Balletx

BALLETX PRODUCES ORIGINAL CHOREOGRAPHY THAT EXPANDS THE VOCABULARY OF CLASSICAL DANCE FOR ALL AUDIENCES.

PERFORMANCE SERIES AND WORLD PREMIERE COMMISSIONS: BALLETX PRESENTS AN ANNUAL PERFORMANCE SEASON OF FOUR SERIES AT VARIOUS VENUES THROUGHOUT PHILADELPHIA, INCLUDING THE WILMA THEATER, THE MANN CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS, AND THE SUZANNE ROBERTS THEATRE. THE COMPANY'S PRODUCTIONS PRIORITIZE UNIQUE AND INNOVATIVE COLLABORATIONS, INCLUDING LARGE-SCALE SET PIECES, ORIGINAL COMPOSITIONS, GUEST ARTISTS, AND LIVE MUSIC. BALLETX PRESENTED FOUR PERFORMANCE SERIES IN THE 2021-2022 SEASON: FALL SERIES, FEATURING THE REMOUNT OF MATTHEW NEENAN'S "SUNSET, O639 HOURS," BALLETX AT GLEN FOERD, FEATURING WORLD PREMIERES BY CHOREOGRAPHIC FELLOW TSAI HSI HUNG, CAILI QUAN, TOMMIE-WAHEED EVANS, AND NICOLE CARUANA; SPRING SERIES, FEATURING WORLD PREMIERES BY JENNIFER ARCHIBALD AND ANNABELLE LOPEZ OCHOA; AND SUMMER SERIES, FEATURING WORLD PREMIERES BY TILER PECK, JAMAR ROBERTS, AND GUSTAVO RAMIREZ SANSANO. PERFORMANCES REACHED AUDIENCES IN EXCESS OF 5,300.

TOURING: IN ADDITION TO ITS PHILADELPHIA MAIN STAGE PERFORMANCES, BALLETX PARTICIPATES IN A GROWING NUMBER OF NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL TOURS. IN THE 2021-2022 SEASON, THE COMPANY TOURED TO THE FOLLOWING VENUES: VAIL DANCE FESTIVAL, VAIL, CO; SUN VALLEY BALLET, SUN VALLEY, ID; JUNIATA COLLEGE, HUNTINGDON, PA; PEPPERDINE UNIVERSITY, MALIBU, CA; FALL FOR DANCE AT NEW YORK CITY CENTER; BUCKNELL UNIVERSITY, LEWISBURG, PA; STONY BROOK UNIVERSITY, STONY BROOK, NY; LAFAYETTE COLLEGE, EASTON, PA; TILLES CENTER, BROOKVILLE, NY; PHILLIPS CENTER, GAINESVILLE, FL; SCHAEFER CENTER, BOONE, NC; BLUMENTHAL CENTER, CHARLOTTE, NC; GOGUE CENTER, AUBURN, AL; TITAS, DALLAS, TX; AND SARATOGA PERFORMING ARTS CENTER WITH THE PHILADELPHIA ORCHESTRA (JUL. 27). TOUR PERFORMANCES REACHED AUDIENCES IN EXCESS OF 15,200.

DANCE EXCHANGE: DANCE EXCHANGE IS BALLETX'S IN-SCHOOL EDUCATION PROGRAM THAT USES DANCE TO EMPOWER PHILADELPHIA PUBLIC SCHOOL CHILDREN AND STRENGTHEN IMPORTANT LIFE SKILLS SUCH AS SELF-CONFIDENCE, FOCUS, TEAMWORK, AND DETERMINATION. THE PROGRAM INTRODUCES THE BASICS OF DANCE TO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN A FUN AND STRUCTURED ENVIRONMENT THAT SPARKS CURIOSITY AND CREATIVITY THROUGH MOVEMENT EXERCISES, CHOREOGRAPHY, AND LIVE PERFORMANCE. IN THE 2021-2022 SEASON, DANCE EXCHANGE ENGAGED FIVE DANCE TEACHING ARTISTS AND TWO LIVE MUSICIANS TO WORK WITH 306 3RD AND 4TH GRADE STUDENTS IN 14 CLASSROOMS AT FOUR PHILADELPHIA PUBLIC SCHOOLS. DANCE EXCHANGE EXPANDS OPPORTUNITIES AND ARTS ACCESS TO THE CHILDREN OF PHILADELPHIA THROUGH PROGRAMS THAT DEVELOP THEIR UNTAPPED POTENTIAL AS BOTH INDIVIDUALS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS. NOW ENTERING ITS TENTH YEAR, DANCE EXCHANGE HAS REACHED A GRAND TOTAL IN EXCESS OF 2,100 STUDENTS, AND CONTINUES ITS GROWTH BY INFLUENCING RISING NUMBERS OF STUDENTS TO FALL IN LOVE WITH DANCE.

