Looking to put a little spring in your step? Whether you are a ballet aficionado or simply looking for a captivating evening out, BoCo and the surrounding areas have over two dozen performances to satisfy your dance cravings. From classics like The Nutcracker to more experimental offerings from CU Boulder’s dance department, the local scene is buzzing with options for the rest of the year. Browse Boulder Weekly’s listings for the inside scoop on what’s coming soon.
SEPTEMBER
The Conversation Series: Stitching the Geopolitical Quilt to Re-Body Belonging
Sept. 12-14, Roe Green Theatre, 261 University of Colorado, Boulder. $26
Presented by CU Boulder’s Department of Theatre & Dance, this original piece is performed by two men from different cultural backgrounds and is inspired by conversations with Colorado residents between 2021 and 2024 during community programs and workshops. This event is part of the (un)WRAP series, which was launched in response to the pandemic and structural racism, and will be followed by a Q&A session with the artists.
Black Orpheus
Sept. 14-15, Ellie Caulkins Opera House, 1385 Curtis St., Denver. $25-$130
The Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble presents two dance pieces, Divinities and Orfeo Negro, that aim to capture the rich diversity of Brazilian culture.
Rush
Sept. 14-15, Dairy Arts Center, 2590 Walnut St., Boulder. $28-$34
The Boulder-based Lemon Sponge Cake Contemporary Ballet celebrates its 25th anniversary with a world premiere of a new work by choreographer and company founder Robert Sher-Machherndl. The experimental piece honors his European roots.
Unlocked
7:30 p.m., Sept. 20, Chautauqua Auditorium, 900 Baseline Road, Boulder. $41-$64
Boulder Ballet kicks off its 2024-25 season with a mix of classical and contemporary dance featuring guest choreography by Andrea Schermoly and Ching Ching Wong.
Dancing on the Planet
Screenings on Sept. 22 and 25, Dairy Arts Center, 2590 Walnut St., Boulder. $12
Following the Sans Souci Festival of Dance Cinema’s headlining event from Aug. 30 through Sept. 1, the festival continues with screenings at the Boedecker Cinema. This screening includes shorts from all over the world and is intended to demonstrate how large the world is and how small we all are.
OCTOBER
Sleeping Beauty
Oct. 4-14, Ellie Caulkins Opera House, 1385 Curtis St., Denver. $40-$175
In its season premiere, Sleeping Beauty, the Colorado Ballet invites you to enter a dreamland where classical sensibilities meet storybook magic. This ballet will feature the Colorado Ballet Orchestra performing Tchaikovsky’s score live.
Cinderella
Oct. 5, Cleo Parker Robinson Theatre, 119 Park Ave. West, Denver. $22-$28. Oct. 6, The Schoolhouse Theatre, 9650 Mainstreet, Parker. $22-$28. Nov. 3, Parsons Theatre at the Northglenn Recreation Center, 1 E. Mem. Parkway. $22-$31
Denver’s Ballet Ariel performs a shortened version of the classic ballet about a young woman whose life is transformed by her fairy godmother.
Dancers’ Choice
7 p.m., Oct. 12, Dairy Arts Center, 2590 Walnut St., Boulder. $25
This brand new programming from the Boulder Ballet will feature a performance entirely made by its team of professional dancers from choreography to marketing to dancing to production design.
Garrett Ammon’s Devil’s Crush
Oct. 17-27, Wonderbound, 3824 Dahlia St., Denver. $70
Denver’s titan of the modern dance world, Wonderbound, has sold out almost every performance since moving into its newly renovated space in the Park Hill area 2023 and hopes to continue that trend with its latest world premiere. This show revolves around Lucifer, who is forced to travel the world as a human and eventually falls in love.
Dancing as Ourselves
Oct. 20 and 23, Dairy Arts Center, 2590 Walnut St., Boulder. $12
Following the Sans Souci Festival of Dance Cinema’s headlining event from Aug. 30 through Sept. 1, the festival continues with screenings at the Boedecker Cinema. The shorts in this screening have been curated to demonstrate what it means to be human through dance.
Revel
Oct. 25-27, Charlotte York Irey Theatre, 261 University of Colorado, Boulder. $22
This intimate evening features “innovative, multisensory performances” created by CU Boulder’s MFA dance students performed in and around the theater space.
