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Mission & History

BalletX expands the vocabulary of contemporary ballet for all audiences through innovative performances, world premiere choreography, dance education, and community programs.

Founded in 2005 by Christine Cox and Matthew Neenan, BalletX is led by Cox, whose tenure as Artistic & Executive Director has produced over 121 world premiere ballets by over 70 choreographers, a record “few companies can match,” according to The New York Times. Under Cox’s leadership, BalletX has been hailed as an “epicenter of creation” (Dance Magazine) and “place of choreographic innovation” (The New Yorker), putting Philadelphia on the map as an international destination for contemporary ballet.

In 2020, the company launched our online streaming platform, BalletX Beyond, featuring world premiere dance films by choreographers from around the world and celebrating our 15th anniversary season.

BalletX’s distinctive contribution to the American dance community has been recognized and supported in recent years by generous grants from the William Penn Foundation, Wyncote Foundation, Shubert Foundation, the Jerome Robbins New Essential Works (NEW) Program, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Dolfinger-McMahon Foundation, Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, Philadelphia Cultural Fund, National Endowment for the Arts, and PECO, among many others.

Our History

2005
2005-2006 Season
2005-2006 Season

2005-2006 Season

– BalletX is founded by Christine Cox and Matthew Neenan
– Founded the BalletX Board of Directors
– Commissioned 5 World Premieres: Dancepiece by Christine Cox, Yangko by Meredith Rainey, Vibrate by Matthew Neenan, About February by Matthew Neenan, Easy Living by David Fielding

2006
2006-2007 Season
2006-2007 Season

2006-2007 Season

– 1st season as Resident Dance Company of The Wilma Theater, with support from the William Penn Foundation
– Established the BalletX company of dancers
– BalletX logo is created
– Achieved 1st sold-out performances
– Commissioned 3 World Premieres:
Scenes View 2 by Jorma Elo, Broke Apart by Matthew Neenan, Die Menschheit by Matthew Neenan

2007
2007-2008 Season
2007-2008 Season

2007-2008 Season

– 1st all-female choreographers show
– Commissioned 7 World Premieres:
Risk of Flight by Adam Hougland, M.O.M My Own Memory by Christine Cox, Once Again by Matthew Neenan, Right to Spring by Matthew Neenan, Still@Life by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Union by Helen Pickett, Numb Roads by Christine Cox

2008
2008-2009 Season
2008-2009 Season

2008-2009 Season

– 1st international tours to Seoul, South Korea and Cali, Colombia
– Commissioned 6 World Premieres: 
Steelworks by Matthew Neenan, Giselle’s Room by Zane Booker, Duet from Cali by Matthew Neenan, Largo by Edwaard Liang, The Striped Hat by Christine Cox, Le Baiser Inevitable by Jodie Gates

2009
2009-2010 Season
2009-2010 Season

2009-2010 Season

– Premiered Matthew Neenan’s The Last Glass
– Commissioned 9 World Premieres: 
They Break by Meredith Rainey, Silt by Alex Ketley, Last of the Year by Matthew Neenan, Carry Me by Myra Bazell, One Word Play by Thang Dao, Hide by Lauren Putty, X or Y by Christine Cox, Journey of the Day by Matthew Prescott, The Last Glass by Matthew Neenan

2010
2010-2011 Season
2010-2011 Season

2010-2011 Season

– 5th Anniversary Season

– Commissioned 5 World Premieres: Beside Myself by Tobin Del Cuore, Proliferation of the Imagination by Matthew Neenan & Rosie Langabeer, a soliloquy among many by Roger C. Jeffrey, Bare by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Castrati by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa

2011
2011-2012 Season
2011-2012 Season

2011-2012 Season

– Premiered 1st full-length ballet, Matthew Neenan’s Proliferation of the Imagination, in collaboration with The Wilma Theater

– Launched annual Summer Intensive pre-professional dance training program, with support from the William Penn Foundation
– Commissioned 5 World Premieres:
Jackson Sounds by Matthew Neenan, two ears, one mouth by Loni Landon, Delicate Balance by Jodie Gates, Mashup by Adam Hougland, Differences in Sections by Darrell Grand Moultrie

2012
2012-2013 Season
2012-2013 Season

2012-2013 Season

– Launched eXpand the eXperience, with support from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
– 1st tours to Vail Dance Festival and The Joyce Theater
– Premiered Nicolo Fonte’s Beautiful Decay with a multi-generational cast
– Launched The Premier Party, our annual gala
– Commissioned 7 World Premieres: 
Instant God by Mauro Astolfi, I was at a party and my mind wandered off… by Kate Watson-Wallace, Switch Phase by Matthew Neenan, Instantly Bound by Olivier Wevers, No Sleep by Tobin Del Cuore, Stations of Mercury by Gabrielle Lamb, Beautiful Decay by Nicolo Fonte

2013
2013-2014 Season
2013-2014 Season

2013-2014 Season

– Premiered Matthew Neenan and Rosie Langabeers’s Sunset, o639 Hours
– Launched Dance eXchange, with support from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
– Commissioned 6 World Premieres: 
If the heart runs by Adam Barruch, HeedfulNeedful by Gabrielle Lamb, There I was by Matthew Neenan, Valentine’s Day by Joshua L. Peugh, Head in the Clouds by James Gregg, Sunset, o639 Hours by Matthew Neenan

 

2014
2014-2015 Season
2014-2015 Season

2014-2015 Season

– Launched The X-Process, with support from Dance/USA Engaging Dance Audiences

– Honored Jeanne B. Fisher and Linda & David Glickstein at The Premier Party

– Commissioned 4 World Premieres: Gran Partita by Jorma Elo, Increasing by Matthew Neenan, Talsikan by Norbert De La Cruz III, When We’re Alone by Adam Hougland

 

 

2015
2015-2016 Season
2015-2016 Season

2015-2016 Season

– 10th Anniversary Season
– Launched Pop Up program, with funding from William Penn Foundation
– Launched the Choreographic Fellowship, with funding from the Wyncote Foundation

– Honored David Haas at The Premier Party
– Commissioned 7 World Premieres: 
Beasts by Nicolo Fonte, Big Ones by Trey McIntyre, One Heartbeat Above One Shadow Below by Yin Yue, Show Me by Matthew Neenan, Time Curves by Kevin O’Day, Identity Without Attribute by Matthew Neenan, Bonzi by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa

 

2016
2016-2017 Season
2016-2017 Season

2016-2017 Season

– 1st tour of a full-length ballet – Sunset, o639 Hours – to Vail Dance Festival, Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, and The Joyce Theater

– Honored Damian Woetzel and Janet & Jim Averill at The Premier Party

– Commissioned 6 World Premieres: The Letter by Jo Stromgren, Credo by Matthew Neenan, On the Mysterious Properties of Light by R. Colby Damon, In between the passing… by Tommie-Waheed Evans, Beautiful Once by Jodie Gates, Let mortal tongues awake by Matthew Neenan

 

2017
2017-2018 Season
2017-2018 Season

2017-2018 Season

– Launched Choreographic Visionaries, with funding from the Wyncote Foundation

– Honored the Center for World Premiere Choreography at The Premier Party

– Commissioned 5 World Premieres: The Boogeyman by Trey McIntyre, Vivir by Darrell Grand Moultrie, Rock-a-Bye by Penny Saunders, Situated by Matthew Neenan, Requiem by Andrew McNicol

 

2018
2018-2019 Season
2018-2019 Season

2018-2019 Season

– Opened the Center for World Premiere Choreography

– Premiered Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s The Little Prince
– Honored Leonard Haas and Nick Stuccio at The Premier Party

– Commissioned 7 World Premieres: The Last Lifeboat by Marguerite Donlon, Yonder by Wubkje Kuindersma, Napoleon/Napoleon by Cayetano Soto, Steep Drop, Euphoric by Nicolo Fonte, Off the Canvas by Katarzyna Skarpetowska, Express by Lil Buck, The Little Prince by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa

 

2019
2019-2020 Season
2019-2020 Season

2019-2020 Season

– 1st tour to the John F. Kennedy Center, presented by Damian Woetzel
– 1st tour to Belgrade Dance Festival, Belgrade, Serbia
– Launched the Dancer Fellowship, with support from the Independence Foundation

– Commissioned 8 World Premieres: Twelve Bells by Matthew Neenan, The Moon by Jo Stromgren, Spark by John McFall, Ungesehen “Sight Unseen” by Gregory Dawson, Graceland by Nicole Caruana, The Under Way by Rena Butler (Dance Film), Ricochet by Penny Saunders (Dance Film), Love Letter by Caili Quan (Dance Film)

 

2020
2020-2021 Season
2020-2021 Season

2020-2021 Season

– 15th Anniversary Season

– Launched BalletX Beyond, with support from the Wyncote Foundation
– Launched Choreographic Incubator

– Honored Heather Watts and Jane G. Pepper at The Premier Party

– Commissioned 15 World Premieres: To Rend, To Render by Alia Kache, The Bardo of Beautiful Mess by R. Colby Damon. We The People by Dwight Rhoden, Mapping Out A Sky by Matthew Neenan, IN The Distance by Hope Boykin, and Dance Films by Robbie Fairchild, Amy Hall Garner, Mariana Oliveira, Francesca Harper, Tsai Hsi Hung, Manuel Vignoulle, Gustavo Ramirez Sansano, Stephanie Martinez, Maddie Hanson

– Reached 100 World Premieres

 

 

2021
2021-2022
2021-2022

– Honored Carole Haas Gravagno and Mark Aronchick at The Premier Party
– Commissioned 10 World Premieres: Deep River by Nicole Caruana, Three’s a Crowd by Zachary Kapeluck, Self Portrait by Tsai Hsi Hung, New Testaments by Tommie-Waheed Evans, Before and Always by Caili Quan, Midnight Circus by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Exalt by Jennifer Archibald, Umoja by Tiler Peck, Honey by Jamar Roberts, Love Parade by Gustavo Ramirez Sansano

Contemporary ballet inspires us to tap into the energy of life, in all its passion, drama and joy.

Supporters like you help us keep Philadelphia on the map as the center of innovation in the field of ballet that is welcoming to all audiences. Your support protects your community’s access to contemporary ballet and original live art experiences.