New Orleans Ballet Association (NOBA) announces its powerhouse 2023-24 Main Stage Dance Season at the Mahalia Jackson Theater for the Performing Arts.
The dance acts will be accompanied by live music, including performances by Chief Adjuah and Reginald Toussaint and The Allen Toussaint Orchestra.
Main Stage Dance Season
Beginning on October 21, the mesmerizing Complexions Contemporary Ballet will perform a world premiere NOBA-commissioned work. Complexions Contemporary Ballet, led by Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson, has captivated audiences for nearly 30 years with their approach of reinventing dance and contemporary ballet.
Live music by critically acclaimed jazz artist Chief Adjuah, formerly Christian Scott, will accompany Complexions Contemporary Ballet's performance. This performance will be to the sound of J.S. Bach's Ballad Unto, a high-intensity piece of music.
The evening will close with LOVE ROCKS, set to the Rock 'n Soul music of Grammy Award winning singer-songwriter Lenny Kravitz. Complexions Contemporary is one of the most recognized performing arts brands in the world, and presents an entirely new and exciting vision of human movement has been presented on five continents in over 20 countries.
On January 20, 2024, Compañia Nacional de Danza (CNdD) will be returning after a 22-year absence for a rare New Orleans event. Compañia Nacional de Danza (CNdD) is Spain's premier, national dance company.
Led by Artistic Director Joaquín De Luz, a world-renowned past principal dancer with New York City Ballet, CNdD will wow the Crescent City with a North American premiere of mixed repertoire.
This repertoire includes White Darkness by CNdD's former artistic director and choreographer Nacho Duato, a lush and virtuosic one-act ballet created as a requiem; the spirited and satirical Sad Case by Sol León and Paul Lightfoot, which embodies the fiery, syncopated rhythms of Mexican mambo; and Passengers Within, the latest creation by De Luz, set to music by Philip Glass. The company's repertoire embraces classical to avant-garde and reflects its own identity and history of excellence.
On March 2, Les Ballets de Monte Carlo will make its triumphant return with LAC as they perform Artistic Director Jean-Christophe Maillot's visually stunning retelling of Swan Lake. This will be the only scheduled performance of the masterpiece in the nation, and it's right here in New Orleans.
Within a complexity of dramatic twists and turns, this stage production will be a psychological thriller of epic proportions that exceeds expectations as it offers audiences a thrilling interpretation of Tchaikovsky's immortal score.
Maillot collaborated with esteemed French writer Jean Rouaud, Winter Olympics and award-winning Cirque de Soleil costume designer Philippe Guillotel. Maillot also worked with for visual artist Ernest Pignon-Ernest for grand, expressionistic sets and cutting-edge visuals to realize his vision.
NOBA's 2023-24 season will conclude on April 20 with Parsons Dance with The Allen Toussaint Orchestra. The Parsons Dance company will take your breath away with its joyous and high-voltage dances led by Artistic Director and prolific dance-maker David Parsons. The company brings forth a unique program that includes signature works like Caught, a gravity-defying fusion of art and technology that demands perfect timing and athletic stamina by the dancer. As well as the works Swing Shift, a cherished David Parsons piece built around a series of duets and trios.
The evening's special finale will celebrate the tenth anniversary of Parsons' critically acclaimed work, Whirlaway, to a soundtrack of Allen Toussaint hits. Originally commissioned by NOBA, and premiering at the Mahalia Jackson Theater in 2014, the dramatic re-staging of this work with new costumes and choreography by Parsons Dance will be joined by Reginald Toussaint and The Allen Toussaint Orchestra.
NOBA's curation of vibrant, culturally-significant, captivating and awe-inspiring dance offerings represent the best and brightest of what the dance world has to offer today.
NOBA offers two options for subscription tickets for the 2023-24 season. The Grand Series Season Subscription comes with up to 20% off four productions, plus an assortment of benefits. The prices range from $145 to $665 depending on seat location. The Build Your Own Season Subscription comes with up to 15% off three productions of your choosing, the prices vary based on production choices and seat locations.
NOBA Subscribers will benefit by being the first to purchase tickets to this season's offerings, and be able to take advantage of best available seating. Subscribers will receive a variety of additional perks included in the price of the subscription which can be found here. The Grand Series is now available for purchase at www.nobadance.com, and the Build Your Own Subscription will be available for purchase beginning September 5, 2023. Discounts are available for students with a valid student ID.
Individual tickets for all four productions will be available for purchase beginning Tuesday, September 5, 2023. For the most up-to-date ticketing information, and to learn more about subscribing and individual ticket on-sale dates, visit www.nobadance.com.