Balletx

BALLETX EXPANDS THE VOCABULARY OF CONTEMPORARY BALLET FOR ALL AUDIENCES THROUGH INNOVATIVE PERFORMANCES, WORLD PREMIERE CHOREOGRAPHY, DANCE EDUCATION, AND COMMUNITY PROGRAMS.

PERFORMANCE SERIES AND WORLD PREMIERE COMMISSIONS: BALLETX PRESENTS AN ANNUAL PERFORMANCE SEASON OF FOUR SERIES AT VARIOUS VENUES THROUGHOUT PHILADELPHIA, INCLUDING THE WILMA THEATER AND THE MANN CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS. 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 2022-2023 SEASON: FALL SERIES, FEATURING WORLD PREMIERES BY DARRELL GRAND MOULTRIE AND CAILI QUAN AND A COMPANY PREMIERE BY JUSTIN PECK; WINTER SERIES, FEATURING WORLD PREMIERES BY AMY SEIWERT AND GARY W. JETER II; SPRING SERIES, FEATURING A WORLD PREMIERE BY AMY HALL GARNER; AND SUMMER SERIES, FEATURING A FULL-LENGTH WORLD PREMIERE BY NICOLO FONTE. PERFORMANCES REACHED AUDIENCES IN EXCESS OF 7,800.

POP UP PERFORMANCES: THROUGH BALLETX'S POP UP PERFORMANCES AT UNIQUE LOCATIONS ACROSS PHILADELPHIA, WE ARE DEDICATED TO MAKING DANCE BOTH INCLUSIVE AND INVITING, ORDINARY AND EXTRAORDINARY. BALLETX BRINGS OUR 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 2022-2023 SEASON, BALLETX CONTINUED THE POST-PANDEMIC RE-LAUNCH OF ITS POP UP PROGRAM. IN SEPTEMBER 2022 WE PRESENTED "DANCING ON THE PIER," A FREE EVENING OF DANCE AT CHERRY STREET PIER THAT INCLUDED PERFORMANCES BY BALLETX, CHOCOLATE BALLERINA COMPANY, KUN-YANG LIN/DANCERS, AND METROPOLITAN DANCE ACADEMY. DANCING ON THE PIER REACHED 529 AUDIENCE MEMBERS. WE ALSO PRODUCED POP UPS AT WEST PARK ARTS FESTIVAL (35 ATTENDEES) AND DILWORTH PARK AT CITY HALL (400 ATTENDEES). IN SEPTEMBER 2023, WE PERFORMED WITH THE WORLD-FAMOUS LITTLE AMAL, A 12 FOOT-TALL PUPPET OF A 10-YEAR OLD SYRIAN REFUGEE CHILD, DURING HER VISIT TO PHILADELPHIA TO REACH THOUSANDS OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS.FESTIVAL AT THE MANN: BALLETX'S PLATFORM AS RESIDENT DANCE COMPANY OF THE MANN CENTER PROVIDES AN INCREDIBLE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT CONTEMPORARY BALLET IN A WAY THAT IS ACCESSIBLE, INCLUSIVE, AND FUN, INVITING A WHOLE NEW AUDIENCE TO ENGAGE AND FALL IN LOVE WITH THE ART FORM. RECOGNIZING THAT PERCEPTIONS OF BALLET AS AN INACCESSIBLE ART FORM CAN SERVE AS A POWERFUL BARRIER TO PARTICIPATION, BALLETX LEVERAGES ITS ANNUAL RESIDENCY AT THE MANN TO CURATE PRE-SHOW PROGRAMMING IN A FESTIVAL-LIKE ATMOSPHERE AND DISTRIBUTE FREE TICKETS THROUGH COMMUNITY PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS, WITH AN ULTIMATE GOAL TO CREATE AN INCLUSIVE ENVIRONMENT THAT ENCOURAGES COMMUNITIES TO COME TOGETHER AND CONNECT IN CREATIVE WAYS THROUGH MUSIC AND DANCE. BALLETX PILOTED THIS COMMUNITY DANCE FESTIVAL IN THE 2022-2023 SEASON, DONATING OVER 2,000 TICKETS TO SPRING SERIES THROUGH OVER 30 PARTNERS.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, 2023'S GARY W. JETER II/DARRELL GRAND MOULTRIE, AND 2024'S NICOLA WILLS/JENNIFER ARCHIBALD.CHOREOGRAPHIC INCUBATOR: IN THE 2022-2023 SEASON, BALLETX CONTINUED PILOTING ITS CHOREOGRAPHIC INCUBATOR INITIATIVE WITH THE GOAL TO PROVIDE CRITICAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR EMERGING CHOREOGRAPHERS TO DEVELOP THEIR ARTISTIC VOICES AND VISION IN A COMPANY SETTING. THE COMPANY COMMISSIONED INCUBATOR ARTISTS MORGAN MCEWEN AND JOSHUA MANCULICH, WHO EACH SPENT A WEEK EXPLORING AND CREATING WITH THE BALLETX DANCERS, WITHOUT THE PRESSURE OF PRODUCING A FINISHED WORK.CHOREOGRAPHIC INCUBATOR: IN THE 2022-2023 SEASON, BALLETX CONTINUED PILOTING ITS CHOREOGRAPHIC INCUBATOR INITIATIVE WITH THE GOAL TO PROVIDE CRITICAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR EMERGING CHOREOGRAPHERS TO DEVELOP THEIR ARTISTIC VOICES AND VISION IN A COMPANY SETTING. THE COMPANY COMMISSIONED INCUBATOR ARTISTS MORGAN MCEWEN AND JOSHUA MANCULICH, WHO EACH SPENT A WEEK EXPLORING AND CREATING WITH THE BALLETX DANCERS, WITHOUT THE PRESSURE OF PRODUCING A FINISHED WORK.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 OUR WORK TO AN INTERNATIONAL AUDIENCE, WHILE BUILDING AN OPEN PLATFORM TO EXPLORE ARTISTIC IDEAS AND VISIONS. IN THE 2022-2023 SEASON, BALLETX COMMISSIONED RESIDENT FILMMAKER ELLIOT DEBRUYN TO CREATE SEVEN BEHIND-THE-SCENES DOCUMENTARIES ON OUR WORLD PREMIERE BALLETS, GIVING AUDIENCES AN INSIDER'S LOOK AT THE CREATIVE PROCESS.

