Vitacca Ballet to Perform LAUNCH at Miller Outdoor Theatre

Free Friday night show invites community to experience world-class dance under the stars

Friday, May 30, 2025 | 12:00 p.m.

Arts & Culture

HOUSTON, TX – One of the most acclaimed contemporary ballet companies in the region is inviting audiences to a free performance next week in the heart of Houston. Vitacca Ballet will debut LAUNCH, its summer-season opening performance, on Friday, June 6, 2025, at 8:30 p.m. at Miller Outdoor Theatre.

The outdoor event is open to the public with free covered-seat tickets available online the day before the show and lawn seating open on a first-come basis. Audiences are encouraged to bring blankets, friends, and family to enjoy an evening of high-caliber dance under the stars.

LAUNCH features works by internationally known choreographers Garrett Smith, Ethan Colangelo, Hélène Simoneau, and Houston native Alana Jones. The evening also includes a performance by the Vitacca Ballet Studio Company in an original piece by Ilya Kozadayev featuring Aubrey Daniels, a 2025 Prix de Lausanne candidate.

Artistic Director Kelly Ann Vitacca, who founded the company in 2020, says the performance explores themes of new beginnings and discovery. "We’re creating space for bold storytelling and connection," she told the Houston Chronicle. “It’s dance that people can connect with.”

Named “Best Dance Show” of 2024 by Texas Arts & Culture Magazine, Vitacca Ballet is known for blending classical ballet with contemporary forms. Pointe Magazine called out the company’s 2023 duet from choreographer Garrett Smith as one of the year’s “12 Standout Performances.”

Audiences at Miller Outdoor Theatre will see the same level of artistry without a ticket price. Covered seating is free but limited to four per person, available online starting at 10 a.m. on Thursday, June 5. Lawn seating requires no tickets and opens one hour before the show.

Miller Outdoor Theatre is located at 6000 Hermann Park Drive in Houston.

For tickets and seating details, visit milleroutdoortheatre.com or VitaccaBallet.org.

By The Woodlands Student Center Staff