Art lovers and aficionados of theater and dance alike will find much to enjoy in State Street Ballet’s season opener, Starry Night.

An original multimedia production about the life of Dutch painter Vincent Van Gogh, Starry Night will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Thursday and 2 p.m. Sunday at The Granada Theater, 1214 State St.

Starry Night was conceived and choreographed by celebrated New York choreographer William Soleau. He has created more than 80 ballets on companies around the world, including acclaimed State Street Ballet productions of Carmina Burana and Appalachian Spring.

In Starry Night, Soleau uses an “audacious” structure for a highly dramatic effect that reviewers have called “refreshing in the chances it takes.” Video technology introduces 270 of Van Gogh’s paintings as the virtual canvas on which the dancers create nuances of color and movement.

The story is told in Van Gogh’s own poetic words through extensive correspondence with his brother Theo, portrayed by actor Michael Daniels. These letters and Van Gogh’s striking artworks are the backdrop for a revealing look into one of the truly great artists of the Modern period. Musical selections in the ballet include works by Béla Bartók, Antonín Dvořák, Gabriel Fauré, Gerald Finzi, Alan Hovhaness, Andrzej Panufnik, Camille Saint Saëns, Dmitri Shostakovich, Antonio Vivaldi and Anton Webern.

Tickets for Starry Night are available through The Granada box office at 805.899.2222, or click here to order online. Tickets range from $23 to $58 (including facility fee).

Click here for details about the performance, including dancer bios.

Bonus event: In collaboration with the Santa Barbara Downtown Organization’s First Thursdays arts-related community events, State Street Ballet will provide access to The Granada backstage and a glimpse of the dancers warming up and preparing for the performance from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Thursday.

— Barbara Burger is the marketing director for the State Street Ballet.