Segerstrom Center to Present American Ballet Theatre's THE SLEEPING BEAUTY, 3/3-8

American Ballet Theatre returns to Segerstrom Center premiering an all-new production of the classic ballet The Sleeping Beauty as choreographed by Artist in Residence Alexei Ratmansky. ABT's return to Orange County from March 3 - 8 marks the company's 23rd visit to the Center. Pacific Symphony will perform the beloved score by Tchaikovsky. Sets and costumes are by Tony Award-winning designer Richard Hudson. The production will receive its New York premiere during ABT's 2015 spring season, certain to be a cornerstone during the Company's celebratory 75th anniversary year at the Metropolitan Opera House. This version of The Sleeping Beauty is the Company's fourth production of the ballet and marks Ratmansky's eleventh work for ABT.

"I have long wanted to choreograph a version of The Sleeping Beauty," said Ratmansky. "Tchaikovsky's complex score and Petipa's choreography represent the highest achievement of Russian classical art. It symbolizes the harmony and magic of classical dance for me."

Hudson's designs will be based on the historic work of Léon Bakst, who created a seminal version of The Sleeping Beauty for Serge Diaghilev's Ballets Russes in 1921. This will be Hudson's third collaboration with Ratmansky for American Ballet Theatre, having previously designed scenery and costumes for The Nutcracker (2010) and costumes for Dumbarton (2011).

Tickets for American Ballet Theatre's The Sleeping Beauty start at $29 and will go on sale Sunday, January 11, 2015 at 10 a.m. PST. Ticket will be available at SCFTA.org, by calling (714) 556-2787 and at the Box Office at 600 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa. For inquiries about group ticket discounts, call the Group Services office at (714) 755-0236. The TTY number is (714) 556-2746. Free Preview Talks will be conducted one hour prior to each performance. Artists and program are subject to change.

The Center's International Dance Series is made possible by: Audrey Steele Burnand Endowed Fund for International Dance and The Segerstrom Foundation Endowment for Great Performances with special underwriting support from Diane and Harry Johnson. Classical KUSC and COAST Magazine are Media Partners of the International Dance Series. Segerstrom Center for the Arts applauds Kia, the Official Automotive Partner of the Center. United Airlines is the Official Airline of the Center. David H. Koch is the Lead Underwriter of American Ballet Theatre's The Sleeping Beauty. This production is generously supported through an endowed gift from The Toni and Martin Sosnoff New Works Fund and through a grant from the Lloyd E. Rigler-Lawrence E. Deutsch Foundation. ABT gratefully acknowledges Linda Allard for her generous support of costumes for The Sleeping Beauty. This production of The Sleeping Beauty is a co-production with Teatro alla Scala.

American Ballet Theatre is one of the great dance companies in the world. Few ballet companies equal ABT for its combination of size, scope and outreach. Recognized as a living national treasure since its founding in 1940, ABT annually tours the United States, performing for more than 400,000 people, and is the only major cultural institution to do so. It has also made more than 30 international tours to 44 countries as perhaps the most representative American ballet company and has been sponsored by the State Department of the United States on many of these engagements.

Over its 75-year history, the Company has appeared in a total of 132 cities in 44 countries. ABT has also appeared in all fifty states of the United States. ABT has recently enjoyed triumphant successes with engagements in Brisbane, Abu Dhabi, Beijing, Hong Kong, Moscow and Tokyo.

On April 27, 2006, by an act of Congress, American Ballet Theatre became America's National Ballet Company.

Pacific Symphony, which marks its 36th season in 2014-15, is led by Music Director Carl St.Clair, who celebrates his milestone 25th anniversary season with the orchestra. The largest orchestra formed in the U.S. in the last 50 years, the Symphony is recognized as an outstanding ensemble making strides on both the national and international scene, as well as in its own community of Orange County. Presenting more than 100 concerts a year and a rich array of education and community programs, the Symphony reaches more than 275,000 residents-from school children to senior citizens. The Symphony offers repertoire ranging from the great orchestral masterworks to music from today's most prominent composers, highlighted by the annual American Composers Festival and a series of multimedia concerts called "Music Unwound."

Segerstrom Center for the Arts is unique as both an acclaimed arts institution and as a multi- disciplinary cultural campus. It is committed to supporting artistic excellence on all of its stages, offering unsurpassed experiences, and engaging the entire community in new and exciting ways through the unique power of live performance and a diverse array of inspiring programs.

Previously called the Orange County Performing Arts Center, Segerstrom Center is Orange County's largest non-profit arts organization and owns and operates the 3,000-seat Segerstrom Hall and intimate 250-seat Judy Morr Theater, which opened in 1986, and the 2,000-seat Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, which opened in 2006 and also houses the 500-seat Samueli Theater, the studio performance space and Boeing Education Lab. A spacious arts plaza anchors Segerstrom Center for Arts and is home to numerous free performances throughout the year as part of Segerstrom Center for the Arts' ongoing Free for All series. The American Ballet Theatre William J. Gillespie School at Segerstrom Center opens in 2015.

The Center presents a broad range of programming for audiences of all ages, including international ballet and dance, national tours of top Broadway shows, intimate performances of jazz and cabaret, contemporary artists, classical music performed by renowned chamber orchestras and ensembles, family- friendly programming, free performances open to the public from outdoor movie screenings to dancing on the plaza and many other special events. The Center's arts-in-education programs are designed to inspire young people through the arts and reach hundreds of thousands of students each year.

In addition to the presenting and producing institution Segerstrom Center for the Arts, the 14-acre campus also embraces the facilities of two independent acclaimed organizations: Tony Award-winning South Coast Repertory and a site designated as the future home of the Orange County Museum of Art.

Segerstrom Center for the Arts is also proud to serve as the artistic home to three of the region's major performing arts organizations: Pacific Symphony, the Philharmonic Society of Orange County and the Pacific Chorale, who contribute greatly to the artistic life of the region with annual seasons at Segerstrom Center for the Arts.

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