Avi Scher & Dancers April 23, 2011

Avi Scher & Dancers presents its second New York Season, including the World Premieres of Mirrors and DreamScapes, from April 23-25, 2011 at The Alvin Ailey Citigroup Theater, 405 W. 55th Street, NYC (at Ninth Avenue). Performances: Saturday at 8pm, Sunday at 3pm, Monday at 8pm. Tickets are $29 ($16 for students) and are available at www.smarttix.com or by phone at 212-868-4444.

Avi Scher & Dancers provides audiences with the opportunity to see new works by choreographer Avichai Scher performed by guest artists from the country’s top dance companies in small, intimate venues with affordable ticket prices. The World Premiere of "Mirrors" features Carla Korbes and Seth Orza of Pacific Northwest Ballet, Nicole Graniero and Craig Salstein of American Ballet Theatre, Laura Feig, Joel Prouty, and Deborah Wingert. "Mirrors" is about self-perceptions and what we learn about ourselves from looking in the mirror, sometimes too closely. Costumes by Janie Taylor of New York City Ballet; music by Elena Kats Chernin, performed live by ABT associate conductor David LaMarche on piano accompanied by a cellist. The World Premiere of "DreamScapes" is about distinguishing dreams from real life and using those dreams to guide reality. Music by Matt McBane and Timothy Andres, featuring San Francisco Ballet Principal Sofiane Sylve, New York City Ballet Principal Tyler Angle, NYCB Soloists Savannah Lowery and Ana Sophia Scheller, as well as Pennsylvania Ballet’s Frances Veyette and Lauren Fadeley. "Utopia" (2010) depicts people dancing at world’s end, as realizations slowly creep into their insulated lives, danced by Boston Ballet's Misa Kuranaga and Joseph Gatti, accompanied by pianist Benjamin Bradham. The comic piece "Classroom Fantasy" (2009) features five students from Manhattan Youth Ballet who portray young dancers visualizing their future careers as ballerinas with Deborah Wingert as the teacher guiding them as they embark on the first steps on their journeys, accompanied by ten professional dancers: Alexandra Blacker, Kelsey Coventry, Madeline Davenport, Chaz Meszaros, Victoria North, Joel Prouty, Nancy Richer, Monica Stephenson, Lauren Stewart, and Elizabeth Claire Walker, with music by John Field played live by pianist David LaMarche.