ADVERTISEMENT
Monday, July 7, 2025
SUBSCRIBE
The Ballet Herald®
  • BALLET MAGAZINE
    • Ballet, Contemporary, and Modern Dance Performance Reviews
    • Interviews with Ballet Professionals
    • The Latest Ballet News
    • Feature Ballet Stories
    • Ballet Schools & Training
    • On This Day in Ballet History
    • Opinions
    • Ballet Meets the Mainstream
  • BALLET COMPANIES
    • Ballet Companies in Asia
      • Hong Kong Ballet
      • National Ballet of China
      • National Ballet of Japan
      • Singapore Ballet
    • Ballet Companies in Europe
      • Bavarian State Ballet
      • Birmingham Royal Ballet
      • Compañía Nacional de Danza
      • Dutch National Ballet
      • English National Ballet
      • Finnish National Ballet
      • Hamburg Ballet
      • Hungarian National Ballet
      • La Scala Theatre Ballet
      • Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo
      • London City Ballet
      • Mariinsky Ballet
      • Mikhailovsky Ballet
      • National Ballet of Ukraine
      • Northern Ballet
      • Norwegian National Ballet
      • Paris Opera Ballet
      • Polish National Ballet
      • Royal Ballet of Flanders
      • Royal Danish Ballet
      • Royal Swedish Ballet
      • Scottish Ballet
      • State Ballet of Georgia
      • The Royal Ballet
      • The Stuttgart Ballet
      • Varna International Ballet
      • Vienna State Ballet
    • Ballet Companies in North America
      • Alabama Ballet
      • Alberta Ballet
      • American Ballet Theatre
      • American Contemporary Ballet
      • American Repertory Ballet
      • Atlanta Ballet
      • Avant Chamber Ballet
      • BalletX
      • Ballet Arizona
      • Ballet Arkansas
      • Ballet Austin
      • Ballet Idaho
      • Ballet Memphis
      • Ballet North Texas
      • Ballet Tucson
      • Ballet West
      • BalletMet
      • Boston Ballet
      • Carolina Ballet
      • Charlotte Ballet
      • Cincinnati Ballet
      • City Ballet of San Diego
      • Cleveland Ballet
      • Colorado Ballet
      • Complexions Contemporary Ballet
      • Dance Theatre of Harlem
      • Eugene Ballet
      • Grand Rapids Ballet
      • Hollywood Ballet
      • Houston Ballet
      • Indianapolis Ballet
      • Joffrey Ballet
      • Kansas City Ballet
      • Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo
      • Les Grands Ballets
      • Los Angeles Ballet
      • Madison Ballet
      • Miami City Ballet
      • Milwaukee Ballet
      • Nashville Ballet
      • New Jersey Ballet
      • New York City Ballet
      • Oklahoma City Ballet
      • Oregon Ballet Theatre
      • Orlando Ballet
      • Pacific Northwest Ballet
      • Philadelphia Ballet
      • Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre
      • Richmond Ballet
      • Royal Winnipeg Ballet
      • Sacramento Ballet
      • Saint Louis Ballet
      • San Francisco Ballet
      • Sarasota Ballet
      • Smuin Contemporary Ballet
      • Texas Ballet Theater
      • The National Ballet of Canada
      • The Washington Ballet
      • Tulsa Ballet
    • Ballet Companies in Oceania
      • Queensland Ballet
      • Royal New Zealand Ballet
      • The Australian Ballet
  • BALLET PERFORMANCE CALENDAR
  • BALLET SHOWS IN…
    • Ballet Shows in Australia
    • Ballet Shows in Chicago
    • Ballet Shows in London
    • Ballet Shows in Los Angeles
    • Ballet Shows in New York City
    • Ballet Shows in Paris
    • Ballet Shows in Toronto
    • Ballet Shows in Washington, D.C.
  • FAMOUS BALLETS
    • A Midsummer Night’s Dream
    • Cinderella
    • Coppélia
    • Don Quixote
    • Giselle
    • La Bayadère
    • La Sylphide
    • Romeo and Juliet
    • Swan Lake
    • The Nutcracker
    • The Sleeping Beauty
  • MORE
    • Dance Jobs
    • 2025 Ballet Summer Intensive Programs
  • BALLET MAGAZINE
