A D V E R T I S E M E N T

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

Living legends, monstre sacrés, great institutions, and kinky foreign visitors: All will enjoy the spotlight during New York City's fall dance season. The major event is American Ballet Theatre's annual run at City Center, this year between October 18 and November 5. ABT's fall season shows almost an entirely different company, at least artistically, than its spring programs at the Metropolitan Opera House — instead of eveninglength blockbusters, we are treated to a liberal assortment of one-act works.

This year the company revives Twyla Tharp's "Sinatra Suite," created as a vehicle for Mikhail Baryshnikov in 1983, and not seen at ABT since Mr. Baryshnikov danced it in New York in 1984. Circular patterns of history reassert themselves as Elaine Kudo, Mr. Baryshnikov's partner during the piece's original run at ABT, will stage this year's resurrection. Mr. Baryshnikov's role will be danced by Herman Cornejo, and it remains to be seen how well the work stands up without its original star.

There will also be new work by Jorma Elo, Boston Ballet's resident choreographer, who is very popular at the moment. Last spring, Mr. Elo made a ballet for New York City Ballet's Diamond Project.

But the most exciting event of the ABT season, at least for balletomanes, is probably a revival of "Symphonie Concertante," a much-too-infrequently-performed masterpiece by George Balanchine.Created for "Ballet Society,"a forerunner of NYCB, in 1947, the piece was reconstructed by ABT in 1983 from notation after being absent from the stage for 30 years. Last performed by ABT in 1999, "Symphonie Concertante," is set to Mozart at his most sublime, aptly matched by choreography that includes some of the most inventive and expressive passages Balanchine ever created.

Keeping with superlatives, French ballerina Sylvie Guillem's outsize extensions and outsize audacity have made her one of the ballet world's most controversial divas for more than 20 years. Ms. Guillem has mellowed as well as improved with age, but she is always ready for a new challenge. October 11–15, she will star in British contemporary choreographer Russell Maliphant's evening-length mixed bill, "Push," at City Center.

City Center will also play host to its third annual "Fall for Dance" celebration, September 28–October 8. The program is different at every performance, but "Fall for Dance" offers an extraordinary mix of international companies, ranging from the Dutch National Ballet to the BalletBoyz, NYCB to the Martha Graham Dance Company at bargain basement prices ($10 per ticket). If you're an adventurous dance lover, this is certainly for you. But, even if you relish the familiar, you might depend on "Fall for Dance" to deliver some standbys: The festival's October 3 program offers New Yorkers one of the only chances to see NYCB in a performance other than the "Nutcracker" (which opens November 24) this fall season.

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