Ventana Ballet & Austin Camerata present Flower Shop

Ventana Ballet and Austin Camerata are teaming up at East Side Performing Arts (ESPA) for the world premiere of Flower Shop, a new contemporary ballet. It's a six-night run: September 10-12 and 17-19, so you've got two weekends to fit it in. The show is set in a flower shop that hides a secret speakeasy behind a red door, and it's performed in an intimate black-box theater where you're just a few feet from the dancers and the musicians.

The music is live, not a recording. Austin Camerata will be on stage playing an original piano quartet by American composer Michael Alec Rose, and the ballet is choreographed by AJ Garcia-Rameau. Garcia-Rameau, who also directs Ventana Ballet, says the piece is about simplicity and gratitude—a reminder to slow down and "smell the roses."

There's some history here, too. Austin Camerata's artistic director, Daniel Kopp, has worked with Rose's music before, most recently for the 2022 premiere of BEAUTIFUL WORLD at KMFA. Ventana Ballet, which Garcia-Rameau founded, is now in its eighth season here in Austin, and Austin Camerata has been around since 2016, establishing itself as one of the city's leading chamber-music ensembles.

Doors and the cocktail lounge open at 6:15 PM, with the performance starting at 7 PM. There's a 15-minute intermission, and a post-show reception at 9 PM. A full bar by Tito's Handmade Vodka is open before the show and during the break. The production is recommended for ages 12 and up.

Tickets are tiered by where you sit: VIP front row seats in the yellow zone are $50, VIP bar-height stools in the green zone are $40, and general admission seats in the blue zone are $30, plus sales tax and the ticketing platform fee. You can find them at ventanaballet.com.