ARB Press Kit
“Our belief that modern voices igniting new creations, alongside original interpretations of iconic classical works, speaks to our pursuit of being uniquely timeless and relevant. Our work captures this feeling and keeps us steadfast in being authentic and singularly American Repertory Ballet.”
ETHAN STIEFEL, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Ethan Stiefel is an internationally recognized artist, educator and leader in the performing arts. Stiefel was the Principal Guest Instructor at American Ballet Theatre (ABT) from 2016-2021 and the Artistic Director of the Royal New Zealand Ballet (RNZB) from 2011-2014. Just before being appointed the RNZB’s Artistic Director, he served as Dean of the School of Dance at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA) from 2007-2011.
Stiefel began his professional career at age 16 with the New York City Ballet where he quickly rose to the rank of Principal Dancer. He was also a Principal Dancer with Ballett Zürich and joined American Ballet Theatre as a Principal Dancer in 1997.
During his career, Stiefel performed leading roles in all of the full-length classics and danced in an extensive range of shorter works created by the industry’s foremost classical, modern and contemporary choreographers. Read more about Ethan Stiefel here.
The Guardian“Stiefel is US ballet royalty.”
AMERICAN REPERTORY BALLET
American Repertory Ballet (ARB) is a preeminent professional ballet company, presenting classical and contemporary works to engage and inspire audiences. A founding resident company of the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center, ARB features:
- A talented roster of 20 artists, hailing from local New Jersey communities, from cities throughout the U.S., and international hometowns in Italy, Japan, Brazil, France, Canada, and elsewhere
- A renowned leadership team including Artistic Associate Gillian Murphy and Rehearsal Director Ian Hussey
- A centrally located performance center located in New Brunswick, New Jersey, accessible to major international airports
- A unique and acclaimed repertoire made for its dancers, with production elements designed for touring
Hindsight | Kyle Froman Photography
CHOREOGRAPHERS: 2021 to today
American Repertory Ballet is committed to fostering the presentation of diverse makers, movements and modalities in ballet and dance. From representing new works of emerging choreographers to revivals from legendary dancers, ARB brings energy and innovative artistry that enthralls audiences.
Amy Seiwert
Arthur Mitchell
US1“American Repertory Ballet took a giant step in advancing its stature as a commissioning institution for new dance works…”
Current Repertoire
Giselle
Love. Betrayal. Forgiveness. Co-choreographed by Ethan Stiefel and Johan Kobborg, Giselle is considered one of the most romantic ballets of all time, featuring emotionally powerful and technically stunning performances. Ethan Stiefel and Johan Kobborg’s Giselle is a celebrated and moving production which had its world premiere at the Royal New Zealand Ballet in 2012, and has since toured the globe.
Full Length Ballet | Running Time: 2 hours, 15 minutes | 1 intermission
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
A Midsummer Night’s Dream, is a one-act ballet conceived and choreographed by Artistic Director Ethan Stiefel. Set to Felix Mendelssohn’s iconic score, with additional music arranged by Erich Wolfgang Korngold, this enchanting production will transport audiences to a fantastical forest filled with fairies, mischief and romance, joy and love. Stiefel’s visionary interpretation of this beloved comic masterpiece, featuring sets and costumes by an award-winning design team, casts its spell on audiences of all ages.
1 Act | Running Time: 1 hour, 5 minutes | no intermission
Wood Work
Ethan Stiefel’s Wood Work was created for The Washington Ballet in 2019 and is set to the music of the Danish String Quartet. Wood Work inspires a sense of joy and healing through seeking unique and individual paths, while feeling connected to one another, all in a vibrant and virtuosic way. “Stiefel interweaves his quirky movements with standard phrases of classical ballet.” – US1
Running Time: 24 minutes, 10 seconds
Circadia
Caili Quan’s Circadia was inspired by an eclectic music mix ranging from Boban Markovic Orchestra to Gabriella Smith’s Carrot Revolution. Circadia was also inspired by how the body is affected during sleep. “Sleep gives us a place to recover, but it is also where our minds choose memories to keep. It also allows us space to reminisce and dream,” Quan says.. “A cascade of funky movements; raised shoulders, shimmies, cocky struts, and tiny, demi-pointe shuffles across the stage.” – The Ballet Herald
Running Time: 22 minutes, 45 seconds
Time Within A Time
Claire Davison’s Time Within A Time, inspired by six songs from the legendary band Fleetwood Mac, reflects on recent years and how it might feel to return to a place, such as a theater, studio, workplace – or to each other. It is also a celebration. Fleetwood Mac songs include: “Tusk,” “The Way I Feel,” “Say Goodbye,” “Songbird,” “Albatross,” and “Red Rover.”
