BalletCollective is a New York based Non-Profit arts collective that connects artists, composers, and choreographers to create new, ballet-based works. Through its unique collaborative process, Balletcollective expands the boundaries of artistic disciplines in a way that resonates with a wide audience by founder and artistic director Troy Schumacher.^[1] Founded in 2010 by choreographer Troy Schumacher, BalletCollective has collaborated with a roster of over 260 acclaimed artists, choreographers, composers, musicians, designers, and dancers. BalletCollective has been presented by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Joyce Theater, NYU Skirball Center, Guggenheim Works & Process, Guggenheim Bilbao, PEAK Performances, Vail Dance Festival, the Fire Island Dance Festival, and the Savannah Music Festival

Each BalletCollective project takes as its source a contemporary work of art in any medium chosen or commissioned by its choreographer and composer. From this starting point, the choreographer and composer collaborate to create a work that interprets, explores, or responds to its source. The result of the collaboration is performed live. By its nature, BalletCollective consists of a rotating group of artists and collaborators, and with each new collective there are new ideas, new challenges, and, ultimately, new forms of expression emerge.

In the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, BalletCollective commissioned. produced and safely performed live both the first world-premiere one-act ballet, Natural History, and the first full-length world premiere ballet, The Nutcracker at Wethersfield, in the US

Contributing Artists

Repertoire

The World We Left Behind (2023)

26 minutes. 7 dancers. Composer Phong Tran. Choreography Troy Schumacher. Inspired by a custom tabletop role-playing game

by Samantha Leigh. Lighting by Ben Rawson. Costumes styled by Barbara Erin Delo and Troy Schumacher

Love Me While I'm Here (2023)

18 minutes. 5 dancers. Composer Robert Honstein. Choreography Omar Román de Jesús. Inspired by visual artist Kathrin Linkersdorff. Lighting Design Ben Rawson, Costumes by Karen Young

The Night Falls (2023)

1 of The New York Times "Best Dance Performances of 2023"

The Night Falls is an evening-length work of dance-driven music theater choreographed and directed by Troy Schumacher (NYC Ballet/BalletCollective), with book and lyrics by Karen Russell (Swamplandia!), music and lyrics by Ellis Ludwig-Leone (San Fermin).

Staged for 9 dancers, 8 singers, and musical ensemble, 90 minutes with one intermission. Featured in The New York Times, Esquire Magazine, Dance Informa, The Dance Enthusiast, The New Yorker and more. thenightfalls.net

Forest of Shifting Time (2022)

31 minutes. 9 dancers. Composer Augusta Read Thomas. Choreography and Direction by Troy Schumacher. Source Art, Costumes, and Props: Doug Fitch, with assistance from Sharone Malka, Tommy Nguyen, Greyson Ferrandino, and Ren Cazell. Lighting Design: Ben Rawson

The First and Last Light (2022)

22 minutes. 6 dancers Choreography Bryn Cohn. Music by Alex Somers. Music produced and mixed by Alex Somers. Engineered by Alex Somers and Joel Shearer. Cello by Gyða Valtýsdóttir. Inspired by Olafur Eliasson’s The weather project. Costumes by Lauren Starobin. Lighting by Ben Rawson

The Nutcracker at Wethersfield (2020)

An immersive, one-of-a-kind production of the holiday classic where the audience becomes part of the story. 60 minutes. 22 dancers. Music by Tchaikovsky. Featured in The New York Times, New York Magazine, Cosmopolitan, Vogue, The Wall Street Journal, The Dancing Times, The New Yorker, Pointe Magazine and more.

Natural History (2020)

22 minutes. 7 dancers. Chamber ensemble. Music by Ellis Ludwig-Leone. Source poem by Carey McHugh. Costumes by Karen Young.

Natural History was the first one-act ballet to premiere live in the US during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Faraway (2019)

(2019) 30 minutes. 8 dancers. Chamber Orchestra. Music by Judd Greenstein. Source art by Zaria Forman. Costumes by Karen Young. Stage design by Jason Ardizzone West. Lighting by John Cuff.

Scorpio Desert (2019)

15 minutes. 7 dancers. Chamber orchestra. Music by Paul Moravec. Source art by George Steinmetz. Costumes styled by Melinette Rodriguez.