POP UP PERFORMANCES: THROUGH BALLETX'S POP UP PERFORMANCES AT UNIQUE LOCATIONS ACROSS PHILADELPHIA, BALLETX IS DEDICATED TO MAKING DANCE BOTH INCLUSIVE AND INVITING, ORDINARY AND EXTRAORDINARY. BALLETX BRINGS ITS DANCERS INTO PHILADELPHIA NEIGHBORHOODS FOR MULTIPLE FREE POP UP PERFORMANCES EACH SEASON. THESE PERFORMANCES INTRODUCE DANCE TO NEW AUDIENCES AROUND THE CITY AND ENCOURAGE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND NEW EXPERIENCES FOR CITIZENS WHO MAY HAVE NEVER SEEN BALLET. IN THE 2021-2022 SEASON, BALLETX RE-LAUNCHED ITS POP UP PROGRAM WITH PERFORMANCES AT FRINGEARTS (220 AUDIENCE MEMBERS), THE RAIL PARK (70 AUDIENCE MEMBERS), AND ESPERANZA (170 AUDIENCE MEMBERS).CHOREOGRAPHIC FELLOWSHIP: LAUNCHED IN 2016, BALLETX'S CHOREOGRAPHIC FELLOWSHIP UNITES ONE EMERGING ARTIST EACH SEASON WITH A DISTINGUISHED CHOREOGRAPHER WHO SERVES AS A MENTOR AS THEY BOTH CREATE WORLD PREMIERES ON THE BALLETX DANCERS. AS ONE OF THE ONLY PROGRAMS IN THE NATION THAT FOCUSES ON CHOREOGRAPHIC DEVELOPMENT IN BALLET, THE FELLOWSHIP STRENGTHENS BALLETX'S MISSION BY PRIORITIZING THE CREATION OF NEW WORKS BY NEW VOICES, AND EMPOWERS CHOREOGRAPHIC MENTORS TO BECOME EFFECTIVE LEADERS IN THEIR FIELD. PAST FELLOWS/MENTORS INCLUDE, RESPECTIVELY: 2016'S YIN YUE/TREY MCINTYRE, 2017'S TOMMIE-WAHEED EVANS/CAYETANO SOTO, 2018'S ANDREW MCNICOL/MATTHEW NEENAN, 2019'S KATARZYNA SKARPETOWSKA/NICOLO FONTE, 2020'S NICOLE CARUANA/JOHN MCFALL, 2021'S ALIA KACHE/DWIGHT RHODEN, 2022'S TSAI HSI HUNG/ANNABELLE LOPEZ OCHOA, AND 2023'S GARY W. JETER II/DARRELL GRAND MOULTRIE.BALLETX BEYOND: IN 2020 AND IN RESPONSE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, BALLETX LAUNCHED ITS DIGITAL, SUBSCRIPTION-BASED STREAMING PLATFORM FOR WORLD PREMIERE DANCE, BALLETX BEYOND. BALLETX BEYOND INTRODUCES THE COMPANY'S WORK TO AN INTERNATIONAL AUDIENCE, WHILE BUILDING AN OPEN PLATFORM TO EXPLORE ARTISTIC IDEAS AND VISIONS. IN THE 2021-2022 SEASON, BALLETX COMMISSIONED SHORT VIRTUAL WORKS BY CHOREOGRAPHERS ADJI CISSOKO, JODIE GATES, JOHN HEGINBOTHAM, AND HELEN SIMONEAU. ADDITIONALLY, THE COMPANY COMMISSIONED BEHIND-THE-SCENES DOCUMENTARIES ON THE CREATIVE PROCESS BEHIND WORLD PREMIERES BY TSAI HSI HUNG, ANNABELLE LOPEZ OCHOA, JAMAR ROBERTS, AND TILER PECK.DANCE FELLOWSHIP: THE DANCE FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM OFFERS UP TO FOUR PRE-PROFESSIONAL DANCERS EACH SEASON A SALARIED CONTRACT TO LEARN AND GROW ALONGSIDE BALLETX'S COMPANY DANCERS. THROUGH CLASSES WITH THE COMPANY DANCERS, ONE-ON-ONE MENTORSHIP, AND OPPORTUNITIES TO LEARN WORLD PREMIERE COMMISSIONS, BALLETX FELLOWS ARE TRAINED TO BE VERSATILE AND EMOTIVE, TO DEVELOP A STRONG WORK ETHIC, TO HONE TECHNICAL SKILLS, AND TO APPROACH THEIR ART WITH A WILLINGNESS TO EXPERIMENT, LEARN, AND COLLABORATE. THE DANCER FELLOWSHIP OFFICIALLY LAUNCHED IN 2019 WITH A COHORT OF TWO DANCERS, AND HAD A COHORT OF FOUR DANCE FELLOWS IN THE 2021-2022 SEASON.SUMMER INTENSIVE: SINCE 2012, BALLETX HAS SERVED THE NEXT GENERATION OF DANCERS THROUGH ITS ANNUAL TWO WEEK PRE-PROFESSIONAL DANCE TRAINING PROGRAM, THE SUMMER INTENSIVE. THE PROGRAM PROVIDES DEVELOPING DANCERS WITH DAY-LONG WORKSHOPS IN BALLET, REPERTORY, CONDITIONING, AND MORE. THE INTENSIVE FACILITATES PROFESSIONAL GROWTH AND PREPARES STUDENTS FOR THE REALITIES OF A CAREER IN DANCE. INTENSIVE STUDENTS TRAIN IN AN INTIMATE, COMPANY-STYLE SETTING, AND THEIR EXPERIENCE CULMINATES IN A PUBLIC PERFORMANCE. THE 2022 SUMMER INTENSIVE SERVED 30 STUDENTS.THE X-PROCESS: BALLETX'S FLAGSHIP AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT PROGRAM ,THE X-PROCESS, HAS REACHED MORE THAN 4,500 AUDIENCE MEMBERS SINCE ITS LAUNCH IN 2013. THE X-PROCESS FEATURES TWO PROGRAMS: CONVERSATIONS WITH THE ARTISTS (Q&AS WITH GUEST ARTISTS HELD ON THE OPENING NIGHT OF EACH PERFORMANCE SERIES) AND ARTIST SPOTLIGHTS (OPEN REHEARSALS AND Q&AS WITH GUEST CHOREOGRAPHERS HELD AT BALLETX'S CENTER). IN THE 2021-2022 SEASON, BALLETX HOSTED VIRTUAL AND IN-PERSON ARTIST SPOTLIGHT Q&AS WITH CHOREOGRAPHERS JENNIFER ARCHIBALD, TSAI HSI HUNG, AND ANNABELLE LOPEZ OCHOA, REACHING A TOTAL OF 122 PATRONS. BALLETX POSTED VIDEOS OF THESE Q&AS ON YOUTUBE, TO REACH AN ADDITIONAL 555 VIRTUAL AUDIENCES.

