State Street Ballet To Close Out Season With Boundary Pushing ‘Other Voices’

State Street Ballet is set to close out its 2023/24 season on May 10 and 11 with its newest production, Other Voices, a collection of works produced by contemporary creators who push the boundaries of dance itself. With choreography ranging from classical to experimental and new works paired with fan favorites, the production endeavors to be as thought-provoking as it is entertaining.

The show will feature four short works — Corelli Concerto by Nilas Martins, The S.I.T. by Royce Zackery, A Warm Window by Nicole Powell, and As We Always Have by Laurie Eisenhower — and the fan favorite longer piece, Common Ground.

The four works pull from classical and contemporary ballet disciplines, along with modern dance. The shorter pieces serve to showcase these mediums, which set the stage for the integration of a wider range of performance styles in the longer Common Ground.

The program begins with Martins’ new production, Corelli Concerto, the most classical of the works with its ballet-focus and precise pointe work, set to music by Arcangelo Corelli. The piece features three women and runs eight minutes in length. “I love how these three performers dance in perfect harmony and still come across with their individual personalities,” said Martins. 

The next work, The S.I.T., is based on Zachary’s observations as an educator. Zachary, who has choreographed with the State Street Ballet since 2010, says he hopes the work reflects his vision of the company as a “beautiful, eclectic whole.”

Following Zachary’s The S.I.T., Powell’s new work, A Warm Window, is a reflection on resilience. “Life is not always good or happy. But there is beauty in all we experience, and that gives us the power of resilience,” said Powell on her work which features intimate and collaborative sections.

The last of the short works, As We Always Have, with music by Ludovico Einaudi and Armand Amar, and choreography by Eisenhower, was last performed by State Street Ballet in 2019.

The finale work, Common Ground, was first performed on the Lobero stage in 2015, and last performed by the Company in 2017 at the International Ballet Gala in Santiago, Chile. The choreography by Edgar Zendejas, set to Max Richter’s recomposition of Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons, explores evolutions, changes, and life’s winding path. Combining classical pointe work, contemporary movement, and modern dance, the range of disciplines work to reflect the nuances of the changing seasons.

Performances will be at the Lobero Theatre, Friday, May 10, and Saturday, May 11, both at 7:30 pm.

Tickets are available at lobero.org, by calling (805)963-0761, or at the Lobero Theatre box office.