psyclin
Having spent 10 years in Manhattan going to lots of dance, I was a snob about local ballet when I moved back to Denver. Wow, was I wrong. This is a very fine company--very strong dancers, nice programs, good venue and high quality productions with great costumes and sets. My favorite is their annual "Ballet Masterworks" mixed bill of more modern ballets. However, their classic offerings, like Swan Lake, are always first rate, and they really venture out with ballets like "Dracula."If you have any interest in dance or ballet, give them a look!
DeidreH136
Denver does it right! The venue was simply amazing with multi levels, complete bar, friendly helpful ushers and staff, outstanding art throughout, small led strips on the back of each chair to assist the patron in following the performance, and then the dancers took the stage! Well rehearsed and passion driven the dancers of the Colorado Ballet told the legendary story of Dracula absolutely beautifully! Even the newest enthusiast to the world of dance will be mesmerized by their precision, beauty, and grace!
C8062YCpeterc
What a remarkable establishment. This and the performing arts center are a highlight to a Denver visit. Make sure you try the back stage coffee house it serves in my opinion the best coffee in America
ThomasW146
The stage scenes were extraordinary. The costumes and the dancers were great. Our seats were right up front.
CassinDenver
I have attended the Nutcracker every year during the holidays and I always look forward to it. Colorado ballet has so many talented performers and it is a perfect way to get in the holiday spirit. Dress up, grab a loved one and take the little girls in your life. It won't disappoint!
sbraun0101
I recently saw the opening performance of the Denver Ballet Nutcracker. Although some parts of the show were very beautiful and well done- breathtaking in beauty at times, many other parts were failures. The artistic director of the ballet has failed in her job, instead she tried for artsy and fake. The audience was also subdued and never became excited or participated in the ballet, most shows I have attended in other cities have the audience much more involved with the performance, laughing, clapping, and integrated into the wonder of the Nutcracker. One example which really shows the poor choices of the artistic director for the Colorado Ballet Nutcracker was the scene were the dancer throws a trumpet off-stage- possibly in disgust at trying to fake play? Numerous times throughout the show similar failures occured where the dancers were being asked to perform unrealistic movements that were just....fake. The Bozeman, Montana, ballet this week produced an excellent show with a much higher level of athlectic skill. The audience in Bozeman was also an integral part of the ballet and appropriately enjoyed clapping together with the orchestra, not a quiet and subdued audience like in Denver. I have also seen more than 10 times Nutcracker productions by the Cincinnati Ballet which were much more vibrant and higher quality ballet compared to the Denver show. The Denver Ballet should certainly be able to have more vibrant Chinese dancers, only three in the dragon and one dancer with a pole? Bozeman had 30 dancers on stage for the Chinese scene- it was great! The Russian step-dancer was a complete failure in Denver- only a couple tentative steps. In Bozeman the Russian dancers included dramatic twirls, flips, and long step dancing that hrilled the audience. I also wondered why an older adult is playing the role of Clara? This should be a local child. I understand that a child can not be expected to perform for the whole month but there are certainly plenty of dancers of Denver who could rotate through the role and preserve the integrity of the show, instead the Denver artistic director just selected adults for children's roles which seriously damaged the fun of the show.
Stugatsa
The Nutcracker performance was outstanding. Even with seats at the highest level, I had a great view of the performance. A beautiful venue with beautiful dancers.
cubfaninco
I can't speak for every production that they do...but we took a group to the Nutcracker. We even took a couple of guys you would never expect to go to a ballet. Let me just say that everyone loved it and the level of performance was extremely high. Just from the one production I have to conclude that they are a top notch ballet company.
WorldTraveler33388
Looked for a school for my daughter to attend that would take older beginning students. Only school accepting those students was with the Colorado Ballet. They are surprisingly welcoming and great with all ages. My daughter couldn't be happier there. Also, saw CB's performance of "Dracula" and loved it.
MarciaW840
This is a special production and one that has become a favored tradition in our family. We love the music and the costumes.
Luckyranch
Sensuous and other worldly…an abstract and real understanding of this dark power through dance…even my skeptical friends were thrilled!
David_Jones2014
But we have been to the Mariinsky and it's nothing like that. We saw a matinee of Cinderella and the audience was full of little girls all dressed up in princess garb. The stepsisters were entertaining and some of the dancing was good, but I wouldn't say it was great.We have seen worse dancers, especially local productions of the Nutcracker, and we haven't seen enough live to really judge, but I'm not sure I'll come back.
2007newoceanlover
Have been going to see the ballet for years, and it is never disappointing. The performers are a class act and are always spectacular. The seats are comfortable and roomy and the theatre area is beautiful. The most enjoyable part is when my young son is mesmerized, sitting on the edge of his seat for the entire performance in silence. Says a lot!
61samanthah
I always love attending the ballet! It takes you into another world of class, sparkle and grace. The Colorado Ballet does an exceptional job of putting on performances at the Denver Performing Arts Center. Beyond the atmoshpere and dancing on the night of the show, they sent me a reminder email with all of the information I'd need to know before attending - very helpful! The Colorado Ballet also does amazing educational programs for schools in Denver and it's great to support them by attending a show!
ElaineL198
I live in Virginia but try to see the Colorado Ballet whenever I'm in Denver. It is an excellent company with a creative repertoire. Almost as good as the ballet itself is the Opera House where they perform most of the time. A statue of two ballet dancers in the lower level is so lifelike that you begin to wonder how he can hold her in that lift for so long. This summer they did a varied program at an outdoor location, the Arvada Center, that appeared to bring ballet to a wider audience. Tickets were inexpensive indoors, and lawn seats were priced really low. I got an e-mail offering a 20% discount and was delighted that I was going to be in town that night.Their Pointes of Interest e-newsletter is very informative, even to an out-of-stater, and I sometimes plan travel based on what I read there.