KSL | A Season of Ballet, 20 Years in the Making
After leading Ballet West for 20 years, knowing this season is his last, how does a director choose the final program?
That's the question artistic director Adam Sklute faced when building Ballet West's 2026–27 season. Do the math and it's really only five decisions, since "The Nutcracker" and "Works from Within" were already locked into the calendar.
His criteria for the productions that would mark his 20th anniversary and final season came down to three things: audience favorites, renowned classics and unique contemporary gems.
It would seem like a simple filter, except that it's an impossibly large library to choose from. Ballet traces back to the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and in the five centuries since, choreographers have added thousands of works, with more added every year.
The 19th and 20th centuries alone gave us 50 to 100 ballets considered the backbone of nearly every major company: "Swan Lake," "Giselle," "The Sleeping Beauty," "Don Quixote" and, of course, "The Nutcracker."
Then came George Balanchine, who choreographed more than 400 works by himself, alongside Martha Graham and the wave of contemporary choreographers still creating today.
This could easily land in decision-fatigue territory.
But a season had to be built, consisting of two full-length productions anchoring fall and spring, a number of contemporary works for another two programs, and a Family Classics Series selection, rounding out the fixed productions ("The Nutcracker" and "Works from Within").
What emerged this season checks everything on Sklute's crucial criteria, starting with an audience favorite so beloved it sold out last year.
"I have chosen to celebrate my 20th anniversary with a season of audience favorites, renowned classics and some unique contemporary gems that highlight the strength and diversity that have been the hallmark of Ballet West throughout my tenure," Sklute said.