In the quiet elegance of the Segerstrom Center for the Arts, the opening of the 2026-2027 Dance Season welcomed the Houston Ballet after a 19-year absence.
A pre-performance talk introduced the inimitable Stanton Welch, AM, Artistic Director and choreographer for Houston Ballet. A former dancer with the outstanding Australian Ballet Company, Welch has a true pedigree as son of “Ballet Royalty” Marilyn Jones and Garth Welch. His move to Houston Ballet in 2003, following the great Ben Stevenson’s retirement, was a natural bridge to his full brilliance, energetic and masterful tenure at Houston Ballet. Then in 2023, Welch, after 20 years, decided to take on a Co-Artistic Director, the famed ballerina of ABT, Julie Kent, and former AD of Washington Ballet. Both appeared to be thrilled with the challenge and growth possibilities for each, the company, and the future of Houston Ballet.
Southern California, was excited by the possibility of seeing not only this world class company but Welch’s new work, Sons de L’âme originally premiered at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris, with illustrious pianist Lang Lang, and now with famed concert pianist George Li.
Houston Ballet in “Sons de L’âme” Choreography by Stanton Welch – Photo by Sebastien MATHE.
Armed with more insight after the pre-performance lecture, nothing could prepare me for what was on the Segerstrom stage that afternoon. As the curtain silently rose with the gifted, George Li, seated at a large dark mahogany grand piano, the company of dancers…stood, still, bodies facing Li, listening, eyes transfixed, positions angled and lined together. All were in neutral champagne colored practice clothes, Luscious painterly lighting by Lisa Pinkham created an atmosphere of quiet, calm, focus.
Then it began— Chopin’s Ballade No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 23. The company held their position, listening, then together as one, stepped backward, right, left, and slowly change weight and drew back into position, recapitulating the movement until they, in total, moved off stage leaving only one singular body. So simple, effortless…so beautiful.
Houston Ballet in “Sons de L’âme” Choreography by Stanton Welch – Photo by Sebastien MATHE.
And the tears began. How is this possible? No tricks, no big sets, no audience prematurely giving standing ovations…just art in its most compelling form. And then the brilliant Eric Best a lone dancer, so in tune to Li’s artful rubato and arpeggios, did a kind of pas de trois with Chopin, Li, and himself that could only be described as love. Stunning! And the afternoon began without fanfare. Yet an afternoon I will never forget. It was truly Sons de L’âme (Sounds of the Soul).
The music, dance and design were the stars; it took nothing else to fill the large stage but the intent of the dancers, their flawless technique, brilliant choreography, and the singular art of Li playing Chopin. For one hour and 36 minutes – nothing existed but the soul and its sounds. And what was thought to be lost to competitions, politics, and folding unfunded companies, was in front of me verifying that I had not outlived an era of art that would never be again.
Pianist George Li – Photo courtesy of Houston Ballet.
All the pieces became so distinctly individual with Li’s breathtaking movements through Chopin’s musical forms, from Nocturnes to Waltzes, from Ballades to Etudes. The quality and brilliance of each dancer gave such individual dynamism to the pieces, it was totally consuming… hoping this dream would never end.
Welch’s reservoir of musicality and source of ideas allowed the breadth of dance to move from percussive to lyrical. It featured the individual talents and ability of the dancers, propelling them from the highly physical kinetic to the effortless adagios. The movement covered floor to air with sculpted designs and ease lifting through their living in the music.
Houston Ballet in “Sons de L’âme” Choreography by Stanton Welch – Photo by Sebastien MATHE.
The dancers tireless joy beginning with Eric Best, First Soloist, took on the full impact of Ballade No. 1 in G Minor Op.23, giving way to the stunning pas de deux of Yuriko Kajiya and Saul Newport who cut through the air with lyrical arrow-like lifts that floated in breathless synchronicity.
Movement Three began by the handsome lyricism of Julian Amir Lacey to the Ballade No. 2 in F Major when the sudden encounter with the stormy Tyler Donatelli with such freedom and force in her uninhibited leaps and turns soon melded into a poignant dance for two and then without reason she retreated into the night, with Amir Lacey left ending the piece with a slow subtle lowering of his head.
It then crossfades into the lilting energy and change in the Ballade No 4 in F Minor, Op 52 with Danbi Kim, Ryan Williams, Alejandro Molina León with Sayako Taku, Eric Best defying gravity accompanied by the artists of Houston Ballet and their breathtaking configurations.
Houston Ballet in “Sons de L’âme” Choreography by Stanton Welch – Photo by Sebastien MATHE.
Masanori Takiguchi and Simone Acri’s, “Grande Valse Billiante” exploded into guileless footwork …snapping us out of our reverie with breathless beats, leaps and turns.
We were finally led to the stunning Jessica Collado with her gentle sure handed partner, Harper Watters fully committed to the structured asymmetry of the moment and movement with their flawless partnering to the Nocturne in F. Major, op.15 No 1.
And with the final strains, the curtain signaled time to break the spell, take a breath and reflect on what was just gifted.
After the First act…the intermission left me able to recover from a stunned euphoria. The second act brought transcendent movements 7 through the 12 and allowed spectacular work, waltz number 19 in A minor, opus posth, bringing back Eric Best, truly impressive in his sensitive athleticism and power and on his way, if not already, to becoming a principal dancer.
Stanton Welch. Photo courtesy of the artist.
Then to follow was the Andante Spianato Op 22 with the miraculously lyrical Sayako Toku and her brilliant partner, Connor Walsh, as they fold into a sublime pas de deux, flying weightlessly across the space and lifting the spirit through the Second act and a spectacular last Five Movements of the evening to alight back to the opening, where they gather to again to listen and feel.
This exquisite work with artistic directors, Stanton Welch and Julie Kent who are truly part of the immeasurable brilliance of the Dance family, need to be attended to and honored. They know, as artists, the feeling that is missing in today’s world and in our society. Houston Ballet is a special gift unsurpassed to those who love dance, music and the arts. hopefully it will not take another 19 years to get back to the Segerstrom and Southern California. Until that time, we will remember this feeling of love and will know the reason we must support dance and music in our lives.
To learn more about the Houston Ballet, please visit their website.
To see the full season at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts, please visit their website.
Written by Joanne DiVito for LA Dance Chronicle.
Featured image: Houston Ballet, Jessica Collado and Ian Casady – photo by Sébastien Mathé
