The Joyce Theater Announces Spring/Summer 2019 Season

Linda Shelton, Executive Director of The Joyce Theater Foundation, announced today the New York City dance organization's programming for its Spring/Summer '19 season. Featuring a host of New York and world premieres, as well as iconic works from lauded companies, The Joyce Theater fulfills its mission of promoting the richness and variety of the performing arts to embrace the entire spectrum of movement styles and traditions. the upcoming Joyce season is poised to deliver engaging pieces for dance aficionados and newcomers alike.

Highlights of the season include the Merce Cunningham Centennial, a celebration of one of the greatest choreographers of the 20th century. The engagement will feature three companies- Compagnie CNDC-Angers/Robert Swinston, Ballet West, and The Washington Ballet-each presenting a classic Cunningham piece for the celebration, marking what would have been the artist's 100th birthday.

Audiences will get a taste of both ballet and Broadway at The Joyce this summer. Superstar ballerina Maria Kochetkova, who recently stepped down from San Francisco Ballet, takes the stage with a host of ballet cohorts in Catch Her If You Can, a Joyce Theater Production. Emmy-nominated choreographer Al Blackstone brings his full-length dance show Freddie Falls in Love to The Joyce for two weeks. Following will be the ever-popular Ballet Festival, with a focus on collaboration throughout four programs, curated this year by Kevin O'Hare, Director of The Royal Ballet.

A two-week festival of Australian dance will include Dancenorth's Attractor, a full-length work by choreographers Lucy Guerin and Gideon Obarzanek, set to music by Indonesian duo Senyawa and featuring volunteer performers from the audience at each show. Australian Dance Theatre follows with The Beginning of Nature, set to a score with text sung in Kaurna, the first language of the Adelaide Plains. Closing out the festival is The Australian Ballet, recipient of The Joyce Theater's Nureyev Prize for New Dance. Other international offerings this season include Cloud Gate 2 with a program choreographed by Artistic Director Cheng Tsung-lung, and principals and soloists of the revered Royal Danish Ballet with a selection of their classical repertoire in The Bournonville Legacy, dedicated to the works of ballet master August Bournonville.

Acclaimed American companies will also be well represented this season. Audience favorite COMPLEXIONS Contemporary Ballet opens the season, celebrating its 25thanniversary with a world premiere tribute to Aretha Franklin, among other premieres and popular favorites. Hubbard Street Dance Chicago returns for two weeks withDecadence/Chicago by Ohad Naharin and three works by Crystal Pite. Aspen Santa Fe Ballet presents a triple-bill of highly-anticipated New York premieres played live by renowned pianist Joyce Yang. Ballet Hispánico explores Latino and Asian cultures in world premieres by Bennyroyce Royon and Edwaard Liang, as well as a surreal work based on the artist René Magritte. Presenting four works-two world premieres and two classics-Limón Dance Company continues to shape the experience of American modern dance. Martha Graham Dance Company returns to The Joyce for a two-week engagement of their two-year-long The EVE Project, celebrating female empowerment and the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment ratification, which features five of Graham's classic pieces, Annie-B Parson's "I used to love you," and two premiere works by Pam Tanowitz and Maxine Doyle & Bobbi Jene Smith. Parsons Dance also delivers a world premiere during its annual season at The Joyce, choregraphed by Trey McIntyre and set to the music of Aretha Franklin, alongside David Parsons's signature piece, Caught.

Up and coming dancers of all ages get their moment this season as well. The American Ballet Theatre Studio Company returns with both classics and premieres. The even younger generation from Ballet Tech Kids Dance presents their annual program, replete with two pieces en pointe.

