Ballet Tucson will conclude its season this weekend with "Modern Masters," a series of performances at the Leo Rich Theater (260 S. Church Ave.) that spotlights local and national talent.
The company, active in the community for nearly four decades, continues to enrich Tucson's cultural landscape.
Maya Hughes, a Tucson native, embodies the city's deep-rooted connection to ballet.
"I started taking ballet classes here at the School of Ballet Tucson when I was three and a half or four," Hughes recalled.
Her passion led her to the University of Arizona's esteemed School of Dance.
"At UofA, they are trying to prepare you for a professional career, so they treat it as if it was a professional program," she said.
Now, as a member of Ballet Tucson's ensemble, Hughes is eager to perform in "Modern Masters."
"It means a lot to come back to this place where I started dancing," she said. "It means a lot to perform in front of the Tucson community, who is so engaged."
Artistic Director Margaret Mullin, who also began her journey with Ballet Tucson, is enthusiastic about the upcoming program.
"This particular program features four works all by choreographers that are working now," Mullin explained.
Among them is a piece by Justin Peck, called "Pulcinella Variations" that's set to music by famed 20th century modernist composer Igor Stravinsky. Ballet Tucson will be just the third company to perform the piece.
Peck, renowned for choreographing Steven Spielberg's West Side Story, is particularly respected within the industry and by critics.
"Alastair Macaulay, who's a famous ballet critic for the New York Times, said that he believes Justin Peck is creating the history of ballet as we speak," Mullin said.
Peck's contributions to contemporary ballet are noteworthy. Appointed as the New York City Ballet's Resident Choreographer in 2014, he became only the second individual to hold this title.
His collaborations span various artists and disciplines, including work with composer Sufjan Stevens on ballets like "Year of the Rabbit" and "Everywhere We Go."
Peck's choreography for the 2018 Broadway revival of "Carousel" earned him a Tony Award for Best Choreography.
For both Hughes and Mullin, presenting such esteemed works in their hometown is profoundly meaningful.
"With dance, it's about the people, and so you're really engaging with the humanity of art," Hughes said.
Ballet Tucson's "Modern Masters" will be showcased this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at the Leo Rich Theater. Audiences will have a chance to experience contemporary ballet's evolving narrative.
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Eddie Celaya is a multimedia journalist at KGUN 9. Born in Tucson and raised in the Phoenix area, Eddie is a life-long Arizonan and graduate of the University of Arizona who loves the desert and mountains and hates the cold. Previously, Eddie worked in print media at the Arizona Daily Star. Share your story ideas with Eddie at edward.celaya@kgun9.com, or by connecting on Facebook or Instagram.
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