Orlando Ballet

Today I saw the production Giselle courtesy of Unilocal.First of all I was absolutely blown out of the water by the aesthetics and environment of the new Dr. Phillips Center. The center gives a very modern feel and is well illuminated, providing a cornerstone for the arts in a bustling downtown area. The moment you walk in, you feel like a celebrity among the beautiful spiral staircases; I can’t emphasize how spectacularly put-​together the building is and how it takes advantage of open spacing. Finally the concert hall is large but spread out well so that there really aren’t any seats extremely far away from the stage. You can get a fairly decent view regardless of where you’re sitting.
The Orlando Ballet was extremely passionate in their rendition of Giselle. I appreciated the cohesion of the chorus, as well as the expressiveness of the lead Giselle. The exposition felt a little long; however, at the conclusion of Act I, the transition between innocent love to tragic heartbreak was seamless and the moment Giselle lost her bun was hauntingly beautiful. The quality of the male dancers was exceptional as well. Despite the fact that one of the males fell during his solo, it went unnoticed by the majority of the audience and the dancer adjusted well to the circumstance. The set design is on the simplistic side, but it’s sufficient in not detracting from the rest of the play.
Overall I really enjoyed Giselle and will definitely be back to enjoy further productions like the Nutcracker Suite in December.
Tips if new to the Ballet:
1) Refrain from clapping excessively during a performance. Often there might be a lull or pause in a solo; however, it’s often only for a few moments.
2) Refrain from cell phone usage; it can be seen by the people behind you.
3) Read the synopsis before the play. You will be left confused by the story if you rely solely on the dances.

I’m here at the Orlando Ballet school for National Dance Day. They’re using all five studios, to accommodate a large amount of dancers here to celebrate National Dance Day. At this event you get free water and the studio had tons of water to give out to everybody participating. The studio has several offices that you can’t tell where they are from the studios you practicing. The multiple studios have good floor and ballet bars for practice. There is good mirror coverage in the different studios and a good sound system for music to be played. The layout is a little bit weird with the largest studio being of an open format. However the teachers are knowledgeable and the staff is friendly.

If I could give the Orlando Ballet Summer Intensive in Jacksonville negative stars, I would. They promise an amazing program for their students and the program was a disappointment and a waste of money, time, energy, and effort. The facility used, The Florida Ballet (studio), was horrible, the students were not given any time to stretch before class (which causes injury), and there was no room to accommodate all the students in different activities. The administrator, Tamatha Perryman, was non existent and the students were left to fend for themselves. The classes were nothing spectacular and the only thing the students look forward to was breakfast and dinner in the UNF cafeteria. What a pathetic and sad experience for these hard working and optimistic young dancers!!!

What an awesome performance! On March 6^th, I was able to see the performance of Battle of the Sexes and it was simply amazing! This was such a cool way to spend a Friday evening.
The various story lines ranged from intimate and intense to fun with a touch of comedy… just a brilliant mix of emotions. This was my first trip to the Orlando Ballet and I wasn’t really sure what to expect. I have to admit that I am quite pleased with the level of talent displayed. I really enjoyed the performance and I do hope to attend more performances here.

The Orlando Ballet deserves five solid stars. Talented and creative, Robert Hill, Orlando Ballet’s creative director, displays his true leadership abilities by not only developing world class talent, but also displays great character and security in letting and encouraging members of his ensemble, also create and direct.
Orlando Ballet is refreshing, dynamic and captivating.
We are fortunate to have such a cast here in Orlando, and I am looking forward to enjoying many more of their performances in the future.
Their most recent one, Battle of the Sexes, was masterfully closed with an amazing rendition of Ravel’s Bolero.
I feel like there is so much more to come. Looking forward to return.

Fun and elegant night at the DPAC watching the Orlando Ballet Battle of the Sexes performance. Enjoyed the creative aspects of the show and found it very abstract, beautiful, and avant garde.
It was breathtaking to see the controlled and detailed technical movements of the dancers, it’s really spectacular to see this up close. The first half of the show was very moody and emotional, but the high-​energy feel of second act was my favorite part. I enjoyed the mix of ballet and modern dance routines set to the music of Michael Jackson and Queen. The end ballet act set to Ravel’s Bolero was a standout, so elegant and pleasing to watch. Our seats were in the Orchestra area and just fantastic, what great night out! In the past I have not been a huge fan of watching ballet, but this was very interesting and way more fun than I had anticipated. Love that the Orlando Ballet is producing limited run shows with fresh choreography, so check out a show here!

