BalletCollective is a New York based Non-Profit arts collective that connects artists, composers, and choreographers to create new, ballet-based works. Through its unique collaborative process, Balletcollective expands the boundaries of artistic disciplines in a way that resonates with a wide audience by founder and artistic director Troy Schumacher. Founded in 2010, BalletCollective has collaborated with a roster of over 50 acclaimed artists, choreographers, composers, musicians, designers, and dancers. BalletCollective has been presented by the

Metropolitan Museum of Art The Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City, colloquially "the Met", is the largest art museum in the Americas. Its permanent collection contains over two million works, divided among 17 curatorial departments. The main building at 1000 ...

Joyce Theater The Joyce Theater (“The Joyce") is a 472-seat dance performance venue located in the Chelsea neighborhood of New York City. The building opened in 1941 as the Elgin Theater, a movie house, and was gut-renovated and reconfigured in 1981-82 to re ...

, NYU Skirball Center, Guggenheim Works & Process,

Guggenheim Bilbao The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao is a museum of modern and contemporary art designed by Canadian-American architect Frank Gehry, and located in Bilbao, Basque Country, Spain. The museum was inaugurated on 18 October 1997 by King Juan Carlos I of Spai ...

, the Fire Island Dance Festival, and the

Savannah Music Festival The Savannah Music Festival (SMF) is dedicated to presenting a world-class celebration of the musical arts by creating timeless and adventurous productions that stimulate arts education, foster economic growth, and unite artists and audiences in Sa ...

Each BalletCollective project takes as its source a contemporary work of art in any medium chosen or commissioned by its choreographer and composer. From this starting point, the choreographer and composer collaborate to create a work that interprets, explores, or responds to its source. The result of the collaboration is performed live. By its nature, BalletCollective consists of a rotating group of artists and collaborators, and with each new collective there are new ideas, new challenges, and, ultimately, new forms of expression emerge. In the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, BalletCollective commissioned. produced and safely performed live both the first world-premiere one-act ballet, ''Natural History'', and the first full-length world premiere ballet, ''The Nutcracker at Wethersfield,'' in the US

Contributing Artists

Troy Schumacher Troy Schumacher is an American choreographer, dancer, and director based in New York City. He is a soloist in the New York City Ballet and has choreographed for the company since 2014; before being promoted to soloist, he danced in NYCB's corps d ...

, Choreographer * Gabrielle Lamb, Choreographer *Preston Chamblee, Choreographer *Bryn Cohn, Choreographer *

Augusta Read Thomas Augusta Read Thomas (born April 24, 1964) is an American composer and professor. Biography Thomas studied composition with Oliver Knussen at Tanglewood; Jacob Druckman at Yale University; Alan Stout and Bill Karlins at Northwestern University ...

, Composer *

Alex Somers Alex Somers (born March 7, 1984) is an American visual artist and musician from Baltimore, Maryland, who attended Berklee College of Music and Listaháskóli Íslands. Somers lives and works in Los Angeles. Previously he ran a recording studio ...

, Composer *

Judd Greenstein Judd Greenstein (born 1979) is an American composer of contemporary classical music, and an avid promoter of new music in New York City. He is also a co-director of New Amsterdam Records. Life and career Judd Greenstein was born and raised in Manh ...

, Composer *

Paul Moravec Paul Moravec (born November 2, 1957) is an American composer and a University Professor at Adelphi University on Long Island, New York and also a member of the composition department of the Mannes School of Music . Already a prolific composer, he ...

, Composer *Mark Danciger, Composer * Ellis Ludwig-Leone, Composer *

Caleb Burhans Caleb Burhans is an American composer, singer, and multi-instrumentalist in the contemporary/modern music scene. He has been commissioned by Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, Library of Congress, and the Kronos Quartet. His works have been performed ...

, Composer *

Julianna Barwick Julianna Barwick is an American musician who composes using electronic loops. Her first album, '' The Magic Place'', was released in 2011. Music career Barwick has said that her music is influenced by her participation in church choir while gro ...

, Composer *

Olafur Eliasson Olafur Eliasson ( is, Ólafur Elíasson; born 5 February 1967) is an Icelandic–Danish artist known for sculptured and large-scale installation art employing elemental materials such as light, water, and air temperature to enhance the viewer's ...

, Artist *Douglas Fitch, Source Artist *Zaria Forman, Source Artist *David Salle, Source Artist *

Cynthia Zarin Cynthia Zarin (born 1959) is an American poet and journalist. Life She graduated from Harvard University ''magna cum laude'', and Columbia University with an M.F.A. She married Michael Seccareccia on January 24, 1988, but later divorced. She mar ...

