Choreographed by artistic director Stanton Welch in 2013 (Julie Kent has been co-artistic director since 2023), and set to a dozen pieces of Frédéric Chopin—an array of ballads, nocturnes and hummable waltzes—the work was accompanied by the gorgeous playing of pianist George Li, and had the feel of an intimate journey of a ballet dancer—times 20. 

Originally premiered in Paris at the historic Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in 2013, the piece then featured superstar pianist Lang Lang, who was about to release an album of Chopin, and who approached Welch with the idea for this original project. Its aim was to demonstrate the relationship between dancers and the musician. 

Indeed, that intention was nobly realized. With no set and Holly Hyne’s simple rehearsal attire—the women in nude-colored bandeaux and tight pants; the bare-chested men also sporting tight pants—the piece began with the entre cast onstage, a kind of balletic lifeform that moved as one. With Li, who has been praised for his “depth of expression” by the Washington Post, performing “Ballade No. 1” in G minor, the dancers then ceded the stage to Angelo Greco, who provided soloistic oomph with articulated feet, quarter turns and an elegant line.

Furthering the notion of romantic ballet, “Sons” was a showcase for spellbinding solos, complex duets and intriguing ensembles, with Danbi Kim and Aaron Robison bringing Chopin’s Etude in C-sharp Minor to terpsichorean life: her sky-high extensions and his cavalier-like refinement made their obvious joy in physicalizing the music contagious. So, too, were soloist Sayako Toku and Eric Best giving every step emotional meaning in “Ballade No. 2,” their fervor, coupled with fine technique, making the pair a sight to behold.