OVERVIEW

In the Night
Choreography: Jerome Robbins
Music: Frédéric Chopin

Maninyas
Choreography: Stanton Welch AM
Music: Ross Edwards

Celts
Choreography: Lila York
Music: The Chieftains, Mason Daring, William J. Ruyle, Bill Whelan, and Celtic Thunder

 

Three expressive ballets on this program offer a fascinating fusion of classical and contemporary artistry. Among them is Stanton Welch’s powerful Maninyas, a breathtaking work that delves into the gradual and sometimes daunting process of revealing oneself in a relationship. Featuring a series of fierce pas de deux and pas de trois, Maninyas earned acclaim as Welch’s first American commission for San Francisco Ballet, inspiring Ben Stevenson, Houston Ballet Artistic Director Emeritus, to invite Welch to create his inaugural piece for the Company.

 

Jerome Robbins’ In the Night, which premiered in 1970 for New York City Ballet, is a poignant one-act ballet for three couples, set to four piano nocturnes by composer Frédéric Chopin. This beautiful work by the acclaimed American choreographer delves into the dynamics of romantic relationships, capturing a range of moods from serene intimacy to agitation and aggression, before culminating in a powerful ensemble finale.

Lila York pays homage to her Irish heritage with Celts, a bold and vigorous work. Premiering at Boston Ballet in 1996, a year before Michael Flatley’s Riverdance gained worldwide fame, Celts is a stunning fusion of Irish folk dance and ballet. Created to celebrate her roots and her parents’ fiftieth wedding anniversary, it remains a testament to the enduring spirit of Irish culture.

Production Underwriting by Mrs. Norah Orphanides. 

SYNOPSIS

In the Night Description

Jerome Robbins’ In the Night, created a year after his brilliant Dances at a Gathering in 1970, is a poignant exploration of romantic relationships through three distinct pas de deux, each representing a different stage of love. The ballet opens with a youthful, innocent couple whose tender movements express joy and discovery. The second couple, mature and reserved, displays the depth and restraint of a long-established relationship, subtly conveying both elegance and history. The third couple’s passionate and tumultuous interactions contrast sharply with the previous two, their physical and emotional struggles playing out in a fiery pas de deux. The ballet concludes with a brief, polite acknowledgment between the couples.

Maninyas Description

Created in 1996 as his first American commission for San Francisco Ballet, Stanton Welch’s Maninyas features five couples whose fierce pas de deux and pas de trois capture the beauty and complexity of human connection. Maninyas delves into the process of unveiling oneself in a relationship, as Welch explains: “In relationships, as you get to know someone, you gradually unveil yourself, taking off different layers of your protections, until eventually you’re just your real self with somebody.” Throughout the ballet, these five couples interact in ways that reflect the daunting yet wonderful journey of self-revelation. At the conclusion, the veils fall away, and the couples move forward into a new, unguarded connection. After seeing the ballet’s premiere, Artistic Director Emeritus Ben Stevenson invited Welch to create his first work for Houston Ballet, marking the beginning of his relationship with the Company.

Celts Description

A jubilant and high-energy homage to her Irish heritage, Lila York’s Celts premiered in 1996 with Boston Ballet, commissioned by then-artistic director Bruce Marks. The ballet, inspired by a trip to Ireland for her parents’ fiftieth wedding anniversary, blends classical ballet technique with the percussive movements and intricate footwork of Irish folk dance to depict Ireland’s history and culture. The ballet opens with three dancers, including a couple representing the ancient past and a boy in green symbolizing the unbreakable energy of Ireland. As the piece progresses, York explores various facets of Irish life chronologically, from the fierce warriors of Celtic history to a haunting pas de deux inspired by a Galway folk tale. The work culminates in an exuberant, fast-paced finale, where the music swells with the sounds of bagpipes, reflecting Ireland’s transition into a new, prosperous era.

