{"id":700527,"date":"2026-04-02T22:05:23","date_gmt":"2026-04-02T22:05:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/700527\/"},"modified":"2026-04-02T22:05:23","modified_gmt":"2026-04-02T22:05:23","slug":"stage-notes-lauded-ballet-master-ben-stevenson-obe-has-died-tbt-to-honor-his-legacy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/700527\/","title":{"rendered":"Stage Notes: Lauded ballet master Ben Stevenson, OBE, has died; TBT to honor his legacy"},"content":{"rendered":"

Stage Notes<\/a>\u00a0is a weekly aggregate post about theater, classical music, dance, comedy and stage news, events, reviews and other pertinent information.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Stage Notes Calendar<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n

Opening this week:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Second Thought Theatre: Bull in a China Shop, opened Wednesday-through April 18 at Bryant Hall<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Improv Addison: Mon\u00e9t X Change, today-Saturday<\/a>, pictured.<\/p>\n

UT Arlington Department of Theatre and Dance: Hair, today-April 12<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Garland Symphony Orchestra: Shannon Lee, violinist, 7:30 p.m. Friday at the Granville Arts Center<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Pegasus Contemporary Ballet: Common Language, Friday and Saturday at the Kalita Humphreys Theater<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Soul Rep Theatre: Madam Queen, today-May 2 at the South Dallas Cultural Center<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Upright Theatre Co.: The Play That Goes Wrong, Friday-May 3<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Pocket Sandwich Theater: The Legend of DeadEye Mary, Friday-May 16<\/a>.<\/p>\n

TITAS\/Dance Unbound: Complexions Contemporary Ballet, 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Winspear<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Lucy Darling: Simply Darling Tour, 7:30 p.m. Sunday at the Winspear<\/a>.<\/p>\n

ATTPAC\/TITAS: Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders, 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Winspear<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Onstage now: <\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Reid Cabaret Theatre:\u00a0The Music of Fleetwood Mac, through Saturday at Casa Manana<\/a>.<\/p>\n

NTPA:\u00a0Hello, Dolly!, through Saturday at Willow Bend Center for the Arts<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Art Centre Theatre:\u00a0Masquerade of Shadows! A Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre Whodunnit!!, through Sunday<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Pegasus Theatre: Rehearsal for Murder!, through Sunday at Addison Performing Arts Center<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Amphibian Stage:\u00a0Did You Eat? (\ubc25 \uba39\uc5c8\ub2c8?), through April 12<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Broadway Dallas:\u00a0Some Like it Hot, through April 12<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Core Theatre:\u00a0Charley\u2019s Aunt, through April 12<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Fever:\u00a0SAW The Musical: The Unauthorized Parody of SAW, through April 12 at Theatre Too<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Onstage in Bedford:\u00a0Sylvia, through April 12<\/a>, pictured.<\/p>\n

Runway Theatre:\u00a0Young Frankenstein, through April 12<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Theatre Coppell: Mama Won\u2019t Fly, through April 12 at the Coppell Arts Center<\/a>. <\/p>\n

WaterTower Theatre:\u00a0Goodnight Oscar, through April 12<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Dallas Theater Center:\u00a0Ragtime, through April 19<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Jubilee Theatre:\u00a0Test to Testimony, through April 26<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Former Texas Ballet Theater Artistic Director Ben Stevenson, OBE, passed away at 89<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Ben Stevenson, OBE, the decorated and acclaimed ballet dancer, teacher and choreographer, passed away on Sunday, March 29, 2026. He was the former artistic director of Texas Ballet Theater and had a profound impact on dance that spanned decades and continents, shaping careers and elevating ballet companies to global prominence.<\/p>\n

\u201cBen was more than a mentor to me\u2014he was family. His artistry, his generosity, and his vision shaped not only my own journey as a dancer and leader, but also the very heart of Texas Ballet Theater. I will miss his wisdom, his humor, and his boundless passion for storytelling through dance. While my heart is heavy with grief, I am profoundly grateful for the decades of inspiration and love he shared with me and with this company. His spirit will live on in every performance, every dancer, and every audience moved by his work,\u201d Tim O\u2019Keefe, Artistic Director of Texas Ballet Theater said in this week\u2019s announcement. <\/p>\n

Born on April 4, 1936, in Portsmouth, England, Stevenson trained at London\u2019s Arts Educational School and was awarded the prestigious Adeline Genee Gold Medal, the highest honor from the Royal Academy of Dancing. By 18, he joined Sadler\u2019s Wells Royal Ballet (now The Royal Ballet) and later, became a principal dancer with London Festival Ballet.<\/p>\n

He arrived in the United States in 1968 where he led Harkness Youth Dancers in New York and co-directed National Ballet in Washington, D.C., choreographing works for the inaugural season of The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

