American Repertory Ballet

Archives: Events and Performances

The Sleeping Beauty

The Sleeping Beauty is perhaps the world’s most beloved, and famous, ballet. It is the enchanting story of Princess Aurora who is bewitched by the evil Carabosse and placed, along with her kingdom, into a deep and protective sleep by the benevolent Lilac Fairy. She and the kingdom are awakened by the noble Prince whose kiss breaks the spell. The idea for the ballet came from Ivan Vsevolozhsky, the director of the Imperial Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia, at the end of the 19th century. He tasked choreographer and ballet master Marius Petipa with creating the ballet, which turned out to be, arguably, his (and some would say the world’s) finest. He also commissioned Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky to compose the music; Tchaikovsky had written the score for Swan Lake 11 years prior.

Read the press release:

http://www.arballet.org/press/american-repertory-ballet-announces-princeton-ballet-schools-annual-spring-production-2017-sleeping-beauty-war-memorial-trenton-n-j/

On Pointe: Physical Therapy – Taking Care of the Young Dancer’s Body

Dean of Students Lisa de Ravel will be joined by Dr. Dinesh Dhanaraj MD, MSPH, an orthopaedic surgeon with the Princeton Healthcare System, and Megan Advani, PT, DPT, Manager of Outpatient Rehab for the University Medical Center of Princeton at the Princeton Fitness and Wellness Center, to discuss how to best care for a young, growing dancer’s body in order to prevent injury.

About the Guest Speakers
Dinesh Dhanaraj MD, MSPH, is an Orthopaedic surgeon with the Princeton Healthcare System, specializing in Sports Medicine. He completed his surgical internship and orthopaedic surgery residency at the NYU Hospital for Joint Diseases in New York City. While working at the Harkness Center for Dance Injuries at the NYU Langone Medical Center, Dr. Dhanaraj worked extensively with dancers from numerous companies, including Alvin Ailey. Dr. Dhanaraj went on to complete an Orthopaedic Sports Medicine fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital System in Philadelphia, PA. This fellowship, combined with experience working with the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), allowed Dr. Dhanaraj to become skilled at arthroscopic techniques in both adults and children.

Megan Advani, PT, DPT is the Manager of Outpatient Rehab for the University Medical Center of Princeton at the Princeton Fitness and Wellness Center in Princeton, NJ.  Megan has a doctorate in physical therapy degree from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in Newark.  She has been treating patients in outpatient orthopedics for the past 17 years with a focus on treating dancers for the past 8 years.  When treating dancers In physical therapy, Megan evaluates dance specific movement patterns and focuses on finding the cause of injury.  Treatment includes manual therapy, specific strengthening, flexibility exercises, neuromuscular re-education, and correction of dance specific movements.

Pride and Prejudice

Join us for the world premiere of Douglas Martin’s full-length ballet, Pride and Prejudice, featuring live orchestral accompaniment by the Princeton Symphony Orchestra under the direction of John Devlin. Martin, the innovative Artistic Director of American Repertory Ballet, brings the 1813 romantic classic penned by Jane Austen to life, celebrating its beloved tale of love, manners and marriage in the English gentry, a broad social class that includes those who owned land (the country or landed gentry) as well as the professional classes (lawyers, doctors and clergy) who did not. Specifically, it follows the main character, Elizabeth Bennet, as she deals with issues of manners, upbringing, morality, education and marriage in the society of the landed gentry of the British Regency. The ballet is supported by the wonderfully melodic music of Ignaz Pleyel, the Austrian-born French composer, with costumes tailored to showcase the fashions of the English Regency period from 1790–1820. This is the seventh world premiere Martin has choreographed for American Repertory Ballet.

Choreography: Artistic Director Douglas Martin
Music: Ignaz Pleyel
Costumes and Set Design: Christina Giannini

For more information about this school-time performance, please call Lindsay Cahill at (732)249-1254, ext. 19, or email [email protected]

Pride and Prejudice

Join us for the world premiere of Douglas Martin’s full-length ballet, Pride and Prejudice, featuring live orchestral accompaniment by the Princeton Symphony Orchestra under the direction of John Devlin. Martin, the innovative Artistic Director of American Repertory Ballet, brings the 1813 romantic classic penned by Jane Austen to life, celebrating its beloved tale of love, manners and marriage in the English gentry, a broad social class that includes those who owned land (the country or landed gentry) as well as the professional classes (lawyers, doctors and clergy) who did not. Specifically, it follows the main character, Elizabeth Bennet, as she deals with issues of manners, upbringing, morality, education and marriage in the society of the landed gentry of the British Regency. The ballet is supported by the wonderfully melodic music of Ignaz Pleyel, the Austrian-born French composer, with costumes tailored to showcase the fashions of the English Regency period from 1790–1820. This is the seventh world premiere Martin has choreographed for American Repertory Ballet.

