Author: Tessa Murphy

American Repertory Ballet (ARB) continues its dynamic 2024-2025 season with the breathtaking world premiere of Ethan Stiefel’s SPIRIT OF THE HIGHLANDS on Friday, March 7 through Sunday, March 9, 2025 at the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center. An adaptation of August Bournonville’s romantic classic La Sylphide, SPIRIT OF THE HIGHLANDS re-imagines the tale of a Scotsman’s pursuit of a mystical forest spirit.

Building off of the classic story, a young Scotsman named James Munro is betrothed to a woman named Effie, when he catches sight of a mystical fairy, known as The Sylph. Entranced by her magical beauty, he abandons Effie to follow The Sylph into the forest to proclaim his devotion. However, through his pursuits, he is tricked by evil witch Madge and eventually loses everything he holds dear. Stiefel, a standing member of the New York Caledonian Club and the Clan Munro Association, traces his mother’s family roots back to the Scottish Highland Clan Munro, taking his heritage and infusing it into the choreography and design aesthetics of this lively and bewitching ballet.

“This project is truly a labor of love, both in terms of honoring my mom’s ancestry, my long-standing admiration of Bournonville and the opportunity to veritably display affection and appreciation for Scottish heritage,” says Stiefel. “Infinitely inspired by Bournonville’s production, I aim to thoughtfully blend and balance what has made that staging so charming and timeless, while drawing upon identifiable Highland dance movements and sequences in many areas. Furthermore, and another matter of great personal passion, is that my vision lends the overall designs a cohesive and distinctively genuine attractiveness that celebrates Highland culture and specifically Clan Munro. Ultimately, my hope is that whether one is an avid dance fan, or holds a passion and interest for Scottish culture, audience members will choose to don their Highland spirit and/or attire and come out and enjoy what I believe will be an unmatched retelling of this beloved tale!”

In preparation for the performances, ARB gained additional insight and inspiration from professional Highland dancer Kendra Monroe, who conducted a workshop with cast members at the start of the rehearsal process. “As a member of the Munro Clan and a lifelong Highland dancer, I am excited to bring the vibrancy and athleticism of this rich art form to ballet,” says Monroe. “With its intricate footwork and deep ties to Scottish heritage, Highland dance perfectly complements Ethan’s vision, blending tradition with precision to honor our shared ancestry and showcase the universal power of dance as a storyteller.”

Partnering once again with scenic designer Howard C. Jones, costume designer Janessa Cornell Urwin, and lighting designer Joseph Walls, Stiefel has assembled an extraordinary creative team to help fully realize his artistic vision. “All the tartans are specific to the Clan Munro and came directly from the mills in Scotland. Our kilts are crafted by a team of talented experienced kilt makers,” says Cornell Urwin “In contrast, the costumes for the witches and Sylphs differ from that of the human costumes, pulling inspiration from Celtic lore and incorporating details such as Scotland’s national flower, the thistle.”

SPIRIT OF THE HIGHLANDS is made possible by a generous Leading Sponsor gift from The Ted & Mary Jo Shen Charitable Gift Fund.

Additional production support comes from B. Sue Howard, E.J. Grassmann Trust, and The Hyde and Watson Foundation.

New Brunswick Performing Arts Center | New Brunswick, NJ
Friday, March 7, 2025 at 7:00 PM
Saturday, March 8, 2025 at 2:00 PM & 7:00 PM
Sunday, March 9, 2025 at 2:00 PM

Tickets for SPIRIT OF THE HIGHLANDS range from $30 to $60. ADA seating is available. Running time is approximately 1 hour and 25 minutes with one intermission.

For more information, contact Grant Jacoby, Director of Marketing, at [email protected], or by calling 609-921-7758 x 34.

American Repertory Ballet (ARB) announces its highly anticipated 2024-2025 season, a dynamic celebration of classic repertoire alongside exciting new works. The season’s journey will be a global passport, taking audiences from a state of awed admiration, through The Nutcracker’s Land of Sweets, to enjoying a passionate fiesta of movement after a jaunt through the Scottish Highlands.

