NJ Ballet: Residency Show & Tell

Join us for a culmination of New Jersey Ballet’s week-long Works & Process creative residency at ArtYard. Company favorites will be performed and see an inside look at the creative process of choreographer Roderick George’s newest work Wings of Desire, commissioned by New Jersey Ballet, ArtYard, and Works & Process, before it is performed at Guggenheim New York on Janauary 10 and New Jersey Center for the Performing Arts on April 24 and 25.

Inspired by classical ballets like Giselle, Romeo and Juliet, and La Bayadère, Wings of Desire explores themes of relationships, sensuality, morality, and the human gaze, and the idea that the most iconic love stories are intertwined with loss — characters who surrender to love only to face death. At its core, it's a raw and emotionally charged ballet that confronts the passage of time and our resistance to accepting fate from the moment we begin to breathe. And just as we gain breath, we will one day lose it. Set to an original score that bridges past and future musical traditions, this work celebrates freedom, connection, and the extraordinary artistry of the dancers of New Jersey Ballet.

New Jersey Ballet enriches lives through promoting, preserving, and innovating the art of ballet via performances, a dance school, and inclusive community programming that fosters appreciation for the art form and helps New Jersey become a leader in producing future dance talent. The organization achieves this by providing high-level professional performances, offering diverse dance instruction, running a pre-professional program, and conducting outreach to schools and the community.

Now entering its 67th season, New Jersey Ballet is a vital contributor to the state’s rich performing arts scene, bringing dance to audiences across New Jersey and beyond. Since its founding in 1958, New Jersey Ballet has presented a dynamic range of performances, from timeless classics to cutting-edge contemporary works. Under the visionary leadership of Maria Kowroski, a former Principal Dancer with New York City Ballet, New Jersey Ballet is in the midst of a vibrant artistic expansion. Ms. Kowroski’s tenure has ushered in bold new repertory, collaborations with acclaimed choreographers and commissions of original works.

Roderick George was born in Houston, Texas. George studied at Ben Stevenson’s Houston Ballet Academy and the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. George was a bronze winner of the Youth America Grand Prix in 2005 and a YoungArts Winner and Presidential Scholar in 2003. He danced professionally for Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet, Basel Ballet/Theater Basel, GöteborgsOperans Danskompani, and The Forsythe Company.

He directs the project-based company kNoname Artist and works as a freelance choreographer.

New Jersey Ballet’s residency is a partnership between ArtYard and Works & Process.

About ArtYard

ArtYard is an incubator for creative expression and a catalyst for collaborations that reveal the transformational power of art. We are an interdisciplinary alternative contemporary art center comprised of an exhibition space, theater, and residency program, dedicated to presenting transformative artwork, fostering unexpected collaborations, and incubating original new work.

FAQ

Doors open 30 minutes to start time. Limited tickets will be available at the door. Please be in your seat at the scheduled start time so as not to cause a distubance to the artists or other guests. No flash photography is permitted. Visit ArtYard's FAQ for more frequently asked questions.

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