Choreography: Artistic Director Douglas Martin
Music: Ignaz Pleyel
Costumes and Set Design: Christina Giannini

Pride and Prejudice

Join us for the world premiere of Douglas Martin’s full-length ballet, Pride and Prejudice, featuring live orchestral accompaniment by the Princeton Symphony Orchestra under the direction of John Devlin. Martin, the innovative Artistic Director of American Repertory Ballet, brings the 1813 romantic classic penned by Jane Austen to life, celebrating its beloved tale of love, manners and marriage in the English gentry, a broad social class that includes those who owned land (the country or landed gentry) as well as the professional classes (lawyers, doctors and clergy) who did not. Specifically, it follows the main character, Elizabeth Bennet, as she deals with issues of manners, upbringing, morality, education and marriage in the society of the landed gentry of the British Regency. The ballet is supported by the wonderfully melodic music of Ignaz Pleyel, the Austrian-born French composer, with costumes tailored to showcase the fashions of the English Regency period from 1790–1820. This is the seventh world premiere Martin has choreographed for American Repertory Ballet.

Choreography: Artistic Director Douglas Martin
Music: Ignaz Pleyel
Costumes and Set Design: Christina Giannini

Sensory-Friendly Performance: A Midsummer Night’s Dream

American Repertory Ballet Artistic Director Douglas Martin’s full-length ballet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, premiered in early 2015 to high praise. Set to an enchanting score by Felix Mendelssohn, the ballet brings to life the wit and splendor of one of William Shakespeare’s most popular comedies. Featuring colorful choreography, costumes and sets, the story portrays the weaving tales of cunning fairies, quarreling lovers and a hilariously amateur acting group as their paths cross in a magical forest.

“Wonderful. I smiled from beginning to end.” —Critical Dance

“Feuding lovers, doltish tradesmen, and endearing woodland fairies are the roles that have been taken on by ARB dancers. And it is heartening to see that Martin and his principals have made every role, every sequence count; in fact, they have even addressed and improved upon a few of the weak points in Shakespeare’s material.” —Broadway World

Choreography: Artistic Director Douglas Martin
Music: Felix Mendelssohn

The abridged, one-hour, Sensory-Friendly performance of American Repertory Ballet’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream is especially for children and adults with special needs. The performance is made possible by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders as part of the UC Sensory Friendly Theatre series.

For more information about this Sensory-Friendly performance, please call Lindsay Cahill at (732)249-1254, ext. 19, or email [email protected]

On Pointe: Preview of the Premiere

Join Artistic Director Douglas Martin and ARB company members to discuss the world premiere of Martin’s new full-length ballet, Pride and Prejudice.

Masters of Dance and Music

A collection of some of the most spirited and bold dance, Masters of Dance and Music is a plethora of style, grace and the boldly new. The program opens with Glazunov Variations, choreographed by renowned choreographer and former American Ballet Theatre dancer Kirk Peterson, and is a highly technical work danced to sections of Alexander Glazunov’s music for the classical ballet, Raymonda. The program also features a new (and secret) world premiere by American Repertory Ballet Resident Choreographer Mary Barton. The evening concludes with Mary Barton’s A Shepherd Singing (and I Still Heard Nothing), which premiered last spring. This work explores composer Ludwig van Beethoven’s life, work and creative process through movement.

A Shepherd Singing (And I Still Heard Nothing)
Choreography: Mary Barton
Music: Ludwig van Beethoven

Scarlet Sonata (World Premiere)
Choreography: Mary Barton
Music: Joachim Raff

Glazunov Variations
Choreography: Kirk Peterson
Music: Alexander Glazunov

 

 

Masters of Dance and Music

A collection of some of the most spirited and bold dance, Masters of Dance and Music is a plethora of style, grace and the boldly new. The program opens with Glazunov Variations, choreographed by renowned choreographer and former American Ballet Theatre dancer Kirk Peterson, and is a highly technical work danced to sections of Alexander Glazunov’s music for the classical ballet, Raymonda. The program also features a new (and secret) world premiere by American Repertory Ballet Resident Choreographer Mary Barton. The evening concludes with Mary Barton’s A Shepherd Singing (And I Still Heard Nothing), which premiered last spring. This work explores composer Ludwig van Beethoven’s life, work and creative process through movement.

A Shepherd Singing (And I Still Heard Nothing)
Choreography: Mary Barton
Music: Ludwig van Beethoven

Scarlet Sonata (World Premiere)
Choreography: Mary Barton
Music: Joachim Raff

Glazunov Variations
Choreography: Kirk Peterson
Music: Alexander Glazunov

For more information about this school-time performance, please call Lindsay Cahill at (732)249-1254, ext. 19, or email [email protected]

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

American Repertory Ballet Artistic Director Douglas Martin’s full-length ballet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, premiered in early 2015 to high praise. Set to an enchanting score by Felix Mendelssohn, the ballet brings to life the wit and splendor of one of William Shakespeare’s most popular comedies. Featuring colorful choreography, costumes and sets, the story portrays the weaving tales of cunning fairies, quarreling lovers and a hilariously amateur acting group as their paths cross in a magical forest.

“Wonderful. I smiled from beginning to end.” —Critical Dance

“Feuding lovers, doltish tradesmen, and endearing woodland fairies are the roles that have been taken on by ARB dancers. And it is heartening to see that Martin and his principals have made every role, every sequence count; in fact, they have even addressed and improved upon a few of the weak points in Shakespeare’s material.” —Broadway World

Choreography: Artistic Director Douglas Martin
Music: Felix Mendelssohn