New York City Center Announces 11th Annual FALL FOR DANCE FESTIVAL Lineup, Running Sept & Oct 2014

New York City Center's 11th annual Fall for Dance Festival will feature free performances in Central Park and 24 acclaimed dance companies and artists from around the world, in six unique programs in September and October 2014. In keeping with the Festival's commitment to make dance accessible to everyone, the Festival will kick off with two FREE evenings of dance at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park, in association with The Public Theater, on September 12 and 13 (rain date, September 14) and will continue at City Center from October 8 - October 19 with all tickets at $15. The Festival's many free pre-show events will include dance lessons and panels by choreographers, artists and dance educators. Tickets will go on sale Sunday, September 14 at 11 a.m.

The two-week Festival at City Center will consist of five unique programs (each program is repeated twice) and will include performances by Aakash Odedra Company, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, The Australian Ballet, BJM - Les Ballets Jazz de Montre?al, Black Grace, Brian Brooks Moving Company with Juilliard Dance, Company Se?bastien Ramirez & Honji Wang, Lucinda Childs Dance Company, Mark Morris Dance Group and Music Ensemble, Pontus Lidberg Dance, Rennie Harris Puremovement, Russell Maliphant/Sadler's Wells London, San Francisco Ballet, Sara Mearns & Company, The Sarasota Ballet, Semperoper Ballett Dresden, Trisha Brown Dance Company, Vuyani Dance Theatre, Wayne McGregor | Random Dance, and one more company to be announced.

The FREE performances at The Public's Delacorte Theater will feature: Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Lil Buck, and one more company to be announced, each performing both nights. Free tickets will be distributed, two per person, at The Public's Delacorte Theater on the day of the show and through virtual ticketing.

The Fall for Dance Festival has received international acclaim for its quality, innovation and success in introducing new and younger audiences to the world of dance. Since its inception, the Festival has presented 189 companies and introduced more than 250,000 newcomers and dance enthusiasts to an eclectic mix of choreographers and performers.

"We are delighted that our Fall for Dance season will once again open with two free performances at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. Last year's performances at the Delacorte demonstrated how glorious dance looks at this special venue, and we are so pleased that The Public Theater is partnering with us again to provide great dance to all New Yorkers," said New York City Center President & CEO Arlene Shuler.

"We couldn't be more excited to welcome Fall for Dance back to the Delacorte again this year," said Public Theater Associate Artistic Director Mandy Hackett. "Partnering with Fall for Dance is a beautiful collaboration as our organizations share common goals and vision of making the arts and culture accessible to all New Yorkers. Experiencing such extraordinary work from the world of dance on the Delacorte stage is utterly thrilling."

"The Delacorte evenings will be a wonderful beginning to what promises to be an exciting Festival, filled with premieres and the Fall for Dance debuts of several companies," Shuler added. "We are particularly pleased to note that this year's Festival will include world premieres by Mark Morris and Pontus Lidberg, both of which were commissioned by City Center especially for Fall for Dance. We are proud to be able to support the work of such gifted artists and to share that work with our audiences."

Stanford Makishi serves as Associate Producer and Ilter Ibrahimof serves as Artistic Advisor to the Festival.

EDUCATION

New York City Center and the NYC Department of Education will once again co-present a Fall for Dance Festival Lab. Dance educators will take two master classes focusing on pieces of repertoire featured in the Festival. City Center teaching artists will then facilitate a workshop centered on exploring dance techniques and applications to classroom practice.

The Fall for Dance Festival also will offer DanceTalk, two pre-performance panel discussions with Festival artists, moderated by dance scholars. Panels will take place in New York City Center studios and are free and open to the public. Educational groups can make advance reservations by contacting Chelsea Goding in New York City Center's Education Department at cgoding@nycitycenter.org.

FESTIVAL LOUNGE

For each Fall for Dance performance, City Center's beautifully restored Grand Tier lobby will be transformed into Lounge FFD, a vibrant gathering place for audience members and artists. Lounge FFD offers Festival attendees and performers a place to relax and mingle, share a cocktail and a snack, or take a free dance lesson before the show.

FREE Performances at The Public Theater's Delacorte Theater September 12 and 13, 2014 at 8 p.m. (Rain Date: September 14)

HUBBARD STREET DANCE CHICAGO

Gnawa (2005), choreographed by Nacho Duato for Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, is a vibrant ensemble work that taps the Mediterranean spirit of North Africa and Duato's native Spain.

