Boston Ballet: A season in review
Ballet is evolving, and Boston Ballet is on the front line. This week the dancers of Boston Ballet return to their South End headquarters from all corners of the globe to prepare for another season. With a program that ranges from Petipa's classic The Sleeping Beauty to a full-length contemporary ballet by William Forsythe, the company will build on the dynamism proved in 2015-16 — a season that saw the highest attendance in over a decade and the most ticket revenue in Boston Ballet history.
The 2015-16 season challenged the dancers and audiences alike, pushing boundaries, expanding minds and stretching physical capabilities with two world premieres and one North American premiere. Artistic Director Mikko Nissinen pulled from multiple genres of ballet — classical, neoclassical and contemporary — to produce six ballets, including two mixed repertory shows — and the audience responded. These two productions gathered record-breaking revenue, and Mirrors was Boston Ballet's highest-grossing mixed repertory program in its history. Most companies tend to gravitate toward one of these genres rather than exercising all three equally. Boston Ballet proved proficient in all three, inspiring The Huffington Post to ask: "Is Boston Ballet the Best Ballet Company in America?"
