During the pandemic, San Diego Ballet dancers were filmed pirouetting on the rooftop of The San Diego Museum of Art, surrounded by bird\u2019s-eye views of Balboa Park.<\/p>\n
Throughout the years, the company artists have danced on the grass in the museum\u2019s sculpture court or glided and twirled in the natural light that streams from gallery windows.<\/p>\n
For its 2025-26 season, the San Diego Ballet is in residence with the museum, continuing a long history of collaboration between the two entities.<\/p>\n
Performances overlap the museum\u2019s Centennial Celebration next year, and the ballet will get the birthday party started early, with next weekend\u2019s production of \u201cLandscapes \u2014 Art of the Americas.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt made sense to start our season with looking at visual art through dance,\u201d explains San Diego Ballet artistic director Javier Velasco.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have strong music and visual arts elements \u2014 a lot of things that have come together in a harmonious package.\u201d<\/p>\n
The package has advantages for ballet and art enthusiasts.<\/p>\n
A ticket to the \u201cLandscapes \u2014 Art of the Americas\u201d ballet includes free, same-day admission to the museum.<\/p>\n
The museum closes at 5 p.m., so, those who purchase a ticket to the ballet\u2019s 7 p.m. show on Friday, for example, can arrive early to lunch at a Balboa Park restaurant, and visit the museum at no charge before the show.<\/p>\n
The \u201cArt of the Americas\u201d exhibition opened in 2022 and showcases the works of artists including Nick Cave, George Bellows, Diego Rivera and others.<\/p>\n
The museum describes the vast collection as having 20th- and 21st-century themes that \u201cexplore social awareness, identities, and spirituality.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\""Torrey](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/sut-l-dance-torreypines.jpg\")
\u201cTorrey Pines,\u201d a 1925 oil on canvas by Nicolai Ivanovich Fechin, from the San Diego Museum of Art\u2019s permanent collection. San Diego Ballet is presenting a new dance piece inspired by the painting. (Gift of Wilda B. Dunnicliffe, by exchange, 1998.87)<\/p>\n
A canvas that caught Velasco\u2019s eye for the upcoming show is titled \u201cTorrey Pines,\u201d by artist Nicolai (Ivanovich) Fechin, who depicted the rocky, sun-bleached cliffs of San Diego\u2019s coastline against an azure sky, with spiky green cactus and agave plants in the foreground.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s one of a selection of images that will serve as a backdrop to the ballet, staged in the museum\u2019s James S. Copley Auditorium.<\/p>\n
The challenge of using one art form to elevate another is complex.<\/p>\n
Velasco wanted to think beyond interpreting color and subject matter with choreography, which focuses on changing levels of direction, shapes and floor patterns.<\/p>\n
The whole idea of landscapes opened up an expanse of ideas.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs we were putting the show together, it seemed right that the first piece would be centered around the \u2018Art of the Americas\u2019 exhibit,\u201d Velasco says.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe jump-off point was that, to a lot of people, America means wide open spaces, and that\u2019s how I started thinking about this whole idea of landscapes. A landscape to one person can mean hills or trees. But a landscape to another person can be a totally blue canvas. In dance and in modern art, you bring your own perspective to what is going on. It can be a space that is opening up in front of you \u2014 or a distant view. There\u2019s a lot of different possibilities.\u201d<\/p>\n
Velasco chose the music of American composer Aaron Copland to accompany his choreography.<\/p>\n
The company will dance to \u201cAppalachian Spring\u201d and \u201cThree Latin American Sketches,\u201d a piece Velasco said that he especially appreciates.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a composer I respect,\u201d Velasco says. \u201cI love his work and at some point, Copeland was drawn to Latin American music, which is my heritage.\u201d<\/p>\n
The San Diego Museum of Art is a special place for Velasco.<\/p>\n
As a child, it was the very first museum he visited and he was exposed to a wide range of artistic perspectives.<\/p>\n
\u201cI had a visceral reaction,\u201d Velasco recalls. \u201cI love going to art galleries and I have an extra fondness for the Renaissance masters, like Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo.<\/p>\n
Now, when I go to the museum, I like to linger in the Asian court, where the far Eastern art is \u2014 and I really like the traveling exhibitions. They put in a lot of effort and provide stories about what you are seeing.\u201d<\/p>\n
The museum\u2019s official Centennial Celebration in 2026 is on February 28, with free admission, live music and extended museum hours.<\/p>\n
Ballet productions will pay tribute to The San Diego Museum of Art\u2019s 100-year birthday at a variety of venues.<\/p>\n
The theme \u201cIllusionism\u201d has inspired San Diego Ballet\u2019s \u201cThe Nutcracker\u201d at The Magnolia theater in El Cajon on Dec. 20-21.<\/p>\n
Next year\u2019s season productions, including \u201cPerspective \u2013 Celebrating 100 years @ SDMA\u201d (Feb. 13-15) and \u201cImpressionism \u2013 I Love Paris\u201d (May 22-24), will be staged at the museum\u2019s James S. Copley Auditorium in Balboa Park.<\/p>\n
A dance film series in January at the Museum of Photographic Arts in Balboa Park is titled \u201cIntaglio,\u201d with dates soon to be announced, and \u201cCollage\u201d (April 18-19) takes place at Dance Place in Liberty Station, San Diego Ballet\u2019s headquarters.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe whole idea of celebrating the Centennial is juicy for us,\u201d says Velasco.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd when we\u2019re talking about American art, it can mean limitless possibilities.\u201d<\/p>\n
San Diego Ballet presents \u2018Landscapes \u2013 Art of the Americas\u2019<\/p>\n
When: 7 p.m. Friday; 8 p.m. Saturday;\u00a0 2 p.m.Sunday<\/p>\n
Where: San Diego Museum of Art, James S. Copley Auditorium, 1450 El Prado, San Diego<\/p>\n
Tickets: $45-$67, includes free admission to the museum on the day of the show<\/p>\n