October 15-24, 2021
Celts
Your Safety is Our Main Concern
Kansas City Ballet is looking forward to welcoming audiences while keeping the health and safety of patrons, staff and performers a top priority.
Kansas City Ballet requires proof of full COVID-19 vaccination (14 days prior to your event) along with proper ID and valid event ticket to attend performances at the Kauffman Center. Negative test results will not be accepted at this time. Masks are required at all times in the Kauffman Center facility unless actively eating or drinking in designated areas. Please check our Safety & Health Policies for updates in advance of scheduled performances.
A riveting, imaginative marriage of ballet and Irish folk dance with a modern sensibility.
Lila York debuted Celts at Boston Ballet in 1996 (the same year that Riverdance first toured America). As a stunning fusion of Irish folk dance and ballet, it was an immediate hit. Set to the music of The Chieftains and more, this celebration of Irish culture has brought audiences to their feet with its choreographically intense jig and captivating energy.
The performance opens with the gloriously transcendent work titled Serenade and continues with the intimate and mesmerizing work titled Wunderland and crescendos to Celts.
Edwaard Liang’s Wunderland is a gorgeous ballet washed in red and inspired by a giant snow globe.
George Balanchine’s Serenade is set in moonlight and is known as Balanchine’s most romantic ballet, an ode to the classic ballets Swan Lake and Giselle.
Music performed by The Opus 76 Quartet
From its hometown in Kansas City, The Opus 76 Quartet has become recognized in journals worldwide for its entertaining and energetic interpretations of the classics. Artists-in-residence at the Midwest Trust Center at Johnson County Community College, The Opus 76 Quartet perform 50 concerts a year nationwide. For more information, please visit https://opus76.org/
Celts
Choreography: Lila York
Music: The Chieftains, Piper’s Lullaby, Caracena, and Dunmore Lassies
Serenade
Choreography: George Balanchine
Music: Peter I. Tchaikovsky performed by The Opus 76 Quartet and Guests
Serenade is sponsored in part by the Wendy and George Powell Family Fund
Wunderland
Choreography: Edwaard Liang
Music: Philip Glass performed by The Opus 76 Quartet
Learn more about Celts, Serenade and Wunderland: Watch videos as our dancers take you behind the scenes.
Supporting Sponsors
Your Safety is Our Main Concern
Kansas City Ballet requires proof of full COVID-19 vaccination along with proper ID and valid event ticket to attend performances at the Kauffman Center. Negative test results will not be accepted at this time. Masks are required at all times in the Kauffman Center facility unless actively eating or drinking in designated areas. When children under 12 years of age can be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 they may attend performances. We are unable to accommodate unvaccinated children under 12, or any unvaccinated patrons for public performances. Due to the circumstances, all ticket purchases during the 2021-2022 season are refundable prior to the performance.
Please note, these protocols will continue to be regularly evaluated and updated based on community health data and public health and government guidance. Thank you for your patience and understanding. Please check our Safety & Health Policies for updates in advance of scheduled performances.
Missouri ArtSafe Certified
Kansas City Ballet and the Kauffman Center are Missouri ArtSafe certified by the Missouri Arts Council and the Missouri Arts Safety Alliance. This program is a standard for venues from St. Louis to Kansas City and everywhere in between. For more information, visit https://www.missouriartscouncil.org/missouri-artsafe/.
Meet the Dancers
Pre-Curtain Talks
Free for all ticketholders, arrive early and hear about the show you are about to see. Learn how music, special effects, and costumes all make magic on stage by attending the pre-curtain talk, Belger Footnotes, hosted by Artistic Director Devon Carney.
Held at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts one hour prior to curtain. No reservation is necessary.
Frequently Asked Questions
Fall 2021 Program
