Royal New Zealand Ballet to Make NYC Debut at Joyce Theater, 2/12-16

The Joyce Theater Foundation, Inc. will present the New York debut of the Royal New Zealand Ballet, performing a mixed bill of three works, from February 12-16. Under the artistic direction of former New York City Ballet and American Ballet Theater principal dancer Ethan Stiefel, the company will present pieces by Benjamin Millepied, Javier De Frutos and Andrew Simmons. Tickets are $10-$75 (Joyce Members $26; $44) and can be purchased through JoyceCharge at www.Joyce.org or by calling 212.242.0800. Please note: ticket prices are subject to change. The Joyce Theater is located at 175 Eighth Avenue at 19th Street, in Chelsea.

Under Artistic Director Ethan Stiefel, Royal New Zealand Ballet makes its highly anticipated New York debut at The Joyce Theater with an exciting triple bill that combines stellar choreography set to enchanting music and danced by magnificent artists, including special guest artist America Ballet Theatre principal dancer Gillian Murphy. Audiences will be treated to Of Days, a subtle and reflective work, choreographed by former RNZB dancer Andrew Simmons for the company's 60th Anniversary season, that consists of six short pieces set to gentle and mesmerizing minimalist music by three international composers: Ludovico Einaudi, Dustin O'Halloran and Olafur Arnalds; Benjamin Millepied's elegant 28 Variations on a Theme by Paganini, a classically inspired ballet performed to Brahms' exquisite and intricate piano music; and Banderillero, created by Venezuelan choreographer Javier De Frutos, a passionate piece for 10 dancers with flamenco flourishes inspired by traditional Spanish bullfights and driven by the drumming of Chinese percussionist Yim Hok-Man.

Andrew Simmons was born in New Zealand and attended the International Ballet Academy from 2001 to 2003 and was a member of the Royal New Zealand Ballet between 2004 and 2008 before moving to Dresden, Germany. Andrew's first piece for RNZB was Theme and Deviations in 2007. Through to You, his second work for the company, premiered during the 2009 Tutus on Tour, and his third and largest work for the company, A Song in the Dark, joined the company's repertoire after a successful triple bill season. This was followed by equally successful and critically praised performances of the same piece on the company's 2011 tour of the United Kingdom and France, which resulted in A Song in the Dark, which received a nomination for best classical choreography in the 2011 UK Critics' Circle National Dance Awards.

Born in Bordeaux, France, Benjamin Millepied began his dance training at the age of eight with his mother, Catherine a former modern dancer. Millepied went to New York to study at the School of American Ballet (SAB) in 1993, where he originated a principal role in Jerome Robbins' 2 & 3 Part Inventions, set to music by J.S Bach. He joined New York City Ballet in 1995 and was promoted to Principal in 2001. In 2010, Millepied choreographed and starred in Darren Aronofsky's feature film BLACK SWAN. The following year, he directed a short film featuring Lea Seydoux and 5 short films set to Philip Glass new violin works, began working on a new series produced by Danceon and created the LA Dance Project with Los Angeles Music Center. In January 2013, it was announced that Benjamin Millepied will be the new Director of Dance at the Opéra National de Paris. He will take up this appointment in September 2014.

Javier De Frutos began his dance training in his native Venezuela before undertaking further study at the London School of Contemporary Dance and the Merce Cunningham School, New York. Upon his return to the UK in 1994, he established the Javier De Frutos Dance Company. His growing body of work was recognized in 1997 with the South Bank Award, followed in 1999 by a South Bank Show dedicated to his achievements. Highlights of his work include being among the first to be made a Fellow of the Arts Council of England (2000); taking part in a collaborative film project with Isaac Julien, The Long Road to Mazatlan, which was nominated for the Turner Prize (2001); and representing Britain at the 2006 Venice Biennale with a trilogy of his work. In addition to RNZB, Javier's work is in the repertoire of companies around the world, including Rambert, Rotterdam Dance Group, Nuremberg Ballet, Candoco and The Royal Ballet. In 2007, he won an Olivier Award for his choreography for the acclaimed West End revival of Cabaret. His recent collaboration with Pet Shop Boys, The Most Incredible Thing, earned him a 2011 Evening Standard Theatre Award together with a Best Choreographer nomination at the 2012 Critics' Circle National Dance Awards (UK).

Ethan Stiefel, born in Pennsylvania, is the Artistic Director of the Royal New Zealand Ballet. Just prior to being appointed RNZB's Artistic Director, Stiefel served as Dean of the School of Dance at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA). Stiefel began his dance studies in Madison, Wisconsin where his early teachers included Paul Sutherland and Ted Kivitt. He was awarded a full scholarship at the School of American Ballet, where he studied under Stanley Williams and then trained with Mikhail Baryshnikov at his School of Classical Ballet. Stiefel began his performing career at age 16 with New York City Ballet, where he quickly rose to the rank of Principal Dancer. He was also a Principal Dancer with the Zürich Ballet and joined American Ballet Theatre in 1997. In 2004, Stiefel founded a summer training program on Martha's Vineyard, Stiefel and Students, which took place for four years. The founding director of the Nantucket Dance Festival, he has also been a guest teacher for many institutions, including the American Ballet Theatre II, American Ballet Theatre, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School, The National Ballet of Canada and The Royal Ballet School. Stiefel created a new staging of The Nutcracker for the UNCSA in 2009, which continues to be performed every Christmas season. Most recently, he choreographed Bier Halle andcollaborated with Johan Kobborg on choreographing and producing a new production of Giselle for the RNZB. In 2013, Giselle was adapted into a feature film, directed by Toa Fraser, and was selected for screening in the NZ International Film Festival, Vancouver International Film Festival and the Toronto International Film Festival. His Royal Highness Crown Prince Albert of Monaco presented Stiefel with the Statue Award of the Princess Grace Foundation, the Foundation's highest honor, in October 1999. He received the prestigious Dance Magazine Award in December 2008, was a juror for the Prix de Lausanne in 2001 and served on the selection committee for the 2010 International Ballet Competition held in Jackson, Mississippi. Stiefel gave his final performance as a Principal Dancer with ABT in July 2012.

To post a comment, you must register and login.