Ahead of the company’s final performance of the 2022-23 season, Nashville Ballet’s incoming Artistic Director, Nick Mullikin, has announced a blockbuster 2023-24 season. A unique blend of boundary-breaking contemporary productions and beloved classical favorites, the 2023-24 season will feature 2018 Tony Award winner Justin Peck’s Year of the Rabbit, world premieres by Mullikin, Jermaine Spivey, Mollie Sansone, and Yusha-Marie Sorzano, the return of their sold-out Live in Studio A program, and Artistic Director Emeritus Paul Vasterling’s fan favorite love story, Romeo and Juliet.
“This season highlights where we came from, where we are, and where we are going,” shared incoming Artistic Director Nick Mullikin. “The foundation of this work has been built by those that came before me, and we are going to continue to move forward with the ideas of work that make us one of the most unique ballet companies in the country. Audiences will have the chance to see things that they can easily recognize but also have the chance to see what the evolution of ballet looks like. We are maintaining who we are by creating 8 world premieres, and fostering creativity by giving our own artists a place to create.”
A Tony Award winner and acclaimed choreographer of Steven Spielberg’s 2021 West Side Story, Justin Peck will be making his Nashville Ballet debut with his Year of the Rabbit. His second work as Resident Choreographer of New York City Ballet, Year of the Rabbit is a collaboration with American singer-songwriter Sufjan Stevens and features a song cycle based on the popular Chinese zodiac. Hailed “thrilling,” “poetic,” and “brilliant” by The New York Times, Year of the Rabbit blends the athleticism of classical ballet with boundary-breaking movement for a performance that is both visually stunning and physiologically intriguing. Peck’s piece will be joined by Artistic Director Emeritus’ Paul Vasterling’s Firebird, set to Stravinsky’s iconic, full-length score, and Jirí Kylián’s Un Ballo.
In addition to contemporary masterpieces, Nashville Ballet will be presenting beloved classical stories, including Vasterling’s Emmy Award-winning Nashville’s Nutcracker and Romeo and Juliet. A long-time, audience favorite, Music City Review declared, “emotive technique to a score dense with meaning, wrapped in beautifully crafted lighting plan and set design leaves the Nashville Ballet’s Romeo and Juliet a voice to speak for itself.” Other highlights include the return of their twice sold-out Live in Studio A program, which will include Mullikin’s first world premiere as Artistic Director, and their annual Attitude production in February, featuring world premieres by multi-award winner Jermaine Spivey, Resident Choreographer Mollie Sansone, and former Alvin Ailey dancer Yusha-Marie Sorzano.
Season tickets for the 2023-24 season will go on sale in March. To learn more about Nashville Ballet and upcoming performances, visit nashvilleballet.com.
