BalletX at Ballet Nights

When Ballet Nights returns on April 1, the programme will include a company new to British audiences: Philadelphia-based BalletX. David Mead recently caught up with co-founder, artistic and executive director Christine Cox, to learn more about the company and its work, specifically ‘Big Ones,’ which the Ballet Nights audience will see excerpts from.

“We are so excited to be coming to London and sharing this work that we love,” says Christine Cox of Trey McIntyre’s Big Ones. “It still really hits as new even though it was created years ago.”

Known for thinking outside the box, and challenging audiences musically and conceptually, McIntyre has been called ‘the most offbeat choreographer in American ballet.’ “We didn’t hesitate for a second when Trey explained his ideas for the piece,” says Cox.

A frequent user of pop and rock music, McIntyre’s Big Ones is set to seven Amy Winehouse songs. London audiences will see dancers Francesca Forcella and Jared Kelly in two duets and a solo from the longer work. It is a truly eccentric. A little weird. Wacky, even. But it is also humorous, touching, poignant and stirring. Without doubt, the ballet’s biggest peculiarity comes in Reid and Harriet’s (Reid Bartelme and Harriet Jung) idiosyncratic costumes, however. The dancers come in tunics and dark brown leather hot pants, plus tie on bonnets with two-foot-tall vertical ears, not unlike those of hares.

“The music of Amy Winehouse is just iconic,” says Cox. The minute we first performed the ballet, I was glued to my seat. Just leaning forward, hearing her music expressed through our dancers was extraordinary. The chocolate leather costumes are just gorgeous. It’s obscure and different and unusual, even for us.”

Cox explains that the ballet has an underlying theme of a singular woman who at first seems damaged in the way that she cannot quite connect with any of the others, which makes one intimate duet come as a big surprise. “She’s going through this journey in life. She’s trying to fit in, but she just doesn’t. In that world, they’re all just chocolate bunnies. At the end, she takes off her bunny ears and goes on her way.”

It’s easy to see the headgear as symbolic, although in precisely what way is unclear. The absurdity of conventionality perhaps, although maybe it’s better to let the audience find their own meanings. Several can certainly be found in the lyrics of the songs, heard so irresistibly through Winehouse’s chesty voice, not least the opening lines. This is a ballet that starts with the words, “They tried to make me go to rehab. I said no, no, no.”

While BalletX may be unknown to British audiences, this year sees the company’s 20th anniversary of its founding by Cox and fellow Pennsylvania Ballet dancer Matthew Neenan, who were choreographing for various benefit performances at the time.

“It really began with this idea of reimagining ballet, using this incredible art form, this technique, and creating opportunities for different voices to shape and manoeuvre, and transcend audiences. Almost 20 years later, we’ve commissioned over 140 world premiere ballets by 80 different choreographers from around the world. Building partnerships and relationships with just incredible artists and really making this a laboratory for dance.”

What we’re really trying to do, she adds, “Is really bring people together to celebrate life, celebrate art and our humanity. It sounds so cliché, but it’s really so true. To create extraordinary dance experiences that inspire human connection.”

Where did the unusual name come from? Cox explains the letter ‘X’ has a strong centre and sort of never-ending points. “X is also all of the world premieres, the creating. And we’re the X generation. It just seemed fitting and simple and something people could remember. Ballet is our technique. It’s our base, our starting point, and the ‘X’ is everything we do to create new work and support new vision.”

Cox sees BalletX as a classically trained dance company that does contemporary ballet. “But everyone’s really unique and different. Maybe half of the dancers are really classical and we work with them to build more contemporary sensibilities; like a sense of groundedness in the movement, easier flow to the floor. And then we have more contemporary dancers, with whom we work on classical ballet technique. So, we’re really building this fusion. Classical ballet is what we train in, though. We work on double pirouettes and beautiful tendus and a sense of a épaulement and port de bras. But we’re not re-imagining classical ballets,” she stresses.

New work is at the heart of the company’s being. Returning to the idea of a laboratory, Cox explains, “We pick up the DNA of the choreographer. We invite artists, choreographers, set designers, costume designers, composers to come in and really paint beautiful moving works of art in which the dancers take on the different colours or tones of the choreographer’s vision. Not everything is going to be a hit, whatever that means, because art is experienced individually. But the unknown is exciting.”

The sixteen BalletX dancers have a 52-week contract, including six weeks paid vacation. That’s rare in America outside the really big companies. Although that adds to the fundraising required, she agrees that the security it gives maybe allows for a little more space for risk taking than if it wasn’t there. And as she says, “You have to create an environment that allows that risk taking. That means really encouraging going further in movement choices, going deeper in emotional expression. We’re not trying to conform. We’re trying to kind of open up, to share ideas behind the steps.

And they do work! “We’re doing between five and nine world premieres a year. And in the midst of those, we’re preparing for tours. And we’re getting other repertory ready. We are, I believe, a unique company in America. One that I really want to share. All the different repertory we’ve built over the last 20 years. It’s so unique and special.

“We just keep raising art. If we have more art in the world and we’re creating and we’re inspiring our souls to be positive and thoughtful and empathetic and kind, it just brings good things. I want to be a part of that.”

Cox hopes that BalletX’s appearance at Ballet Nights will prompt a sense of curiosity and to want to see more. “I want them to be thrilled with hearing Amy’s voice and seeing something completely different connected to her incredible song. And I would love to bring the company over to London again and share more of our story.”

Ballet Nights 007, ‘Pillars and Pioneers,’ is at Cadogan Hall, London at 7pm on April 1, 2025.