HOUSTON BALLET ANNOUNCES
2007-2008 SEASON

American Premiere of Stanton Welch’s Full-Length Cinderella
Highlights Season in March 2008

A New Work by James Kudelka to be Unveiled in May 2008

Three World Premieres by Stanton Welch
Highlight Fall, Winter, and Spring Repertory Programs

Season Features Company Premieres of Works by Jiří Kylián and Hans van Manen

Houston, Texas – Houston Ballet Artistic Director Stanton Welch has announced the company’s 2007-2008 season.  In the coming season, the company will present eight new works, offering a clear picture of the continued evolution of Houston Ballet and where Mr. Welch is taking the company.  Mr. Welch continues to enlarge the repertory with some of today’s most noteworthy choreographers (including James Kudelka, Jiří Kylián and Hans van Manen), and to create new works for Houston Ballet. 

In March 2008, the company will unveil the American premiere of Mr. Welch’s lavish staging of Cinderella, Houston Ballet’s first new production of this work in nineteen years.  In September 2007, Mr. Welch will create a new full-company work to Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons on a program with the company premiere of Jiří Kylián’s Petite Mort.  In February 2008, Mr. Welch will unveil a large-scale one-act ballet set to George Gershwin’s Piano Concerto in F, a valentine to the city of New York in the shadow of the Second World War.  In May 2008, acclaimed Canadian choreographer James Kudelka will create a new work for Houston Ballet on a program featuring the company premieres of Hans van Manen’s Five Tangos and Mr. Welch’s abstract neoclassical work Falling.  And capping the season in June 2008 will be an authoritative new staging of the great Romantic classic La Sylphide by Dane Johnny Eliasen alongside a new one-act work by Stanton Welch set to the music by Hungarian composer István Márta.

When the dashing Count Danilo prepares to woo a wealthy widow, thereby securing her fortune and saving his country, he has no idea how beautiful she is nor that they have met before. High jinks, finance, illicit romance and political intrigue – this irresistibly charming ballet has it all. Not to mention swirling waltzes, spectacular Cossack jumps, even a French can-can – all set to the glorious music of Franz Lehár.

Spring, summer, fall and winter: four seasons, four stages of life. Choreographed to one of the most beloved works in classical music, Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons, Stanton Welch’s new ballet is a poignant narrative on the passage of time. A world premiere presented with William Forsythe’s In the middle, somewhat elevated, famed for its high attitude and explosive movement, and Jiří Kylián's aggressive Petite Mort, this is classic ballet at its most evocative.

With previews of upcoming ballets, performance highlights, and works created especially for the occasion, Houston Ballet’s fourth annual Jubilee of Dance is easily the hottest ticket in town.  Last season’s Jubilee of Dance was a complete sell-out. Book tickets now to make sure you don’t miss this one-night-only blockbuster!

Performance in the Brown Theater at Wortham Theater Center,
501 Texas Avenue at Smith Street.

It wouldn't be the holidays without The Nutcracker: the giant Christmas tree, the dancing snowflakes and flying cooks.  With stunning costumes and exquisite sets by Desmond Heeley, The Nutcracker is a breathtaking vision from beginning to end. Join Clara on her unforgettable journey to the Land of Snow and the Kingdom of Sweets. The Nutcracker is a magical spectacle to delight the entire family.

November 23 – December 29, 2007

2:00 PM November 24*, 25* & December  1, 2, 8, 9, 15,
16, 22, 23, 24, 26, 27, 29, 2007

7:30 PM November 23*, 24*, & December 1, 7*, 8, 14, 15,
16*, 18*, 19*, 20*, 21, 22, 23, 26*. 27*, 28*, 29*, 2007 

*Indicates discounted performance.


TICKETS GO ON SALE AUGUST 6, 2007


This performance lasts approximately two hours.  There will be one intermission lasting twenty minutes.

THE NUTCRACKER

Performance in the Brown Theater at Wortham Theater Center,
501 Texas Avenue at Smith Street.

Glamorous gals with legs that never stop, giddy sailors on leave, gangsters, reporters, tourists galore. It’s Stanton Welch’s fun-filled, tongue-in-cheek tribute to the mythical New York of the 1940s, choreographed to the ever-popular melodies of George Gershwin’s Piano Concerto in F. Presented with the brilliantly crafted choreography of Christopher Bruce’s Swansong and the stunningly romantic beauty of George Balanchine’s Serenade, this is a premiere not to be missed.

Performance in the Brown Theater at Wortham Theater Center,
501 Texas Avenue at Smith Street.

The story has been a favorite for generations, but make no mistake, this is not your childhood Cinderella. More tomboy than princess, Stanton Welch’s title character is a striking woman of substance, determination and spunk. She fights the oppression and will of her evil stepmother with wit and vigor. And when she finds true love, she grabs it – and wisely holds on with both hands.

Performance in the Brown Theater at Wortham Theater Center,
501 Texas Avenue at Smith Street.

SPRING SHOWCASE

Houston Ballet’s Ben Stevenson Academy
Spring Performance

Students today, stars tomorrow. In these two stellar performances, the gifted young artists of Houston Ballet’s professional training wing showcase their brilliance. This is your chance to see the up and coming dancers perform works created especially for them.

7:00 PM Friday, April 18, 2008
2:30 PM Saturday, April 19, 2008


TICKETS GO ON SALE AUGUST 6, 2007


Age Recommendation: at least 2 years of age

Performance in the Brown Theater at Wortham Theater Center,
501 Texas Avenue at Smith Street.

Two prolific and internationally acclaimed choreographers present their own interpretations of the classical idiom. Stanton Welch’s Falling is danced by five couples to the music of Mozart. Canadian-born James Kudelka will employ his distinctive choreographic style to create a new work specifically for company dancers. Completing the program is Hans van Manen’s Five Tangos, a unique mix of the power and sensuality of tango and the cool abstraction of classical ballet.

Danish choreographer August Bournonville created La Sylphide in 1836 – to the delight of audiences ever since. When a young Scottish farmer abandons his bride-to-be for a beautiful winged creature, he offends not only the wedding party but the witch who predicted his defection. La Sylphide, the oldest ballet in existence, is presented with one of the newest, A Doll's House. Inspired by the distinctive Japanese anime style, artistic director Stanton Welch promises a spectacular showcase created especially for the dancers of Houston Ballet.

Performance in the Brown Theater at Wortham Theater Center,
501 Texas Avenue at Smith Street.

Generously Underwritten by ConocoPhillips

HOUSTON BALLET SUBSCRIPTION FOR THE
2007-2008 SEASON

CALL 713-522-5538

OR ONLINE AT www.houstonballet.org