California Posted March 2 Share Posted March 2 Ballet West has just announced an impressive 2024-2025 season: https://www.balletwest.org/events/season-subscriptions/2024-25-season/ The company has 38 dancers, plus a second company. The season opens with the Utah premiere of Jekyll & Hyde from Oct. 25 – Nov. 2, an edgy adult psychological thriller based on the 19th-century story by Robert Louis Stevenson. Following the smash success of last year’s Dracula, this horror classic arrives just in time for Halloween as Val Caniparoli’s dramatic and intense new full-length ballet explores the dark side of the human psyche. Pictures at an Exhibition is a trio of ballets featuring George Balanchine’s heart-melting Serenade, two major Utah premieres; Alexei Ratmansky’s intimate suite of dances to Modest Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, and Tony-Award winning choreographer Christopher Wheeldon’s Vivaldi-inspired Within the Golden Hour, running Nov. 8 – 16. The Nutcracker returns Dec. 6 – 28, celebrating 80 years of America’s first Nutcracker. Ballet West’s holiday classic by founder Willam Christensen remains just a fresh and joyous as its premiere in 1944. In 2023, more than 50,000 experienced this beloved production and most performances were sold out. Prior to the traditional Salt Lake City run of performances, Ballet West will take The Nutcracker to Ogden, Utah Nov. 29 – 30. Full of comedy, romance, and magic is the return of Cinderella Feb. 7 – 15. Sir Frederick Ashton’s world-renowned production is a lavish and extravagant telling of the classic fairytale, with comedic twists and turns. This production is a treat for the entire family featuring new sets and costumes from London’s Royal Ballet, never before seen in Utah. April 4 – 12, the company presents The Rite of Spring, an evening of music by Stravinsky. From the elegant purity of Balanchine’s 1928 ballet of a young God of age in Apollo, to the Utah premiere of Jiří Kylián’s emotional Symphony of Psalms, which takes us on a spiritual journey with a full chorus of singers and orchestra, to a primal exploration of life, death, and rebirth in the popular return of Nicolo Fonte’s The Rite of Spring. Explore Stravinsky’s extraordinary range of evocative music that breathes life into captivating dance narratives. Link to comment
volcanohunter Posted March 2 Share Posted March 2 Yes, it is, but for me it's curious that the new production of Ashton's Cinderella is a joint effort between the Royal Ballet and the National Ballet of Canada, but Ballet West will show it before the latter. Link to comment
Ballet Lover Posted March 7 Share Posted March 7 On 3/2/2024 at 11:43 AM, volcanohunter said: Yes, it is, but for me it's curious that the new production of Ashton's Cinderella is a joint effort between the Royal Ballet and the National Ballet of Canada, but Ballet West will show it before the latter. In 2012, Ballet West became the second American company to present Ashton's Cinderella after the Joffrey Ballet did so in 2006 (then ABT and Boston Ballet followed suit). Ballet West's "new" production of Ashton's Cinderella is The Royal Ballet's former production, jointly purchased and refurbished by Ballet West and The Boston Ballet last year. These refurbished sets and costumes are making their US premiere in Boston this month and then Ballet West will do it in February of 2025. Link to comment
volcanohunter Posted March 7 Share Posted March 7 (edited) Thank you for the explanation. I remember that Boston Ballet has purchased retired Royal Ballet productions in the past, and that these often look terrific decades after they were first used. Personally, I'm very pleased that they don't end up on a scrap heap and are rented by companies far beyond Boston. Edited March 7 by volcanohunter Link to comment
Ballet Lover Posted March 7 Share Posted March 7 52 minutes ago, volcanohunter said: Thank you for the explanation. I remember that Boston Ballet has purchased retired Royal Ballet productions in the past, and that these often look terrific decades after they were first used. Personally, I'm very pleased that they don't end up on a scrap heap and are rented by companies far beyond Boston. As Ballet West and Boston Ballet now co-own this former Royal Ballet production (BW refurbished and rebuilt all the costumes, BB did the same with the sets and props) Both companies can now produce the work moving forward, at far less expense and can earn revenue renting it to other companies if they wish to and are approved to do it. Link to comment
Recommended Posts