Paul Vasterling News

Nashville Ballet and company principal/choreographer Christopher Stuart have been awarded a Fellowship Initiative grant from the New York Choreographic Institute, an affiliate of New York City Ballet, to support the development of new choreography in a studio setting.

Nashville Ballet brings its 30th anniversary season to a close with two works choreographed by artistic director and CEO Paul Vasterlling:  a dazzlingly intricate and grand revival of Carmina Burana, set to the timeless music of Carl Orff, and the world premiere of Layla & The Majnun, which features the music of composer Richard Danielpour, which recreates one of the world's oldest love stories from Persian culture.

Shows are opening (Carolyn German unveils her latest, Go From Here, and Nashville Ballet revives Carmina Burana, both this weekend), shows are closing (your last chance to catch The Taffetas at Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre before they go the way of The Plaids is this weekend) and The Miss Firecracker Contest is back onstage at Donelson's Larry Keeton Theatre for the second of three weekends. Obviously, the 2016 theater season continues to reveal itself at a breakneck pace, giving audiences a veritable buffet of offerings from which to choose.

Nashville Ballet will conclude its 30th anniversary season with Carmina Burana, a collaboration of epic proportions, that will be performed at Tennessee Performing Arts Center's Andrew Jackson Hall, April 22-24. In addition to Carmina Burana, the seasond finale features the world premiere of Nashville Ballet artistic director and CEO Paul Vasterling's Layla & The Majnun.

Country music star Jana Kramer is among a diverse group of artists to perform at Nashville Ballet's largest annual fundraiser, Ballet Ball, at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center tonight, March 12. In the midst of the company's 30th anniversary season, this year's Ballet Ball entertainment will celebrate the richness and diversity of dance as well as Music City artists.

Country music star Jana Kramer is among a diverse group of artists to perform at Nashville Ballet's largest annual fundraiser, Ballet Ball, at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center on Saturday, March 12. In the midst of the company's 30th anniversary season, this year's Ballet Ball entertainment will celebrate the richness and diversity of dance as well as Music City artists.

Without doubt, excessive exaggeration or hyperbole, Nashville is a veritable 'city of dreams,' a place where creativity thrives and collaboration is a way of life. Perhaps in no other way is this synergy expressed more artfully than in Nashville Ballet's Attitude series - playing through Valentine's Day at TPAC's James K. Polk Theatre - which captures the very essence of Music City, encapsulating it in the music of local songwriters and then translating it for an audience via the ephemeral nature of dance.

Nashville Ballet returns this year - for the eighth consecutive year - with one of Music City's most beloved holiday traditions: Paul Vasterling's Nashville's Nutcracker, running tonight, December 5-23 at TPAC's Andrew Jackson Hall.

Sometimes it seems there is so much theater happening that it's difficult to keep track of it all. From personal experience, despite all the datebooks, smart phones, tablets, desktop computers and laptops...it's hard to keep everything straight in this wacky business of the show.

Sometimes it seems there is so much theater happening that it's difficult to keep track of it all. From personal experience, despite all the datebooks, smart phones, tablets, desktop computers and laptops...it's hard to keep everything straight in this wacky business of the show.

Nashville Ballet returns this year - for the eighth consecutive year - with one of Music City's most beloved holiday traditions: Paul Vasterling's Nashville's Nutcracker, running December 5-23  at TPAC's Andrew Jackson Hall. Due to popular demand, this year's production will feature a record-setting number of performances, giving audiences a grand total of 13 performances from which to choose.

Darkly sensual and broodingly sexy, Paul Vasterling's balletic interpretation of Bram Stoker's legendary anti-hero Dracula (first presented in 1999 and revived in 2007) remains as potent and as stirring as ever, richly conceived and beautifully performed by the dancers of Nashville Ballet, who offer  audiences a spine-tingling seasonal adventure.

There's the definite feeling of autumn in the air that makes you want to gut a pumpkin or at least have a pumpkin spice latte, chances are you are definitely going to need a sweater in the early morning hours, and it's past the perfect time for you to pick out a Halloween costume. Luckily, theater companies are well into their new seasons and there's plenty of shows to entertain you while you take time off from berating yourself for wearing that same tricked-out Star Wars costume you wore the past fwo-and-one-half years.

Nashville Ballet is kicking off its 30th anniversary season with a trip back to Neverland this weekend, September 18-20, 2015, at TPAC's Jackson Hall. This family-friendly production tells the classic story of a boy who doesn't want to grow up—complete with storybook sets, enchanting costumes and on-stage flying.

Nashville Ballet is kicking off its 30th anniversary season with a trip back to Neverland September 18-20, 2015, at TPAC's Jackson Hall. This family-friendly production tells the classic story of a boy who doesn't want to grow up—complete with storybook sets, enchanting costumes and on-stage flying.

The weekend is upon us, which means you have just a few hours to figure out a game plan so you don't miss out on all the fun that's happening all around you. We've got the goods on theatrical events this weekend, to save wear and tear on your brain, and we can offer some sound advice: Just do as we say and everything will be fine. Resistance is futile.

There always seems to be so much to do in Nashville, from a creative and theatrical standpoint, we're often asked for recommendations of what's not to be missed on our calendar. Well, have no fear, gentle readers, we're at your service, at the ready to tell you of the shows you really should see this week and in the coming weeks…

Nashville Ballet closes its 2014-2015 performance season with the return of its cutting-edge Emergence series, an evening of emerging art featuring four original pieces from renowned local musicians and guest choreographers, May 14-16, 2015, at The Martin Center for Nashville Ballet.

Nashville Ballet will present renowned choreographer Salvatore Aiello's charming and playful family ballet Clowns and Others during four performances at The Martin Center for Nashville Ballet May 10-17, 2015.

Looking for something fun to do in Nashville - say, in the next few days or so? That doesn't involve running in the Country Music Marathon? Have no fear, gentle BWW Nashville readers, our team of writers have done the necessary legwork - we're all about saving you time, keeping you out of the marathon traffic and helping you make informed decisions about how to spend your entertainment dollar, after all - and we are delighted to present you with our very first, official Critic's Choice column, filled to the veritable brim with suggestions for great stuff going on around our fair state.