Richmond Ballet

The state ballet of Virginia returns to PVCC for its annual performance with another phenomenal evening-length program that features classical programs and new works on the cutting edge of the art form. Works to be performed include:

• Artistic Director Stoner Winslett’s “Rachmaninoff Rhapsody,” a piece that sweeps audiences away with its elegant costumes, lush music and virtuosic dancing. Music for the piece is by Sergei Rachmaninoff. 
• “Stay,” with choreography by Sarah Ferguson and music by Dean Lewis, is a contemporary pas de deux that portrays the remembrance of a loved one who has been lost and the idea of their spirit visiting for just a brief moment, a moment in which one wishes they could both stay.  
• Inspired by the iconic 1967 film of the same name, “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner,” by choreographer Jennifer Archibald addresses the intolerances faced by interracial couples and highlights the fortitude, simplicity and beauty of love. Set to music by soul legends such as Donny Hathaway and Ray Charles, this powerful work breathes new life into a vintage Hollywood story.
• Closing the program is Associate Artistic Director Ma Cong’s “Thrive,” a joyful ballet exploring the depth and intensity of energetic connections with music by Oliver Davis. 

After its founding in 1957, Richmond Ballet became the first professional ballet company in Virginia in 1984 and was designated the state ballet of Virginia in 1990 by then Governor Douglas Wilder. In pursuing its mission “to awaken and uplift the human spirit,” Richmond Ballet has become one of Richmond’s most respected arts and educational institutions and has gained national recognition as one of the country’s premiere touring dance organizations.

Image: Richmond Ballet dancers in Thrive by Ma Cong. Richmond Ballet. All Rights Reserved. Photo by Sarah Ferguson.

Main Stage Theatre, V. Earl Dickinson Building

Richmond Ballet's performance is supported in part by the Virginia Commission for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts. Media support provided by CBS19 News.