Hubbard Street Dance Chicago's core purpose is to bring artists, art and audiences together to enrich, engage, educate, transform and change lives through the experience of dance. Celebrating its 37th season in 2014-15, Hubbard Street continues to be an innovative force, supporting its creative talent while presenting repertory by the field's internationally recognized living artists. Founded and directed for its first 23 years by Lou Conte, Hubbard Street has grown through the establishment of multiple platforms: The Lou Conte Dance Studio provides a wide range of public classes and pre-professional training; extensive youth, education, community, adaptive dance and family programs keep the organization deeply connected to its hometown; the Choreographic Development Initiative is aimed at being a national model for artistic development while proactively diversifying contemporary concert dance; Hubbard Street 2 stewards early- career artists and the International Commissioning Project (formerly the National Choreographic Competition). The main company's 18 members comprise one of the only ensembles in the U.S. to perform all year long, domestically and around the world. www.hubbardstreetdance.com

BILL T. JONES/ARNIE ZANE DANCE COMPANY

D-Man in the Waters (Part I) (1989, revised 1998), choreographed by Bill T. Jones, a joyful tour de force set to Mendelssohn's Octet in E-Flat Major for Strings, Op. 20. The Bessie Award-winning classic is a celebration of life and the resiliency of the human spirit that embodies loss, hope and triumph.

Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company has shaped the evolution of contemporary dance through the creation and performance of over 140 works. Founded as a multicultural dance company in 1982, the company was born of an 11-year artistic collaboration between Bill T. Jones and Arnie Zane. Today, the company is recognized as one of the most innovative and powerful forces in the modern dance world, and has performed its ever-enlarging repertoire worldwide in over 200 cities in 30 countries on every major continent. In 2011, the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company merged with Dance Theater Workshop to form New York Live Arts, of which Bill T. Jones is the Artistic Director. newyorklivearts.org

LIL BUCK (Live Music)

Bend in the Road, a scene from a new project conceived and directed by Damian Woetzel, is a world premiere starring Lil Buck, with dancer Ron Myles and musicians including Jon Batiste, Edmar Castaneda and Marcus Printup. Bend in the Road follows the Pied Piper of dance, Lil Buck, as he jooks across America discovering what brings our cities to life. First stop: New Orleans.

Lil Buck is known for his Memphis jookin', a street dance that originated in Memphis, and he is the founder of his own dance group, New Styles Krew. At age 16, he began ballet training at the New Ballet Ensemble, where he performed and choreographed until moving to Los Angeles in 2009. Lil Buck co-choreographed and starred in the video for recording artist Janelle Monae's Grammy-nominated hit song "Tightrope" and danced with Madonna on tour and during the 2012 Super Bowl XCLVI halftime show. He has performed on numerous television shows, including an appearance as a performer and guest judge on "Dancing with the Stars," "The Colbert Report," "Tavis Smiley," and "The Ellen DeGeneres Show." Recently, he appeared with New York City Ballet as a star soloist in the debut of a ballet by the French artist JR. In 2011, Lil Buck collaborated with cellist Yo-Yo Ma in performances of The Swan, directed by Damian Woetzel as part of Ma and Woetzel's Arts Strike initiative. Director Spike Jonze captured this collaboration in a video that went viral on YouTube, garnering more than 2.5 million views. Also directed by Woetzel, Lil Buck has appeared with Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble at SummerStage in Central Park, at the 2011 U.S.-China Forum in Beijing, and as the star of Lil Buck @ Le Poisson Rouge in 2013, for which he won a Bessie Award for outstanding performance. Lil Buck was the 2011 Artist-in-Residence of the Vail International Dance Festival and is currently an Artist-in-Residence at the Aspen Institute.

*ADDITIONAL COMPANY TBA

SCHEDULE IN ORDER OF PERFORMANCE

PROGRAM ONE WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8 at 8 p.m. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 9 at 8 p.m.

BLACK GRACE

Minoi (1999) and Pati Pati (2009) (adapted for Fall for Dance) are choreographed by Black Grace Founding Artistic Director Neil leremia. Minoi fuses a traditional Samoan dance style known as Fa'ataupati (slap dance) and western contemporary dance as a means of exploring cultural identity issues. Pati Pati, a New York premiere, is a mixture of excerpts from older works that utilize body percussion influenced by traditional Samoan Sasa (seated dance) and Fa'ataupati.

