A year ago, we made history at Ballet Arkansas with a landmark production of Swan Lake, a ballet that captured the hearts of our audiences and shattered our previous box office records. It was a turning point for the organization—one that solidified our ability on the national stage to present large-scale productions that had once been beyond our reach. This season, we set our sights on Romeo & Juliet, another ambitious full-length work, and while its box office return may not have matched the overwhelming success of Swan Lake, the investment was one I fought for—because some productions have more than one bottom line; they are about enriching our artists, our audiences, and the cultural landscape of our community.
Ballet is, at its core, about storytelling. In a world that is rapidly changing, the stories we tell and how we tell them matter more than ever. They are how we connect with our audiences, how we remain relevant, and how we ensure the survival of an art form that has endured for centuries. As Ballet Arkansas grows, we must strike a balance—producing works that both challenge and inspire, that blend the involvement of our community with the excellence of our professional dancers, and that maintain an even split between spectacle and substance.
Romeo & Juliet is not Swan Lake. Where Swan Lake is a ballet of grand ensembles, of synchronized corps de ballet patterns that create breathtaking stage pictures, Romeo & Juliet is a ballet for the characters. It demands a depth of acting ability and an emotional range that few classical works do. It pushes dancers into new territory, asking them to live inside their roles rather than simply perform them. Some dancers experience extraordinary artistic growth in a production like this, while others may feel that the process didn’t challenge them in the same way a more ensemble-driven ballet would. That is the ebb and flow of the production cycle. Not every dancer will love every ballet, just as not every audience member will. And that’s okay. In the end, Ballet Arkansas presented four pairings of Shakespeare's fated lovers, and I cried watching each of them reach new heights on stage. In fact, the whole company rose through the journey of Romeo & Juilet, as we knew they would.
For me, programming strategy is always the same: improve the production quality and improve the dancers. With Romeo & Juliet, the focus was on strengthening men’s technique — often overlooked in classical full-length works —enhancing the acting abilities of the full ensemble, and tackling tragic subject matter in a way that would organically build upon the emotional maturity developed earlier this season via our acclaimed performances of Carmen, held that the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts. These are the unseen investments that, while not always obvious to the public, contribute to the long-term artistic trajectory of the organization. Audiences may not always recognize the strategy behind our programming choices, but they feel it, whether they realize it or not.
Of course, there are realities to consider. A production of Romeo & Juliet—with its extensive licensing fees and live orchestration—is an expensive undertaking. Unlike commercial enterprises, where rising costs lead to increased prices to guarantee shareholders their record dividends, the arts operate on a different rhythm. Some production, and even some years, produce runaway box office hits; others are seasons of artistic investment. At BA, we make strategic choices that are not solely about financial gain but about pushing the organization forward via the artistic impacts that leave a lasting impression on our audiences, bringing our state to a new cultural place, and giving our dancers the tools they need to grow.
Across the industry, we are seeing shifts. The largest ballet companies are beginning to experience box office challenges and changes in consumer trends, signaling a move toward smaller-scale productions and a renewed exploration of mixed-repertory programming. Meanwhile, regional companies like Ballet Arkansas are poised to thrive in the coming years—so long as we remain aligned with the needs of our community and so long as we continue to invest in programs that enrich and intrigue them.
As we look ahead, we do so with excitement—not only for the productions on the horizon but for the people who bring them to life. Ballet Arkansas is not the same company it was a decade ago. Once on the brink of financial collapse, we have transformed into an organization that presents internationally recognized choreographers, produces full-length ballets, and grows in size and ambition each season. That growth is fueled by the passion of our artists, our staff, and our supporters, and it is undeniable.
Just before the opening of Romeo & Juliet, I received a thoughtful message from a peer director of a larger northeastern ballet company. He expressed his appreciation for our growth and programming, noting the remarkable shift in the caliber of our organization's offerings and artists over the past several seasons. I'm pleased to share that this conversation is just one of many I've had recently with arts leaders, all of which highlight the success of our strategic initiatives. Much like a garden, businesses require careful tending, nurturing, and, importantly, a variety that appeals to onlookers. This is where our programming and the development of artistry play a crucial role. Fortunately, Ballet Arkansas has not only cultivated a dedicated following within the local and national arts community but has also nurtured a diverse array of seasoned performers - as displayed within our February performances of Romeo & Juliet. This growth enhances the beauty of our unique artistic garden with each passing season.
As we anticipate the spring season, Ballet Arkansas will persist in its commitment to incorporating live music in its performances of Nouveau at the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts. Here, we will focus on the energy and dynamism of contemporary programming. To provide variety, we will also present A Midsummer Night's Dream that same weekend, offering comedic relief amidst intense footwork and complex partnering sequences. We will continue to expand on the strategies that have revitalized our company and highlighted the talents of our artists, creating a pathway leading to the 25|26 season, which will be announced soon. What began with Romeo & Juliet did not conclude when the curtain fell. It simply, and yet so dramatically, marks the beginning of a new era for Ballet Arkansas.
Comments