    • Ballet, Contemporary, and Modern Dance Performance Reviews
    • Interviews with Ballet Professionals
    • The Latest Ballet News
    • Feature Ballet Stories
    • Ballet Schools & Training
    • On This Day in Ballet History
    • Opinions
    • Ballet Meets the Mainstream
  • BALLET COMPANIES
    • Ballet Companies in Asia
      • Hong Kong Ballet
      • National Ballet of China
      • National Ballet of Japan
      • Singapore Ballet
    • Ballet Companies in Europe
      • Bavarian State Ballet
      • Birmingham Royal Ballet
      • Compañía Nacional de Danza
      • Dutch National Ballet
      • English National Ballet
      • Finnish National Ballet
      • Hamburg Ballet
      • Hungarian National Ballet
      • La Scala Theatre Ballet
      • Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo
      • London City Ballet
      • Mariinsky Ballet
      • Mikhailovsky Ballet
      • National Ballet of Ukraine
      • Northern Ballet
      • Norwegian National Ballet
      • Paris Opera Ballet
      • Polish National Ballet
      • Royal Ballet of Flanders
      • Royal Danish Ballet
      • Royal Swedish Ballet
      • Scottish Ballet
      • State Ballet of Georgia
      • The Royal Ballet
      • The Stuttgart Ballet
      • Varna International Ballet
      • Vienna State Ballet
    • Ballet Companies in North America
      • Alabama Ballet
      • Alberta Ballet
      • American Ballet Theatre
      • American Contemporary Ballet
      • American Repertory Ballet
      • Atlanta Ballet
      • Avant Chamber Ballet
      • BalletX
      • Ballet Arizona
      • Ballet Arkansas
      • Ballet Austin
      • Ballet Idaho
      • Ballet Memphis
      • Ballet North Texas
      • Ballet Tucson
      • Ballet West
      • BalletMet
      • Boston Ballet
      • Carolina Ballet
      • Charlotte Ballet
      • Cincinnati Ballet
      • City Ballet of San Diego
      • Cleveland Ballet
      • Colorado Ballet
      • Complexions Contemporary Ballet
      • Dance Theatre of Harlem
      • Eugene Ballet
      • Grand Rapids Ballet
      • Hollywood Ballet
      • Houston Ballet
      • Indianapolis Ballet
      • Joffrey Ballet
      • Kansas City Ballet
      • Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo
      • Les Grands Ballets
      • Los Angeles Ballet
      • Madison Ballet
      • Miami City Ballet
      • Milwaukee Ballet
      • Nashville Ballet
      • New Jersey Ballet
      • New York City Ballet
      • Oklahoma City Ballet
      • Oregon Ballet Theatre
      • Orlando Ballet
      • Pacific Northwest Ballet
      • Philadelphia Ballet
      • Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre
      • Richmond Ballet
      • Royal Winnipeg Ballet
      • Sacramento Ballet
      • Saint Louis Ballet
      • San Francisco Ballet
      • Sarasota Ballet
      • Smuin Contemporary Ballet
      • Texas Ballet Theater
      • The National Ballet of Canada
      • The Washington Ballet
      • Tulsa Ballet
    • Ballet Companies in Oceania
      • Queensland Ballet
      • Royal New Zealand Ballet
      • The Australian Ballet
  • BALLET PERFORMANCE CALENDAR
  • BALLET SHOWS IN…
    • Ballet Shows in Australia
    • Ballet Shows in Chicago
    • Ballet Shows in London
    • Ballet Shows in Los Angeles
    • Ballet Shows in New York City
    • Ballet Shows in Paris
    • Ballet Shows in Toronto
    • Ballet Shows in Washington, D.C.
  • FAMOUS BALLETS
    • A Midsummer Night’s Dream
    • Cinderella
    • Coppélia
    • Don Quixote
    • Giselle
    • La Bayadère
    • La Sylphide
    • Romeo and Juliet
    • Swan Lake
    • The Nutcracker
    • The Sleeping Beauty
  • MORE
    • Dance Jobs
    • 2025 Ballet Summer Intensive Programs
No Result
View All Result
The Ballet Herald®
Home Ballet Magazine Ballet, Contemporary, and Modern Dance Performance Reviews

