Houston Thomas
“I’m from the South Side, 99th and Throop. Went to school on the South Side, and then every day traveling downtown to go to ballet school. I’m really a Chicago boy, for sure.”
Houston Thomas’s dance career began in a Chicago Park District facility in the South Side’s West Chesterfield neighborhood. A strong initial spark has eventually led to training in New York City and a successful ballet career as soloist at the Dresden Semperoper Ballett.
And though he loved (and still loves) dance, he’s recently shifted his focus to choreography. Following early success with an in-house choreography program in Dresden, Thomas has secured commissions at from notable companies and dancers on both sides of the Atlantic to music of György Ligeti, Henryk Górecki, Max Richter, and Bryce Dessner. This growing recognition of his work has given him encouragement and motivation. But more fundamentally, and importantly, though, he reflects, “it fed my soul.”
Based again now in the US, Thomas balances commissions and projects from multiple companies. As someone focused on ballet, “America has more opportunities for new and young choreographers.”
His latest project premieres at Ravinia Festival with the Joffrey Ballet, and it’s set to music by another artist hailing from Chicago: legendary jazz pianist and composer Ramsey Lewis, who died in 2022.
WFMT spoke with Houston Thomas about his Chicago roots, his process and path as a choreographer, and the music of Ramsey Lewis.
WFMT: You’re from Chicago. Can you share about your connection to Joffrey?
Houston Thomas: The Joffrey institution is the reason I’m a dancer. Hands down. Without them, I would not be in this position for sure.
It starts on the South Side of Chicago, at a community engagement program at Tuley Park.
At this point, about 7 or 8, I was tapdancing and I was starting to be interested in trying other dance styles. My mom went on the hunt looking for ballet lessons for her son. And she worked for the park district, so through a colleague, she found out about these classes hosted by the Joffrey Ballet.
It was in the park’s gym, twice a week, directed by Pierre Lockett. He was the first person to teach me anything about ballet. And I just remember being in that gymnasium, looking at the basketball rim, and doing pliés. Crazy juxtaposition!
It started from there, and then it built to going to The Nutcracker. And then auditioning for The Nutcracker and being in the party scene. And then once the school opened, I was one of their first students.
WFMT: How did your career as a dancer lead you to choreography?
Thomas: When I went to see The Nutcracker as a little boy, I remember thinking, “Oh I would love to be on that stage.” But I also remember saying, “I would love to create something like that.” It’s something that’s been with me for a very long time. I felt I needed that experience as a dancer, and I’ll eventually find my way to choreography.
It always stayed with me.
As a choreographer, I don’t think I am reinventing the wheel, I think I am showing my own type of wheel. What color it has, what type of design, so to speak. Ballet is a language that I play with. I break it up, I make new words, I make new sentences with this language. I find things that speak to me, whether that’s music, whether that’s something I see in the street or on the news, or someone approaches me with an idea, like Ramsey Lewis, if it speaks to me, and I can understand the value that it brings to me, then I’m game.
WFMT: Where did the idea to choreograph to music of Ramsey Lewis come from?
Thomas: It was Ravinia, through the collaboration with Joffrey, reaching out to me to create a new ballet using Ramsey Lewis’s music. So, I went on a deep dive into his discography to see what stuck out, what stayed with me weeks later.
I fell for “Watercolors.” It really provides classicism to me, and I wanted to provide that in the ballet.
The other two pieces — “My Babe” and “Sun Goddess” — are more upbeat and vibrant, have that groove. I mean, “Sun Goddess” is to live for. You have Earth, Wind & Fire on there!
WFMT: The score is performed by The Urban Knights — who collaborated with Ramsey Lewis — and pianist Richard D. Johnson. What does this live sound lend to performance?
Thomas: This is my first time working with live musicians for any of my works. It’s cool to see what live music can do. You could feel the blood in the music.
Ramsey Lewis
WFMT: You’re working with Joffrey on a program that also features choreography by company co-founder Robert Arpino. You’re creating works to music from a Chicago music legend. How does arriving at this moment feel?
Thomas: That little kid, Houston, on 99th and Throop, just having these dreams of creating works. And now seeing my name next to some of the biggest choreographers. It’s wild. I’m always pinching myself. It’s a really cool thing.
Joffrey Ballet performs to Music of Ramsey Lewis and More on September 13, 2024. For ticketing and information about the performance, visit ravinia.org. For more information about Houston Thomas, visit houston-thomas.com.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
