Morphoses Premieres WITHIN (LABYRINTH WITHIN) at The Joyce Theater, Now thru 11/11

Morphoses, whose adventurous and spunky spirit has given it a singular place in the dance world, returns to The Joyce Theater, tonight, November 7-11. The engagement features the New York premiere of the dance "Within (Labyrinth Within)" that includes the film "Labyrinth Within," both of which are by Swedish filmmaker and choreographer Pontus Lidberg, Morphoses' 2012 Resident Artistic Director.

Mysterious in its haunting spirit that suggests a labyrinth of complex amorous relationships between its trio of performers, the 2010 film stars New York City Ballet principal Wendy Whelan, Giovanni Bucchieri and Lidberg himself, who then transformed "Labyrinth Within" into a dance that includes a new score by the Pulitzer Prize-winning composer David Lang and new cinematic images. The film was awarded "Best Picture" at the Dance on Camera Festival in New York City and the "Court Métrange du Jury Prize" at Court-Métrange Film Festival in Rennes, France last October.

Depending more on natural and architectural imagery than traditional narrative to give life to its characters' situations, the dance includes American Ballet soloist Isabella Boylston, who will alternate with Laura Mead and Gabrielle Lamb; New York City Ballet soloist Adrian Danchig-Waring; Pontus Lidberg and Jens WebeR. Martin Nisser is the Director of Photography; the costume design is by Karen Young; and the lighting design is by Lidberg and Carolyn Wong.

Co-founded and directed by Lourdes Lopez, who was recently appointed Artistic Director of Miami City Ballet, Morphoses will be given a new life in Miami where the six-year-old company is expected to be transplanted next year. Plans are underway to find new ways to use Morphoses' irrepressible curiosity and experimental temperament to add another dimension to, as well as potentially expand and extend the repertory of Miami City Ballet.

PERFORMANCE TIMES

November 7 at 7:30 pm
November 8 at 8:00 pm
November 9 at 8:00 pm
November 10 at 2:00 pm and 8:00 pm
November 11 at 2:00 pm

On Thursday, November 8, there will be a Joyce Pre-Show led by Susan Thomasson and a post-performance "Dance Chat".

Tickets are $59, $35 and $19 and can be purchased online at www.joyce.org, by calling 212-242-0800, or at The Joyce Theater box office located at 175 Eighth Avenue at 19th Street. A limited number of $10 tickets are available by calling 212-242-0800. Prices subject to change.

PONTUS LIDBERG (2012 RESIDENT ARTISTIC DIRECTOR) Swedish choreographer, dancer, and filmmaker, Pontus Lidberg is most recognized for his award-winning dance film "The Rain" (2007). As a choreographer for the stage, Lidberg was described in the Swedish press early in his career as "one of our great choreographic talents" and has since created over 30 works for major international dance companies such as Le Ballet du Grand Théâtre de Genève, The Royal Danish Ballet, The Beijing Dance Theatre, The Norwegian National Ballet, Stockholm 59° North, The Royal Swedish Ballet, Morphoses, as well as for his own group Pontus Lidberg Dance, which made its New York debut with "Faune" at the Fall For Dance Festival at New York City Center in 2011. In December of 2010 NorrlandsOperan of Sweden commissioned Lidberg to create a new dance work with an original score by Swedish composer B. Tommy Andersson. That work, entitled "Warriors," was named best dance performance of the year in northern Sweden. Lidberg's full-length work "Duet for Dancer and Pianist," in collaboration with concert pianist Magnus Svensson, has been performed extensively on tour in Sweden, France and Estonia. In just a few short years Pontus Lidberg has firmly established himself as a creative and visionary artist bringing dance and film together. His first work for the camera, "Mirror" was commissioned by Swedish National Television, and has been screened on television as well as in dance film festivals in the US and abroad. His most recent dance film, "Labyrinth Within" received the "Court Métrange du Jury" prize at the Court-Métrange Film Festival in Rennes, France in 2011 and won "Best Picture" at Lincoln Center's 2012 Dance on Camera Festival in New York. Lidberg's prior work for Morphoses includes "Vespertine," created for the company, which premiered at Works & Process at the Guggenheim in October 2010. Pontus Lidberg has received support for his choreographic work from the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, The Field (2011, 2012), Jerome Robbins Foundation (2010), The Barbro Osher Pro Suecia Foundation (2010), and Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy Foundation (2010), as well as multiple grants from the Swedish Arts Council and the Swedish Arts Grants Committee. Lidberg was also a 2012 finalist for the "Creative Promise in Dance" award from The Vilcek Foundation. In addition, he has been an artist in residence at the Headlands Center for the Arts (2008), Joyce Soho (2010), and the Baryshnikov Arts Center (2010). Lidberg received his training at the Royal Swedish Ballet School in Stockholm, Sweden. Among other international dance companies, he has danced with The Royal Swedish Ballet, the Norwegian National Ballet, Le Ballet du Grand Théâtre de Genève and the Gothenburg Ballet. He received the NOKIA Award for young talent in 2001 and the Stockholm Cultural Scholarship, also in 2001.

LOURDES LOPEZ (DIRECTOR OF MORPHOSES AND ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF MIAMI CITY BALLET) a native of Havana, studied dance in Miami until the age of ten, when she came to New York to study first at the Joffrey School and then at the School of American Ballet. She joined New York City Ballet at the age of 16 and was ultimately promoted to principal dancer. Lopez danced a wide range of the NYCB repertory, including many of Balanchine's core works, and several Robbins ballets, including "Brandenburg," in a role she created. After retiring from the stage, Lopez worked with WNBC as an on-air cultural arts reporter. One of her assignments was to go to Cuba to report on the nation's emerging cultural climate; her segments were aired on WNBC during the Pope's visit to Cuba. Lopez then took the position of Director of Student Placement, Student Evaluation, and Curriculum Planning for Ballet Academy East, a dance school in New York City where she was also a full-time senior faculty member. In 2002, Lopez became the Executive Director of The George Balanchine Foundation, which works to educate the public about dance and to further the art of ballet, with a special emphasis on the work and achievements of George Balanchine. In this position, she oversaw the 2004 Balanchine Centennial Celebration, a worldwide festival honoring the choreographer and his legacy. Among the events that year was the symposium "Balanchine: Past, Present and Future," which was held in St. Petersburg, Russia, and which was a collaboration among the Maryinsky Theater, the Hermitage Museum, and the George Balanchine Foundation. Lopez is also a founder of the Cuban Artists Fund, a non-profit organization whose mission is to support independent, emerging Cuban and Cuban-American artists in the performing, visual, music, and literary arts and is featured in Famous Hispanic Americans (1996), published by Cobblehill Books, a division of Dutton. Last year, she was honored, along with a number of other former NYCB principal female dancers with the 2011 Jerome Robbins Award.

Photo Credit: Martin Nisser