Tulsa Ballet Returns to New York City This March

Tulsa Ballet, under the artistic direction of Marcello Angelini, will return to The Joyce Theater with a program of works created specifically for the company, including Glass Figures, a world premiere by Resident Choreographer Ma Cong, from March 6-10. Returning to NYC for the first time since 2009, the company will also perform Annabelle Lopez Ochoa's Shibuya Blues and Helen Pickett's Meòal (Among).

Tickets, ranging in price from $10-$56, can be purchased at www.Joyce.org, or by calling JoyceCharge at (212) 242-0800. Please note: ticket prices are subject to change. The Joyce Theater is located at 175 Eighth Avenue at West 19th Street. For more information, please visit www.Joyce.org or www.TulsaBallet.org.

Artistic Director Marcello Angelini had several goals when crafting this program. First, he wanted to bring three "made in Tulsa" dances, meaning works specifically created for the company. Tulsa Ballet is an arts organization committed to preserving the tradition of classical ballet, presenting the works of the most relevant dance makers of our time while also being committed to the creation of new works.

The first two pieces of the program will be by two of Angelini's favorite female dance makers: Annabelle Lopez Ochoa and Helen Pickett. He says, "I love Annabelle's work because it's edgy, aesthetically attractive, artistically unapologetic and direct in its delivery. I enjoy Helen's works because they are introspective, charged with emotions and unafraid of exploring new choreographic spaces." The third piece will be a new work from Tulsa Ballet's Resident Choreographer Ma Cong. Cong has been what Angelini describes as Tulsa Ballet's "Creator in Chief" for over a decade. Originally from China, Cong joined Tulsa Ballet in 1999 and danced with the company for over a decade, while also exploring his first tentative steps as a dance maker. Upon retirement from dancing, Cong moved directly to the position of Resident Choreographer. Angelini says, "We have invested heavily in his development as a dance maker and are so proud of his growth and accomplishments. How fitting that his new work, yet to be titled, will make its World Premiere in New York!"

Tulsa Ballet was founded in 1956 by husband and wife Roman Jasinski and Moscelyne Larkin, internationally known dancers in the Ballet Russes tradition. Jasinski and Larkin set the tone for artistic excellence - a foundation that has been preserved and built upon for decades. In 1995, Italian native Marcello Angelini was appointed Artistic Director. Each season, the company performs an eclectic repertory that alternates full length classical ballets (accompanied with live music provided by the Tulsa Symphony Orchestra) with neo-classical and contemporary works. During his tenure, Tulsa Ballet has added more than 100 new works, and also built Tulsa Ballet's strong international reputation, with tours to Italy, South Korea, Portugal, Croatia and Serbia. In 2008 the company built a 300 seat, $6 million theater, Studio K, a space dedicated to the creation of new works. More than just an arts organization, Tulsa Ballet opened its Center for Dance Education with the mission of offering dance training of uncompromising quality. Construction was completed in 2016 on a second campus, a state-of-the-art facility that allows the school to expand its programming. Students train with highly respected, caring faculty and classes include live piano accompaniment. Students also receive complimentary tickets to company performances, and are considered for small roles in large ballets like The Nutcracker, A Midsummer Night's Dream, and Cinderella, among others. Tulsa Ballet is also a proud member of the prestigious Prix de Lausanne.

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 presented dance at Lincoln Center since 2012, and launched Joyce Unleashed in 2014 to feature emerging and experimental artists. 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.

Tulsa Ballet's return to NYC will be March 6-10 at The Joyce Theater (175 Eighth Avenue at West 19th Street). The performance schedule is as follows: Tuesday and Wednesday at 7:30pm; Thursday and Friday at 8pm; and Saturday at 2 and 8pm. There will be a post-performance Curtain Chat with members from Tulsa Ballet on Wednesday, March 7, which is open to all patrons attending that evening's performance. Tickets range in price from $10-$56 and can be purchased at www.Joyce.org, or by calling JoyceCharge at (212) 242-0800. Please note: ticket prices are subject to change.

Lead support for The Joyce Theater Foundation has been received from LuEsther T. Mertz Charitable Trust.

The Joyce gratefully acknowledges Doris Duke Charitable Foundation for its generous endowment to support dance performances at The Joyce Theater. Additional support has been provided by the Lila Wallace-Reader's Digest Endowment Fund to encourage the performances of out-of-town companies at The Joyce Theater.

The Joyce Theater's Engagement Assistance Program is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature; and is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council with special thanks to Council Speaker Corey Johnson.

Major support for The Joyce has been provided by Ford Foundation, Howard Gilman Foundation, The Harkness Foundation for Dance, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, The SHS Foundation, and The Shubert Foundation. Key support has been provided by Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, First Republic Bank, The Pasculano Foundation, The Jerome Robbins Foundation, and Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation.