BalletX to Return to Joyce Theater in September

BalletX, Philadelphia's premier contemporary ballet, will launch its 20th Anniversary Season with a triumphant return to The Joyce Theater, September 24–28. The program pairs two electrifying New York premieres with excerpts from two of the most acclaimed works in the company's history, offering audiences a vivid portrait of BalletX's past, present, and future. 

At the heart of the program are the premieres of Sojourner by Gregory Dawson, a vibrant fusion of classical ballet and kinetic modernity set to a live jazz score by pianist-composer Luke Carlos O'Reilly and a band of New York jazz luminaries, and Scales on the Wings of a Butterfly by Noelle Kayser, an intricate and visually arresting pointe debut inspired by the dazzling patterns of microscopic photography. 

These premieres share the stage with two beloved works that helped define BalletX's voice: Vivir (2018) by Darrell Grand Moultrie, a joyous celebration of Latin music and culture driven by the rhythms of Tito Puente, Rodrigo y Gabriela, and Bebo & Cigala; and Sunset, o639 Hours (2014) by Matthew Neenan, a sweeping narrative of love and loss set against the lush landscapes of the South Pacific.

“This milestone season is about honoring the vision that started BalletX and the artists who have shaped it, while boldly stepping into the future,” says Artistic & Executive Director, Christine Cox. “To share these premieres on a stage that has been a second home to us — is both a celebration and a statement. It says BalletX will always take risks, tell human stories, and bring our audiences along for the adventure.”

• Sojourner by Gregory Dawson

Gregory Dawson, Artistic Director of dawsondancesf, uses the classical vernacular of ballet to push choreographic boundaries in unpredictable ways. Balancing grace with highly kinetic motion, he allows his dancers to utilize and showcase every ounce of their animal energy. This is Gregory's first premiere with BalletX and features a thrilling live score by renowned pianist and composer Luke Carlos O'Reilly and a band of NY jazz greats. 

• Scales on the Wings of a Butterfly by Noelle Kayser

Noelle Kayser was selected from over 80 international applicants as BalletX's 2025 Choreographic Fellow. Inspired by the mesmerizing science of microscopic photography and the world of the unseen, this premiere takes audiences on a visual journey powered by Kayser's detailed and evocative choreography. “Noelle Kayser… almost invented her own genre of dance,” raves The Philadelphia Inquirer about this boundary-pushing pointe debut.

• Selections from Vivir by Darrell Grand Moultrie

“Spanish Harlem is the Muse for Vivir,” explains choreographer Darrell Grand Moultrie. “The beauty and power of Latin music was everywhere. This work was created to celebrate the culture, the people, and the sound that helped me thrive.” Songs by Tito Puente, Rodrigo y Gabriela, and Bebo & Cigala provide the ubiquitous soundtrack to this stirring work and share the spotlight with its dancers.

• Selections from Sunset, o639 Hours by Matthew Neenan

BalletX Co-Founder Matthew Neenan creates a work that the New York Times calls a “poetic realm of the imagination… beautifully elegiac.” Audiences are transported by the rich sights and sounds of pre-World War II New Zealand, Samoa, and Hawaii through this beautiful and intensely personal narrative of loss, longing, and paradise – one of the most critically acclaimed and toured pieces in BalletX's history.