Matthew Neenan on BalletX’s Spring Series
As BalletX prepares to present a Spring Series 2026 spanning two decades of choreography by co-founder Matthew Neenan, the program offers both a reflection on the company’s early years and a clear view of where Neenan’s artistic voice is headed now.
Featuring the restaging of Broke Apart (2006) and Show Me (2016) alongside a new world premiere, the series reveals how time, collaboration, and perspective continue to shape his work.
How the Program Came Together
The Spring Series program grew out of conversations that had been unfolding for years. While the initial plan included Show Me and another work, Broke Apart had long been part of the discussion.
“We haven’t performed it since 2009, but we still had the set in storage, and it’s something that always came up—maybe we should bring that back,” Neenan says. “With all of these works, it was really just a matter of when.”
Returning to Broke Apart
When Neenan looks back on Broke Apart, which premiered in 2006 and was last performed in 2009, he does so with both honesty and care.
“I look back at that work and think, ‘That’s not really me anymore,’ or I wouldn’t make those decisions now choreographically,” he says. “But you have to remind yourself that was you then, and that’s still important. It still has your essence.”
What continues to resonate most strongly for him is the humanity embedded in the piece, a quality he feels has only grown more important over time.
“There are things about that work that are very important to me now,” Neenan explains. “The humanity of it, the realness of it.”
At its core, Broke Apart grapples with emotional and physical boundaries, and the moments in life when those boundaries feel confining.
“It’s about breaking those boundaries,” Neenan says. “And about the episodes in life that we feel trapped by.”
Those themes, he notes, remain deeply relevant today.
As Broke Apart returns to the stage with a new generation of BalletX dancers, Neenan’s goal is not to reinvent the work, but to let it speak freshly in the present moment.
“I wanted it to become even more human and more real for these dancers,” he says. “It’s about keeping the structure, but allowing it to have a fresh voice for 2026.”
This approach of preserving a work’s foundation while allowing it to evolve is central to how Neenan revisits his choreography.
“When my work comes back, I always make sure there’s a slightly new imprint,” he says. “Whether that’s in what it means, the material, or how it’s coached.”
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Growth Through Time
Revisiting Broke Apart has also highlighted how Neenan’s priorities as a choreographer have shifted over the years.
“Back then, I was more obsessed with steps,” he reflects. “I wanted a lot in there. I was still dancing, we all were, and it was like, ‘Let’s try this. Let’s try that.’”
Today, his focus is different.
“We don’t need that many steps,” he says. “Now it’s more about the visuals and the form.”
He likens the process to editing a piece of writing: removing what’s unnecessary to reveal what truly matters.
“Visuals have always been important to me,” Neenan adds, “but now it’s about clarity.”
Rather than changing choreography wholesale, much of the work lies in coaching and helping dancers access the movement in a way that feels grounded and contemporary.
“I don’t need to change the set choreography,” he explains. “I just need to coach it better. It’s not about how you do the step— it’s about where the movement is coming from.”
Show Me: Built for the Dancers
Created in 2016, Show Me reflects a moment in BalletX’s history defined by rapid growth, touring, and a deeply connected group of dancers.
“The title was kind of like, ‘Show me what you’ve got,’” Neenan says. “When it was being created, it was really for the dancers at that time.”
Originally premiered in Vail, Show Me featured guest artists Isabella Boylston and Zachary Catazaro alongside a core group of BalletX dancers who had been with the company for several years.
“It was a booming time,” Neenan recalls. “The company was touring everywhere, and I knew these dancers were going to live in this work.”
Created in just two weeks, the ballet leaned heavily on the dancers’ real-life relationships.
“I paired people based on how they actually connected,” he says. “Best friends danced together. People who had a natural chemistry worked together. I needed to make it fast, so I went with what I knew would be immediately fruitful.”
The result is a piece that celebrates individuality, wit, and the unspoken personality traits that movement can reveal in ways words cannot.
A Living Archive
The Spring Series will open with Show Me, a more overtly balletic work set to live string quartet, before moving into the more contemporary, emotionally layered world of Broke Apart.
“Show Me has more classical music, and it’s a great way to open,” Neenan says. “Then Broke Apart, with the vocalists and the set design, leads well into the world of the new piece.”
Together, the works create a musical and visual progression: from strings, to song-driven movement, to the electronic soundscape of the world premiere.
Read more about Matthew Neenan’s world premiere in this blog post, and get your tickets to Spring Series 2026 today!
