BalletX
Eisenhower Theater
BalletX is Philadelphia’s premier contemporary ballet, lauded for producing 140 world premiere ballets by more than 80 choreographers from around the world. The acclaimed company returns with works by Justin Peck, Jodie Gates, Takehiro Ueyama, and Matthew Neenan.
Dec. 4 - 7, 2024
Genre
Ballet
Price Range
$40.00 – $126.00
Runtime
2 hours and 7 minutes (including a 15-minute intermission)
Live Music By
Members of the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra
Presenting Sponsor
View Digital Program
BalletX’s Mapping Out A Sky. Photo by Vikki Sloviter
Live music by Dan Deacon, members of the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra, and more
BalletX, Philadelphia’s premier contemporary ballet whose dancers were named “among America’s best” by the New York Times, commissions choreographers from around the world to create dance that is “fresh, inclusive, and connects to what people want” (Philadelphia Citizen). Under the direction of Artistic & Executive Director Christine Cox, BalletX has produced 140 world premiere ballets by more than 80 choreographers, a record “few companies can match” (The New York Times).
The acclaimed company returns after its sold-out 2019 Kennedy Center debut at DEMO by Damian Woetzel. BalletX presents:
• Jodie Gates’ Beautiful Once, a work created in honor of community, inclusion, and divine resilience set to recorded music by Ryan Lott of Son Lux
• Takehiro Ueyama’s Heroes, which honors the citizens who played a role in Japan’s recovery after World War II and features music by Kato Hideki and John Adams’ The Chairman Dances performed live
• Matthew Neenan’s Mapping Out a Sky, “a formal investigation of time and space and something altogether more jazzy” (The New York Times), set to live piano arrangements of Stephen Sondheim classics
• Justin Peck’s Become a Mountain, an inspired celebration of dance featuring Baltimore-native composer and musician Dan Deacon performing live alongside members of the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra
“A place of choreographic innovation”
“The dancers of BalletX dance full out—always! The company is leading the way in highlighting a plethora of choreographic voices across the field, and the dancers give their all to morph and mold themselves into exactly what each choreographer demands. If the question is ‘what does ballet look like?’—this company gives us 100 different answers.”
—Jane Raleigh, Kennedy Center director of dance programming
More creativity, more experimentation, more artistic collaboration. She desired a choreographic playground. Here’s how she described it:
“I was dabbling in choreography and looking for fulfillment and different choices outside of my incredible job at the Pennsylvania Ballet. I thought, ‘Let’s play. Let’s experiment. Let’s break the rules and not be afraid to step out of our comfort zone.’”
BalletX Open Rehearsal
Wed. Dec. 4, 2024
Kennedy Center Dance Council members Tammy Hurt and Brandye Lee provide commentary, via wireless headsets, about the choreography, dancers, and history of the art form as BalletX rehearses.
BalletX
Dec. 4 - 7, 2024
BalletX is Philadelphia’s premier contemporary ballet, lauded for producing 140 world premiere ballets by more than 80 choreographers from around the world. The acclaimed company returns with works by Justin Peck, Jodie Gates, Takehiro Ueyama, and Matthew Neenan.
William J. Caldwell and Michele Toth
Group of 20 or more? Group Sales offers special terms and discounts for most performances.
Support the Kennedy Center's Dance program when you designate your Membership to Ballet and Dance.
All events and artists subject to change without prior notice.
All ticket prices are subject to change based on demand. Purchase early to lock in prices and the best seats!
Grey Skies Blue
Jan. 17 - 19, 2025
Dance and theater merge in SHAPESHIFT’s Grey Skies Blue. Join a group of friends as they uncover personal truths through dynamic movement in an inspiring show that resonates with audiences of all ages.
National Ballet of China: Chinese New Year (A Ballet in Two Acts)
Jan. 29 - Feb. 2, 2025
With its dazzling hybrid of western ballet and Chinese culture, National Ballet of China returns to thrill audiences with its luminous fusion of traditions, telling the story of a family’s Chinese New Year celebration—set to Tchaikovsky’s treasured Nutcracker score.
Pan American Symphony Orchestra presents
Fantasia Española
Sat. Feb. 1, 2025
Pan American Symphony Orchestra’s lavish, energetic performance of music inspired by Spanish traditions will leave you warmly inspired.
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
Feb. 4 - 9, 2025
For its annual Kennedy Center engagement, the beloved company presents brand new works, contemporary favorites, and the signature Ailey classic Revelations.
