West Side Story Suite
Encyclopedia
West Side Story Suite is a ballet made by New York City Ballet
balletmaster Jerome Robbins
to the 1957 music
by Leonard Bernstein
and lyrics of Stephen Sondheim
and extracted from the eponymous musical which he had choreographed, with scenery by Oliver Smith
, costumes by Irene Sharaff
and lighting by Jennifer Tipton
. The premiere took place at New York State Theater on Thursday, May 18th, 1995. Nikolaj Hübbe
and Jock Soto
, both members of the original cast, as well as Peter Boal
all chose to include West Side Story Suite in their farewell performances at City Ballet.
New York City Ballet
New York City Ballet is a ballet company founded in 1948 by choreographer George Balanchine and Lincoln Kirstein. Leon Barzin was the company's first music director. Balanchine and Jerome Robbins are considered the founding choreographers of the company...
balletmaster Jerome Robbins
Jerome Robbins
Jerome Robbins was an American theater producer, director, and choreographer known primarily for Broadway Theater and Ballet/Dance, but who also occasionally directed films and directed/produced for television. His work has included everything from classical ballet to contemporary musical theater...
to the 1957 music
West Side Story
West Side Story is an American musical with a script by Arthur Laurents, music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and choreographed by Jerome Robbins...
by Leonard Bernstein
Leonard Bernstein
Leonard Bernstein August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, author, music lecturer and pianist. He was among the first conductors born and educated in the United States of America to receive worldwide acclaim...
and lyrics of Stephen Sondheim
Stephen Sondheim
Stephen Joshua Sondheim is an American composer and lyricist for stage and film. He is the winner of an Academy Award, multiple Tony Awards including the Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre, multiple Grammy Awards, a Pulitzer Prize and the Laurence Olivier Award...
and extracted from the eponymous musical which he had choreographed, with scenery by Oliver Smith
Oliver Smith (designer)
Oliver Smith was an American scenic designer.Born in Waupun, Wisconsin, Smith attended Penn State, after which he moved to New York City and began to form friendships that blossomed into working relationships with such talents as Leonard Bernstein, Jerome Robbins, Carson McCullers, and Agnes de...
, costumes by Irene Sharaff
Irene Sharaff
Irene Sharaff was an American costume designer for stage and screen. Her work earned her five Academy Awards and a Tony Award.- Background :...
and lighting by Jennifer Tipton
Jennifer Tipton
Jennifer Tipton is a lighting designer. She has designed for dance, theater and opera.In 1958, she graduated from Cornell University...
. The premiere took place at New York State Theater on Thursday, May 18th, 1995. Nikolaj Hübbe
Nikolaj Hübbe
Nikolaj Hübbe is artistic director of the Royal Danish Ballet. He was born on 30 October th, 1967, and raised in Copenhagen, Denmark. He began his dance training at age 10 at the Royal Danish Ballet School and became an apprentice to the Royal Danish Ballet in 1984. He was promoted soloist in 1988....
and Jock Soto
Jock Soto
Jock Soto is a former American ballet dancer and current ballet instructor.-Career:Soto danced featured roles in over 40 ballets, of which more than 35 were created for him....
, both members of the original cast, as well as Peter Boal
Peter Boal
Peter Boal is artistic director of Pacific Northwest Ballet and director of its affiliated school in Seattle, Washington. He was born in Bedford, New York, in 1965 and began studies at the School of American Ballet at age nine.Mr...
all chose to include West Side Story Suite in their farewell performances at City Ballet.
original
- Nancy Ticotin
- Elena Diner
- Natalie Toro
- Robert La Fosse
- Jock SotoJock SotoJock Soto is a former American ballet dancer and current ballet instructor.-Career:Soto danced featured roles in over 40 ballets, of which more than 35 were created for him....
- Nikolaj HübbeNikolaj HübbeNikolaj Hübbe is artistic director of the Royal Danish Ballet. He was born on 30 October th, 1967, and raised in Copenhagen, Denmark. He began his dance training at age 10 at the Royal Danish Ballet School and became an apprentice to the Royal Danish Ballet in 1984. He was promoted soloist in 1988....
first cast
- Faye Arthurs
- Georgina Pazcoguin
- Gretchen Smith
- Benjamin MillepiedBenjamin MillepiedBenjamin Millepied is a French danseur, best known for his work as choreographer in the movie Black Swan .-Early life:...
