Houston Ballet Brings Stanton Welch's Chopin Ballet 'Sons de L'âme' to Segerstrom Center
The 2026–2027 dance season at Segerstrom Center for the Arts will commence with Houston Ballet's presentation of Stanton Welch's Chopin ballet, Sons de L'âme, from October 15 to 18 at 600 Town Center Dr., Costa Mesa. This production includes five live performances featuring pianist George Li playing Frédéric Chopin's compositions alongside 16 dancers. Originally premiered in Paris in 2013, the ballet was fully staged in the US for the first time by Houston Ballet in April 2023. The show runs for over two hours, including an intermission, with neutral costumes that highlight the music. Ticket prices range from $44 to $169, with performances scheduled for October 15–16 at 7:30 pm, October 17 at 2 and 7:30 pm, and October 18 at 1 pm.
Key facts
- Sons de L'âme runs October 15–18, 2026, at Segerstrom Center for the Arts, 600 Town Center Dr., Costa Mesa
- George Li plays Chopin live onstage at all five performances
- The ballet premiered in Paris in 2013, instigated by Lang Lang and choreographed by Stanton Welch
- The full ballet was not performed again until April 2026, when Houston Ballet gave its US premiere at the Asia Society in Houston with Li
- Welch cast 16 dancers, described as the company's top-ranking performers
- The work lasts a bit over two hours with an intermission
- Costumes are neutral shades close to each dancer's skin, with men bare-chested and women in sports-bra-like tops and jazz pants
- Tickets cost $44–$169
Entities
Artists
- Stanton Welch
- Lang Lang
- George Li
- Frédéric Chopin
- Ann Haskins
- Sebastien Mathe
- Julie Soefer
- Paul Marc Mitchell
- William Forsythe
- Ben Stevenson
- Carlos Acosta
Institutions
- Houston Ballet
- Segerstrom Center for the Arts
- Asia Society
- Music Center
- Australian Ballet
- Gramilano
Locations
- Houston
- United States
- Paris
- France
- Costa Mesa
- California
- Los Angeles
- Texas