Casting Announced For 5th and 6th Weeks Of ABT's 2010 Spring Season

Casting for the fifth and sixth weeks of American Ballet Theatre's 2010 Spring Season at the Metropolitan Opera House was announced today by Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie.

The Sleeping Beauty will have the first of eight performances on Monday, June 14, led by Gillian Murphy as Princess Aurora, Jose Manuel Carreño as Prince Désiré, Veronika Part as the Lilac Fairy, Nancy Raffa as Carabosse, Sarah Lane as Princess Florine and Daniil Simkin in his debut as the Bluebird. On Saturday, June 19, Alina Cojocaru will make her ABT debut as Princess Aurora at the matinee and Natalia Osipova will dance the role for the first time at the evening performance. Other debuts for the week include Cory Stearns as Prince Désiré at the matinee on Wednesday, June 16, Isabella Boylston as Princess Florine at the evening performance on Wednesday, June 16, and Joseph Phillips as the Bluebird at the matinee on Saturday, June 19. Staged by Kevin McKenzie, Gelsey Kirkland and Michael Chernov, after choreography by Marius Petipa, The Sleeping Beauty is set to a score by Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky and features sets by Tony Walton, costumes by Willa Kim, with additional costume designs by Holly Hynes, and lighting by Richard Pilbrow and Dawn Chiang.

On Monday, June 21, the Company will give the first of eight performances of Swan Lake, with Veronika Part, Roberto Bolle and Marcelo Gomes in the leading roles. Cory Stearns will make his New York debut as Prince Siegfried on Friday, June 25, opposite Michele Wiles as Odette/Odile. Choreographed by Kevin McKenzie after Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov, Swan Lake is set to a score by Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky and features scenery and costumes by Zack Brown.

Tickets for American Ballet Theatre's 2010 Metropolitan Opera House season, priced $20-$111, are available online, at the Met box office or by phone at 212-362-6000. The Metropolitan Opera House is located on Broadway between 64th and 65th streets in New York City. For more information, visit ABT's website at www.abt.org.

Joan Taub Ades and Alan M. Ades, Adrienne Arsht, Arlene and Harvey Blau, Devon and Peter Briger, Susan and Leonard Feinstein, Edward A. Fox, Lori and Stephen Garofalo, Julia and David H. Koch, Konrad R. Kruger, Jill L. Leinbach, Charlotte and MacDonald Mathey, and Jean and Lawrence Shaw are Co-Underwriters of The Sleeping Beauty. Additional funding is provided by the NIB Foundation. Special thanks to Caroline Newhouse. This production has been made possible with public funds from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Swan Lake is generously underwritten by The Rosh Foundation. Costumes for Swan Lake are generously sponsored through the Ellen Everett Kimiatek Costume Preservation Trust.

J.P. Morgan is the Leading Corporate Sponsor of Make a Ballet.
American Airlines is ABT's Official Airline.

Northern Trust is the Official Sponsor of the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at American Ballet Theatre.

LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, Inc. is the Official Sponsor of ABT II.
Mandarin Oriental is ABT's Preferred Hotel.

ABT is supported, in part, with public funds from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Recovery Act, the New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency, and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council.