It’s a pretty rare occasion that Houston Ballet, or any ballet companies for that matter, dance to music with lyrics. But as its artists take the stage this week for the final program of their 2024-25 season, that will be the case in not just one but two of the ballets presented.
Stanton Welch’s Sparrow which premiered in 2022, is accompanied by the music and lyrics of Simon & Garfunkel. Four Last Songs with choreography by Ben Stevenson and music by Richard Strauss features live accompaniment by soprano Nicole Heaston, who sings worldwide and is a favorite at Houston Grand Opera. This will be the first time since 2007 that Houston Ballet performs this particular work by its former Artistic Director.
“It’s not often that ballet dancers get to dance to music with lyrics,” says First Soloist Julian Amir Lacey who joined the company just shy of 11 months ago. “So that’s always quite a novel experience.”
Calling the choreography in Sparrow a kind of “jazzy” style that he hasn’t had as much experience dancing, Lacey says, Four Last Songs involves more neo classical movements with operatic aspects and the final part of the mixed rep program Sparrow: A Triple Bill is Theme and Variations choreographed in 1947 by George Balanchine with music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.is both classical and iconic.
Actually, Theme and Variations offers Lacey a chance to reprise some of his earlier work. “This role in Theme I danced when I was 19 and 20 years old.” This is an opportunity to improve himself in that part, he adds.
Lacey, who began dance lessons at age 3, came to Houston Ballet after 12 years with Semperoper Ballett in Dresden, Germany. He says that besides the impressive reputation of Houston Ballet, he wanted to get back to the States so that he could see more of his family, who now live in New Mexico. In his last season in Dresden he had the chance to work with Houston Ballet co-Artistic Director Julie Kent and discussions about his possibility of moving to Houston proceeded from there.
The biggest surprise for Lacey when he arrived at Houston Ballet was the amount of work the ballet’s dancers were expected to learn.
“My first week in the company I was rehearsing seven ballets,” he says. Previously, he says, the most he’d ever learned at the same time was three. “We do such a high amount of work here. with tours and everything.”
Most recently, Lacey was in Welch’s story ballet Raymonda in which he danced the roles of the Duke of Ash and the Duke of Cobalt. Asked about playing the bad guy (Duke of Ash), Lacey says he hasn’t had as much experience playing villains but he enjoyed it.
“I have played more princes than I have bad guys, but investing in some of the evil characters can actually be quite enjoyable. I had some good responses about my sinister character development,” he says, laughing.
He says Sparrow offers a welcome emphasis on male dancers (19 males and five women). He also thinks that with its well known music, it will appeal to people who otherwise might be reluctant to experience ballet.
He describes this particular mixed rep program as “quite beautiful.” He also thinks it’s one that will connect with people who don’t normally attend ballet, but will be drawn in by their knowledge of Simon & Garfunkel. “You can really just sit there and enjoy yourself.”
As for Four Seasons: “Being able to go and see ballet and opera at the same time is something that’s quite rare. So I think that in and of itself is a main reason to go.
“And then Theme and Variations, it’s something that I as a student would try to go and see whenever it was being danced.
“Three tremendous pieces giving off three very different feels and it’s a nice ride for the audience, this program.”
Performances are scheduled for June 12-22 at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays at the Wortham Theater Center, 501 Texas. For more information, call 713-227-2787 or visit houstonballet.org. $47-$159.
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This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2025.
