Submitted by Phil Devlin
(September 9, 2023) — Ballet Theatre Company of West Hartford, Connecticut’s largest professional ballet company, is celebrating a special 25th anniversary and invites the community to be a part of an exciting performance season.
In honor of this milestone, Artistic Director Stephanie Dattellas has curated a performance season designed to appeal to ballet aficionados and first-time performance goers alike. The slated ballets, ranging from the joyous holiday staple, The Nutcracker, to deep expressions by Resident Choreographer, Derek Brockington (Dance Theatre of Harlem), will wow audiences all season long with a sense of wonder and create opportunities for artistic discussion.
Experience wonder with sixteen Ballet Theatre Company performances showcasing a balanced blend of contemporary ballet, classical ballet, and timeless full-length ballets like The Nutcracker and Artistic Director Stephanie Dattellas’s original production of Snow White.
BTC’s 25th Anniversary Season officially begins in September with a kick-off party on September 16, 2023 at Warehouse 635. Admission is free; learn more at dancebtc.org.
The fall premiere of Dattellas’s original series, Up Close, begins September 29, 2023 and offers the community four performance opportunities to view BTC’s resident professional dancers and advanced students of the Junior Corps de Ballet at close range.
The intimately formatted mixed-repertoire program will feature the “Christening Scene” from the ballet classic, Sleeping Beauty, highlighting its enchanting fairy variations. In addition to the Sleeping Beauty excerpt, an excerpt by BTC’s Resident Guest Choreographer Derek Brockington (Dancer of Dance Theatre of Harlem) will be performed.
Brockington is the organization’s first Resident Choreographer. Hypnotic choreography infused with profound messages marks the work of this blossoming artist. His piece will fully debut for Up Close Winter in January 2024.
The holiday classic, The Nutcracker, is returning to The Bushnell for December 1 – 3, 2023.
Dattellas crafts a delightful Nutcracker production that is ready to delight modern audiences by blending the traditions of the 130-year old ballet with new, vibrant, and cheeky scenes. Internationally renowned ballet artists will once again share the stage with BTC’s company dancers.
Photo by Thomas Giroir
