Following its tradition of offering original winter holiday ballets, the Marigny Opera Ballet this month presents the premiere of “Winterlight,” a dramatic and joyful full-length work celebrating the winter solstice.
Opening Friday at the Marigny Opera House, the venue’s resident dance company will offer six performances over two weekends through Dec. 14.
The two-act contemporary ballet was created by internationally acclaimed choreographer Christian Denice for the company’s eight dancers.
“Winterlight” is described by Marigny Opera House Executive Director Dave Hurlbert as “a journey through the longest night of the year to the rising of the sun and a celebration of a world restored.
“This is certainly not another ‘Nutcracker,’” he said. “It’s not a Victorian party. It’s an intimate experience. People clinging to their hopes and finding love at the end, with the rising of the winter sun.”
Set in the upper latitudes of northern Europe, above the Arctic Circle where the sun is mostly absent in winter, a lone man wandering in the darkness enters a village where the residents are preparing for an annual celebration of the sun’s return.
The ballet follows the unnamed hero, portrayed by principal dancer Blake Bellanger, and the Winter Sun, performed by principal dancer Allyssa Nelson. The solar cycle is played out by the lighting effects generated by technical director Tammy Srinivas. The other dancers, portraying the villagers, include Edward Spots, Joshua P. Bell, Kennedy Walker, Cullen Barrileaux, Chloe Roberts and Lauren Guynes.
Denice, who designed an original piece titled “Echoes” that opened the previous season in December 2024, explained that Hurlbert approached him about a narrative ballet themed around the holidays.
“Most of my work tends to be in the contemporary/abstract style, dealing mostly with emotion and feelings,” Denice added. “So it was exciting to present this idea for the winter solstice and follow this character dealing with the seasons, coming into this darkness and finding the light, ultimately finding the sun and following it.”
The musical score, performed live by New Orleans’ Delachaise Ensemble, is a special collection of Nordic folk music arranged by the Danish String Quartet. The quartet includes violinists Moises and Elizabeth Cunha, Catherine Matushek on viola and Jake Fowler on cello.
“It wouldn’t have been something I normally would have chosen for myself,” Denice said of the score, “but it fit really well with the story and it took me to a place of being able to create in this very sort of Danish Nordic folk style.”
“The dancers have just been wonderful in bringing these characters to life,” the choreographer said. “I think the music is going to sound incredible.”
Based in Los Angeles, Denice has choreographed and performed for dozens of dance companies throughout North America and abroad. He was working in Philadelphia at the time of this interview and, in his temporary absence, rehearsals at the Marigny Opera House were overseen by the company’s artistic director, Diogo de Lima, and company manager Lauren Guynes. The dancers’ original costumes were designed by local designer Magdalene Paris.
To me it’s a perfect holiday ballet and we wanted to get away from ‘The Nutcracker’ for a little bit,” Hurlbert said.
“We’re known for our original work,” Hurlbert continued, describing the 14-year-old company’s repertoire. “How original can we be and still deliver the goods for the holiday? We didn’t want to have a Santa Claus onstage. So we asked ourselves, ‘How do we signify the holidays?’ and we decided that the winter solstice is a beautiful way to do it. It lends itself to a very theatrical presentation because we’re visually portraying the darkness becoming light.”
‘Winterlight’
WHO: Marigny Opera Ballet
WHAT: WINTERLIGHT, an original full-length contemporary holiday ballet
WHEN: 8 p.m. Dec. 5-7 and Dec. 12-14
WHERE: Marigny Opera House, 725 St. Ferdinand Street, New Orleans
TICKETS: $40-$75 at door and online at marignyoperahouse.org
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