Returning in the 16/17 Winter Season at WMPAC for their 8th performance, James Sewell Ballet is establishing a 2nd home in Big Sky.  James presents a new ballet set to Mendelssohn’s “Octet,” op. 20, which was conceived in Big Sky last summer, in tandem with the highly innovative piece, “Killer Pig,” which was set on the ballet company by 2016 McKnight Fellows Sharon Eval and Gai Behar from Israel this past fall.  Both “Killer Pig” and “Octet” show exactly what this chamber company is made of, combining classical ballet with unpredictable combinations and a relentless taste for adventure.

James Sewell Ballet was founded in New York City by James Sewell and Sally Rousse and brought to Minnesota in 1993. Combining their expertise, vision and chutzpah they envisioned a close-knit company of dance artists willing to both challenge their physical limits and expand their notions about ballet. Over two decades later, critically acclaimed JSB performances move and delight audiences across the country. The embodiment of the original vision is a professional company of ten dancers performing innovative work that explores the technical boundaries of ballet.

Based in the Twin Cities, James Sewell Ballet studios are located at The Cowles Center for Dance & the Performing Arts in Downtown Minneapolis. Annual spring and fall JSB performances are currently presented at The Goodale Theater in The Cowles Center. JSB’s annual cutting edge “Ballet Works Project,” featuring new works by emerging and established choreographers, is presented at the JSB TEK BOX on the second floor of The Cowles Center.