Nashville Ballet Launches Season With IF I CAN DREAM Triple Bill
Performances are October 10–12, 2025, at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center (TPAC).
Nashville Ballet will launch its 40th Season – The Ruby Season – with If I Can Dream, a triple bill featuring Balanchine, Kylián and Presley with performances October 10–12, 2025, at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center (TPAC).
Choreographed and directed by Travis Bradley, If I Can Dream, set to the timeless music of Elvis Presley, fuses the elegance and artistry of classical ballet with the rebellious spirit of rock ‘n’ roll. First previewed at the 2024 Nashville Dance Festival, this expanded work showcases a rich tapestry of Elvis Presley’s catalog of music. The production includes Elvis’ classics such as “That’s All Right,” “Suspicious Minds,” “Kiss Me Quick,” “It Hurts Me,” “Men with Broken Hearts,” “Forget Me Never,” and the powerful anthem that gives the production its name, “If I Can Dream.”
Bradley, whose celebrated career includes work with Ballet Memphis, Houston Ballet and Richmond Ballet, spent countless hours curating and reimagining the King’s catalog. From stripped-down arrangements to emotional storytelling through movement, If I Can Dream showcases Presley’s timeless music that's both fresh and deeply human. Garritt McCabe will reprise his role as The Icon opposite Will Giannuzzi debuting in alternate casts, while Claudia Monja with James Lankford or Jorge Emilio Peña will perform the Pas de Deux.
“Elvis’ music is timeless and the messages in his songs are universal,” said Travis Bradley. “I wanted to showcase the vastness of Elvis’ musical range, from gospel and blues to pop ballads; he was a master storyteller. This piece is meant to celebrate his music while bringing joy and inspiration to the audience to dream of a better tomorrow.”
Additionally, the evening will begin with George Balanchine’s Rubies, the second movement from Balanchine’s legendary Jewels. Set to Stravinsky’s Capriccio for Piano and Orchestra, this sparkling masterpiece dazzles with sharp wit, angular lines and vibrant movement accompanied by the award-winning music of The Nashville Symphony with guest pianist Alessandra Volpi. A tribute to the vitality of dance, Rubies captures the genius of Balanchine at his most playful and provocative. The lead principal dancers include Michael Burfield, Jamie Kopit, Garritt McCabe, Claudia Monja, Lily Saito, Brett Sjoblom, Gwyneth Smith, Autumn Tierney and Colette Tilinski.
Then, returning to the Nashville stage by popular demand, Jiří Kylián’s Un Ballo, a poignant and deeply human work set to Maurice Ravel’s lush music. Known for its emotional nuance and contemporary elegance, this ballet contrasts neoclassical structure with modern intimacy. It’s a stirring meditation on love, memory and connection that showcases the expressive power and range of Nashville Ballet’s artists.
If I Can Dream is made possible in part by a generous sponsor, Tennessee Orthopaedic Alliance (TOA). CASTING NOTE: Principal dancer Lily Saito makes her return to the stage in this production after rupturing her Achilles last year and receiving rehab treatment at TOA.
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