Stanton Welch News

From November 23 - December 30, 2012, Houston Ballet celebrates the 25th anniversary of Ben Stevenson's breathtaking production of The Nutcracker, seen by over 1,000,000 people since its premiere 25 years ago.

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.

The Joffrey Ballet's 2012-2013 season launches this fall with a mixed repertory program titled "Human Landscapes," featuring three choreographers exploring principles of the human spirit through dance. The Joffrey brings James Kudelka's critically acclaimed Pretty BALLET back to the stage along with Ji?i Kylian's rarely seen work Forgotten Land. A highlight of the season is the ground-breaking anti-war ballet The Green Table, choreographed by Kurt Jooss in the aftermath of World War I. The "Human Landscapes" program is presented in 10 performances only at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University, 50 E. Congress Parkway, October 17 - 28, 2012.

Fresh from its appearances at the Chicago Dancing Festival on August 25, Houston Ballet opens its 2012-13 season with artistic director Stanton Welch's signature work Madame Butterfly on a program with his one-act ballet Clear, set to music by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) , running tonight, September 6 - 16.

Fresh from its appearances at the Chicago Dancing Festival on August 25, Houston Ballet opens its 2012-13 season with artistic director Stanton Welch's signature work Madame Butterfly on a program with his one-act ballet Clear, set to music by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) , running September 6 - 16.

The Joffrey Ballet, one of America's pioneering ballet companies of the 20th century, makes a rare East Coast appearance to conclude the Jacob's Pillow 80th Anniversary Season today, August 22 through August 26.

Houston Ballet Artistic Director Stanton Welch announced touring plans for both the company and second company's 2012-2013 season today. Over the next year, touring engagements will take Houston Ballet from Chicago to Switzerland.

The Joffrey Ballet, one of America's pioneering ballet companies of the 20th century, makes a rare East Coast appearance to conclude the Jacob's Pillow 80th Anniversary Season August 22-26. The Joffrey Ballet returns for the first time since its high-profile appearances at the Pillow in the 1950s and 60s, presenting an impressive program that features Taiwanese-American choreographer Edwaard Liang's Age of Innocence, Russian choreographer Yuri Possokhov's Bells, and the world premiere of Son of Chamber Symphony by Stanton Welch, Artistic Director of Houston Ballet.

The cast of internationally-acclaimed dance stars appearing in BalletMet's Global Dance Stars Gala is now complete. Artists from Boston Ballet, Houston Ballet, National Ballet of Canada, New York City Ballet, Northern Ballet of England, Tom Gold Dance and Broadway will join the talented dancers of BalletMet for this one-night-only event August 18th at the Ohio Theatre (39 East State Street).

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.

Imagination Stage, in a collaboration with The Washington Ballet, presents THE LION, THE WITCH & THE WARDROBE. In this fusion of theater, dance, and puppetry, based on the novel by C.S. Lewis, the roles of the four children are played jointly by an actor and a dancer, and the courageous lion Aslan is portrayed by a life-size puppet operated by three actor/puppeteers, similar to the puppets used in the Broadway production War Horse.

The iconic Wortham Theater Center is celebrating its twenty-fifth birthday this month. This building serves as a monument to Houston's long-standing desire to encourage and support the arts, as the $66 million dollars raised to build the center that celebrates performing arts came entirely from 3500 private sector donors. Without a doubt, the best birthday present that the building could be bestowed is the Houston Ballet's terrific triptych of works, Made in America. Artistic Director, Stanton Welch's trio of selections are wonderful and inspired choices. Each piece is moving and beautiful, and each piece offers audiences a different and very enjoyable experience.

Imagination Stage, in a collaboration with The Washington Ballet, has announced casting for its world premiere summer production, THE LION, THE WITCH & THE WARDROBE. In this fusion of theater, dance, and puppetry, based on the novel by C.S. Lewis, the roles of the four children are played jointly by an actor and a dancer, and the courageous lion Aslan is portrayed by a life-size puppet operated by three actor/puppeteers, similar to the puppets used in the Broadway production WAR HORSE.

The 2012 Tommy Tune Awards winners have been announced! To a crowd of more than 2,500 people, Theatre Under The Stars (TUTS) declared the winners of TUTS' tenth annual Tommy Tune Awardson the evening of Tuesday, April 17, at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts. Adding extra excitement to the evening, the award ceremony's namesake and nine-time Tony Award winner Tommy Tune made a special appearance to kick off the show and to present the night's top honor.

Ashley C. Wheater, Artistic Director of The Joffrey Ballet, announces the company's 2012-2013 season, launching in the fall with a mixed repertory program featuring James Kudelka's Pretty BALLET and Ji?i Kylian's Forgotten Land, along with the return of Kurt Jooss' anti-war masterpiece The Green Table, celebrating its 80th Anniversary, October 17 - 28, 2012.