The Boston Ballet under the artistic direction of Mikko Nissinen is delivering fantastic and ultra modern performances, while outside, the dreams of many to dance in public are realized because one choreographer is willing to take his training on the road. Plus, Godzilla saves the day again, and looks good doing it. 

Pricked Presented by Boston Ballet, it plays at the Boston Opera House through May 18th.

Études is a classical masterpiece by Harald Lander, set to a series of piano studies by Carl Czerny that illustrates the progression of a ballet class. With this performance, Boston Ballet is at its absolute best—perfection, in fact—and the two contemporary pieces, Zuska's breathtaking D.M.J.1953-1977 and Alexander Ekman's Cacti, are showpieces demonstrating the company’s strength.

Le Grand Continental Presented by Celebrity Series, it takes place in Copley Square with three performances May 16-18.

This infectious, gigantic performance of line dancing first occurred in 2009 with 60 dancers at Montreal’s Festival TransAmériques. It has since traveled to Mexico, New York City, Philadelphia and Portland, Oregon. Created by choreographer Sylvain Émard with non-professional dancers who commit to weekly lessons, the preparation is intense. Émard told me in an recent interview, “I’m demanding. To the very end, I’ll be pushing. Sometimes they say ‘are we done now?’ and I say, ‘No, no, no we continue’. I also want to share with them what I do, and I think it’s a matter of respect by not saying ‘Oh you’re fine, oh you’ll do fine.” I really want them to be at their best, so I’m really pushing their limits.”

Godzilla, In theaters Thursday night.

The world’s most revered monster is reborn with the help of new director Gareth Edwards, who delivers a powerful story of human courage and reconciliation in the face of titanic forces of nature. But size always helps. The awe-inspiring Godzilla rises to restore balance as humanity stands defenseless.

Coming up on Open Studio:  An interview with poet Afaa Michael Weaver, recently honored with the prestigious Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award, and we’ll look at the dance extravaganza Le Grand Continental, including interviews with its choreographer and a family in which three generations of women signed up to perform.

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