Landmark Works, Examined
Deep dives into individual contemporary ballet works - their origins, what makes them distinct, and how they've shaped the repertory since.
The 28 works below span more than four decades, from Pina Bausch's Café Müller (1978) to Cathy Marston's The Cellist (2020). Some are full-evening story ballets made for major classical companies; others are short abstract pieces that have been licensed to dozens of companies worldwide. If you are not sure where to begin, the viewing paths below the list group them by what you might be looking for.
✦ Where to Start ✦
Coming From Classical Ballet
Story ballets that keep a familiar shape while changing almost everything inside it: Mats Ek's barefoot Giselle, Christopher Wheeldon's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Cathy Marston's Jane Eyre, Helen Pickett's The Crucible, and Alexei Ratmansky's Whipped Cream.
Pure Movement
Plotless works where the choreography itself is the subject: Forsythe's In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated and Blake Works I, Kylián's Petite Mort, and McGregor's Chroma.
Dance Theatre
Works that use text, design, and stagecraft as fully as movement: Bausch's Café Müller, Pite and Young's Betroffenheit, Shechter's Political Mother, and Khan's solo DESH.
Pure Fun
Works audiences tend to leave grinning: Ekman's satire Cacti, Naharin's Minus 16 (which ends with audience members onstage), and Tharp's In the Upper Room.