What to Know
- “The Euterpides”
- The American Ballet Company
- The ballet will be paired with George Balanchine’s “Serenades” and presented on a legendary soundstage at Television City
- This is the first ballet from lauded British composer Alma Deutscher
- $65-$140
Ballets can and do find ethereal inspiration in epic ideas that have flowered through the eons, as well as those enduring myths that have grown, and transformed, over millennia.
But contemporary concepts, newly written music, and a novel venue can weave together to transform a time-honored story into something truly fresh.
The American Contemporary Ballet will do just that over much of June as it presents “The Euterpides,” based on the myth of the Greek musical muse Euterpe, through much of June 2025 at Television City.
Alma Deutscher, a 20-year-old music prodigy who performed at Carnegie Hall at age 14, partnered with American Contemporary Ballet Director Lincoln Jones on the new ballet.
The director found the creative collaborative journey similar to when earlier iconic ballets such as “Swan Lake” came to effervescent life, when choreographers and composers worked together to weave a new world.
However, this time around “video chats, emails, and sound files” gave the partnership a distinctly 21st-century flavor.
For those ballet and classical music fans who have been hoping to enjoy a piece by Ms. Deutscher presented in a “cinematic” setting, “The Euterpides” will be a treat.
“When I’m not composing, you’ll find me dancing; it’s my other great passion, so I was over the moon when American Contemporary Ballet asked me to write a short ballet for them to premiere in June,” said Ms. Deutscher.
“This project is so special because the story itself is about music.”
The choice to present the ballet at Television City may at first prompt a doubletake or at least a pause, for dance performances are synonymous with stately theaters and venues with traditional stages.
It’s another sign that “The Euterpides” is something fresh, a production that will add a new chapter to a storied soundstage long associated with daytime dramas, cherished comedies, and well-known talk shows.
The show opens June 5 and will run on select nights through most of June; find ticket and date information at this site.
