NEW ORLEANS (press release) – The New Orleans Ballet Association (NOBA) announces its 2023-24 Main Stage Dance Season at the Mahalia Jackson Theater for the Performing Arts. NOBA’s curation of vibrant, culturally-significant, captivating and awe-inspiring dance offerings represent the best and brightest of what the dance world has to offer today. Beginning on October 21st, the mesmerizing Complexions Contemporary Ballet performs a world premiere NOBA-commissioned work with live music by critically acclaimed jazz artist Chief Adjuah (formerly Christian Scott), followed by a rare performance by Spain’s Compañia Nacional de Danza returning after a 22-year absence, Les Ballets de Monte Carlo in LAC – a stunning reimagining of the classic ballet masterpiece Swan Lake – marking the only location in the US to see this work, and concluding with Parsons Dance with The Allen Toussaint Orchestra, a gravity-defying, joyous celebration of the music of Allen Toussaint.
Launching on October 21, NOBA begins the season with Complexions Contemporary Ballet with Chief Adjuah (formerly Christian Scott). Hailed as a “matchless American dance company” by the Philadelphia Inquirer, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, led by the legendary Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson, has captivated audiences for nearly three decades with their singular approach of reinventing dance and contemporary ballet. The evening’s dynamic program of Rhoden works includes a NOBA-commissioned world premiere to the live music of New Orleans native and visionary jazz musician Chief Adjuah (formerly Christian Scott) and Ballad Unto, a high-intensity work to the music of J.S. Bach. The evening closes with LOVE ROCKS, set to the Rock ‘n Soul music of GRAMMY® Award winning singer-songwriter Lenny Kravitz. One of the most recognized performing arts brands in the world, Complexions’ entirely new and exciting vision of human movement has been presented on five continents in over 20 countries. “[Complexions makes it] sensationally, jaw-droppingly clear that we live in the age of the super dancer, at a time when technical virtuosity is being redefined as an expressive state” (Dance Magazine).
Performing January 20, 2024, Compañia Nacional de Danza (CNdD), Spain’s premier, national dance company, returns after 22 years for a rare New Orleans engagement. Led by Artistic Director Joaquín De Luz, a world-renowned past principal dancer with New York City Ballet, CNdD wows the Crescent City with a North American premiere of mixed repertoire: White Darkness by CNdD’s former artistic director and choreographer Nacho Duato, a lush and virtuosic one-act ballet created as a requiem; the vivacious and satirical Sad Case by Sol León and Paul Lightfoot, which embodies the fiery, syncopated rhythms of Mexican mambo; and Passengers Within, the latest creation by De Luz, set to music by Philip Glass. The company’s repertoire embraces classical to avant-garde and reflects its own identity and history of excellence. “The entire cast is full of an energy that just radiates,” boasts The Ballet Herald; “the show ends with me still at the edge of my seat.”
On March 2, Les Ballets de Monte Carlo makes its triumphant return with LAC, Artistic Director Jean-Christophe Maillot’s visually stunning retelling of Swan Lake—the only scheduled performance of the masterpiece in the nation! “Jean-Christophe Maillot’s LAC (Swan Lake) for Les Ballets de Monte Carlo is a top recommendation for this year’s dance viewing … you will be intrigued, stimulated and invigorated” (Dance Australia Magazine). Within a labyrinth of dramatic twists and turns, this ravishing stage production is a psychological thriller of epic proportions that upends our expectations and brings “Swan Lake into the 21st century without losing the essence of the fairy tale at its heart” (Orange County Register). Offering audiences a thrilling interpretation of Tchaikovsky’s immortal score, Maillot collaborated with esteemed French writer Jean Rouaud, Winter Olympics and award-winning Cirque de Soleil costume designer Philippe Guillotel, and, for grand, expressionistic sets, cutting-edge visual artist Ernest Pignon-Ernest to realize his provocative vision.
The official national company of the Principality of Monaco, the company is a classical ballet company established in 1985 by the Princess of Hanover in accordance with the wishes of her mother, Princess Grace, who wished to perpetuate the long tradition of dance in Monaco and its famous Ballets Russes. “Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo is one of the most dynamic ballet companies around, widely acclaimed for its superb dancers, vivid, original productions and determination to make ballet more accessible” (The Telegraph).
NOBA’s 2023-24 season concludes on April 20 with Parsons Dance with The Allen Toussaint Orchestra. Hailed by the Toronto Star as “one of the hottest tickets in contemporary dance,” the always-popular Parsons Dance company returns to take your breath away with its brand of joyous, high-voltage dances. Led by Artistic Director and prolific dance-maker David Parsons, the company brings a tailor-made program that includes signature works like Caught, a gravity-defying fusion of art and technology demanding split-second timing and athletic stamina by the dancer, and Swing Shift, a cherished David Parsons piece built around a series of duets and trios that he describes as “a study of speed and partnering.” The evening’s very special finale will celebrate the 10th anniversary of Parsons’ critically acclaimed work Whirlaway to a soundtrack of Allen Toussaint hits. Originally commissioned by NOBA and premiering at the Mahalia Jackson Theater in 2014, the dramatic restaging of this work with new costumes and choreography by Parsons Dance will be joined by Reginald Toussaint and The Allen Toussaint Orchestra, as we honor the life and legacy of a New Orleans icon. “Parsons’ dancers are young, hot and incredibly athletic. Gorgeous daredevils, they keep people gaping … ” (The Washington Post).
NOBA’S 2023-24 MAIN STAGE SEASON AT A GLANCE
· Complexions Contemporary Ballet: Saturday, October 21, 2023, at 7:30 p.m. at the Mahalia Jackson Theater (New Orleans, LA)
· Compañia Nacional de Danza: Saturday, January 20, 2024, at 7:30 p.m. at the Mahalia Jackson Theater (New Orleans, LA)
· Les Ballets de Monte Carlo in LAC (Swan Lake): Saturday, March 2, 2024, at 7:30 p.m. at the Mahalia Jackson Theater (New Orleans, LA)
· Parsons Dance with The Allen Toussaint Orchestra: Saturday, April 20, 2024, at 7:30 p.m. at the Mahalia Jackson Theater (New Orleans, LA)
TICKET INFORMATION
NOBA’s 2023-24 Main Stage Season offers two options for subscription:
- Grand Series Season Subscription: up to 20% off four productions, plus a robust assortment of benefits. Prices range from $145 to $665 depending on seat location.
- Build Your Own Season Subscription: up to 15% off three productions of your choosing. Prices vary based on production choices and seat locations.
Subscribers benefit from being the first to purchase tickets to this season’s offerings and take advantage of best available seating, plus a variety of additional perks included in the price of the subscription which can be found here. The Grand Series is now available for purchase at www.nobadance.com, and the Build Your Own Subscription will be available for purchase beginning September 5, 2023. Discounts are available for students with a valid student ID.
Individual tickets for all four productions will be available for purchase beginning Tuesday, September 5, 2023. For the most up-to-date ticketing information, and to learn more about subscribing and individual ticket on-sale dates, join our email list and visit www.nobadance.com.
