Fresh off their in-person performances at Ascend Amphitheater as the first performing arts organization in Nashville to return to live events, Nashville Ballet is thrilled to announce their 2021-22 season, featuring a sensational lineup of in-theater performances and new digital releases that will appeal to a variety of audiences.
“When planning this season, I really wanted to showcase the strength of our company artists and bring the joy of dance back into our community,” shared Artistic Director Paul Vasterling. “One of our main objectives during the pandemic was to keep our artists and employees working so that when we could resume live performances, we would be able to bounce back as strong as ever. Because our dancers have spent the last year honing their craft, we are able to present robust and technically-challenging works that showcase their artistry but, just as important, also allow our artists to connect with our audiences in a meaningful way. And that connection is what we’ve all missed the most over the last year.”
Season highlights include fantastical family-favorites Peter Pan and Nashville’s Nutcracker at TPAC, iconic contemporary works, Nashville Ballet’s debut performance at the brand new Belmont Performing Arts Center, and the highly-anticipated reprise of Vasterling’s nationally acclaimed Lucy Negro Redux.
Hailed by The New York Times as “absolutely transformative” and “a miracle Nashville has never seen before,” Lucy Negro Redux will open with a multi-weekend run in James K. Polk Theater at TPAC before embarking on a nationwide tour in the spring of 2022. A cross-disciplinary tour de force, Lucy Negro Redux tells the story of Shakespeare and his Dark Lady, the illusive subject of many of his sonnets and a role created for an exceptionally talented woman of color. Based on the book of poetry by local author Caroline Randall Willaims, the ballet also features spoken word by Williams and an original score by GRAMMY Award-winning-marvel Rhiannon Giddens.
Season packages for Nashville Ballet’s 2021-22 season will go on sale Friday, June 18 and can be purchased on Nashville Ballet’s website or through their Box Office at 615-297-2966 x710 or tickets@nashvilleballet.com. Individual tickets will go on sale in July.
Nashville Ballet’s Full 2021-22 Season:
Peter Pan
October 8–10, 2021
TPAC’s Jackson Hall
Choreography by Paul Vasterling
Live chamber music
Escape to Neverland with this high-flying adventure! A sensational spectacle of fairies, pirates, and mermaids, with live chamber music scored by Philip Feeney, Paul Vasterling’s Peter Pan promises to inspire a sense of childlike wonder in audience members of all ages.
Nashville’s Nutcracker
December 15–24, 2021
TPAC’s Jackson Hall
Concept, story treatment, and choreography by Paul Vasterling
Music composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Live music performed by The Nashville Symphony
The greatest gift to give or get, the holiday season simply isn’t complete without the magic of Nashville’s Nutcracker―LIVE at TPAC this December! Experience the unforgettable magic of Music City’s favorite holiday tradition and rediscover your favorite characters like Clara, Drosselmeyer, the Sugar Plum Fairy, Madam Bonbon, and more!
Attitude
February 11–20, 2022
Studio A at The Martin Center for Nashville Ballet
Choreography by Val Caniparoli, Twyla Tharp, and Company Dancer Mollie Sansone
Music by Antonio Vivaldi, Frank Sinatra, and a live performance by Lockeland Strings
Staged on site at The Martin Center for Nashville Ballet, audiences will enjoy iconic contemporary works like internationally-renowned choreographer Val Caniparoli’s effervescent Tutto Eccetto il Lavandino (everything but the kitchen sink), and modern master Twyla Tharp’s 20th century classic Nine Sinatra Songs, as well as a premiere work by company dancer and burgeoning choreographer Mollie Sansone.
Lucy Negro Redux
March 18–26, 2022
TPAC’s Polk Theater
Conceived, written, and choreographed by Paul Vasterling
Based on the book by Caroline Randall Williams
Music written by Rhiannon Giddens
Music performed live by Rhiannon Giddens and Francesco Turrisi
Family Day at The Ballet
April 24, 2022
The Martin Center for Nashville Ballet
Join us for a day filled with family-friendly fun! Experience performances by the artists of NB2, engaging story times, up-beat movement activities, creative crafts, games, and so much more at this uniquely Nashville Ballet event!
2021-22 Season Add-ons:
In addition to the 2021-22 Season, Nashville Ballet is collaborating with other local organizations to offer innovative and specially curated performances.
Nashville Ballet Virtual Season in collaboration with the National Museum of African American Music
Available to stream for free November, 2021 through June 2022
Ballet Extravaganza with the Nashville Symphony
May 19–22, 2022
Schermerhorn Symphony Center
Choreography by Paul Vasterling
Music by Igor Stravinsky and Aaron Copland, performed live by the Nashville Symphony
Nashville Ballet at Belmont
June 3–5, 2022
Belmont Performing Arts Center
Choreography by Val Caniparoli, Nick Mullikin, and Matthew Neenan
Music by Antonio Vivaldi, Sergei Rachmaninov, and more
About Nashville Ballet
Nashville Ballet is the largest professional ballet company in Tennessee. Nashville Ballet presents a varied repertoire of classical ballet and contemporary works by noted choreographers, including original works by Artistic Director Paul Vasterling. Nashville Ballet and the second company, NB2 (a pre-professional training company), provide more than 55,000 arts experiences to adults and children annually through virtual and in-person season performances and its Community Engagement programming. Curriculum-based Community Engagement programs bring hybrid learning dance education to community centers, colleges, public libraries, and public elementary, middle, and high schools across the state. School of Nashville Ballet brings world-class in-studio, on-demand, and outdoor dance instruction to students age 2 and up. To learn more about Nashville Ballet, please visit nashvilleballet.com.
Nashville Ballet receives public funding from Metro Arts, Tennessee Arts Commission, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Contributions from local, regional, and national institutional funders and community partners, as well as hundreds of generous individuals, provide ongoing support of Nashville Ballet’s mission-critical programs.
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