One of William Shakespeare’s most famous stage directions comes from his play The Winter’s Tale: “Exit, pursued by a bear.” This near-impossible creative challenge is not the only reason the play translates well into the expansive language of dance, but it is definitely one of them. The tragicomedy is full of fantastical moments like that, as well as a complicated cast of characters who feel a range of deep emotions—something acclaimed English choreographer Christopher Wheeldon felt could be expressed not better than The Bard’s words, but differently, through movement. And he was correct, as evidenced by the fact that his award-winning work, which had its world premiere in 2014 by The Royal Ballet at the Royal Opera House in London, is considered a modern ballet classic.
Lucky for those in New York City, the American Ballet Theatre (ABT) is bringing Wheeldon’s The Winter’s Tale to the Metropolitan Opera House for the first time from July 1-5 as part of a diverse 2025 Summer Season.
This year’s focus, ABT’s associate artistic director Clinton Luckett told Observer, is full-length story ballets. There are only so many of these of a certain caliber in existence, so it’s always thrilling when a new one comes along. Choreographers like Wheeldon and Wayne McGregor (whose Woolf Works was featured last year and will also be part of this year’s program) are “at the top of their game right now,” Luckett said. “What’s wonderful about these 21st-century full-length ballets is they’re more cinematic. They have constant scene changes, constant visual fluidity. They are immersive.”
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The Winter’s Tale is indeed visually stunning, due to sets and costumes designed by Bob Crowley, projections by Daniel Brodie, silk effects by puppeteer Basil Twist and lighting design by Natasha Katz. The original score is by Wheeldon’s longtime collaborator Joby Talbot.
The production was also appealing to ABT because, unlike the older ballets that often feature only two lead characters, The Winter’s Tale has multiple leading characters, which is great for a large company like theirs. “It gives people stuff to sink their teeth into,” Luckett said.
The Winter’s Tale follows the dramatic marriage of King Leontes and Hermione through its romantic ups and tragic downs. Company soloist Carlos Gonzalez dances the character of Florizel, the son of King Polixenes (Leontes’ friend-turned-enemy) of Bohemia. Florizel falls deeply in love with Perdita, a young shepherdess who, in a great Shakespearean twist, is later revealed to be Leontes’ daughter. To prepare for his role, Gonzalez researched Florizel’s emotional evolution to better understand how to portray him. He also had to build up his physical stamina and figure out how to distribute his energy effectively, as Florizel dances almost nonstop in Act II.
Gonzalez told Observer that Wheeldon’s choreography can be very challenging, noting that, when first learning it, the dancers often worked for hours in the studio to figure out how to make a specific step or lift look good. “Luckily, his choreography also tells the story through the steps that were choreographed. They are always musical, and they always have intention and meaning behind them. So you don’t feel like you have to add on to it to make it look ‘extra’ or ‘performative.’ The story is already there, in the choreography and the music.” He is also happy to be dancing with Catherine Hurlin as his Perdita. “She’s my friend and also a very positive, hard-working and supportive person.”
Luckett said that while Wheeldon’s choreography can be challenging for the dancers, it’s very accessible for audiences. “He doesn’t just use the language of ballet in his works. There’s a lot of tremendous physical movement that’s very powerful. You don’t need specific knowledge of ballet to appreciate it.” Luckett has noticed that people sometimes think the ‘new’ ballets are going to be more challenging to watch and take more effort to sit through, but that isn’t true. “In some ways, it’s like going to see a film… the production really comes to you. It speaks to you.”
The Summer Season opened with Kevin McKenzie’s Swan Lake, celebrating 25 years since its world premiere, followed by McGregor’s Woolf Works, inspired by the life and work of Virginia Woolf. Ahead is the haunting Romantic-era classic Giselle (through June 28), choreographed by Jean Coralli, Jules Perrot and Marius Petipa, followed by Frederick Ashton’s mid-century mythical love story Sylvia (July 8-12). Closing out the season is another week of Swan Lake (July 14-19). The July 18 performance will mark beloved principal dancer Gillian Murphy’s own Swan Song, as she dances Odette/Odile for the last time before retiring from the company.