Pittsburgh Ballet plans 2023-24 season of celebration, community

The key word for Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre’s 2023-24 season is “celebration.”

“This season we’ll be celebrating PBT’s history, where we’ve been, and our future, where we’re going,” said acting executive director Kathryn Gigler. “We’re also welcoming a new artistic director, who has an incredible vision for PBT as a place of community and innovative art-making.”

The lineup features three familiar story ballets and two mixed repertory programs.

The full-length ballets include the all-ages favorite fairy tales, “The Nutcracker,” “Beauty and the Beast” and “Cinderella.”

“Spring Mix,” set for April 5-7, 2024, will give audiences a real sense of the vision and aesthetic that new artistic director Adam McKinney brings to his role, Gigler said.

“This will be the first program that will really have Adam’s fingerprints all over it,” she said.

Something that PBT has been exploring in the past couple of seasons, and will continue moving forward, is to highlight both the versatility of the artists and the art form, Gigler said.

“We’re really interested in exploring what ballet is and what it can be, its potential in telling old stories in new ways and telling new stories in exciting ways,” she said. “The physicality of ballet makes it the perfect medium for storytelling.

“Engaging audiences to understand the art form better is exciting for us.”

The season opens Oct. 27-29 with the mixed repertory program, “Light in the Dark,” at the Byham Theater.

The program’s central work will be a world premiere by Jennifer Archibald, celebrating the life of Florence Warren, a Jewish dancer who lived in Paris and worked with the French Resistance during World War II. It will be presented in partnership with Violins of Hope Greater Pittsburgh, a project featuring concerts played on string instruments, many of which belonged to Jewish people before and after the war.

“It is in line with the rich history of works we’ve produced exploring the experience of Jewish communities,” Gigler said.

Completing the program are Sasha Janes’s “Loss,” the portrayal of a couple grappling with the death of a child; and Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s “Lacrimosa,” inspired by religious artwork.

“‘Loss’ talks about the stages of denial, grief, healing and the rebuilding of lives that people do through their grief,” Gigler said. “‘Lacrimosa’ is inspired by human connections. The movement quality is achingly beautiful and exceptionally powerful.”

Back to the Benedum

The company returns to the Benedum Center for the remainder of the season, starting with “The Nutcracker,” from Dec. 8 to 28.

The original production by former PBT artistic director Terrence Orr is set to the traditional Tchaikovsky score.

“Act One is set in turn-of-the-century Pittsburgh at Christmastime,” Gigler said. “Act Two shows the magic of historical Western Pennsylvania amusement parks.

“It’s such a great experience for PBT school students, and we always look forward to it.”

The music of Tchaikovsky also accompanies “Beauty and the Beast,” playing Feb. 16-25, 2o24.

“This will be the first time for ‘Beauty and the Beast’ since before the pandemic,” Gigler said. “It has such a fun cast of characters. People come dressed up, and we love this as a family friendly production.”

For “Spring Mix,” featuring the PBT Orchestra, McKinney has chosen George Balanchine’s “Allegro Brilliante,” which the legendary choreographer said contained “everything I know about classical ballet in 13 minutes.”

“We have such a rich history of Balenchine works, and keeping that through-line going with Adam is really exciting for us,” Gigler said. “I really like the principal woman’s solo alongside the piano solo — it’s incredibly rapid and intense for the performing artist and keeps with the theme of celebration.”

Along with other works to be announced, the program will include Helen Pickett’s “Petal.”

“We did it several years ago,” Gigler said. “It’s all hot pinks, yellows, oranges, a really vivacious work perfect for spring. It’s off-balance, it’s risky, it’s perpetual motion on stage. The company really shines in it.”

The orchestra also will accompany the season closer, “Cinderella,” set for May 17-19, 2024.

“It’s another one we haven’t done in some time, but it’s one that Pittsburgh audiences really love, simply for the fun story,” Gigler said. “Families love coming to see it.”

Season subscriptions, available in packages of three to five performances, start at $82.50. Single tickets to individual performances will go on sale at a date to be announced.

For information, call 412-454-9107 or visit pbt.org.