Translation (2017)

33 minutes. 6 dancers. Music by Julianna Barwick. Choreography by Troy Schumacher. Installation by Sergio Mora-Diaz. Costumes by Outdoor Voices. Source writing by Ken Liu.

Orange (2017)

10 minutes. 5 dancers. Music by Caleb Burhans. Choreography by Gabrielle Lamb. Source art by Trevor Paglen.

The Answer (2016)

6 minutes. 2 dancers. Music Judd Greenstein. Choreography by Troy Schumacher. Source art by architect Carlos Arnaiz.

Until the Walls Came In (2016)

25 minutes. 7 dancers. Music by Ellis Ludwig-Leone. Choreography by Troy Schumacher. Source art by architect James Ramsey.

Invisible Divide (2015)

25 minutes. 7 dancers. Music by Ellis Ludwig-Leone. Choreography by Troy Schumacher. Source art by Paul Maffi.

The Last Time This Ended (2015)

8 minutes. 2 dancers. Music by Mark Dancigers. Choreography by Troy Schumacher. Source art by Dafy Hagai.

All That We See (2015)

9 minutes. 2 dancers. Music by Ellis Ludwig-Leone. Choreography by Troy Schumacher. Inspired by a poem by Cynthia Zarin.

Dear Blackbird (2014)

9 minutes. 2 dancers. Music by Ellis Ludwig-Leone. Choreography by Troy Schumacher. Inspired by a poem by Cynthia Zarin.

The Impulse Wants Company (2013)

22 minutes. 7 dancers. Music by Ellis Ludwig-Leone. Inspired by a poem by Cynthia Zarin.

Warehouse Under The Hudson (2012)

7 dancers. Music by Nick Jaina, Nathan Langston, Amanda Lawrence, David Moss. Choreography by Troy Schumacher. Source art by Kevin Draper, Lora Robertson. Lighting by Brandon Stirling Baker. Costumes by Michele Reneau.

Epistasis (2011)

6 dancers. Music by Nick Jaina, Nathan Langston, Amanda Lawrence. Choreography by Troy Schumacher. Source art by Kevin Draper. Lighting by Brandon Stirling Baker

Progress (2011)

6 dancers. Music by Nick Jaina, Nathan Langston, Amanda Lawrence. Choreography by Troy Schumacher. Source art by Kevin Draper. Costumes by Teresa Reichlen. Lighting by Brandon Stirling Baker

Dancers

Aaron Sanz, Amari Frazier, Anthony Huxley, Ashley Laracey, Ashly Isaacs, Ava Sautter, Brendon Chan, Cainan Weber, Claire Kretzschmar, Claire Von Enck, Dabria Aguilar, Daniel Applebaum, David Gabriel, David Prottas, Davide Riccardo, Devin Alberda, Dominika Afanasenkov, Eliza Blutt, Emilie Gerrity, Emma Von Enck, Gabriella Domini, Graham Feeny, Haley Winegarden, Harrison Coll, India Bradley, Isabella LaFreniere, Jada German, John Selya, Joshuan Vasquez, Julio Bragado-Young, Kaitlyn Gililand, Katarina Smith, Kellie Drobnick, Kennedy Tarogsz, KJ Takahashi, Kristen Segin, Laurie Kanyok, Lauren King, Lauren Lovette, Leslie Andrea Williams, Lorenzo Pagano, Lydia Wellington, Malorie Lundgren, Marika Anderson, Mary Elizabeth Sell, Mary Thomas MacKinnon, Maxwell Simoes, Meagan Mann, Megan LeCrone, Mimi Staker, Mira Nadon, Miriam Miller, Nicole Ashley Morris, Preston Chamblee, Rachel Hutsell, Ralph Ippolito, Reed Tankersley, Ruby Lister, Samuel Greenberg, Sara Mearns, Sasonah Huttenbach, Savannah Durham, Sebastian Villarini-Velez, Sean Suozzi, Shelby Mann, Taylor Stanley, Tatiana Nuñez, Teresa Reichlen, Tyler Angle, Zoe Liebold.

References