One of the most exciting performances of the summer is happening this month in La Jolla, as Pointeworks returns to southern California with Nocturnes: Five Ballets. Nocturnes brings together five visionary female choreographers, 14 incredible dancers, two virtuoso musicians, and its award-winning composer-in-residence to create a stunning evening of ballet. Filled “with groundbreaking premieres, richly imagined love stories, and commanding contemporary works, our Summer 2026 Season expands the boundaries of ballet,” says Artistic Director Sophie Williams, “making dance more relevant, immersive, and electrifying than ever.”
Building on Solid Earth
Pointeworks may still be considered one of the new kids on the block, but the company is already putting down roots, building upon its previous successes to push the art form further. Founded in 2023, Pointeworks was originally conceived to provide employment opportunities for dancers over the summer—a time when most traditional ballet companies are not performing—but quickly expanded to offer year-round employment through residencies, performances, and community engagement programs. Since its debut, the company has reached over 3,000 people and provided a platform for emerging artists and choreographers.
This season, they aim to expand that reach even further, through open rehearsals and masterclasses, the premiere of a dance film, pre-performance chats with Composer-in-Residence Katie Jenkins, and “Blind Date with a Ballet,” where the audience select either Ballet A or Ballet B with no knowledge of what they will experience once they enter the studio.
Wind Beneath Season III’s Wings
There is an incredible line-up of artists breathing life into Season III, from choreographers Andrea Schermoly, Keerati Jinakunwiphat, Jacquelyn Long, Dani Rowe, and Reka Gyulai to the 14 dancers from companies across the country—Rieko Hatato, Rayleigh Vendt, Paige Nyman, and Sophie Williams (Texas Ballet Theater); Isabella Seo and Gabriel Wright (Ballet Arizona); Kate Inoue and Marcos Ramirez (Los Angeles Ballet); Kyle Torres-Hiyoshi (Sarasota Ballet); Jorge Garcia (Philadelphia Ballet); Heather Nicols (Ballet RI); Angel Ramirez (Atlanta Ballet); Cesar Ramirez (BalletMet); and Madeline Bez (freelance). And don’t forget rehearsal directors Sofiane Sylve and Paige Nyman. “I have always loved the transformation of ballet,” says Nyman, “from unknown to familiar, chaos to nuance, steps to story. Yet processing how that experience differs between being a dancer and a rehearsal director will be a novelty to me. That’s why season III excites me!”
Into the Creative Flow
Pointeworks’ Season III features two world premiere works: one from 2023 Princess Grace Award winner Keerati Jinakunwiphat and Moving Forces, choreographed by Jacquelyn Long and composed by Composer-in-Residence Katie Jenkins. “Creating Moving Forces on Pointeworks has been an exciting experience,” says Long. “I can’t wait to share the energetic dancing and vibrancy of the piece with the audience.” Created over a 2-week residency, Moving Forces takes its inspiration from the four elements; fire and earth battle it out in movement one before water and air bring in a calmer, more lyrical movement two. Movement three is a thrilling finale, where all six dancers share the stage. “For me as a composer, there is truly no feeling like hearing my music choreographed,” says Jenkins. “It is the closest we ever come to ‘seeing’ the music and ‘hearing’ the dance. Music can often feel abstract and emotional on its own, but ballet brings an added layer of narrative and meaning that transforms how I experience my own score.”
Passionate Fire
At the heart of Nocturnes are three ballets exploring love—its naive beginning, its testing moments, and its sometimes heartbreaking end. Andrea Schermoly’s Romeo and Juliet balcony pas de deux makes its Northern hemisphere premiere, breathing new life into a beloved ballet moment. Oregon Ballet Theatre Artistic Director Dani Rowe’s pas de deux UnSaid sheds a more mature light on love, as its couple become disjointed and struggle to communicate. And Reka Gyulai’s Transcendence pas de trois returns to the stage following its debut last season, celebrating human connection and love’s ability to endure.
Tickets
You can catch Nocturnes: Five Ballets on June 13 at 2 pm and 7:30 pm at the Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center in La Jolla. Learn more >>
Featured Image: Dancers Heather Nichols & Kyle Torres-Hiyoshi. Photo by Megan McNally. Courtesy of Pointeworks.
