Saturday, April 29 at 7:30 pm Sunday, April 30 at 2:00 pm
Northeast Youth Ballet’s, Spring’s Renewal, is a program that will showcase the talents of the pre-professional dancers of The Conservatory at NSB, and returning guest artist Aram Hengen, courtesy of The Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University.

The 28 young and versatile company members will perform three very different ballets in NYB’s repertoire at the J. Everett Collins Center for the Performing Arts in Andover, MA. “It is so inspiring to me to coach such passionate, dedicated, and generous young dancers. Their work ethic, and ability to learn and execute classical, neoclassical, and contemporary choreography so quickly and perform with such aplomb is remarkable for their age. They amaze me like a garden in spring. Their artistic growth brings joy, beauty, and inspiration to our daily lives, making the world more vibrant and meaningful. A heartfelt thank you to our team of choreographers, faculty members, designers, and board of directors for providing a space for the seeds of our next generation to bloom. ”
Opening the program will be Mozart Variations, choreographed by Joseph Jefferies, a colorful neo-classical work that debuted in 2020. Jefferies is excited to rework the piece and says, “Mozart Variations was the first piece I created after the pandemic hit in the Fall of 2020. Mozart’s music provided a wonderful choreographic puzzle to occupy my brain while there was so much uncertainty in the world. It brought me peace. Now that we are revisiting the work I decided to add a pas de duex (dance for two) and feel that the piece is now finally fully realized.”
Closing the first half of the program will be an audience favorite, Here and Now, choreographed by Jeremy Ruth Howes, with music by Rival Consoles and Max Cooper. The contemporary ballet was so well received at our 2022 Fall Series that it is making an encore appearance this spring. Howes describes the process with enthusiasm for its renewal by stating, “even though we are re-staging Here and Now’from the Fall, it is still very much “here and now”. The choreography has evolved and the dancers bring new insight, experience, and perspective to the ballet. There has been growth and transformation, rebirth and regeneration. Like a butterfly emerging from its chrysalis state, the ballet is ready to spread its new wings; a beautiful indication of Spring’s Renewal.

The second half of the program will be Aurora’s Wedding, Act III of Sleeping Beauty by Marius Petipa. The stunning classic, set to Tchaikovsky’s brilliant score, is a favorite for dancers and audiences alike. Jefferies, who staged the ballet for the pre-professional trainees expressed that it is an honor for him to set a classic tale like Sleeping Beauty, and to utilize his choreography in memory of Petipa’s traditional work from childhood. “When I was young, I would go to the library and check out as many VHS tapes of the ballet as I could. As I set movement on the dancers I don’t have to review previous works because it’s all in my head. My nostalgia is put in the choreography this way, and I also aim to make changes to allow the movement to feel good in the body”.
Spring’s Renewal celebrates the awakening of the season and is a delight for the whole family to enjoy! The performances will run from Saturday, April 29 through Sunday, April 30, 2023. Affordable ticket prices are between $30.00 – $45.00. All tickets may be obtained through http://www.NSBinc.org or by visiting http://www.TIX.com.
* For those who qualify, complimentary tickets are also available through NYB’s S.T.A.R.S. Program, a community outreach program created to encourage and educate children and individuals of all ages who might not otherwise have the opportunity to attend the ballet. Contact NYB at northeastschoolofballet@gmail.com if your group, school, or organization may qualify for STARS or Group Rates.
Tickets are expected to sell out quickly, so reserve yours now!
For more information about Northeast Youth Ballet or its official training school, Northeast School of Ballet, visit their website at http://www.NSBinc.org

Photos are property of NYB. Photographer: Liza Voll and Jeremy Ruth Howes