Please be aware that this performance uses theatrical smoke, fog and strobe lighting.
Age guidance 12+
This ballet is a full length. Meaning, one ballet with intermissions, similar to a book with chapters.
David Nixon has spent the last six decades dancing, directing, and choreographing ballet. His training began in Chatham, Ontario and then intensified at the National Ballet School of Canada. After further training in Europe, he returned to Canada to study with Erik Bruhn and Eugene Valukin. David’s performing career began at the National Ballet of Canada. He joined the corps immediately after graduation and progressed rapidly through the ranks to become a Principal Dancer. In 1985 he joined the Deutsche Oper Ballet in Berlin as Principal Dancer where he won the Critics’ Award for Best Male Performance (1987), created roles under the direction of John Neumeier, and continued to increase his own choreographic output. This included producing and directing a successful mixed program at Berlin’s Hebbel Theater in 1990. David left Berlin for a series of Principal Guest Artist positions before returning to Deutsche Oper Ballet in 1994 as First Ballet Master. In
1994 David became Artistic Director of BalletMet. During his six years with the Company, he added 16 world and 15 company premieres to the repertoire, including 1999’s Dracula. In 2001, David left BalletMet to join Northern Ballet in Leeds, England as the Artistic Director. There he created, restaged, and designed the costumes for over 18 full-length award-winning productions, many with original musical compositions. He mentored several up-and-coming choreographers as well. David was voted Director of the Year by readers of Dance Europe in 2003 and 2006, and in 2018 was awarded the Ken McCarter Award for Distinguished National Ballet School Alumni by Canada’s National Ballet School. He left Northern Ballet in early 2022 to pursue other opportunities.
David holds a CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) for his services to dance, awarded first as an OBE in the 2010 Queen’s New Year Honours list and then as the CBE in the 2022 Birthday Honours list. His productions have been staged in several countries including Europe, Canada, the USA and South Africa. Today, he continues his artistic work by encouraging the development of young dancers and choreographers while promoting the classical art form of ballet.
See below for quick answers to common questions regarding the BalletMet Digital Ticket Wallet!
“Few ballets boast a headless heroine and torches lit with apparently real fire.”
There are parking garages near the Ohio and the Capitol theatres, as well as limited metered street parking (most of which is free after 6 pm and on Sundays).
Ohio Statehouse Parking Garage
$5 during events
Enter from westbound Broad Street or Third Street.
Riffe Center Parking Garage
$5 during events
Enter from Front Street. Take the elevators to the third floor and proceed along the hall to the Davidson Theatre. (For the Box Office or Will Call, descend the escalators to the first floor.)
Downtown traffic can be heavy, so please plan ahead. We recommend arriving 20-30 minutes early to park, find your seat, explore the program and relax before the performance. Audience members who arrive late may not be seated until intermission.
This is our most-asked question, and the answer is: You probably won’t feel out of place no matter what you wear. If you want to wear jeans, go for it—we promise you won’t be alone. If you want to dress up, feel free. Many others do, too. We don’t see as much formal-wear in the theater as we once did, though it wouldn’t be unusual to see a tux or a gown at a performance. Basically, anything goes.
No, dancers express the story or meaning through the movement. In some story ballets, dancers will use pantomime (exaggerated movements) to help you understand what’s happening. If you see a ballet with pantomime, head to the lobby, where we’ll have more information and guidance. If you ever struggle to follow along, feel free to chat with a BalletMet staff member in the lobby who will happily answer any questions you have.
If you are wowed by something you just saw, please do applaud. At BalletMet, we love to hear clapping. It’s uplifting to those performing, as they can often feel your excitement and energy on stage. So applaud whenever you see fit! Note: Not every ballet company feels this way, so keep that in mind if you happen to be at another company’s performance.
Images by Jennifer Zmuda