Running Time: 21 minutes, 15 seconds
Hindsight
Ryoko Tanaka’s Hindsight was inspired by Salvador Dali painting Swans Reflecting Elephants (1937). “When I saw the Dali painting for the first time, it was fascinating to see how two completely different animals were reflecting each other in perfect symmetry. I found it incredibly unique and mysterious,” says Tanaka. “It inspired me to create a piece about two different types of reflections: self-reflection and literal reflection.”
Running Time: 20 minutes, 15 seconds
Moving to Bach
Ja’ Malik’s Moving to Bach, set to Bach’s Sonata for Violin Solo No.1. This work for five dancers creates an ever evolving world of exhilarating physicality in both a direct relation and counter relation to the rhythmically serene and sometimes explosive score by Bach. “Malik’s work is a lucid, refined piece.” – The Ballet Herald
Running Time: 18 minutes, 45 seconds
Mexican Music
David Fernandez’s Mexican Music is a journey into beautiful Mexican music from the 1800s to the 1940s and features costuming inspired by Pineda Covalin.
Running Time: 18 minutes, 15 seconds
World, Interrupted
Created for a digital world premiere in early 2021, Amy Seiwert’s World, Interrupted explores resiliency, hope, exhaustion, disruption – all shared experiences related to the ongoing pandemic. “Danced sans pointe shoes, and bare-legged, on an empty stage, the work is sleekly built out of expressive movements derived, in large part, from pedestrian actions.” – Community News
Running Time: 10 minutes, 15 seconds
Delibes Duet
Delibes Duet is a dazzling classical pas de deux, choreographed by Artistic Director Ethan Stiefel, set to music by Léo Delibes.
“Traditionally, male and female dancers have certain roles to fill. From the attire to how they stand on stage, their expectations are split by gender. Stiefel challenges that expectation. A few bars in, the female dancer stands in a pose more commonly taken by the prince in full-length ballets; one straight leg, toes pointing slightly out and the other leg bent slightly at the knee with the heel tucked against the other foot. It may seem like nothing, but it’s a pose rarely done by a ballerina in pointe shoes and a tutu. The pas de deux, luscious and provocative in its subtle challenges of the status quo, is absolutely refreshing.” – The Ballet Herald
Running Time: 8 minutes, 55 seconds
Bewitched
Claire Davison’s Bewitched, set to Ella Fitzgerald’s iconic vocals, is a whimsical, whirlwind romance pas de deux.
“Claire Davison’s Bewitched, is a beguiling duet recalling the deliciousness of a romance that ultimately sours. Set to an Ella Fitzgerald recording of Rodgers and Hart’s “Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered,” the dance elegantly mixes ballroom and ballet movements in replaying a couple’s time together. We see them partaking in nightlife à la Fred and Ginger, dancing, laughing, joking, and falling in love, before spatting and splitting.” – Community News
Running Time: 7 minutes, 10 seconds
The Ballet Herald“With no shortness of talent and a desire for the fresh and new, American Repertory Ballet is a gem of a dance company and just a short train ride away from the city.”
CONTACT
For booking information, contact us at booking@arballet.org
Photo credits:
Rosalie O’Connor Photography: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Circadia, Time Within Time, Moving to Bach
Harald Schrader Photography: Giselle
Kyle Froman Photography: Hindsight, Delibes Duet, and Bewitched
Eduardo Patino. NYC: Wood Work, Mexican Music, and World, Interrupted