Nashville Ballet Will Perform Tennessee Premiere of SHERLOCK as Season Finale
The Attitude Series will feature LUMINA and WAKE THE NEIGHBORS at TPAC's Polk Theater
Nashville Ballet has announced the lead cast for its upcoming Attitude Series, featuring the Tennessee premiere of Sherlock, May 1–3 at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center's Polk Theater, closing the company's 2025–26 Ruby Season.
The annual Attitude Series program is anchored by Penny Saunders' Sherlock, featuring original costumes, noir-inspired lighting and a soundscape incorporating vintage 1940s radio broadcasts from The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. The production is a co-production with Grand Rapids Ballet and Ballet Idaho.
The program also includes the world premiere of Lumina by Maria A. Konrad and Wake the Neighbors by Tony Award–nominated choreographer Donald Byrd, creating a dynamic evening of three contemporary ballets that blends theatrical storytelling, powerful music and striking visual design.
“Attitude Series is where Nashville Ballet takes its biggest creative risks and invites audiences along for the ride,” said Nick Mullikin, Artistic Director and CEO of Nashville Ballet. “With Sherlock leading the program, alongside a powerful work by Donald Byrd and a striking world premiere by Maria A. Konrad, this production blends cinematic storytelling, bold design and the full range of our dancers' artistry. It's contemporary ballet that feels immediate and unmistakably alive. These ballets are accessible, relatable and will speak to audiences in a way that feels both modern and deeply human.”
Inspired by the legendary detective created by Arthur Conan Doyle, Sherlock brings the iconic character to life through choreography and theatrical staging. Choreographer Penny Saunders returns to the company with this premiere, exploring the brilliant and enigmatic mind of the world's most famous detective through a blend of contemporary, jazz and classical ballet.
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