MODERN MASTERS

Velocity - Thursday, Sep. 19, 2024 at 7:30 PM

In the Night - Thursday, Feb 27, 2025 at 7:30 PM
Sparrow - Thursday, Jun. 12, 2025 at 7:30 PM

Velocity

Experience the artistic depth and technical virtuosity of Houston Ballet dancers in this triple-bill program. Stanton Welch’s Velocity, created for The Australian Ballet in 2003, is a study in speed and precision, showcasing the athleticism of the company. Aszure Barton’s powerful Come In, crafted in 2006 for Mikhail Baryshnikov, highlights the strength of 13 male dancers. Barton’s eclectic works have graced stages worldwide. Silas Farley, an emerging American neoclassicist, returns to Houston Ballet after his debut in the 2022 Margaret Alkek Williams Jubilee of Dance, to create a new one-act piece with a commissioned score by Kyle Werner.

In the Night

Experience a captivating blend of classical and contemporary artistry with three expressive ballets. Stanton Welch’s Maninyas delves into the emotional process of revealing oneself in a relationship through fierce pas de deux and pas de trois. Jerome Robbins’s In the Night is a poignant one-act ballet for three couples, set to Chopin's piano nocturnes. It explores romantic relationships, from serene intimacy to agitation and aggression. Lila York’s Celts blends Irish folk dance with ballet, celebrating her heritage. Premiering at Boston Ballet in 1996, this vigorous work honors Irish culture and her parents’ fiftieth wedding anniversary.

Sparrow

Sparrow ignites the stage with three one-act ballets by choreographers spanning from yesterday’s eminence to today’s prominence. Balanchine’s Theme and Variations is an intensive development of the classic ballet lexicon. Stevenson’s Four Last Songs, presents four distinct movements, each reflecting the ebb and flow of the human experience. The ballet converges verbal, musical, and choreographic imagery at its culmination. Welch’s uplifting, toe-tapping Sparrow, set to Simon & Garfunkel’s most recognizable music, fills the stage with a vibrant and large ensemble cast blending drama, energy, and an All-American sound that transcends generations.