Colorado Ballet Announces Dancer Promotions for Its 2023/2024 Season
Denver, CO (August 23, 2023) – Colorado Ballet announces that it has promoted eight dancers within the Company and hired one new Corps de Ballet artist ahead of its 2023/2024 Season.
Colorado Ballet is pleased to announce the following changes to its Company roster:
PRINCIPALS
Soloist Christophor Moulton has been promoted to Principal. Moulton, who hails from Colorado Springs, CO, joined Colorado Ballet as a member of the Studio Company in 2009 before being promoted to Corps de Ballet in 2010 and Soloist in 2017.
CORPS DE BALLET
Apprentices Kenny Allen and Alexandra Gilliom were promoted to the Corps de Ballet. Cruz Vining joins the company this season as part of the Corps de Ballet.
APPRENTICES
Lily Bines, Mylie Buck, Leopold Foster, Tate Ryner, and Lili Travaglia were hired from the Studio Company into the main Company as Apprentices.
STUDIO COMPANY
This season, Colorado Ballet’s Studio Company includes 22 dancers, nine of whom are alumni of Colorado Ballet’s prestigious Colorado Ballet Academy (CBA).
“I extend my sincerest congratulations to those who have been promoted, and I wish a warm welcome to our newly hired artist,” stated Gil Boggs, Colorado Ballet’s artistic director. “This is a very special moment for our dancers and our organization. It’s a joy to see so many talented, young artists grow within their careers and achieve their goals here at Colorado Ballet.”
“Year after year, our main company continues to flourish. We now have 36 passionate artists within our ranks, up from 35 last season,” continued Boggs. “The expansion within our company allows us to continue broadening our repertoire and bringing new works to the community. We are thrilled to present three Denver premieres this season, including a world premiere choreographed especially for Colorado Ballet. This is a very exciting time for the organization, and I look forward to seeing audiences in the Ellie this October for Swan Lake.”
2023/2024 PERFORMANCES
Swan Lake
Oct. 6–15, 2023
A fairytale of passion, heartbreak, sorcery and deceit unfurls on the shores of a moonlit lake in October. Colorado Ballet presents Swan Lake, a Romantic ballet beloved worldwide, performed to Tchaikovsky’s indelible score. This opulent four act production features iconic choreography after Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov, with additional choreography by Ballet Master Sandra Brown, Amanda McKerrow and John Gardner.
The Nutcracker
Nov. 25–Dec. 24, 2023
As the fate of one magical night hangs in the balance, Clara’s nutcracker comes to life for a battle royale. Festive fan-favorite The Nutcracker returns to Denver this holiday season with 28 performances, including a matinee with sensory-friendly adaptations on Sunday, November 26. Featuring the company’s custom-made sets and costumes, which debuted in 2021, this dazzling and dreamy production sees sold-out performances year after year.
Presented by PNC Bank
Val Caniparoli’s Jekyll & Hyde
Feb. 2–11, 2024
Havoc is unleashed on Victorian London when one man struggles with the terrifying dance between the good and evil that lies within. Colorado Ballet will treat audiences to a U.S. premiere of full-length ballet Jekyll & Hyde, choreographed in 2020 by Val Caniparoli. Inspired by the classic Gothic novella by Robert Louis Stevenson, this neoteric production explores the depths of the human psyche and features music by acclaimed composers Frédéric Chopin, Krzysztof Penderecki, Henryk Górecki, Wojciech Kilar and Henryk Wieniawski. Due to its mature content, Jekyll & Hyde is recommended for ages 13+.
Coppélia
March 8–17, 2024
When a life-sized doll comes between two village lovers, a young woman dances to the rescue, saving her betrothed from a scheming inventor. For the first time in 15 years, Colorado Ballet presents Coppélia, a comedic ballet based on two short stories by E.T.A. Hoffmann, author of The Nutcracker and The Mouse King. Renowned for its charming blend of humor and classical sensibility, Coppélia is a whimsical story of love and mistaken identity. Colorado Ballet’s adaptation features original choreography after Arthur Saint-Léon, staged by Ballet Masters Sandra Brown, Lorita Travaglia and Maria Mosina, set to the music of Léo Delibes.
Ballet MasterWorks
April 12–21, 2023
A trio of Ballet MasterWorks that test the limitations of gravity and rhythm will close the season. Colorado Ballet presents Yoshihisa Arai’s Boléro, set to the score of Maurice Ravel, George Balanchine’s Rubies, with music by Igor Stravinsky, and a world premiere that Denver audiences will be the first to discover, choreographed by Lauren Lovette, former principal dancer with New York City Ballet.
Sponsored by Denver Ballet Guild
Colorado Ballet is grateful for the generous support it receives from the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD) and PNC Bank.
ABOUT COLORADO BALLET
Presenting exceptional classical ballet and innovative contemporary dance through performances, training, education and community engagement, Colorado Ballet continues to inspire and grow an increasingly diverse audience base in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1961 by Lillian Covillo and Freidann Parker, Colorado Ballet is a non-profit organization celebrating 63 years of excellence. As a world-class professional company serving over 100,000 national and international patrons, Colorado Ballet presents 58 performances annually to sold-out audiences in the 2,000 seat Ellie Caulkins Opera House. The Company’s 36 professional dancers and 22 studio company dancers come from all over the world. Colorado Ballet’s The Armstrong Center for Dance, a 35,000 square foot building, boasts eight state-of-the-art professional dance studios and amenities for the professional Company. Under the direction of Artistic Director Gil Boggs, Colorado Ballet performs classical ballet masterpieces, full-length story ballets and its critically acclaimed repertory production Ballet MasterWorks, featuring varied works from neoclassical ballets to world premieres. The Raydean Acevedo Colorado Ballet Academy serves over 1,200 students from toddlers to seniors each year. Colorado Ballet’s Education & Community Engagement offers programs to students and community members, making over 25,000 contacts and reaching over 200 schools and organizations annually. Participants come from a variety of backgrounds and socioeconomic statuses including youth, families, teachers, and people with and without disabilities. For more information, please visit coloradoballet.org.
