Houston Ballet Announces Its 2022 – 2023 Season
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MEDIA CONTACT:
Christina Ferraz
Public Relations Manager
HOUSTON BALLET ANNOUNCES ITS 2022-2023 SEASON
HOUSTON, TEXAS [March 13, 2022] — Houston Ballet announces the return of a full year of performances for a blockbuster season. The 2022-2023 season soars with three spectacular story ballets — Trey McIntyre’s Peter Pan, full of magical flying sequences all audiences will enjoy, Stanton Welch’s Romeo and Juliet, a lavish production of the Shakespearean star-crossed lovers, and ballet’s most famous love story, Welch’s Swan Lake. Equally as exciting in scope and scale, this year’s mixed repertory programs feature three world premieres by acclaimed choreographers Arthur Pita, Cathy Marston and Oscar-nominee Justin Peck.
“The 2022-2023 season is Houston Ballet at its finest. The programming this season highlights the depth of talent of our Company, from the diversity of repertory to world-class choreographers and beyond,” says Welch. “We can’t wait to share a full season with our Houston community that truly shows off the best of what Houston Ballet has to offer.”
The season also includes Houston’s beloved holiday tradition Welch’s The Nutcracker and the return of Margaret Alkek Williams Jubilee of Dance as a one-night-only performance featuring a world premiere from up-and-coming choreographer Silas Farley. Additionally, the Academy Spring Showcase puts on display the future generation of ballet talent.
“We’re excited to present Houston Ballet’s 2022-2023 season announcement and welcome our community back to Wortham Theater for the breathtaking ballet performances for which the company is known world-wide,” says Houston Ballet Executive Director Jim Nelson.
Season ticket packages start at $117 and are on sale now through the Box Office at 713.227.2787 (ARTS) and online at houstonballet.org.
The 2022-2023 season programming includes:
Peter Pan (2004)
Choreographer: Trey McIntyre | Music: Sir Edward Elgar, Arranged Niel DePonte
September 9 – 18, 2022
Based upon the popular children’s story by Sir James M. Barrie, Peter Pan is a captivating performance following Wendy, John, Michael and Peter’s escape to Neverland. Told through the eyes of a child, this interpretation of the children’s classic tale features flying sequences, swashbuckling swordfights, giant puppets and costumes inspired by punk fashion sure to mesmerize audiences of all ages. Experience what Broadway World calls, “a magical ballet produced by a supremely talented dance company.” [Houston Ballet’s performances of Peter Pan are sponsored by The Wortham Foundation, Inc. and King and Spalding]
Good Vibrations
Red Earth (1996) | Choreographer: Stanton Welch AM | Music: Peter Sculthorpe
The Letter V (2015) | Choreographer: Mark Morris | Music: Joseph Haydn
Good Vibrations (World Premiere) | Choreographer: Arthur Pita | Music: Christopher Austin
September 22 – October 2, 2022
Good Vibrations sets the stage with a triple bill full of energy with Red Earth, The Letter V and a long-awaited world premiere by internationally acclaimed choreographer, Arthur Pita. Red Earth celebrates Australian artistry, transporting audiences to a world where adversity is expressed through movement, accompanied by an original score from Peter Sculthorpe and artwork from scenic designer Kevin “Pro” Hart. In The Letter V, created by famously musical choreographer Mark Morris on Houston Ballet in 2015, dancers move to the music of Joseph Haydn’s Symphony No. 88 in G Major. Rounding out the program is Pita’s world premiere, Good Vibrations, originally set to debut in the 2019-2020 season. This work marks the first time Pita has choreographed on Houston Ballet. Set to a commissioned score by Christopher Austin, with references to The Beach Boys’ legendary song, ‘Good Vibrations,’ this program is a whole vibe. [Houston Ballet’s performances of Good Vibrations are funded in part by The City of Houston through Houston Arts Alliance]
Romeo and Juliet (2015)
Choreographer: Stanton Welch AM | Music: Sergey Prokofiev
February 23 – March 5, 2023
Welch’s Romeo and Juliet weaves the poignant tale of the star-crossed lovers exquisitely with lavish sets and costumes by acclaimed Italian designer Roberta Guidi di Bagno. Premiering at Houston Ballet in 2015, Welch’s brilliantly imagined interpretation of the world’s most famous love story pays tribute to Italian Renaissance with classic themes and fresh choreography danced to Prokofiev’s romantic score. Hailed by Arts and Culture Texas Magazine as “simply breathtaking – as in, it literally inspired wonderfully stunned intakes of breath among the audience,” Welch’s take on this Shakespearean classic gives the story new life. [Houston Ballet’s performances of Romeo and Juliet are generously underwritten by Ted and Melza Barr and sponsored by The Wortham Foundation, Inc.]
