:00 p.m.
ALL BALANCHINE
Walpurgisnacht Ballet (Gounod/Balanchine)
Stravinsky Violin Concerto (Stravinsky/Balanchine)
Divertimento No. 15 (Mozart/Balanchine)
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