‘ Anna Karenina’ among highlights of Joffrey’s 2018- 2019 season

There’s excitement afoot at Chicago’s Joffrey Ballet, which Monday announced its 2018- 19 season, including the previously disclosed first- ever collaboration with the Australian Ballet in a world- premiere staging of “Anna Karenina.”

The ballet, by Yuri Possokhov, to be presented Feb. 13- 24, 2019, reimagines Tolstoy’s iconic novel set against a backdrop of 19th- century Imperial Russia.

The new season also boasts the return of Christopher Wheeldon’s “Swan Lake” ( Oct. 17- 28) and the holiday classic “The Nutcracker” ( Dec. 1- 30), Wheeldon’s critically acclaimed reimagined ballet.

An April 24- May 5 mixed- repertory program, “Across the Pond,” will feature a world premiere by Andrea Walker, founder and director of London’s 201 Dance Company; the Chicago premiere of Wayne McGregor’s “Kairos,” and the Joffrey premiere of Sir Frederick Ashton’s “Symphonic Variations.”

The Joffrey makes its Chicago Symphony Orchestra debut with performances May 30- June 1, 2019, in a world premiere work set to the music of Stravinsky’s Dumbarton Oaks Concerto. The program at Symphony Center ( 220 S. Michigan) will also include Wheeldon’s “Comedia” set to the music of Stravinsky’s Suite from Pulcinella.

All performances ( except for the CSO program) are presented at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University, 50 E. Congress. Subscription series tickets will be available starting Feb. 12 at joffrey. org and by phone at ( 312) 386- 8905. Ticket information for the CSO program is available only at cso. org. Single tickets for the October, February and April/ May performances and “The Nutcracker” will be available Aug. 1.