The following is a complete roster of companies who will be appearing at The Joyce Theater this spring and summer:

COMPLEXIONS Contemporary Ballet

February 19-March 3

Tue-Wed 7:30pm; Thu 7pm (Feb 21 only - Gala performance); Thu-Fri 8pm; Sat 2pm & 8pm; Sun 2pm & 7:30pm (no performance Sun, Mar 3 at 7:30pm)

Curtain Chat: Wed, Feb 20

Family Performance: Sat, Mar 2 at 2pm

Tickets: $10-$60 (Joyce Members $34; $45)

For Gala performance tickets, call 212-777-7771

Press Contact: Sin Gogolak, 917-626-0525; sin@gogopr.nyc

Celebrating its 25th anniversary season, COMPLEXIONS Contemporary Ballet returns with its distinctive brand of passion revealed in three dynamic programs, including the world premiere of a duet that pays tribute to Aretha Franklin and the New York premiere of WOKE, set to a remix of music by Kendrick Lamar, Logic, Drake, Diplo, and more. Also featured is the New York premiere of Bach 25 and audience favorite Star Dust, with music by David Bowie.

HUBBARD STREET DANCE CHICAGO

March 6-17

Tue-Wed 7:30pm; Thu-Fri 8pm; Sat 2pm & 8pm; Sun 2pm

Curtain Chat: Thu, Mar 7

Family Performance: Sat, Mar 16 at 2pm (Ages 12+)

Tickets: $10-$50 (Joyce Members $26; $38)

Press Contact: Billy Zavelson / Richard Kornberg & Associates, 212-944-9444;billy@kornbergpr.com

Hubbard Street Dance Chicago returns with two thrilling programs of contemporary dance. The first week features Decadance/Chicago, an evening-length performance created specifically for Hubbard Street by world renowned Israeli choreographer Ohad Naharin. The second week celebrates Crystal Pite, one of today's most sought after and inventive choreographers, with three of her most exciting works: A Picture of You Falling,The Other You, and Grace Engine.

ASPEN SANTA FE BALLET

March 20-24

Wed 7:30pm; Thu-Sat 8pm; Sun 2pm

Curtain Chat: Thu, Mar 21

Tickets: $10-$60 (Joyce Members $34; $45)

Press Contact: Jessica Moore, 970-925-7175 x101; jessica@aspensantafeballet.com

Aspen Santa Fe Ballet returns to The Joyce in high style, bringing a milestone evening of three commissioned works-all New York premieres-featuring live music by renowned concert pianist Joyce Yang. Choreographer Jorma Elo collaborates with Yang to bring Schumann's Carnaval to life in the quirky Half/Cut/Split. Fernando Melo's multimediaDream Play, set to the music of Erik Satie, changes the audience's viewing perspective, while Nicolo Fonte uses Philip Glass's meditative score to full effect in Where We Left Off.

BALLET HISPÁNICO

March 26-31

Tue-Wed 7:30pm; Thu-Fri 8pm; Sat 2pm & 8pm; Sun 2pm & 7:30pm

Curtain Chat: Wed, Mar 27

Tickets: $10-$60 (Joyce Members $34; $45)

Press Contact: Michelle Tabnick; michelle@michelletabnickpr.com

Ballet Hispánico presents world premieres by Bennyroyce Royon and Edwaard Liang that explore the vast connections between the Latino and Asian diasporas. In separate but related works, Royon and Liang touch on historic issues that are particularly resonant today, including migration, immigration, journeying, and assimilation. The program also features Annabelle Lopez Ochoa's stirring Sombrerísimo, an absorbing exploration of identity, which references the surrealist world of Belgian painter René Magritte.

Martha Graham DANCE COMPANY

April 2-14

Tue 7pm (Apr 9 only - Gala performance); Tue-Wed 7:30pm; Thu-Fri 8pm; Sat 2pm & 8pm; Sun 2pm & 7:30pm

Curtain Chat: Wed, Apr 10

Tickets: $10-$60 (Joyce Members $34; $45)

For Gala performance tickets, call 212-229-9200 Ext. 14

Press Contact: Janet Stapleton, 212-633-0016; stapleton.janet@gmail.com

Graham classics and new works come together in The EVE Project to celebrate female empowerment and the 100th Anniversary of the 19th Amendment. The company performs Graham's Secular Games, Herodiade, El Penitente, Errand into the Maze, andChronicle. Also on tap are Annie-B Parson's wry I used to love you and the stunning duet from Lucinda Childs' Histoire. Completing the program are two premieres, one by Pam Tanowitz and another by co-creators Maxine Doyle and Bobbi Jene Smith.