Summer and Smoke
Clear (2001) | Choreographer: Stanton Welch AM | Music: Johann Sebastian Bach
Concerto Barocco (1977) | Choreographer: George Balanchine | Music: Johann Sebastian Bach
Summer and Smoke (World Premiere) | Choreographer: Cathy Marston | Music: Michael Daughtery
March 9 – 19, 2023
Showcasing the depth of male talent in the Company, Clear strips down using flesh-toned costumes to focus on the essence of dance and the male body. Featuring seven men and one woman, this balletic production emphasizes the sheer magnitude of emotion in choreography and reveals the power of transparency in movement. George Balanchine’s neoclassical ballet, Concerto Barocco, partners with the music of Johann Sebastian Bach Concerto in D Minor for Two Violins to spotlight the relationship between dance and music. Houston Ballet also presents the world premiere of Cathy Marston’s Summer and Smoke, a co-production with American Ballet Theatre. Based on the Tennessee Williams play of the same name, Houston audiences can experience Marston’s unique literary storytelling for the first time. [Houston Ballet’s performances of Summer and Smoke are funded in part by The City of Houston through Houston Arts Alliance and sponsored by Chevron]
Divergence
Angular Momentum (2012) | Choreographer: Aszure Barton | Music: Mason Bates
Divergence (1994) | Choreographer: Stanton Welch AM | Music: Georges Bizet
World Premiere | Choreographer: Justin Peck
May 25 – June 4, 2023
For the first time in ten years, Aszure Barton’s Angular Momentum will take the stage at Houston Ballet for a performance that can only be described as an otherworldly experience. Barton plays homage to Houston with influences ranging from Houston architecture depicted in the set design to the moon landing in the third movement of Mason Bates’ hybrid orchestral-electronic score. Divergence, set to L’Arlésienne Suites No. 1 & 2 by Georges Bizet, breaks away from tradition with dazzling choreography and provocative costuming meant to showcase the range of ballet. Debuting to audience and critical acclaim at The Australian Ballet, this work stretches beyond any limitation. Justin Peck, choreographer for Oscar nominated musical West Side Story and resident choreographer for New York City Ballet, debuts a world premiere work, his second commission for the Company. [Houston Ballet’s performances of Divergence are funded in part by The City of Houston through Houston Arts Alliance]
Swan Lake (2006)
Choreographer: Stanton Welch AM | Music: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
June 8 – 18, 2023
With elaborate sets and glittering costumes by the late New Zealand designer Kristian Fredrikson, Swan Lake is the first full-length classical ballet created on Houston Ballet by Stanton Welch. This will be Houston Ballet’s fifth time performing Welch’s Swan Lake as part of its main season. Set to the iconic score of Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky and inspired by the Pre-Raphaelite painting The Lady of Shalott, this interpretation of Swan Lake follows Odette-Odile as she’s cursed by the evil Rothbart transforming into a swan doomed to never find true love. [Houston Ballet’s performances of Swan Lake are generously underwritten by Margaret Alkek Williams and sponsored by The Wortham Foundation, Inc. and ConocoPhillips]
The add-on performance for 2022-2023 season programming include:
The Nutcracker (2016)
Choreographer: Stanton Welch AM | Music: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
November 25 – December 24, 2022
The ultimate holiday tradition returns with the grandeur audiences expect from Stanton Welch’s The Nutcracker. From snowflakes to sword fights to the Christmas tree that reaches the sky, this ballet is a nostalgic annual tradition and perfect holiday experience for the whole family. Be there as Clara and Drosselmeyer make their journey to the Kingdom of Sweets and meet the Sugar Plum Fairy and her prince in the land where the real magic happens. Welch’s The Nutcracker features hundreds of roles and a myriad of exquisite details that will leave you finding something new in every performance. This year’s performances are dedicated to Patsy Chapman for her decades of service to Houston Ballet and the Nutcracker Market. [Houston Ballet’s performances of The Nutcracker are sponsored by Houston Methodist, Baker Botts LLP, Bank of America, H-E-B, United Airlines, Shell Oil and KPRC]
Margaret Alkek Williams Jubilee of Dance
December 2, 2022 at 7:30 p.m.
Experience the delight of Margaret Alkek Williams Jubilee of Dance in a one-night-only performance Houston Chronicle calls “one of the most fun performances of the season.” This year’s program will spotlight the most exciting moments from Houston Ballet’s repertory featuring every lead dancer and debut a world premiere by Silas Farley, an up-and-coming choreographer who recently choreographed works for The Guggenheim’s Works & Process series, The Washington Ballet and American Ballet Theatre. [Special thanks to Margaret Alkek Williams for endowing this annual gala performance]
Academy Spring Showcase
April 28-29, 2023
The annual Academy Spring Showcase gives audiences the unique opportunity to witness the growth of the talented students of Houston Ballet Academy with performances from the Company repertory and ballets created specifically for them. Watch as dancers bloom applying artistry, musicality and technique to classical and contemporary works and catch a glimpse of the future with Houston Ballet Academy.
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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