Photo: Frontier by Crystal Pite @Michael Slobodian
Three choreographies that unite dance and emotion in a unique way: works by Crystal Pite, Medhi Walerski, and Bobbi Jene Smith & Or Schraiber come together in an intense triple-bill evening.
BALLET BC Austrian premiere on Saturday, 26 September 2026 at 7:30 pm, Festspielhaus St. Pölten, Kulturbezirk 2, 3100 St. Pölten (shuttle bus: Vienna – St. Pölten, 5:00 pm).
Crystal Pite opens the evening with Frontier, a fascinating exploration of the unknown and the interplay of light and shadow. Originally premiered in 2008 and reimagined for Ballet BC in 2024, this choreography for 24 dancers explores what lies hidden in the subconscious.
Following this, Bobbi Jene Smith and Or Schraiber present Obsidian, their first choreographic work for Ballet BC.
The evening concludes with Medhi Walerski’s SWAY, an elegant reflection on hope and communication for seven dancers. Inspired by Emily Dickinson’s poem Hope is the thing with feathers, Walerski combines duets with powerful group formations that explore the dynamics of non-verbal language.
Crystal Pite is one of the most important choreographers of our time. Her works, often dealing with themes such as trauma and consciousness, have earned her international acclaim. Bobbi Jene Smith & Or Schraiber are former members of the Batsheva Dance Company. The duo is known for reflecting everyday experiences through unexpected and uniquely expressive creations. Medhi Walerski is Artistic Director of Ballet BC and previously danced and choreographed at the Nederlands Dans Theater. With his elegant and expressive style, he has created works for numerous international companies.
Frontier
Choreography: Crystal Pite
Music: Owen Belton, Eric Whitacre
Obsidian
Choreography: Bobbi Jene Smith & Or Schraiber
Music: George Ivanovich Gurdjieff, Thomas de Hartmann
SWAY
Choreography: Medhi Walerski
Music: Adrien Cronet
Ballet BC