A Graceful Pivot

Texas Ballet Theater adjusts 2020-21 season in light of COVID-19 upheaval

Dallas will now get The Nutty Nutcracker.

Photo by Steven Visneau

Just two months after announcing its 2020-2021 season, Texas Ballet Theater has done a pirouette on its original plan thanks to COVID-19 and released an updated schedule.

There are still four productions planned, just with a different order, and one very exciting addition for Dallas.

Artistic director Ben Stevenson's The Nutcracker now leads off the season, beginning November 27-December 6 at Winspear Opera House and then December 11-27 at Bass Performance Hall.

For the first time ever, Dallas is also receiving a performance of The Nutty Nutcracker, the company's irreverent, pop culture-filled take on the holiday classic. It will play December 4 in Dallas and December 18 in Fort Worth — and both are expected to sell out quickly.

Remaining on February 5-7, 2021, is the company's first mixed repertoire production: George Balanchine's Serenade, the world premiere of Ben Stevenson's Star Crossed, and the world premiere of a piece by TBT associate artistic director Tim O'Keefe, all set to music by composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The run at Bass Performance Hall is followed by two added performances February 13-14, 2021, at Winspear Opera House.

TBT canceled its production of Bartok/Image/Imbue just weeks ago because of COVID-19, but due to popular demand, will be able to bring back this mixed repertoire in 2020-21. It features work by Stevenson and choreographer Garrett Smith, ranging from neoclassical to contemporary styles, and will run March 5-7, 2021, at Bass Performance Hall.

Beauty and the Beast, originally slated to open the season, will now close it. The company will perform the ballet at Winspear Opera House May 14-16, 20201, and Bass Performance Hall May 21-23, 2021.

"We are looking forward to the new season, including the exciting performances we're adding in Dallas," executive director Vanessa Logan says. "We cannot wait to come together again with the North Texas community and welcome everyone back into the theater."

For more information and tickets, visit www.texasballettheater.org.

dance

Art in the city

Aurora Art Quest scavenger hunts return to Dallas for summer 2026

Photo courtesy of Aurora

Art Quest scavenger hunts will return to Dallas for summer 2026.

Dallas arts nonprofit Aurora is bringing back Art Quest - its annual community art program that combines scavenger hunts, workshops, and public programming across Dallas neighborhoods - for summer 2026.

Organizers say this year’s programming will include family-friendly, scavenger hunt-style events in Pleasant Grove and South Dallas, where participants will search for clues tied to commissioned artworks by local artists; more details on those will be revealed soon, they say. In Bachman Lake, multimedia artist Karla Ramirez-Santin will lead a community workshop.

Art Quest 2026 dates, locations, and events include:

June 6, 5-9 pm - Trinity River Audubon Center
July 18, 10 am-2 pm - African American Museum of Dallas
August 1, 1-3 pm - Karla Ramirez-Santin workshop at Bachman Lake Branch Library

Additional dates and workshops for the summer calendar include:

May 22, 6-8 pm - DJ Leo J’s Intro to DJing at Gallery 86
July 25, 11 am-1 pm - Nick Bontrager’s Intro to 3D Printing at South Dallas Cultural Center

While the release doesn't give many specifics about how this year's scavenger hunts will work, in past years, the clues to begin the quest were revealed on the Saturday of the quest, at 10 am on AURORA’s Instagram feed. The first finder could collect it on the spot, along with a certificate of authenticity, and then had the chance for a one-on-one studio visit with the artist who created it.

Aurora launched Art Quest in 2022 as a way to bring technology-focused public art into neighborhoods across Dallas. Each edition features commissioned works by regional artists that are displayed during the events and awarded to participants.

"Through this community-oriented initiative, Aurora brings innovative original artworks into public spaces and invites participants to engage with creativity in new and meaningful ways," organizers say in the release. "Art Quest also highlights the digital divide, raising awareness about unequal access to technology and arts programming while promoting inclusivity and cultural connection."

All Art Quest programming is free and open to the public; follow Aurora's social media pages for more details as they're released.

artquest aurora scavenger hunt families art