Is ballet dead? That is the million dollar question after all. With the emergence of short-form content and streaming services taking over any semblance of live theatre, the chances of someone willing to sit down in an opera house to watch a two-hour long performance are slim to none. This question began to tug at my mind after I bought two tickets to see the Boston Ballet’s Fall Experience with the expectation that, surely, someone would be interested in watching it with me. But unfortunately, it was only me who sat in the mezzanine level in row H (I suppose that extra $35 will be my donation to the arts).

Perhaps it’s because I did ballet for ten years that I feel a profound connection to the art, but I do believe there is something meaningful about people taking time out of their day to sit in an audience chair for no other reason than the pure desire to enjoy art. Most commonly, people will bring their families to the ballet to watch The Nutcracker during the snowy season, but the Boston Ballet’s Fall Experience was a genuinely show stopping performance.

This annual program played from October 24 to November 3 with a total of eight shows. It featured four ballets, each with a different choreographer, based on the techniques and norms of contemporary and challenging traditional ballet .

As I sat down in my seat, I was giddy with excitement. After all, this was my first Boston Ballet show, and I hadn’t taken myself on a solo date for something this fun in a while. As the lights dimmed and a silent hush fell over the crowd, I sat up a little straighter in my seat to really take it all in.

The first performance, After, by choreographer Lia Cirio was having its world premiere right in the Boston theater. The lighting immediately caught my eye: back lights behind the dancers highlighted their shadowed silhouettes. The costumes were also cool, neutral tones with flowy fabric that allowed for lots of movement, and the women wore red leotards that peeked through their skirts. Cirio, according to En Face Magazine, took inspiration from paper sculptures which embody both vulnerability and strength, as shown by the different pas de deux. These partnered dances were unconventional yet intriguing—where dancers would usually point their toes, Cirio’s dancers flexed them back. The dancers would also lean on one another so as to create a mirage of entangled limbs.

The second stage was called Ein von Viel, choreographed by Sabrina Matthews, and focused on the intimate performance between two dancers of the same gender and one pianist. The piece worked to subvert the gender roles of a traditional pas de deux, which include a male and female. The two dancers moved, sometimes in sync, sometimes mirroring each other. At one point, one even left the stage while the other continued to dance, but the pair would always come back to each other, demonstrating the interconnectedness and reliance of two partners. As Matthews said, “the work explores human connection… perpetually push[ing] the boundaries of artistry and physicality.” Moreover, the pianist being on stage was a fascinating stylistic choice, as usually an orchestra or other sources of music plays offstage, that highlighted the intertwined connection between music and dance.

Jormo Elo’s Plan To B was the third and final piece before the intermission and introduced a change of pace from the previous two dances. Plan to B was an electric and stirring performance with striking, jerky arm movements—all technically precise. Even the music took a complete 180-degree shift; instead of just the piano, there was a mix of upbeat percussive instrumentals alongside it. As I sat up to watch closely, I could see each dancer’s muscles straining to hit every beat. Reflecting on how the performance focuses on the unpredictability of life and human choices, Elo said, “I think the nervous energy of the unknown, wanting to make this composition shine, is a big part of the ballet’s soul.”

And then, the time came for perhaps my favorite performance of the night, The Season’s Canon. Choreographed by Crystal Pite for the Paris Opera Ballet, this work focused on the worldly experience as interpreted through Vivaldi’s famous group of four violin concerti, “The Four Seasons.” This performance included a fifty-four dancer ensemble that moved fluidly like water, all in complete synchronization to create mass movement. Even the same-sex costume design reflected this—the men were topless and the women wore nude leotards to give the effect of unity. The performance embodied the meaning of illusion through intimacy and art. There was a clear demonstration of each season; for example, in autumn, all fifty-four dancers were lined up behind one another with arms outstretched to enact a tree slowly losing its leaves. In winter, the dancers started sprawling out on the ground as artificial snow floated down from the ceiling to create the somber tone of the season. I couldn’t help but stare in awe of the way each dancer’s body worked in tandem with one another.

Maybe I couldn’t find someone to come attend the show with me, but quite frankly, I would happily watch this ballet over and over again by myself if I could. The Fall Experience was a performance full of emotion, intimacy, beauty, and all the things that ballet evokes from its audience. Although most people watch ballet for the pure aesthetics of sparkly costumes and impressive arabesques, dance is really a form of expression and each choreographer uses their piece to convey a message. So, is ballet dead? I suppose that would be the case the day society decides to reject art entirely.