ARTISTS

Jerome Robbins

CHOREOGRAPHER, IN THE NIGHT

Jerome Robbins is world renowned for his work as a choreographer of ballets as well as his work as a director and choreographer in theater, movies and television. His Broadway shows include On the Town, Billion Dollar Baby, High Button Shoes, West Side Story, The King and I, Gypsy, Peter Pan, Miss Liberty, Call Me Madam, and Fiddler on the Roof. His last Broadway production in 1989, Jerome Robbins’ Broadway, won six Tony Awards including best musical and best director. Among the more than 60 ballets he created are Fancy Free, Afternoon of a Faun, The Concert, Dances at a Gathering, In the Night, In G Major, Other Dances, Glass Pieces and Ives, Songs, which are in the repertories of New York City Ballet and other major dance companies throughout the world. His last ballets include A Suite of Dances created for Mikhail Baryshnikov (1994), 2 & 3 Part Inventions (1994), West Side Story Suite (1995), and Brandenburg (1996). In addition to two Academy Awards for the film West Side Story, Mr. Robbins received four Tony Awards, five Donaldson Awards, two Emmy Awards, the Screen Directors’ Guild Award, and the New York Drama Critics Circle Award. Mr. Robbins was a 1981 Kennedy Center Honors Recipient and was awarded the French Chevalier dans l’Ordre National de la legion d’Honneur. Mr. Robbins died in 1998.

Frédéric Chopin

COMPOSER, IN THE NIGHT

Considered the greatest composer of the Romantic period, Frédéric Chopin was born on March 1, 1810, in a small village near Warsaw, Poland. His father was a French schoolteacher who immigrated to Poland, where he met and married Chopin's mother. Chopin’s extraordinary talent as a musician was apparent at a very young age. By the age of 7, he was already composing music on the piano, as well as performing publicly. Although he did compose a chamber of pieces, Chopin was more vastly well-known and sought after for his work on the piano, which included 51 mazurkas, 12 polonaises, 17 waltzes, 19 nocturnes. Nocturne, Prelude & Piano Sonata are some of his more famous pieces today. The expression of beauty interpersonal turmoil, and heroism throughout his music earned him the respect and friendship of some of his more notable peers. Like many great composers, Chopin suffered an untimely death. After touring through England and Scotland, he contracted tuberculosis and died on October 17, 1849 in Paris, France at the age of 39.

Stanton Welch AM

CHOREOGRAPHER, MANINYAS

Stanton Welch was born in Melbourne to Marilyn Jones OBE and Garth Welch AM, two of Australia's most gifted dancers of the 1960s and 1970s.  He joined The Australian Ballet, rising to the rank of leading soloist and performing various principal roles, before serving as Resident Choreographer. During his decades long career, Welch has choreographed over 100 works including audience favorites Madame Butterfly (1995), Clear (2001), and Divergence (1994). His work can be seen in the repertoire of The Australian Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, and Birmingham Royal Ballet, among others. In July 2003, Welch was appointed Artistic Director of Houston Ballet, America's fourth-largest ballet company. Welch has choreographed more than 40 works for Houston Ballet, including Marie (2009) and spectacular stagings of Swan Lake (2006), La Bayadère (2010), Romeo and Juliet (2015), Giselle (2016), The Nutcracker (2016), Sylvia (2019), and the upcoming Raymonda (2025). Developing Houston Ballet into a choreographic Eden, Welch has commissioned over 30 works from notable choreographers such as Mark Morris, Aszure Barton, Dwight Rhoden, Trey McIntyre, and Justin Peck, while expanding the company’s repertoire with works from internationally acclaimed choreographers including George Balanchine, William Forsythe, Jiří Kylián, Sir Kenneth MacMillan, John Neumeier, Twyla Tharp, and Jerome Robbins. Under Welch’s leadership, Houston Ballet has appeared across the globe including recent engagements in Tokyo, Dubai, Melbourne, New York City, and Washington, D.C. Welch continues to nurture the next generation of artists through the Houston Ballet Academy, a leading institution in dance education and training. 

Ross Edwards

COMPOSER, MANINYAS

In creating a sound uniquely his own, Australian composer Ross Edwards continually draws inspiration from his natural environment. In the early 1970s, Mr. Edwards found that he was no longer able to write nor listen to music and instead, turned to the sounds of the Australian bush. The stylistic origins of Maninyas date from the period between 1977 and 1984 when Edwards was living in a coastal village north of Sydney, Australia. While composing in this peaceful environment, two distinct musical styles emerged, each strongly influenced by the sounds and rhythmic patterns of the natural environment. One of these styles is characterized by a loose representation of insect and bird sounds, which resulted in music with rigorous rhythms, sharp melodies and simple drone-like harmonies. This technique was eventually referred to as the maninya style not long after its discovery. Since then, Maninyas has often been choreographed for ballet, notably by Stanton Welch AM for the Houston Ballet.