MERCE CUNNINGHAM CENTENNIAL

April 17-21

Wed 7:30pm; Thu-Fri 8pm; Sat 2pm & 8pm; Sun 2pm

Curtain Chat: Thu, Apr 18

Tickets: $10-$50 (Joyce Members $26; $38)

Press Contact: Billy Zavelson / Richard Kornberg & Associates, 212-944-9444;billy@kornbergpr.com

The Joyce celebrates the centenary of Merce Cunningham, who would have turned 100 this year. Three superb companies perform masterworks from the artist's vast repertory, each danced to live music. Compagnie CNDC-Angers/Robert Swinston presents Suite for Five, with its quiet unmoving center; Ballet West dances the classic Summerspace, which evokes enormous landscapes filled with motion; and The Washington Balletreturns with Duets, a sophisticated and abstract work for six couples.

American Ballet Theatre STUDIO COMPANY

April 24-27

Wed 7:30pm; Thu & Sat 8pm

Curtain Chat: Thu, Apr 25

Tickets: $10-$50 (Joyce Members $26; $38)

Press Contact: Kelly Ryan, Director of Press & Public Relations for ABT, kryan@abt.org

American Ballet Theatre (ABT) Studio Company returns to The Joyce with classic works like George Balanchine's Tarantella and several exciting New York premieres, including Ma Cong's On the First Star of the Night, which recently made its debut in London. As part of ABT's Women's Movement to support female choreographers, Claudia Schreier, Gemma Bond, and Stefanie Batten Bland present new ballets alongside a work by former principal dancer Ethan Stiefel.

AUSTRALIA FESTIVAL

APRIL 29-MAY 12

Press Contact: Billy Zavelson / Richard Kornberg & Associates, 212-944-9444;billy@kornbergpr.com

DANCENORTH

Attractor

April 29-May 1

Mon-Wed 7:30pm

Curtain Chat: Tue, Apr 30

Pay What You Decide: Wed, May 1

Tickets: $10-$40 (Joyce Members $23; $30)

Indonesia's tour-de-force music duo Senyawa and Melbourne's choreographic luminaries Lucy Guerin and Gideon Obarzanek join forces with two of Australia's leading dance companies, Lucy Guerin Inc and Dancenorth to create Attractor. Senyawa reinterprets the Javanese tradition of entering trance through dance and music as a powerful, secular, present-day ritual. Dancers are propelled into wild abandonment and ecstatic release, creating a visceral experience for the audience, as unrehearsed volunteers join the company on stage, to dissolve the demarcations between professionals and amateurs.

AUSTRALIAN DANCE THEATRE

The Beginning of Nature

May 3-6

Fri 8pm; Sat 2pm & 8pm; Sun 2pm; Mon 7:30pm

Curtain Chat: Sat, May 4 (after 2pm performance)

Tickets: $10-$50 (Joyce Members $26; $38)

The astonishingly powerful Australian Dance Theatre presents a beguiling exploration of the natural world in The Beginning of Nature. This compelling work possesses a hypnotic score sung in Kaurna, the first language of the Adelaide Plains, where the company resides. At times fierce and explosive and at others graceful and meditative, this evocative depiction of the complex rhythms in nature will delight and inspire as it elucidates humanity's evolving relationship with nature.

