American Repertory Ballet Announces Casting for Kirk Peterson's CARMEN and More

Acclaimed choreographer Kirk Peterson returns to New York City with two works, The Eyes that Gently Touch (set to Philip Glass' Mad Rush) and the New York premiere of his Carmen (with music by Rodion Shchedrin), when American Repertory Ballet performs on Thursday, October 5 at 8pm, at the Gerald W. Lynch Theatre of John Jay College of Criminal Justice (524 W. 59th Street).

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American Repertory Ballet has announced the casting for this performance will be as follows:

The Eyes That Gently Touch

Choreography by Kirk Peterson
Music: Philip Glass - Mad Rush
Lighting Design: Christopher Chambers
Costume Design: Gail Fresia

Cast: Shaye Firer, Austap Klymko, Ryoko Tanaka, Jacopo Jannelli, Lily Saito, Mattia Pallozzi

Straight Up with a Twist

Choreography by Mary Barton
Music: Kaila Flexer and Third Ear
Lighting Design: Lauren Parrish
Costume Design: Michele Ferranti and Allison Bonin

Cast: Erikka Reenstierna-Cates, Anna Wilkes-Davis, Shaye Firer, Anne Johnson, Emily Parker, Lily Saito, Ryoko Tanaka, Nanako Yamamoto, Journy Wilkes-Davis, Jacopo Jannelli, Austap Klymko, Aldier Monteiro, Toleu Mukanov, Mattia Pallozzi

Carmen

New York Premiere

Choreography by Kirk Peterson
Music: Rodion Shchedrin Carmen Suite(after Bizet)
Lighting Design: Christopher Chambers
Set Design: Lauren Parrish
Costume Design: Janessa Cornell Urwin

Cast:

Nanako Yamamoto as Carmen

Journy Wilkes-Davis as Done Jose

Aldeir Monteiro as Lucas (a Mataor)

Jacopo Jannelli & Mattia Pallozzi as Dragoons

Shaye Firer & Lily Saito as Cigarette Factory Soloists

Erikka Reenstierna-Cates & Anna Wilkes-Davis as Gypsy Fortunetellers

Greta Battistin, Dana Cox, Anne Johnson, Julia Lloyd, Jordana Rosenberg,

Emily Parker, Ryoko Tanaka & Sophia Thomas as Cigarette Factory Women

Flavio Altieri, Jacopo Griffo, Jacopo Jannelli, Austap Klymko, Toleau Mukanov & Mattia Pallozzi as Toreadors.

Note: All casting is subject to change

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Kirk Peterson had a distinguished career for 17 years with American Ballet Theatre as principal dancer, choreographer, Artistic Director of ABTII, Ballet Master, Principal Character Artist and as Master Teaching Associate. Peterson was also Artistic Director of the Hartford Ballet for five years. As a choreographer, his work has been seen with San Francisco Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet, Washington Ballet, Cincinnati Ballet, Atlanta Ballet, BalletMet, San Francisco Opera and The Royal Ballet School. Peterson was resident choreographer for Cincinnati Ballet for six years and he is also a repetiteur for the Antony Tudor Ballet Trust. Peterson originally created Carmen for Cincinnati Ballet. This performance marks ARB's premiere of the work.

"The original creation of the Carmen Suite by Rodion Shchedrin, instigated by the great ballerina Maya Plisetskaya, was meant to be interpreted as dance," Peterson explains. "I wished to explore different aspects of the novella not previously highlighted. This Carmen is my response to this exciting score."

About the work, Peterson says, "I had been inspired to choreograph it in 1970 upon first hearing the exciting Shchedrin/Bizet Suite. It took 28 years for me to bring my ideas to the stage in 1998 for Cincinnati Ballet. I was so thrilled when Douglas Martin asked me to revive my Carmen for ARB this season. I look forward to revisiting this piece and to be inspired by the ARB dancers for this reinterpretation." This year marks the 50 th anniversary of Shchedrin's composition.

The program will also feature Mary Barton's delightful Straight Up with a Twist, set to the eclectic sounds of Kaila Flexer and Third Ear, which showcases the versatility of the ARB dancers and Barton's unique choreographic voice. Barton is ARB's Resident Choreographer. As a dancer, her credits Soloist and Principle dancer with the Washington Ballet, Oldenburg Staat, Ballet Joffrey Ballet, Cleveland Ballet and American Repertory Ballet.

Tickets are: $35-$55, $15 students with promo code STUDENT (w/valid ID), and can be arranged online at arballet.org/event/carmennyc, by calling 212.237.8005 or in person at the Gerald W. Lynch Theater box office at 524 West 59th Street.

American Repertory Ballet returns to New York City in spring 2018 for two performances at The Kaye Playhouse (695 Park Avenue) on Friday and Saturday, April 6 and 7 with a program of works by ARB Artistic Director Douglas Martin, along with two classics by José Limón and Gerald Arpino. For more information, visit hunter.cuny.edu/kayeplayhouse.

American Repertory Ballet/Princeton Ballet School is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization. Visit arballet.org to learn more