Carmen

Originally composed by Georges Bizet as an opera, Carmen has been regularly performed as a ballet since Roland Petit first premiered his company’s adaptation of the work in London in 1949. Drawn from Prosper Mérimée’s 1845 novella, Carmen depicts the dangerous, ill-fated romance of protagonists Carmen and Don José. Certainly, the writing seems to be on the wall when the two first meet, as Carmen seduces the guard Don José into releasing her from arrest for a petty crime. Whipped into a frenzy by her incredible beauty, Don José allows himself to be sucked into her machinations, ditching his fiancée and becoming drawn into Carmen’s criminal plans. Ever mercurial, Carmen’s affections shift to the toreador Escamillo, leaving Don José desperate to possess her once more, at any cost. Ballet San Antonio’s production features choreography by the company’s former First Soloist and Cuban International Choreographer Yosvani Cortellan.