Baryshnikov Slated for Orange County Series : Dance: He will perform with his White Oak Dance Project in August, after the Joffrey opens the season in July with the Prince-scored ballet ‘Billboards.’

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 compact season” with “as many performances overall, as we had last year,” center president Thomas R. Kendrick said: “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.”

However, OCPAC’s dance series received a boost Wednesday when the Newport Beach-based Harry and Grace Steele Foundation announced a $1.5 million gift, spread over the next three years.

Baryshnikov will dance Aug. 5-7 with the White Oak Dance Project, a collaborative venture formed in 1990 by him and dancer-choreographer Mark Morris. The project includes seven other dancers and an ensemble of six musicians.

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 (AmFAR).

The season will open July 27-29 with the Joffrey Ballet in Gerald Arpino’s production of “Billboards,” 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, July 21-25. Impresario James A. Doolittle, who is producing the Joffrey’s Los Angeles engagement, is also in negotiations to bring the White Oak project to the Chandler.)

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. The production, which incorporates Balanchine’s 1981 choreography for the Garland Waltz, received its premiere in 1991.

American Ballet Theatre will present the premiere of a new production of the “Nutcracker” ballet, Dec. 3-12.

Originally announced for the 1991 season in Costa Mesa, the premiere was postponed because of ABT’s financial problems. The new production will be staged by company artistic director Kevin McKenzie.

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 will go on sale about six weeks before each engagement.