HBC prides itself on producing biannual performances that challenge our dancers artistically and enhance the influence of the arts on our campus. Explore our most recent productions below.

George Balanchine once famously said, “See the music, hear the dance.” Although dancers do not traditionally speak in classical dance, they communicate with the audience through the language of ballet, spoken through expressive movements. The addition of words to the art of dance has the ability to create a profound and powerful form of communication. For our Fall 2023 production, we presented in conversation from November 30th - December 2nd, 2023 at the Harvard Dance Center. This show marked the first time in many years that HBC has performed classical repertoire and it aimed to put this classical ballet in conversation with contemporary, student created works.

 

The Harvard Ballet Company’s spring 2023 production, with love, was performed on Mar. 30 - Apr. 1, 2023 at the Loeb Theater. In the spirit of celebrating 30 years of HBC and the return to semi-normalcy post pandemic, “With Love” emphasized the power of human connection through dance and live music. Divided into acts based on tone, each piece explored a different aspect of interpersonal relationships through varying lenses of themes such as love, loss, friendship, community, acceptance, and heartbreak. The show aimed to create an abstract storyline of human emotion, unique to each audience member as their interpretation and lived experience allowed them to take away a distinct story from the abstract one HBC presented.

 

The Harvard Ballet Company’s fall 2022 production, illusions, was performed on Nov. 11th-13th, 2022 at the Harvard Dance Center. Anchored in the concept of illusions and fantasy, the production was inspired by the observation that, as an art form, ballet is often perceived as something near magical. Dancers effortlessly glide across the stage on their toes with an elegance that seems unfathomable. However, as the dancers behind that facade, we know the truth behind that magic. This idea of illusions compelled us for the wonder and element of mysticism that it evokes, but also the deeper and potentially darker readings of the theme that delve into questions of authenticity, perception, or control that pop up when we attempt to deconstruct illusion.  We find the theme of illusions to be relevant not just in regard to dance, but also on the level of the self and of the state of society today. In a world where so much is uncertain when it feels as though much is out of our control, and the line between reality and performance is blurred, illusions are ever-present.

This motif was present throughout our show in many ways, as choreographers experimented with lighting and costuming to tell complicated narratives. Many pieces were choreographed with the deliberate intention of creating beautiful architecture on stage, absorbing the individual dancers into a larger structure that created compelling visuals for the audience—utilizing intricate partnering work and lifts to create stunning formations. Choreographers also opted for more deliberate interpretations of the word illusion, drawing direct inspiration from treasured stories about misperception, false image, and authenticity, including Giselle and the Phantom of the Opera.

 

The Harvard Ballet Company’s spring 2022 production, entitled on exhibition, was performed on April 14th-16th, 2022 at the Loeb Drama Center in Harvard Square. On exhibition drew on themes of collaboration and connection, as we celebrated being able to physically come together to create art—a welcome departure from the isolation of the pandemic in the previous couple of years. In particular, the production drew inspiration from visual art and its presentation in exhibitions, galleries, and museums, and transmuted those ideas into dance and live performance. Individual pieces were inspired by different works or mediums of visual art, exploring how visual art speaks to dance — turning a flat object into something multidimensional or turning a static sculpture into something dynamic. The narrative structure of the show was reminiscent of the different sections or galleries of a museum, taking audience members on a walk through the artwork.

 

The Harvard Ballet Company’s fall 2021 production, entitled technique, was performed on Nov. 4th-6th, 2021 at the Harvard Dance Center. Celebrating the Company’s first time back on stage in two years, technique showcased the return of live performances with reflection, community, joy, and the different emotions associated with moving from the virtual world to the in-person one. technique also focused on something that is quite pervasive in our lives: technology. Indeed, technology’s presence was amplified during the pandemic when it became a tool we relied on and a bridge into the world outside our quarantine experiences. Through a three act structure, our show premiered 11 new works which explored the different ways that technology’s impact is felt by us as individuals and as a society: 1) Act 1: identities—a reflection on how technology affects our self-perceptions, self-esteem, and self presentation, 2) Act 2: interconnections—an examination of how technology weaves into our social connections and societal norms, creating platforms that both unite and divide us, and 3) Act 3: innovations—a contemplation on how technology may shape our future and create new opportunities, norms, and visions for art in our society. A copy of the program can be found here.