PERFORMANCE SERIES AND WORLD PREMIERE COMMISSIONS: BALLETX PRESENTS AN ANNUAL PERFORMANCE SEASON FEATURING THREE SERIES AT VARIOUS VENUES THROUGHOUT PHILADELPHIA, INCLUDING THE WILMA THEATER, THE MANN CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS, AND THE SUZANNE ROBERTS THEATRE. THE COMPANY'S PRODUCTIONS PRIORITIZE UNIQUE AND INNOVATIVE COLLABORATIONS INCLUDING LARGE-SCALE SET PIECES, ORIGINAL MUSICAL COMPOSITIONS, GUEST DANCE AND VISUAL ARTISTS, AND LIVE MUSIC. BALLETX PRESENTED TWO PERFORMANCE SERIES IN THE 2020-2021 SEASON: SPRING SERIES, MAY 24-26 AT GLEN FOERD, FEATURING WORLD PREMIERE BALLETS BY R. COLBY DAMON AND 2021 CHOREOGRAPHIC FELLOW ALIA KACHE; AND SUMMER SERIES, JUNE 24-26 AT THE MANN CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS, FEATURING WORLD PREMIERE BALLETS BY HOPE BOYKIN, DWIGHT RHODEN, AND MATTHEW NEENAN. PERFORMED AT OUTDOOR VENUES DUE TO THE ONGOING COVID-19 PANDEMIC, THESE PERFORMANCES REACHED AUDIENCES IN EXCESS OF 3,000.