Lila York

CHOREOGRAPHER, CELTS

Lila York danced with the Paul Taylor Dance Company for twelve years, appearing in over 60 works. Since 1990 she has choreographed works for Birmingham Royal Ballet, the Royal Danish Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Boston Ballet, Norwegian National Ballet, Houston Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Scottish Ballet, Washington Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet, Tulsa Ballet, Atlanta Ballet, Milwaukee Ballet, Ballet West, Colorado Ballet, Louisville Ballet, Ballet Memphis, Kansas City Ballet, Dayton Ballet, Cincinnati Ballet, Orlando Ballet, American Repertory Ballet, Connecticut Ballet Theatre, NBA Ballet of Tokyo, The David Parsons Company, The Alvin Ailey Repertory Ensemble, and The Juilliard Dance Ensemble. She recently premiered a new work for the Paul Taylor Dance Company and a full evening ballet based on The Handmaid's Tale. From 1989 to 1992 Ms. York directed a program for the production of new choreography at Pacific Northwest Ballet. She graduated from Skidmore College with a degree in English literature.

The Chieftains, Mason Daring, William J. Ruyle, Celtic Thunder, Bill Whelan

COMPOSERS, CELTS

When commissioned in 1996, Boston Ballet then-artistic director Bruce Marks gave York one stipulation: she had to use recorded music. Instead of opting for pop music, York chose music that would be challenging for a traditional orchestra to perform. The score for Celts is a vibrant mix of traditional Irish tunes and modern interpretations, featuring compositions by the Grammy Award-winning Irish group The Chieftains, The Secret of Roan Inish composer Mason Daring, percussionist and York’s friend William J. Ruyle, Riverdance composer Bill Whelan, and the eclectic Irish singing group Celtic Thunder.

HISTORY

IN THE NIGHT REPERTORY HISTORY

This will be Houston Ballet’s fourth time performing Jerome Robbins' In the Night as a part of its main season.  It was a part of Houston Ballet’s Minneapolis tour in March 2012.  Other works by Jerome Robbins in Houston Ballet’s repertoire include Afternoon of a Faun, The Cage, The Concert (Or, The Perils of Everybody), Fancy Free, Other Dances, and West Side Story Suite.

IN THE NIGHT PRODUCTION DETAILS

CHOREOGRAPHER: Jerome Robbins

GENRE: Neo Classical Ballet

RUN TIME: Ballet in 1 Act; 26 minutes

LOCATION: Brown Theater at the Wortham Theater Center in Houston, Texas

COMPOSER: Frédéric Chopin

SCORE: Piano Nocturnes, Opus 27, No.1; Opus 55, Nos.1 and 2; and Opus 9, No.2

ORIGINAL PREMIERE DATE: January 29, 1970 by New York City Ballet at New York State Theatre in New York City, New York.

HOUSTON BALLET PREMIERE DATE: March 6, 1987 in the Brown Theater at Wortham Theater Center in Houston, Texas.

COSTUME DESIGN: Anthony Dowell

HOUSTON BALLET LIGHTING DESIGN: Jennifer Tipton, Recreated by Nicole Pearce

STAGER FOR HOUSTON BALLET (2025): Anita Paciotti

BALLET MASTER (2025): Amy Fote

HOUSTON BALLET ORCHESTRA CONDUCTOR (2025): Simon Thew

Katherine Burkwall-Ciscon, Piano

HOUSTON BALLET STAGE MANAGER (2025): Anna-Marie Monzon

SPECIAL PROGRAM NOTES (2025): In the Night costumes courtesy of The National Ballet of Canada.

