Sinatra, Gershwin flavor dance season
STEVEN BROWN

Frank Sinatra, Duke Ellington and George Gershwin will serenade the audiences. Romeo and Juliet will give romance another try. The Brazilian rainforest will beckon. A leader of modern dance and Broadway will finally get some attention.

That last item was the hint. We're talking about N.C. Dance Theatre's 2007-08 season.

This fall, the company will perform its first work by dance pioneer and Tony Award winner Twyla Tharp. Tharp's "Nine Sinatra Songs," which dates back to long before ballroom dancing's TV revival, pays tribute to the steps and excitement of dance contests. Costumes by Oscar de la Renta add glamor.

The company will celebrate two other venerable names in popular music. Alvin Ailey's "Night Creature," based on a Duke Ellington score, will get its first NCDT performances. The company will bring back George Balanchine's Gershwin celebration, "Who Cares?" -- whose premiere cast at the New York City Ballet in 1970 included NCDT's Patricia McBride.

The troupe's artistic director, Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux, will offer a different view of the Romeo-and-Juliet saga. His version draws on Hector Berlioz's so-called "dramatic symphony," which focuses on key scenes rather than retelling the whole story. NCDT's Mark Diamond will contribute dance version of "The Little Mermaid" and "Beauty and the Beast" for children's matinees.

The annual "Innovative Works" program will include a repeat of "Na Floresta," choreographer Nacho Duato's homage to the rainforest, which comes fresh from NCDT performances this season. The program will also include works by Diamond, NCDT alumnus Uri Sands and current NCDT dancer Sasha Janes.

The company will make a couple of scheduling moves focused on the box office.

Hoping to give word of mouth a chance to pump up ticket sales, executive director Doug Singleton said, NCDT will spread two programs across two weekends each -- with the cozy Booth Playhouse as the setting. And the company will do more performances of its annual "Nutcracker," aiming to capitalize on this season's revamped version of the holiday classic.

The company sold more than 80 percent of the available tickets in December, Singleton said, compared to around 50 percent in recent years.

Performances will be at the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center, 130 N. Tryon St. The schedule:

Sept 20-22: Evenings: Alvin Ailey's "Night Creature"; Twyla Tharp's "Nine Sinatra Songs" new work by Dwight Rhoden. Matinees: Mark Diamond's "Beauty and the Beast." Belk Theater.

Nov. 1-3 and 8-10: "Innovative Works." Booth Playhouse.

Dec. 14-16 and 21-23: "Nutcracker." Belk Theater.

Feb. 28-March 1 and March 6-8: "Who Cares?" by George Balanchine; new work by Dwight Rhoden; Mark Diamond's "Bolero." Booth Playhouse.

May 15-17: Evenings: Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux's "Romeo and Juliet." Matinees: Mark Diamond's "The Little Mermaid."

Details: 704-3672-0101; www.ncdance.org.