Artistic Vision

For more than two decades, Nashville Ballet has been guided by the steady leadership of Artistic Director Paul Vasterling to become the largest professional ballet company in Tennessee. With an artistic vision rooted in diversity, paying homage to the classical aesthetic, and illuminating relevant social topics, Nashville Ballet develops each dancer as an individual artist through its unique repertory.

Inspiration

Vasterling’s programming is designed to inspire and educate audiences while simultaneously challenging and pushing dancers into the next level of their abilities. Influenced by the social and cultural issues of the day, Vasterling presents ballets that spark questioning, conversation, and reflection for both the artists and audience. Using the art form as a vehicle to communicate, Vasterling ultimately seeks to highlight our connection and responsibility to one another.

Notably, Vasterling’s 2019 boundary-pushing Lucy Negro Redux in collaboration with Grammy Award winner Rhiannon Giddens examined themes of otherness, equality, and self-worth, which was dubbed a “Nashville miracle” by The New York Times. Other recent works have explored relevant topics such as gender identity, the resiliency of the human spirit, and the role of the community.

Diversity

Nashville Ballet is committed to diversity—from the artists that comprise the company to the stories represented on stage. We are pleased to work with The Equity Project led by Dance Theatre of Harlem, The International Association of Blacks in Dance, and Dance/USA to support the advancement of racial equity in professional ballet companies.

Repertory

Nashville Ballet acknowledges the classical tradition with such works as Giselle, The Sleeping Beauty, and Swan Lake to enable the artistic staff to share the roots of the art form while continuing to challenge our dancers’ classical technique. Vasterling characteristically adds unique touches to modernize the classics (for instance, by creating a strong female character in control of her fate in the iconic Cinderella).

Nashville Ballet also infuses contemporary works into its repertory to build off the strength of the dancers and allow them to stretch their movement limits into unchartered territories. In addition to our annual contemporary Attitude series, we present renowned ballets by modern masters such as George Balanchine, Twyla Tharp, and Christopher Wheeldon along with debuts by up-and-comers.

Live Music

Located in the heart of Music City, Nashville Ballet collaborates with musicians across all genres for every live performance. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Paul Vasterling, Nashville Ballet has commissioned 22 original scores for brand-new ballets. The Nashville Symphony accompanies each of Nashville Ballet’s classical productions and our contemporary performances provide us the opportunity to partner with acclaimed local musicians, including Ben Folds, Maren Morris, Rayland Baxter, Louis York, and Sugar + The Hi-Lows.