Milwaukee Ballet Second Company Presents "Momentum"

Milwaukee Ballet’s Second Company takes center stage during their annual performance of Momentum, a four-piece mixed repertory program.

The 22 dancers of Milwaukee Ballet II (MBII) will perform March 1-2 and April 26 at Baumgartner Center for Dance in Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward, as well as March 9 at Oak Creek Performing Arts and Education Center.

“The future of ballet is in the hands of rising artists like those in MBII,” says MBII Artistic Director Mireille Favarel. “This year's group exceeded my expectations as they prepared these challenging pieces, each of which showcases a different element of their exceptional abilities.”

The production will begin with an excerpt from Marius Petipa’s La Bayadère, a staple of the classical repertoire that has delighted audiences for centuries. Following that will be three world premieres: Lotus, an athletic work by Milwaukee Ballet Company Artist Eric Figueredo; Lumière, an intimate pas de quatre by MBII Rehearsal Director Davit Hovhannisyan; and Broken Pieces, an energetic piece by returning Chicago choreographer Kristopher Estes-Brown.

Behind the scenes of this year’s production, Favarel is preparing to retire in May. She joined the Company as a principal dancer in 1989, after which she performed all of the major roles in Milwaukee Ballet’s repertoire. Taking her final bow in May 2000, she then became Ballet Mistress for the Company, went on to teach for the Academy, and later became Artistic Director for Milwaukee Ballet II. ⁠

“It has been a true joy to spend so much of my career at Milwaukee Ballet,” says Favarel. “I have treasured each of my roles here, but working with MBII has been a special gift. Seeing many of them go on to succeed in the dance world is a legacy of which I am very proud.”

"Mireille’s kindness, work ethic, and immense talent have left an indelible mark on the many dancers, students, and coworkers who have been fortunate to advance our art form alongside her," says Milwaukee Ballet Artistic Director Michael Pink. "She will be greatly missed."

Outside of Momentum, Milwaukee Ballet II is an integral part of Milwaukee Ballet. MBII dancers regularly perform in mainstage Company productions, including The Nutcracker. Community engagement programs are also a key part of the dancers’ experience, as they lead workshops and performances at schools, senior centers, and other local organizations.

Momentum will take place March 1-2 and April 26 at Baumgartner Center for Dance in the We Energies Performance Studio and March 9 at Oak Creek Performing Arts and Education Center. Tickets are $35 and may be purchased online at www.milwaukeeballet.org or through the Milwaukee Ballet Box Office at 414.902.2103.

The performance schedule is as follows:

• Saturday, March 1, 2:00 PM
• Saturday, March 1, 7:00 PM
• Sunday March 2, 2:00 PM
• Sunday, March 9, 2:00 PM (at Oak Creek Performing Arts and Education Center)
• Saturday, April 26, 2:00
• Saturday, April 26, 7:00

Milwaukee Ballet’s 2024/2025 Season is presented by Donald & Donna Baumgartner with support from United Performing Arts Fund, Wisconsin Arts Board, CAMPAC, Milwaukee Arts Board, and the National Endowment for the Arts.