Walter’s World: Weekend Picks- Its All About Dance

By Walter Rutledge

The weekend is all about dance. There is ballet, modern and contemporary dance taking place all over the city. These events will present the stars of today, tomorrow and returning dance legends. Here are a few of the events taking place around the city.

The Youth America Grand Prix will hold a three-day dance competition beginning Thursday April 26 through Sunday April 29 at the David H. Koch Theatre at Lincoln Center. The Youth American Grand Prix is America’s first and the world’s largest student ballet scholarship competition. Conducted through annual regional competitions throughout the U.S and abroad, the competition is a global network of opportunity connecting dancers, teachers, schools, and dance companies. The 2012 Youth America Grand Prix will culminate with a final round of competition, gala performance and a special tribute performance in honor of legendary ballerina Natalia Makarova.

The schedule of event are as follows:

The final round of the competition will take place on April 26 at 7pm. Audiences can watch sixty of the world’s best young dancers perform. This is only the 4th time the final rounds have been open to the public. Tickets are $25 and $45

Stars of Today Meet the Stars of Tomorrow will take place on Friday April 27 at 7pm. It will feature the 2012 competition finalists with special performances by international stars including Misty Copland (American Ballet Theatre), 
Herman Cornejo (American Ballet Theatre), 
Matthew Golding (Dutch National Ballet)
, Teresa Reichlen (New York City Ballet),  
Tamara Rojo (The Royal Ballet)
, Sergei Polunin (The Royal Ballet),  
Alicia Amatriain (Stuttgart Ballet). Tickets are $45, $75, $100, and $150.

On April 28 at 7pm the The Youth American Grand Prix will present Ballerina Assoluta: Tribute to Natalia Makarova. Internationally acclaimed dancers will perform some of Makarova’s most iconic roles. The star-studded cast will include Alicia Amatriain (Stuttgart Ballet), Tyler Angle (New York City Ballet), 
Matthew Golding (Dutch National Ballet), 
Marcelo Gomes (American Ballet Theatre), 
Maria Kowroski (New York City Ballet), 
Denis Matvienko (Mariinsky Ballet)
Gillian Murphy, (American Ballet Theatre), 
Natalia Osipova (American Ballet Theatre/Mikhailovsky Theatre St. Petersburg), 
Sergei Polunin (The Royal Ballet), 
Tamara Rojo (The Royal Ballet), 
Damian Smith (San Francisco Ballet), 
Yuan Yuan Tan (San Francisco Ballet)
, Ivan Vasiliev (American Ballet Theatre/Mikhailovsky Theatre St. Petersburg), 
Diana Vishneva (American Ballet Theatre/Mariinsky Ballet),
 and Friedemann Vogel (Stuttgart Ballet). Guest of honor Natalia Makarova will share anecdotes, present archival film footage and photographs from her illustrious career. Tickets are $75, $100, and $150.

Tickets for all events are available at www.davidhkochtheater.com. For more information, visit WWW.YAGP.ORG.

The second week of the Ailey II spring season continues on Wednesday April 25 at the Ailey Citigroup Theater in the Joan Weill Center for Dance located at 405 W. 55^th. The company will present two programs entitled Modern Moves and Contemporary Choices. Modern Moves will present Ehoes by Vietnamese born choreographer Thang Dao, South Korean choreographer Mina Yoo’s Boulevard and Artistic Director Designate Troy Powell’s Reference Point. Contemporary Choices will feature Kyle Abraham’s The Corner, The Legacy of Inheritance by Stephanie Batten Bland and Shards by Donald Byrds.

 Contemporary Choices will be offered on Friday, April 27, at 8pm and Saturday, April 28, at 8pm. You can see Modern Moves on Thursday, April 26, at 8pm, Saturday, April 28, at 3pm, Sunday, April 29, at 3pm and Sunday, April 29, at 7pm. Tickets can be purchased at the box office located at the Joan Weill Center for Dance and online. For more information, box office hours and to purchase tickets online, visit www.alvinailey.org, www.ovationtix.com or call 866-811-4111.

Ballet Hispanico’s annual season continues on thru Sunday April 29 at the Joyce Theater. The company will present the world première of Espiritu Vivo by Ronald K. Brown, the Joyce première of Asuka by Artistic Director Eduardo Vilaro, and the New York première of Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s Nube Blanco. Returning company favorites including Guajira by Pedro Ruiz, two works by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa Mad’moiselle, and Locked Up Laura, and Tito on Timbales a tribute to the music of master percussionist Tito Puente by choreographer William Whitener.

Two remaining programs will be offered. Program B featuring Guajira (Pedro Luis), Espiritu Vivo (Ronald K. Brown) and Mad’moiselle (Annabelle Lopez Ochoa). The entire Program B schedule is: Tuesday, April 24 at 7:30pm; Wednesday, April 25 at 7:30pm, Thursday, April 26 at 8pm; Friday, April 27 at 8pm and Saturday, April 28 at 8pm.  Program C will be presented on April 28 at 2pm and Sunday, April 29 at 2pm. The works presented are Tito on Timbales (William Whitener), Locked Up (Laura Annabelle Lopez Ochoa), Espiritu Vivo (Ronald K. Brown) and Asuka (Eduardo Vilaro). Tickets begin at $10 and are available by phone at 212-242-0800 or joyce.org.

As always thank you for letting me share my world with you.

In Photo: 1) Brittany Engel Adams and Collin Heyward  2) David Donnelly 3) Natalia Marakova 4)  Fana Testagiorgis 5)  Jessica Alejandra Wyatt and company

Photo Credit: 1,4& 5) Eduardo Patino 3) Martha Swope