During the remainder of the season, seven guest artists join New York City Ballet dancers as part of the continued celebration of the company’s 75th anniversary. The six dancers will be coming from American ballet companies that have a historically close connection with NYCB, while famed actor Terrence Mann is part of the roster thanks to strong familial ties.
“We are thrilled to welcome these wonderful dancers to our stages during New York City Ballet’s 75th Anniversary Season to showcase their artistry as well as the close connections between NYCB and these great American companies,” said NYCB Artistic Director Jonathan Stafford and Associate Artistic Director Wendy Whelan in making the announcement.
“In addition, we are delighted that Terrence Mann will join us for Carnival of the Animals during the winter season. A member of New York City Ballet’s extended family, Terrence is the son-in-law of former Principal Dancer Jacques d’Amboise and the father of current corps de ballet member Shelby Mann.”
Guest Artists Join New York City Ballet Dancers
Alexandra Hutchinson, a company artist with Dance Theatre of Harlem, will dance as Dewdrop in George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker® on Friday, December 15 at 8pm and Sunday, December 17 at 1pm.
Hutchinson performed as a guest artist with New York City Ballet during the 2022 Spring Season in Pam Tanowitz’s Gustave le Gray No. 1.
In her four seasons with DTH, her repertory has included works by George Balanchine, Robert Garland, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Darrell Grand Moultrie, and Stanton Welch.
Arthur Mitchell, a former Principal Dancer with New York City Ballet founded Dance Theatre of Harlem in 1969.
Ashton Edwards will dance a featured role in Justin Peck’s The Times are Racing on January 27 at 8pm and Sunday, January 28 at 3pm.
Currently a member of the corps de ballet at Pacific Northwest Ballet, Edwards joined the company as an apprentice in 2021 and since then has danced leading roles in works by George Balanchine, Jiří Kylián, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, and Justin Peck.
Former NYCB Principal Dancer Peter Boal has been the Artistic Director of PNB since 2005, following in the footsteps of previous directors Kent Stowell and Francia Russell, both former soloists with NYCB.
Gillian Murphy and Aran Bell, both Principal Dancers with American Ballet Theatre, will perform Jerome Robbins’ Other Dances on Sunday, May 26 at 3pm, during the 2024 Spring Season.
Robbins became NYCB’s Associate Artistic Director in 1949 after his dancing career with ABT.
Murphy danced principal roles as a student at University of North Carolina School of the Arts before joining ABT in 1996 as a member of the corps de ballet. By 2002, she had reached the highest rank of the company and has since danced the lead in many of the most famous classical ballets.
Bell trained at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, The Royal Ballet School, and ABT’s Summer Intensive in NYC before joining the ABT Studio Company in 2014. In 2020, he was promoted to Principal Dancer performing lead roles in Le Corsaire, Don Quixote, Giselle, Romeo and Juliet, The Sleeping Beauty, and Swan Lake.
Taylor Naturkas and Brooks Landegger of Miami City Ballet will join the cast of Balanchine’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream for the finale of the season dancing the Divertissement pas de deux.
Miami City Ballet has been directed by former NYCB Principal Dancers since its founding, first by Edward Villella and currently by Lourdes Lopez.
Naturkas is a Soloist with MCB since 2022, joined the company after attending both Miami City Ballet School’s summer and year-round programs. As a student, she performed Dewdrop in Balanchine’s The Nutcracker® and shortly after, in 2020, was made a member of the corps de ballet. She has performed in works by Balanchine, John Cranko, William Forsythe, Martha Graham, Pontus Lidberg, Alexei Ratmansky, Jerome Robbins, Claudia Schreier, and Durante Verzola.
Corps de ballet member Landegger studied at the School of American Ballet after which he joined the touring cast of Billy Elliot for which he won awards as the young, title character. Since joining MCB in 2022, he has danced in works by George Balanchine, John Cranko, Amy Hall Garner, Jerome Robbins, and Durante Verzola.
Terrence Mann will appear as the Narrator in Christopher Wheeldon’s Carnival of the Animals on Friday, March 1 at 8pm, Saturday, March 2 at 2pm and 8pm, and Sunday, March 3 at 3pm.
As a famed actor, he has earned Emmy and Tony Award nominations throughout his career as a film, television, and stage performer. Off screen, he has been the Artistic Director of the Carolina Arts Festival and North Carolina Theatre.
Featured Photo for Guest Artists Join New York City Ballet Dancers of the company in Justin Peck’s The Times are Racing. Photo by Javier Real.
