PROGRAM: HOUSTON BALLET II

The Sleeping Beauty, Act III
Music by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) | Choreography by Marius Petipa | Staged by Claudio Muñoz

The court is celebrating the wedding of Princess Aurora and Prince Florimund. Characters from other fairy tales have joined the celebration. After Aurora and Florimund’s grand pas de deux, the occasion ends as the entire court joins in the finale.

Twilight
Music by Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943) | Choreography by Ben Stevenson O.B.E. | Staged by Claudio Muñoz

Lose yourself in this romantic, neoclassical dream. One of Ben Stevenson’s personal favorites, this pas de deux is a breathtaking picture of romance and music come to life.

Fingerprints
Music: Pieces of Africa by Kronos Quartet | Choreography by Stanton Welch AM | Staged by Claudio Muñoz

In his own words. Stanton Welch’s Fingerprints “touches on the individual presence of life and being … It’s about the idea that we leave our impressions [fingerprints] on everything we touch, be it each other or the environment.”

Houston Ballet II is the second company of Houston Ballet, America’s fifth-largest ballet company. Comprised of a stellar array of young dancers from around the world, Houston Ballet II is under the direction of Stanton Welch AM, Artistic Director. Houston Ballet II performs a diverse range of dance works, such as excerpts from the great classics like The Sleeping Beauty, Coppelia, and The Nutcracker, in addition to contemporary dance works by Mr. Welch. Works from notable choreographers such as George Balanchine, John Neumeier, and August Bournonville are also part of the company’s repertoire. Houston Ballet II tours both nationally and internationally, and has performed in Mexico, China, Hungary, Guatemala, Germany, and Switzerland, where Houston Ballet II performed at the prestigious Prix de Lausanne dance competition in February 2013.