BalletCollective is a New York based Non-Profit arts collective that connects artists, composers, and choreographers to create new, ballet-based works.
Through its unique collaborative process, BalletCollective expands the boundaries of artistic disciplines in a way that resonates with a wide audience by founder and artistic director Troy Schumacher.
[1] Founded in 2010 by choreographer Troy Schumacher, BalletCollective has collaborated with a roster of over 260 acclaimed artists, choreographers, composers, musicians, designers, and dancers.
BalletCollective has been presented by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Joyce Theater, NYU Skirball Center, Guggenheim Works & Process, Guggenheim Bilbao, PEAK Performances, Vail Dance Festival, the Fire Island Dance Festival, and the Savannah Music Festival Each BalletCollective project takes as its source a contemporary work of art in any medium chosen or commissioned by its choreographer and composer.
From this starting point, the choreographer and composer collaborate to create a work that interprets, explores, or responds to its source.
By its nature, BalletCollective consists of a rotating group of artists and collaborators, and with each new collective there are new ideas, new challenges, and, ultimately, new forms of expression emerge.
produced and safely performed live both the first world-premiere one-act ballet, Natural History, and the first full-length world premiere ballet, The Nutcracker at Wethersfield, in the US The World We Left Behind (2023) 26 minutes.
Inspired by a custom tabletop role-playing game by Samantha Leigh.
Costumes styled by Barbara Erin Delo and Troy Schumacher Love Me While I'm Here (2023) 18 minutes.
Lighting Design Ben Rawson, Costumes by Karen Young The Night Falls (2023) 1 of The New York Times "Best Dance Performances of 2023" The Night Falls is an evening-length work of dance-driven music theater choreographed and directed by Troy Schumacher (NYC Ballet/BalletCollective), with book and lyrics by Karen Russell (Swamplandia!
), music and lyrics by Ellis Ludwig-Leone (San Fermin).
Staged for 9 dancers, 8 singers, and musical ensemble, 90 minutes with one intermission.
Source Art, Costumes, and Props: Doug Fitch, with assistance from Sharone Malka, Tommy Nguyen, Greyson Ferrandino, and Ren Cazell.
Lighting by Ben Rawson The Nutcracker at Wethersfield (2020) An immersive, one-of-a-kind production of the holiday classic where the audience becomes part of the story.
Featured in The New York Times, New York Magazine, Cosmopolitan, Vogue, The Wall Street Journal, The Dancing Times, The New Yorker, Pointe Magazine and more.
Natural History was the first one-act ballet to premiere live in the US during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Source art by architect Carlos Arnaiz.
Source art by architect James Ramsey.
Music by Nick Jaina, Nathan Langston, Amanda Lawrence, David Moss.
Source art by Kevin Draper, Lora Robertson.
Music by Nick Jaina, Nathan Langston, Amanda Lawrence.
Lighting by Brandon Stirling Baker Progress (2011) 6 dancers.
Music by Nick Jaina, Nathan Langston, Amanda Lawrence.
Lighting by Brandon Stirling Baker Aaron Sanz, Amari Frazier, Anthony Huxley, Ashley Laracey, Ashly Isaacs, Ava Sautter, Brendon Chan, Cainan Weber, Claire Kretzschmar, Claire Von Enck, Dabria Aguilar, Daniel Applebaum, David Gabriel, David Prottas, Davide Riccardo, Devin Alberda, Dominika Afanasenkov, Eliza Blutt, Emilie Gerrity, Emma Von Enck, Gabriella Domini, Graham Feeny, Haley Winegarden, Harrison Coll, India Bradley, Isabella LaFreniere, Jada German, John Selya, Joshuan Vasquez, Julio Bragado-Young, Kaitlyn Gililand, Katarina Smith, Kellie Drobnick, Kennedy Tarogsz, KJ Takahashi, Kristen Segin, Laurie Kanyok, Lauren King, Lauren Lovette, Leslie Andrea Williams, Lorenzo Pagano, Lydia Wellington, Malorie Lundgren, Marika Anderson, Mary Elizabeth Sell, Mary Thomas MacKinnon, Maxwell Simoes, Meagan Mann, Megan LeCrone, Mimi Staker, Mira Nadon, Miriam Miller, Nicole Ashley Morris, Preston Chamblee, Rachel Hutsell, Ralph Ippolito, Reed Tankersley, Ruby Lister, Samuel Greenberg, Sara Mearns, Sasonah Huttenbach, Savannah Durham, Sebastian Villarini-Velez, Sean Suozzi, Shelby Mann, Taylor Stanley, Tatiana Nuñez, Teresa Reichlen, Tyler Angle, Zoe Liebold.