A founding resident company of the state-of-the-art New Brunswick Performing Arts Center (NBPAC), American Repertory Ballet presents three engaging programs of dance at its home venue with WONDERMENT in October 2024, the world premiere of SPIRIT OF THE HIGHLANDS in March 2025, and PASIÓN in May 2025. Additionally, ARB’s celebrated touring production of THE NUTCRACKER will return for the holiday season in November and December 2024 at various venues throughout New Jersey.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

“Our 2024-2025 season has American Repertory Ballet going to the next level and then some!” says Ethan Stiefel, ARB’s visionary leader who has artfully curated each program. “From superlative, existing works by preeminent choreographers like Lar Lubovitch, Antony Tudor and Stephanie Martinez, to new creations by Luis Napoles and myself, the company’s notable versatility and artistry will be on full display. Whether one has a fondness for the full-length classics such as The Nutcracker and Spirit of the Highlands (La Sylphide), or one relishes innovative, shorter works thoughtfully selected for our dancers and audiences, there is no doubt that each ARB experience promises to captivate and delight.”

WONDERMENT

WONDERMENT, American Repertory Ballet’s opening program of the 2024-2025 season, will delight both audiences new to ballet and aficionados alike. Presented at the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center (NBPAC) on Friday, October 18 through Sunday, October 20, 2024, WONDERMENT is an innovative program of four diverse dance works. Featured on the bill will be Antony Tudor’s Little Improvisations, a “[depiction of] two children playing in an attic on a rainy day,” per AntonyTudor.org archives, and Lar Lubovitch’s Something About Night, set to choral music by Franz Schubert. Also featured will be the renowned Swan Lake “Black Swan Pas and Coda,” an iconic display of technical bravura, and the world premiere of a new ballet choreographed by Ethan Stiefel inspired by prolific baroque composer, conductor, and ballet dancer Jean Baptiste Lully, and one of his protégés, Marin Marais.

New Brunswick Performing Arts Center | New Brunswick, NJ

Friday, October 18, 2024 at 7:00 PM
Saturday, October 19, 2024 at 2:00 PM & 7:00 PM
Sunday, October 20, 2024 at 2:00 PM

THE NUTCRACKER

A holiday tradition for sixty years, American Repertory Ballet’s THE NUTCRACKER is one of the longest continuously running productions in the nation and a treat for all ages! With thrilling choreography set to Tchaikovsky’s magnificent score, ARB’s professional company will be joined by students from Princeton Ballet School to tell the story of Clara, a young girl who receives a magical Christmas gift and embarks on an enchanted journey. THE NUTCRACKER holds a special place in the hearts of both new and longtime patrons, becoming synonymous with the holiday season. Performances will take place from Friday, November 29 through Sunday, December 22, 2024 in Princeton, Red Bank, Trenton, and New Brunswick.

McCarter Theatre Center | Princeton, NJ

Friday, November 29, 2024 at 2:00 PM & 7:00 PM
Saturday, November 30, 2024 at 1:00 PM & 6:00 PM
Sunday, December 1, 2024 at 1:00 PM

Two River Theater | Red Bank, NJ

Saturday, December 7, 2024 at 1:00 PM & 6:00 PM
Sunday, December 8, 2024 at 1:00 PM

Patriots Theater at the War Memorial | Trenton, NJ

Saturday, December 14, 2024 at 1:00 PM & 5:00 PM

State Theatre New Jersey* | New Brunswick, NJ

* With live orchestra and choir

Friday, December 20, 2024 at 7:30 PM
Saturday, December 21, 2024 at 2:00 PM & 7:00 PM
Sunday, December 22, 2024 at 1:00 PM & 5:00 PM

SPIRIT OF THE HIGHLANDS

American Repertory Ballet presents the breathtaking world premiere of Ethan Stiefel’s SPIRIT OF THE HIGHLANDS on Friday, March 7 through Sunday, March 9, 2025. An adaptation of the well-known Bournonville ballet La Sylphide, SPIRIT OF THE HIGHLANDS re-imagines the tale of a Scotsman’s romantic pursuit of a mystical forest spirit. Stiefel traces his mother’s family roots back to the Scottish Highland Clan Munro and will infuse his own authentic Scottish heritage into the choreography and overall design aesthetics of this lively and bewitching ballet. Partnering once again with Howard C. Jones (scenic design), Janessa Cornell Urwin (costume design), and Joseph Walls (lighting design), Stiefel assembles an extraordinary creative team to help fully realize his artistic vision.

SPIRIT OF THE HIGHLANDS is made possible by a generous Leading Sponsor gift from The Ted & Mary Jo Shen Charitable Gift Fund.

Additional production support comes from B. Sue Howard and the E.J. Grassmann Trust.

