Ballet22 Announces Summer Season Of Mxn En Pointe

Ballet22, a groundbreaking dance company presenting works that break gender normative traditions in the classical repertoire, announce their summer 2021 season of digital and live performances, July 30- September 5. With a clear mission to create equal representation in the professional ballet field for men, mxn, transgender, and non-binary artists to perform professionally and "en pointe," the season will recreate classical ballet repertoire works like Le Corsaire, Giselle, Carmen, Paquita in the historically accurate choreography to showcase the masterful technique of the artists while challenging heteronormative roles and costuming.

Empowering both LGBTQ+ artists and audiences to feel seen and represented, the season celebrates strength, vulnerability and authenticity with both classical and contemporary works that deconstruct tradition and redefine what it is to be a ballet dancer en pointe through a new and progressive lens. Ballet22 opens their summer season with the digital program Tōtum (Latin for "all, whole,"), July 30 - August 1, filmed at the historic and stately Mint of San Francisco. Streaming over two weekends, the program features excerpts from the beloved ballet classics Le Corsaire, Giselle, Carmen, Paquita, and Spring Waters, as well as Heartbeats, a contemporary work commissioned work by Myles Thatcher transporting audiences to a club-like landscape ripe with emotion, interaction and nostalgia. A powerful example of versatility, moving seamlessly between the classical and contemporary vocabulary, the program is an intimate journey alongside the artists with a camera perspective from centerstage, blurring the lines between spectator and performer.

On August 27, the company will present The Best of Ballet22 at Center Stage Theater in Santa Barbara. A mixed bill of classical excerpts from Giselle, Le Corsaire, and Carmen, the program will also include the joyous and celebratory Juntos by Joshua Stayton, a technical and poignant solo, I Will Follow You Too, by Jehbreal Jackson, and a reprise of Heartbeats.

The summer season will close with a live double bill performance, September 3-5, at the Great Star Theater in San Francisco, where they made their official stage debut last month. Presenting a new take on Ramón Oller's critically acclaimed Carmen, the work is reimagined for a cast of all mxn artists, challenging stereotypes of this Spanish-influenced ballet. Oller will also present The Dream of Fish, a world-premiere commission that will feature mxn en pointe and live music by acclaimed Spanish singer Marina Rossell in a bill that merges classical storybook repertory with contemporary and groundbreaking motifs.

"The dance world is far behind in making representation and diversity a priority," explains Roberto Vega Oritz, Artistic Director and Co-Founder of Ballet22. "We knew we were doing something important when a mother and her son joined us for a performance and left feeling like he finally found a community to support his own dreams of dancing en pointe and exploring ballet through his own narrative," he adds.

"We will continue to push boundaries and give voices on stage and off to those who have been excluded from the conversation," explains Executive Director Theresa Knudson. "It's time and we are doing our part to empower global artists and audiences to live authentically and be seen."

The Digital Performance of Tōtum will stream at 5:00 p.m., GMT Friday, Saturday and Sunday,

July 23 - 25, 2021 & July 30 - August 1, 2021. Tickets start at $20 and will be available for 24 hours after the event begins. Tickets are available at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/totum-digital-show-tickets-161051365971.

The Best of Ballet22 will take place August 27, 2021, at 7:00 p.m. GMT at Center Stage Theater, located at 751 Paseo Nuevo Center in Santa Barbara. Tickets start at $23 and are available at https://centerstagetheater.org/show_detail.php?id=821

Carmen will take place September 3 at 7:00 p.m., September 4 at 3:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m., and September 5 at 3:00 p.m., GMT at The Great Star Theater, located at 636 Jackson Street in San Francisco. Tickets start at $35 and are available at https://www.greatstartheater.org/shows/ballet22/carmen.html

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