(NEWARK, NJ) -- The New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) presents New Jersey Ballet, under the artistic direction of Maria Kowroski, in New Voices. Bold Visions — a dynamic celebration of the artists shaping the future of ballet. Performances take place on Friday, April 24 at 7:30pm and Saturday, April 25, 2026 at 3:00pm.
A highlight of the program is Red Angels, Ulysses Dove's landmark 1994 work originally created for New York City Ballet's Diamond Project and now entering New Jersey Ballet's repertory. A showstopper since its premiere, the work fuses the precision of classical ballet with unexpected vernacular movement, creating a work of visceral intensity. Four dancers, dressed in striking scarlet and illuminated in fiery light, perform with unrelenting athleticism to an electrifying score for solo electric violin. Dove himself described the work as an exploration of the Balanchine aesthetic — its speed, legginess, and formality — refracted through his own bold, dramatic lens. "The dancers are angelic," he remarked. "And for me, the angels of the senses are red."
The program also features a world premiere by Roderick George, acclaimed choreographer and 2024 recipient of the prestigious Princess Grace Award for Dance Performance and Choreography — one of the highest honors in American dance. George's new work promises to bring the same visionary energy and dynamic physicality that have made him one of the most sought-after voices in contemporary ballet.
Rounding out the evening is Sur le Fil, a striking work by Penny Saunders, Resident Choreographer at Grand Rapids Ballet and recipient of the 2016 Princess Grace Choreographic Fellowship. Known for her evocative, cinematic style, Saunders brings a rich emotional depth and visual storytelling to the stage.
Performances take place Friday, April 24 at 7:30pm and Saturday, April 25, 2026 at 3:00pm. Tickets start at $58 and are available for purchase online or by calling the NJPAC Box Office at 1-888-696-5722. New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) is located at 1 Center Street in Newark, New Jersey.
"This program reflects our commitment to showcasing innovative choreography and the remarkable artistry of our dancers," says Artistic Director Maria Kowroski. "Each work offers a distinct voice and perspective, and together they demonstrate how ballet continues to evolve while honoring its foundations. We are thrilled to bring this program to NJPAC and share these extraordinary voices with our audiences."
Maria Kowroski became Artistic Director of New Jersey Ballet in November 2021, and her appointment has seen a new creative energy fuel an artistic renaissance within the institution. In a very short period of time, Kowroski has expanded the repertory of New Jersey Ballet to include a number of works by renowned choreographers, including George Balanchine, Christopher Wheeldon, and Jerome Robbins. She has also commissioned new works and new voices in the dance world, including Harrison Ball, former principal dancer at New York City Ballet, and Lauren Lovette, the Resident Choreographer for Paul Taylor Dance Company and former principal dancer at New York City Ballet.
Kowroski's new artistic vision calls for an expansion of work weeks for the artists by adding performances and venues, forming new collaborations with arts organizations, and growing community programming that establishes inclusion and accessibility. Kowroski plans to leverage her experience and extensive dance world connections to bring new repertory to communities throughout New Jersey.
Kowroski was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where she began her ballet training at age seven with the School of Grand Rapids Ballet. Kowroski entered the School of American Ballet (SAB), the official school of New York City Ballet, in the fall of 1992. She became an apprentice with New York City Ballet in the summer of 1994 and was invited to join the Company as a member of the corps de ballet in January of 1995. In the spring of 1997, Kowroski was promoted to the rank of soloist, and in the spring of 1999, she was promoted to principal dancer.
Kowroski has danced numerous principal roles in the Balanchine repertory, including Agon, Apollo, Concerto Barocco, Mozartiana, Diamonds, Rubies and Emeralds from Jewels, Prodigal Son, Stravinsky Violin Concerto, Chaconne, and Bugaku. Kowroski has had the pleasure of being created on by several choreographers, including Jerome Robbins, Christopher Wheeldon, Mauro Bigonzetti, Justin Peck, Peter Martins, Boris Eifman, and Helgi Tomasson. She has also had the great privilege of working with the great choreographers Alexei Ratmansky and William Forsythe. Ms. Kowroski was a guest artist with the Mariinsky Ballet, performing Swan Lake in 2003 and a mixed Balanchine program in 2006 and 2019. In 1994, Ms. Kowroski was the recipient of the Princess Grace Award, and in 2011 she received the Jerome Robbins Award. Kowroski joined New Jersey Ballet Company as the Acting Artistic Director in November 2021 and became Artistic Director in September 2022.
Ulysses Dove (1947–1996), born in Columbia, SC, began studying dance with Carolyn Tate while a pre-med student at Howard University. He transferred to the University of Wisconsin to study with Xenia Chlistowa of the Kirov Ballet, and in 1970 he graduated from Bennington College with a degree in dance. Moving to New York, Dove joined Merce Cunningham's company and performed with Mary Anthony, Pearl Lang, and Anna Sokolow. In 1973, Dove joined Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, where he quickly garnered key roles and acclaim for his commanding presence, bright clarity of movement, and truthful dramatic intensity.
