Three choreographers at the top of their game.

Program Sponsors:

Providence Department of Art, Culture + Tourism

Providence Tourism Council

It’s an evening of movement, music, and athleticism that packs a punch, with works by innovative choreographers at the top of their game, plus powerful music performed live. From Tony Award-winner Christopher Wheeldon’s arresting Morphoses to a bold and pulsing new work from powerhouse duo choreographer Yury Yanowsky and singer/songwriter Josh Knowles (performing live), “Game Changers” is bursting with creativity that you never thought possible and sure to challenge your perception of how bold ballet can be.

Wheeldon’s Morphoses
Tony Award winner Christopher Wheeldon created Morphoses in 2001 following his breakout hit for New York City Ballet Polyphonia. In this elusive contemporary work for four dancers (whose original cast included America’s greatest contemporary ballerina, Wendy Whelan), “change” takes center stage in a piece that hits the extremes of human athleticism and artistry. From a primeval ground-swell of undulating bodies, to intricate—at times chaotic—partnering yielding extraordinary shapes and structures, this work promises to keep you on the edge of your seat and leave you wanting more.
Music: György Ligeti
Choreography: Christopher Wheeldon

Yanowsky’s Same [WORLD PREMIERE]
Powerhouse choreographer Yury Yanowsky is known for upending tradition with daring moves and contemporary concepts designed to shatter expectations. His new work, Same, is a collaborative adaptation of singer/songwriter Josh Knowles’ breakout hit of the same name. With a pulsing beat, powerful visuals, and music sung and performed live by Knowles collaboratively moving with the dancers on stage, Same offers something truly different.
Music: Josh Knowles
Choreography: Yury Yanowsky

[World Premiere]

Former Alvin Ailey Dance Theater dancer Christopher Huggins makes his New England debut with a dynamic work that offers a perspective and commentary on society’s ills and the structures that restrict and oppress. The sprawling World Premiere for more than two dozen dancers includes the entire company of Festival Ballet Providence, contrasting moments of rigid and repetitive uniformity with defiant self-expression. Huggins is the 2002 and 2008 recipient of the Alvin Ailey Award for Best Choreography from the Black Theater Alliance in Chicago.