World Premiere
Choreographer: Alice Topp
Music: To Be Announced
Tapestry
Choreographer: Stanton Welch AM
Music: W. A. Mozart
Dances at a Gathering
Choreographer: Jerome Robbins
Music: Frederic Chopin
Alice Topp is returning to Houston Ballet in the Spring of 2026 to set her first work on the Company. In 2018, she choreographed Lighthouse on Houston Ballet II for their tour to San Angelo in October of 2019. Born in Bendigo, Australia, she started dancing at age four and pursued classical ballet training through various schools. Her early career included a stint with the Royal New Zealand Ballet and recovery from a serious injury before joining The Australian Ballet. Topp, who initially didn’t consider choreography, later became one of only two female resident choreographers in the company’s history. Her works, such as Aurum and Little Atlas, have received critical acclaim, earning her several prestigious nominations and awards, including the 2019 Helpmann Award for Best Ballet.
Inspired by Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 5, a composition known for its joyful melodies and moments of warmth, serenity, and depth, Stanton Welch AM was particularly captivated by the rhythmical third movement, influenced by Turkish folk music. This fascination led him to explore Turkish culture, eventually guiding him to a photograph of a dobby loom, a large device used by weavers to create complex patterns with many colors. Seeing a parallel between a ballet company and the loom, Welch created Tapestry for Houston Ballet in 2012—a dazzling showcase for a small ensemble of men and women, where the unity of diverse bodies and styles tells a singular, intricate story. Like the carefully crafted designs of a loom, Welch’s choreography intricately combines movements that coalesce and flow before dissipating into beautiful, unexpected patterns.
In a 1972 letter to the editor of Ballet Review, Jerome Robbins wrote, “There are no stories to any of the dances in Dances at a Gathering. There are no plots and no roles. The dancers are themselves dancing with each other to that music in that space.” Rather than following a narrative, the ballet unfolds as a series of solos, duets, and ensemble moments performed by ten dancers, capturing the essence of community, nostalgia, joy, and intimacy. Premiering in 1969, Dances at a Gathering marked Jerome Robbins' return to New York City Ballet after a 13-year absence. Set to 18 of Frédéric Chopin’s piano pieces—including mazurkas, waltzes, and études—the ballet’s virtuosic movements reflect both the Polish origins and Parisian elegance of Chopin’s compositions.