Black Grace, New Zealand's leading contemporary dance group, was founded by Neil Ieremia in 1995. Ieremia draws from his Samoan and New Zealand roots to create innovative dance works that reach across social, cultural and generational barriers. The work itself is highly physical, rich in the storytelling traditions of the South Pacific and expressed with raw finesse, unique beauty and power. The company features some of New Zealand's finest dancers and has toured internationally. Black Grace made its U.S. debut at Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival in 2004 and performed at Fall for Dance in 2005. Since then, the company has performed regularly throughout North America, earning audience and critical acclaim. blackgrace.co.nz/

SAN FRANCISCO BALLET

Variations for Two Couples (2012), a New York premiere by esteemed Dutch choreographer Hans van Manen, is a series of intricate duets set to string quartet excerpts by Benjamin Britten and other composers.

San Francisco Ballet, Helgi Tomasson, Artistic Director and Principal Choreographer, is America's oldest professional ballet company. It has enjoyed a long and rich tradition of artistic "firsts" since its founding in 1933, including performing the first American productions of Swan Lake and Nutcracker, as well as the first 20th-century American Coppe?lia. San Francisco Ballet is one of the three largest ballet companies in the United States. Guided in its early years by American dance pioneers and brothers Lew, Willam and Harold Christensen, San Francisco Ballet currently presents more than 100 performances annually, both locally and internationally. Under the direction of Helgi Tomasson, who will celebrate his 30th anniversary as artistic director of San Francisco Ballet in 2015, the company has achieved an international reputation as one of the preeminent ballet companies in the world. sfballet.org

RUSSELL MALIPHANT/SADLER'S WELLS LONDON

Two x Two (2009), a U.S. premiere choreographed by Russell Maliphant, is one of the British dance maker's most intensely beautiful works. Originally made as a solo in 1997 and later reworked for a trio, the piece has been reimagined once again, this time as a duet for Fang-Yi Sheu and San Francisco Ballet Principal Yuan Yuan Tan. With the dancers contained in tiny boxes of light and underpinned by the beat of Andy Cowton's compelling score, Two x Two is a hypnotic exploration of the interplay between light and movement

Russell Maliphant trained at The Royal Ballet School and graduated into Sadler's Wells Royal Ballet before leaving to pursue a career in independent dance. He formed Russell Maliphant Company in 1996 and has worked with renowned companies and artists including Sylvie Guillem, Robert Lepage, English National Ballet and Lyon Opera Ballet. Maliphant has received numerous awards, including the Critics' Circle National Dance award for best modern choreography, a South Bank Show award and an Olivier award for PUSH, with Sylvie Guillem. He became an Associate Artist of Sadler's Wells in 2005. Sadler's Wells is the UK's leading dance house, uniquely dedicated to bringing the very best international and UK dance to London audiences. It is committed to producing, commissioning and presenting works of the highest standards, crossing the boundaries between different art forms. sadlerswells.com

MARK MORRIS DANCE GROUP AND MUSIC ENSEMBLE (Festival Commission, Live Music)
Words, a world premiere commissioned by New York City Center for Fall for Dance, is being choreographed by Mark Morris for 16 dancers, set to the piano and violin arrangement of Mendelssohn's "Songs Without Words."

Mark Morris Dance Group, founded in New York in 1980 by artistic director/choreographer Mark Morris, has been called "the preeminent modern dance organization of our time." Live music and community engagement are vital components of the Dance Group. It has toured with its own musicians, the MMDG Music Ensemble, since 1996. Through the organization's Access/MMDG programming, it integrates opportunities for dance, music, talks, and education at its Brooklyn home, the Mark Morris Dance Center, as well as on tour around the world. mmdg.org

PROGRAM TWO FRIDAY, OCTOBER 10 at 8 p.m. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11 at 8 p.m.

LUCINDA CHILDS DANCE COMPANY (Festival Debut)

Concerto (1993), choreographed by Lucinda Childs, is a masterwork for seven dancers, with music by Henryk Gorecki.