, Source Artist *Carlos Arnaiz, Source Artist *Sergio Mora Diaz, Source Artist *Dafy Hagai, Source Artist *

George Steinmetz George Steinmetz (born 1957) is an American photographer. His work has been featured in ''The New Yorker'', '' Smithsonian'', ''Time'', ''The New York Times Magazine'', and he is a regular contributor to '' National Geographic''. Early life ...

, Source Artist *

Ken Liu Ken Liu (born 1976) is an American author of science fiction and fantasy. His epic fantasy series ''The Dandelion Dynasty'', which he describes as silkpunk, is published by Simon & Schuster. Liu has won Hugo and Nebula Awards for his short fic ...

, Source Artist *Paul Maffi, Source Artist *Carey Mchugh, Source Artist *James Ramsey, Source Artist *Karen Russel, Source Artist *

Trevor Paglen Trevor Paglen (born 1974) is an American artist, geographer, and author whose work tackles mass surveillance and data collection. In 2016, Paglen won the Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize and he has also won The Cultural Award from the ...

, Source Artist *Brandon Stirling Baker, Lighting Designer *Ben Rawson, Lighting Designer *John Cuff, Lighting Designer *Karen Young, Costume Designer

Repertoire

''The Nutcracker at Wethersfield (2020)'' An immersive, one-of-a-kind production of the holiday classic where the audience becomes part of the story. 60 minutes. 22 dancers. Music by Tchaikovsky. Featured in

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

New York Magazine ''New York'' is an American biweekly magazine concerned with life, culture, politics, and style generally, and with a particular emphasis on New York City. Founded by Milton Glaser and Clay Felker in 1968 as a competitor to ''The New Yorker'', ...

Cosmopolitan Cosmopolitan may refer to: Food and drink * Cosmopolitan (cocktail), also known as a "Cosmo" History * Rootless cosmopolitan, a Soviet derogatory epithet during Joseph Stalin's anti-Semitic campaign of 1949–1953 Hotels and resorts * Cosmopoli ...

Vogue Vogue may refer to: Business * ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine ** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Australia'', an Australian fashion magazine ** ''Vogue China'', ...

The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...

, The Dancing Times,

The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issues ...

Pointe Magazine ''Pointe'' is an international magazine aimed at ballet dancers and students. Releasing four times a year, ''Pointe'' covers international news on company debuts, competition results, and rising stars. Pointe also contains reviews, company profil ...

and more. ''Natural History (2020)'' 22 minutes. 7 dancers. Chamber ensemble. Music by Ellis Ludwig-Leone. Source poem by Carey McHugh. Costumes by Karen Young. Natural History was the first one-act ballet to premiere live in the US during the Covid-19 pandemic. ''Faraway (2019)'' (2019) 30 minutes. 8 dancers. Chamber Orchestra. Music by

. Source art by Zaria Forman. Costumes by Karen Young. Stage design by Jason Ardizzone West. Lighting by John Cuff. ''Scorpio Desert (2019)'' 15 minutes. 7 dancers. Chamber orchestra. Music by

. Source art by

. Costumes styled by Melinette Rodriguez. ''Translation (2017)'' 33 minutes. 6 dancers. Music by

. Choreography by

. Installation by Sergio Mora-Diaz. Costumes by Outdoor Voices. Source writing by

. ''Orange (2017)'' 10 minutes. 5 dancers. Music by

. Choreography by Gabrielle Lamb. Source art by

. ''The Answer (2016)'' 6 minutes. 2 dancers. Music

. Choreography by

. Source art by architect Carlos Arnaiz. ''Until the Walls Came In (2016)'' 25 minutes. 7 dancers. Music by Ellis Ludwig-Leone. Choreography by

. Source art by architect James Ramsey. ''Invisible Divide (2015)'' 25 minutes. 7 dancers. Music by Ellis Ludwig-Leone. Choreography by

. Source art by Paul Maffi. ''The Last Time This Ended (2015)'' 8 minutes. 2 dancers. Music by Mark Dancigers. Choreography by

. Source art by Dafy Hagai. ''All That We See (2015)'' 9 minutes. 2 dancers. Music by Ellis Ludwig-Leone. Choreography by

. Inspired by a poem by

. ''Dear Blackbird (2014)'' 9 minutes. 2 dancers. Music by Ellis Ludwig-Leone. Choreography by

. Inspired by a poem by

. ''The Impulse Wants Company'' ''(2013)'' 22 minutes. 7 dancers. Music by Ellis Ludwig-Leone. Inspired by a poem by

. ''Warehouse Under The Hudson'' ''(2012)'' 7 dancers. Music by Nick Jaina, Nathan Langston, Amanda Lawrence, David Moss. Choreography by

. Source art by Kevin Draper, Lora Robertson. Lighting by Brandon Stirling Baker. Costumes by Michele Reneau. ''Epistasis (2011)'' 6 dancers. Music by Nick Jaina, Nathan Langston, Amanda Lawrence. Choreography by

. Source art by Kevin Draper. Lighting by Brandon Stirling Baker ''Progress (2011)'' 6 dancers. Music by Nick Jaina, Nathan Langston, Amanda Lawrence. Choreography by

. Source art by Kevin Draper. Costumes by

Teresa Reichlen Teresa Reichlen (born ) is an American ballet dancer. She joined the New York City Ballet in 2001, was promoted to principal dancer in 2009, and retired in 2022. Early life Reichlen was born in Clifton, Virginia. She has three brothers. When she ...

