A patriotic triple bill concludes the 2025-2026 Season at the Aronoff Center, featuring works from choreographers George Balanchine, Justin Peck, and Claudia Schreier. Peck’s eclectic style in Times are Racing matches Dan Deacon’s electronic score with youthful vigor. Schreier’s First Impulse showcases neoclassical style rooted in contemporary ballet concepts. Balanchine’s Serenade is a milestone in the history of dance, as the first original ballet George Balanchine created in America.

Serenade is a romantic work of immense sweep, set to a transcendent Tschaikovsky score.

Serenade is a milestone in the history of dance. It is the first original ballet George Balanchine created in America and is one of the signature works of New York City Ballet’s repertory. Balanchine began the ballet as a lesson in stage technique and worked unexpected rehearsal events into the choreography. A student’s fall or late arrival to rehearsal became part of the ballet.

After its initial presentation, Serenade was reworked several times. In its present form there are four movements: “Sonatina”, “Waltz”, “Russian Dance”, and “Elegy.” The last two movements reverse the order of Tschaikovsky’s score, ending the ballet on a note of sadness.

“In everything that I did to Tschaikovsky’s music, I sensed his help. It wasn’t real conversation. But when I was working and saw that something was coming of it, I felt that it was Tschaikovsky who had helped me.”

George Balanchine

Times Are Racing showcases Justin Peck’s bold and eclectic style, blending classical ballet with contemporary energy, urban movement, and an electrifying modern score.

In Times Are Racing, acclaimed choreographer Justin Peck presents a dynamic and genre-defying ballet that captures the pulse of the modern world. Known for his eclectic style, Peck fuses classical ballet technique with contemporary movement, street-inspired energy, and a sense of urgency that reflects life in constant motion.

Set to a powerful electronic score by Dan Deacon, the ballet breaks traditional conventions, placing dancers in sneakers and minimalist costumes that emphasize speed, athleticism, and individuality. The choreography is fast-paced, rhythmic, and emotionally charged, creating a visceral experience that speaks to themes of change, resilience, and collective momentum.

Times Are Racing stands as a striking example of Peck’s innovative voice—bold, relevant, and unapologetically modern—offering audiences an exhilarating vision of ballet reimagined for today’s world.

First Impulse  is an intense contemporary dance work that explores raw emotion and instinct through powerful movement and striking physical expression.

First Impulse  is a compelling contemporary dance piece that delves into the depths of human emotion, instinct, and inner tension. Driven by visceral movement and a strong physical language, the work captures the moment of an initial impulse—the unfiltered reaction that precedes thought and reason.

Through sharp gestures, dynamic group formations, and moments of explosive energy contrasted with stillness, the choreography gives form to inner “cries” (Schreie), expressing vulnerability, conflict, and release. The dancers move as individuals and as a collective, reflecting the struggle between personal emotion and shared experience.

Minimalist staging and an intense soundscape heighten the emotional impact, allowing the audience to connect directly with the performers’ physical and emotional states. First Impulse · Schreie is a raw, immersive experience that confronts the audience with the power of movement as an expression of the unspeakable.