Ballet22 Announces 2022 Gala Performance of Men, Mxn, Transgender and Non-Binary Ballet Artists

Ballet22, a groundbreaking dance company presenting works that break gender normative traditions in the classical repertoire, announce their 2022 Gala season February 25-27, with a first look behind the scenes event, February 22. With a clear mission to create equal representation in the professional ballet field for men, mxn, transgender, and non-binary artists to perform professionally and "en pointe," the program will feature beloved classics including an Act III Swan Lake Suite, the duet Symbiotic Twins, by world renowned choreographer, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, and an anticipated world premiere by Durante Verzola.

Empowering both LGBTQ+ artists and audiences to feel seen and represented, the season celebrates strength, vulnerability and authenticity with both classical and contemporary works that deconstruct tradition and redefine what it is to be a ballet dancer en pointe through a new and progressive lens. On February 22 the company will host a behind the scenes event at The Midway, offering audiences a first look at some of the works that will be part of the Gala performance later in the week and other select repertory. The evening will also include a Q+A with the Ballet22 directors and artists, cocktails, and a working rehearsal with Annabelle Lopez Ochoa and Durante Verzola.

Later that week, the company will move into The Great Star Theater to present their Ballet22 Gala Performance, February 25-27 for a live audience. The program will visit the timeless classic Swan Lake with a suite of ACT III select divertissements and present Annabelle Lopez Ochoa's duet Symbiotic Twins, exploring the duality of male and female in each of us through energy exchange, inventive partnering, and intimate entanglements. The work, performed for the first time by two mxn artists, was originally commissioned in 2018 by the Ashley Bouder Project at the Joyce Theater in New York City for Principal dancers Ashley Bouder and Taylor Stanley. The evening will also feature a world premiere by Filipino American dance maker, Durante Verzola set to the music of Bach and Chopin. With a choreographic style that emphasizes power, passion and musical clarity, the work explores the expressiveness of the pointe shoe, moving through a balletic journey of style, technique, and storytelling.

"Having realized our mission during a virtual project at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is so meaningful to be able to present a Gala performance live on stage and work with such incredible choreographers and artists to continue to expand our repertory," notes Ballet22 co-founders Roberto Vega Ortiz and Theresa Knudson. "We continue to explore the ways to create opportunity for mxn artists in the ballet landscape, and are committed to offering audiences an artistic community where all are welcome to celebrate the joy, power and meaning of ballet."

Ballet22 Behind the Scenes Gala Event will take place on Tuesday, February 22 at 7:00p.m. PST at The Midway, located at 900 Marin Street in San Francisco. Tickets are $100 and available at https://www.ballet22.com/events.

Each ticket includes 2 drinks. This is a 21+ event.

Ballet22 Gala Performances will take place a on February 25 and 26 at 7:00p.m. PST and February 27 at 3:00p.m. at the Great Star Theater, located at 636 Jackson Street, in San Francisco. Tickets start at $20 and are available at https://www.greatstartheater.org/ballet22-gala.

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