BALLETX BEYOND: BALLETX LAUNCHED ITS DIGITAL, SUBSCRIPTION-BASED STREAMING PLATFORM FOR WORLD PREMIERE DANCE, BALLETX BEYOND, IN 2020, IN RESPONSE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. BALLETX BEYOND INTRODUCES THE COMPANY'S WORK TO AN INTERNATIONAL AUDIENCE, WHILE BUILDING AN OPEN PLATFORM TO EXPLORE ARTISTIC IDEAS AND VISIONS. IN THE 2020-2021 SEASON, BALLETX COMMISSIONED AND PREMIERED NEW DANCE FILMS BY 15 CHOREOGRAPHERS, INCLUDING: RENA BUTLER, CAILI QUAN, PENNY SAUNDERS, LOUGHLAN PRIOR, ROBBIE FAIRCHILD, MARIANA OLIVEIRA, AMY HALL GARNER, MANUEL VIGNOULLE, STEPHANIE MARTINEZ, GUSTAVO RAMIREZ SANSANO, MADDIE HANSON, FRANCESCA HARPER, TSAI HSI HUNG, NICOLE CARUANA, AND GREGORY DAWSON.

DANCE EXCHANGE: DANCE EXCHANGE IS BALLETX'S IN-SCHOOL EDUCATION PROGRAM THAT USES DANCE TO EMPOWER PHILADELPHIA PUBLIC SCHOOL CHILDREN AND STRENGTHEN IMPORTANT LIFE SKILLS SUCH AS SELF-CONFIDENCE, FOCUS, TEAMWORK, AND DETERMINATION. THE PROGRAM INTRODUCES THE BASICS OF DANCE TO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN A FUN AND STRUCTURED ENVIRONMENT THAT SPARKS CURIOSITY AND CREATIVITY THROUGH MOVEMENT EXERCISES, CHOREOGRAPHY, AND LIVE PERFORMANCE. IN THE 2020-2021 SEASON, DANCE EXCHANGE ENGAGED FOUR DANCE TEACHING ARTISTS AND TWO LIVE MUSICIANS TO WORK WITH OVER 300 3RD AND 4TH GRADE STUDENTS IN 13 CLASSROOMS AT FOUR PHILADELPHIA PUBLIC SCHOOLS. DANCE EXCHANGE EXPANDS OPPORTUNITIES AND ARTS ACCESS TO THE CHILDREN OF PHILADELPHIA THROUGH PROGRAMS THAT DEVELOP THEIR UNTAPPED POTENTIAL AS BOTH INDIVIDUALS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS. NOW ENTERING ITS NINTH YEAR, DANCE EXCHANGE HAS REACHED A GRAND TOTAL IN EXCESS OF 1,800 STUDENTS, AND CONTINUES ITS GROWTH BY INFLUENCING RISING NUMBERS OF STUDENTS TO FALL IN LOVE WITH DANCE.

