Houston Ballet’s new season is full of ‘Good Vibrations’
Houston Ballet is back. This week, dance company leadership announced the return to a full year of performances for the 2022-23 season.
Yes, the ruby red curtain has lifted a few times already. Dancers first stepped onto the stage at Wortham Theater Center last fall for the Margaret Alkek William’s “Jubilee of Dance.” After a 568day hiatus, the homecoming of sorts also marked the debut of Stanton Welch’s “In Good Company.” Then came “The Nutcracker,” just in time for the holidays. And most recently, George Balantine’s “Jewels” and six nights of “Sylvia.”
Three familiar story ballets have also been added to the upcoming season: Trey McIntyre’s “Peter Pan”; Stanton Welch’s “Romeo and Juliet”; and the most famous love story of all, Welch’s “Swan Lake.” The mixed-repertory program includes a trio of world premieres by choreographers Arthur Pita, Cathy Marston and Justin Peck, too.
Pita’s “Good Vibrations,” originally set to debut in the 2019-20 season, marks the choreographer’s first work with Houston Ballet. The piece is set to a commissioned score by Christopher Austin and references the popular Beach Boys’ song of the same name. To borrow from Houston Ballet’s language, the triple bill, which also includes “Red Earth” and “The Letter V,” is a “whole vibe.”
Marston’s “Summer and Smoke,” a co-production with American Ballet Theatre, which shares its name with the renowned Tennessee Williams’ play, promises to explore the choreographer’s unique storytelling abilities.
Peck, resident choreographer for New York City Ballet behind the Academy Award-nominated musical “West Side Story,” is set to debut his second world premiere work for Houston Ballet — his second commission for the company.
To close out the year, the 2022 Margaret Alkek Williams “Jubilee of Dance” returns to its previous one-night-only performance slot after previously stretching to five performances in 2021. The evening will feature a world premiere by Silas Farley.
Season ticket packages start at $117 and are on sale now. For more information visit houstonballet.org.