TOURING: IN ADDITION TO ITS PHILADELPHIA MAIN STAGE PERFORMANCES, BALLETX PARTICIPATES IN A GROWING NUMBER OF NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL TOURS. IN THE 2022-2023 SEASON, THE COMPANY TOURED TO THE FOLLOWING VENUES: DANCE VICTORIA, VICTORIA, BC, CANADA; IRVINE BARCLAY THEATRE, IRVINE, CA; BANK OF AMERICA PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, THOUSAND OAKS, CA; JORGENSEN CENTER, STORRS, CT; EMERSON COLLEGE MAJESTIC THEATRE, BOSTON, MA; VILAR PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, BEAVER CREEK, CO; THE LINCOLN CENTER, FORT COLLINS, CO; CHAUTAUQUA INSTITUTION, CHAUTAUQUA, NY; AND VAIL DANCE FESTIVAL, VAIL, CO. TOUR PERFORMANCES REACHED AUDIENCES IN EXCESS OF 12,000.

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 2022-2023 SEASON, DANCE EXCHANGE ENGAGED SEVEN DANCE TEACHING ARTISTS AND TWO LIVE MUSICIANS TO WORK WITH 322 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 IN ITS TENTH YEAR, DANCE EXCHANGE HAS REACHED A GRAND TOTAL IN EXCESS OF 2,800 STUDENTS, AND CONTINUES ITS GROWTH BY INFLUENCING RISING NUMBERS OF STUDENTS TO FALL IN LOVE WITH DANCE. TO INCREASE THE REACH OF DANCE EXCHANGE, IN 2018 BALLETX LAUNCHED THE DANCE EXCHANGE DREAM TEAM, A FULL-SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM THAT INVITES EXCEPTIONAL STUDENTS FROM OUR PARTNER SCHOOLS TO SELF-SELECT TO ATTEND WEEKLY AFTER-SCHOOL CLASSES AND PERFORM ALONGSIDE THE BALLETX COMPANY AT POP UP PERFORMANCES THROUGHOUT THE CITY. IN THE 2022-2023 SCHOOL YEAR, BALLETX HOSTED 30 DREAM TEAM MEMBERS, WHO PERFORMED ALONGSIDE THE BALLETX DANCERS AT TWO SHOWS AT THE MANN CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS AND THE COMPANY'S POP UPS AT CHERRY STREET PIER AND DILWORTH PARK. IN THE 2023-2024 SCHOOL YEAR, THE COMPANY WILL CONTINUE TO ENGAGE STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES OUTSIDE OF DANCE EXCHANGE BY ENCOURAGING PARTICIPATION IN BALLETX'S MANY ARTISTIC OFFERINGS, INCLUDING FIELD TRIPS, FREE POP UP PERFORMANCES, CLASSES, AND Q&AS. ADDITIONALLY, BALLETX WILL PROVIDE FAMILIES WITH FREE TICKETS TO ITS FESTIVAL AT THE MANN. THE COMPANY WILL ALSO CONTINUE TO BUILD AND RETAIN ITS TEACHING ARTIST TEAM BY OFFERING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES.