Christopher Wheeldon forms own company

Photo by Paul Kolnik

Word has reached the provinces (via its usual courier, the New York Times) that the talented Christopher Wheeldon has formed his own ballet company, to be called (somewhat unfortunately) Morphoses, the Wheeldon Company (Morphoses is a 2002 dance Wheeldon choreographed for the New York City Ballet, where he has been resident choreographer). The idea of a boutique ballet (or at least a new company with a ballet focus) in a city that sometimes struggles to support two major companies (the New York City Ballet and American Ballet Theatre) is sending ripples through the dance world, and the possiblity that Wheeldon may soon "poach" dancers from NYCB is already the object of much speculation. The company will perform in Vail and London, followed by a stint in New York in October - Boston's not in their travel plans (even though Wheeldon was once principal guest choreographer for Boston Ballet). In the meantime we can get a glimpse of his choreography in Polyphonia (below, to piano music by György Ligeti, whose work also inspired Morphoses), which will be part of Boston Ballet's New Visions line-up in March.


Polyphonia photo by Serguei Endinian