Lucinda Childs Dance Company was founded in 1973 by modern choreographer Lucinda Childs, who began her career as a choreographer and performer in 1963 as an original member of the Judson Dance Theater in New York. After forming the Lucinda Childs Dance Company in 1973, Ms. Childs collaborated with Robert Wilson and Philip Glass on the opera Einstein on the Beach in 1976. Since 1979, Ms. Childs has worked with a number of composers and designers on a series of large-scale productions for her company. The first of these was Dance, choreographed in 1979 with music by Philip Glass and a film/decor by Sol LeWitt. After a ten-year hiatus, the Lucinda Childs Dance Company was revived for a remount of Dance in 2009, which was granted a NEA/NEFA American Masterpiece Award and has toured internationally since. lucindachilds.com

SEMPEROPER BALLETT DRESDEN

Neue Suite (2012), a U.S. premiere choreographed by William Forsythe, is a specially created and newly arranged series of pas de deux that focuses on physical interaction, one of Forsythe's key interests.

Semperoper Ballett Dresden is a company of 60 international dancers that performs romantic, classical, neo-classical and modern works. The company delivers more than 70 performances each season, accompanied by the world-famous orchestra of the Semper Opera House, the Sa?chsische Staatskapelle Dresden. Currently led by Artistic Director Aaron S. Watkin, the company aims to break down the borders that traditionally exist between classical and contemporary dance, and redefine dance as a culmination of both. semperoper.de/en/ballet

SARA MEARNS & COMPANY

Stairway to Paradise (2014), choreographed by Joshua Bergasse, features Sara Mearns and eight male Broadway dancers in a musical showstopper set to Patti Austin's recording of the Gershwins' "I'll Build a Stairway to Paradise."

Sara Mearns is a principal dancer with New York City Ballet. She is most known for her role as Odette/Odile in Swan Lake. Other major works include A Dancer's Dream with the New York Philharmonic and Ocean's Kingdom with original music by Paul McCartney, as well as a new work by Justin Peck that was commissioned for Fall for Dance 2013. She has worked with world-renowned choreographers such as Alexei Ratmansky, Christopher Wheeldon, Benjamin Millepied, Susan Stroman and Peter Martins, among many others. She has been nominated for a 2014 Bessie Award for outstanding performer. Joshua Bergasse is the 2012 Emmy Award-winning choreographer for the NBC drama "Smash." Other N.Y. choreography credits include the Encores! productions of Little Me and It's a Bird...It's a Plane... It's Superman, and The Sound of Music and Guys and Dolls at Carnegie Hall. Joshua is making his Broadway choreographic debut with On the Town at the Lyric Theatre this fall.

ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER

Minus 16 (1999), choreographed by Ohad Naharin, features an eclectic score ranging from Dean Martin to mambo, techno to traditional Israeli music. Minus 16 uses improvisation and Naharin's acclaimed "Gaga" method, a unique movement language that breaks down old habits, pushing the dancers to challenge themselves in new ways. The work is unique in the Ailey repertory for removing the barrier between performers and spectators. Minus 16 is based on excerpts from Mabul (1992), Anaphaza (1993), Zachacha (1998) and Three (2005).

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, New York City Center's Principal Dance Company, grew from a now- fabled performance in March 1958 at the 92nd Street Y in New York City. Led by Alvin Ailey and a group of young African-American modern dancers, that performance changed forever the perception of American dance. The Ailey Company has gone on to perform for an estimated 25 million people in 48 states and 71 countries on six continents-as well as millions more through television broadcasts. In 2008, a U.S. Congressional resolution designated the Company as "a vital American cultural ambassador to the world" that celebrates the uniqueness of the African-American cultural experience and the preservation and enrichment of the American modern dance heritage. The company continues Mr. Ailey's mission by presenting important works of the past and commissioning new ones. In all, more than 235 works by over 90 choreographers have been part of the company's repertory. Before his untimely death in 1989, Alvin Ailey named Judith Jamison as his successor, and over the next 21 years, she brought the company to unprecedented success. Ms. Jamison, in turn, personally selected Robert Battle to succeed her in 2011. AlvinAiley.org

PROGRAM THREE TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, at 8 p.m. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15 at 8 p.m.

TRISHA BROWN DANCE COMPANY

Son of Gone Fishin' (1981), choreographed by Trisha Brown, is a septet set to a score by Robert Ashley. Luminous, complex and quietly theatrical, this piece marks the iconoclastic choreographer's first use of music.

