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Hamlet

ABOUT THE PRODUCTION

Heralded by Dance Magazine as “sleek and sophisticated,” Stephen Mills’ Hamlet stands as one of Ballet Austin’s most celebrated and widely performed works. Since its debut following Mills’ appointment as Artistic Director in 2000, Hamlet has captivated audiences across the globe, making its international debut in Augsburg, Germany, and gracing prestigious stages in six U.S. cities, including performances by The Washington Ballet at The Kennedy Center and Atlanta Ballet.

This bold, contemporary reimagining of Shakespeare’s iconic tragedy blends powerful choreography with the evocative music of renowned composer Philip Glass. The production’s sleek, modern aesthetic, inspired by designer Giorgio Armani, enhances the dramatic storytelling and rich emotional depth, creating a breathtaking and unforgettable experience.

Having been performed by over 10 professional companies worldwide, Hamlet continues to be one of Stephen Mills’ most-licensed and traveled works, showcasing Ballet Austin’s reputation for groundbreaking productions that push the boundaries of contemporary ballet.

CHOREOGRAPHY: Stephen Mills

MUSIC: Philip Glass

COSTUMES: Christopher McCollum

SET DESIGN: Jeffrey A. Main & Stephen Mills

LIGHTING: Tony Tucci

RUN-TIME: 60 minutes in 2 acts

DANCERS: 20+ (10 women & 10 men)

AWARDS: 5 accolades ranging from “Best Dance Concert” to “Best Dancer”

VIDEO GALLERY

What Critics are Saying...

How did it feel? A bolt of pleasure belted the heart like a big swig of tequila.
Philip Glass’ music melted the senses. Lisa Washburn walked on water, dancing with superhuman fluidity. Around her an effluvium of rose light created an atmosphere of dying beauty.

Watching the production — beautifully and starkly danced in a modernistic set — is to get to the heart of the story, without necessarily getting the full effect of the layered, dense meaning within the play. Stripped of words, danced by a high-energy cast and jet-fueled by the music of Glass, the play becomes something of a staged action movie.

Gary Tischler
The Georgetowner

Leave it to Austin, proud purveyor of indie rock and artsy ideas, to become the country’s leading exporter of literary story ballets.

Rebecca Ritzel
Washington Post

PHOTO GALLERY

Photos by Anne Marie Bloodgood

COMPANIES THAT HAVE STAGED HAMLET

Ballet Austin

The Washington Ballet

Milwaukee Ballet

Atlanta Ballet

BalletMet

Ballet Augsburg

Dayton & Ohio Ballet

Eugene Ballet

Sacremento Ballet

LICENSING INFORMATION

For information about licensing this production, contact us or view the Technical Specifications.

Paul Michael Bloodgood
Associate Director / Film & Video Production
paul.bloodgood@balletaustin.org

Bill Sheffield
Production Director
512.476.9151, ext. 113
bill.sheffield@balletaustin.org

Technical Specifications

Hamlet Minimum Requirements
Stage size 40 X 40 (last lineset)
Grid height 80 feet
Wing space 20 feet per side
Upstage area 10 feet
Working linesets 46
Stage floor The stage floor must be resilient wood; the floor cannot be concrete or wood directly over concrete; if the surface is concrete, the Presenter must provide a professional dance sub-floor that must cover stage area from wall to wall. The surface must have any traps leveled, holes plugged, and no protruding nails or screws. The stage floor or sub-floor must be covered with a black, Marley-style dance floor.
Soft goods provided by house Full set of black legs and border, two full-stage black panels, two black scrims
Recorded or live music Recorded music or live orchestra
Lighting The Presenter shall furnish the company a complete inventory of house lighting equipment. The Company shall endeavor to work within the house instrumentation but any necessary rentals shall be at presenter’s cost. There should also be enough cable, side arms, C-clamps and color frames to sufficiently hang the lighting plot.
Audio One house speaker system–center cluster and/or house left and right speakers; two to four backstage monitor speaker; one announce-quality microphone, separately controlled; one headset communication system, with seven stations and operable headsets; and one paging system to dressing rooms.
Power Standard
Typical set-up schedule Day 1: Hang electrics and goods; Day 2: Focus/finish set up; Day 3: Cueing/dancers rehearse
Personnel One TD, LD required, 20+ dancers
Shipping Two semi trucks
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