The time has almost come for the return of Boston Ballet’s virtual programming along with its long-awaited in-person performances.
This year, RestART will kick off the first of two virtual programs of the 2021–2022 season on October 28 followed by the popular holiday program, The Gift. The programs will give fans as well as new audiences around the world the opportunity to experience the world class art Boston Ballet has become so well known for.
Due to the pandemic last year, Boston Ballet created the virtual programming when they were unable to offer in-person performances. The new subscription-based platform proved to be enormously successful as they looked for ways to not only stay connected with their fans, but also touch a broader audience. When it launched, they were able to reach more than 5,000 subscribers in 21 countries and 48 states.
Photo Credit: Brooke Trisolini, Courtesy of Boston Ballet
“The great news is we will be back on stage very soon,” said Boston Ballet’s Artistic Director Mikko Nissinen told us in a phone interview. “We are still continuing to explore what the future holds for virtual programming. Some people love coming to the ballet, but due to health issues they are unable to. With virtual programming, they can still enjoy watching the ballet, but in their home.”
Does Nissinen think virtual programming is going to become a wave of the future? “COVID was sort of a marker, but now there has been a rebirth of the world and a renaissance of the arts,” he said. “We looked some time ago at creating a virtual program, but it would have taken us a much longer period of time to get to where we are now. Last year made us look at that idea again. It was amazing how much we learned and interesting to see the results of that learning. From the get-go, the virtual programming has been received so well and we got a quick degree in virtual programming. Now, it’s just a new page in a new book.”
This year’s RestART will feature new footage filmed this fall, including George Balanchine’s Apollo, a new work by choreographer Yin Yue, and a preview of resident choreographer Jorma Elo’s new ballet that will premiere as part of the MINDscape mainstage program in 2022. RestART runs from October 28 through November 7.
The Gift will make its return for the holiday season and be available to stream from December 16 to January 9. Boston Ballet’s four-part virtual programming will run through June 2022 with ChoreograpHER running from March 17 to 27 followed by Swan Lake from June 9 to 19. Live performances will be held at the Citizens Bank Opera House. For more information on the virtual season, visit bostonballet.org.
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