Trisha Brown Dance Company was founded in 1970 by Trisha Brown, one of the great pioneers of contemporary dance. The Company repertory has grown from solos and small group pieces to include major evening-length works and collaborations between Brown and renowned artists such as Robert Rauschenberg, Donald Judd, Robert Ashley and Laurie Anderson. Brown has been honored with many awards, including a MacArthur "genius" Award. The company is presently in the middle of a three-year international tour, Proscenium Works 1979-2011, which includes performances throughout Europe, South America, Asia, and the United States. trishabrowncompany.org

COMPANY SÉBASTIEN RAMIREZ & HONJI WANG (Festival Debut)

AP15 (2010), choreographed by Se?bastien Ramirez and Honji Wang, explores the union between body and soul and challenges traditional notions of hip-hop dance theater. Ramirez and Wang won a Bessie Award for their performance of AP15 at the Apollo Theater in 2013.

Company Sébastien Ramirez & Honji Wang, based in Perpignan, France, is under the direction of Se?bastien Ramirez and Honji Wang. Ramirez and Wang have developed a new choreographic language often called urban Tanztheater. Their works, performed internationally, combine urban dance, music, fashion, flow, video and poetry. Acclaimed on the international dance scene, both performers have received a number of awards at competitions such as Red Bull BC One, the International Hip Hop competition in Japan, and at contemporary dance events in Germany. In 2012, both were nominated for the Rolex Mentor & Protégée

Arts Initiative Program, and in 2013 they received a Bessie Award for their performance of AP15 as part of Sadler's Wells London's Breakin' Convention at the Apollo Theater. sebastienramirez.com

VUYANI DANCE THEATRE (VDT) (Festival Debut)

Umnikelo (2011), a New York premiere choreographed by Luyanda Sidiya, reflects a spiritual journey in which dance and music are a means of surrendering oneself to a force beyond physical comprehension.

Vuyani Dance Theatre (VDT) is a contemporary African dance company founded in 1999 by artistic director Gregory Maqoma. Now under the direction of Luyanda Sidiya, the company has graced international and local stages, and is one of the most cutting-edge, thought-provoking and successful dance and theatrical organizations to have emerged in Africa. vuyani.co.za

*VDT's performances at City Center will be presented as part of Carnegie Hall's UBUNTU: Music and Arts of South Africa Festival, running October 10 - November 5.

*ADDITIONAL COMPANY TBA

PROGRAM FOUR THURSDAY, OCTOBER 16 at 8 p.m. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17 at 8 p.m.

BRIAN BROOKS MOVING COMPANY WITH JUILLIARD DANCE (Festival Debut)

Torrent (2013), choreographed by Brian Brooks and featuring 28 dancers, is a dazzling kaleidoscope of virtuosic movement, set to Max Richter's interpretation of selections from Vivaldi's The Four Seasons.

Brian Brooks Moving Company is under the direction of Brian Brooks, a 2012-13 New York City Center Choreography Fellow. The Brian Brooks Moving Company has toured throughout the U.S., South Korea, and Germany, and was presented by BAM in its 2013 Next Wave Festival. This season, the company will be presented by Hamilton College, the Boston Celebrity Series, TITAS in Dallas, and at The Joyce Theater in New York in June, 2015. Brooks choreographed director Julie Taymor's 2013 production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, for the inaugural performance of Theatre for a New Audience's Brooklyn home. He is touring internationally with New York City Ballet Principal Dancer Wendy Whelan, performing his duet as part of her Restless Creature project. brianbrooksmovingcompany.com. Juilliard Dance, under the artistic direction of Lawrence Rhodes since 2002, aims to develop true contemporary dancers-trained equally in classical ballet and modern dance. Established in 1951 by William Schuman during his tenure as president of Juilliard, with the guidance of founding director Martha Hill, Juilliard Dance became the first major teaching institution to combine instruction in both contemporary and ballet techniques. Each year, 26 dancers are accepted into the four-year B.F.A. program. Juilliard Dance alumni include choreographers, directors, and dancers in major ballet and modern companies throughout the world. juilliard.edu/dance

THE AUSTRALIAN BALLET (Live Music)

Ostinato is a world premiere for three dancers choreographed by Tim Harbour and set to Bill Evans' 1958 Peace Piece. In this work, Harbour has created "a dance language that deploys a languid complexity; movement that springs from the music but also reflects the social and sexual politics of this generation of performers."