There are several notable features of this show. First, several of our pieces were hybrid pieces, including our final Company moment. Due to COVID regulations, our off-campus members were not permitted to perform on stage with us. However, technology allowed us to include them in the show via video segments within several of the pieces, and we are grateful that we had the opportunity and tools to do so. Our show also reflects a continuing commitment we have toward collaborative work. We were grateful to have included the works of student musicians, other Harvard dance groups, and student filmmakers. Our goal was to create a stage that celebrated diverse artistic talents and disciplines within a reflective narrative arc. And finally, we were excited to continue our broader engagement with the community and efforts to give back: we donated 10% of our ticket sales to Stem from Dance, a nonprofit organization that supports and empowers women/girls in technology and science fields. We recognize that making art is also about raising awareness, and as such, we wanted to do what we could to increase access to technology skills for underrepresented groups. Through technique, we had the chance to be part of the inaugural group of organizations bringing back live performance arts to campus in a meaningful and thoughtful way.

 

The Harvard Ballet Company’s spring 2021 virtual production, entitled renewal, was held on May 16th, 2021. Performed at a time when glimmers of normalcy were finally starting to emerge from the waning pandemic, renewal celebrated community, introspection, kindness, and hope as we began to move forward into the next stage of our collective story. The production premiered 11 new works within a three-act meditation: 1) Act 1: “Reflection” looked at our experiences during the pandemic year, set against the backdrop of social upheavals, the fight for racial/gender equality, loss of life, family bonds, isolation, and relationships; 2) Act 2: “Reimagining” considered how we, as artists, were able to reimagine our craft, our “stage,” our dance genres, and our ability to communicate and collaborate in the virtual world; and 3) Act 3: “Renewal” looked ahead to the post-pandemic world and examined what we wanted to bring into the future and how we could return to normalcy in a more inclusive, kinder way. A copy of the program can be found here.

In line with these themes, there were some notable features of this show. First, almost all of the music accompanying our dances was performed and/or written by student musicians, composers, and singers from Harvard College and Boston University. Collaborations are always meaningful, but during the pandemic, being able to collectively share our art on a virtual stage took on an even greater significance and sense of poignancy. Second, there were several in-person group dances toward the end of our show, all performed in compliance with public health regulations. These dances were an optimistic, contemporary glimpse into post-pandemic art. Finally, we invited our audience members to donate to the Boston Resiliency Fund, an organization dedicated to providing COVID-19 relief to Boston citizens most in need and a fund we had been supporting throughout the semester. Through renewal, we had the chance to imagine a post-pandemic world imbued with hope and community.

The Harvard Ballet Company virtually presented our fall/winter 2020 production, entitled solstice, in December of 2020. Inspired by the company's resiliency, ingenuity, and eagerness to continue dancing together, regardless of being away from our shared studios and beloved theaters this year, solstice gave us an artistic space to move and create within again. Just as the solstice signifies both the shortest and longest days of the year, dancing together with miles between us began as a challenge that evolved into a blessing with many bright spots. Various everyday spaces and scenic landscapes were reimagined for dance–extending HBC’s stage across the country. While embracing our adapted ways of choreographing and dancing, HBC continued to find connection, comfort, and creative inspiration through movement and artistry in the creation of solstice.


The Harvard Ballet Company’s Spring 2020 production, entitled formations, celebrated the process of creating–a process shared by artists of all mediums, both those traditionally labeled as forms of art and those not. Experienced by individuals of all ages, vocations, and identities within their unique "studios and stages," the evolution of nascent ideas housed within one's mind into works of art displayed before and shared with others was captured in formation's two-act structure. Featuring collaborations between dance, visual arts, live music, and poetry, formations sought to emphasize the inherently connected nature of art in its myriad forms. Connecting various artistic voices amplified each in harmony with one other and exemplified how our shared desire to create ultimately forms art that brings enhanced meaning to each brushstroke, bow stroke, chorus, and plié.


