American Repertory Ballet, New Jersey’s preeminent classical and contemporary ballet company, will perform throughout New Jersey – in Princeton, New Brunswick, Lawrenceville, Branchburg, Rahway, Manasquan, South Orange, and Trenton – and at the Joyce Theater in New York City from September 2015 through April 2016. The performance season will open on September 24 at Rider University Bart Luedeke Center with an open rehearsal and State of the Art Address, celebrating 5 years of Artistic Director Douglas Martin’s artistic leadership.
The company traditionally begins its performance season with a residency at Rider University. This year, this residency will serve as a special celebration of Douglas Martin’s 5 years at the helm. In addition to the annual master classes for Rider University dance students and ARB’s Friday and Saturday evening performances at the Bart Luedeke Center, the week’s festivities will include a “Meet the Dancers” On Pointe event, Open House Dress Rehearsal, and a State of the Art Address – ARB’s first public meeting. The “Meet the Dancers” On Pointe will be held on September 23 at 5:15 p.m. and will provide attendees a unique opportunity to meet the company’s international, professional dancers and see excerpts of the upcoming performance season. The Open House Dress Rehearsal will be on Thursday, September 24, 2015 at 4:30 p.m., and the State of the Art Address will immediately follow at 6 p.m. All events will take place in the theater.
The company will perform Season Premiere at Rider University’s Bart Luedeke Center on Friday, September 25 and Saturday, September 24 at 7:30 p.m. Season Premiere will feature three highlights from Martin’s first two years of leadership: Martin’s lyrical and poignant Ephemeral Possessions, set to Samuel Barber’s Adagio for Strings; internationally acclaimed choreographer Kirk Peterson’s highly technical Glazunov Variations, set to sections of Glazunov’s music for the classical ballet Raymonda; and ARB Resident Choreographer Mary Barton.
American Repertory Ballet’s Nutcracker, New Jersey’s longest-running Nutcracker production and one of the longest-running in the nation, will take the stage just a month later, running November 21 through December 20, 2015 at Union County Performing Arts Center in Rahway, McCarter Theatre in Princeton, Patriots Theater at the War Memorial in Trenton, South Orange Performing Arts Center in South Orange, Algonquin Arts Theatre in Manasquan, and State Theatre in New Brunswick. The performances at State Theatre will be performed to live music, played by an orchestra and choir under the direction of Maestro Michael Pratt.
ARB will premiere Masters of Dance and Music at McCarter Theatre in Princeton on April 8 at 8 p.m. In this one-of-a-kind performance, the company will present works created by masters of ballet and modern dance in a performance featuring music by Ludwig van Beethoven and Alexander Glazunov, played live by Princeton University Orchestra under the direction of Maestro Michael Pratt. A world premiere work by American Repertory Ballet Resident Choreographer Mary Barton will travel through Beethoven’s creative process against the majestic musical landscape of his infamous Seventh Symphony. Peterson’s Glazunov Variations will also be on the program. Alongside this classical ballet, American Repertory Ballet will bring Limón’s There is a Time from their performances at The Joyce Theater to McCarter audiences.
In addition to its public performances, American Repertory Ballet presents School-Time Matinees and special programs for schools and groups. Please contact Lisa Beth Vettoso, Director of Educational and Community Programming, for more information: lvettoso@arballet.org, (732) 249-1254 x19.
View all performances and links to ticketing at arballet.org/15-16season.
