DanceAspen’s ‘re:imagine’ delivers world premieres at the Wheeler

News | Feb 17, 2026, Kimberly Nicoletti 

DanceAspen has been piquing audiences’ interest with free snippets of its “re:imagine” earlier this year, and now, it’s showcasing its world premieres in full glory Feb. 21 at 7:30 p.m. and Feb. 22 at 3 p.m. at the Wheeler Opera House. A student performance also takes place Feb. 20 as part of its outreach program.

The new works feature choreographers who have contributed to the innovative contemporary ballet scene, in part through careers in Europe. The title, “re:imagine,” stems from these experts reinterpreting classics and giving them fresh, updated “voices.”

“This performance is about taking traditional concepts and performances and modernizing them — highlighting different aspects and elements of classic timeless pieces,” said DanceAspen Executive Director Laurel Winton.

For example, Houston Thomas — who earned the 2025 Princess Grace Award – has re-envisioned the iconic “Swan Lake” pas de deux, creating a mating dance that blends the classic music with visceral, modern intensity. “Swan Lake” is one of his personal favorites; Tchaikovsky’s score serves as the primary inspiration and emotional anchor of his work, entitled “A Mating Dance.”

“I was especially drawn to the White Swan pas de deux for its intimacy, restraint, and elegance,” Thomas said. “In this interpretation, I chose to reimagine the pas as a mating ritual, with both dancers embodying swans rather than a human prince and swan. The choreography invites the dancers to surrender their human identities and fully transform into swans.”

While it’s grounded in classical form, particularly referencing the traditional pas de deux, it’s greatly influenced by Thomas’ contemporary choreographic voice.

Then, Shane Urton’s dynamic “Overtime” transforms “the rhythms of corporate life into movement of surprising lyricism,” according to DanceAspen’s press release. It’s the company’s first commissioned score by composer Camiel Jansen.

The University of North Carolina School of the Arts (high school) accepted Urton just a year after he started dance training. Upon graduation, he joined the Joffrey Ballet Chicago’s trainee program in 2009. His talent not only came out when he first started dancing but also as a trainee at Joffrey; he danced his entire first “trainee” season in productions, leading to a contract as a member of the company the following season. In 2014, he moved to the Royal New Zealand Ballet and is now a demi-soloist in Opera Ballet Vlaanderen in Belgium.

“Overtime” takes a look at the underbelly of seemingly honest gestures between humans. In fact, that’s what he believes dance does: it translates themes, or ideas, into physical form to be seen.

“Observing the various power games that political figures sneak into their handshakes, I was curious to how this first point of contact — meant to signify respect, goodwill, and collaboration — gets perverted by these tactics and the physical consequences thereof in the body,” he said. “The choreography explores many duet constellations and elaborate partnering. The hands and grips become a feature of the material, though at times hidden, the turbulence of the choreography, and then resurface.”

The four sections of the piece suggest a feverish dance that reflects both “normal” office hours within a corporate setting and overtime.

“The characters go from their usual collected selves to more vulnerable scenes before trying to pull themselves back together,” he said.

Emilie Leriche’s piece, “Of Field,” creates movement out of poetry — specifically poet Mark Strand’s “Keeping Things Whole.” While Strand crafts words, she crafts movement — and yet both also craft a sense of rhythm through the different art forms.

Based in Sweden, she previously danced with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, where she earned a Princess Grace Foundation fellowship in dance in 2015. She responded to the theme of classics reimagined by analyzing and deconstructing Strand’s poem, since she relates to choreography in a similar way that poets construct their lines.

“I have for many years now related to my work as one might relate to poetry and prose; movement as the language, choreography as paragraphs and chapters. Strand’s poem is a piece of text I have carried with me for many years — a piece of art that manages to explain a bit of myself, to myself. ‘Of Field’ will be a physical attempt to embody and dialogue with Strand’s words — perhaps at times to turn them upside down or inside out. Using movement as a way to flush out the emotions and intentions within the poem, we will carve a deeper understanding of Strand’s words, and thus (I hope) ourselves, as well,” she said.

DanceAspen’s own artist and choreographer Jonah Delgado also presents a work in the form of the stylish “Arbitrary Relevance.” The piece looks at how people reinvent themselves.

“I am exploring the relationships of ‘signifiers’ and the ‘signified,'” he said. “My focus is mostly on the arbitrary connection given to the signifier/signified, because there is no natural link. (I’m) ultimately grappling with the idea of meaning being constructed, not discovered.”

Local artist Dave Durrance added that for 40 years the Aspen Chapel Gallery has often been the first platform for artists to show their work, as well as providing a peek at what is going on in the local art scene before the “rest of the world catches wind of it.” He points out that the latest show will reveal how far some of these artists have come.