American Ballet Theatre is starting the New Year with a new leader: Susan Jaffe, who last May was named as the successor to Kevin McKenzie after his 30-year tenure as artistic director. Jaffe isn’t new to ABT—she joined the corps at 18 and was a beloved principal dancer and international star there for 22 years. […]
Kevin McKenzie, American Ballet Theatre’s longtime artistic director, announced yesterday that he will retire at the end of 2022, after three decades at the helm. He will continue to oversee the company’s 2021–22 season while a search for his successor begins this summer. In an interview with The New York Times’ Rosalyn Sulcas, McKenzie noted […]
Former American Ballet Theatre corps de ballet dancers and married couple Emily Hayes and Jonathan Klein are making a big leap into business. After launching their French-made botanical skin-care company, Murmure, last October, the pair officially resigned from ABT in March to give the new business their full attention. Murmure’s products, which are vegan and cruelty-free, have […]
Globetrotting choreographer Alexei Ratmansky is a peculiarly 21st-century figure. Having served as artistic director of the Bolshoi Ballet, and then artist in residence first at American Ballet Theatre and now New York City Ballet, he embodies geopolitics in a shrinking and more fractured world. Marina Harss’ terrific biography, The Boy from Kyiv: Alexei Ratmansky’s Life […]
At the forefront of almost every narrative classical ballet, there’s a man and a woman. The ballerina dazzles us with her delicate pointework, while the male ballet dancer, in contrast, astounds us with his agility and strength. They are brought together with a pas de deux, and their trials of love and loss drive the […]
In a rehearsal studio at American Ballet Theatre not long ago, SunMi Park, a newly minted soloist, and principal dancer Calvin Royal III rehearsed a pas de deux from Christopher Wheeldon’s new ballet, Like Water for Chocolate. The passage depicted a tender moment between two people exploring their feelings for each other. As Royal lifted […]
We asked for your favorite performances this year, and you delivered! 2022 was filled with outstanding onstage moments that left an impression on our readers. While classics like Dracula and Swan Lake were especially popular this year, a variety of performances by dancers and companies made the list. We are thrilled to see what stood […]
On October 27, American Ballet Theatre’s Fall Gala will present the world premiere of Lifted, by choreographer Christopher Rudd. The piece features an all-Black cast and creative team—a historic first for the company—including dancers Erica Lall, Calvin Royal III, Courtney Lavine, Melvin Lawovi and Jose Sebastian. Lifted is Rudd’s second work for ABT, his first […]