Grand Rapids Ballet

Michigan’s only professional classical ballet company.

Buy Tickets

Date
August 17, 2024
Event Starts
7:30 PM
Doors Open
7:00PM
Ticket Prices
$117 / $102 / $87 / $72 / $57 / $10 students
On Sale
On Sale Now

Event Details

Grand Rapids Ballet presents a mixed repertory program consisting of two new ballets made exclusively for the company, creating an entertaining and thought-provoking evening of dance, showcasing the rich talents of Michigan’s only professional classical ballet company, boasting dancers from around the world.

Program

Tarantella

Le Grand Jazz!

Jump Cut

About the Pieces

Darrell Grand Moultrie brings his infectious energy and love for jazz music to Grand Rapids Ballet in Le Grand Jazz!, created in October 2023. At home on Broadway stages as much as the concert dance world, Moultrie’s work features classic tunes as well as songs from contemporary jazz artists. Le Grand Jazz! highlights a community of dancers who are playful, sometimes introspective, and always full of life.

Jump Cut, by resident choreographer Penny Saunders, received its world premiere in April 2023 at Grand Rapids Ballet and is a nod to the Golden Age of Hollywood. Saunders celebrates the “show business” of the era while also seamlessly taking us from the action in front of the camera to behind the scenes. She says, "Jump Cut strikes a balance between real and make-believe, celebrating what we as artists are always striving to do.” The work includes 19 dancers and a featured costume design by Pamella Roland.

Image: Sarah Marley and Nathan Young, Photo by Ray Nard Imagemaker.

About Grand Rapids Ballet

Grand Rapids Ballet is Michigan’s only professional classical ballet company. Under the artistic leadership of James Sofranko since 2018, the company has made an exciting transformation that has attracted world-class dancers and choreographers, generating local, national, and international attention. The company consists of 20 professional dancers and an additional apprentice and trainee program.  Rehearsals, Grand Rapids Ballet School classes, and performances are held at their own Meijer-Royce Center for Dance and Peter Martin Wege Theater, as well as at DeVos Performance Hall, downtown Grand Rapids.  Frequent collaborative partners include the Grand Rapids Symphony, Frederick Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park, and the Grand Rapids Art Museum.

Grand Rapids Ballet presents numerous styles of dance from some of the finest choreographers of the 20th and 21st centuries. They have presented works by choreographers including George Balanchine, Twyla Tharp, Paul Taylor, Ben Stevensen, Andy Blankenbuehler, Alejandro Cerrudo, Trey McIntyre, José Limón, Gerald Arpino, Ulysses Dove, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Dani Rowe, Yuri Possokhov, Lar Lubovitch and resident choreographer Penny Saunders.

Pre-Performance Conversation

Open to any and all ticket holders at no additional cost

Join us from 6:30 to 7:00PM for a pre-performance conversation with James Sofranko, Artistic Director of the Grand Rapids Ballet. Mr. Sofranko will share behind-the-scenes insights and contextual details to enhance your experience of this beautiful evening of dance. This intimate conversation will also offer a special opportunity to learn more about the company as a whole.