The World Premiere of Vibrant Blue, choreographed by Arthur Avilés, will highlight New York Theatre Ballet’s (NYTB) Spring 2023 performances May 5 and 6 at 7 PM at Florence Gould Hall in New York City. Vibrant Blue, the first commission in NYTB’s "Letters to My Father" project, is part of the Legends & Visionaries program which also includes Song Before Spring, choreographed by Zhong-Jing Fang of American Ballet Theatre and NYTB Artistic Director Steven Melendez. The company’s family friendly Once Upon a Ballet series on May 6 and 7 will feature four performances of Carnival of the Animals and Antony Tudor’s Little Improvisations.
Legends & Visionaries
New York Theatre Ballet’s "Letters to My Father" project is a multi-year, multi-disciplinary commission of dance works all on the theme of male artists writing letters to their fathers. Over the next three seasons NYTB will premiere new works built as collaborations between dance maker and composer (or writer, filmmaker or digital artist) to tell the varied stories of the relationships between sons and fathers. Avilés’ Vibrant Blue, a work for eight dancers, is set to a score by Dendarry Bakery and features costumes by Carmella Lauer. The ballet is Avilés’ first work for NYTB. Song Before Spring, a 2016 commission set to music by Philip Glass, pairs Zhong-Jing Fang of American Ballet Theatre with Steven Melendez as co-choreographers. A work for eight dancers, Song Before Spring features costumes by Sylvia Taalsohn Nolan.
Once Upon a Ballet
New York Theatre Ballet’s Once Upon a Ballet series presents Carnival of the Animals and Little Improvisations. Set in a magical forest, NYTB’s Carnival of the Animals tells the story of Queen Diana and her shaggy lion who rule a charming assortment of animals and live quite peaceably. The fun begins when a pair of lost children wander in. The ballet is set to the joyous score by Camille Saint-Saëns and features choreography by Beth Storey Taylor, costume design by Taalsohn Nolan, and set design by Gillian Bradshaw-Smith. The family friendly program also features Tudor’s Little Improvisations, a charming portrayal of two children playing in an attic on a rainy day. Set to Robert Schumann’s Kinderscenen, the ballet is staged for NYTB by Diana Byer and features costumes by Taalsohn Nolan.
