BalletX Philadelphia, USA

SCHACHMATT 

choreography: Cayetano Soto
music: J’attendrai by Rina Ketty; Di-Gue-Ding-Ding by Michel Le Grad; The Peter Gunn Theme by Jack Constanzo; Estaba Escrito by Mona Bell; Arrancame la Vida by Maria Teresa; Cuban Mambo by Perez Prado; Lo Dudo by Los Panchos
costume design: Cayetano Soto, Gudrun Schretzmeier
lighting design: Drew Billiau
stage design: Samantha Campenile
photography: Bill Hebert, Alexander Iziliaev

duration: 20’
premiere: BalletX at The Wilma Theater, 2017

I created this work to explore the relationship between my mind and my heart. It is a game between reasoning and feeling.
Cayetano Soto

Born and based in Barcelona, Cayetano Soto has created works for major companies worldwide. His technical, high-pitched and unpredictable choreography can be seen at international festivals in Europe, USA and Canada. Soto started his dance education in Barcelona at the Theatre Institute and continued his studies at the Royal Conservatorium in The Hague. After receiving his degree in classical dance, Soto danced with IT Dansa, before joining Ballet Munich, where he also created several successful works and one of his first signature pieces “Fugaz”. Since 2005, Soto has worked as a freelance choreographer and has received commissions from Ballet BC, Nederlands Dans Theater, Royal Ballet of Flanders, Zürich Ballet, Balé da Cidade de São Paulo, BJM Montréal, Introdans, Gauthier Dance Company, Companhia Nacional de Bailado, Perm Opera Ballet Theater, Národní Divadlo Brno, Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, Tanz Luzern Theater, Ballet Hispanico, Maggio Danza in Opera in Florence, BalletX in Philadelphia, Portland’s Northwest Dance Project... He also created several works for German companies, such as Stuttgart Ballet, Ballet Wiesbaden, Augsburg Ballet, State Theater in Nürnberg and Ballet Dortmund. In 2009, he began a continuous collaboration with Aspen Santa Fe Ballet and Introdans, creating a number of new works. From 2015 - 2018, he has been appointed resident choreographer at Ballet BC. Cayetano Soto has been nominated and has received numerous important international recognitions and awards.

The dance is cool, sometimes Fosse-like, with small arm fluctuations and hip action creating all the necessary movement.
© The Philadelphia Inquirer

 

GRAN PARTITA

choreography: Jorma Elo
music:Lyric Suite, Allegro by Alban Berg; Serenade No. 10 in B-Flat Major, K. 361 by Mozart; L'Incoronazione di Poppea by Monteverdi; Violin Sonata No. 3 in C Major by J.S. Bach; Clavierbuchlein, Book II for Anna Magdalena by J.S. Bach
costume design: Christine Darch
lighting design:Drew Billiau
photography: Bill Hebert, Alexander Iziliaev

duration:25’
premiere: BalletX at The Wilma Theater, 2014

A complex and emotionally-stirring piece inspired by the film-noir classic, “Touch of Evil”.

Finnish-born Jorma Elo danced with Finnish National Ballet and Cullberg Ballet before joining Nederlands Dans Theater. He began creating works in the year 2000, and since then he has become one of the most sought-after choreographer in the world. Elo is currently resident choreographer at Boston Ballet and he has won numerous accolades including the first ever Rudolf Nureyev Prize for New Dance, the prestigious Prix Benois de la Danse for best choreography, the Choo San Goh Award for Choreography and a Prince Charitable Trust award.

 

Mr. Elo... allows BalletX’s precise rigor and fullness of tone to emerge.
© The New York Times

 

 

 

THE LAST GLASS

choreography: Matthew Neenan
music: La Banlieue; The Akara; A Sunday Smile; The Penalty; Prenzlauerberg; A Call to Arms; Un Dernier Verre (Pour La Route); Elephant Gun by Beirut
costume design: Martha Chamberlain
lighting design: Drew Billiau
photography: Bill Hebert, Alexander Iziliaev

duration: 27’
premiere: BalletX at The Wilma Theater, 2010

 

With inspiration from the wild street-parade sound of American indie-rock band Beirut, “The Last Glass” is a dance piece that slowly awakens like a city, part mysterious pageant and part raucous celebration.
Matthew Neenan

 

Matthew Neenan began his dance training at the Boston Ballet School, and later attended the La Guardia High School of Performing Arts and the School of American Ballet in New York. From 1994-2007, he was engaged with the Pennsylvania Ballet where he danced numerous principal roles in works by George Balanchine, John Cranko, Paul Taylor, Peter Martins, Val Caniparoli, Jorma Elo, Lila York, Meredith Rainey, Christopher Wheeldon and Jerome Robbins. In October 2007, he was named Choreographer in Residence at the Pennsylvania Ballet. His choreography has been featured and performed by BalletX, Pennsylvania Ballet, Washington Ballet, Colorado Ballet, Ballet Memphis, Milwaukee Ballet, Juilliard Dance, Sacramento Ballet, Nevada Ballet, among others. He has received numerous awards and grants for his choreography. In 2005, Neenan co-founded BalletX with fellow dancer Christine Cox.

Neenan’s piece careened giddily between celebration and sorrow.
© Broad Street Review

This piece has a very urban sensibility, ranging from sassy to traditional, with colorful costumes and a sense of diversity.
© The Dance Journal

 

BalletX, Philadelphia’s premier contemporary ballet, unites distinguished choreographers with an outstanding company of world-class dancers to forge new works of athleticism, emotion, and grace. Founded in 2005 by Christine Cox and Matthew Neenan, and now under the direction of Cox as Artistic & Executive Director, BalletX challenges the boundaries of classical ballet by encouraging formal experimentation while preserving rigorous technique. The company is committed to producing new works of the highest quality, that bring the combined visions of choreographers and dancers to life and cultivate in audiences a collective appetite for bold, new dance. Since the company’s founding, BalletX has expanded its repertoire to include 65 world premieres by over 30 internationally renowned artists, including Matthew Neenan, Jodie Gates, Trey McIntyre, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa and Darrell Grand Moultrie. BalletX presents three annual performance series as the resident dance company of The Wilma Theater in Philadelphia and has performed at such prestigious festivals as Vail Dance Festival in Colorado, Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival in Massachusetts and The Joyce Theater and City Center in New York City.