American Ballet Theatre has canceled its 2020 spring season at the Metropolitan Opera House and postponed several other programs, due to the ongoing COVID-19 public health crisis that has shuttered theatres around the globe.
Programming for the May 11–July 4 lineup included the retrospective series ABT Then and Now, the New York premiere of Alexei Ratmansky’s Of Love and Rage, the 40th anniversary of Natalia Makarova’s production of La Bayadère, and full-length presentations of Romeo and Juliet, Giselle, The Sleeping Beauty, Jane Eyre, and Swan Lake.
ABT’s 80th Anniversary Spring Gala, originally scheduled for May 18 at the Lincoln Center venue, has been postponed to October 2, kicking off the company's fall season at the David H. Koch Theater (October 21–November 1).
“While the impossibility of proceeding with our season is deeply painful, protecting the health and well-being of our ABT artists, crew, musicians, staff, and audience members is paramount,” said Executive Director Kara Medoff Barnett. “Right now, members of the ABT community are #AloneButTogether, doing our part to stop the spread of the coronavirus through social distancing.”
In addition to the Met season, ABT has postponed its 2020 tours to Chicago, Illinois; Durham, North Caroline; Abu Dhabi, U.A.E.; and Detroit, Michigan.
All ABT Studio Company performances are cancelled through April, including the U.K. tour. The May performances at the Ailey Citigroup Theater are also cancelled. The ABT Studios and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School will be closed until April 20. School open auditions have been postponed until further notice.