. Lighting by Brandon Stirling Baker

Dancers

Aaron Sanz, Anthony Huxley, Ashley Laracey,

Ashly Isaacs This is a list of New York City Ballet dancers. Principal dancers Soloists This is a list of New York City Ballet soloists. Corps de ballet The following is a list of the current members of the corps de ballet. * Victor Abreu * Devin Albe ...

, Ava Sautter, Cainan Weber,

Claire Kretzschmar This is a list of New York City Ballet dancers. Principal dancers Soloists This is a list of New York City Ballet soloists. Corps de ballet The following is a list of the current members of the corps de ballet. * Victor Abreu * Devin Albe ...

, Claire Von Enck, Daniel Applebaum, David Prottas, Davide Riccardo, Devin Alberda, Eliza Blutt, Emilie Gerrity, Emma Von Enck, Gabriella Domini, Graham Feeny, Haley Winegarden,

Harrison Coll The School of American Ballet (SAB) is the most renowned ballet school in the United States. School of American Ballet is the associate school of the New York City Ballet, a ballet company based at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New ...

, India Bradley, Isabella LaFreniere, Jada German, Julio Bragado-Young, Kaitlyn Gililand, KJ Takahashi,

Kristen Segin This is a list of New York City Ballet dancers. Principal dancers Soloists This is a list of New York City Ballet soloists. Corps de ballet The following is a list of the current members of the corps de ballet. * Victor Abreu * Devin Albe ...

, Lauren King,

Lauren Lovette Lauren Lovette (born November 10, 1991) is an American ballet dancer and choreographer who was previously a principal dancer with the New York City Ballet. Early life and education Lovette was born in Thousand Oaks, California, and started her ...

, Leslie Andrea Williams, Lorenzo Pagano,

Lydia Wellington This is a list of New York City Ballet dancers. Principal dancers Soloists This is a list of New York City Ballet soloists. Corps de ballet The following is a list of the current members of the corps de ballet. * Victor Abreu * Devin Albe ...

, Malorie Lundgren,

Marika Anderson This is a list of New York City Ballet dancers. Principal dancers Soloists This is a list of New York City Ballet soloists. Corps de ballet The following is a list of the current members of the corps de ballet. * Victor Abreu * Devin Albe ...

, Mary Elizabeth Sell, Mary Thomas MacKinnon, Maxwell Simoes,

Meagan Mann This is a list of New York City Ballet dancers. Principal dancers Soloists This is a list of New York City Ballet soloists. Corps de ballet The following is a list of the current members of the corps de ballet. * Victor Abreu * Devin Albe ...

Megan LeCrone Megan LeCrone is an American ballet dancer and soloist with the New York City Ballet. Early life and training LeCrone was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina to Jonathan and Sandra LeCrone and raised in Greensboro. She has two sisters, Emery ...

, Mimi Staker, Mira Nadon, Miriam Miller, Preston Chamblee, Rachel Hutsell, Ralph Ippolito, Samuel Greenberg,

Sara Mearns Sara Ann Mearns (born 19 January 1986) is an American ballet dancer. She is a principal dancer at New York City Ballet. Early life Mearns was born in Columbia, South Carolina Columbia is the capital of the U.S. state of South Carolina. Wi ...

, Sasonah Huttenbach, Savannah Durham, Sean Suozzi, Shelby Mann,

Taylor Stanley Taylor G. Stanley (born May 30, 1991) is an American ballet dancer who is currently a principal dancer with the New York City Ballet. Early life Stanley was born in Philadelphia to a mixed-race family, and was raised in West Chester, Pennsylvani ...

Tyler Angle This is a list of New York City Ballet dancers. Principal dancers Soloists This is a list of New York City Ballet soloists. Corps de ballet The following is a list of the current members of the corps de ballet. * Victor Abreu * Devin Albe ...

, Zoe Liebold.

References

{{Reflist Ballet companies in the United States Non-profit organizations based in New York City Arts organizations based in New York City Dance in New York City Arts organizations established in 2010 2010 establishments in New York City