4 reasons to leap into Houston Ballet's new 2018-19 season

Karina Gonzalez and Connor Walsh at Houston Ballet The Tempest

The Houston Ballet finally returns to the Wortham Center in November..

Photo by Amitava Sarkar courtesy of Houston Ballet

After a year traveling the wilds of Houston and Sugar Land, (with a side sojourn tour to Dubai), the Houston Ballet will finally return to its beloved home — the Wortham Center — for the 2018-2019 season, and what a Houston and world premiere lineup it will dance.

The ballet comes fast and furious once the season arrives, and we have the major Houston Ballet trends, and the not-to-miss shows.

All hail the Snow Queen
The season will begin somewhat later than usual — in the fall of 2018 — with artistic director Stanton Welch’s lavish Nutcracker (November 23-December 29). Welch’s re-imaging of the holiday classic premiered two years ago and quickly became a new favorite with young and mature dance and sweet lovers alike.

Home stage advantage
As the Wortham will not reopen until September 2018, after a year of repair due to Harvey flooding damage, the late beginning to the season will give the Ballet time to stretch its legs, likely literally, in the rejuvenated center. Reveling in the comforts of home, the season brings many big, lavish ballets to the Brown Theater Stage including Ben Stevenson’s Coppélia, Ronald Hynd’s The Merry Widow and Welch’s Marie.

Not one, but two world premieres
Along with big ballets making a glorious returns to Houston, look out for a season of radiant Houston Ballet premieres, including the world premiere Sylvia from Welch and a still untitled work from the reigning rock star of the dance world, New York City Ballet’s resident choreographer and soloist, Justin Peck.

“Having premieres in our repertoire allows our company to continuously grow and improve. I am proud of our company for achieving exhilarating, diverse performances year after year, and I look forward to sharing the 2018/19 Season with our audiences,” says Welch with the season’s unveiling, in a statement.

After the Nutcracker, the full season begins with Welch’s interpretation of the ancient myth of the huntress Sylvia (February 21-March 3), set to Léo Delibes’ famous score. Welch’s world premiere re-imagining of this classic love story complicated with much god and goddess meddling, will be enhanced by costume and sets from ballet and opera designer Jerome Kaplan and projections by Houston Ballet favorite Wendall K. Harrington.

Peck’s to-be-announced brand new work, commissioned by HB, will be a part of mixed repertory program (March 21-24), title Premieres, which appears to be the theme of the season. The program also includes two Houston premiere, Aszure Barton’s 2006 Come In, bringing a female choreographer back after several seasons, and Jiří Kylián’s Dream Time.

Spring showstoppers
Dancing right on the heals of Sylvia comes the Houston Ballet’s thrilling contribution to the dance world’s year-long birthday party for one of the greats of choreographer, Jerome Robbins. The program, Robbins: A Centennial Celebration (March 7-10, 2019), brings three classic dances to the stage: Fancy Free with music by Leonard Bernstein; The Cage, music by Igor Stravinsky, and The Concert (or the Perils of Everybody), music by Frédéric Chopin. Fancy Free will be another Houston Ballet premiere.

In May (17-26), the whole family can enjoy the return of former HB artistic director Ben Stevenson’s Coppélia and the return of music composed by Léo Delibes. Stevenson’s interpretation of the classic story of the dollmaker Dr. Coppélius, and his lovely creation, Coppélia, has delighted children and adults for decades. No tragic ballet ends in this one.

Another great story set to dance (and the music of Franz Lehár) arrives in in late spring (May 31-June 9) with British choreographer Ronald Hynd’s grand The Merry Widow. To end the season, Welch the artistic director brings back Welch the choreographer and a queen’s story for the ages Marie. This danced retelling of the complex life and death of Marie Antoinette is set to the music of Dmitri Shostakovich, arranged by Ermanno Flori.

The 2018-2019 season leaves Houston much to look forward to, but not to worry for those who can’t wait. The 2017-2018 season is just hitting its stride as Houston Ballet grand jetés its way through the Theater District making appearances at the Hobby Center, Jones Hall and George R. Brown in the coming months. If you happen to be in Dubai, UAE in October, the company will also be take Swan Lake to that towering city.  

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Get inspired

Noted Houston street artist paints vibrant new mural at downtown venue

Photo courtesy of Hobby Center for the Performing Arts

GONZO247 poses in front of his new mural, "Houston is Inspired" inside Hobby Center

Visitors to the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts can now see an incredible new mural by one of Houston's most iconic street artists.Mario Enrique Figueroa, Jr., known as Gonzo247, debuted his piece, "Houston is Inspired" on Friday, December 12.

“This piece is all about capturing the energy that makes Houston, Houston," said the artist in a statement. "It’s that raw, vibrant hustle — the music, the culture, the stories we’ve been telling for generations. I wanted to create something that pulls people in, gets them hyped for what they’re about to experience. Every color, every shape, every detail is telling a story, a vibe. This ain’t just a mural or a piece of art — it’s a journey. It's about the grind, the growth, and the inspiration we pass on to each other, on and off the stage.”

The piece is called "Houston is Inspired," after the program at Hobby meant to showcase local performers by offering them week-long residencies on a prestigious stage. This season includes CJ Emmons's one-man comedy musical show I'm Freaking Talented; a rhythmic interactive storytelling experience called Our Road Home by Jakari Sherman; and Lavanya Rajagopalan's combination of music, dance and verse, Kāvya: Poetry in Motion. Information about all three shows, including ticket prices and availability, can be found at TheHobbyCenter.org.

The last show (debuting May 1) was a particular inspiration to Gonzo247. Viewers may notice a pair of hands in a traditional Indian dance pose, a direct reference to Rajagopalan's show.

The Houston is Inspired program was launched launched in the 2023-2024 season. In addition to the residency in Zilkha Hall, artists are given a $20,000 stipend for production and marketing costs. It is now a permanent fixture of the Hobby season. Applicants for future seasons can submit here.

Known for his original "Houston is Inspired" mural in downtown's Market Square, Gonzo247 has been an active force in Houston art for 30 years, including producing the video series Aerosol Warfare about the street art scene in the 1990s and 2000s as well as founding the Graffiti and Street Art Museum. He also served as the artist liaison for Meow Wolf's Houston installation. If anyone's visual vision is perfect to welcome audience members to shows highlighting homegrown talent, it's him.

“Art’s all about telling stories, but it ain’t just what you see — it’s what you feel," he said. "This piece speaks to the heart of everything we’re about: culture, rhythm, struggle, and triumph. When you walk into the space, you gotta feel the anticipation, the energy building up. That’s what I wanted to capture — the vibe of the whole city, the passion in the work, and that next-level hunger to rise up and create something fresh. It’s like the beat drops, and everything just connects.”

visual-art downtown mural gonzo247