THE AUSTRALIAN BALLET

May 9-12

Thu-Fri 8pm; Sat 2pm & 8pm; Sun 2pm & 7:30pm

Curtain Chat: Fri, May 10

Tickets: $10-$75 (Joyce Members $38; $56)

The Australian Ballet presents a program of works by homegrown choreographic talent. Alice Topp's acclaimed Aurum, supported by The Joyce Theater's Nureyev Prize, draws inspiration from the Japanese art of kintsugi-repairing cracked pottery with precious metals-and explores damage, healing, and the beauty of our flaws. The dancers' powerful movement is framed in breathtaking stage design featuring a reflective golden floor and ripples of burnished light. The award-winning duet Unspoken Dialoguesby Stephen Baynes, and a new work by Resident Choreographer Tim Harbour will round out the program.

PARSONS DANCE

May 14-26

Tue-Wed 7:30pm; Thu-Fri 8pm; Sat 2pm & 8pm; Sun 2pm

Curtain Chat: Wed, May 22

Family Performance: Sat, May 25 at 2pm

Tickets: $10-$60 (Joyce Members $34; $45)

Press Contact: Richard Kornberg & Associates, 212-944-9444; richard@kornbergpr.com

Parsons Dance dedicates its annual Joyce season to Paul Taylor with performances of the master choreographer's Runes. Also featured on the program is a world premiere by Trey McIntyre set to music by Aretha Franklin and classic works by David Parsons, including the iconic Caught.

LIMÓN DANCE COMPANY

May 29-June 2

Wed 7:30pm; Thu-Fri 8pm; Sat 2pm & 8pm; Sun 2pm & 7:30pm

Curtain Chat: Thu, May 30

Tickets: $10-$60 (Joyce Members $34; $45)

Press Contact: Audrey Ross Publicity, 929-222-3973; audreyrosspub@aol.com

Garnering fresh interest for its rich musicality and full-bodied performance of both new works and American classics, Limón Dance Company offers two world premieres and two Limón masterpieces. Alongside the sweeping ensemble dancing of Psalm, the potent tragedy of The Moor's Pavane speaks eloquently of social issues central to our time. Explosive new works by Francesca Harper and Colin Connor showcase the company's fiercely virtuosic dancers to create an inimitable experience of American modern dance.

BALLET TECH KIDS DANCE

June 6-9

Thu-Fri 7pm; Sat 2pm & 7pm; Sun 2pm & 7pm

Curtain Chat: Fri, Jun 7

Family Performance: Sat, Jun 8 2pm

Tickets: $10-$40 (Joyce Members $23; $30)

Press Contact: Audrey Ross Publicity, 929-222-3973; audreyrosspub@aol.com

The New York Times calls Ballet Tech Kids Dance "a New York City Treasure." And here they are again, ready to dance Eliot Feld's frabjous repertory. Company premierePlay Bach, audience-favorite Hello Fancy, and bubbly Balkan KYDZNY will be effervescently danced by the remarkably poised and impeccably rehearsed kids. Pointing 1 and Pointing 3 are sure to delight audiences of all ages - and yup, they're danced in pointe shoes. Kids Dance will have you movin' and groovin' in your seat!

CLOUD GATE 2

June 11-16

Tue-Wed 7:30pm; Thu-Sat 8pm; Sun 2pm

Curtain Chat: Wed, Jun 12

Pay What You Decide: Sun, Jun 16

Tickets: $10-$40 (Joyce Members $23; $30)

Press Contact: Billy Zavelson / Richard Kornberg & Associates, 212-944-9444;billy@kornbergpr.com

Cloud Gate 2, the fascinating Taiwanese company, returns with a hotly anticipated program of Cheng Tsung-lung's riveting and fluid choreography. A mesmerizing duet,tête-bêche features interweaving, reversing, and mirroring movements reflecting the relationship between two people. Inspired by the hazy blue sky seen at predawn in New York City, Blue Hour presents intangible minds with conscious bodies, and The Wallexamines ideas of protection and segregation, to highlight the physical and mental barriers built around us.

