Courtesy photo
Audiences can get a free sneak peek at a portion of DanceAspen’s full re:imagine performance, set for Feb. 21-22, this week at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at Aspen Art Museum’s rooftop and 7 p.m. Friday at TACAW. Each preview lasts an hour and includes a Q&A.
While the full show in February will include world premieres by cutting-edge choreographers such as Shane Urton, Emilie Leriche, and Houston Thomas, this week’s glimpse allows audiences to see the creative process unfold. It specifically features the company’s latest creation by Thomas, a 2025 Princess Grace Award-winning choreographer.
Born and raised in Chicago, he studied at the Joffrey Ballet Academy of Dance and Chicago High School for the Arts, followed by the School of American Ballet. Upon graduation, he performed works by George Balanchine and a host of other legendary choreographers.
He turned to full-time choreographing in 2023. However, he began choreographing years prior. He debuted “Follow the White Rabbit” at the Young Emergent Choreographers Contest in France, where he was commissioned to create “SKYWATCHER” for the Opera National de Bordeaux. Since then, he has premiered works for a plethora of companies and schools ranging from Juilliard to ABT Studio Company and Ailey II.
DanceAspen’s re:imagine revolves around modernizing traditional concepts and performances by emphasizing various elements of classic pieces. Such is the case with Thomas’ “A Mating Dance,” set to the iconic White Swan Pas de Deux music from “Swan Lake.”
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“‘Swan Lake’ is one of the most iconic and recognizable ballets, and it has long been one of my personal favorites,” he said. “Tchaikovsky’s score is the primary inspiration and serves as the emotional anchor for this work. I was especially drawn to the White Swan pas de deux for its intimacy, restraint, and elegance. In this interpretation, I chose to reimagine the pas as a mating ritual, with both dancers embodying swans rather than a human prince and swan. The choreography invites the dancers to surrender their human identities and fully transform into swans.”
The peaceful nature and distinctive physicality of swans inspired the movements within the piece. While it remains grounded in classical form and references the traditional pas de deux, it’s greatly influenced by Thomas’ choreographic voice. As a result, it fuses classical structure with contemporary movement and sensibility.
This week’s sneak peek at both venues offers an opportunity to engage with him and the dancers as they explore the movements, vision, and inspiration behind “A Mating Dance.” No tickets are necessary.
