Texas Ballet Theater at Winspear Opera House
Texas Ballet Theater presents world-class ballet to audiences with cutting-edge artistry and international talents. The production, performers, and rich history across the decades will surely take your breath away, guaranteeing the unceasing magic of music and motion. They’ve perfected the elements of telling a story into an entire art form with the help of exceptional talents and unwavering support from dedicated ballet lovers from across the globe. They’ve given world-class performances and unforgettable feats of top-notch routines and production, genuinely showcasing their love and dedication to the work and passion. Experience the works and pride of Ben Stevenson, George Balanchine, and more!
Texas Ballet Theater Tickets
“When the curtain goes up at Texas Ballet Theater, you immediately enter another world.” — TM Promotions
“Mr. Stevenson’s Nutcracker takes the magical impossibilities of a Christmas dream and… makes them beautifully, tantalizingly real …” — Dallas Morning News
“The magic is plentiful throughout the performance.” — Dallas Observer
As a resident company for both the Winspear Opera House of the AT&T Performing Arts Center in Dallas and the Bass Performance Hall in downtown Fort Worth, the Texas Ballet Theater has long since performed on many stages across popular plays ranging from timeless and traditional to modern and abstract. The artistry for exceptional pieces is perfect for every season. Honed throughout the years, the theater was founded in 1961 by Margo Dean in Fort Worth, Texas, and since then has evolved from a small regional ballet company to the internationally recognized organization it is today. They became a fully professional ballet company in 1985 as the Fort Worth Ballet Company. In 1988, the group began adding “The Nutcracker” performances through a business partnership with the Dallas Opera at the Music Hall at Fair Park. In 1994, The Dallas Supporters of Fort Worth Ballet, a separate organization, started to raise funds to support a full season in Dallas at the Music Hall at Fair Park. This joint venture agreement became the turning point in evolving Fort Worth Ballet into the Fort Worth Dallas Ballet. They operated under the two-corporation, two-board system for nine seasons until 2001, ultimately agreeing to a merge. The organization became the Texas Ballet Theater in 2003, which marked the start of a wider audience and an even bigger team.
Notable additions to the brand-new Texas Ballet Theater were Alexander Kotelenets and Andre Silva. Kotolenets was a company member of Houston Ballet before joining Texas Ballet Theater. He performed in several Ben Stevenson ballets, with favorite roles as Romeo and Tybalt in “Romeo and Juliet,” Frederick in “Dracula,” Peer in “Peer Gynt,” the Prince in “Swan Lake,” and the Prince in “Sleeping Beauty.” With the history alongside Ben Stevenson’s productions, Kotolenets’ membership in the company was evident, and a match made in heaven. He fitted right in with major roles such as Glen Tetley’s “Voluntaries” and George Balanchine’s “Theme and Variations.” Andre Silva joined Texas Ballet Theater in 2003, wherein he became the first recipient of the Booz Allen Hamilton International “Rising Star Award” and was a Silver Medalist at the International Ballet Competition in Shanghai.
From 2003-2009, Silva performed several leading roles as a Texas Ballet Theater principal. Ben Stevenson, O.B.E., has served as the artistic director for Texas Ballet Theater since 2003 and is still currently in production alongside resident company Nancy Lee and Perry R. Bass. Before Stevenson, Tim O’Keefe was the head director of Texas Ballet Theater in 2002 and had just been recently named Acting Artistic Director in 2022 and Artistic Director in 2023. He has performed this role globally, winning praise from critics in Los Angeles, Hong Kong, and Toronto. In March 2000, Mr. O’Keefe danced “Caesar” and “Alcebiades” in the world premiere of Mr. Stevenson’s Cleopatra. Ben Stevenson, on the other hand, is the longest-running director of the company, raising the company from a regional troupe of twenty-eight dancers to an internationally acclaimed ensemble of over fifty artists. For his contributions to international dance, Stevenson was named an “Officer of the Order of the British Empire” by Queen Elizabeth II in the New Year’s Honors List in December 1999. Ben Stevenson’s Assistant Artistic Director is Li Anlin, who studied at Beijing Dance Academy, where he first worked with Ben Stevenson and graduated in 1979 from the Young Dancers Company. In 2005, Mr. Anlin was named Assistant to the Artistic Director by Ben Stevenson himself.
With the company’s first steady establishment of performances from award-winning professional performers, young and old, they have presented iconic and memorable renditions of several popular plays, including, “Don Quixote,” “Dracula,” “Swan Lake,” “Pinocchio,” “Sleeping Beauty,” “Cleopatra” and “The Nutcracker.”
In a much-awaited all-year-round of lined-up productions, fans are ecstatic with the announcement of three powerhouse thrilling performances. The company has prepared the much-awaited productions they will offer this season, including “The Nutcracker,” “Sleeping Beauty,” and “Sonata.” The magical holiday tradition of a Tchaikovsky classic will be showcased in December with the role of the Nutcracker Prince performed by Brett Young and the Nutcracker himself by Henry Winn. The story follows a girl named Clara, transported to a magical world of wonder and loveable characters. Act 1 Scene 1 is set on Christmas Eve with Clara receiving a curious gift from Drosselmeyer— a local councilman, magician, and Clara’s godfather. Later that night, on the evening of Christmas Eve, Clara’s new gift transforms into the Nutcracker Prince. They set out on a long journey to set things right in the lost prince’s story. The music is written for orchestra in an ensemble of woodwinds, brass, strings, and keyboard. The two-century-old play by E.T.A Hoffman is one of the most beloved Christmas traditions with classical musical scores from Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. Filled with lacy snowflakes and delectable sweets, “The Nutcracker” heralds the magic of the season with visions of enchantment and joy that will surely be brought to you by the outstanding company, Texas Ballet Theater.
In their 2023-2024 preparation for another season of joy, merrymaking, and art at its finest form, Texas Theather Ballet will offer exciting performances for the entire family. Brace yourselves and be enthralled for another TBT-quality performance in the Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center. Prepare to be in awe as they deliver the classics of iconic plays over the years on a stage engineered specifically for opera and musical theatre performances. Make sure to mark those calendars and experience the memorable performances of the one and only Texas Ballet Theater.