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On Nov. 7, dancers from the Harvard Ballet Company (HBC) took to the Loeb Proscenium stage for their fall show. This semester’s production, “Nocturne,” did not simply weave dance into a single narrative. Instead, it was made up of 17 short pieces featuring a wide variety of dance styles, ranging from classical to contemporary. Despite the diverse collection of storylines, costumes, and music, HBC tied everything together with their theme “Nocturne,” which focused on balancing both tranquil and volatile elements.

For the first time, the show also featured Candela, Harvard’s premier Latin dance troupe. Candela members performed in five of the 17 acts — performances that included salsa and several variations of bachata.

HBC provided significant creative autonomy to the student and guest choreographers involved in the production, in addition to inviting professional artists such as Abigail Simon, who dances with Chicago’s Joffrey Ballet School, and Pemberley Ann Olson, of the San Francisco Ballet, to help coach members of the company. Simon, in particular, arrived with expertise from working with legendary choreographer Christopher Wheeldon, who adapted the Broadway version of “An American in Paris.” An excerpt from the musical was included in “Nocturne,” serving as the show’s finale.

Clara C. Thiele ’28 played the role of Lise, the female lead of “An American in Paris.” She danced a pas de deux with guest dancer Austin Dabney and described the piece as her favorite out of the ones in which she participated.

“We danced together, and it’s a little love story — very cheeky. It’s been really fun to do partnering, which I haven’t done that much in the past,” Thiele said.

Not only did “Nocturne” showcase the dreamy, romantic aspects of the night, it also delved into some of the more somber — or even terrifying — ones. Student choreographer Katy E. Nairn ’26 centered her piece “On the Hunt” around Gothic elements. She was inspired by ballet productions like the Royal Ballet’s “Dracula” and “Frankenstein” and chose to use instrumentalist Peter Gundry’s music in the background to further accentuate the sense of drama and spookiness.

“I was into watching some of the stuff that’s done by the Royal Ballet. They have a really, really cool piece called ‘Metamorphosis,’ where they have this guy — it’s based on the Kafka short story — and he’s turning into a bug on stage. So I was looking at all these different ballet pieces where there were elements of horror or monstrosity through ballet, which is typically something beautiful and super poised.
I was interested in trying to capture a little bit of that with this piece,” Nairn said.

Nairn’s vision was brought to life by the dancers’ precise execution. Audience member Caitlyn Hancock expressed admiration for the HBC members’ talent, surprised by the variety of emotions evoked by the show.

“I haven’t seen a lot of ballet, but there are a lot more moments of tension and fear than I expected, so that was cool. I didn’t expect to see that at the ballet,” said Hancock.

Designing and developing the production required a lot of dedication and hard work. Directors Emma Nagler ’26 and Olivia G. Callander ’26 spearheaded the small details of the show — from hosting auditions to teaching warm-up classes. They were also tasked with designing a program order that facilitated quick changes and other logistical matters, as well as spreading out different dance styles and atmospheres.

“We like to weave in classical work with contemporary pieces. Also, ranging between pieces that might be just a duet versus ones that are a larger number with a cast of maybe 20 people in it — just to get the audience engaged. For people who are not familiar with ballet, this is their first show, and we like to make it very entertaining for them,” Callander said.

An example of the directors’ thoughtful arrangement was placing the contemporary piece “Five to Nine” immediately after a classical excerpt from “The Little Humpbacked Horse.” As ballerinas in tutus and pointe shoes took their bows and exited the stage, a new group in shirts, ties, and socks entered. The mood shifted and the music picked up pace. Moving swiftly on from a story about a magical talking horse, the dancers now explored the passing of time in modern society.

Candela was the “heart of both acts,” according to Nagler, and their partnership with HBC added a layer of novelty to the production.

The preparation for the show varied per piece, allowing HBC members to decide how much time they wanted to commit this semester. For example, those who participated in Simon’s intensive choreography weekend had rehearsals on consecutive days for about four to six hours at a time, while others chose pieces that did not involve as much pointe work. Despite differences in preparation for different pieces, HBC served as a welcoming space for upperclassmen and lowerclassmen alike to bond and share their talent.

“I was dancing at a very high level before coming to college, so going from training every day to having other priorities such as academics and extracurriculars that you have to balance on top of rehearsals was definitely tough, and still staying in shape enough to perform well. That’s definitely been the challenge that I’ve had to work on, even from freshman year — managing my time and energy,” dancer Jacqueline S. Lane ’28 said. “That gets difficult, but Harvard Ballet Company is such a welcoming and inclusive space. I don’t dread going to rehearsal or going to class.”

Through “Nocturne,” HBC showcased the multifaceted talent and professionalism of its members. In addition, the program focused on diversity in both content and style, paying tribute to tradition while tapping into new forms.