State Street’s Supreme Season

When State Street Ballet founding artistic/executive director Rodney Gustafson fully retired at the end of 2023, the destiny of the company – founded by the former American Ballet Theatre dancer some three decades earlier – was something of an unknown. Things seemed to be in good hands with the twin appointments of Megan Philipp as Artistic Director (in September 2023) and Cecily MacDougall as Executive Director (on January 1, 2024). Sure, the pair had held other positions at SSB for 10 and 15 years, respectively, but a shift from its only leader would still be quite a change. 

By now, we can rest assured that State Street Ballet is in supremely gifted hands. 

MacDougall and Philipp opened their first full season in the fall with a dynamic double bill of Scheherazade and The Firebird, featuring live accompaniment of the scores by Rimsky-Korsakov and Stravinsky by the Santa Barbara Symphony in performances that were both colorful and evocative. But even that smashing success didn’t prepare us for this spring’s utterly spectacular world premiere of SSB The Little Mermaid. The journey under the sea and on a land of enchantment left Disney in the dust with an all-new everything: co-created choreography by Philipp and MacDougall, imaginative new sets, stunning costumes that included life-sized puppets, and even a brand new original musical score played live by Opera San Luis Obispo Grand Orchestra. The all-ages show wowed both kids and adults, and The Little Mermaid will almost certainly become a staple of State Street’s touring seasons and a periodic local favorite.

If it’s possible, the annual “Evenings” performances were even more superlative, boasting eight short works (five minutes each) choreographed by an octet of State Street’s dancers for the company members, presented up close and intimate in the company’s rehearsal studio space. The choreography covered a wide range of styles, from a near classical pas de deux to a full-on ballet-meets-barn dance number, revealing the versatility, grace and power of dancers and the vision of the creators. More please. 

The company’s 30th anniversary season comes to a close with a pair of performances back at the Lobero Theatre on May 9-10. The first is a program called Brilliance: Balanchine, Arpino, and Beyond which pays homage to two giants of 20th-century American ballet in George Balanchine and Gerald Arpino. Significantly, the event marks the first time SSB has performed works by either of these legends. The second performance sees SSB premiering a new piece by one of their frequent choreographers. The company will present New York City Ballet co-founder/artistic director Balanchine’s Who Cares? and Joffrey Ballet’s Gerald Arpino’s Birthday Variations before the debut of the new piece by Kassandra Taylor Newberry, who previously choreographed SSB audience favorites Fold and (con)version. 

As with the entire season, the program will feature live music, this time by the Opera Santa Barbara Orchestra, conducted by OSB artistic director Kostis Protopapas. It’s shocking to say as someone who doesn’t usually appreciate ballet, but I can’t wait.  

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