WOW! Thank you Unilocal for allowing to me to see this amazing show.
I saw Battle of the Sexes on Friday and I was amazed by the performance. Orlando Ballet I am a big fan. From start to finish the dancers, the choreography, the costume changes, the music, everything was fantastic and beautiful.
I truly had a great time and I am looking forward to seeing more shows by the Orlando Ballet.

Captivating from beginning to end. I am so grateful for Unilocal to allow me to experience the talent that I was able to witness from these hard working dancers. I was completely blown away by Contemporary Dance and Ballet. The Battle of the Sexes should have been titled «The Battle of Brilliance.» I am like hello should I start taking dance classes ASAP. Honestly the performance was thought provoking and emotionally charged and gravitating. The creativity of the performance was through the roof. The Queen dance routine and the Michael Jackson dance routine were clever and simply mind blowing.
The production and everyone who was involved in this production, MAJOR KUDOS! I can not express enough how impressed I was and the energy was over whelming in a good way. Let’s not even go there about the venue it was held in the Dr. Phillips Performance Art Center which is a whoa factor in itself. I literally was surrounded by art and I was able to watch a moving masterpiece. I am literally clapping, my hands right now.
Bravo! Bravo! Bravo!

I am obsessed. What a fun company to watch perform! They seem to always add incredible twists or humor to their dance prices and I’ve been pleasantly surprised by everything I’ve seen thus far. With the assistance of Unilocal,I’ve been able to see a whole lot more than I would be able to normally.
In October, a Unilocal Elite friend invited me to be her plus one for Vampire’s Ball. Holy wow. Not only was the dancing gorgeous, there were parts that were ethereal and mysterious. I read up on the dancers since that show and it’s been fun to see some of my favorites in subsequent shows (Daniel Benavides, Alberto Blanco, Arcadian Broad, David Kiyak, Kate-​Lynn Robichaux, Chiaki Yasukawa)
In January, I brought my little sister (who was actually accepted on scholarship into the Orlando Ballet’s summer intensive — she’s an awesome dancer and only 11!) to see Swan Lake as a Christmas Present. It was my first time at DPAC and it was altogether an amazing experience. Outside of the beauty of the venue itself, the dancing was perfect but with the style of the individual dancers themselves which makes all Orlando Ballet shows special.
Because of the Unilocal discount on tickets to A Choreographer’s Showcase at Cirque du Soleil, we were able to purchase those. This was really neat! To see the choreography of the dancers themselves in a smaller venue was awesome. At the risk of sounding like some crazy fan, I was transfixed with Arcadian Broad at this show. He’s a very talented dancer and choreographer with a vibrant personality.
Finally, I got Elite tickets for Battle of the Sexes and was beyond excited. Not only did I get to see this show the weekend of my birthday for FREE, but I knew it was going to be a creative mashup and had been told it was an amazing show. Wow. Again, Arcadian killed it and the rest of the dancers followed right behind. They added enough humor to their work to know they have a good time doing what they do.
I’m looking forward to seeing more from this group and plan to attend every show I can this season!

To say this is not quite my cup of tea would be an understatement. I’m more of a sports bar Friday night kind of guy.
But I’ve always had a soft spot in my heart for the performing arts!
This being at the new Dr. Phillips Center was also a double bonus big upgrade from the Bob Carr.
The battle of the sexes theme was fun to watch. It was essentially a dance battle with a lot of integrated scenes in between, the dancers also had crowd interaction as well. Which was something I didn’t expect. As usual I would say the boys def won the battle whoop whoop!
During intermission we were able to re-​up on «refreshments» they second portion of the performance was definitely more up beat. You can’t lose with Michael Jackson and Queen alternating songs!!! My girl friend especially enjoyed the Queen integration. With we are the champions and we will rock you! Very fun and upbeat performance!!! The dancers were amazing looking forward to the next one!

Orlando Ballet’s Battle of the Sexes was dynamic and bursting with youthful creativity as many dancers choreographed pieces, although they naturally didn’t reach the artistic level of their director. — I was blown away by the first and last piece masterfully choreographed by it’s Artistic Director, and performed wonderfully by the company! It ended on a HIGH NOTE!

