Nashville Ballet’s upcoming season renews their commitment to underrepresented voices and clever locally sourced adaptations.

As recently as the 2018/2019 season in 50 major ballet companies, 81% of ballets performed were choreographed by men. A highlight of next season is February’s Attitude performance, featuring works choreographed by women. Most of the music for that performance will be composed by women as well, with a new piece by Nashville’s own Larissa Maestro, the return of Superstitions by Cristina Spinei, and a historic work by Fanny Mendelssohn. The company continues to feature local musicians performing live in this event as well, with Maestro’s music featuring Lockeland Strings.

“Superstitions,” choreographed by Jennifer Archibald, began as part of Nashville Ballet’s Emergence series. It returns to their mainstage as part of Attitude in 2021.

Families can look forward to the return of two favorite pieces from the company – a performance of Ferdinand and the Bull at the company’s home in Sylvan Park, and the season-opening performance of Peter Pan. The music for Peter Pan was adapted by Nashville Ballet Artistic Director Paul Vasterling, who started his career in the arts as a music therapy major at Loyola University. Vasterling also arranged music by Bohuslav Martinů for October’s Dracula.

More: Paul Vasterling discusses building the score to Peter Pan in our podcast Classically Speaking.

Lovers of 20th Century music will be satisfied by Masterworks in May, which features music by Lou Harrison, Norman Dello Joio, and Paul Hindemith. Hindemith’s The Four Temperaments was commissioned by George Balanchine, and was not originally intended for dancing. But once Balanchine heard the music, the piece became one of the first works performed by Ballet Society – the predecessor to the New York City Ballet.

The season ends with a workshop of a new piece choreographed by Paul Vasterling. Vasterling has piqued the audience’s interest with a title that implies a collection of stories: Anthology. And surely as he enters his 22nd season as Artistic Director, this choreographer has many stories to tell.

See full season details below:

Peter Pan

• September 26-27, 2020
• TPAC Polk Theater
• Adaptation, Choreography, Flight Choreography by Paul Vasterling
• Music arranged by Paul Vasterling
• music performed by the Nashville Symphony

Dracula

• October 30-November 1, 2020
• TPAC Polk Theater
• Choreography by Paul Vasterling
• Music by Bohuslav Martinů
• Score arranged by Paul Vasterling

Nashville’s Nutcracker

• November 28–December 23, 2020
• TPAC’s Jackson Hall
• concept, story treatment, and choreography by Paul Vasterling
• Music composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
• music performed by The Nashville Symphony

Attitude: New Works by Women

• February 12–14, 2021
• TPAC’s Polk Theater
• Orange choreography by Gabrielle Lamb
• Music composed by Caleb Burhans
• (new) Choreography by Mollie Sansone
• Music composed by Larissa Maestro
• Live music performed by Lockeland Strings
• (new) Choreography by Suzanne Haag
• Music composed by Fanny Mendelssohn
• Superstitions choreography by Jennifer Archibald
• Music composed by Cristina Spinei

Ferdinand and the Bull

• date, time TBA
• choreography by Paul Vasterling
• Music composed by Mario DaSilva

Masterworks

• April 23–25, 2021
• TPAC’s Polk Theater
• Four Temperaments choreography by George Balanchine
• Music composed by Paul Hindemith
• There is a Time choreography by José Limón
• Music composed by Norman Dello Joio
• Dances for Lou by Val Caniparoli
• Music composed by Lou Harrison
• music performed by The Nashville Symphony

Emergence: A Choreographic Workshop

• May 20–23, 2021
• Nashville Ballet in Sylvan Park
• Choreography by Paul Vasterling