BalletX presents The First Decade of its 20th Anniversary Retrospective

At the time, they were dancers at the Philadelphia Ballet (then known as the Pennsylvania Ballet). Neenan is now an in-demand choreographer, and Cox is artistic and executive director of BalletX. The contemporary ballet company has flourished under her leadership, especially in the past five years. Joining its impressive creative output are growing numbers of longer works that draw from a vast range of movement vocabularies. There is also a growing roster of dancers whose talent and fluency are rewarded with year-round contracts, paid vacation, and 401(k) matching.

Proving early powerhouse status

The current retrospective highlights the company’s past, present, and future in two separate programs featuring 20 different dances. I caught Program A: The First Decade, featuring works that premiered between 2006 and 2014. Most were new to me, and I was eager to explore those early years. I moved to Philadelphia in 2016 and have known BalletX only as a powerhouse. The first-decade retrospective (running October 29-November 2) proved that this is what the company has always been.

Program A featured three pieces by Neenan alongside works by choreographers such as Jorma Elo, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, and Edwaard Liang. Well-danced throughout, it reflected BalletX’s history and growth. Neenan’s dances captured these in microcosm. The first two demonstrated that innovation has been key to the company’s identity from the beginning. This is what the “X” stands for. It is both ballet and something more—something different, contemporary, new, fresh, and unfolding.

Unique style, dynamic growth

Three dancers wore wings and moved like marionette angels against a sky-blue background in Neenan’s Frequencies (2006), set to a song by indie-rock band Jump Little Children. Meanwhile, Die Menschheit (2007) was accompanied by Mozart with a live quintet. Four dancers wore athleisure-style costumes that contrasted with the classical music and movement. These visually reinforced the unique style that distinguishes BalletX.

The third piece by Neenan spoke to the company’s dynamic growth. A full-length narrative work set in the 1930s with original music, Sunset, 0639 Hours (2014) signifies the artistic ambition now synonymous with BalletX. Even in excerpt, this is obviously work on a grander scale, with multiple artistic elements coalescing into a swingin’ New Year’s Eve party onstage. Former dancer Zachary Kapeluck described the impact Sunset, 0639 Hours—and BalletX—had on him in a video documentary by Daniel Madoff. Kapeluck originated the role of the pilot, and he met his wife (fellow alum Andrea Yorita) at the company.

Other high points of Program A were Ochoa’s Still@Life (2008) and Nicolo Fonte’s Beautiful Decay (2013). The latter featured Ben Schwarz, Skyler Lubin, Jonathan Montepara, and Peter Weil in shifting formations, including an especially engaging trio. In Still@Life, nine dancers created a moving tableau as they passed a green apple with their teeth. The tableau broke apart to fill the stage with movement, making the performers seem greater in number. BalletX has had this ability for years, and it is always magic onstage.

Worth the wait?

The long pauses between each dance were more like a curse. These dragged without warning or explanation on opening night. Sometimes the house lights remained off, then they came up dimly a few times. The full crowd sat quietly for the first few breaks. Then the phones came out, and the chatter volume increased. People in the next row loudly repeated the same conversation during each pause. The performance’s runtime dragged as a result, for an experience that began to resemble a children’s dance recital. It was unexpected and disappointing from a company operating at such a high level.

But I would have waited longer for such breathtaking dancing. And I would go to New York to see dancers like Ashley Simpson and Eileen Kim perform. Thanks to BalletX, I don’t have to. It brings riveting artists and exciting new choreography to Philadelphia.

The Second Decade, and beyond

Kapeluck and Yorita will appear alongside other former dancers in Program B: The Second Decade, running November 5-9. Featured choreographers include Jennifer Archibald, Jamar Roberts, and Caili Quan. Another former BalletX dancer, Quan is now a choreographer receiving high-profile commissions. Quan discussed her “organic” development with me in 2024, from Cox’s encouragement to setting work on fellow dancers turned friends. Program B will continue the tradition of nurturing choreographic talent within the company with the world premiere of Resilire, a reflection on community and resilience by rehearsal director and community liaison Keelan Whitmore.

As a whole, the 20th Anniversary Retrospective marks how far BalletX has come and how much it has accomplished while looking to a bright future full of more innovation in contemporary ballet.