Melissa Hough News

Boston Ballet Artistic Director Mikko Nissinen announces programming for the 2020a?"2021 season. The season opens with a world premiere as part of a three-ballet program of William Forsythe's works. Nissinen's The Nutcracker returns to capture the imagination of audiences of all ages. The spring season includes a second world premiere by William Forsythe, Alexei Ratmansky's Symphony No. 9, and George Balanchine's Ballo della Regina, plus the Company premiere of Christopher Wheeldon's A Midsummer Night's Dream and the return of Marius Petipa's The Sleeping Beauty. The season concludes with a female-led program, part of Boston Ballet's ChoreograpHER Initiative. The Company's 57th season runs November 5, 2020 through May 30, 2021 at the Citizens Bank Opera House.

Does the daily news leave you troubled and pessimistic? Masterworks Chorale's Because of the Brave concert will dispel those negative emotions with uplifting songs of home and country. Be at the Nixon Centre on October 22, 2017, at 2:00 pm.

James Whiteside, ballet's most daring principal artist known for his theatrical and technical versatility, will begin an extensive and varied summer tour, with seven appearances worldwide, after the close of the American Ballet Theatre's Metropolitan Opera House Season. Whiteside kicks off the summer at Fire Island Dance Festival, followed by an evening of self-choreographed work at Jacob's Pillow, performances at Joyce Theater with Gemma Bond, BALLETNOW, Vail Dance Festival and Ballet Sun Valley, and lastly a tour to Japan late summer to work with Tokyo Disney. Performances will showcase a variety of dance styles including classical ballet, contemporary ballet, modern, theater jazz and hip-hop.

James Whiteside, ballet's most daring principal artist known for his theatrical and technical versatility, will begin an extensive and varied summer tour, with seven appearances worldwide, after the close of the American Ballet Theatre's Metropolitan Opera House Season. Whiteside kicks off the summer at Fire Island Dance Festival, followed by an evening of self-choreographed work at Jacob's Pillow, performances at Joyce Theater with Gemma Bond, BALLETNOW, Vail Dance Festival and Ballet Sun Valley, and lastly a tour to Japan late summer to work with Tokyo Disney. Performances will showcase a variety of dance styles including classical ballet, contemporary ballet, modern, theater jazz and hip-hop.

The Houston Ballet is notorious for providing audiences with top-notch productions and a supremely talented company. Launching into their 2013-2014 season, Houston Ballet opens with FOUR PREMIERES. Consisting of one American premiere and three world premieres, FOUR PREMIERES is a wonderful evening of dance, with works choreographed by Chrisopher Bruce, Melissa Hough, Garrett Smith, and James Kudelka.

From tonight, September 5-15, 2013, Houston Ballet launches its 44th season with a mixed repertory program of premieres by emerging and established choreographers. Famed choreographer James Kudelka will create a new work for the company. British master and Houston Ballet's associate choreographer Christopher Bruce's Intimate Pages will have its Houston Ballet premiere. World premieres by Garrett Smith and Melissa Hough round out the program.

From September 5-15, 2013, Houston Ballet launches its 44th season with a mixed repertory program of premieres by emerging and established choreographers. Famed choreographer James Kudelka will create a new work for the company. British master and Houston Ballet's associate choreographer Christopher Bruce's Intimate Pages will have its Houston Ballet premiere. World premieres by Garrett Smith and Melissa Hough round out the program.

Houston Ballet Artistic Director Stanton Welch has announced the company's 2013-2014 season. Eight new works enter Houston Ballet's repertoire, including world premieres by James Kudelka, Garrett Smith and Melissa Hough in September 2013; the North American premiere of David Bintley's Aladdin in February 2014; company premieres of Jiri Kylian's Sechs Tanze, Christopher Bruce's Intimate Pages and Stanton Welch's Of Blessed Memory as well as a world premiere A Young Person's Guide to Orchestra by Mr. Welch in March 2014.

Houston Ballet is kicking off the summer with their resplendent production of JOURNEY WITH THE MASTERS. This amazing treat is made complete with thrilling dance compositions by three of the world's leading modern choreographers, George Balanchine, Ji?i Kylian, and Jerome Robbins. The three acts are vastly different from each other and superbly enchant audiences with their uniqueness.

