The Tacoma City Ballet continues its 53rd season with a new collection of works and in a new venue. It’s Bohemian is a collection of six new dance pieces combining live music provided by members of the Northwest Sinfonietta, original choreography, and special costume design courtesy of celebrated glass artist Dale Chihuly. And the company is performing for the first time at the Broadway Center’s Theater on the Square.



The production’s name draws on a pair of concepts — one focusing on “bohemian” cultural traditions of European gypsies, and the other on the image of 19th Century musicians, dancers and other artists whose divergences from mainstream life and lifestyle earned them the title of “Bohemians.”



“We’re playing on both of those aspects,” explains Tacoma City Ballet artistic director, Erin Ceragioli.



The gypsy angle is embodied in a work called “Abiav,” which means “wedding feast,” in which the dancers perform to the music of Bartok Romanian folk dances, wearing gypsy-style costumes. The bohemian (with a lower case ‘b’) aspect is represented by the gathering of artists from multiple forms to combine their respective views and styles collaboratively.



The bohemian/Bohemian concept has also allowed TCB to continue its season-long focus on performing new works, Ceragioli says. One new work, “The Polonaise,” is new in several respects; company member Blake Yorek composed and will perform the dance’s music. While the music, “Venetian Angels” by Mendelssohn, will be performed by guest pianist Leslie Doermer, the costumes for “Venetian Angels” are making their debut appearance. Each was designed and painted by Dale Chihuly.



Another original work in the TCB Spring celebration is “Pepe’s Café,” a dance-filled recreation of a French Café (traditional mecca for artists, writers and musicians). Music for this piece was composed by Northwest Sinfonietta member Neil Andersson, (Pearl Django) who will perform the work with Sinfonietta director and conductor Christophe Chagnard.

Chagnard and Andersson are joined by other members of the Northwest Sinfonietta Quintet for still other works in the collection, including Dvorkak’s “Serenade for Strings,” choreographed by Ceragioli.



In keeping with its Bohemian inspiration, then, It’s Bohemian is characterized by its diversity, it’s variety, in its eclectic blending of color and style, of varied styles of music and dance.



And what effect does all this variety have? “I think it makes it more interesting,” Ceragioli suggests. “I think that even people who don’t have a penchant for classical ballet will find it entertaining. It’s colorful, there are live musicians, plus different styles of dancing and music.”



And it’s all new. TCB’s 53rd season as a whole has been characterized by an emphasis on new works, Ceragioli adds. The company’s Halloween program, for example, included the performance of an original one act ballet. All of this seasons performances (including The Nutcracker) have featured live music, too.



And the company has added one more “new feature.” TCB’s artistic director is pleased to have the chance to debut the new collaborative program at the Theater on the Square venue. “The stage is almost as big as the Pantages (where the company has traditionally performed),” Ceragioli explains, “but it’s a very intimate house … and I think it’s going to make the ballet more intimate.”



[Pantages Theater, It’s Bohemian, Friday, March 28 7:30 p.m., Saturday, March 29 2 and 7:30 p.m., $25, 901 Broadway, downtown Tacoma, 253.591.5894, www.broadwaycenter.org]