Following its exciting 30th anniversary, BalletMet treats audiences to the 2008-2009 season filled with drama, intrigue and a bit of whimsy.
The season presents productions that span places and times; some we remember, others of which we only dream. A vision of modern choreographic talents. The mystery of Dracula and the Victorian age. A cold winter’s night where holiday dreams come to life. A swingin’ party with toe-tapping jazz tunes. A journey with Alice into the looking glass and a place far from ordinary. A striking portrait of American society in the roaring 1920s. BalletMet invites audiences to escape from the everyday with extraordinary performances.
The season begins with Hot Nights, Cool Dance, a collection of world premiere works in BalletMet’s intimate performance space that makes an encore in November. Halloween beckons the blood-curdling Dracula for its final appearance in Columbus. The annual tradition of The Nutcracker returns, along with a madcap parody, Cracked Nutz.
A familiar production gets a makeover with new choreography as Jazz Moves Take 2 hits the stage with the Columbus Jazz Orchestra. The family favorite Alice in Wonderland gets curiouser and curiouser. The season closes with the premiere of a 20th century American masterpiece, The Great Gatsby.
The schedule specifics are listed as follows. Visit www.balletmet.org for times and more information:
HOT NIGHTS, COOL DANCE World Premiere!
Aug. 14-24, BalletMet Performance Space
Following the sold out run of last season’s innovative 30x30, BalletMet again invites audiences to experience the creative process through several world premiere works. Plus, revisit the BalletMet favorite, Stanton Welch’s dynamic Play, set to the electronic music of Moby. Audiences will interact with artists during open rehearsals and talkbacks. The behind-the-scenes events will culminate in a limited run of performances, all within the intimate atmosphere of BalletMet’s casual performance space.
DRACULA
Dracula makes his final appearance in Columbus. Unable to live, unwilling to die. Dracula dwells between two realms, emerging only to feast upon the darkest desires of all who whet his appetite and to seduce the one who inspires his love. Bram Stoker's gothic novel of forbidden passion, immortality and love that transcends time comes to life in this tour de force.
COOL NIGHTS, HOT DANCE
Nov. 7-15, BalletMet Performance Space
Missed Hot Nights, Cool Dance? Catch its world premiere works in Cool Nights, Hot Dance. The dance sizzles in landmark works including Stanton Welch’s Play, a masterwork set to the pulsating electronic beats of Moby’s Grammy-winning album of the same name. Experience dance like never before: up close and personal in BalletMet’s intimate performance space.
THE NUTCRACKER
Dec. 12-23, Ohio Theatre
'Twas the night before Christmas, and a girl named Clara embarks upon a wondrous journey, thanks to the mysterious Herr Drosselmeyer and his enchanted nutcracker. This unconventional party guest possesses an uncanny ability to bring toys to life, alter the course of time and conjure up merriment on an international scale, bringing joy to all who venture into his magical world.
CRACKED NUTZ
Dec. 26-28, BalletMet Performance Space
Sometimes you feel like a nut…‘Tis the season to lose your reason with this wacky adaptation of a holiday classic. Set in BalletMet’s intimate performance space, Cracked Nutz demands audience participation. Leave the winter blues at home and inhibitions at the door. The event features antics that will have audiences rolling in the aisles and starring in the action.
JAZZ MOVES TAKE 2
Feb. 5-14, Capitol Theatre
A joint production of BalletMet and the Columbus Jazz Orchestra, presented in association with the Wexner Center for the Arts.
Winner of a GCAC Artistic Excellence Award, Jazz Moves resurfaces with Jazz Moves Take 2, when BalletMet and the Columbus Jazz Orchestra share the stage for a thrilling fusion of dance and music. The irrepressible onstage chemistry created by this unlikely artistic collaboration produces an astounding interpretation of both familiar and exciting new works—including a piece by renowned choreographer Maurice Hines—that will have Jazz lovers and dance devotees alike jamming to the most American of all art forms.
ALICE IN WONDERLAND
March 6-15, Capitol Theatre
Follow Alice down the rabbit hole into a delightfully nonsensical world where tea with the Hatter and croquet with the Queen are par for the course. Logic is no match for madness in Wonderland! This whimsical work from BalletMet Artistic Director Gerard Charles and Phoenix Theatre Artistic Director Steven Anderson takes audiences on a journey of pure imagination.
THE GREAT GATSBY World Premiere!
April 23-May 3, Capitol Theatre
F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic novel of extravagance and deception during Prohibition is shown through expressive dance and elaborate sets in this world premier, the first full-length ballet by choreographer and Company dancer Jimmy Orrante, winner of a prestigious Princess Grace Award for Choreography. Travel back to the Jazz Age and into the entangled lives of Gatsby, Nick Carraway and Daisy Buchanan. Their indiscretions fueled by forbidden passion and financed by bootlegging dollars will leave a lasting impression.