From February 21-March 3, 2013, Houston Ballet presents Stanton Welch's La Bayadere ("The Temple Dancer"), a historic classic staged by Houston Ballet Artistic Director Stanton Welch and set in royal India of the past. La Bayadere is a dramatic ballet of eternal love, mystery, fate, vengeance and justice, featuring spectacular scenery and costumes by the acclaimed English designer Peter Farmer. This lavish production recounts the story of Nikiya, a temple dancer, her lover Solor, and the vengeance that keeps them apart -- at least in this life. Houston Ballet will give seven performances of La Bayadere at Wortham Theater Center in downtown Houston. Tickets may be purchased by calling 713 227 2787 or by visiting www.houstonballet.org.

The Houston Ballet organization is imbued with talent from top to bottom. Last year, they organized an event in which the dancers got to experiment and begin growing their own individual choreographic voices. Thursday, December 13, 2012 was their second event with this goal in mind. A small, invitation only audience was treated to an evening of fantastic talent on display in 14 world première ballets by names that are sure to leave a lasting impression on the world of dance.

As the Black Friday sales died down, the Houston Ballet's live orchestra began to stir. With a quick hush, the murmuring audience gave into their anticipation of dancing sugar plum fairies. As the lights, hung with care, illuminated the dexterous dancers, Houston audiences responded with glee. After all, they had bought almost every ticket to see this annual, festive holiday jubilee. There is no doubt, Ben Stevenson's highly lauded and much beloved production of Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky's THE NUTCRACKER is still guaranteed to dazzle and enthrall audiences young and old.

The main purpose and goal of Houston Ballet's WOMEN@ART is to celebrate the ability of women to choreograph interesting, thought-provoking, and fully realized ballets. In 2004, Stanton Welch was met with fantastic success the first time he programmed three one-act ballets choreographed by women in his inaugural WOMEN@ART performance. The 2012 offering, complete with a World Premiere by Aszure Barton, will hopefully motivate and empower young girls and women interested in dance and choreography to follow their dreams while opening a dialogue about the value of female voices in the dance world.

From September 20-30, 2012, Houston Ballet presents Women@Art featuring a world premiere by Aszure Barton, the company premiere of Twyla Tharp's The Brahms-Haydn Variations, and the return of Julia Adam's Ketubah, commissioned by Houston Ballet in 2004. Houston Ballet will give six performances of Women@Art at Wortham Theater Center at 510 Texas Avenue in downtown Houston. Tickets start at $19, and may be purchased by calling 713 227 2787 or by visiting www.houstonballet.org.

The Houston Ballet is synonymous with fantastic and sumptuous performances. Each of their dancers, from Principals to Apprentices, is a supremely talented artist at the top of their class in professional skill. Currently, Houston Ballet is featuring their male dancers in CLEAR, which was created for American Ballet Theatre in New York City in 2001, and their ability to move audiences through gorgeous storytelling in MADAME BUTTERFLY, which has its world premiere on February 24, 1995 by The Australian Ballet and its Houston premiere on September 19, 2002. These pieces are distinctly different from each other; yet, Stanton Welch's choreography is sure to leave audiences breathless and spellbound in both productions.

Houston Ballet has been awarded a Fellowship Initiative grant from the New York Choreographic Institute, an affiliate of New York City Ballet, to support the development of new choreography by first soloist Melissa Hough in a studio setting.

The NYC Dance Alliance Foundation (NYCDAF) celebrated its first anniversary at The Joyce Theater with a dazzling evening of dance artistry "Destiny Rising" featuring outstanding NYCDA alumni, the dynamic choreography of NYCDA faculty and special guest performances by stars of prominent dance companies, all to benefit the NYCDAF College Scholarship Program.

The NYC Dance Alliance Foundation (NYCDAF) celebrated its first anniversary at The Joyce Theater with a dazzling evening of dance artistry "Destiny Rising" featuring outstanding NYCDA alumni, the dynamic choreography of NYCDA faculty and special guest performances by stars of prominent dance companies all to benefit the NYCDAF College Scholarship Program.