Violette Verdy Joins Damian Woetzel At City Center 11/9

Studio 5 at City Center will present its first dance program of the 2010-2011 season on Tuesday, November 9. Hosted and curated by renowned dancer-turned-director Damian Woetzel, this season's three-part dance series will highlight choreographers and companies that have played an important role in City Center's history. It begins with a celebration of the 50th Anniversary of three Balanchine ballets that premiered at City Center in 1960. Stars of the New York City Ballet - Tiler Peck, Jenifer Ringer, Jared Angle and Joaquin De Luz - will dance excerpts from the three highlighted ballets.

Joining Woetzel in examining and coaching the ballets will be acclaimed ballerina Violette Verdy, an original cast member of all three works. In addition to handing down her knowledge and insights to the dancers who perform her roles today, Verdy will share her memories of performing and working with Balanchine on the creation of these magnificent ballets in the very theater where they were first unveiled 50 years ago.

Studio 5 provides an intimate forum for informal conversations with some of today's most compelling figures in theater and dance. Interactive discussions and performances by guest artists offer audiences a glimpse beyond the proscenium into the creative worlds of theater and dance.

The newest addition to Studio 5 at City Center, "Musical Theater from the Page to the Stage," debuted on October 18 with a theater program curated and hosted by Tony Award-winning actress Victoria Clark.

All programs are held at City Center at 6:30 p.m.

The schedule is as follows:

November 9, 2010 - Balanchine at City Center: 1960
New York City Ballet dancers will join Mr. Woetzel for a celebration of three Balanchine ballets that premiered at City Center 50 years ago: Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux (March 29, 1960), Donizetti Variations (November 16, 1960) and Liebeslieder Walzer (November 22, 1960). With special guest Violette Verdy.

February 7, 2011 - Paul Taylor Dance Company
Paul Taylor at 80 continues to win acclaim for the vibrancy and relevance of his current work as well as his classics. Mr. Woetzel welcomes dancers from the world-renowned Paul Taylor Dance Company for an exclusive preview of its upcoming City Center season, which includes time-honored masterworks and New York premieres.

April 11, 2011 - Dance Theatre of Harlem
Founded by Arthur Mitchell and Karel Shook in the midst of the Civil Rights turmoil of the 1960s, Dance Theatre of Harlem made history as an internationally acclaimed African-American classical ballet company. Artistic Director Virginia Johnson and members of the DTH Ensemble join Mr. Woetzel as they delve into the company's past and look ahead to its future.

Damian Woetzel, former Principal Dancer with New York City Ballet, is the Artistic Director of the Vail International Dance Festival; the founding Director of the Jerome Robbins Foundation's New Essential Works (NEW) Program, and cultural producer for the World Science Festival. Woetzel also works with Yo-Yo Ma and his Silk Road Connect Program in the New York City Public Schools. He is active as a director and producer of dance and music performances, and recently directed a performance at the White House celebrating Judith Jamison and dance in America. Woetzel holds a Master in Public Administration Degree from Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, and he is currently co-teaching a course on Performing Arts and the Law at Harvard Law School. In November of 2009, President Obama appointed Woetzel to the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities. Woetzel serves on the Board of New York City Center.

Studio 5 at City Center is generously supported by Barbara Brandt, Margee and John Falk, and Barbara and David Zalaznick.

NEW YORK City Center (Arlene Shuler, President & CEO) has played a defining role in the cultural life of the city for more than 60 years. It was Manhattan's first performing arts center, dedicated by Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia in 1943 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, Paul Taylor Dance Company and 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, now in its 18th season, has been hailed as "one of the very best reasons to be alive in New York." Dance has been integral to the theater's mission from the start, and dance programs, including the annual Fall for Dance Festival and a partnership with London's Sadler's Wells Theatre, remain central to City Center's identity. 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.

Studio 5 events take place in City Center Studio 5, 130 W. 56th Street, 5th floor. Tickets are $20 and must be purchased in advance via CityTix® at 212-581-1212, online at www.NYCityCenter.org or at the City Center Box Office (West 55th Street between 6th and 7th avenues). All events are at 6:30 p.m.