‘93 Dance Series Set for Center

Mikhail Baryshnikov, the New York City Ballet, the Joffrey Ballet and American Ballet Theatre will be presented on the 1993 dance series at the Orange County Performing Arts Center.

Calling it a “a compact season” with “as many performances over-all as we had last year,” center president Thomas R. Kendrick said Monday: “It has been a very tough task to assemble this season because of the cumulative impact of the recession. There has been a rapid decline in the number of new productions and in international touring.”

Thus, although the number of performance days may not have declined, two companies appear for just three days, while ABT will spend its nine days just before Christmas dancing the holiday favorite “Nutcracker.” New York City Ballet, also appearing for nine days, will devote six of those to another classic from the ballet repertory, “Sleeping Beauty.”

Baryshnikov will dance Aug. 5-7 with the White Oak Dance Project, a collaborative venture formed by him and dancer-choreographer Mark Morris. The troupe will dance Hanya Holm’s “JOCOSE,” Twyla Tharp’s Sonata for Violin and Piano (music by Pergolesi), and a new ballet by Morris set to two of Henry Cowell’s string quartets. Morris will not dance in Costa Mesa.

The first day of the three-day run will include tickets priced to support the American Foundation for AIDS Research.

The season will open July 27-29 with the Joffrey Ballet in Gerald Arpino’s production of “Bill-boards,” a full-evening work set to music by rock star Prince.

The choreography is by Laura Dean, Charles Moulton, Peter Pucci and Margo Sappington. The three Costa Mesa dates follow five performances of the ballet at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles, July 21-25.

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New York City Ballet, here Oct. 14-24, will dance Peter Martins’ controversial, streamlined production of “The Sleeping Beauty” and five programs of shorter repertory.

Martins has condensed the Petipa classic from a prologue and three acts to two acts, eliminating or abbreviating much of the dramatic action, linking many of the dances and making other changes.

ABT will present the premiere of a new production of the “Nutcracker” ballet, Dec. 3-12. The new production will be staged by company artistic director Kevin McKenzie.

Kendrick said that the short engagements for White Oak and Joffrey “has to do with the time and availability” of the companies. “We possibly could add performances of ‘Billboards,’ but that would depend on the company’s availability and the indications of advance sales.”

Subscription tickets, ranging from $57 to $218, go on sale by mail only on May 1. For information, call (714) 556-2787, Ext. 292. After June 6, subscriptions may be ordered by phone through Ticketmaster at (714) 740-2000 or (213) 480-3232 or through the center box office at (714) 556-2787, Ext. 240. Individual tickets go on sale about six weeks before each engagement.