Ballet, Brooklyn style

By Meredith Deliso

The name may be Brooklyn Ballet, but the game is fusion.

“From Baroque to Hip Hop,” the company’s new production running at its Downtown space from March 3 to 13, shows the evolution of ballet, from its roots in the French court to its genre-bending reimaginings in the 21st century.

The program features obscure dances from the Baroque era, some presented for the first time in more than 150 years; representations of ballets from the 19th and 20th centuries, including work by George Balanchine; and the world premiere of “Close to You,” a new piece by Brooklyn Ballet Artistic Director Lynn Parkerson that unites ballet and hip hop dancers, forgoing tutus for graffiti-scrawled costumes by ymx and yellowman.

“We’ll be experimenting with mixed-movement fusion, reviving rarely seen ballets and paying homage to the great George Balanchine,” said Parkerson. “What could be better?”

“From Baroque to Hip Hop” at the Schermerhorn [160 Schermerhorn St. between Hoyt and Smith streets in Downtown, (718) 246-0146], March 3-13. Tickets $25 ($15 for students and seniors). For info, visit www.brooklynballet.org.