Christopher Bruce CBE Steps Down As Houston Ballet’s Associate Choreographer

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MEDIA CONTACT: 

Jacalyn Lawton 

Public Relations Manager JLawton@houstonballet.org Press@houstonballet.org 

CHRISTOPHER BRUCE CBE STEPS DOWN AS HOUSTON BALLET’S ASSOCIATE CHOREOGRAPHER

HOUSTON, TEXAS [September 3, 2021] — Houston Ballet and Christopher Bruce CBE jointly announce Bruce’s  departure as Houston Ballet’s Associate Choreographer. The news to step down from the position comes after 32 years of  service to the American ballet company’s mission.  

“After more than 30 years as Resident or Associate Choreographer with the Houston Ballet, both the  company and I feel the time has come when it would be appropriate for me to step aside in order to allow  another choreographer the opportunity of holding this prestigious position,” says Christopher Bruce CBE. 

“Needless to say, I have hugely enjoyed my collaboration with the Houston Ballet. It has been an honor to  have worked with such a remarkable company where the standards have been maintained at the highest  level under the direction of both Ben Stevenson and Stanton Welch, and where I have been truly  fortunate to have seen my ballets danced by several generations of wonderful artists. I should add that  there is mutual interest in me continuing to stage work in Houston from time to time and I look forward  with pleasure to those visits. 

When the appointment is made, I wish the new Associate Choreographer every success and sincerely  hope they experience all the pleasure and creative excitement I have been privileged to know with the  company over so many years.” 

Hailed by London’s The Daily Telegraph as “the Nureyev of contemporary ballet,” Bruce was appointed Houston Ballet’s Associate Choreographer in 1989. Over the last decades, Houston Ballet has emerged as Bruce’s artistic home in  America. The company has 12 works by Bruce in its repertoire. He has staged his Ghost Dances, Grinning in Your Face,  Intimate Pages, Swansong, Sergeant Early’s Dream, Cruel Garden, Rooster and Land for the company and has created  four original works: Guatama Buddha (1989), Journey (1990), Nature Dances (1992) and Hush (2006). In 1990, Houston  Ballet traveled to Denmark to film Ghost Dances and Journey for Danish Television. 

“Houston Ballet has been privileged to work with Christopher Bruce in this capacity for so many  years,” says Stanton Welch AM, Houston Ballet Artistic Director. “He is an incredible part of our  institution and has influenced many generations of dancers and choreographers, myself included. I  want to thank him on behalf of all choreographers for being a hero of the choreographic revolution  that we all could aspire to. This is a new chapter, but by no means a farewell. Houston Ballet and its  artists will continue celebrate our relationship with this living legend by performing his iconic works for decades to come.” 

To learn more about Bruce and his contributions to Houston Ballet’s repertoire, visit houstonballet.org.  ABOUT HOUSTON BALLET

With more than 50 years of rich history, Houston Ballet returns to its home stage at the Wortham Theater Center for its  2021-2022 season with a company of 59 dancers. With a budget of $33.9 million and an endowment of $79.2 million (as  of June 2019), it is America’s fifth largest ballet company. Its $46.6 million state-of-the-art performance space, Houston  Ballet Center for Dance, opened in April 2011. Houston Ballet’s reach is global, touring in renowned theaters in Dubai,  London, Paris, Moscow, Spain, Montréal, Ottawa, Melbourne, New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and more. 

Houston Ballet attracts prestigious leaders in dance. Australian choreographer Stanton Welch AM has served as Artistic  Director of Houston Ballet since 2003, raising the level of the company’s classical technique and commissioning works  from dance legends such as Julia Adam, George Balanchine, Aszure Barton, Christopher Bruce, Alexander Ekman,  William Forsythe, Jiří Kylián, Edwaard Liang, Trey McIntyre and Justin Peck. Executive Director James Nelson serves as  the administrative leader of the organization, a position he assumed in February 2012 after serving as the Company’s  General Manager for more than a decade. 

Beyond its stage presence, Houston Ballet maintains a strong foothold in continuing to foster a love for dance in future  generations. Its Education and Community Engagement program reaches more than 70,000 individuals in the Houston  area annually. Houston Ballet Academy trains more than 1,000 students every year, producing more than 64 percent of  the elite athletes that comprise Houston Ballet’s current Company. 

For more information on Houston Ballet, visit houstonballet.org. 

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