Attending Ballet West's production of The Nutcracker has become one of my most-loved holiday traditions, so I was happy to attend the matinee last Friday afternoon. I enjoyed seeing some of my favorite Ballet West dancers in leading roles as well some new faces in others. This particular performance can best be described as expressive... Continue Reading →
Ballet West began its 2025-2026 season with Michael Smuin's Romeo and Juliet set to music by Sergei Prokofiev. I was fortunate to see this ballet with my friend Mony a few years ago, and I absolutely loved it, so I was excited to have an opportunity to see it again. I purchased a ticket for... Continue Reading →
I had an absolutely magical experience attending Ballet West's 2023 production of The Nutcracker, so I eagerly anticipated attending again this year. My friend Mony and I coordinated our plans so that we were able to attend Saturday afternoon's matinée performance together. Still magical, this year's production also embodies intensity, energy, and expressiveness --- from... Continue Reading →
Words are not required to tell a compelling story. A perfect fusion of music and movement is capable of conveying a convincing narrative. Such is the case with Ballet West's 2024-2025 season opener, Jekyll and Hyde, a new work by choreographer Val Caniparoli that enjoyed its first run at Capitol Theatre, having first premiered in... Continue Reading →
Ballet West delivered an outstanding performance of Swan Lake on its opening night, Friday, February 9, 2024. Swan Lake is an inherently beautiful ballet as it depicts a classic fairy-tale set to Tchaikovsky's music, and Ballet West's dancers, orchestra, costume designers, and set designers created a particularly magical rendition that enchanted me from beginning to... Continue Reading →
I was delighted to attend the matinée of Ballet West's The Nutcracker on Wednesday, December 27, 2023, the final day of this season's production. Ballet West's co-founder, Willam Christensen, originally choreographed this version of The Nutracker, the first full-length production in the United States, in 1944 during his tenure with the San Francisco Ballet. He... Continue Reading →
Ballet West continued its 60th anniversary season with a mixed repertoire program titled Firebird that included three shorter works: Igor Stravinsky's The Firebird, choreographed by Willam Christensen; the world premiere of Fever Dream, composed and choreographed by former Ballet West Demi-Soloist Joshua Whitehead; and George Balanchine's Stars and Stripes, set to music by John Philip... Continue Reading →
The 2023-2024 season marks Ballet West's 60th anniversary, and the company is celebrating that milestone by staging several beloved fan favorites. Ballet West began the season at the end of October with a production of Dracula, and several colleagues and I attended its last performance. The story opens in the crypt of Count Dracula's castle... Continue Reading →
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