Memphis knows how to tell a story.
It’s in our music, our art and the way we connect with each other. And for 40 years, Ballet Memphis has been telling those stories — just in a different way. Through movement. Through music. Through moments you don’t always expect.
This season, we’re celebrating 40 years. But honestly? This isn’t just about looking back. It’s about where we’re going and how Memphis is part of that.
Ballet… But Memphis
If you’ve never been to Ballet Memphis, you might think you know what it is. But, you probably don’t.
Yes, there’s technique. Yes, there’s tradition. But what we do is shaped by this the city’s sound, culture and its people.
We collaborate with local artists. We pull from Memphis music. We create work that feels like here, not somewhere else.
Because Memphis doesn’t do generic. And neither do we.
Why This Moment Matters
Forty years is a big deal. But it also feels like the right moment to ask bigger questions.
How do we connect more as a city?
Where do we come together?
What helps us see each other differently?
That’s where the arts come in.
Dance isn’t just something you watch. Rather, it’s something you experience. It puts people in the same room, feeling something at the same time. No phones, no distractions. Just connection.
And right now, that kind of shared experience matters.
Why You Should Come (Even If You’ve Never Been)
You don’t need to “get” ballet to come.
Just come.
Come because you’re curious.
Come because you want to feel something different.
Come because you want a night out that actually sticks with you.
This 40th season was built for that. You’ll see:
- Contemporary work set to music you recognize, from Roy Orbison to UNAPOLOGETIC.
- Reimagined classics that don’t feel stuffy (yes! Peter Pan actually flies!)
- Pieces created right here with Memphis artists
There’s something for longtime fans and people walking in for the first time, and for the first time in years we have a subscription so you save 20% and never miss a show.
It’s Bigger Than a Performance
When you show up, you’re not just buying a ticket.
You’re supporting:
- Arts education for Memphis kids
- Programs that make dance more accessible
- A creative community that keeps this city moving forward
You’re investing in Memphis.
What 40 Years Means
I’ve been part of Ballet Memphis for more than 20 years, first as a dancer, now as artistic director.
What’s kept me here is simple: this place never stands still.
We’re always asking how to go further, reach more people and create something that matters.
That’s what this season is about.
Not just 40 years behind us, but a lot of momentum ahead.
To learn more about the 40th season and about Ballet Memphis, visit balletmemphis.org.
This blog was written by Steven McMahon, artistic director, Ballet Memphis
Steven McMahon was born in Glasgow, Scotland, where he began his dance training at The Dance School of Scotland. In 2001, Steven moved to the United States to continue his studies at the Ailey School in New York City, where he graduated with honors. In 2004, Steven joined Ballet Memphis as a company dancer and, for the next 13 seasons, danced in much of the company’s original repertoire by noted choreographers such as Julia Adam, Trey McIntyre, Mark Godden, Matthew Neenan, and Gabrielle Lamb.
In 2005, Steven created his first work, “What Your Soul Sings,” for the dancer-produced program Interiorworks. Soon after, Ballet Memphis’s Founding Artistic Director, Dorothy Gunther Pugh, named him Choreographic Associate. Since then, Steven has created over 40 original works that show a great range in scale and style. Major full-length productions for Ballet Memphis include Dracula, Peter Pan, Cinderella, Romeo and Juliet, and the Wizard of Oz. Steven continues to expand his repertoire with works such as A Rare and Gentle Thing, which is danced to the music of icon Dolly Parton, and This Form Shall Rest by bluegrass/folk musician Rhiannon Giddens. Steven has collaborated with several Memphis-based artists and musicians, including visual artist Erin Harmon (Flyway), Memphis record Label Unapologetic and the Memphis Symphony Orchestra for his dance film Out of the Blue; his work Confluence was performed at the Joyce Theater in NYC; his works I AM and Being Here with Other People have been seen at the Spring to Dance Festival in St Louis.
Steven received the Young Scots Achiever Award in 2001. He graduated from the New Memphis Leadership and Development Institute and is a fellow of National Arts Strategies Senior Leadership and the Salzburg Global Seminars Young Cultural Innovators program. Steven is a member of Dance Memphis, which promotes dance in his adopted city. In 2018, he was named Artistic Director of Ballet Memphis, a position he still holds today.