Dove turned to choreography at Alvin Ailey's urging and in 1980 created the solo Inside for Judith Jamison. He left the Company the same year to begin a significant freelance career choreographing dances for the Basel Ballet, Royal Swedish Ballet, Dutch National Ballet, London Festival Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, and the Choreographic Research Group of the Paris Opera, where he spent three years as assistant director. Dove's choreography was marked by its relentless speed, violent force, and daring eroticism. He was also the choreographer for the 1986 Robert Wilson-Philip Glass opera The Civil Wars.
Several of his ballets have found their definitive interpretations in performances by Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. His Red Angels (1994) was a hit of New York City Ballet's Diamond Project, and a companion piece, Twilight (1994), was his final creation. Dove's work was the subject of Dance in America: Two by Dove, an Emmy Award-winning 1995 show in the PBS Great Performances series.
Roderick George was born in Houston, Texas. He studied at Ben Stevenson's Houston Ballet Academy and the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. George was a bronze winner of the Youth America Grand Prix in 2005 and a YoungArts Award Winner and Presidential Scholar in 2003. He has danced professionally for Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet, Basel Ballet/Theater Basel, GöteborgsOperans Danskompani, and The Forsythe Company.
kNoname Artist, founded by George in 2015, serves as a container for individuals to exist and thrive as both creators and collaborators. While George initiated the company, its ethos transcends any single name or identity, prioritizing collective authorship and shared recognition. Through project-based work, kNoname Artist fosters a synergy where every contributor is acknowledged, and no one name defines the whole.
kNoname Artist has performed at festivals such as SuzanneDellal, Ballet d'Preljocaj-Pavilion Noir, Zurich Tanzhaus, New York Live Arts, Pocantico Art Center, Sophiensæle Festspiele, and Kaatsbaan Cultural Park. kNoname Artist debuted at Jacob's Pillow in the Summer of 2024 and Fall for Dance in September 2024. George is a YoungArts Fellow Winner 2021-2022, Mertz Gilmore Dancer Awardee 2023, NPN Awardee, the 2024 Inaugural Jacob's Pillow Men Dancers Award recipient, and the 2024 Princess Grace Award Recipient.
Penny Saunders, originally from West Palm Beach, Florida, graduated from the Harid Conservatory in 1995, and began her professional career with The American Repertory Ballet under the direction of Septime Webre. She went on to dance with Ballet Arizona, MOMIX Dance Theater, Cedar Lake Ensemble and in 2004 she joined Hubbard Street Dance Chicago.
In 2011, Saunders won the International Commissioning Project which launched her choreographic career, creating works for Hubbard Street's main and second company, Cincinnati Ballet, Whim W'Him, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Oklahoma City Ballet, BalletX, Sacramento Ballet, The Royal New Zealand Ballet, Tulsa Ballet, Diablo Ballet and Dayton Ballet, among others.
Saunders is honored to be the Resident Choreographer at The Grand Rapids Ballet, to have received support from The New York City Ballet Choreographic Commissions Initiative, to have participated in The Guggenheim Works & Process, and The National Choreographers Initiative, and to be the recipient of the 2016 Princess Grace Choreographic Fellowship. In 2020, Saunders created a range of new dance films with Whim W'Him, BalletX, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Seattle Dance Collective, Grand Rapids Ballet, Ballet Idaho and ArtEmotion.
She is looking forward to upcoming residencies with USC Kaufman School of Dance, Point Park University and Western Michigan University, as well as collaborations with Art Emotion/Ballet West, Nashville Ballet, Diablo Ballet, Eugene Ballet, Dayton Ballet, Grand Rapids Ballet, Dance Aspen and Ballet Idaho. Saunders is also currently an Adjunct Assistant Professor at The University of Utah School of Dance.
Founded in 1958, New Jersey Ballet has been committed to presenting and expanding ballet to communities throughout New Jersey and beyond for over sixty-seven years. The Company has built a reputation for excellence, offering audiences a rich tapestry of performances that showcase both timeless classics and cutting-edge contemporary works.
Since 2021, New Jersey Ballet has been expanding under the artistic leadership of Maria Kowroski. Kowroski, a former principal dancer at New York City Ballet for twenty-five years, brings her vast experience and vision to New Jersey Ballet. Under her direction, the Company's repertory has grown to include works by choreographers such as George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, Christopher Wheeldon, Justin Peck, Peter Martins, Gustavo Sansano, and Twyla Tharp. Additionally, Kowroski has commissioned new innovative works by Harrison Ball, a former New York City Ballet principal dancer, and Lauren Lovette, the Resident Choreographer of Paul Taylor Dance Company and former New York City Ballet principal dancer.
Kowroski's leadership has elevated New Jersey Ballet to new heights of prominence. The Company has performed at prestigious venues such as Lincoln Center in New York for Dance Against Cancer, Kaatsbaan in Tivoli, New York, and Works & Process at the Guggenheim. These performances have not only showcased the extraordinary talent of New Jersey Ballet's dancers but also highlighted the Company's commitment to artistic growth and community engagement.
New Jersey Ballet's long history is marked by a dedication to providing world-class ballet experiences. Through innovative programming, educational outreach, and a steadfast commitment to artistic excellence, New Jersey Ballet continues to inspire and captivate audiences, ensuring a vibrant future for ballet in New Jersey and beyond.
