Boston Ballet Announces 2019-2020 Season

Boston Ballet Artistic Director Mikko Nissinen announces programming for the 2019 2020 season at the Boston Opera House. The season opens with Giselle, a haunting tale of love, betrayal, and forgiveness. Nissinen's The Nutcracker returns to delight audiences with its beloved characters and brilliant dancing. The spring season includes a cutting-edge world premiere by Stephen Galloway and works by world-renowned choreographers George Balanchine, Jorma Elo, William Forsythe, Ji Kyli n, Helen Pickett, and Jerome Robbins. Mikko Nissinen's Swan Lake returns to captivate audiences with a tale of romance and enchantment. The Company's 56th season runs September 19, 2019 through May 31, 2020.

Our upcoming season dances on the edge of what ballet can be by showcasing the classics like Giselle and Swan Lake while moving the artform forward with new and contemporary works by today's most sought-after choreographers Forsythe, Kyli n, Elo, Pickett, and Galloway, said Artistic Director Mikko Nissinen.

Boston Ballet opens its season with Giselle, hailed as the greatest romantic ballet of all time. Running September 19 29, Giselle illustrates the strength of love, the devastation of betrayal, and the power of forgiveness. The tale of a peasant girl who goes mad and dies of heartbreak after being deceived by her lover is both emotional and haunting. A former favorite in the title role and legendary Boston Ballet ballerina, Ballet Master Larissa Ponomarenko now puts her personal touch on the staging and passes the torch to the next generation of dancers. Set to Adolphe Adam's soaring score, Giselle remains one of the most beloved and enduring cornerstones of classical ballet.

Mikko Nissinen's The Nutcracker returns to the stage November 29 December 29. The annual production is a cherished holiday treasure for New England audiences and visitors with its iconic score, timeless choreography, and transporting storytelling.

Opening the spring season, rEVOLUTION (February 27 March 8) is a dynamic program paying tribute to three pioneering choreographers who transformed the world of ballet: George Balanchine, William Forsythe, and Jerome Robbins. Considered the father of American ballet, George Balanchine ignited a revolution with his distinctly modern approach to choreography. Set to music by celebrated composer Igor Stravinsky, Balanchine's Agon is often referred to as the apex of their many collaborations and storied friendship. Balanchine and Stravinsky outlined the structure of the ballet during the creation of the music, and the movements are named after French court dances. World-renowned choreographer William Forsythe further evolved the art form with In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated. When it premiered in 1984, it electrified the ballet world (Sarah Crompton, The Guardian). This marks the fourth year of Boston Ballet's long-term partnership with the acclaimed choreographer. Ballet and Broadway legend Jerome Robbins' Glass Pieces is a bustling tribute to urban life choreographed for 42 dancers and set to music by Philip Glass. Glass Pieces returns after its Company premiere in 2018.

Carmen (March 12 22), a program filled with four ballets, celebrates the creativity, beauty, and power of women while exploring the emotional depths of human connection. Resident Choreographer Jorma Elo's Carmen reimagines the heartbreaking story of love, jealousy, passion, and betrayal for the 21st century. Balanchine's Serenade paints gorgeous and intricate scenes from an unforgettable blue palette. It is the first work he choreographed in the United States. Set to music by P.I. Tchaikovsky, Serenade is a female-driven romantic ballet with four movements. Helen Pickett's Tsukiyo, an intimate duet based on the Japanese fable of The Woodcutter's Daughter, returns to the stage where it premiered in 2009. Making its Boston Ballet premiere, Pickett's Petal is full of high-octane yet sensual choreography (Mary Ellen Hunt, San Francisco Chronicle) performed against a bright background, colorful costumes, and playful lighting.

Mikko Nissinen's Swan Lake returns May 1 31 following its record-breaking world premiere in 2014 and curtain call in 2016. The classical masterpiece follows the Swan Queen Odette and Prince Siegfried in a tale of romance, sorcery, and deceit. The second act, originally choreographed by Lev Ivanov, is historically considered the finest piece of classical choreography for the corps de ballet. The production showcases the technical precision and emotional tonality of dozens of dancers, brilliantly transformed by Robert Perdziola's impeccable costume design and set to the timeless score by P.I. Tchaikovsky. Nissinen's production vividly showcase[s] the company's excellent depth and range (Karen Campbell, The Boston Globe).

The final program of the season is Off the Charts (May 8 29), featuring three works that promise to shatter expectations of what ballet can be. Dance Part 3 is a much-anticipated world premiere by Stephen Galloway, dancer, choreographer, musician, creative consultant, and movement director. Galloway had a celebrated 25-year career in ballet and dance where he became principal dancer with choreographer William Forsythe's Ballet Frankfurt. Since 1997, he has been the creative and movement consultant for The Rolling Stones. Sensual yet sensitive, vulnerable and poetic, Ji Kyli n's Bella Figura returns to the stage following rave reviews in London, New York, and Boston. William Forsythe's high energy Artifact Suite includes a collection of dance highlights from his full-length Artifact, which Boston Ballet premiered in 2017. His fast-paced choreography, set to a brilliant score by J.S. Bach, showcases the athleticism and technical skill of the dancers.

Tickets for The Nutcracker will go on sale July 15. Tickets for the rest of the 2019 2020 season will go on sale to the public starting August 12. Current subscribers may renew starting March 4, and new subscribers and groups of 10 or more can order starting March 11. For more information, visit bostonballet.org or call 617.695.6955.