To say I am a fan of the Orlando Ballet would be an understatement. As a former dancer and someone who takes vacations to NYC or Seattle just to see a ballet, I am critical and have a huge appreciation for the art. It is so great to see such talent and high quality productions in little old Orlando. These dancers are killing it show after show. Nothing could be better than the show at The Abbey this year. getting to talk with the dancers after the show and learn about them as people and their process felt like meeting local celebrities. I have been to Vampire’s Ball, Uncorked, Swan Lake, Choreographer’s Showcase at Cirque du Soleil and Battle of the Sexes this year and each one somehow managed to top the last one. Favorite moments of this year– anytime you have a professional ballet company dancing to Michael Jackson (thank you Thriller in Vampire’s Ball and Man in the Mirror at Battle of the Sexes!) The audience can feel how much fun the dancers are having and it makes me want to get up and dance along in the aisles.
Orlando Ballet has managed to keep their audiences interested in classical ballet, which isn’t easy. Keep showing us the classic ballets and reminding us how perfect a Romeo and Juliet pas de duex, waltz of the flowers, and the Black Swan solo are! But the times when the Orlando Ballet has mixed it up and surprised us have been some of the best moments. I love to see real life emotions, trials and celebrations depicted by the ballet.
Arcadian Broad (or as I like to call him… this generation’s Mikhail Baryshnikov) is unstoppable. Here’s what people want to see from him: more piano playing, more pirouettes, more grand jete’s, more choreography! He can handle the stage by himself and is so entertaining to watch.
And let’s not forget David Kiyak– so much talent, easy on the eyes, and a leader of the company. He is a joy to watch on his own, and always makes his female partners look flawless.
I also love the diversity of the dancers… they look like a normal beautiful group of incredibly talented people that truly enjoy dancing. it is great to see all heights, ethnicities, ages and body types represented!
Here’s what the audience also wants: more instagram and social media photos of dancers, rehearsals, costume fittings, choreographer’s ideas, feet, the studio, etc. Marketing on social media could definitely be improved. Some dancers are doing their own, but compared to what other ballet companies are doing, there is room to grow and the followers are out there! We are using the hashtag and love to interact with the dancers. Streamlined visual media would add to the hype around the ballet and may attract people who have not yet discovered what a treasure the Orlando Ballet is.
Keep up the great work! We can’t get enough Orlando Ballet!

Attended «Battle of The Sexes» performance at Dr. Phillips Performing art center Saturday… wow, what a treat! Beautiful, somber, energetic and fun all rolled up into one show! Music varied from pop to classical with ensemble numbers and couples as well. We particularly loved the Bjork song chroegraphy… The queen and Michael Jackson pieces were fun too! The last piece «Bravado» I believe was so well done and very classical ballet. This show really showed off the diversity of style and talent this troupe posseses ! I’d definitely book another show in the future, a great night!

My husband and I had the great pleasure of going out and seeing the Battle of the Sexes the other night featuring the Orlando Ballet.
First of all, I am so in love with our new venue here in Orlando. The Dr. Phillips Center is such a beautiful event location and I am so proud of it. Simply gorgeous… and yay bathroom space!
Second and most importantly… this ballet company has some extreme talent and as I watched each performance I envied all of their grace and talent. It literally made me wish I was a dancer. My hands started to hurt from all the clapping I was doing: o)
With the battle of the sexes I could see how much fun the dancers were having. I especially loved watching that some of the dancers themselves got to choreograph and create part of the show. It shows how much talent our ballet company has! I particularly liked the Bolero at the end of the night. Who doesn’t love the classic Ravel piece and ballerinas performing a spectacular performance to match the consistent crescendo of the piece to the very end.
I hope everyone takes the opportunity to go watch the Orlando Ballet. Men and women alike. Kids too.
Classical and contemporary.
Go see this company!!!
Bravo, Orlando Ballet!!!

Orlando Ballet you have a new fan. Over the last few months I have had the pleasure of enjoying some great performances from Orlando Ballet.
In December I reluctantly went to see The Nutcracker because I have seen it many times before. The dancers were great in their roles. I especially loved the skill of the dancers that I witnessed during the court performances. I was impressed by the skill of the Russian and Arabian dancers.
My next peak into the Orlando Ballet was through the uncorked event. It was a behind the scenes look at how the ballets are choreographed. We got a sneak peak of the next two upcoming events.
After the uncorked event we decided to purchase tickets to Swan Lake. Their adaption of Tchaikovsky was impressive. I could really tell the difference in the personality of both the white and black swan by dancing alone.
Finally last night we were fortunate to get tickets to Battle of the Sexes; the ballet I highly anticipated. This ballet that incorporates modern dance moves to old and new music and did not disappoint.
The artistic director Robert Hill gave the reigns to his dancers to choreograph the numbers. They did a fantastic job. We got to see a series of very unique acts.
Telmo Moreira choreographed a very artsy love triangle using Bjork and Mozart. Use of pre-​recorded video scenes really enhanced the act.
The amazing dancer from Japan, Chiaki Yasukawa, had a unique take with her CIty Life numbers. The numbers used techno music and dances to show what it is like in the corporate world. I thought she did a good job at demonstrating both the power struggles between men and women in an office and the struggle against office politics (Gossip number).
The second act started with some powerful numbers choreographed by Robert Hill (First time I Ever Saw Your Face sung by George Michael, and an interesting version of Nights in White Satin sung by Bettye LaVette).
The crowd-​pleaser MW2 was a «althetic» contest of a man and women set to hits of Michael Jackson and Queen. It was cute and playful. A very good work by Arcadian Broad.
But it didn’t end there. We were impressed and amazed by the final act Bolero. Robert Hill’s interpretation of this Ravel symphony kept the crowd at the edge of their seat. He made good use of the ups and downs of the music. You could really see the dancers build up with the music. Such amazing choreography!
Orlando Ballet I am hooked. Keep up the great work.
My only improvement I would ask for is to have longer engagements for each show. 3 – 4 shows is not enough time to reach your potential fans. Shows like Battle of the Sexes should go on for at least of week or longer.
Keep dancing!