For our Fall 2019 production, Harvard Ballet Company presented an original work entitled she is, centered on the voices of womxn. Inspired by the personal stories and experiences of our members, she is is a triple bill of entirely original works, all choreographed by womxn and set to the music of womxn composers. We ask what it means to take up space as a womxn in society today and explore, through the media of dance and film, how the successes and difficulties of being a womxn are embodied within us. Ultimately, she is serves as both a means of telling womxn-focused stories and as a space to showcase womxn voices in the performing and visual arts.

The Harvard Ballet Company presented our spring 2019 production, "in search of" in April of 2019. Inspired by the act of searching, as well as the array of emotions that arise from such an act, dancers moved through the spectrum of the external to the internal search, exploring not only choreographers’ personal ties to searching but also the universality of this shared human experience. Featuring an immersive set and modern minimalist music, "in search of" is a compelling work that engages viewers and pushes the boundaries of dance performance. Ultimately, we hoped to challenge the audience to ask themselves the same question we started with: “what are you searching for?”

The Harvard Ballet Company celebrated its 25th anniversary season with “on quarter,” an original work that tackled the experience of performing on Harvard’s campus, finding a place to call home in an unfamiliar environment, and exploring the community that artistic creation provides for so many. Through pieces inspired by HBC traditions and performance elements often hidden backstage, “on quarter” questions where performance can occur and what place art can occupy within our community. Alongside a live concert of Gershwin piano works, student and alumni choreographers presented an immersive production that celebrated the home that HBC has been for 25 years, and launched an investigation of both the performer's and the audience’s identities as dancers, students, friends and artists.

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…the Pops Orchestra and Harvard Ballet Company combined forces to produce a collaboration of astronomical proportions. The production explores the human fascination with outer space and the conflicting feelings of paralysis and excitement that come with it. Featuring iconic space-inspired music spanning the classical, film, and popular musical canons, and starring some of this campus’ most talented dancers, Out of Orbit is a multi-media performance that will blow you out of this world.

In Passage is a topical and timeless musing on migration. With an original score composed by Sam Wu (’17) and performed by the Brattle Street Chamber Players, In Passage explores the arduous nature of travel across vast distances and through tough, hostile environments. The score presents the environments the dancers migrate through as both physical spaces and emotional states, posing the question “What is home?” and suggesting, through dance and music, that perhaps the journey itself is home.

Inspired by MGM's classic film, HBC’s Oz not only brings new life to the adventures of Dorothy and friends but also explores the story’s more poignant themes of identity, self-worth, and home. With choreography by both students and esteemed guest artists, Oz is an familiar, yet fresh, interpretation of this quintessential tale of friendship and personal journey.

The Road Not Taken celebrates the centennial anniversary of Robert Frost’s titular poem by exploring the renowned poet’s work through movement and music. From engaging with a single poem to drawing connections between his well-known themes and personal artistic inspirations, our choreographers have channeled Frost’s universal ideas into a production that expresses both his and their own artistic identities.

Based on Lois Lowry’s award-winning novel, HBC’s The Giver is a wrenching exploration of emotion, individuality, and freedom. Through a collision of speech and dance, music and movement, and visual and physical finesse, The Giver tells the story of a young protagonist as he struggles to break free of a dystopian world devoid of memory, music, and color. With a stunning array of original works by student choreographers, composers, filmmakers, and professional guest artists, our production redefines not only the way we think about forms of representation and art, but also our human understanding of what it means to truly live, laugh, and love.

HBC’s Spring 2015 production, The Jungle Book, transforms the Loeb Experimental Theater into a vine-covered space deep in the heart of the jungle. While we retell Kipling’s coming-of-age story of Mowgli, a human child raised in the world, we also simultaneously tackle the challenge of capturing the vibrant rhythms of the jungle and showcase skill and technique in contemporary, modern, and classical ballet.