The Australian Ballet, founded in 1962, is one of the country's flagship arts companies, and for over four decades it has been the defining face of ballet in the Asia Pacific region. Each year it performs works from the classical repertoire as well as contemporary works by major Australian and international choreographers, and new commissions that explore the development and future of this dynamic art form. The Australian Ballet's diverse repertoire reflects the company's motto: caring for tradition, daring to be different. One of the busiest ballet companies in the world, The Australian Ballet annually presents approximately 1,000 performances and education events in cities and regional areas around Australia, in addition to regular international touring. australianballet.com.au

BJM - LES BALLETS JAZZ DE MONTRÉAL (Live Music)

Closer (2006), choreographed by Benjamin Millepied, is a voluptuous and vibrant depiction of the tension exchanged between two bodies, enhanced by a live performance of Philip Glass's piano piece, Mad Rush.

BJM - Les Ballets Jazz de Montre?al, an internationally renowned contemporary dance company, presents a hybrid form of dance that combines the aesthetics of classical ballet and embraces many other styles of dance. Founded in 1972 by Genevie?ve Salbaing, Eva von Gencsy and Eddy Toussaint, the company has pursued its own unique path over the decades. Very contemporary in its current approach, BJM offers performances that are sexy, explosive, original and accessible, and its superb dancers are highly acclaimed. The term "jazz" in the name refers more to a "jazzing up"of classical ballet rather than 2,000 to a musical or dance style. Under the direction of Louis Robitaille since 1998, BJM has presented more than 2,000 performances in 65 countries to more than 2 million spectators, and is a veritable ambassador of Quebec and Canadian culture worldwide. bjmdanse.ca

RENNIE HARRIS PUREMOVEMENT

Students of the Asphalt Jungle (1992), choreographed by Dr. Rennie Harris, is a work inspired by traditional African dance and culture. Although all of the movement vocabulary comes from the house clubs in Philadelphia and none is directly African, the work suggests that there is a lineage from Africans on the shores of the Americas to the current time-an affirmation of our cultural heritage through movement and vocabulary passed down from generation to generation.

Rennie Harris Puremovement, founded by Dr. Rennie Harris in 1991, is a hip-hop dance theater company dedicated to preserving and disseminating hip-hop culture through workshops, classes, hip-hop history lecture demonstrations, long term residencies and mentoring programs. Harris founded his company based on the belief that hip-hop is the most important original expression of a new generation. Harris' work encompasses the diverse and rich African-American traditions of the past, while simultaneously presenting the voice of a new generation through its ever-evolving interpretations of dance. Rennie Harris Puremovement is committed to providing audiences with a sincere view of the essence and spirit of hip- hop rather than the commercially exploited stereotypes portrayed by the media. rhpm.org

PROGRAM FIVE SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18 at 8 p.m. SUNDAY, OCTOBER 19 at 2 p.m.

WAYNE MCGREGOR | RANDOM DANCE

FAR (2010, adapted for Fall for Dance), a New York premiere choreographed by Wayne McGregor in collaboration with the dancers, is inspired by the controversial Age of Enlightenment. Set to a haunting score by critically acclaimed composer Ben Frost, the work features 10 dancers confronting the distortions, sensuality and feeling of the 18th century's searing contemporary sensibility.

Wayne McGregor | Random Dance is a resident company of Sadler's Wells and winner of the South Bank Show Award for Dance, The International Theatre Institute's Award for Excellence in International Dance, The Movimentos Award and the Critics' Circle Award. The company was founded in 1992 and became the instrument upon which McGregor evolved his fast and articulate choreographic style. McGregor has created innovative new work with world-class artists and has collaborated with science and technology communities to create new works mined from radical cognitive research processes, inspired by the interface of science and art, through the body and mind. McGregor is Resident Choreographer of The Royal Ballet, London. In January 2011, he was awarded a CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) for Services to Dance. randomdance.org

PONTUS LIDBERG DANCE (Festival Commission) (Live Music)

New Lidberg is a world premiere pas de deux choreographed by Pontus Lidberg especially for American Ballet Theatre principal dancers Isabella Boylston and James Whiteside.

