On pointe: ‘Planets’ and Mendelssohn

What’s on: “The Planets” and “Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto”

“The Planets” backstory: Gustav Holst’s famous suite surveys the planets that were known when it was composed in 1914, excluding Pluto. It characterizes the Roman gods for whom the planets were named, including Mercury’s fleetness, Venus’ femininity and Jupiter’s exuberance, inspiring Carolina Ballet artistic director Robert Weiss and choreographer-in-residence Zalman Raffael to create this new ballet. Durham artist Guy Solie’s mobile sculptures add further visualization.

“Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto” backstory: Raffael was awarded a New York Choreographic Institute Fellowship grant to create a piece with nine company dancers in a two-week workshop in 2014. His ballet to Felix Mendelssohn’s romantic, three-movement violin concerto was deemed worthy of a public showing, with these performances its stage premiere.

Where and when to see it: Memorial Auditorium, Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts, 2 E. South St., Raleigh. 8 p.m. Sept. 24-26; 2 p.m. Sept. 26-27.

Tickets: $32.03 to $72.59including tax (student rush $20)

Info: 919-719-0900 or carolinaballet.com

This story was originally published September 19, 2015 at 11:32 AM with the headline "On pointe: ‘Planets’ and Mendelssohn."