Texas Ballet Theater Review: Reflections in the Studio, Nature, and Beyond

Stefan SmithbyStefan Smith
April 24, 2021 - Updated on May 23, 2024
in Ballet, Contemporary, and Modern Dance Performance Reviews
Reading Time: 4 mins read
A A
Texas Ballet Theater Review - Poetry II - April 2021

Texas Ballet Theater Review - The Poetry of Expression II

Texas Ballet Theater Review: The Poetry of Expression II
April 20, 2021 | Digital 

“The aim of art is not to represent the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance.” – Aristotle

In The Poetry of Expression: Part II, the second installment of its two-part spring virtual mixed repertoire, Texas Ballet Theater has shown again how companies can innovate and blend ballet, music, and cinematography to communicate with their audiences in ways that are provocative and beautiful.

Although everyone is anxious to return to the theater, and nothing can replace the experience of live arts, I predict that virtual performances will remain viable because they open up an entirely different storytelling avenue to artists.

As with the first installment, The Poetry of Expression II was filmed on location across Dallas and Fort Worth and includes two separate and distinct performances – Bloom, a traditional ballet in four parts choreographed by Andre Silva, and Horizon, a sci-fi narrative ballet with multiple vignettes choreographed by Jiyan Dai.

ADVERTISEMENT
Texas Ballet Theater - Bloom
Nicole Von Enck and Joamanuel Velazquez in Andre Silva's Bloom © Katelyn Rhodes

Bloom seems equally an ode to spring as it is an allegory of the return of the arts following the long winter of the COVID-19 lockdowns.

Primarily set in the Sammons Center for the Arts, the dancers, adorned in colorful costumes that evoke the wildflowers of springtime, are bathed in the natural light from the windows in the otherwise empty and spacious studio.

When watching Bloom, we view the ballet from the traditional perspective of a spectator in the audience, and our attention is definitely drawn to the movement and music over the space and narrative.

Silva’s choreography is light and effervescent, which pairs well with the traditional score and compliments the hopeful themes of rebirth and growth.

I was especially pleased to see the return of Nicole Von Enck and Joamanuel Velazquez in the second movement of Bloom, since they were such a joy to watch in The Poetry of Expression: Part I. The couple’s partnering is truly captivating.

In contrast to the first four movements, which the filmmaker portrays as small and intimate within the large space of the studio, the finale features twenty-three members of the company at once spread out across the many ledges and tiers of the Fort Worth Water Gardens.

Rather than appear dominated by their venue, the company appears large and imposes itself on the backdrop of the multi-level gardens and Downtown Fort Worth. This transition from small to large – inside to outside – helps communicate the story of growth and rejuvenation.

ADVERTISEMENT
Texas Ballet Theater - Horizon
Rieko Hatato in Jiyan Dai's Horizon © Jiyan Dai

Similar to VREC in the first installment, Horizon invites the viewer on a five-part journey through other worlds and through Dai’s imagination.

We are first greeted by Celeste Gaiera, who challenges us to consider whether we all have an identical representation of ourselves inhabiting some other part of the vast universe. Gaiera and Alexandra Farber then come together from across the galaxy to dance as mirror images of one another – alter egos set against the extraterrestrial backdrop of the Benbrook Dam.

Gaiera and Farber do an excellent job of capturing the notion of a galactic yin and yang; contradicting yet complementary personalities that exist in all of us and have the potential of creating holistic balance.

The rest of Horizon is anchored by Carolyn Judson. She serves as the connector between the next four disparate pieces – Xanadu, Colonization of Mars, March of the Giants, and Fortitude, the finale that features Judson herself.

From an idyllic garden, to the Red Planet, Horizon uses a serial storytelling format to mix themes that are both interstellar and terrestrial in nature. With the benefit of hindsight, I feel as if Dai’s introduction of Judson after the conclusion of the “Girl in the Mirror” misses an opportunity to create a more cohesive story arc for his audience.

Just as The Story of You utilized the first person perspective of a museum tour and VREC cast Dolores as our virtual host, guide, and narrator, Judson’s character could have served as the bookends of our journey through space and myth.

One of the most compelling performances from Horizon is Valentin Batista, Philip Slocki, and Brett Young joining together for “March of the Giants”, a purpose-driven, forceful tour through the streets and landmarks of Fort Worth.

What makes “March of the Giants” memorable are the score of the same name by Francesco D’Andrea, which was reminiscent of the works of Gustav Holst or John Williams, and the narration that provokes us to consider what we would be without the arts. When stating that, “some have called the arts non-essential,” the narrator voices an unmistakable opinion about the manner in which art and artists were marginalized during the COVID-19 lockdowns.

Texas Ballet Theater Performances ⤞

With its two-part spring performance, Texas Ballet Theater creatively uses dance and filmmaking together to entertain and educate its audience. Although some of the narrative walks the line between ballet and drive-in sci-fi, the stories, themes, and portrayals are unique and they allow us to see artists with whom we are familiar from the stage in a completely different light.

The Poetry of Expression: Part II will be available to subscribers and on demand viewers through April 30th and Texas Ballet Theater will be returning to the live stage with two al fresco performances in May.

Featured Photo for this Texas Ballet Theater review of Alexandra Farber and Celeste Gaiera in Horizon © Jiyan Dai.

Tags: Texas Ballet TheaterVirtual
Stefan Smith

Stefan Smith

One of Stefan Smith's proudest professional accomplishments has been helping create a start-up venture called Music Audience Exchange that has pioneered ways to connect musicians with new audiences through innovative brand partnerships, multi-media content creation, and live stream and other events. In that role, he has developed expertise in the areas of music and personal image licensing. He also serves as a member of the Board of Directors of Avant Chamber Ballet and volunteer with youth groups in the Dallas area. Stefan is a practicing attorney who studied at Southern Methodist University and the University of Texas School of Law. In his spare time he loves travel, cooking, fitness, nature, and the arts.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Receive a roundup of ballet news & performances direct to your inbox.

