Avant Chamber Ballet is celebrating a major milestone with a major celebration to launch a full season of live performances. Katie Puder, Avant Chamber Ballet’s Artistic Director, announced the company’s 10th anniversary season, full of whimsical storytelling, holiday traditions and world premiere creations by innovative female choreographers.
Beginning with a celebratory performance, the ballet company will present four unique productions at Moody Performance Hall and Sammons Center for the Arts from October to April.
“I am thrilled to announce Avant Chamber Ballet’s 10th Anniversary Season! This will be our biggest year yet with audience favorites and four world premieres,” Puder said.
The season begins with the 10th Anniversary Celebration, a special one-night only performance on October 15 at Moody Performance Hall. The performance will feature a new work by legendary dancer, teacher, and choreographer Jock Soto in collaboration with world-renowned musician and composer Laura Ortman who will perform live at the show. The performance will also include George Balanchine’s Concerto Barocco, Christopher Wheeldon’s The American pas de deux, and the premiere of Puder’s Rhapsody in Blue. The whole evening will feature live chamber and orchestra music conducted by Brad Cawyer.
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Standard ticket includes performance and post-performance celebration with two drink tickets and dinner. VIP Ticket add-on includes an exclusive pre-show toast with Jock Soto and a thank you gift for supporting Avant Chamber Ballet.
Avant Chamber Ballet celebrates the holidays with Paul Mejia’s The Nutcracker at Moody Performance Hall December 9-12. This is the ballet company’s third time to present this lush, professional production featuring Tchaikovsky’s timeless score with live orchestra conducted by Cawyer, the professional dancers of Avant Chamber Ballet, and a large children’s cast representing all of DFW from local auditions. Reservations are recommended. Last year’s production of this holiday favorite sold out.
2023 kicks off with one of Avant Chamber Ballet’s most popular productions. The company will present Alice in Wonderland February 17-18 at Moody Performance Hall. Choreographed by Puder, Alice in Wonderland first burst onto the stage in 2013 in an explosion of color, stage magic, and inventive choreography. Mikayla Dobson’s commissioned score combines a quirky fantasy world with sweeping melodies that gesture to ballet scores of the 19th century. Costumes by Ann Boyce and design by Zero Productions create a magical world for all ages.
The show is a family-friendly retelling of Lewis Carroll's famous story of magical adventures with all your favorite characters from the books. Alice encounters a cast of extraordinary and instantly recognizable characters, from the highly strung Queen of Hearts to a playing card corps de ballet, a sinuous caterpillar, and a nutty Mad Hatter. The result shows Avant Chamber Ballet at its best: bringing together world-class dance and live orchestra with enchanting family entertainment.
The Scene
To wrap up the season, the company will present Women’s Choreography Project April 28-29 at the Sammons Center for the Performing Arts. Since the founding of ACB’s Women’s Choreography Project in 2015, the Project has commissioned sixteen works from guest choreographers. The program features new works by female-identifying choreographers who are under-represented voices in the creation process in the world of dance.
This season’s guest choreographers will be Jennifer Mabus and Christina Ghiardi with an additional premiere by Puder. Ghiardi is a company dancer at Nevada Ballet Theatre and has choreographed for Nevada Ballet Theatre, Boston Ballet School, The School of American Ballet, and Ballet West.
Mabus was a soloist and founding member of Robert Battle’s Battleworks Dance Company, and has danced with the Bruce Wood Dance Project, Wild Goose Chase, Elle Danceworks, and Ewert and Company. Mabus’ choreography has been presented at Interlochen Arts Academy, University of Texas at Dallas, the DUMBO Dance festival, White Wave’s Cool NY Festival, Booker T Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Art, and at Sam Houston State University.
The ticket price includes a post-performance reception with an open bar and appetizers with the artists. Seating is limited to just 100 guests.
Subscriptions are now on sale at TicketDFW.com. Subscribers will receive a 15% discount on all tickets.
Learn more: Avant Chamber Ballet