In 1976, Stevenson became Artistic Director of Houston Ballet. Over 27 years, he transformed it into one of the world\u2019s leading companies, founding Houston Ballet Academy. His promotion of Lauren Anderson to principal dancer\u2014the first Black dancer to receive the title at Houston Ballet\u2014in 1990 was a landmark moment in American ballet. He later led Houston Ballet\u2019s 1995 tour of China, with opening night televised to more than 500 million viewers.<\/p>\n

In 2003, Stevenson became Artistic Director of Texas Ballet Theater (TBT). His acclaimed productions\u2014including Swan Lake, Romeo and Juliet, Cinderella, Dracula, and the parody The Nutty Nutcracker \u2014 were noted for his storytelling, wit and theatrical flair. <\/p>\n

In 2022, Stevenson was named Artistic Director Laureate in honor of his tenure as TBT\u2019s longest serving artistic director and his role in elevating the company as an internationally recognized ensemble.<\/p>\n

For his lifetime of achievement, Stevenson was named an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by Queen Elizabeth II in 1999. He also received three gold medals at the International Ballet Competition (1972, 1982, 1986), the Dance Magazine Award in 2000, and the Texas Medal of Arts in 2005.<\/p>\n

Bruce Wood Dance Dallas posts tributes to Stevenson<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"Ben Stevenson, OBE, with Bruce Wood Dance Dallas. (Courtesy photo)<\/p>\n

On Thursday, Bruce Wood Dance Dallas remembered Stevenson following his passing. <\/p>\n

\n

We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Artistic Director Laureate of Texas Ballet Theater, Ben Stevenson, O.B.E.<\/p>\n

A legendary artist, director, choreographer and mentor, Ben Stevenson left an immense mark on the dance world with his generous contributions to the art form. Known for his magnificent gift of storytelling, his choreographic works have been highly esteemed and sought after across the globe.<\/p>\n

We are so grateful to have had the opportunity to work with Ben last spring in his creation of \u201cMake Love, Not War\u201d for our company. We will forever cherish his passionate and generous spirit, his wealth of knowledge, and his gift of directing that he brought into the studio. We celebrate his remarkable legacy that will live on for generations to come.<\/p>\n

We extend our deepest condolences to his family, friends, and all who were touched by his extraordinary life.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

BWDD Executive Director Gayle Halperin posted a personal memory with the company\u2019s note. <\/p>\n

\u201cLast year Ben created a new work for us,\u00a0\u201cMake Love, Not War,\u201d\u00a0which premiered at our show in June 2025.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ll always cherish watching Ben create\u2014he transformed as he worked. He was so happy in the studio, expressing his images clearly and poetically to the dancers.<\/p>\n

He mentored with a beautiful, kind, and clear touch. Sharing personal stories about WWII, he painted a picture of\u00a0two individuals who meet by\u00a0chance and fall in love, even as bombs explode around them.Ben\u00a0felt every note of the music, translating that emotion into movement. What a truly magnificent, gentle, and sensitive choreographer.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014Gayle Halperin<\/p>\n

Texas Ballet Theater will host a virtual celebration of life for Stevenson<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Texas Ballet Theater announced Thursday that, while Stevenson\u2019s memorial service will be held privately, the company invites people to join the livestream celebrating his life and legacy. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe know many of you felt deeply connected to Ben and his choreography,\u201d the company stated in today\u2019s announcement. <\/p>\n

The service will be held Saturday, April 4 at 3 p.m. CST. Click here<\/a> to join the livestream. <\/p>\n

In lieu of flowers, TBT\u2019s invite\u2019s people to\u00a0make an honorary gift\u00a0in support of the new Texas Ballet Theater\u00a0Ben Stevenson\u00a0Campus set to open Spring 2026. <\/p>\n

\u201cThis new state-of-the-art facility will allow us to carry Ben\u2019s legacy forward for generations to come.\u201d<\/p>\n

To make a donation, click here<\/a>. <\/p>\n

\u2013Rich Lopez<\/p>\n

\n\tRelated<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Stage Notes\u00a0is a weekly aggregate post about theater, classical music, dance, comedy and stage news, events, reviews and…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":700528,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[5135],"tags":[5229,289983,167978,1596,15408,40651,15409,358,141057,3187,67,586,132,5230,68,2969],"class_list":["post-700527","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-dallas","tag-america","tag-ben-stevenson","tag-bruce-wood-dance-dallas","tag-dallas","tag-rich-lopez","tag-stage-calendar","tag-stage-notes","tag-texas","tag-texas-ballet-theater","tag-tx","tag-united-states","tag-united-states-of-america","tag-unitedstates","tag-unitedstatesofamerica","tag-us","tag-usa"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/116337385799981026","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/700527","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=700527"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/700527\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/700528"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=700527"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=700527"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=700527"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}