The most interesting ballet news and stories of the week.

You may also be interested in...

Chamber Dance Project Red Angels Review 2025

Chamber Dance Project Red Angels Review: Chamber Dance Delights at Harman Hall

July 3, 2025
The Best Nutcracker Performances in 2025

The Best Nutcracker Performances in 2025

July 1, 2025 - Updated on July 7, 2025
La Scala Theatre Ballet Paquita Review 2025

La Scala Theatre Ballet Paquita Review: Radiating Joy and Technical Prowess

June 28, 2025
PNB Director’s Choice Review 2025

Pacific Northwest Ballet Director’s Choice Review: Pushing to the Extremes

June 17, 2025
Gonzalo Garcia Appointed Next Artistic Director at Miami City Ballet

Gonzalo Garcia Appointed Next Artistic Director at Miami City Ballet

June 16, 2025
The Ballet Herald®

SECTIONS

  • Dance Performance Reviews
  • Interviews with Ballet Professionals
  • Feature Ballet Stories
  • The Latest Ballet News
  • Ballet Schools & Training
  • Opinions

FAMOUS BALLETS

  • A Midsummer Night’s Dream
  • Cinderella
  • Coppélia
  • Don Quixote
  • Giselle
  • La Bayadère
  • La Sylphide
  • Romeo and Juliet
  • Swan Lake
  • The Nutcracker
  • The Sleeping Beauty

MORE

  • Ballet Performances
  • Ballet Companies
  • Ballet Summer Intensives
  • Dance Jobs

COMPANY

  • About
  • Contact
  • Support
  • Advertisement & Paid Content Opportunities

© 2025 The Ballet Herald™ by BalletNomad, LLC®

Receive a roundup of ballet news & performances direct to your inbox.

The most interesting ballet news and stories of the week.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home Page
  • Ballet Performance Calendar
  • Ballet Magazine
    • Ballet, Contemporary, and Modern Dance Performance Reviews
    • Interviews with Ballet Professionals
    • The Latest Ballet News
    • Feature Ballet Stories
    • Ballet Schools & Training
    • On This Day in Ballet History
    • Opinions
    • Ballet Meets the Mainstream
  • Ballet Shows In…
    • Ballet Shows in Australia
    • Ballet Shows in Chicago
    • Ballet Shows in London
    • Ballet Shows in Los Angeles
    • Ballet Shows in New York City
    • Ballet Shows in Paris
    • Ballet Shows in Toronto
    • Ballet Shows in Washington, D.C.
  • Famous Ballets
    • A Midsummer Night’s Dream
    • Cinderella
    • Coppélia
    • Don Quixote
    • Giselle
    • La Bayadère
    • La Sylphide
    • Romeo and Juliet
    • Swan Lake
    • The Nutcracker
    • The Sleeping Beauty
  • List of Ballet Companies
  • 2025 Ballet Summer Intensives
  • Dance Jobs
  • ⊙ About
  • ⊙ Contact
  • ⊙ Advertisement & Paid Content Opportunities
  • ⊙ Privacy Policy
  • ☕ Buy us a coffee!

© 2025 The Ballet Herald™ by BalletNomad, LLC®

Receive a roundup of ballet news & performances direct to your inbox.

The most interesting ballet news and stories of the week.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home Page
  • Ballet Performance Calendar
  • Ballet Magazine
    • Ballet, Contemporary, and Modern Dance Performance Reviews
    • Interviews with Ballet Professionals
    • The Latest Ballet News
    • Feature Ballet Stories
    • Ballet Schools & Training
    • On This Day in Ballet History
    • Opinions
    • Ballet Meets the Mainstream
  • Ballet Shows In…
    • Ballet Shows in Australia
    • Ballet Shows in Chicago
    • Ballet Shows in London
    • Ballet Shows in Los Angeles
    • Ballet Shows in New York City
    • Ballet Shows in Paris
    • Ballet Shows in Toronto
    • Ballet Shows in Washington, D.C.
  • Famous Ballets
    • A Midsummer Night’s Dream
    • Cinderella
    • Coppélia
    • Don Quixote
    • Giselle
    • La Bayadère
    • La Sylphide
    • Romeo and Juliet
    • Swan Lake
    • The Nutcracker
    • The Sleeping Beauty
  • List of Ballet Companies
  • 2025 Ballet Summer Intensives
  • Dance Jobs
  • ⊙ About
  • ⊙ Contact
  • ⊙ Advertisement & Paid Content Opportunities
  • ⊙ Privacy Policy
  • ☕ Buy us a coffee!

© 2025 The Ballet Herald™ by BalletNomad, LLC®