Oklahoma City Ballet is pleased to announce its 2023/24 Season, full of variety, innovation, and beauty.
The season will begin with the fourth annual Ballet Under the Stars, a FREE community performance held at Scissortail Park on Friday, September 15, 2023. Featuring excerpts from classical ballet and modern dance, the evening will include several short works performed by professional dancers, OU School of Dance students, and students from the Oklahoma City Ballet Yvonne Chouteau School.
Guests are encouraged to come early to Ballet Under the Stars to get a great spot on the lawn and to take part in family-friendly activities starting at 5:30, plus a 6:30 family dance class. Tickets or reservations are not required.
Oklahoma City Ballet will return to the Civic Center Music Hall for Stephen Mills’ Hamlet, October 27-29. A contemporary ballet with Shakespearean roots, Hamlet features minimal sets, modern costumes inspired by designer Giorgio Armani, and an emotionally driving score by American composer Philip Glass. Filled with sleek sophistication and lots of action, audiences will be surprised by this updated version of a classic story.
The Nutcracker, presented by Devon Energy, will return for eleven performances from December 8-18, which includes a sensory-friendly version of the family-favorite tale. Artistic Director Ryan Jolicoeur-Nye’s very popular version of The Nutcracker, which debuted December 2022, will enchant audiences once again. OKCPHIL will play the familiar Tchaikovsky score along with vocal accompaniment from Canterbury Voices.
“We had wonderful feedback from Ryan’s new version of The Nutcracker,” said Executive Director Jo Lynne Jones. “It was vibrant, clever, funny, and of course stunningly beautiful.”
February 9-11, 2024, Oklahoma City Ballet will present the quintessential ballet of the romantic era, Giselle. This hauntingly beautiful story is full of romance, tragedy, and revenge. On Saturday, February 10 at 2:00, there will be a sensory-friendly version of Giselle in partnership with AutismOklahoma.
Sensory-friendly performances are for children and adults with sensory sensitivities or for anyone who may benefit from being in a more relaxed environment. Changes to this performance will include: no live music and lower volume for recorded music; adjusted house lighting; no pyrotechnics or strobe lights; and very relaxed theater rules, allowing guests to use electronic devices, talk, and leave their seats as needed. Tickets to this performance are deeply discounted.
Future Voices: A Choreographic Showcase will return for its fifth year, March 7-10, in the Inasmuch Foundation Theater at Oklahoma City Ballet’s Susan E. Brackett Dance Center. Featuring several world-premiere short works created by Oklahoma City Ballet dancers and staff, this audience favorite celebrates the process of choreography and dance in its purest form. With no sets or complicated costumes, audiences get a close-up view of dancers in the intimate setting of the world’s most iconic dance studio.
“Future Voices has become an audience favorite. You’re up-close with our dancers in their home studio, witnessing how hard they work. It’s also a nice way to see our stunning facility, where parking is easy, and tickets are only $20 each,” said Whitney Cross, Director of Development & Communications.
The 2023/24 Season will conclude at the Civic Center Music Hall with Shorts, featuring three short works in one program: Ryan Jolicoeur-Nye’s Carmina Burana; Jerome Robbins’ Fancy Free; and Alexander Ekman’s Cacti, May 10-12, 2024.
“Shorts is going to knock your socks off. My world premiere of Carmina Burana will feature dozens of local, live vocalists. Audiences will be charmed by the cheerful and hilarious Fancy Free, Jerome Robbins’ precursor to On the Town. Cacti, is witty, clever, full of surprises, and a must-see work by one of the world’s most coveted dance makers,” said Artistic Director Ryan Jolicoeur-Nye.
Season subscriptions to Oklahoma City Ballet’s 2023/24 Season are available now by calling (405) 848-8637 or visiting www.okcballet.org. Season Subscribers receive extra benefits like discounts, first choice of seats, free exchanges, and more. Single tickets to all performance will go on sale September 5, 2023.
Tickets may be purchased by calling Oklahoma City Ballet 405-848-TOES (8637), online at www.okcballet.org, or by calling the Civic Center Box office at 405-297-2264. The Oklahoma City Ballet Box Office is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is located at 6800 North Classen Blvd., Oklahoma City. Follow Oklahoma City Ballet on social media @okcballet.
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