New York Theatre Ballet to Present THE NEXT 45 Emceed by Anissa Felix & Stephanie Ruhle

Celebrating the future, while honoring the past, New York Theatre Ballet will present The Next 45, an evening benefiting NYTB, Wednesday, April 19, 6:00 P.M. at NYTB's headquarters at St. Mark's Church-in-the Bowery. Emceed by actress Anissa Felix of Netflix's Survival of the Thickest and Stephanie Ruhle, NBC News Senior Business Analyst and host of MSNBC's "The 11th Hour," The Next 45 will feature a preview of LIFT, an awardwinning documentary film on NYTB's acclaimed community LIFT program, along with performances, silent auction, and a photo, video, and costume retrospective honoring the company's storied past.

The evening will include a presentation by NYTB Artistic Director Steven Melendez as he introduces plans for "The Next 45" and a new audience cultivation program. A pièce d'occasion choreographed by NYTB company member Julian Donahue and a showing by students from the New York Theatre Ballet School will highlight the evening's festivities. Donahue's work, set to music by Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint Georges, will feature five company members in a celebration of NYTB's past, present, and future. The evening's opening reception will feature musical accompaniment by Marie-Claire Giraud (vocals) with Marco Di Gennaro (piano).

A silent auction of unique items from the performing arts, travel, and culinary worlds will be available to benefit ticket holders and though online bids. Benefit tickets for The Next 45, priced from $100, are available at https://nytb.org/calendar-and-tickets/view/The-Next-45/ or by calling 212-679-0401. All proceeds from The Next 45 will benefit NYTB, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. New York Theatre Ballet is located at St. Mark's Church-in-the-Bowery, 131 East 10th Street in New York City. For more information, please visit www.nytb.org.

About New York Theatre Ballet

Under the artistic direction of Steven Melendez, New York Theatre Ballet's mission is to perform small classic masterpieces and new contemporary works for adults and innovative hourlong ballets for young children, all at affordable prices. The mission is carried out in the work of the Professional Company, its NYTB School directed by Diana Byer, and the LIFT Community Service Program. Together, these divisions reach adults and family audiences across the country building a love for dance and diverse audiences for the future.