LEGENDS & VISIONARIES Program To Feature World Premiere Of New Work By Steven Melendez, And Company Premieres Of ROSES (1990) By Douglas Dunn

A World Premiere by Steven Melendez and Company Premieres by  Douglas Dunn, David Gordon, and Amanda Treiber will headline New York Theatre Ballet’s “Legends & Visionaries” program, October 6 and 7 at 7:00 P.M. at Florence Gould Hall in 

 

New York City. NYTB’s “Once Upon a Ballet” family series will present Richard Holden’s The Firebird, alongside Merce Cunningham’s Scramble.

A new work by NYTB Artistic Director Steven Melendez will be given its World Premiere on Friday, October 6 as part of NYTB’s “Letters to My Father” series. Set to commissioned music by David K. Israel played live on stage, Melendez’s work will feature costumes designed and executed by Carmella Lauer. NYTB’s “Letters to My Father” project is a multi-year, multi-disciplinary commission of dance works all on the theme of male artists writing letters to their fathers. The project showcases new work built as collaborations between dance maker and composer (or writer, filmmaker, or digital artist) to tell the varied stories of relationships between sons and fathers.

Music for the new Melendez work by David K. Israel’s is underwritten by the DADvocacy Consulting Group.

Roses (1990), choreographed by Douglas Dunn, will be given its NYTB Company Premiere this season. A work for two dancers, Roses (1990) is set to music by Sergei Rachmaninoff and staged for NYTB by Emily Pope and Timothy Ward. Roses (1990) received its world premiere in 1990 by New World Ensemble in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

A Plain Romance Explained/Keith’s Solo features choreography and text by David Gordon. A Plain Romance Explained/Keith’s Solo received its world premiere in 1984 in New York City. Staged for NYTB by Karen Graham, Gordon’s work is performed with permission from the Pick Up Performance Co. 

Sideslip, set to music by Louis Andriessen and featuring artwork by visual artist Marcy Rosenblat, is choreographed by former NYTB Principal Dancer Amanda Treiber. A work for four dancers, Sideslip received its world premiere on March 24, 2023 as part of Norte Maar’s Counterpointe10 in Brooklyn, New York. 
 

Rounding out the “Legends & Visionaries” program is Merce Cunningham’s 1967 masterwork Scramble. A work for eight dancers, Scramble is set to music by Toshi Ichiyanagi (Activities for Orchestra) and features original costume design by Frank Stella, reconstructed by Carmella Lauer. Scramble is staged for NYTB by Jennifer Goggans. 

New York Theatre Ballet’s “Once Upon a Ballet” series presents The Firebird and Scramble Saturday, October 7 at 1:00 P.M., and Sunday, October 8 at 11:00 A.M., 1:00 P.M., and 3:30 P.M. Choreographed by Richard Holden after Michel Fokine, NYTB’s one-hour family-friendly version of The Firebird tells the story of the adventurous Prince Ivan and a magical bird. Set to a score by Igor Stravinsky, The Firebird features costumes by Sylvia Taalsohn Nolan and scenery by Gillian Bradshaw-Smith.

Lighting design for “Legends & Visionaries” and “Once Upon a Ballet” is by Alexandra Vasquez Dheming.

All seats for NYTB’s “Legends & Visionaries” program and “Once Upon a Ballet” performances are priced at $30. Subscriptions for discounted season ticket packages are also available. For more information and to purchase subscriptions or tickets, please visit: www.nytb.org/tickets. Florence Gould Hall is located at 55 E. 59th Street (between Madison and Park Avenues) in New York City. 

Under the artistic direction of Steven Melendez, New York Theatre Ballet performs small classic masterpieces and new contemporary works for adults and innovative hour-long ballets for young children, all at affordable prices. The mission is carried out in the work of the Professional Company, its NYTB School directed by Diana Byer, and the LIFT Community Service Program. Together, these divisions reach adults and family audiences across the country building a love for dance and diverse audiences for the future.