MANINYAS REPERTORY HISTORY

This will be Houston Ballet’s sixth time performing Stanton Welch's Maninyas as a part of its main season.   Maninyas was part of Houston Ballet’s two tours to Germany.  The first tour was to Hamburg in 2015 and the second tour was to Ludwigshafen and Bonn in April 2017.  It was performed at The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in The Woodlands, Texas in 2016.  Welch’s Zodiac, a world premiere for Houston Ballet in 2015 also uses music by Australian composer Ross Edwards.

MANINYAS PRODUCTION DETAILS

CHOREOGRAPHER: Stanton Welch AM

GENRE: Neo Classical Ballet

 

RUN TIME: Ballet in 1 Act; 34 minutes

 

LOCATION: Brown Theater at the Wortham Theater Center in Houston, Texas

 

COMPOSER: Ross Edwards

 

SCORE: Maninyas Concerto for Violin and Orchestra

ORIGINAL PREMIERE DATE: February 28, 1996 by San Francisco Ballet at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco, California.

HOUSTON PREMIERE DATE: June 9, 2005 in the Brown Theater at Wortham Theater Center in Houston, Texas.

COSTUME DESIGN: Stanton Welch AM

LIGHTING DESIGN: Lisa J. Pinkham

 

BALLET MASTERS (2025): Stanton Welch AM, Ian Casady and Amy Fote

 

HOUSTON BALLET ORCHESTRA CONDUCTOR (2025): Simon Thew

 

Denise Tarrant, Violin

 

HOUSTON BALLET STAGE MANAGER (2025): Anna-Marie Monzon

CELTS REPERTORY HISTORY

This will be Houston Ballet’s second time performing Lila York’s Celts as part of its main season.  Celts has been performed at Miller Outdoor Theatre and The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in The Woodlands, Texas.  Other works by Lila York in Houston Ballet’s repertory include Rules of the Game and All American created on Houston Ballet and Rapture

CELTS PRODUCTION DETAILS

CHOREOGRAPHER: Lila York

GENRE: Contemporary Ballet

RUN TIME: Ballet in 1 Act; 26 minutes

 

LOCATION: Brown Theater at the Wortham Theater Center in Houston, Texas

 

COMPOSERS: The Chieftains, Mason Daring, William J. Ruyle, Celtic Thunder, and Bill Whelan

 

SCORE:
The Chieftains
Treasure Cave, Dunmore Lassies

Mason Daring
Piper's Lullaby

Drumming by William J. Ruyle

Celtic Thunder
Slip Jig: Foxhunter's

Bill Whelan
Caracena 

ORIGINAL PREMIERE DATE: March 21, 1996 by Boston Ballet at The Wang Theatre in Boston, Massachusetts.

 

HOUSTON PREMIERE DATE: September 9, 2004 in the Brown Theater at Wortham Theater Center in Houston, Texas.

 

COSTUME DESIGN: Tunji Dada

 

LIGHTING DESIGN: James F. Ingalls

 

BALLET MASTER (2025): Hayden Stark

 

HOUSTON BALLET ORCHESTRA CONDUCTOR (2025): Simon Thew

 

HOUSTON BALLET STAGE MANAGER (2025): Anna-Marie Monzon

 

SPECIAL PROGRAM NOTES (2025): Celts music credits
Treasure Cave from "Treasure Island," composed and arranged by Paddy Moloney, performed by The Chieftains, from "The Chieftains: Reel Music," RCA Victor 60412-2-RC, used by permission of BMG Blue (BMI) and Chrysalis Music. All rights reserved.

Piper's Lullaby, music by Mason Daring from "The Secret of Roan Inish," Daring Records CD 3015, used by permission of Daring Records & Music, divisions of Daring Music Studios, Inc. Published by Universal Music Corp. on behalf of Mason Daring Music (ASCAP). All rights reserved.

Drumming, specially composed and performed by William J. Ruyle

Dunmore Lassies, performed by The Chieftains, from "The Long Black Veil," RCA Victor 09026-68297-2, used by permission of BMG Blue (BMI) and Chrysalis Music. All rights reserved.

Slip Jig: Foxhunter's, traditional celtic music from "Celtic Thunder/Hard New York Days," R-3035, used by permission of Kells Music

Caracena from The Seville Suite "Kinsale to La Coruña," Tara Records Ltd. #3030.

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