Peter Pan, Madame Butterfly and powerful women mark Houston Ballet's new look season

With a new executive director (Jim Nelson assumes the role on Feb. 15), a new center for dance and six fresh, new works added to the repertoire, the Houston Ballet is set up for a 2012-2013 season to remember. 

The season opens in September with Houston Ballet artistic director Stanton Welch's adaptation of Madame Butterfly, last performed in 2007.

Welch's abstract, sensual work, Clear will also make up the first program. The ballet first premiered in 2001, showcasing one female and seven male dancers, donning flesh-toned costumes designed by Michael Kors, to music by Johann Sebastian Bach. 

With the follow-up program, Women@Art, the Houston Ballet devotes a full program to three living female choreographers: Aszure Barton, who will present a world premiere of a yet-untitled work; Twyla Tharp's The Brahms-Haydn Variations​, premiered by the Houston Ballet; and ​Julia Adam, who will return with Ketubah.

 The ballet first premiered in 2001, showcasing one female and seven male dancers, donning flesh-toned costumes designed by Michael Kors, to music by Johann Sebastian Bach.  

Through the holiday season, Ben Stevenson's The Nutcracker​, returns for a 25th anniversary performance, and the one-night-only Jubilee of Dance celebrates its ninth year. 

As part of the Cullen Series, Feb. 2013 sees Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal performing two of Italian choreographer Mauro Bigonzetti's creations: Four Seasons and Canata. 

In late February into early March 2013, Welch's colorful, Bollywood-esque interpretation of the historic classic, La Bayadère​, will take the stage. 

The subsequent "Rights of Passage" program includes three firsts: ​​A world premiere of Welch's 100-year celebration of provocative French ballet, The Rite of Spring; a world premiere by choreographer Edwaard Liang; and a company premiere of Pacific, a piece for nine dancers created in 1995 by the legendary American choreographer Mark Morris. 

In May 2013, the Houston Ballet will present Journey with the Masters, which includes George Balanchine's Ballet Imperial, the exuberant Sinfonietta by Jirí Kylián and The Concert, a humorous take on a classical music concert, by Jerome Robbins. 

The season will close with Trey McIntyre's Peter Pan. 

Visit the Houston Ballet's website for more details or to purchase tickets. 

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