Listen
- Houston Ballet presents George Balanchine's Theme and Variations (Photo Credit: Amitava Sarkar)
- Madame Butterfly, choreographed by Stanton Welch (Photo Credit: Amitava Sarkar)
- Melody Mennite in Cinderella (Photo Credit: Houston Ballet)
- Artifact Suite, with choreography by William Forsythe (Photo Credit: Alexander Iziliaev)
- Sara Webb and Joseph Walsh in Balanchine's Theme and Variations (Photo Credit: Amitava Sarkar)
Before the curtain rises on Houston Ballet‘s 2016-2017 season, rich costumes must be sewn, lush sets designed, music selected, and (finally) choreography created. Artistic Director Stanton Welch has been working tirelessly to create a varied season that includes modern elements, audience favorites, and re-imagined classics. Repertoire this season includes everything from Balanchine choreography to works that incorporate improvisation, works for 101 dancers to a pas de deux, and Houston Ballet premieres as well as classical ballets.
For the artists, the diversity of programming is part of the fun; Welch attests that the dancers enjoy the challenge of shifting between different types of movement, and maintains that he himself needs such contrasts when choreographing new works. This season also includes Welch’s brand-new rendition of Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker. He promises that it won’t disappoint, with sets and costumes that he describes as “magnificent… very magical, beautiful.” Welch also returns a sense of childlike whimsy to the work, incorporating “animals, magic, fairies, and creatures.”
You can catch a sneak peak of Houston Ballet this Sunday, at the 23rd Annual Transcananda Theater District Open House, where you will not only see Houston Ballet II dancers in action, but also be able to participate in a ballet class.