Staff Reports | Happenings & Events
Ballet Arizona will bring back its outdoor performance series, “Ballet in Bloom: An Evening at Desert Botanical Garden,” from May 13–30, featuring two works presented in a single evening.
The performances will include the U.S. premiere of Reset by Ballet Arizona Artistic Director Daniela Cardim and Lar Lubovitch’s Concerto Six Twenty‑Two, according to a press release.
Set outdoors at Desert Botanical Garden, the series combines live dance performances with the desert landscape at sunset. The updated format presents a double‑feature program highlighting contemporary and classical choreography in the same performance.
Reset, choreographed by Ms. Cardim, explores themes of modern urban life and human interaction, moving from conflict toward resolution. The work is set to a score by Gabriel Prokofiev that blends classical and electronic music elements.
Concerto Six Twenty‑Two is choreographed by Lar Lubovitch and is inspired by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s clarinet concerto. The ballet features quartets, duets and solo performances set to the composer’s music.
“I am honored to bring the U.S. premiere of Reset to Arizona,” Daniela Cardim, artistic director of Ballet Arizona, said. “This ballet holds a special place in my heart and sharing it with this community is deeply meaningful to me. ‘Ballet in Bloom’ offers a rare opportunity to experience the artistry of dance set against the beauty of Arizona’s desert landscape, and it is a performance I believe audiences will not want to miss.”
All performances begin at 8 p.m. Seating options include table seating and stadium‑style general admission. Patrons may arrive early to watch Ballet Arizona company dancers warm up before the performance, as well as purchase food, cocktails or wine at the venue.
Admission to “Ballet in Bloom” also includes access to Desert Botanical Garden prior to the performance.
The Ballet Arizona performance series at Desert Botanical Garden is supported by F. Francis and Dionne Najafi of Pivotal Foundation, Barbara and Donald Ottosen, Desert Botanical Garden, Plexus and Twiford Foundation.
