Philadelphia’s BalletX gives ballet a bold and contemporary style that strives to expand the vocabulary of classical dance. On March 28, 2023, The Lincoln Center is inviting the community to emerge themselves in the performing art world of ballet.
Since 2005, when BalletX was founded by Christine Cox and Matthew Neenan, the company has produced over 100 world premieres by nearly 60 choreographers. When Cox and Neenan formed BalletX they had the future of dance on their mind. “If you don’t think about the future of something, it doesn’t have the opportunity to grow. Ballet often looks backwards but we wanted to look at the future,” explained Cox to Discover Philadelphia.
The dancers and choreographers of BalletX seek to create a new language of dance through incorporating classical ballet technique with modern dance movement. The choreographers encourage their dancers to learn new ways to move while also communicating their stories and their voices through their movement. “I get tons of ideas from the vessel. Once you meet the dancers and see how they move it’s like my mind wraps around their talent and their gift,” says Darrell Grand Moulterie, one of the world’s most sought after choreographers and BalletX collaborator.
BalletX also stands apart other companies because they challenge classical ballet’s stress on uniformity by emphasizing diversity. “Everybody here is very different. Everybody comes from different backgrounds, different careers, different training and different ways they came about dance. I think you see that a lot in their dancing,” said dancer Andrea Yorita (LA Times).
BalletX works to break barriers in the dance community through their messages, dancers and choreographers. Under Cox’s leadership, BalletX continues to thrive and has been established as a powerhouse in the performing arts industry. The resident company commitment to changing the status quo has made lasting impacts on communities across the country.
On March 28, 2023, BalletX will be bringing their creativity and innovation across The Lincoln Center stage. Spend your evening watching the danceompany that is “among America’s best” (The New York Times) perform new works with unparallelled athleticism and passion.