Ballet Under the Stars

Twenty-four dancers in ghostly white tutus slowly perform sweeping port de bras and deep arabesques in unison. It is a hypnotic display of control and grace, and one of classical ballet’s most memorable images. The Kingdom of the Shades scene is taken from Marius Petipa’s 19th-century ballet La Bayadère, an Indian fantasia about a temple dancer, Nikya, in love with a warrior, Solor. After Nikiya is killed by her rival, the heartbroken Solor smokes opium and has a vision of Nikiya and her fellow ghosts descending the Himalayan mountains.

Celebrated for its dynamic choreography, blending classical and character dance, this Pas de Deux with choreography after Vasili Vainonen is reminiscent of Marius Petipa’s choreographic manner, though is distinctly more modern and heroic for the danseur. The Pas de Deux showcases raw strength with powerful lifts and fouettés in concert with soaring jetés capturing the fervour of revolutionary France.

This Moment expresses the feeling of being completely present. When we are on stage as dancers, we are attuned to each moment - listening to our bodies, each another and the audience. This Moment is a celebration of that sense and of these beautiful dancers performing exactly as they are now.

Grand Pas Classique is a challenging and virtuosic pas de deux that pays homage to the classical ballet style and aesthetic that was pioneered by the ‘father’ of ballet, Marius Petipa, in the 19th century. Gsovsky’s Grand Pas Classique combines the structure of one Petipa’s traditional grand pas’ from The Nutcracker or The Sleeping Beauty, offering entrances for both dancers alongside an adagio and thrilling finale that reunites the pair and adds an exhilarating level of technicality and precision. 

Sultry piano music by Keith Jarrett meets the vocal stylings of Lady Gaga in this edgy duet, which originally premiered at the Stuttgart Ballet in 2021. The work was renamed Morpheus’ Dream and premiered at The National Ballet of Canada’s in 2025. Oscillating between serenity and a fitful energy unique to Goecke, Morpheus’ Dream presents a fraught relationship within the uncertain context of dreams. The movement unfolds on an empty stage in low lighting until one dancer strikes a match, creating an unexpected moment of illumination.

Princess Aurora and Prince Désiré host a magnificent ball with their fairytale friends and perform a romantic pas de deux to celebrate their happily ever after.