BalletX is the premier contemporary ballet company in Philadelphia. Their Chicago debut was Thursday night as the season opener at The Dance Center of Columbia College. This nearly decade old company pushes classical ballet to a different level with “formal experimentation” while still maintaining technique.

This fresh-faced company, with several performers having joined the company within just the last year, have grown together in a way that feels like they have performed together for years. The dancing is fun, innovative, exciting, and athletic, and extremely energetic.

The four pieces chosen for this tour present a wide variety in emotions and dance technique set to eclectic music choices from klezmer to jazz, Max Richter to the indie rock band Beirut.  Each piece is unique and surprising. The performers convey sentiment from their body movements to the expressions on their faces. The clean and simple costuming, staging, and lighting set in the intimate theater space at Columbia make this evening of performances feel quite personal, drawing you in and leaving you wanting more.

I look forward to the day BalletX returns to Chicago. They are a unique group that obviously enjoys discovering where how far they can stretch dance technique outside of the normal perceptions, and it’s a fun journey to take.  But hurry, today is your last chance to see this group for now.

Ticket Information
The Dance Center presents BalletX September 18–20, Thursday–Saturday at 8 p.m. at The Dance Center, 1306 S. Michigan Ave. Single tickets are $30. For information, call 312-369-8330 or visit colum.edu/dancecenterpresents