Colorado Ballet 2024-2025 season

[California]

Colorado Ballet just announced its 2024-2025 season. In the Upper Room had been scheduled before, but was cancelled because of the COVID shut-down. Artistic Director Gil Boggs was in the original cast with ABT and I've been hoping they would reschedule. 

October 4–13, 2024

Step into a dreamland where classical sensibility meets storybook magic as Colorado Ballet presents The Sleeping Beauty. A fairy tale romance that culminates in the power of true love's kiss, this iconic masterpiece dazzles with breathtaking variations, sumptuous sets and costumes, and Tchaikovsky’s enchanting score performed live by the Colorado Ballet Orchestra.

November 30–December 29, 2024

Embark on a journey into a winter wonderland where the magic of the holidays takes center stage. Colorado Ballet’s The Nutcracker returns to delight audiences of all ages with this timeless tradition that captures the festive spirit of the season, replete with mischievous dancing mice, sweet Sugar Plums, and a symphony of swirling snowflakes.

January 31–February 9, 2025

Indulge in the scandalous allure of Giacomo Casanova's legendary escapades in Kenneth Tindall’s new ballet, Casanova. A Rocky Mountain regional premiere, Casanova explores the decadent proclivities of the infamous, fabled romantic through bold choreography, iconic Venetian masquerades, and a passionate narrative set to the music of Kerry Muzzey. May contain mature content.

March 7–16, 2025

Follow Colorado Ballet down the rabbit hole for Septime Webre’s acclaimed ballet, ALICE (in wonderland). Infused with humor, whimsy, and athleticism, ALICE (in wonderland) promises an extraordinary journey that reimagines Lewis Carroll's classic tale in a way that is as enchanting as it is exhilarating—complete with composer Matthew Pierce’s buoyant score, larger-than-life sets and costumes, and a host of magical characters.

 

April 11–20, 2025

 

Colorado Ballet’s annual repertory production returns with a captivating trio of powerhouse masterpieces that put artistic excellence and innovation on full display—George Balanchine’s Serenade, Jiří Kylián’s Petite Mort, and Twyla Tharp’s In the Upper Room.

[LadyCap]

Interesting that they're repeating Petite Mort. I guess that makes sense when you spend the time and effort setting the ballet--why not do it again? The audience is now more familiar and the dancers can only get better, right? 

Are ballets like this often contracted for a certain set of years? This is so interesting to me. 

 

Also, does anyone know where I can see a performance of Casanova online? I'm entirely unfamiliar with this ballet. There is a version available on Amazon prime, but the details are really scarce. There is also a score from the Northern Ballet available from amazon. 

[Drew]

46 minutes ago, LadyCap said:

Interesting that they're repeating Petite Mort. I guess that makes sense when you spend the time and effort setting the ballet--why not do it again? The audience is now more familiar and the dancers can only get better, right? 

Are ballets like this often contracted for a certain set of years? This is so interesting to me. 

 

Also, does anyone know where I can see a performance of Casanova online? I'm entirely unfamiliar with this ballet. There is a version available on Amazon prime, but the details are really scarce. There is also a score from the Northern Ballet available from amazon. 

The version you mention on prime appears to be Tindall's so that probably is your best bet if you want to see it...there are some short bits of it on youtube posted by Northern Ballet Theater.

Ballets are sometimes licensed for a certain number of years. Atlanta Ballet had Maillot's Romeo and Juliet for three years and performed it twice in that time, the second time two years after their first run, so not two years in a row. (To be honest I'm not sure if I read this or someone in the audience  told me -- in which case, it's just gossip; but as a general principle one gets the idea.)  And yes, I think it is very common--probably something of a norm. That's one reason a company like the Bolshoi and the Mariinsky have lost the rights to performing certain works--because licenses ran out and were not renewed after the invasion of Ukraine.

Edited February 10 by Drew

[Helene]

In many public talks and Q&A's AD's and moderators have talked about having the rights for a limited time only, with three years being the most I've heard cited.  It's often the reason given to audience members who ask why a company can't perform X ballet that has gotten raves somewhere else, ie, the company they're reading about has exclusive rights for X (usually three) years, or exclusive geographic rights.  They talk about co-productions and how both companies can have constraints based on the agreement.

Sometimes they mention being able to negotiate an exemption.  For example, a production might be too expensive to expedite shipping from another continent because another company there booked it in between after it had been scheduled by the first company; the only time they could afford to get the sets is if they perform it again outside the window.  Or funding comes through, but not in time to move the current season around to fit it in.  In those and other cases, a choreographer or family or foundation might extend the license.

[California]

9 hours ago, LadyCap said:

Interesting that they're repeating Petite Mort. I guess that makes sense when you spend the time and effort setting the ballet--why not do it again? The audience is now more familiar and the dancers can only get better, right? 

Colorado Ballet did Petite Mort in spring 2022 and I'm not thrilled they are doing it again. I also saw ABT do this last year. The dancers seem to enjoy performing it, but I'm tired of it. I'd much rather see a repeat of Kylian's Sinfonietta, which Colorado did in 2023, and ABT did in 2022.

Webre's Alice is performed by several regional companies (Kansas City, Cincinnati). It's a good one for attracting families and has interesting choreography for the adults. They showed a tape of an earlier performance on public television during the lock-down. 

This company does one Balanchine ballet every year and Serenade never gets old. They alternate T&V, Concerto Barocco, Rubies, and Prodigal.

[LadyCap]

My memory failed me. I thought they had done it last year. However, with just a one-year gap, my question would have still remained. So, I'm grateful for the answers! 

I'm going to check out the Amazon version. I find myself really interested in the modern ballets, like Casanova, or this year's Jekyll and Hyde, that regional companies do to garner audience interest. (And hopefully create ballet lovers who will go to Balanchine, etc.!) It seems really prudent for companies outside a major metropolitan area to pursue these. 

14 hours ago, California said:

Webre's Alice is performed by several regional companies (Kansas City, Cincinnati). It's a good one for attracting families and has interesting choreography for the adults. They showed a tape of an earlier performance on public television during the lock-down. 

Can you view public television offerings like this if you are not in the same region? 

[California]

13 minutes ago, LadyCap said:

Can you view public television offerings like this if you are not in the same region? 

I'm not clear on how PBS shows are distributed nowadays. Some national programs end up on-line in their Passport program for members. The Colorado Ballet programs were not available that way. I don't know how all the various streaming services work now in terms of access to public television in other regions. Is anybody familiar with this?