American Ballet Theatre

The American Ballet Theatre, based in New York City, was one of the foremost ballet companies of the 20th century, and a leading dance company in the world today.

Launched in 1939, few ballet companies equal ABT for its combination of size, scope and outreach. Recognized as a living national treasure since its founding, ABT annually tours the United States, performing for more than 600,000 people, and is the only major cultural institution to do so. It has also made more than 15 international tours to 42 countries as perhaps the most representative American ballet company and has been sponsored by the State Department of the United States on many of these engagements.

There are three levels within the company (in rising order): the [Corps de ballet], the Soloists and the Principals. There is also the ABT Studio Company.

History

The company was originally founded in 1937 as the Mordkin Ballet, and then reorganized in 1940 with a new name as the Ballet Theatre, with direction from Lucia Chase and Richard Pleasant.

When American Ballet Theatre was launched in 1939, it was a mere six years after Lincoln Kirstein had established his company, which became the New York City Ballet. With the inroads New York socialite Kirstein had made, the the American Ballet Theatre was free to develop a repertoire of the best ballets from the past and to encourage the creation of new works by gifted young choreographers, wherever they might be found.

When the curtain at Radio City's Centre Theatre went up on January 11, 1940, those privileged enough to be in the audience watched history being made. The Company, which then billed itself as "America's First Ballet Theatre Staged by the Greatest Collaboration in History," was about to set a new course in American dance. This sparked forty years of unsurpassed creativity within the dance world as ABT was helmed by Lucia Chase and Oliver Smith. Under their direction, the Company more than fulfilled its original aim.

The repertoire, perhaps unmatched in the history of ballet, includes all of the great full-length ballets of the nineteenth century, such as Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty and Giselle, the finest works from the early part of this century, such as Apollo, Les Sylphides, Jardin aux Lilas and Rodeo, and acclaimed contemporary masterpieces such as Airs, Push Comes to Shove and Duets. In acquiring such an extraordinary repertoire, ABT has commissioned works by all of the great choreographic geniuses of the 20th century: George Balanchine, Antony Tudor, Jerome Robbins, Agnes de Mille and Twyla Tharp, among others.

In 1956, the company was christened the American Ballet Theatre, and has kept that name ever since. The Metropolitan Opera House in New York is now home to the American Ballet Theatre. Most notable, in 1960 the company became the first American company to dance in the Soviet Union.

Mikhail Baryshnikov, arguably the world's greatest living male dancer, became Artistic Director of American Ballet Theatre in 1980, succeeding Chase and Smith. Under his leadership, numerous classical ballets were staged, restaged and refurbished, and the Company experienced a strengthening and refining of the classical tradition. In 1990, Oliver Smith retained leadership of the Company alongside Jane Hermann. The duo immediately established an agenda that was dedicated to maintaining the great traditions of the past while aggressively pursuing a vital and innovative future.

In keeping with the Company's long-standing commitment to bringing the finest in dance to the widest international audience, ABT has recently enjoyed triumphant successes with engagements in Tokyo, London, Paris, Madrid, Buenos Aires, Mexico City, Palermo, Italy, and in Athens and Thessaloniki, Greece.

Present

In October 1992, former American Ballet Theatre Principal Dancer Kevin McKenzie was appointed Artistic Director. McKenzie, steadfast in his vision of ABT as "American," is committed to maintaining the Company's vast repertoire, and to bringing the magic of dance theater to the great stages of the world.

In the Fall of 2000, American Ballet Theatre made its first visit to China, appearing in both Shanghai and Hong Kong. The Company also appeared in Taipei and Singapore for the first time.

Over its 60-year history, the Company has appeared in a total of 126 cities in 42 countries. ABT has also appeared in all 50 states of the United States.

Artistic directors

• 1940–1980 Lucia Chase and Oliver Smith
• 1980–1990 Mikhail Baryshnikov
• 1990–1992 Jane Hermann and Oliver Smith
• 1992– Kevin McKenzie

Notable ABT dancers of the past

• Alessandra Ferri
• Alicia Alonso
• Anton Dolin
• Erik Bruhn
• Natalia Makarova
• Cynthia Harvey
• Robert La Fosse
• Johan Renvall
• Danilo Radojevic
• Leslie Browne
• Susan Jaffe
• Amada McKerrow
• Julio Bocca
• Antony Tudor

Principal dancers of the present

• Angel Corella
• David Hallberg
• Diana Vishneva
• Ethan Stiefel
• Gillian Murphy
• Herman Cornejo
• Irina Dvorovenko
• Jose Manuel Carreno

Special repertoire

Ballerina Xiomara Reyes in Giselle, Act II, 2006 Ballerina Xiomara Reyes in Giselle, Act II, 2006

Many choreographers have staged works especially for ABT, including George Balanchine, Adolph Bolm, Michel Fokine, Léonide Massine, and Bronislava Nijinska. The great British choreographer Antony Tudor, made his American debut with ABT, and the legendary Agnes de Mille staged the majority of her ballet works with them. Other past choreographers include Jerome Robbins, Twyla Tharp, and Alvin Ailey.

ABT's 1976 production of The Nutcracker starring Mikhail Baryshnikov and Gelsey Kirkland was televised the following year and has become a broadcast classic.

Their main season is held during eights weeks in the spring at New York City's Metropolitan Opera House. The 2008 spring season will include The Sleeping Beauty, Giselle, Don Quixote, The Merry Widow, Swan Lake, Le Corsaire, La Bayadère, Etudes, and a new Twyla Tharp ballet premiere.

Today, ABT encourages the growth of dance and choreography by holding a summer intensive care session every summer for young people across the country. Its Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School teaches the style and techniques specifically used by ABT.

[edit] Ballets performed

Below is a list of works which have been performed by American Ballet Theatre. Not all of the works are currently in the company's repertory.

References

ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

• http://www.abt.org/dancers/default.asp?section=corpsdeballet ABT Corps de Ballet

ABT Soloists ABT Principals ABT II

External links

• Official website
• American Ballet Theatre entry in the Encyclopedia Britannica
• American Ballet Theatre entry in the Columbia Encyclopedia

Credits

Initial content was copied from the following Wikipedia article:

• American_Ballet_Theater (December 5, 2007) history

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