Witness the beauty and tragedy of Vincent Van Gogh's life through this original contemporary ballet inspired by his paintings.
Kingsport Ballet Presents
Vincent
June 26–28, 2026
Ballas Health Performing Arts Center at Northeast State
Art and dance collide
This brand-new contemporary ballet is an exploration of the relationship between Vincent Van Gogh's life and his art. Vincent - the genius and prolific painter - battles his darker, troubled self on the stage. By bringing his favorite painting themes to life through the art of dance, this production tells the story of Vincent's struggle with mental illness with empathy, heartache, and beauty.
Vincent features original choreography, hand-painted backdrops, and carefully curated costumes inspired by Van Gogh's "Sunflowers", "Starry Night", and other works. The ballet is choreographed by Leonid Flegmatov, Erika Ballard, Irma Cardano, Raleigh Shelton, and Erica Dew, and is brought to the stage in a collaborative effort with other exceptionally talented contributors.
This performance contains mature themes related to mental health and is recommended for ages 10 and up, or at parents’ discretion.
Vincent is returning to the stage June 26–28, 2026! Our 2026 production will feature the full-length ballet from 2025, along with new, never-before-seen choreography. Join us to experience the artistry first-hand!
Praise for Vincent
"The ballet was indescribable! Classical, somehow enmeshed with modern and folk? Even the bird-like lateral head moves were executed to perfection!"
"We don't have adequate words to express how good it was! We had tears in our eyes more than once watching them dance... thank you, thank you!"
“Vincent was fabulous!! What an amazing concept that grew into a ballet production! Kudos to you, your staff and all the dancers!!”
"I went to the performance yesterday and was blown away. I felt so moved by all the heart and work that went into it..."
"That was incredible! I can understand (it) in New York, maybe, but for here? This is amazing work!"
"[Our friends] raved about how wonderful the program was, not just the dancers, but the music and the artwork that created the total effect. They were blown away."
"Overall, I thought the concept coming to life, the storytelling, the libretto, the design, and the dancing were really great and well executed. I'm really proud of you all!"