New Brunswick Performing Arts Center | New Brunswick, NJ

Friday, March 7, 2025 at 7:00 PM
Saturday, March 8, 2025 at 2:00 PM & 7:00 PM
Sunday, March 9, 2025 at 2:00 PM

PASIÓN

ARB’s 2024-2025 season at New Brunswick Performing Arts Center concludes with PASIÓN, a mixed bill of new and known works, presented on Friday, May 9 through Sunday, May 11, 2025. The program includes an excerpt from the classic Marius Petipa ballet Paquita, as well as the highly anticipated return of Stephanie Martinez’s celebrated commission The Time That Runs Away. Heralded as “an example of dance art at its finest” by Critical Dance, the piece showcases nine dancers morphing dreamily through a variety of configurations to six diverse songs that will leave the audience teeming with a sense of carpe diem.

Also featured will be a world premiere by Cuban choreographer and Princeton Ballet School faculty member Luis Napoles. Taking the word “Compasso” (c.1300, meaning: space, area, extent, circumference) as a starting point, the work explores the balance of the individual voice within a larger group, relating the term’s meanings and origins to our lives via the physical dancing body.

New Brunswick Performing Arts Center | New Brunswick, NJ

Friday, May 9, 2025 at 7:00 PM
Saturday, May 10, 2025 at, 2:00 PM & 7:00 PM
Sunday, May 11, 2025 at 2:00 PM

In addition to its highly anticipated 2024-2025 season, American Repertory Ballet also announces exciting new artists and artistic transitions to support the organization’s growth. Ethan Stiefel moves into the newly created role of The Nora C. Orphanides Artist in Residence, focusing on the creation of new work and the continued artistic and technical development of Company dancers. Gillian Murphy continues in her role as Artistic Associate while performing as a principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre. Samantha Dunster, former Assistant Artistic Director of Philadelphia Ballet, joins ARB’s leadership team as the organization’s first-ever Director of Artistic Operations.

“It is truly an honor to be joining American Repertory Ballet this season,” says Dunster, who will be managing daily Company operations and coordinating guest artist collaborations.  “I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with the diverse, dedicated, and talented dancers of ARB. I am also incredibly excited to be working with Ethan Stiefel and Gillian Murphy alongside Executive Director Julie Diana Hench and School Director Aydmara Cabrera. Their strength, intelligence, and passion are truly inspirational. Together, we will continue to share our love for dance and creativity with the New Jersey community and beyond. This season promises to be an exciting one for ARB, including the premiere of Ethan Stiefel’s Spirit Of The Highlands. His love and passion for this art form radiate through every company dancer, and I am thrilled to be here to help them shine.” 

ARB Company Artist Nanako Yamamoto, a longtime audience favorite, will continue to grace the stage while also stepping into a leadership role behind the scenes as Assistant Rehearsal Director. Gavin Hounslow joins ARB as a Company Artist, most recently from Oregon Ballet Theatre.

Rylee Berger joins the organization as the newly appointed Production Manager. Berger, a graduate of Rider University, previously worked with ARB as a stage manager and technical director, with additional roles at Berkshire Theatre Group, McCarter Theatre, Passage Theatre Company, and the Hangar Theater.

ARB also welcomes Kristine Brown to the Board of Trustees. With over 30 years of experience in marketing, communications, and public relations, including her current role as Vice President of External Affairs at Rider University, Brown brings expertise and a passion for dance to her role as Chair of the Board’s Marketing Committee. Brown says: “I am honored and proud to join the Board of Trustees for American Repertory Ballet & Princeton Ballet School. I look forward to supporting and advancing the mission of this esteemed institution, which has been a cornerstone of artistic excellence and innovation in our community.”

For more information, contact Grant Jacoby, Director of Marketing, at [email protected], or by calling 609-921-7758 x 34.

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ABOUT AMERICAN REPERTORY BALLET

With a distinctive reputation for innovation and individuality, American Repertory Ballet (ARB) is recognized as one of the state’s premier performing arts organizations. Presenting classical repertory alongside new and existing contemporary work, ARB is a founding resident company of the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center while also performing in major venues across New Jersey and beyond for an annual audience of more than 30,000. Founded in 1954 as the Princeton Ballet Society, ARB has been designated a “Major Arts Institution” by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts and has been awarded a Citation of Excellence by the Council. The company is a core partner of The Arts Institute of Middlesex County and has been recognized by the National Endowment for the Arts and other major foundations and leaders in the field as a prominent force in the field of dance. Princeton Ballet School, ARB’s official school, attracts talent from around the world while providing opportunities for local students of all ages, such as through its award winning DANCE POWER program. Find American Repertory Ballet online at arballet.org.

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