About the Show
Experience world-class dance with the Nashville Ballet. The Tony Award-winning choreographer behind Steven Spielberg’s 2021 West Side Story, Justin Peck’s Year of the Rabbit will make its Charleston debut. Hailed as “thrilling,” “poetic,” and “brilliant” by The New York Times, Year of the Rabbit blends the athleticism of classical ballet with boundary-breaking movement for a performance that is both visually stunning and physiologically intriguing. Year of the Rabbit will be accompanied by Artistic Director Emeritus Paul Vasterling’s full-length Firebird, performed to Stravinsky’s iconic score!
A note from the choreographer, Paul Vasterling, about Firebird:
The original ballet of The Firebird is a story about a young prince who encounters a magical bird in a forest. When he becomes caught in a web of evil and all seems lost, the Firebird intercedes. He is introduced to true love by the magical bird and lives on in happiness. I have re-imagined the ballet, setting it in a time close to now, not with a prince but a sort of everyman who has lost his way and is searching for meaning in his life. He encounters the Firebird, a creature from another world – perhaps an angel, certainly an alien to Earth. He also encounters the Firebird’s opposite, the evil Mr. K (based on the character of Katschei, an evil magician in the original ballet) and his two vile assistants, Miss P and Mr. D. The Firebird helps the Everyman to experience the many forms of love, helps him to conquer the temptation of evil and finally to achieve redemption, bringing him to a place of complete love beyond our world.
FIREBIRD
Choreography: Paul Vasterling
Music: Igor Stravinsky
Music: Charleston Symphony
Costume Design: Holly Hynes
Original Lighting Design: Scott Leathers
YEAR OF THE RABBIT
Choreography: Justin Peck
Music: Sufjan Stevens
Costume Design: Justin Peck
Original Lighting Design: Brandon Stirling Baker
Support for this program is made possible by generous donors who have committed time and resources to the Charleston Gaillard Center’s Dance Initiative.
Student & Teacher Tickets
The Charleston Gaillard Center’s Education & Community Program is pleased to announce student and teacher tickets are available for this performance. Limited availability. Limited to two tickets per person with valid student/teacher ID.
Tickets available in advance: Tickets are $20 (plus applicable fees) for Green seats on seatmap. Ticket purchasers must pick up their tickets at Will Call the night of the performance.
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Advanced Masterclass
Tuesday, October 17, 2023 | 5PM (Arrive by 4:50PM)
Dance Conservatory of Charleston
1632 Ashley Hall Road
Advanced Students, Age 13 and Above
$20
Please join the Charleston Gaillard Education & Community Program in partnership with Nashville Ballet and Dance Conservatory of Charleston for an advanced masterclass with Nashville Ballet’s Artistic Director & CEO, Nick Mullikin.
Elevate your ballet artistry to new heights in this exclusive advanced masterclass led by Nashville Ballet’s Artistic Director & CEO, Nick Mullikin. Throughout this exclusive class, Mr. Mullikin will encourage students to use the fundamentals of ballet technique as a foundation for artistic growth and development of movement qualities.
“Thrilling. Poetic. Brilliant.”
The New York Times
Nashville Ballet company artists in Firebird, choreography by Paul Vasterling. Photo by Heather Thorne, courtesy of Nashville Ballet.
Please note that for this performance online purchases have a limit of eight (8) tickets per customer. To purchase additional tickets or to inquire about group sales, please contact the ticket office directly at (843) 242-3099.