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February 10, 2026 (BOSTON, MA) – Boston Ballet presents The Dream, a program featuring two inspiring works that connect one of the most influential classical choreographers with an emerging new talent. Sir Frederick Ashton’s The Dream will make its Boston Ballet premiere, and former Company dancer My’Kal Stromile debuts his world premiere, The Leisurely Installation of a New Window. The Dream runs March 19–29 at the Citizens Opera House.
“Boston Ballet is constantly pushing the boundaries of what ballet can be, and this program is a powerful reflection of that spirit. Audiences will first be immersed in an electrifying world premiere by My’Kal Stromile, set to a brand-new score by Boston Ballet’s own Mischa Santora and featuring live guitar by the remarkably talented Reeves Gabrels. The program concludes with Ashton’s The Dream, a work renowned for its exquisite classical choreography and enchanting storytelling. Together, these ballets showcase the versatility, depth, and artistry of our dancers,” said Artistic Director Mikko Nissinen.
The Leisurely Installation of a New Window
The Leisurely Installation of a New Window, a new ballet by My’Kal Stromile for 18 dancers, explores how individuals and communities move within systems, and how those systems shift over time.
Structured in three movements, Thesis, Antithesis, and Synthesis, the work unfolds as a choreographic inquiry rather than a linear narrative. Distinct roles, including The Seeker, The People, and The Reformers, shape each movement as its own environment while contributing to a larger arc that audiences may sense intuitively from beginning to end.
Abstract in form yet guided by a clear progression, the ballet is shaped with intention while leaving space for audiences to engage freely and form their own understanding over time. Subtle evolutions in costuming and design suggest changes in relationship and perspective without overt declaration. The Leisurely Installation of a New Window approaches transformation not as a sudden rupture, but as a gradual, lived process shaped by negotiation, pressure, and collective presence.
“As an artist, I see choreography as a dialogue with the world—a continual exchange that engages with the intricacies of culture, history, and human experience. The body holds an extraordinary capacity to convey stories, whether abstract or narrative, and I view dance as a means of exploring the emotional and visual architecture that shapes them. My work seeks to create spaces where movement becomes a means of discovery, allowing dancers to express complexity, challenge boundaries, and connect meaningfully with the world they occupy,” said Stromile.
My’Kal Stromile received his BFA from The Juilliard School under the direction of Larry Rhodes, following training with Kim Abel, Ceyhun Ozsoy, Dereque Whiturs, and Anna-Marie Holmes at The School at Jacob’s Pillow. A 2014 U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts, an honor awarded by President Barack Obama, he has performed works by William Forsythe, Aszure Barton, Crystal Pite, Dwight Rhoden, and Jerome Robbins, among others. Stromile has danced with Bruce Wood Dance, Disney Productions, and Boston Ballet (2018–2024), where he became a Princess Grace Award nominee. Stromile has choreographed for Boston Ballet, including Form and Gesture in 2023, The Juilliard School, the Joyce Theater’s UNITE Ballet Festival, AILEY II, and Vail Dance Festival, among others. In 2024, he choreographed Word for Word for the Paris Opera Ballet, collaborating with CHANEL on costume designs and participated in the New York Choreographic Institute at New York City Ballet. He is the recipient of Juilliard’s Hector Zaraspe Prize in Choreography and was recognized with Choreographic Honors three consecutive years. Stromile considers himself a movement architect, taking a multidisciplinary approach to his practice, collaborating with artists and technologists.
The ballet is set to a new score titled Triptych by Boston Ballet Music Director Mischa Santora, featuring musical collaboration with Grammy Award winning guitarist Reeves Gabrels.
Gabrels is a highly regarded and versatile guitarist and composer known for his long-term collaboration with David Bowie (1988–2000), including the band Tin Machine, and his tenure with The Cure since 2012. His distinctive guitar playing is heard on The Cure’s Grammy Award winning 2024 album Songs Of A Lost World, its live follow-up Songs Of A Live World, and the 2026 concert film Show of a Lost World, as well as The Cure’s 2019 audio-visual release 40 Live (Curætion-25 + Anniversary). Acclaimed for his intuitive musicality and imagination, Gabrels brings a wide expressive range to his work, spanning melody, atonality, and harmonic and sonic exploration.
“For this piece, I decided to include a highly prominent electric guitar part, as its distinct sound sets it clearly apart from the classical symphony orchestra,” said Santora. “At times, the guitar forms a dramatic contrast to the orchestra, and at times it becomes part of the overall texture. Reeves' incredible energy and improvisational skills have been deeply inspiring throughout the creative process, and I cannot wait to hear it all come together live.”
Triptych will be performed live by the Boston Ballet Orchestra, joined by Reeves Gabrels, and renowned drummer Jonathan Kane.
The Dream
Sir Frederick Ashton's one-act The Dream tells the story of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night's Dream. Featuring mischievous characters, elaborate costumes, lighthearted humor, and a beloved score by Felix Mendelssohn, The Dream “is one of the most enchanting ballets ever created” (The New York Times). The Royal Ballet premiered The Dream in 1964 to celebrate Shakespeare’s quatercentenary, and it is one of Ashton’s most widely performed ballets. This marks the Boston Ballet premiere of this famous work. The score by Felix Mendelssohn will be performed live by the Boston Ballet Orchestra.
The ballet begins with Oberon, King of the Fairies, and his Queen, Titania, quarreling. Oberon commands his mischievous attendant Puck to fetch a magical flower whose nectar when dropped in the eyes, makes victims fall in love with the first living creature they see when waking. As Oberon’s plan unfolds, he and Puck interfere with the fates of four young lovers who wander into the forest, setting off a chain reaction of romantic mishaps and mistaken affections. Titania falls under the magic spell, and when she awakens, she is enamored with Bottom, a mortal transformed into a donkey. The forest becomes a place of playful chaos and misadventures. Eventually, Oberon softens, orders the spell reversed, and restores harmony. Titania is freed from enchantment, Bottom returns to his human form, and the couples are rightly reconciled.
Sir Frederick Ashton (1904–1988) is one of the most important choreographers of the 20th century. He enjoyed a celebrated performance career before becoming resident choreographer for Sadler's Wells Ballet in 1935, which became The Royal Ballet in 1956. He was named artistic director of the company in 1963, a position he held until his retirement in 1970. Over the course of his career, Ashton created more than 100 ballets, including Cinderella, Marguerite and Armand, and Les Patineurs.
The Dream is performed by arrangement with The Frederick Ashton Foundation and is one of over 100 ballets created by Frederick Ashton (1904–1988). These performances are given as part of the Ashton Worldwide 2024–2028 festival. For further information, visit frederickashton.org.uk.
All 10 performances of The Dream will take place at the Citizens Opera House (539 Washington St, Boston, MA 02111): |