TOURING: IN ADDITION TO THE COMPANY'S PHILADELPHIA MAIN STAGE PERFORMANCES, BALLETX PARTICIPATES IN A GROWING NUMBER OF NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL TOURS. WHILE THE MAJORITY OF BALLETX'S TOURING ENGAGEMENTS WERE CANCELLED IN THE 2020-2021 SEASON DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, THE COMPANY PERFORMED VIRTUAL TOURS TO THE SCHAEFER CENTER IN BOONE, NC AND THE GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM'S WORKS & PROCESS PROGRAM.CHOREOGRAPHIC FELLOWSHIP: LAUNCHED IN 2016, BALLETX'S CHOREOGRAPHIC FELLOWSHIP UNITES ONE EMERGING ARTIST EACH SEASON WITH A DISTINGUISHED CHOREOGRAPHER WHO SERVES AS A MENTOR AS THEY BOTH CREATE WORLD PREMIERES ON THE BALLETX DANCERS. AS ONE OF THE ONLY PROGRAMS IN THE NATION THAT FOCUSES ON CHOREOGRAPHIC DEVELOPMENT IN BALLET, THE FELLOWSHIP STRENGTHENS BALLETX'S MISSION BY PRIORITIZING THE CREATION OF NEW WORKS BY NEW VOICES, AND EMPOWERS CHOREOGRAPHIC MENTORS TO BECOME EFFECTIVE LEADERS IN THEIR FIELD. PAST FELLOWS/MENTORS INCLUDE, RESPECTIVELY: 2016'S YIN YUE/TREY MCINTYRE, 2017'S TOMMIE-WAHEED EVANS/CAYETANO SOTO, 2018'S ANDREW MCNICOL/MATTHEW NEENAN, 2019'S KATARZYNA SKARPETOWSKA/NICOLO FONTE, 2020'S NICOLE CARUANA/JOHN MCFALL, 2021'S ALIA KACHE/DWIGHT RHODEN, AND 2022'S TSAI HSI HUNG/ANNABELLE LOPEZ OCHOA.POP UP PERFORMANCES: THROUGH BALLETX'S POP UP PERFORMANCES AT UNIQUE LOCATIONS ACROSS PHILADELPHIA, THE COMPANY IS DEDICATED TO MAKING DANCE BOTH INCLUSIVE AND INVITING, ORDINARY AND EXTRAORDINARY. BALLETX BRINGS ITS DANCERS INTO PHILADELPHIA NEIGHBORHOODS FOR MULTIPLE FREE POP UP PERFORMANCES EACH SEASON. THESE PERFORMANCES INTRODUCE DANCE TO NEW AUDIENCES AROUND THE CITY AND ENCOURAGE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND NEW EXPERIENCES FOR CITIZENS WHO MAY HAVE NEVER SEEN BALLET. IN THE 2020-2021 SEASON, BALLETX RE-LAUNCHED ITS POP UP PROGRAM WITH OUTDOOR PERFORMANCES AT FRINGEARTS AND DILWORTH PARK, REACHING UPWARDS OF 400 AUDIENCE MEMBERS.DANCE FELLOWSHIP: BALLETX'S DANCE FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM OFFERS UP TO FOUR PRE-PROFESSIONAL DANCERS EACH SEASON A SALARIED CONTRACT TO LEARN AND GROW ALONGSIDE OUR COMPANY DANCERS. THROUGH CLASSES, ONE-ON-ONE MENTORSHIP, AND WORLD PREMIERE COMMISSIONS, BALLETX TRAINS ITS FELLOWS TO BE VERSATILE AND EMOTIVE, TO DEVELOP A STRONG WORK ETHIC, TO HONE TECHNICAL SKILLS, AND TO APPROACH THEIR ART WITH A WILLINGNESS TO EXPERIMENT, LEARN, AND COLLABORATE. BALLETX HAD ONE DANCE FELLOW IN THE 2020-2021 SEASON.SUMMER INTENSIVE: SINCE 2012, BALLETX HAS SERVED THE NEXT GENERATION OF DANCERS THROUGH ITS ANNUAL TWO WEEK PRE-PROFESSIONAL DANCE TRAINING PROGRAM, THE SUMMER INTENSIVE. THE PROGRAM PROVIDES DEVELOPING DANCERS WITH DAY-LONG WORKSHOPS IN BALLET, REPERTORY, CONDITIONING, AND MORE. THE INTENSIVE FACILITATES PROFESSIONAL GROWTH AND PREPARES STUDENTS FOR THE REALITIES OF A CAREER IN DANCE. INTENSIVE STUDENTS TRAIN IN AN INTIMATE, COMPANY-STYLE SETTING, AND THEIR EXPERIENCE CULMINATES IN A PUBLIC PERFORMANCE. THE 2021 SUMMER INTENSIVE SERVED 20 STUDENTS FOR A VIRTUAL TWO-WEEK PROGRAM.