Madison Ballet: Timeless

Visit the ballet performance calendar to view dates of all showings of this program.

HALLELUJAH JUNCTION
AGAPÉ
GISELLE – Act II
Choreographer: Ja’ Malik after Jean Coralli and Jules Perot

◆ Madison Ballet
◆ Giselle

This weekend marks the closing of Madison Ballet’s 2023-2024 season with the premiere of Artistic Director Ja’ Malik’s Hallelujah Junction and second act of Giselle at the Overture Center for the Arts.

Hallelujah Junction, set to John Adams’ composition of the same name, is Ja’ Malik’s sixth work for the company. He shares that the nine-dancer cast work is “a challenge, as I rarely create works to music written for the piano, but there was something about this piece written for two solo pianos that both scared and intrigued me. I love and thrive off the challenge.” The ballet is accompanied by Julie E. Ballard’s lighting design costumes by company artist Fernanda Yamaguchi.

The second act of the romantic classical ballet Giselle will follow the traditional choreography set to Adolphe Adam’s beautiful score.

Also on the program is Agapé which the choreographer created for two male dancers to the music of Nicholas Britell. According to Ja’ Malik, the pas de deux is:

“about humanity. Despite featuring two men, the story is genderless. I am more interested in answering the question; how do we respect, love, and support each other in this journey of life regardless of race, sex, religion and all the other labels we put on people? It’s quite simple to me. Respect, love, compassion, and empathy are the answers, and I hope this pas de deux represents that through our unspoken language of movement.”

Featured photo for Madison Ballet’s Timeless program courtesy of Madison Ballet.