May 4, 2000: Boston Ballet presented Ben Stevenson’s Cleopatra. The lavish production was a collaboration with Houston Ballet and Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre and premiered on March 5, 2000 in Houston. The piece featured music of Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov arranged by John Lanchbery with costumes by Judanna Lynn and scenery by Thomas Boyd.
Sep 5, 2001: Boston Ballet welcomed MIKKO NISSINEN as the Artistic Director of Boston Ballet and Boston Ballet School. Born in Helsinki, Finland, Nissinen began his dance training at age ten with The Finnish National Ballet School, and launched his professional dance career at age 15 with The Finnish National Ballet. He continued his studies at The Kirov Ballet School in St. Petersburg, graduating in 1980. Nissinen went on to dance with Dutch National Ballet, Basel Ballet, and San Francisco Ballet, where he was a principal dancer for ten years.
Since 2001, Nissinen has cultivated a dynamic collection of classical, neo-classical, and contemporary repertoire, ranging from full-length classical ballets and masterworks by George Balanchine, to new works by some of the finest contemporary choreographers today.
Mar 1, 2002: In 2002 Boston Ballet, in a joint venture with Children’s Hospital, Boston’s Department of Physical Therapy, established ADAPTIVE DANCE, a program specifically designed for students with Downs Syndrome. It was a first-of-its-kind program designed to foster a love of dance and creative expression and has been featured in many publications, including a 2009 People Magazine article, entitled “A Chance to Dance.” Since its launch the program has expanded to include students on the Autism Spectrum.
Oct 16, 2003: In 2003 Boston Ballet celebrated the company’s 40th year. The 2003-2004 celebratory season included a revival of Nureyev’s Don Quixote, the company premiere of Val Caniparoli’s Lady of the Camellia’s, as well as a world premiere by Caniparoli created specifically for Boston Ballet. Also performed were Mark Morris’ Drink to Me Only With Thine Eyes and Mikko Nissinen’s first Swan Lake for the company. Boston Ballet also paid homage to the 100th anniversary of George Balanchine’s birth, adding another Balanchine masterwork to the company’s repertoire, Duo Concertant.
Mar 25, 2004: Boston Ballet presented the world premiere of Jorma Elo’s Plan to B set to the music of Henrich Ignaz von Bieber. It was the second world premiere that Elo created for Boston Ballet while he was still dancing with Netherlands Dance Theatre. The company debuted the work on stage at the Wang Theatre in a program alongside the work of Mark Morris, George Balanchine, and Val Caniparoli. The company brought the piece on tour to Jacob’s Pillow and City Center in New York later in 2004.
Jan 1, 2005: JORMA ELO became resident choreographer for Boston Ballet in 2005. Elo’s association with Boston Ballet goes back to 2002 when artistic director Mikko Nissinen invited him to choreograph a piece for the company. The piece, Sharp Side of Dark, premiered on September 19, 2002. Since 2002 Elo has CHOREOGRAPHED 14 world premiere’s for the company, including Plan to B (2004), Brake the Eyes (2007), and Awake Only (2012). In 2011, Boston Ballet presented the first full-length evening of his work, Elo Experience.
