Joyce Theater Welcomes The Royal Danish Ballet, Now thru 1/18

The Joyce Theater Foundation, Linda Shelton Executive Director, presents Principals and Soloists from The Royal Danish Ballet. With a program full of works choreographed by the historic 19th-century Danish choreographer August Bournonville, the company will be performing at The Joyce from today, January 13-18.

Tickets range in price from $10-$75 ($26-$37 for Joyce Theater members), and can be purchased through JoyceCharge at 212-242-0800 or via the internet at www.joyce.org. The Joyce Theater is located at 175 Eighth Avenue at 19th Street.

Sixty years after the company's U.S. debut, principals and soloists from the internationally renowned Royal Danish Ballet will perform a fantastic program featuring excerpts from works by August Bournonville, the acclaimed 19th century Royal Danish Ballet choreographer and ballet master who created more than fifty works for the company. Under the direction of artistic director Ulrik Birkkjær, the program includes selections from A Folktale (Pas de sept), The Flower Festival in Genzano (Pas de deux), Jockey Dance (from From Siberia to Moscow), La Sylphide (Act II), Conservatoire (Pas de trios), and Napoli (Act III). Please note, this is not an official engagement of the Royal Danish Ballet, but rather a selection of principals and soloists from the acclaimed company.

The Program and Casting (subject to change):

All choreography by August Bournonville

A Folktale (Pas de sept)

Music: Niels V. Gade

Amy Watson, Femke Slot, Ida Praetorius, Kizzy Matiakis

Sebastian Haynes, Gregory Dean, Marcin Kupinski (1/13, 1/14, 1/16, 1/17 at 8pm),

Andreas Kaas (1/15, 1/17 at 2pm, 1/18)

The Flower Festival in Genzano (Pas de deux)

Music: H.S. Paulli

Dancers: Ida Praetorius (1/13, 1/14, 1/17 at 8pm), Diana Cuni (1/15, 1/17 at 2pm, 1/18)

Andreas Kaas (1/13, 1/14, 1/16, 1/17 at 8pm), Ulrik Birkkjaer (1/15, 1/17 at 2pm, 1/18)

Jockey Dance from From Siberia to Moscow

Music: C.C. Møller

Dancers: Sebastian Haynes, Marcin Kupinski (1/13, 1/14, 1/16, 1/17 at 8pm),

Andreas Kaas (1/15, 1/17 at 2pm, 1/18)

La Sylphide, Act II

Music: Herman Løvenskiold

Dancers: The Sylph: Gudrun Bojesen (1/13, 1/14, 1/16, 1/17 at 8pm),

Susanne Grinder (1/15, 1/17 at 2pm, 1/18)

James: Marcin Kupinski/Gregory Dean

3 Sylphs: Susanne Grinder/Amy Watson, Kizzy Matiakis, Femke Slot

The Witch: Sorella Englund/Sebastian Haynes

Conservatoire (Pas de trios)

Music: H.S. Paulli

Dancers: Gudrun Bojesen, Diana Cuni, Amy Watson (1/14 only), Ulrik Birkkjaer

Napoli, Act III

Music: H.S. Paulli

Dancers: Gudrun Bojesen, Diana Cuni, Amy Watson, Femke Slot, Susanne Grinder,

Kizzy Matiakis, Sebastian Haynes, Gregory Dean, Ulrik Birkkjaer, Andreas Kaas,

Alban Lendorf, Marcin Kupinski

The Royal Danish Ballet is the world's third oldest ballet company. Based in Copenhagen, Denmark, it originates from 1748. August Bournonville (1805-1879) is the calling card of The Royal Danish Ballet. He was born in Copenhagen and educated in the best French and Italian dancing traditions by his father, a French dancer, and the Italian, Vincenzo Galeotti, who was ballet master in Copenhagen from 1775 - 1816. Bournonville became an elegant demi-caractére dancer, small and light with a beautiful jump and a great facility for mime. Bournonville created a tradition for Danish male dancing of the highest virtuosity raising the Royal Danish Ballet to an international level of ability while giving it the unique national quality which remains to this day its distinctive characteristic. Bournonville was ballet master in Copenhagen from 1830 - 1877. He staged nearly 50 ballets and numerous divertissements. Many of his works are still performed in a tradition that remains unbroken to this day. With a firm foundation in the Danish cultural tradition of the period - Danish Romanticism - Bournonville maintained that art should be positive; its purpose was to elevate us and to make us into harmonious beings. This harmony is to be found not only in the stories and the happy endings of his ballets, but also in his style of beautiful proportions and delicate musical timing.

The Joyce Theater Foundation, a non-profit organization, has proudly served the dance community and its audiences for three decades. The founders, Cora Cahan and Eliot Feld, acquired and renovated the Elgin Theater in Chelsea, which opened as The Joyce Theater in 1982. The Joyce Theater is named in honor of Joyce Mertz, beloved daughter of LuEsther T. Mertz. It was LuEsther's clear, undaunted vision and abundant generosity that made it imaginable and ultimately possible to build the theater. One of the only theaters built by dancers for dance, The Joyce Theater has provided an intimate and elegant home for more than 320 domestic and international companies. The Joyce has also commissioned more than 130 new dances since 1992. In 2009, The Joyce opened Dance Art New York (DANY) Studios to provide affordable studios for rehearsals, auditions, classes, and workshops for independent choreographers, non-profit dance companies, and the dance/theater communities. New York City public school students and teachers annually benefit from The Joyce's Dance Education Program, and adult audiences get closer to dance through pre-engagement Dance Talks and post-performance Dance Chats. The Joyce Theater now features an annual season of approximately 48 weeks with over 340 performances for audiences in excess of 135,000.

The Royal Danish Ballet: Principals and Soloists will be at The Joyce Theater from January 13 - 18, 2015. The performance schedule is as follows: Tuesday at 7:30pm; Wednesday at 7:30pm; Thursday-Friday at 8:00pm; Saturday at 2pm & 8pm; and Sunday at 2:00pm. Dance Chat, a free post-performance talkback with members of the company, will take place on Wednesday, January 14. This enlightening discussion is open to all patrons attending that evening's performance. Dance Talks, a conversation between artists and audiences that provide an informal, but in-depth examination of issues shaping dance today, will take place on Monday, January 12. Dance Talks are free and take place at DANY Studios (305 West 38th Street); reservations are required and can be arranged by calling (646) 792-8377. Tickets are $10-$75 ($26-$37 for Joyce members) and can be arranged by calling JoyceCharge at 212-242-0800 or online at www.joyce.org. Please note: ticket prices are subject to change. The Joyce Theater is located at 175 Eighth Avenue at 19th Street. For more information, visit www.Joyce.org.