TUCSON, Ariz. — Arizona Arts Live proudly presents the Arizona premiere of Ballet BC with TRILOGY, an evening of extraordinary contemporary dance, on Thursday, November 20 at 7:30 PM in Centennial Hall. The program features three works by renowned choreographers, including the LILA by Italian choreographer Sofia Nappi, whose world premiere took place on November 8 at Vancouver’s Queen Elizabeth Theatre.
The performance also marks a homecoming for Tucson native Imani Frazier, a rising member of Ballet BC’s ensemble. A graduate of The Juilliard School, Frazier grew up dancing in Tucson before joining Ballet BC in 2023, where her artistry and athleticism have earned widespread praise.
“Ballet BC continues to expand the language of contemporary dance with stunning physicality and imagination. Welcoming Tucson’s own Imani Frazier home as part of this Arizona premiere is a beautiful reminder of the global talent that begins right here in our community,” said Chad Herzog, Executive and Artistic Director of Arizona Arts Live.
At the heart of TRILOGY is LILA, a captivating new creation from Sofia Nappi, one of Europe’s most in-demand young choreographers. Drawing from the earthy vocabulary of Gaga technique and her studies with artists such as Hofesh Shechter, Nappi weaves a kinetic exploration of connection and release. Stir praised the Vancouver premiere for its “thrilling, full-throttle group work” and for revealing “the individual vibe of each dancer” within the collective surge of motion. Set to an eclectic score spanning Angolan, Mexican, and Costa Rican influences, LILA channels the pulse of discovery and the randomness of life through a vivid, physical language all its own.
In SWAY, choreographed by Medhi Walerski, Ballet BC’s artistic director and French choreographer, the company explores the quiet resilience of hope. Inspired by Emily Dickinson’s “Hope is the thing with feathers,” the work unfolds as a polished and mesmerizing study in movement and emotion. Created for seven dancers, SWAY reveals Walerski’s signature language of fluid precision and grace, where elegance and nuance shine through every gesture. The result is a world that feels both intimate and expansive, a reflection on the endurance of hope and the beauty that can be found in balance.
BOLERO X, choreographed by Shahar Binyamini, closes the evening in a surge of rhythm and power. Set to Ravel’s 1928 masterpiece Boléro, the piece is a pure celebration of dance, marked by raw, inventive partnering and breathtaking synchronization. The monumental piece mirrors the building intensity of the score, rising toward a hypnotic crescendo. Since its attention-grabbing world premiere with Ballet BC in 2023, BOLERO X has earned standing ovations across North America and was the focus of a Dance Masterclass documentary offering a behind-the-scenes look at Binyamini’s creative process. The result is dance at its most vital and collective, a work that invites audiences to transcend.
Under Walerski’s direction, Ballet BC has earned international acclaim for redefining what ballet can be—athletic, expressive, and deeply human. With TRILOGY, the company invites Tucson audiences to experience the full scope of its artistry and imagination in an unforgettable evening of contemporary dance.
Ballet BC: TRILOGY
Thursday, November 20 at 7:30 PM
Centennial Hall, University of Arizona
Tickets start at $25 for adults and are just $10 for students and youth.
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit ArizonaArtsLive.com/Ballet-BC. For high resolution images click here.