Connecticut Ballet’s love of dance has grown into a tradition of dances of love. The company’s “Be My Valentine” shows have become an eagerly awaited annual event that’s a prime element of a romantic date night.
Connecticut Ballet founder and artistic director Brett Raphael, who conceived “Be My Valentine” and usually choreographs one of the pieces in the multi-part program, noted that since the show is only about an hour long it gives couples time to go out to eat as part of the full Valentine’s date experience.
“The audience we’ve been cultivating for years has been coming back for this,” Raphael said.
The dance event is being held on Feb. 14 at 7:30 p.m. at Christ Church Cathedral at 45 Church St. in Hartford for the second year in a row. For three years before that, “Be My Valentine” was done at The Bushnell’s Belding Theater.
Raphael said it’s possible that “we might find another venue in the future” but for now is “excited that it’s been annualized at Christ Church. We’re enjoying it as a venue. This is a relatively chamber-sized event that works beautifully there. We may come back to Christ Church for our summer program.”
Connecticut Ballet’s summer program often benefits from the “Be My Valentine” shows. Several pieces that debut at the February event are often brought back for the company’s “Dancing Under the Stars” outdoor summertime shows.
Since Connecticut Ballet is based in Stamford as well as Hartford, there is also a Stamford performance of “Be My Valentine,” just as the company does its version of “The Nutcracker” in both cities. That show is on Feb. 15 at 3 p.m. at Unitarian Universalist Congregation, located at 20 Forest St. in Stamford. Tickets for each show are $40, $30 in advance.
The dozen or so performers in “Be My Valentine” are all professional dancers associated with the Connecticut Ballet company. The full company has between 18 and 22 members. Raphael said he specifically casts this show around the strengths of individual members of the company. Some of the pieces have been scaled down to enhance that personal approach, which is furthered even more by the up-close nature of the Christ Church performance space. “It’s an intimate setting,” Raphael said. “People love the closeness. They can feel the dancers’ breath.”
A dance from a different year of “Be My Valentine,” which changes up its program every year. All the works in the current edition feature duets, some classical and some modern. (Was Studio)
All the dances are duets. The program features:
“Suitcase,” choreographed by Alexander Tressor to music by Keb’ Mo’. “Suitcase” is a song on the contemporary Delta Blues artist’s ninth album, which is also titled “Suitcase.” Tressor choreographed a stand-out piece from the 2023 “Be My Valentine” show, “Boys Will Be Cowboys.” Raphael calls Tressor’s style “very much theater. It’s still en pointe but mixing (Broadway legend) Jerome Robbins’ style with ballet.”
“Del Buen Ayre” choreographed by Eve Chan to music by the Paris-based electronic dance music ensemble the Gotan Project. “Del Buen Ayre” was previously done by Connecticut Ballet in 2023.
“Interludes,” choreographed by Brett Raphael to music by Johannes Brahms. This is a segment from a larger piece. “There are many flavors of love that Brahm has incorporated into his music, especially his waltzes,” Raphael said. “In this piece there is melancholy and conflict, but the dancers are also holding each other in a long way.”
“White Swan Pas de Deux” from Tchaikovsky’s “Swan Lake” ballet, based on the classic choreography by late 19th century dance legend Marius Petipa.
“Fatale,” choreographed by Paulo Gutierrez and Lindsay Jorgensen to music by Claude Debussy. Like other pieces on the program, it is a section from a larger work. “Fatale” was showcased in New York City in October. Raphael calls its “special effects-laden. It’s a classical tune but you only hear fragments of it.”
The works are “very varied in terms of style,” Raphael said. “The partnering and emoting are all over the map. There’s a lot of humor. Humor is important. It’s important to have fun, be in the moment.”
“New York Serenade,” from a previous edition of Connecticut Ballet’s “Be My Valentine” concert. This year, the company presents works danced to Brahms, Keb’ Mo’ and others. (Wah Studio)
The Hartford show features DJ Doctor, who works hula hooping into her presentation. In Stamford, the BackCountry jazz sextet will perform live in between the dances as well as following the main performance.
“We want this to be manageable,” Raphael said of the accessible presentations. “We want to titillate people to come to see our bigger pieces later in the year.
“There are certain audiences for both the dance and music,” Raphael added. “We love to see these audiences commingle.”
For added fun, Connecticut Ballet is requesting that audience members wear red.
“It’s very much about love, the quest for love,” Raphael said. “We’re really open to different staples of dance, not a cookie cutter approach. The dancers all have classical chops, but this is more about connectedness and romance. This hour of dance encapsulates all that. It’s also very personal. There’s all manner of interaction and caring. We’ve curated it so that dancers can live that range onstage.”
Connecticut Ballet does not have the only love-themed performance in Hartford on Valentine’s weekend. Hartford Symphony Orchestra is offering “Romeo & Juliet: A Theatrical Concert” as the February attraction in its regular Masterworks series.
The symphony, conducted by its music director Carolyn Kuan, is playing a ballet score by Prokofiev inspired by Shakespeare’s immortal drama about two young lovers from feuding families at the Belding Theater at The Bushnell, located at 166 Capitol Ave. The musicians will be sharing the stage with performers who are more actors than dancers. The Massachusetts-based Concert Theatre Works company will stage an adaptation of Shakespeare’s play by its artistic director Bill Barclay, complete with costumes and sword fights. Shows are Feb. 13 at 8 p.m., Feb. 14 at 8 p.m. and Feb. 15 at 3 p.m. Tickets are $42.50-$89.50, $10 for children and students.
Yet another company, Hartford Ballet, is holding a “Valentine Performance and Dessert Reception” on Feb. 13 at noon and 6 p.m. at 224 EcoSpace on Farmington Avenue in Hartford, where the company has its dance studios. Hartford Ballet will perform excerpts from the classical ballet “Raymonda” composed by Alexander Glazunov as well as a dance to Handel’s “Ode for St. Cecilia.” Tickets are $28.52, $15 for children.