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originally published: 08/10/2022

(NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ) -- American Repertory Ballet (ARB) launches its 2022-2023 season with Kaleidoscope for four performances at the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center, September 23-25.

An innovative program featuring never-before-seen work, Kaleidoscope includes a unique collaboration between choreographer Da’ Von Doane, formerly of Dance Theatre of Harlem, and New Jersey-based visual artist Grace Lynne Haynes, whose creations have graced the cover of The New Yorker magazine. A recent graduate of the Rutgers Art & Design MFA program, Haynes will be designing scenic elements and costumes for Doane’s new ballet, a partnership amplifying both artists’ creative talents. About the piece, Doane says, “This work excavates the interplay between states of mind and processing the nature of change.”  

"Collaborations are a great way to learn about a different art practice, and mend together two distinct voices. I have grown so much as a visual artist through this project. I've been able to see how visual art can intertwine with dance and take on a new form,” explains Haynes. “Working with ARB has allowed me to push my perception of how painting can function and enhance the space it inhabits"

Also commissioned for the program will be a new work by ARB’s Ryoko Tanaka and pianist-composer Ian Howells, inspired by Salvador Dali’s painting titled Swans Reflecting Elephants. Tanaka, a beloved ARB Company dancer, made her choreographic debut with ARB last season, and Howells is a graduate of the John J. Cali School of Music at Montclair State University and Mercer County Community College, where he received degrees in Jazz Studies. He also accompanies classes at Princeton Ballet School, as well as Princeton, Rutgers and Rider University.

“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.”

 

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The program also features Claire Davison’s enchanting Bewitched set to Ella Fitzgerald’s iconic vocals. A dancer with American Ballet Theatre, Davison’s piece premiered at the Boulder Arts Outdoors Festival in 2021 and ARB performed the piece earlier this year as part of its Mask-erade Gala. Rounding out the performance will be a dazzling classical pas de deux, choreographed by Artistic Director Ethan Stiefel, set to music by Léo Delibes and showcasing the balletic bravura of ARB’s artists.

Audiences can expect a multifaceted and engaging experience during ARB’s Kaleidoscope performances at the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center for one weekend only:  September 23-25.

For tickets and more information, please visit arballet.org. The New Brunswick Performing Arts Center is located at 11 Livingston Avenue in New Brunswick, New Jersey.

Season tickets are now available! Buy tickets to all three American Repertory Ballet performances at New Brunswick Performing Arts Center (Kaleidoscope, Giselle, and PREMIERE3) and receive 30% off. This offer only applies when purchasing all three performances in the same transaction. Subscribers also receive additional discounts and benefits. For season tickets, visit arballet.org/seasontickets

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Led by Artistic Director Ethan Stiefel, American Repertory Ballet (ARB) is New Jersey’s preeminent ballet company, 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. 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 consistently for the past two decades and has repeatedly been awarded a Citation of Excellence by the Council. The company 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.  

photo credit: Harald Schrader Photography | Featuring Aldeir Monteiro