A triple bill of ballet inspired by Jazz Age speakeasies, ritual mourning and genre-blurring movement is on stage in Center City through Nov. 15. BalletX's Fall Series 2026 runs at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre, pairing a brand-new work with two pieces returning to the company's repertoire.
The series runs Nov. 4-15 at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre and features three works: Speakeasy, Switching the Groove and In the Wake, according to PhillyVoice. The theater sits at 480 S. Broad Street in Philadelphia, per BalletX. The full program runs 125 minutes, including a 15-minute intermission, the company notes.
A World Premiere Set in Prohibition-Era Philadelphia
The headliner is Speakeasy, a world premiere choreographed by Loughlan Prior, who hails from New Zealand, according to 6abc Philadelphia. BalletX describes the piece as an intoxicating journey into Prohibition-era Philadelphia where jazz, glamour and danger flourished, featuring designs by Emma Kingsbury and an original score by Frank Moon, per the company's own account. 6abc reports the work is inspired by Philadelphia speakeasies from the 1920s.
The Inquirer's review of the production, which covered the world premiere of Prior's Speakeasy at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre, notes that the dancing ranges from the Charleston to classical choreography. That blend of eras on one stage gives the piece its sense of both period costume drama and contemporary ballet technique.
Grief, Ritual and a Returning Score
Also on the bill is Christian Denice's In the Wake, which returns after its celebrated 2025 premiere, set to an original score by Philip Daniel, the company's site states. According to 6abc, the piece explores rituals surrounding loss, mourning and moving on, and BalletX itself describes the work as exploring ceremony as a profound act of healing, memory and connection.
Rounding out the evening is Amy Hall Garner's Switching the Groove, created in 2023, which the company says explores the exhilarating intersection of ballet and contemporary movement. 6abc reports the piece features both new dancers and original cast members and transitions between classical dance and groovier, looser movement.
Ticket Prices and the Company's Growing Season
Tickets for the run are listed at $55 to $85, with the series running through Nov. 15, according to The Inquirer. BalletX artistic and executive director Christine Cox has described the production as including music, dancing, choreography and sets, per 6abc, reflecting a season built around distinct, large-scale theatrical works rather than a single evening of unrelated excerpts.
The Fall Series is part of a broader expansion for the company, which has shifted from presenting one series a year to three, according to Dance Informa. That growth comes against a backdrop in which dancers typically work under contracts that run roughly like a school year, thirty-six weeks from September through May or June, according to an interview published by The Dance Lens. BalletX states its mission is to create extraordinary dance experiences that inspire human connection, a framing that runs through all three works on this fall's bill.