THE BOURNONVILLE LEGACY

July 9-14

Tue-Wed 7:30pm; Thu-Fri 8pm; Sat 2pm & 8pm; Sun 2pm

Tickets: $10-$75 (Joyce Members $38; $56)

Press Contact: Billy Zavelson / Richard Kornberg & Associates, 212-944-9444;billy@kornbergpr.com

Top dancers of the Royal Danish Ballet, revered as the world's third oldest ballet company, come together to bring the best of August Bournonville to The Joyce. Featuring distinctive repertoire from classical ballets such as La Sylphide, Napoli, and A Folktale, this program is not only an eye-opening window into the world of sylphs and trolls, but also a study of love and belief in the human spirit.

MARIA KOCHETKOVA in CATCH HER IF YOU CAN

A Joyce Theater Production

July 16-21

Tue-Wed 7:30pm; Thu-Fri 8pm; Sat 2pm & 8pm; Sun 2pm

Tickets: $10-$75 (Joyce Members $38; $56)

Press Contact: Billy Zavelson / Richard Kornberg & Associates, 212-944-9444;billy@kornbergpr.com

Ballet superstar Maria Kochetkova-who recently departed from San Francisco Ballet-takes the stage in a production all her own, accompanied by friends from top ballet companies. The program includes works by Itzik Galili, Drew Jacoby, David Dawson, and Myles Thatcher. Additionally, the conceptual dance maker Jérôme Bel offers audiences a glimpse into Kochetkova's inner world, with a poetic new solo inspired by this remarkable dancer's life, now cracked wide open.

FREDDIE FALLS IN LOVE

July 23-August 4

Week 1 (Jul 23-27): Tue 7:30pm; Wed 7pm; Thu-Fri 8pm; Sat 2pm & 8pm

Week 2 (Jul 29-Aug 4): Mon-Wed 7:30pm; Thu-Fri 8pm; Sat 2pm & 8pm; Sun 2pm

Family Performance: Wed, Jul 24 at 7pm

Tickets: $10-$65 (Joyce Members $34; $49)

Press Contact: Billy Zavelson / Richard Kornberg & Associates, (212) 944-9444;billy@kornbergpr.com

A Broadway-style dance play, Freddie Falls in Love joyfully brings audiences along on a young man's journey of self-discovery told solely through movement. Emmy-nominated choreographer, Al Blackstone-known for his charming and infectious dances for So You Think You Can Dance-expertly utilizes some of New York's finest dancer/actors to bring this full-length story to life with style, energy, and a ton of heart.

BALLET FESTIVAL

Curated by Royal Ballet Director Kevin O'Hare

August 6-18

Tue-Wed 7:30pm; Thu-Sat 8pm; Sun 2pm & 7:30pm

Program A Aug 6-9; Program B Aug 10-11; Program C Aug 13-15; Program D Aug 16-18 (no performance Sun, Aug 18 at 7:30pm)

Tickets: $10-$60 (Joyce Members $34; $45)

Press Contact: Billy Zavelson / Richard Kornberg & Associates, 212-944-9444;billy@kornbergpr.com

The Joyce's annual Ballet Festival is curated by Director of The Royal Ballet, Kevin O'Hare, who has invited several artists associated with The Royal Ballet to construct programs based on the theme of collaboration. Program A, crafted by O'Hare, features works by Fredrick Ashton, Merce Cunningham, and Royal Ballet company choreographers. Program B is shaped by and features Royal Ballet principal Lauren Cuthbertson, who performs choreography by Canada's Robert Binet and more. Frequent Royal Ballet designer Jean-Marc Puissant hand-picks works for Program C, and Royal Ballet principal Edward Watson performs in and selects dances for Program D.

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CURTAIN CHATS

The Joyce Theater holds free post-performance dialogues with artistic directors and/or company members following designated performances. These dialogues are open to all audience members attending that evening's performance.

FAMILY PERFORMANCES

Created to help build dance audiences for the future, The Joyce's popular family-oriented performance series will return this season with five family-friendly shows, each followed by a special chance to meet the artists. Kids' tickets are only $10. Children who see three or more family matinees automatically become Joyce Junior Members and save 40% on the price of their tickets ($10 reduced to $6). Children, ages 6-14, must be accompanied by an adult (maximum four kids to one grown-up). Joyce Junior Members get a special "Backstage-at-the-Joyce" tour, a T-shirt, and gift coupons.

