The New Orleans Ballet Association welcomes the exquisite Stars of American Ballet back for an Encore! evening at the Mahalia Jackson Theater on March 18 at 8 pm. This rare performance is a special opportunity for audiences to see some of today’s most remarkable dancers hand-picked from New York City Ballet (NYCB) and beyond in a glamorous, tailor-made evening of classical ballets by world renowned choreographers, including icons George Balanchine and Christopher Wheeldon plus NYCB’s resident choreographer and rising star Justin Peck. As lagniappe for New Orleans audiences, the evening features a NOBA-commissioned world premiere duet created by American Ballet Theatre superstar Marcelo Gomes and set to House of the Rising Sun. New York City Ballet’s Daniel Ulbricht, hailed by Dance Magazine as “one of the best male ballet dancers,” directs and performs with this elite ensemble from NYCB, including principal dancers Teresa Reichlen, Ask la Cour, Sterling Hyltin, Chase Finlay and Rebecca Krohn, soloists Lauren King and Russell Janzen, and internationally award-winning guest artists Joseph Gatti, Andrea Harvey and Danielle Diniz. Tickets for Stars of American Ballet start at $24 and may be purchased through the New Orleans Ballet Association Box Office at (504) 522-0996 or online at www.NOBAdance.com, and through Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000 or www.ticketmaster.com. Discounts are available for students, seniors and groups.