“Zhang uses simple, contemporary movement, sharp and fluid, synchronous and staggered, that is all together captivating.”
Houston Press

HOUSTON BALLET PROGRAM

ELAPSE

cHOREOGRAPHY BY Disha Zhang

MUSIC BY ZENG XIAOGANG

“I saw Disha’s emotional heart-pounding movement, How Beautiful Is Heaven, years ago in Hamburg and knew we needed to bring her here. It is an honor to be the first American company to present her work,” Houston Ballet Artistic Director Stanton Welch said.

Disha Zhang, born in Guizhou Province, China, began her training in Chinese Dance and graduated with a Modern Dance Choreography degree from the Beijing Dance Academy in 2002. She was a member of the Beijing Modern Dance Company until 2007, gaining recognition for her choreography, which has garnered her numerous awards, including the Grand Prize at the Wenhua Award and the Choreography Award at the 2018 USA International Ballet Competition. Her premiere of Elapse marked her first commission for an American company, debuting with the Houston Ballet’s 50th anniversary season.

This deeply emotional piece explores the themes of time, loss, and the fleeting nature of life through a unique blend of movement and music.

Set to an introspective score by composer Zeng Xiaogang, Elapse weaves sound from nature with electronic beats and the haunting melodies of the guqin, creating a rich auditory backdrop.

The choreography invites viewers to reflect on the passage of time, as dancers embody elements of nature, from falling leaves to swaying trees, evoking the beauty and fragility of life.

Throughout the performance, dancers cover their faces, allowing for personal interpretations of loss and vulnerability. The striking imagery of headpieces resembling branches and antlers, combined with aged makeup, further emphasizes the connection between humanity and the natural world.

Tickets

SAT, OCT 19 | 7:30PM

Mahalia Jackson Theater
New Orleans, Louisiana

MORE about Elapse

Click on the article to read more from Houston Ballet about Elapse.

ABOUT HOUSTON BALLET 

With over 50 years of rich history, Houston Ballet has evolved into a company with a budget of $37.6 million and an endowment of $97.5 million (as of June 2023), making it the country’s fourth-largest ballet company. Its $46.6 million state-of-the-art performance space, the Houston Ballet Margaret Alkek Williams Center for Dance opened in April 2011. In addition, Houston Ballet’s reach is global, touring theaters in Dubai, London, Paris, Moscow, Spain, Montréal, Ottawa, Melbourne, New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, Tokyo and more.

Australian choreographer Stanton Welch AM has served as Artistic Director of Houston Ballet since 2003. Welch has choreographed 43 new works for Houston Ballet during his tenure while ensuring the growth of the Company’s repertoire by presenting works from George Balanchine, William Forsythe, Jiří Kylián, Sir Kenneth MacMillan, John Neumeier, and Jerome Robbins. Welch continues the legacy of Houston Ballet being a choreographic Eden by commissioning over 30 works from world-renowned choreographers including Aszure Barton, Trey McIntyre, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa and Justin Peck. Julie Kent joined Welch as Artistic Director in 2023, after serving as Artistic Director of The Washington Ballet from 2016 – 2023 and following a storied career as a Principal ballerina of American Ballet Theatre – the longest-tenured dancer in ABT’s 85-year history. Executive Director James Nelson serves as the administrative leader of the organization, a position he assumed in February 2012 after serving as the Company’s General Manager for more than a decade.

Beyond its stage presence, Houston Ballet maintains a strong foothold in continuing to foster a love for dance in future generations. Its Education and Community Engagement program reaches more than 85,000 individuals in the Houston area annually. Houston Ballet Academy trains more than 1,000 students every year, producing more than 60 percent of the extraordinary artists that comprise Houston Ballet’s current Company.

For more information on Houston Ballet, visit houstonballet.org