In 1890 Marius Petipa and the Mariinsky Theatre in Russia commissioned Tchaikovsky to create a score for the fairy tale The Sleeping Beauty. With its lavish music and production values, the ballet that followed enthralled everyone, especially the designer Léon Bakst and the ballet impresario Sergei Diaghilev. In 1921, they went on to create their own production for Ballets Russes, magnificently combining Petipa’s choreography and Tchaikovsky’s music with Bakst’s elaborate designs.

Now, 125 years later, ABT Artist in Residence and MacArthur “Genius Grant” recipient Alexei Ratmansky picks up where they left off. “I have long wanted to choreograph a version of The Sleeping Beauty,” says Ratmansky. “Tchaikovsky’s complex score and Petipa’s choreography represent the highest achievement of Russian classical art. It symbolizes the harmony and magic of classical dance for me.”

What a perfect match for the grandeur of ABT’s 75th anniversary season! Tony Award®-winning designer Richard Hudson will design scenery and re-construct costumes for American Ballet Theatre’s new production of The Sleeping Beauty based on the historic work of Léon Bakst. And Premiere Club members will attend rehearsals and then stand with the dancers on the stage of the Met post-opening to toast its creation.

Premiere Club members receive these benefits--a sneak preview in rehearsal at ABT’s home studios, the final working dress rehearsal at the Metropolitan Opera House, a backstage tour before the performance, and an on-stage reception after the performance with the choreographer and ABT dancers.

As a Premiere Club member, you’ll also receive the benefits of ABT’s Golden Benefactor membership level including: VIP access to advanced ticket sales and ticketing assistance through our Patron Ticketing office, invitations to all Golden Circle Dress Rehearsals, invitation to exclusive events including the annual Golden Circle Luncheon, and much more.

American Ballet Theatre’s Premiere Club supports the creation of one new production each year, an initiative which speaks directly to ABT’s role as a leader in classical dance. The premiere work may take the form of a new ballet by one of the great contemporary choreographers, or a revival or re-staging of a classical masterpiece. ABT has enjoyed a long history of artistic collaborations with some of the world's leading choreographers including Antony Tudor, Sir Kenneth MacMillan and Agnes de Mille, as well as Twyla Tharp, Mark Morris, Christopher Wheeldon and ABT Artist in Residence Alexei Ratmansky.

For more information, please contact our Membership Office at 212.477.3030 ext. 3274.