Houston Ballet Mesmerizes Audience with Jewels

The Houston Ballet has once again taken a performance to new heights with the stunning spring performance of Jewels. The performance is meant to delight audiences of all ages featuring fashionable costumes and optical illusions using projection, costume and scenic design.

Jewels

Choreographer: George Balanchine | Music: Gabriel Faure/ Igor Stravinsky/ Pyotr Ilych Tchaikovsky
February 24 – March 6, 2022

Houston Ballet’s Jewels shines bright as the first ballet performance of the year at Wortham Theater Center. The dancers sparkled in this full-length ballet inspired by Claude Arpels’ jewelry and choreographed by George Balanchine.

“Jewels is a great showcase for the company highlighting the principals and three genres of classical dance. The piece is very difficult and has a current and fresh feel for the dancers and the audience,” says Artistic Director Stanton Welch AM.

Each act has a distinct style of dance and appreciation for ballet. Act I features ballerinas in clouds of tulle floating on stage, evoking France, the birthplace of Romantic dance and French style. Act II reflects the carefree spontaneity of American culture, set to the music of Igor Stravinsky, with Balanchine’s beloved ballerinas dazzling the audience with jazzy movement and the joy of dance. Act III mirrors the grandeur and precision of the Imperial Ballet of St. Petersburg, honoring the work and legacy of the First Ballet Master and choreographer, Marius Petipa.

“Balanchine’s Jewels is a multi-faceted look at Romantic, classical and neo-classical ballet. The Emeralds section is soft and moody with fluid movements in the Romantic style,” remarks Welch. “Rubies is sexy, cheeky and sleek in the neo-classical style, a style Balanchine personified. And Diamonds focuses on precision and cleanliness in the classical style.”

For those who have missed this beautiful performance we recommend to definitely catch the next upcoming Sylvia
Choreographer: Stanton Welch AM | Music: Léo Délibes
March 10 – 20, 2022

For more information please visit www.houstonballet.org or 713.227.ARTS (2787).

Photos by Lawrence Elizabeth Knox (2022). Courtesy of Houston Ballet.

Houston Ballet Principal Jessica Collado with Artists of Houston Ballet in Rubies. Choreography by George Balanchine, © The George Balanchine Trust. Photo by Lawrence Elizabeth Knox (2022). Courtesy of Houston Ballet.

Houston Ballet Principal Jessica Collado with Artists of Houston Ballet in Rubies. Choreography by George Balanchine, © The George Balanchine Trust. Photo by Lawrence Elizabeth Knox (2022). Courtesy of Houston Ballet.

Houston Ballet Principal Melody Mennite with Soloist Aaron Daniel Sharratt with Artists of Houston Ballet in Emeralds. Choreography by George Balanchine, © The George Balanchine Trust. Photo by Lawrence Elizabeth Knox (2022). Courtesy of Houston Ballet.

Artists of Houston Ballet in Emeralds. Choreography by George Balanchine, © The George Balanchine Trust. Photo by Lawrence Elizabeth Knox (2022). Courtesy of Houston Ballet.

Houston Ballet First Soloist Allison Miller and Soloists Tyler Donatelli and Chandler Dalton in Emeralds. Choreography by George Balanchine, © The George Balanchine Trust. Photo by Lawrence Elizabeth Knox (2022). Courtesy of Houston Ballet.

Houston Ballet Principals Yuriko Kajiya and Connor Walsh in Diamonds. Choreography by George Balanchine, © The George Balanchine Trust. Photo by Lawrence Elizabeth Knox (2022). Courtesy of Houston Ballet.

Artists of Houston Ballet in Diamonds. Choreography by George Balanchine, © The George Balanchine Trust. Photo by Lawrence Elizabeth Knox (2022). Courtesy of Houston Ballet.

Houston Ballet Principals Karina González and Charles-Louis Yoshiyama in Rubies. Choreography by George Balanchine, © The George Balanchine Trust. Photo by Lawrence Elizabeth Knox (2022). Courtesy of Houston Ballet