AVID Launches Second Season With BOUNDLESS: WHERE BALLET'S FUTURE TAKES FLIGHT

AVID (Artistic Ventures in Dance), a forward-thinking dance company committed to nurturing emerging choreographic voices and fostering new collaborations in ballet, launches its second season with BOUNDLESS: Where Ballet's Future Takes Flight, June 26-27, 2025 at 8:00 PM at Peter Norton Symphony Space.

Curated by Artistic Director Emily Speed, the evening brings together bold world premieres, acclaimed repertory, and live music by chamber ensemble Ensemble Mycelium in a dynamic showcase of ballet's next generation.

Founded to uplift new voices in choreography, composition, and performance, AVID is based in Boulder, Colorado, where it fulfills a vital need for dance in communities across the state. At the same time, the company actively cultivates projects in New York City, boldly bringing cutting-edge ideas to the dance scene in both regions. BOUNDLESS continues that mission with a powerful, genre-spanning program that merges tradition and experimentation. 

The evening begins with the cinematic and introspective Persona, choreographed by Daniel Ojeda, an Alexa Rose Foundation awardee. Originally created during the pandemic and later adapted for the stage, the work explores identity through the lens of performance. Set to a pulsing score by Marc Mellits, Persona imagines the dancer as an onstage entity; born to move, unbound by time, yet disconnected from the self behind the curtain. The result is a haunting conversation on purpose, presence, and what it means to be seen.

Returning from AVID's inaugural season, Quinn Wharton's IMPULSE expands its original form with bold partnering, aggressive pointework, and a sleek contemporary edge. Originally developed as both a stage piece and a dance film, IMPULSE grew out of Wharton's curiosity about electronic music and unfamiliar choreographic territory. The result is a visually and sonically dynamic work that challenges traditional ballet aesthetics while demanding precision and power from its dancers.

Untamed Woman by Ursula Verduzco is a visceral, emotionally charged work that strips away the layers of expectation and invites the audience into a deeply personal journey of grief and release. Featuring live vocals by Verduzco herself and a haunting original score by Anne-Marie Keane, composed for piano, strings, shamanic drum, and recorded voice, the piece draws on the choreographer's spiritual practice and connection to movement as healing.

In Human., Cherice Barton returns to her classical roots after a celebrated career in commercial dance, including work with Katy Perry and Franco Dragone. Created also in collaboration with composer Anne-Marie Keane, the new world premiere explores what it means to be human—messy, vulnerable, layered, and resilient. With a score that blends acoustic instrumentation with electronic textures, Human. moves through resistance, trust, grief, and acceptance in an unflinching portrait of emotional evolution.

Danielle Diniz's Young, Wild & Free infuses the program with exuberance and athleticism. Performed by an all-male trio, the excerpt pulses with dynamic solos, turns, and jumps that build toward collective energy and joyful abandon. The complete version of the piece will premiere on AVID's Colorado tour later this summer.

Lastly, to honor ballet's lineage, the program also features Gerald Arpino's sparkling Confetti, a virtuosic, high-spirited celebration of classical form, musicality, and sheer joy. Offered courtesy of the Gerald Arpino Foundation, the work provides a jubilant counterpoint to the evening's more introspective offerings and reminds audiences of the timeless thrill of ballet at its best.

“BOUNDLESS is a celebration of risk and rigor,” says Artistic Director Emily Speed. “Each of these artists brings a fearless approach to dance-making—honoring where ballet has been, while pushing where it can go. It's thrilling to be in a room where tradition and innovation are in conversation in an honest space with artists who constantly push themselves .”

PERFORMANCE AND TICKET INFORMATION

BOUNDLESS: Where Ballet's Future Takes Flight will take place on Thursday June 26, and Friday, June 27, at 8:00pm at Symphony Space, located at 2537 Broadway at 95th Street, accessible by the 1,2,3, B and C trains.

Tickets start at $50 and are available at https://www.aviddance.org/events/boundless-where-ballets-future-takes-flight-june26

A limited number of VIP tickets are available, offering preferred seating, a backstage tour to meet the artists, and a celebratory champagne toast in the green room before or after the show.

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