Sarasota Ballet announces digital programs for fall season

The Sarasota Ballet announced the first performances of its 30th anniversary season will be released digitally. 

Though the season was meant to start with works from George Balanchine, Sir David Bintley, Sir Frederick Ashton and more, director Iain Webb decided to change those plans as the pandemic has continued.

"The way that we're a hotspot down here in Florida, I just don't see that we're going to get an audience that wants to come into a theater from now to the new year," Webb said. "I decided instead of waiting any longer that I should try and come up with something so that our donors and our ticket buyers know that that that we're still going to offer them a unique experience."

Webb and staff decided a little over a week ago to replace the first three programs of the new season with filmed performances that have ballets with smaller casts. The Digital Fall Season will offer performances filmed with multiple cameras and then emailed to ticketholders and donors around the same dates the in-person programs were meant to open.

Webb said around 15 dancers will be brought back for the Digital Fall Season and split into two pods for rehearsals, where they will learn the dances without interacting with the other pod. Small crews will work one-at-a-time to set up lighting, install scenery, and get the stage ready for the performance.

(We're going to ) maneuver down to the dressing rooms, down to bathrooms down to break areas," Webb said. "So we're going to have to create totally different areas as much as we can."

The performances will also have interviews, rehearsal clips and other behind-the-scenes footage to make the viewers feel more involved with the process. Programming details for the upcoming season will be announced shortly.