- Amar RamasarAmar RamasarAmar Ramasar is a principal dancer of the New York City Ballet. In 2010, Dance Magazine reported that Ramasar was one of the few Asian American professional ballet dancers...
- Damian WoetzelDamian WoetzelDamian Woetzel, former ballet star, is a producer and director of dance and music performances. Among his recent projects was directing the first performance of the White House Dance Series in September 2010, which took place in the East Room of the White House and was hosted by First Lady Michelle...
second cast
- Faye Arthurs
- Georgina Pazcoguin
- Gretchen Smith
- Robert Fairchild
- Amar RamasarAmar RamasarAmar Ramasar is a principal dancer of the New York City Ballet. In 2010, Dance Magazine reported that Ramasar was one of the few Asian American professional ballet dancers...
- Andrew Veyette
2008 Spring — Jerome Robbins celebration
- Faye Arthurs
- Georgina Pazcoguin
- Gretchen Smith
- Robert Fairchild
- Amar RamasarAmar RamasarAmar Ramasar is a principal dancer of the New York City Ballet. In 2010, Dance Magazine reported that Ramasar was one of the few Asian American professional ballet dancers...
- Damian WoetzelDamian WoetzelDamian Woetzel, former ballet star, is a producer and director of dance and music performances. Among his recent projects was directing the first performance of the White House Dance Series in September 2010, which took place in the East Room of the White House and was hosted by First Lady Michelle...
2008 Summer tour to Paris
- t.b.a.
2008 Summer tour
- t.b.a.
second cast
- Faye Arthurs
- Georgina Pazcoguin
- Gretchen Smith
- Robert Fairchild
- Andrew Veyette
- Justin Peck
second cast
- Faye Arthurs
- Jenifer Ringer
- Gretchen Smith
- Benjamin MillepiedBenjamin MillepiedBenjamin Millepied is a French danseur, best known for his work as choreographer in the movie Black Swan .-Early life:...
- Andrew Veyette
- Amar RamasarAmar RamasarAmar Ramasar is a principal dancer of the New York City Ballet. In 2010, Dance Magazine reported that Ramasar was one of the few Asian American professional ballet dancers...
first cast
- Faye Arthurs
- Jenifer Ringer
- Gretchen Smith
- Robert Fairchild
- Amar RamasarAmar RamasarAmar Ramasar is a principal dancer of the New York City Ballet. In 2010, Dance Magazine reported that Ramasar was one of the few Asian American professional ballet dancers...
- Andrew Veyette
second cast
- Faye Arthurs
- Georgina Pazcoguin
- Gretchen Smith
- Benjamin MillepiedBenjamin MillepiedBenjamin Millepied is a French danseur, best known for his work as choreographer in the movie Black Swan .-Early life:...
- Justin Peck
- Andrew Veyette
2010 Winter
- t.b.a.
Articles
Reviews
- http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/12/arts/dance/12hubb.htmlNY Times by Alastair MacaulayAlastair MacaulayAlastair Macaulay is a dance critic for the New York Times. He was previously chief dance critic at The Times Literary Supplement and chief theater critic of the Financial Times, both of London...
, February 12th, 2008] - http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/11/arts/dance/11ball.htmlNY Times by Jennifer DunningJennifer DunningJennifer Dunning is a writer and critic for the New York Times on the subjects of dance and ballet. She is the author of the 1985 But First a School: The First Fifty Years of the School of American Ballet, the 1996 Alvin Ailey, a Life in Dance and the 1997 Great Performances: A...
, February 11th, 2008]
- http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/21/arts/dance/21soto.htmlNY Times by Jack AndersonJack Anderson (dance critic)Jack Anderson is an American dance critic and author. Since 1978, he has been a contributor of dance reviews and other articles in The New York Times...
, June 21st, 2005] - NY Times by Gia Kourlas, June 7th, 2005
- http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=990CE7DD113BF933A15756C0A963958260NY Times by Anna KisselgoffAnna KisselgoffAnna Kisselgoff is a dance critic and cultural news reporter for the New York Times. She began at the Times as a dance critic and cultural news reporter in 1968, and became its Chief Dance Critic in 1977, a role she held until 2005...
, May 20th, 1995]