Portland Ballet and Colby College Department of Theater and Dance collaborate to bring to life an evening of work featuring an expanded company of dancers. Joining forces again after their celebrated partnership in 2018, this performance will thrill classical and contemporary fans alike.
Studio for the Living Arts annual production of “The Nutcracker”. Produced by Elizabeth Avantaggio and Kate Smedal, this unique, full-length production is the perfect way to introduce young children to the beauty of classical ballet. Stunning choreography with vibrant costumes and set create a magical Holiday production. The cast performs to Tchaikovsky’s timeless score by the New York City Ballet Orchestra.
Tickets are $18 in advance and $22 at the door. For tickets call 207-657-3006
Based on the classic Russian folktale, the Firebird is a powerful ballet set to the music of Stravinsky that will delight ballet audiences of all ages. Full of dynamic performance, beauty and magic, Portland Ballet’s recreation of this neo-classical ballet is an audience favorite.
RUN TIME: 1.5 hrs including intermission
In this Portland Ballet revival, the classic story of Boy Meets Girl comes to life in a 1950’s Italian restaurant on date night. Throughout the night, the stories of these individuals intertwine into a fun-filled, romantic, evening where drinks are in hand, love is in the air, and, hopefully, everyone leaves with a song in their hearts.
This is an hour long performance at the Westbrook Performing Arts Center for members of our community to enjoy a Portland Ballet performance at a reduced rate.
RUN TIME: 1 hr, no intermission
La Esmerelda is based on the story more commonly known as The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and is set to beautiful music by Cesare Pugni. It gives us great joy to not only share this ballet with our students, but also introduce our audience to all that it takes to bring a performance of live ballet to life.
This innovative program mixes dance performance, lecture, and demonstration to educate children and adults alike about everything that goes into a performing arts production. Presented by Artistic Director Nell Shipman and the dancers of the Portland School of Ballet, Building Ballets will walk the audience through the process of creating and performing a ballet. This will include choreography, set design, lighting, and more!
Join us for a family-friendly afternoon of Halloween-inspired dance! Raffle drawing & Costume Parade at intermission.
Portland Ballet opens its season on a haunting note with Tales by Poe, inspired by the short stories of Edgar Allan Poe. Previously created for the company in 2015, the production will be revived at the Westbrook Performing Arts Center.
Artistic Director Nell Shipman has transformed Poe’s Berenice, Tell Tale Heart, and Masque of the Red Death into ballets — Whether you know the original stories or not, this production will put you in the mood for the most haunting time of the year!
Highlights from Ballet’s Best! This spectacular end-of-season production will feature our favorite sections from Napoli, a vibrant ballet depicting Neapolitan street life, choreographed by Danish ballet master August Bournonville; the famous love story Romeo and Juliet; and Don Quixote, a ballet based on Miguel de Cervantes’ classic novel, full of Spanish flavor and flair.
This innovative program mixes performance, lecture, and demonstration in order to educate people about the performing arts and everything that goes into a production. This year, we are excited to present the story of Don Quixote — one of the most famous (and fun!) productions in ballet repertoire, loosely based on Miguel de Cervantes’ classic novel.
Presented by Artistic Director Nell Shipman and the dancers of the Portland School of Ballet, ‘Building Ballets’ will walk the audience through the process of creating and performing a ballet. This will include choreography, set design, lighting, and more.
Our goal is to give patrons a greater appreciation of all the work that goes into creating a performance in the hope that we can build a stronger connection between our audiences and art form!
The spooky story of the serial killer who haunted the streets of London in the 19th century aligns perfectly with the weeks leading up to Halloween! Previously performed in 2013 and 2014 in front of sold-out crowds, Artistic Director and choreographer Nell Shipman will add 30 minutes of choreography to ‘Jack’ this year, making it a full-length ballet.