The Charlotte Ballet 2021-2022 Season also marks the celebration of the company’s 50th anniversary a little later than planned due to delays resulting from the pandemic. It will feature works that honor its past as well as premieres that reflect the innovations of the present and future.
“The arts are rooted in community,” said Executive Director Douglas Singleton. “This is evidenced in the loyalty of our board members, our patrons and our community partners. Over the past year we made hard choices to emerge on stable financial footing, providing the platform to remount our 50th Anniversary Season with an exhilarating calendar of community activities and events.
Charlotte Ballet’s history and values mirror the great entrepreneurial city of Charlotte—all worth celebrating this coming year.”
Charlotte Ballet 2021-2022 Season Schedule
50th Anniversary Celebration | October 7-9, 2021
Belk Theater
- World Premiere by Christopher Stuart
- Ibsen’s House by Val Caniparoli
- The Rite of Spring by Salvatore Aiello
Charlotte Ballet’s season will kick off with a performance series that not only honors the Company’s past but also looks toward the next decade.
Charlotte Ballet II Program Director and Rehearsal Director and North Carolina School of the Arts alumnus, Christopher Stuart, will present
a new work set to music by Philip Glass. Also on the bill, Val Caniparoli’s Ibsen’s House—a dramatic work known for its technical and dramatic brilliance. Finally, former Artistic Director Salvatore Aiello’s masterwork The Rite of Spring will return to the stage with re-imagined designs
and, for the first time, with live music performed by the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra.
The Nutcracker | December 3-26, 2021
Belk Theater
- The Nutcracker by Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux
Former Artistic Director Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux’s Nutcracker returns to the stage for its final season. Hailed as “a show that sparkles from end to end,” this will be the last time Charlotte audiences see this production before Charlotte Ballet premieres a new Nutcracker next year.
Innovative 1970 | February 4-27, 2022
Center for Dance
- World Premieres by Rena Butler and Sasha Janes
1970 was the year a group of students from North Carolina School of the Arts first performed at Jacob’s Pillow, and North Carolina Dance Theatre was born under the direction of Robert Lindgren.
Fifty (one) years later, choreographers will take inspiration for this season’s Innovative 1970 from design, music, politics and literature from the 1970s as Artistic Director Hope Muir asks them to pay homage to the company’s first decade as a professional dance company. New works will be presented by 2019 Princess Grace Award winner for choreography, Rena Butler, along with Resident Choreographer Sasha Janes and a third commission to be announced at a later date.
Sleeping Beauty: A Fairy-Tailored Classic | April 29 – May 8, 2022
Knight Theater
- Sleeping Beauty: A Fairy-Tailored Classic by Matthew Hart
Postponed twice from its scheduled performance dates due to the pandemic, choreographer Matthew Hart’s enchanting production will finally make its long-awaited world premiere in Charlotte next spring.
With striking sets and lavish costumes by designer Peter Docherty, this
version of Sleeping Beauty has been fairy “tailored” with an on-stage Narrator to guide audiences through the twists and turns that beset Princess Aurora and her court. Staying true to the beloved choreography of Marius Petipa, and set to Tchaikovsky’s glorious score, this production is a must see for first time ballet-goers and long-time lovers of the art form alike!
Choreographic Lab | May 13-20, 2022
Center for Dance
Established by Artistic Director Hope Muir during her inaugural season, Choreographic Lab has quickly become one of Charlotte Ballet’s most popular performance series. Dedicated to showcasing the work of new and emerging talent, the Lab has provided a platform for artists from the company, as well as the Charlotte dance community, to present their work on a professional
Featured Photo for the Charlotte Ballet 2021-2022 Season from Charlotte Ballet
