Boston Common - Niche Media - A side of Boston that's anything but common.
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F ront Runners Future Boston Ballet artistic director Violette Verdy plays the lead role in Giselle in 1968. Stage Right BOSTON BALLET CELEBRATES 50 YEARS OF STEPPING OUTSIDE THE LINES. BY DEVAN NORMAN 14 PHOTOGRPAHY COURTESY OF BOSTON BALLET I t's been 50 years since the curtain was first raised for the Boston Ballet. Founded by E. Virginia Williams in 1963, the organization was the first professional repertory ballet company in New England, and right from the start, its vision has been to create compelling dance that challenged the standards of classical ballet. Its early years were marked by a focus on alternative pieces, such as George Balanchine's Concerto Barocco, a risky, experimental piece without plot or characters, set to the music of Bach. And while Boston Ballet has never shied away from the unusual or contemporary, it has also maintained a reputation for exceptional classical performances. Theatergoers were said to have been spellbound during the company's March 1968 performance of Giselle, which marked the company's fifth anniversary and captured the attention of the international press. Violette Verdy, then a guest artist, starred as Giselle. In 1980, Verdy became artistic director of the Boston Ballet and catapulted the organization into the international spotlight as the first American dance company to perform in the People's Republic of China. Today, more than ever, the Boston Ballet continues its commitment to blaze trails on the international dance scene, thanks to the leadership of risk-taking artistic director Mikko Nissinen. He has built on the company's history of offering the unexpected by presenting more progressive programming like this past year's contemporary piece Chroma, while also revamping classics like The Nutcracker. Here's to another 50 years of making headlines. Happy Birthday, Boston Ballet. BC BOSTONCOMMON-MAGAZINE.COM 014_BC_FOB_FR_Holiday_13.indd 14 10/31/13 4:18 PM