Madison Ballet
Darren Lee
Madison Ballet dancer Alex Vrba.
Madison Ballet dancer Alex Vrba.
media release: 7 pm 10/29-30, 2 & 7 10/31, 2 pm 11/1.
Madison Ballet will open its 45th season, Coming Into View, with the world premiere of Jekyll & Hyde, a powerful new contemporary ballet choreographed by Artistic Director Ja’ Malik and Rehearsal Director Richard Walters.
Presented October 29 - November 1, 2026, at the MYARTS Starlight Theater, Jekyll & Hyde brings a familiar story into a striking new world of industrial London, exploring the darkness that can emerge when ambition, desire, and human nature collide.
Rather than simply retelling Robert Louis Stevenson’s iconic tale, Madison Ballet’s Jekyll & Hyde uses movement, music, visual design, and theatricality to examine the psychological transformation between two opposing identities. The production asks a timeless question: What happens when we give our darkest impulses permission to take control?
“Jekyll & Hyde is about the duality that exists within all of us,” says Ja’ Malik, Artistic Director and choreographer of Madison Ballet. “I’m interested in the space between who we present to the world and who we become when we allow ourselves to cross a line. Through dance, we can explore that transformation in a way that is visceral, physical, and deeply human.”
The production will feature the full company of Madison Ballet dancers as well as seven of our School of Madison Ballet Trainee’s immersed in a contemporary visual environment inspired by the industrial landscape of London with video and lighting design by Julie Ballard and costumes by Janessa Urwin. Scaffolding, projection, lighting, and movement will create a world that shifts alongside Jekyll’s transformation, blurring the boundaries between reality and the darker forces taking hold.
The production will incorporate music by acclaimed composer Michael Nyman, including selections from the McQueen soundtrack, creating an intense and atmospheric foundation for Malik and Walters choreography.
“Opening our 45th season with a world premiere contemporary story ballet reflects where Madison Ballet is today,” Malik adds. “We honor the power and history of ballet while continuing to challenge ourselves, our dancers, and our audiences to see what this art form can become.”
Jekyll & Hyde launches Madison Ballet’s 45th season, Coming Into View, a season centered on artistic discovery, bold voices, and the continuing evolution of the company. The season reflects Madison Ballet’s commitment to presenting both the power of classical ballet and new works that push the art form forward.
For tickets and additional information, visit Madison Ballet at www.madisonballet.org/jekyll-hyde-info
ABOUT MADISON BALLET
Madison Ballet is Madison, Wisconsin’s second largest professional ballet company and resident company of Overture Center for the Arts. For more than four decades, Madison Ballet has brought the transformative power, passion, and precision of dance to audiences throughout the Madison community and beyond
The company’s mission is to foster a deep appreciation for ballet and make this beautiful art form accessible to all. Through professional performances, innovative new works, education, and community engagement, Madison Ballet is committed to creating meaningful experiences that connect artists and audiences.
Madison Ballet’s 45th season, Coming Into View, continues the company’s evolution by bringing together classical tradition, contemporary choreography, live music, and new artistic collaborations.
