Ballet Beats

Before the pandemic you would never expect to see New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Broadway and Dance Theatre of Harlem all sharing the same bill together unless you were in Lower Manhattan.

To view a promo video for iHeartDanceNYC, please visit The Ballet Herald.

Boston Ballet’s Process & Progress program features pieces choreographed across time zones and continents. Called a “long-distance collaboration” by one of the choreographers, themes of connection and human relationships run through all four pieces. Boston Ballet’s digital show leans into our synchronistic feelings of isolation, mixing them with ripples of hope.

To view images of Boston Ballet in this program's works and find ticket information, please visit The Ballet Herald.

Performed in an open-air theater, Texas Ballet Theater's Al Fresco is a collection of classic and contemporary pieces, including selections from Swan Lake and The Sleeping Beauty as well as the world premiere of a pas de deux choreographed by TBT Artistic Director Ben Stevenson O.B.E.

To read the full transcript for this review, please visit The Ballet Herald.

"The Celebration" is Artistic Director Marcello Angelini‘s beautifully crafted “sentimental journey” of his twenty-six years in leadership, a visual tale of diversity executed by a spirited generation of talent.

To view images of Tulsa Ballet in "The Celebration", read an interview with choreographer Jennifer Weber, and watch a clip of the rehearsal process, please visit The Ballet Herald.

Sergei Prokofiev’s score for Romeo and Juliet is perfect. With sweeping and weeping strings accompanied by menacing horns, it is William Shakespeare’s story told by instruments. Helgi Tomasson takes a classic approach to the score by setting it in 16th century Verona, and although first appearances convey a middle-of-the-road approach, subtle tweaks intertwined throughout help kick the storytelling up a few notches.

To view images of San Francisco Ballet in Romeo & Juliet, a trailer for the performance, and streaming information, please visit The Ballet Herald.

From within the studios of American Repertory Ballet in New Brunswick, New Jersey and reaching beyond, Haley Wright and Ryoko Tanaka have been granted an opportunity to show their faces and talents thanks to a commission awarded to them by leadership in the company. Merge the gifts of an accomplished pianist and former ARB2 dancer (Haley) with a current company dancer and budding choreographer (Ryoko) and the result is Saudade which premiered at the launch of the company's 2021 Digital Spring Season.  

To view a video of Repeat (the prequel to Saudade), view photos of the artists, and to find how to watch the premiere, please visit The Ballet Herald.

The Poetry of Expression II was filmed on location across Dallas and Fort Worth and includes two separate and distinct performances – Bloom, a traditional ballet in six parts choreographed by Andrew Silva, and Horizon, a sci-fi narrative ballet with multiple vignettes choreographed by Jiyan Dai.

To view images of Texas Ballet Theater in these works and find streaming information, please visit The Ballet Herald.

First time author and long time ballerina Gavin Larsen and I talk about some of her motives and processes behind writing her memoir - Being a Ballerina: The Power and Perfection of a Dancing Life. The book will be released on April 27, 2021 by University Press of Florida.

To view photos and videos of Ms. Larsen and to read an excerpt from her book, please visit The Ballet Herald.

Did you know that George Balanchine's full-length ballet of Emeralds, Rubies, and Diamonds are tied together by their source of inspiration – a collection by Van Cleef & Arpels? Each echos the spirit and essence of the gem they represent and also serves as Balanchine’s demonstration of distinct styles of a broader ballet vernacular.

To view images of San Francisco Ballet in Jewels, a trailer for the performance, and streaming information, please visit The Ballet Herald.

Pacific Northwest Ballet's triple bill is nostalgic, sublime, and flirtatious. A true mixed program, with choreography by Donald Byrd, Alejandro Cerrudo, and Alexei Ratmansky, it has a bit of everything and maybe when you see a glimmer of your reflection on the screen, a bit of you.

To view images of Pacific Northwest Ballet from this program, an excerpt from Cerrudo's Future Memory, and streaming information, please visit The Ballet Herald.