Houston Ballet’s Ryan Williams Brings Passion to Rock, Roll & Tutus

The undeniable feeling of knowing what you were born to do is one that few people get to experience. For Ryan Williams, a corps de ballet dancer with the Houston Ballet, an innate talent and a desire to dance has always been woven into his life story. Williams is set to perform at the Wortham Theater Center in Rock, Roll & Tutus, a mixed program that blends classical and contemporary styles—including one ballet set to recognizable hits from a beloved rock band.

“Every year, my parents would watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade on TV. Since the age of three, I would memorize the Rockettes and Broadway numbers. Eventually my parents were like, ‘We need to put this guy in dance classes,” the Phoenix native recalls. “I started out as a jazz, tap, hip-hop, contemporary, and recreational competition dancer. By the age of 12, I really fell in love with the art of classical ballet.”

The 21-year-old strives for perfection in his craft, the result of many years of hard work. “I came to Houston Ballet for a summer intensive in 2017, and they offered me a short-term stay in 2018,” he says. “In 2019, I came back for the Academy program, and this is now my fourth season in the company.”

“It’s been so cool to have Julie Kent as one of our co-artistic directors. She’s been a ballet icon for so many years, and to get that one-on-one coaching from her has been incredible.”

Williams moved to Houston in 2022 and has fallen for the city’s arts and food scenes, along with all the cultural goodness that the inner loop has to offer. From a young age, he had Houston in his sights. “Houston Ballet has always been a dream company of mine ever since I stepped into classical ballet training.” He explains the gravitational pull classical ballet has on him by pointing to the human connection he feels with his onstage partners. “Being in the Academy and watching the company for so many years, seeing how all the male dancers were so in tune with how to partner with all of these women, was so inspiring.”

Rock, Roll & Tutus is performed in four acts. “There are four different pieces,” Williams explains, “which is very fun and challenging for all the dancers involved. I cover all the pieces, so I’ve had to learn all four. It’s been really fun to dive into each aspect of them because of how different each piece is. It’s a mix of everything under the sun that you would want to see from a ballet production.”

Among the four ballets is ISHIDA’s what i was thinking while i was waltzing, a dance originally choreographed by famed choreographer Brett Ishida for a Houston performance in 2024, which included Williams. Thinking back to that ballet, Williams reflects, “It’s been an easier transition than I would have thought, but it’s also been fun because I’ve had the opportunity to explore different things inside of the piece that I wouldn’t have thought of or tried before.” A goal for the company has been to honor the original choreographic process while giving audiences a fresh performance. “How do we amplify this structure into something more, since it’s already been done here?” Williams ponders. “I’ve put so much work into one-upping myself from the last time, which has been a really fun challenge.”

Another piece in Rock, Roll & Tutus is Rooster, a contemporary dance set to eight classic Rolling Stones tracks. “My dad is a huge rock music lover, so of course I knew the music of the Rolling Stones,” Williams says. “The blending of classical ballet into a rock aspect comes very second nature for me. I grew up performing two-and-a-half minute pieces to pop songs, so to have this outlet to do something similar has been so fun for me and for everyone—especially because the movement style is a bit more contemporary.” Rounding out the production are Illuminate and Vi et animo, which combine to create a truly unique ballet experience.

“This program offers a little taste of everything. You will have the Rolling Stones songs set to a movement style you usually don’t see from the Houston Ballet dancers,” Williams says. “Then you get a more contemporary European-style type of dancing choreographed by Jacqueline Long, one of our dancers and choreographers. There’s a classic Stanton Welch 40-minute ballet piece with tutus, pointe shoes, partnering, and more. It’s a roller coaster of all different styles. The different aspects of dance inside of this one program are so different from other ballets we put on, and audiences are really going to love it.”

WHAT: Houston Ballet’s  Rock, Roll & Tutus
WHEN: September 18–28
WHERE: Wortham Theater Center
INFO: tinyurl.com/bde27afk