This spring/summer season's Family Performance series is as follows (Kids (ages 6-14) must be accompanied by an adult):

COMPLEXIONS Contemporary Ballet

Saturday, March 2 at 2pm

Hubbard Street Dance Chicago

Saturday, March 16 at 2pm (Ages 12+)

Parsons Dance

Saturday, May 25 at 2pm

Ballet Tech Kids Dance

Saturday, June 8 at 2pm

Freddie Falls in Love

Wednesday, July 24 at 7pm

PAY WHAT YOU DECIDE

For the second year, The Joyce is offering a Pay What You Decide option that seeks to encourage a more adventurous performance selection and allows patrons to sample companies they might not have seen before. Instead of paying a fixed price before coming to the theater, patrons are able to see the show, and decide what to pay afterwards. The Spring/Summer '19 season offers patrons two opportunities to see PWYD shows for Attractor on Wed, May 1 at 7:30pm and Cloud Gate 2 on Sun, June 16 at 2pm. To reserve tickets, call the box office or follow the normal purchase path online, selecting one of the dates below. There is a $1 reservation fee, and patrons will have the opportunity to pay what they decide following the performance. There is a two-seat maximum per order, and all seating is general admission. Purchases to these engagements cannot be applied toward a Joyce membership. Pay What You Decidetickets go on sale on Tue, Dec 18.

The Joyce Theater Foundation ("The Joyce," Executive Director, Linda Shelton), a non-profit organization, has proudly served the dance community for over three decades. Under the direction of founders Cora Cahan and Eliot Feld, Ballet Tech Foundation acquired and The Joyce renovated the Elgin Theater in Chelsea. Opening as The Joyce Theater in 1982, it was 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. Ownership was secured by The Joyce in 2015. The theater is one of the only theaters built by dancers for dance and has provided an intimate and elegant home for over 400 U.S.-based and international companies. The Joyce has also expanded its reach beyond its Chelsea home through off-site presentations at venues ranging in scope from Lincoln Center's David H. Koch Theater, to Brooklyn's Invisible Dog Art Center, and to outdoor programming in spaces such as Hudson River Park. To further support the creation of new work, The Joyce maintains longstanding commissioning and residency programs. Local students and teachers (K-12th grade) benefit from its school program, and family and adult audiences get closer to dance with access to artists. The Joyce's annual season of about 48 weeks of dance now includes over 340 performances for audiences in excess of 150,000.

ABOUT JOYCE THEATER PRODUCTIONS

Joyce Theater Productions (JTP) is the in-house producing entity for The Joyce Theater Foundation, Inc., formed to create original work for The Joyce's own stage, and for worldwide touring. The program also includes fiscal and administrative management to select companies that may require infrastructure beyond project-based creations. Originally founded in partnership with Sunny Artist Management, Inc. (SAM) in 2014, JTP has since supported projects with Daniil Simkin, Wendy Whelan/Brian Brooks, Arthur Pita/James Whiteside, Maria Kochetkova, and L.A. Dance Project, and maintains an ongoing relationship with Cuba's Malpaso Dance Company.

To become a Joyce Member, ticket buyers simply purchase tickets to four different companies at the same time and they automatically save 25% on tickets (not applicable for $10 or $19 tickets). Joyce Members are entitled to the 25% discount on additional tickets purchased throughout the season - through August 2019. For more information on becoming a Joyce Member, please visit www.Joyce.org or call JoyceCharge at 212-242-0800. Single tickets and Pay What You Decide tickets go on sale to the general on Tue, Dec 18.

Single ticket prices range from $10-$75. Tickets can be purchased by calling JoyceCharge at 212-242-0800, in person at the Box Office (Monday - Friday 12-6pm), or online by visiting www.Joyce.org. Please note: ticket prices are subject to change. The Joyce Theater is located at 175 Eighth Avenue (at 19th Street).