Pacific Northwest Ballet’s Season Opener: From Joyous to Surreal and Back Again [REVIEW]

Pacific Northwest Ballet – The Times Are RacingSeattle Center – McCaw HallSeattle, WashingtonDigital Performance Stream – October 3-7, 2024 By Steve Sucato Seattle’s Pacific Northwest Ballet (PNB) opened its 2024-25 season at Seattle Center’s McCaw Hall with the triple bill The Times Are Racing. The live production, filmed for digital streaming on September 20, 2024, featured a new ballet by recently appointed resident choreographer Jessica … Continue reading Pacific Northwest Ballet’s Season Opener: From Joyous to Surreal and Back Again [REVIEW]

A Conversation With Remi Wörtmeyer, BalletMet’s New Artistic Director

By Steve Sucato This past June, Columbus, Ohio’s BalletMet named Remi Wörtmeyer as its new artistic director. The choreographer, visual artist, fashion designer, and former dancer became BalletMet’s sixth director since its founding in 1978. He succeeds Edwaard Liang, who is now the artistic director of The Washington Ballet. Born and raised in Australia, Wörtmeyer had a notable career as a dancer with The Australian Ballet, American Ballet … Continue reading A Conversation With Remi Wörtmeyer, BalletMet’s New Artistic Director

After Its Delectable Opening Production, Balletmet’s 45th Anniversary Season Continues With Even More Delights

By Steve Sucato Columbus, Ohio’s BalletMet began its 45th Anniversary season with BalletMet at the Ohio, a tribute to 10-year Artistic Director Edwaard Liang featuring two of his most engaging ballets, Murmuration and Tributary. The production, September 16-18 at Downtown Columbus’ Ohio Theatre, showed Liang’s expert crafting of ballets both contemporary and classical. Murmuration, a contemporary ballet originally created in 2012 for Houston Ballet, takes … Continue reading After Its Delectable Opening Production, Balletmet’s 45th Anniversary Season Continues With Even More Delights

BalletMet’s Production of “Cinderella” Returns April 8 -10

By Sarah Irvin Clark (Columbus, OH) – BalletMet’s Cinderella is back by popular demand this April at the Ohio Theatre afterit performed to full houses in the 2018-19 season. Under Edwaard Liang’s artistic direction, the family-friendly ballet will follow the iconic servant girl, her missing glass slipper, and many other fan-favoritecharacters as well as feature more than 80 Academy students in the production. “Cinderella is … Continue reading BalletMet’s Production of “Cinderella” Returns April 8 -10

From Skateboarding Hooligan to Principal Dancer: BalletMet’s Jonathan Jordan Reflects on his Lengthy Dance Career and Taking his Final Bow

By Steve Sucato After a 22-year career as a dancer, BalletMet’s Jonathan Jordan will take his final bow with the company on Wednesday, December 22 in Gerard Charles’s The Nutcracker.  Jordan will dance the role of the Cavalier opposite Sugar Plum Fairy, Caitlin Valentine. The Arizona native began his dance journey at age 12 at the Academy Ballet of Tucson and then the Phoenix School … Continue reading From Skateboarding Hooligan to Principal Dancer: BalletMet’s Jonathan Jordan Reflects on his Lengthy Dance Career and Taking his Final Bow

BalletMet’s Return to Live Performance Unlocks Some Killer Works and Performances [REVIEW]

BalletMetUnlockedProgram A – May 16, 2021Program B – May 8, 2021Columbus, OH Reviewed by Steve Sucato BalletMet made its long-awaited return to live performance with Unlocked at the company’s Performance Space located adjacent to their main studio facility in Columbus. In May, the company launched performances of Unlocked’s two hourlong and varied repertory programs for select audiences made up of financial donors and season ticket … Continue reading BalletMet’s Return to Live Performance Unlocks Some Killer Works and Performances [REVIEW]

Pivoting and Pitfalls: BalletMet’s Edwaard Liang Talks Programming a New Season in a Time of Pandemic

By Steve Sucato With uncertainty being the underlying theme of 2020, Columbus, Ohio’s BalletMet has taken a wait and see approach to announcing its new 2020-21 dance season. While many ballet companies in the U.S. have given into the inevitability of having to conduct their seasons in the virtual world and have announced their new season, BalletMet artistic director Edwaard Liang and staff have chosen … Continue reading Pivoting and Pitfalls: BalletMet’s Edwaard Liang Talks Programming a New Season in a Time of Pandemic

Grand Rapids Ballet’s Adventurous Dance Season to Reflect New Norm in the Dance World

By Steve Sucato As the world gets used to the global pandemic imposed new normal, Grand Rapids Ballet is forging ahead with its new 2020-21 dance season entitled Moving Beyond and the new realities on how to deliver that season to an audience. Third-year artistic director James Sofranko says because of the pandemic Grand Rapids Ballet has had to turn away from live in-person performance … Continue reading Grand Rapids Ballet’s Adventurous Dance Season to Reflect New Norm in the Dance World

BALLETMET’S ‘ALICE’ TO BRING NEWNESS TO CARROLL’S FAMILIAR TALES

By Steve Sucato As humans we are taught there are no limits to our creativity. While in theory that may be true, ask any working choreographer and they will tell you that the realizations of their creative endeavors almost always come with limitations. Compromises due to current technology, the abilities of artists they are working with, and most often the monetary costs involved. Such is … Continue reading BALLETMET’S ‘ALICE’ TO BRING NEWNESS TO CARROLL’S FAMILIAR TALES