In the heart of Boston, under Janet Echelman’s impressive canopy, the Boston Ballet opened its 52nd season with a stimulating and pulsating dance that leaves you yearning for more. Enveloped in the lush nature of the Rose Kennedy Greenway and Echelman’s “As If It Were Already Here," the city’s five-o’clock chaos evaporated as the suspenseful music stole the scene. Twelve male dancers gracefully danced around and with each other to produce a moving pyramid from this year’s Boston Ballet’s epic, Third Symphony of Gustav Mahler: A Ballet by John Neumeier.

The event opened with a quick introduction by Boston Ballet’s Art Director Mikko Nissinen about the upcoming 2015-2016 ballet season. Nissinen radiated enthusiasm and pride as he explained that the Boston Ballet would be the first North American company to perform the piece. Next, the dancers and french horn accompanists took their places. The dancers wore white tights, which created a contrast with the rich green trees around them and the dark orange display of the sunset. Once the music commenced, the dancers spurred into action. In the span of a few minutes, the dance progressed from soft and tender, to elegant and pulsating. The same routine was repeated a few times in different positions for the photographers to get the dance from alternating angles. The dancers began by moving from groups of four into a circle, while one dancer remained in the middle. As the music escalated, the surrounding dancers synchronized with the beat of the music to lift up the dancer in the center. With each repetition, the steps, gestures, and expressions, combined to express a feeling of rebirth or reawakening.

Although many of the spectators anticipated a more comprehensive and elaborate first look at Third Symphony of Gustav Mahler: A Ballet by John Neumeier, it was a wonderful opportunity to grasp the spirit and cadence of the epic. The event’s objective of bringing the public together to witness the first taste of Boston Ballet’s new season under Echelman’s piece was moving and refreshing. It was a rare and innovative opportunity to experience the ballet - a casual and warm invitation to Bostonians with a keenness to experiencing new forms of art and dance.

For those who were left desiring more, Neumeier's piece will begin October 22, at the Boston Ballet. Tickets available via Boston Ballet Box office, 539 Washington Street, Boston, MA or online at bostonballet.org.