Secrets
Oct. 25 through Nov. 14, eleven locations across Colorado and New Mexico. $25-40
Created by Zikr Dance Ensemble based out of Littleton, this performance includes the world premiere of David Taylor’s Liturgies and a newly expanded version of the stunning Ripples in the Sand set to the Dune soundtrack by Hans Zimmer. Catch them at Longmont’s Stewart Auditorium on Oct. 26, Broomfield Auditorium on Nov. 1 or the Dairy Arts Center in Boulder on Nov. 15.
NOVEMBER
InterZone
Nov. 8-17, Swoon Art House, 4295 Broadway, Boulder. Cost TBA
Katie Elliott, artistic director of 3rd Law Dance/Theater, is choreographing this performance installation in collaboration with visual artist Rebecca DiDomenico, filmmaker L. Ashwyn Collins, composer Paul Fowler and the company’s dancers.
Voices
7 p.m., Nov. 16, Dairy Arts Center, 2590 Walnut St., Boulder. $20-$30
T2 Dance Company, a Boulder-based contemporary dance troupe, presents Lost & Found, a collaboration between the dance company and local poet Joseph Howard, featuring Colorado’s Grace Gee and New York’s Jamal Jackson Dance Company. Howard composed over a dozen poems, which the dance troupe used to guide their choreography.
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Nov. 22-24, Lakewood Cultural Center, 470 S. Allison Parkway. $24-$44. Dec. 28-29, Parsons Theatre at the Northglenn Recreation Center, 1 E. Mem. Parkway. $20-$40
Craving something other than The Nutcracker? Ballet Ariel has you covered this holiday season with its second annual production inspired by the C.S. Lewis novel of the same name, crafted by the company’s executive and artistic director, Ilena Norton.
DECEMBER
FRESH: Fall 2024
7:30 p.m., Dec. 6-7, Charlotte York Irey Theatre, 261 University of Colorado, Boulder. Free
This dance concert features hip-hop, fusion forms and improvised performances created by CU Boulder undergraduate and graduate dance students as part of their classes. The dance departments ask that you “purchase your ticket with an open mind and an adventurous spirit and check back close to the performance for a more specific content warning if necessary.”
Granny Dances to a Holiday Drum
Dec. 7-22, Venue and tickets are TBD.
Cleo Parker Robinson Dance’s 33rd annual holiday tradition revolves around a grandmother who is losing her memory but is inspired to share her stories with her grandchildren. Granny always shares new stories, so even if you’ve seen this one before, there’s new material about her past dancing around the world.
Garrett Ammon’s Jolly Moxie
Dec. 12-22, Wonderbound, 3824 Dahlia St., Denver. Tickets available Oct. 17
Wonderbound collaborates with the Colorado Jazz Repertory Orchestra on a madcap holiday romp featuring seasonal songs from the 1920s and 1950s.
Get nutty!
It wouldn’t be the holiday season without The Nutcracker. In fact, this production is frequently responsible for nearly half of many dance companies’ annual ticket sales. Here’s a rundown of the four organizations around Boulder County producing the beloved ballet.
Sugar Plum Tea Party
Nov. 23-24, Stewart Auditorium, Longmont Museum, 400 Quail Road. $55-$60
The Centennial State Ballet presents a shorter, narrated version of The Nutcracker with tea and finger foods that it describes as “perfect for younger children.”
The Nutcracker
Nov. 30 through Dec. 1, Macky Auditorium, 1595 Pleasant St., Boulder. $40-$110. Dec. 7-8, Vance Brand Civic Auditorium, 600 E. Mountain View Ave., Longmont. Dec. 14, Stanley Hotel, 333 E. Wonderview Ave., Estes Park. Ticket sales not yet open for Longmont, Estes Park
Mouse attacks, nutcracker romances, and snowflake dances are just a few of the reasons why The Nutcracker is a key part of many family’s holiday traditions. The Boulder Ballet and Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra are teaming up again for their annual production of Tchaikovsky’s holiday favorite in three distinct venues.
The Nutcracker
Nov. 30 through Dec. 29, Ellie Caulkins Opera House, 1385 Curtis Street, Denver. $20-$195
In case you missed any of the 63 previous productions of The Nutcracker by the Colorado Ballet, the show returns to Denver for a month-long run that includes a sensory-friendly performance on Dec. 1 that eliminates potentially triggering special effects. House lights are kept at 30% throughout the show and it will be a “relaxed environment.”
The Nutcracker
Dec. 21, Niwot High School Auditorium, 8989 Niwot Road. $18-$27
If you haven’t already gotten your fix, the Centennial State Ballet is presenting two performances.