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Kevin March 19th, 2024
50 years of pirouettes, allegros, and a whole lot of attitude has established The Boston Ballet as a ballet trailblazer. From its home at the Citizens Opera House, the ballet hosts everything from 19th-century classics to contemporary show-stoppers. Catering to a capacity of 2,500 seats, the company includes 69 dancers from 11 different nationalities, making them masters in the universal language of dance - but how did they get there?
While the Boston Ballet officially began in 1963, its roots can be traced back to the 1950s, when the establishment of several ballet schools and companies in Boston began. It was the birth of a bustling arts scene. In 1958, E. Virginia Williams created a small concert troupe, The New England Civic Ballet, which would later become known as the Boston Ballet.
In 1963, the Boston Ballet was officially founded by E. Virginia Williams and Sydney Leonard. The company's debut performance took place at the Boston Arts Festival in 1963, the eight-week festival included dance, drama, and poetry on the Festival's lagoon-sited stage and featured American and European repertory companies.
In 1970, the company changed its name to the Boston Ballet and began to expand its repertoire to include more classical ballets alongside contemporary works. The year saw Dame Margot Fonteyn and Richard Cragun appear in Les Sylphides with Boston Ballet, the world premiere of Gamete Garden, a rock ballet choreographed by Louis Falco. Boston Ballet celebrates 10 years with Giselle, Jeu de Cartes, and Fall River Legend. Eventually, the company moved studios from 551 Tremont Street to 19 Clarendon Street. It was only the beginning.
The Boston Ballet achieved international recognition during the 1980s, becoming the first American Company to perform in China. The company staged Swan Lake at the Metropolitan Center, with Violette Verdy and Bruce Wells directing, and then toured Swan Lake at the London Coliseum. In 1984, E. Virginia Williams passed away at the age of 70. That same year, Boston Ballet presented the World Premiere of Choo-San Goh's Romeo and Juliet. Bruce Marks became the Artistic Director of Boston Balle, and in 1989, Boston Ballet celebrated its 25th anniversary.
Boston Ballet witnessed a series of remarkable milestones in the 90s. It began with the historic staging of Konstantin Sergeyev's Swan Lake. This success was followed by the opening of new studios at 19 Clarendon Street in September 1991. Subsequent highlights included the Boston Ballet Orchestra's debut recording of Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker in 1992 and the company premiere of Ben Stevenson's Cinderella in 1993.
A special gala in 1994 marked Boston Ballet's 30th anniversary with the world premiere of Twyla Tharp's Waterbaby Bagatelles. Notable premieres continued with Lila York's The Celts and Daniel Pelzig's Nine Lives: The Songs of Lyle Lovett.
Since the turn of the millennium, under the leadership of Artistic Director Mikko Nissinen, the company embraced innovation and collaboration, exemplified by the premiere of Ben Stevenson's Cleopatra in 2000, a collaboration with Houston Ballet and Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre.
Jorma Elo's residency as a choreographer from 2005 onwards infused the repertoire with fresh energy, including premieres of Jiri Kylian's evocative works. International tours, like the 2007 excursion to Spain and the 2010 five-week tour, showcased the company's groundbreaking artistry and its willingness to continue to push the boundaries of ballet.
Performances, such as the American debut of Jiri Kylian's Bella Figura in 2011 and the world premiere of Mikko Nissinen's The Nutcracker in 2012, have continued to cement the Boston Ballet as one of the greatest ballet companies of all time.