Pontus Lidberg Dance, founded by choreographer and filmmaker Pontus Lidberg, is based in Sweden and New York. Lidberg was a New York City Center Choreography Fellow in 2012-13 and has created more than 25 works for major international dance companies, including Morphoses, the Norwegian National Ballet, the Royal Swedish Ballet and The Guggenheim Museum's Works and Process series, as well as for his own company. He received international acclaim and numerous awards for his 2007 dance film The Rain. In 2010, he was artist-in-residence at Joyce SoHo and the Baryshnikov Arts Center while working on his latest dance film, Labyrinth Within, featuring NYCB principal dancer Wendy Whelan. lidberg.se/pontus

AAKASH ODEDRA COMPANY (Festival Debut)

Nritta (2012), a U.S. premiere choreographed and with music arranged by Aakash Odedra, is a classical Kathak variation focusing on virtuosity and timing. Nritta corresponds to pure dance steps performed rhythmically. The movements of the body do not convey any mood or meaning and its purpose is just creating beauty by making various patterns, lines in space and time.

Aakash Odedra Company is directed by Aakash Odedra, one of the rising stars of British Dance. Odedra trained initially in the classical Indian dance styles of Kathak and Bharat Natyam in India and the UK. His choreography ranges in style from large-scale classical evenings to contemporary works and opera, and he has been honored with numerous awards and grants. In 2013, he was commissioned by the Apollo Theater in New York to create a solo work for the show Get on the Good Foot, which celebrated the life and work of James Brown (Bessie Award nomination). He choreographed forHRH The Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations and the closing of the London Cultural Olympiad. aakashodedra.co.uk

THE SARASOTA BALLET (New York Debut, Festival Debut)

Les Patineurs (1937), a spirited evocation of a Victorian skating party, was choreographed by Sir Frederick Ashton to music by Giacomo Meyerbeer, and arranged by Constant Lambert. The Sarasota Ballet's production of this piece has earned the company acclaim from audiences and critics alike, and prompted The New York Times dance critic Alastair Macaulay to hail the company as "America's foremost exponent of Ashton ballets."

The Sarasota Ballet is the Gulf Coast of Florida's only professional ballet company. Since 1990, the company has been committed to enriching lives, captivating emotions and strengthening the community through the art of dance. Under the leadership of Director Iain Webb, the company has grown to national and international recognition. Together with his wife Margaret Barbieri, Assistant Director and former Principal dancer of The Sadler's Wells Royal Ballet, Webb has introduced 102 new ballets into the repertoire, including ballets by Ashton, Balanchine, Tudor, Bourne, Wheeldon, Tharp and Taylor. Maintaining a diverse repertoire that includes works by world-renowned 20th-century choreographers as well as some of the most sought-after choreographic talents of today, The Sarasota Ballet offers audiences the unique opportunity to experience ballets that have never been seen in Florida and that are rarely seen in America. SarasotaBallet.org

NEW YORK CITY CENTER - New York City Center (Arlene Shuler, President & CEO), now in its 70th year, has played a defining role in the cultural life of the city since 1943. It was Manhattan's first performing arts center, dedicated by Mayor Fiorello La Guardia with a mission to make the best in music, theater and dance accessible to all audiences. Today, City Center is home to many distinguished companies, including Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, City Center's Principal Dance Company, as well as Manhattan Theatre Club; a roster of renowned national and international visiting artists; and its own critically acclaimed and popular programs. The Tony-honored Encores! musical theater series has been hailed as "one of the very best reasons to be alive in New York." In summer 2013, City Center launched Encores! Off-Center, a new series featuring landmark musicals filtered through the lens of today's most innovative artists. Dance has been integral to the theater's mission from the start, and dance programs, including the annual Fall for Dance Festival, remain central to City Center's identity. Vital partnerships with arts organizations including Jazz at Lincoln Center and London's Sadler's Wells Theatre enhance City Center's programmatic offerings. City Center is dedicated to providing educational opportunities to New York City students and teachers with programs such as Encores! In Schools and the Young People's Dance Series. Special workshops cater to families, seniors and other groups, while events such as the Fall for Dance DanceTalk series offer learning opportunities to the general public. In October 2011, City Center completed an extensive renovation project to revitalize and modernize its historic theater.

The 2014 Fall for Dance Festival runs October 8 - October 19 at New York City Center (West 55th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues). All tickets are $15 and go on sale on Sunday, September 14 at 11 a.m. Tickets can be purchased online at www.NYCityCenter.org, by calling CityTix at 212.581.1212, or at the City Center Box Office.

Free tickets for the two performances at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park, on September 12 and 13 (rain date, September 14) will be distributed, two per person, at The Public's Delacorte Theater on the day of the show and through virtual ticketing.

(All Programming Subject to Change)