Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre Celebrates Emerald Anniversary With SPRING MIX: 5 FOR 55 Next Month

As a retrospective of its 55-year history, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre (PBT) will perform five  classical and contemporary works in Spring Mix: 5 for 55. The program pays homage to PBT's commitment to giving life to the classical tradition, nurturing new ideas and inspiring Pittsburgh's communities throughout the decades. The mixed repertory program features three PBT favorite works from the past and two new world premieres. Spring Mix: 5 for 55 will take place at the August Wilson African American Cultural Center April 4-6, 2025. 

 

The program includes George Balanchine's sumptuous and sparkling Emeralds, the return of Jorma Elo's divine, fast-paced 1st Flash, Dwight Rhoden's intense and passionate Ave Maria, and two newly choreographed world premieres: the compelling, primal The Rite of Spring by PBT choreographer-in-residence and former soloist William Moore and another by acclaimed choreographer Caili Quan.

 

“In honor of our 55th Anniversary, I am delighted to present these five remarkable works as part of Spring Mix: 5 for 55,” said Adam W. McKinney, artistic director at PBT. “These works showcase intricate choreography, the versatility of our PBT artists and powerful, moving ballet at its finest.”  

 

Spring Mix: 5 for 55 begins with Emeralds, part of George Balanchine's Jewels trilogy, which premiered in 1967 at the New York City Ballet. Emeralds, set to Gabriel Fauré's Pelléas et Mélisande and Shylock, has a French, romantic theme. It is fluid and softly passionate, with elegant, graceful, romantic dances. Emeralds is performed by two lead couples, three soloists and a corps de ballet of ten women. 

 

Jorma Elo's 1st Flash is a unique sensory experience for audiences. Dancers appear to move at the speed of light while articulating a collective body in perfect harmony. The energetically paced piece showcases contemporary, avant-garde movements set to Jean Sibelius's Violin Concerto in D minor.

 

Also lighting up the Benedum stage will be the yet-to-be-titled world premiere from Caili Quan. Quan, a former dancer with BalletX of Philadelphia and renowned choreographer, is known for incorporating her Guamanian roots into her work. Quan describes her newest work as heavily inspired by the music she selected for the piece. She says, ”Julius Eastman's ‘Stay On It' is an incredible score full of joy, gut punches, and the push to keep putting one foot in front of the other.”

 

Ave Maria, choreographed by Dwight Rhoden, is an intense, passionate Pas de Deux originally created in 1995 as part of his ballet The Grapes of Wrath. The Pas de Deux was met with such acclaim that it has become one of Rhoden's signature works and is regularly performed on its own. Set to Giulio Caccini's beloved classical music of the same name, Ave Maria is innovative and athletic, characterized by deceptively complex lifts, jumps, slides and falls. 

 

The program will close with a new world premiere of The Rite of Spring, choreographed by William Moore, PBT choreographer-in-residence and former PBT soloist. The original 1913 production of The Rite of Spring was such a departure from classical ballet that it caused a riot at its Paris premiere. The primal work, with music by Igor Stravinsky, depicts an ancient Russian pagan myth about the power of Spring.

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