To kick off 2022, Houston Ballet presents Jewels and Sylvia, two iconic ballets by George Balanchine and Artistic Director of the company, Stanton Welch.
Houston Ballet’s Jewels shines bright as the first ballet performance of the year at Wortham Theater Center. Opening on February 24 and running through March 6, dancers sparkle in this full-length ballet inspired by Claude Arpels’ jewelry.
Each act has a distinct style of dance and appreciation for ballet. Act I features ballerinas in clouds of tulle floating on stage, evoking France, the birthplace of Romantic dance and French style. Act II reflects the carefree spontaneity of American culture, set to the music of Igor Stravinsky, with Balanchine’s beloved ballerinas dazzling the audience with jazzy movement and the joy of dance. Act III mirrors the grandeur and precision of the Imperial Ballet of St. Petersburg, honoring the work and legacy of the First Ballet Master and choreographer, Marius Petipa.
Set to the iconic score by Léo Délibes, Sylvia is a dramatic interpretation by Welch, following three different stories in an epic tale of love caught between two worlds. Returning to the stage after debuting as a world premiere in 2019, this brisk 95-minute action-packed story ballet immerses audiences in Greek mythology focusing on three heroines fighting for love: Sylvia, the huntress, Artemis, the goddess and Psyche, the mortal.
Audiences are transported between worlds with projection design by Wendall K. Harrington and costume and scenic design by Jérôme Kaplan, setting the stage for love, deceit, betrayal and heartbreak. The thematic scenes, along with the fierce choreography by Welch, exemplify the high caliber of performance and entertainment expected of the world-renowned Houston Ballet. With thrilling sword fighting and illusions created with projections by Harrington, Sylvia is a production not to be missed
Jewels
Choreographer: George Balanchine | Music: Gabriel Faure/ Igor Stravinsky/ Pyotr Ilych Tchaikovsky
February 24 – March 6, 2022
Sylvia
Choreographer: Stanton Welch AM | Music: Léo Délibes
March 10 – 20, 2022
Featured Photo of Houston Ballet Principals Karina González as Sylvia and Connor Walsh as The Shepherd in Stanton Welch’s Sylvia. Photo by Amitava Sarkar (2019). Courtesy of Houston Ballet.
