Sarasota Ballet performs a program with live music

It’s rare to see a dance performance set to live music. Audiences would prefer it, and dance companies would love to offer it, but logistics and economics make it largely impractical.

So there’s reason to get excited about the second program of the season from the Sarasota Ballet, this weekend at the Sarasota Opera House. The entire program of works by three choreographic groundbreakers — Frederick Ashton, Antony Tudor and George Balanchine — will be performed to live music. The pieces are Balanchine’s “Apollo,” Ashton’s “Sinfonietta” and Tudor’s “Gala Performance.”

The works are worth getting excited about, even if the music were recorded.

“Apollo” debuted in 1928 and is regarded by experts as Balanchine’s artistic coming-of-age ballet. “Apollo” centers on the Greek god of music who is visited by the three Muses (poetry, mime and dance), and his ascent as a god to Mount Parnassus. It’s set to music by Igor Stavinsky.

“Sinfonietta” is an abstract ballet for five men and one woman, which the Sarasota Ballet performed to outstanding reviews in New York in August. The music is by Sir Malcolm Williamson.

“Gala Performance,” with music by Sergei Prokofiev, takes place in a large theater during the 1800s. The opening scene is backstage where members of a ballet company, complete with ballet master, conductor and wardrobe personnel, are in the throes of last-minute preparation for a gala performance. It’s been called a satire on the disparate styles of ballet.

Details: Nov. 18-20 Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave., Sarasota. $30-$110. 7:30 p.m. Nov. 18, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday. 941-359-0099, sarasotaballet.org.

This story was originally published November 16, 2016 at 5:47 PM with the headline "Sarasota Ballet performs a program with live music."