SPAC 2019 – Part 1 – New York City Ballet

NYCB residency highlighted by three SPAC premieres from 21st century choreographers; story ballet Coppélia, and a Gala program featuring Balanchine’s Apollo

NEW YORK CITY BALLET (NYCB)’s residency (July 16 – 20) will once again feature four distinct programs. including the story ballet Coppélia, which was premiered at SPAC, an evening dedicated to Balanchine and Tschaikovsky, and a program showcasing three SPAC premieres by 21st century choreographers, highlighted by Kyle Abraham’s The Runaway, which fuses modern and classical technique and an eclectic soundtrack mixing composer Nico Muhly, singer James Blake, and hip-hop artists Jay-Z and Kanye West. The annual New York City Ballet Gala, on Saturday, July 20, will showcase George Balanchine’s Apollo, Christopher Wheeldon’s This Bitter Earth and a new piece by NYCB Resident Choreographer and Soloist Justin Peck.

“Whether you are a Balanchine lover or enjoy adventurous new works, you will find something thrilling and exceptional during this season.” said Elizabeth Sobol, president and CEO of Saratoga Performing Arts Center.

PROGRAM SCHEDULE:NEW YORK CITY BALLET: JULY 16 – 20

Tschaikovsky and Balanchine
TUESDAY, JULY 16 @ 8PM
THURSDAY, JULY 18 @ 2PM

Serenade – (Tschaikovsky/Balanchine)

Mozartiana – (Tschaikovsky/Balanchine)

Tschaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 2 – (Tschaikovsky/Balanchine)

NYCB’s opening night and its Thursday matinee will celebrate three of Balanchine’s iconic ballets set to Tschaikovsky’s compositions, whose music was a great inspiration to the New York City Ballet co-founder.

Serenade, the first original ballet Balanchine created in America, is a milestone in the history of dance and remains a beloved, luminous work in the repertoire. Mozartiana, choreographed to a Tschaikovsky composition derived from Mozart piano pieces, creates an atmosphere of hushed contemplation. Balanchine first choreographed to this music at the start of his career in 1933, and nearly 50 years later, he returned to the score to create a new ballet, one of his last works. Tschaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 2 is an ebullient work of classical virtuosity for 27 dancers.
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SPAC Premieres By 21st Century Choreographers
WEDNESDAY, JULY 17 @ 8PM

Varied Trio (in four)* – (Harrison/Frohlich)
New Peck* – (Stevens/Peck)
The Runaway* – (Nico Muhly, Kanye West, Jay-Z, James Blake/Abraham)

Varied Trio (in four) by NYCB Ballet Master Jean-Pierre Frohlich is a collection of short dances for a couple whose movements resonate with the simple, minimalist Lou Harrison score.

Set to a commissioned score for full orchestra, Justin Peck’s new work – his fourth collaboration with acclaimed composer and singer-songwriter Sufjan Stevens – will premiere as part of New York City Ballet’s 2019 winter season.

Kyle Abraham’s choreographic perspective takes center stage in The Runaway, which fuses modern and classical technique, accented by dramatic lighting, imaginative costumes by Giles Deacon, and an eclectic soundtrack mixing composer Nico Muhly, singer James Blake, and hip-hop artists Jay-Z and Kanye West.
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Coppélia
THURSDAY, JULY 18 @ 8PM
FRIDAY, JULY 19 @ 8PM
SATURDAY, JULY 20 @ 2PM

Considered one of the greatest comedic ballets of the 19th Century, Coppélia premiered in Saratoga in 1974 and was co-commissioned by SPAC. Choreographed by George Balanchine and Alexandra Danilova after Marius Petipa, it has remained one of the best-loved classical works in the ballet repertory. Called one of the “happiest ballets in existence,” it tells the story of an eccentric inventor and the lifelike doll he creates. The work is visually stunning, with storybook sets and a cast of dancing children. The music of Coppélia links two great historical periods of ballet — the French Romantic style and the Russian Classical style.
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SPAC’s NYC Ballet Gala
SATURDAY, JULY 20 @ 8PM

SPAC’s NYC Ballet Gala, the finale to New York City Ballet’s 2019 residency, will be highlighted by Balanchine’s first collaboration with Stravinsky and one of his earliest international successes, Apollo. The ballet presents the young god as he is ushered into adulthood by the muses of poetry, mime, and dance.

This Bitter Earth is a pas de deux from Christopher Wheeldon’s Five Movements, Three Repeats. The full work was originally created for Fang-Yi Sheu & Artists, a group led by former Martha Graham Dance Company star Fang-Yi Sheu that included NYCB dancers Wendy Whelan, Tyler Angle, and Craig Hall. This breathtaking and poetic dance explores the haunting, tenuous melodies of Dinah Washington’s soulful rendition of This Bitter Earth remixed with British composer Max Richter’s On the Nature of Daylight.

The 2019 residency will conclude with Justin Peck’s new work – his fourth collaboration with Oscar-nominated composer Sufjan Stevens.
*indicates SPAC premiere

TICKETS:

Tickets will be available online at spac.org starting on Monday, January 14 at 10:00 a.m. to SPAC members and Thursday, January 29 at 10:00 a.m. to the general public.
Matinee Performances
Front Orchestra: $53.00 – $63.00
Rear Orchestra: $43.00 – $53.00
Balcony: $28.00 – $63.00
Lawn: $18.00

Evening Performances
Front Orchestra: $63.00 – $113.00
Rear Orchestra: $43.00 – $83.00
Balcony: $33.00 – $103.00
Lawn: $29.00 – $34.00

NYC Ballet Gala
Front Orchestra: $98.00 – $128.00
Rear Orchestra: $68.00 – $98.00
Balcony: $58.00 – $108.00
Lawn: $58.00

Please Note:
*Children ages 15 and under are free on the lawn (excluding NYCB Gala & American Girl Night)
**Children 15 and under are $20 in the amphitheater
***Individuals 29 and under are $29 in the amphitheater (day of show only)
****SPAC members receive a 15% discount on tickets purchased before the day of the show
ALL PROGRAMMING IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE
Next: Part 2 – Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center (CMS @ SPAC)