As a dancer, I have seen MANY dance companies in my short lifetime and let me just say I was blown away by the performance (Battle of the Sexes) I saw last night!
With last night being my first time seeing this group of dancers I didn’t really know what to expect, but I was immensely excited. I am a true lover of the arts and I couldn’t wait to see what these performers had in store! It was evident by the performance they all put on that they truly love what they’re doing. Having danced since the age of three and starting out my dancing career in ballet, I felt this crazy flood of emotions come over me and even got a little teary eyed. Whenever I start to second guess whether or not I should dance, all I’ll ever need to do is watch a performance by the Orlando Ballet to get some more inspiration!
Let me also add that the venue they perform at is awesome. I really loved how intimate the performance felt. The Dr. Phillips Center is a really great facility!
If you haven’t seen these incredible dancers yet, what are you waiting for? I’ll definitely be back, and I encourage everyone who hasn’t gone to go buy tickets to see the Orlando Ballet right now!

Wow! Wow! Wow! Last night’s performance of Battle of the Sexes was amazing! This was my first time attending a ballet and it will not be my last. I applaud Orlando Ballet for having such talented dancers in their company.
I was amazed at how I was able to totally understand the different scenes and storyline behind them. I definitely related with most of them. The music was awesome! I even downloaded a couple on ITunes this morning because they were such great songs. I wanted to get up on stage and dance to a couple of them too. Lol.
What was totally surprising was the ending that took my breath away. They performed Bolero which gave me goosebumps! The strength and agility of all the dancers was amazing! I am so happy that I was able to attend this show. I can’t wait to go back to see more.

This is our second trip for a show and, like before, it was wonderful! On our first visit we saw The Nutcracker, this time, Battle of the Sexes. The venue is wonderful and all of the staff are extremely kind and helpful. What really impressed me is that all of the seats are good ones. Every production is beautiful and the dancers are very skilled. We’re really looking forward to more date nights here! It’s nice to be able to grab dinner and a show ay such an upscale venue. We’ll surely be back, we bought tickets to Shen Yun!

5 Stars for a company full of world-​class dancers that is not afraid to take risks!
I’ve been to a number of Orlando Ballet shows in the past year (Vampire’s Ball, A Choreographers’ Showcase, Battle of the sexes, Swan Lake, etc) as well as their more intimate, stripped down Uncorked at The Abbey, and have fallen in love.
I would recommend anyone with the slightest interest to attend a show, or better yet, attend an Uncorked! performance. This is a more casual evening with wine where you get to watch the creative process unfold and get to interact with the dancers and the fabulous, David Hill (the choreographer). We find out that these dancers are practicing all day and many of them have to have second and third jobs as the wages of a professional dancer is not always enough. These are dedicated dancers from around the world who have decided to dance in Orlando because of the amazing school they have here and the prestige that David Hill brings with him.
The benefit of going to a smaller show is that you start to really pick out your favorite dancers. This makes the future shows that much more special as you wait for your favorite ballerina to take the stage.
Another thing that makes this company a definite 5-​star experience is the venue where they are now performing. I had been to a few shows at the Bob Carr, but the Dr. Phillips Center blows that away! What a stage for such a great group of dancers (aka artists, aka athletes).
Finally, I’ll leave you with this. If you’ve never been to see a ballet I encourage you to get tickets — even the cheapest ones — and go see the Orlando Ballet. It would be hard to leave uninspired!

I haven’t had the opportunity to go a ballet in years so I was super stoked to be offered the opportunity to see The Vampires Ball. What a fantastic way to be reintroduced to the ballet experience. I absolutely loved it! I was seated in the front row and able to see everything perfectly. The dancers were all so talented. One even played the piano for a few of the dances as well as danced. The story being told through music and dance was so vivid. It was if someone was reading the story to you verbally. The set and a costumes were extremely well thought out as well. Everything was just perfect. Again, I loved it! If given the opportunity I would gladly go see another performance put on by the Orlando Ballet.