Kenneth Tindall's Project #1. Photograph : Cheryl Angear

You know that feeling, when you’re just about to drift off to sleep and your brain keeps throwing out random thoughts and ideas that keep you awake, often because you’ve no idea where they came from ? That lack of control over your own thoughts, emotions and ideas became the launch pad for Northern Ballet Premier Dancer Kenneth Tindall’s Project #1, to Dinah Washington and Max Richter’s This bitter earth – On the nature of daylight. Project #1 was created last summer as part of an internal choreographic workshop at Northern Ballet and following it’s success, Artistic Director David Nixon invited Tindall to elongate the work to form part of an upcoming mixed bill called Perpetual Motion.

Tindall had never conceived of anything beyond his initial work, so the challenge he readily accepted was to find two new pieces of music that would compliment the plaintive & highly evocative This bitter earth. Before the workshop, choreography hadn’t been part of Tindall’s repertoire either, but he has been bitten by this new creative bug and his growing confidence (thoughtfully nurtured by Nixon) is evident even in early rehearsals for Project #1.

Contemporary in style but with a scattering of pointe work, Tindall has fused the beautiful, precise lines of classical ballet that we all love with the freer upper body movements of contemporary dancers.

Tindall uses video to record his work from many different angles in the studio and then, rather than spend precious rehearsal time working out what should stay or go, he edits the work just as a film director would edit a movie.  He can reverse the moves too, and feels it’s important for him and his dancers to see the work as the audience sees it.  Having the video in the studio means that the dancers can watch it back and save their sore muscles at the end of a long day – when they could be prone to injury through tiredness – and the rehearsal is still a very productive process.

Although there is no narrative as such, all ideas have to come from somewhere and Tindall has used the framework of the brain sending out thoughts, messages and ideas which translate through different groups of dancers on stage; each represents a different fibre of the invisible thread and they all respond to one another. From an audience perspective, linking the dancers in this way means that there is always something new to watch, wherever you look.

It’s an intriguing concept and the extra minutes of new music are blending seamlessly with the existing choreography to produce an important debut for Tindall that is varied, thoughtful, stirring, physical and fierce.

Perpetuum Mobile by Christopher Hampson. Photograph : Cheryl Angear

Christopher Hampson revives Perpetuum Mobile, danced to Bach’s Violin Concerto in E Major and provides a sharply classical contrast to the other pieces on the bill. It’s tough on the dancers as there are no linking steps; it’s literally one lift or spin after another so very thrilling to watch.

This mixed bill promises to show off the company dancers in a variety of styles and takes place in the Stanley & Audrey Burton Theatre which is housed within Northern Ballet’s wonderful new home on Quarry Hill. It’s a more intimate venue than a regular theatre to which the company so often tours, and if you book tickets you’ll see the dancers making it look easy while knowing that it’s anything but.

Ballet Event listing

Perpetual Motion

Thursday 9th – Saturday 18th February 2012

Box office : 0113 220 8008 or book online at Northern Ballet’s website.

The two galleries below contain rehearsal images of Project #1  and Perpetuum Mobile.

All photographs © Cheryl Angear.  NO UNAUTHORISED REPRODUCTION.

Project #1. Choreography : Kenneth Tindall.

[Show as slideshow]

Perpetuum Mobile.  Choreography : Christopher Hampson.

[Show as slideshow]

Sadlers Wells, London

The Royal Ballet’s ex-principal dancer Sergei Polunin (you might have heard – he quit last week) takes to the Sadlers Wells stage with Ivan Putrov, Igor Kolb, Elena Glurdjidze, Daniel Proietto and Aaron Sillus for the aptly titled Men in Motion - which closes tomorrow.

Men in Motion Photograph : Elliott Franks

Men in Motion explores the beauty of the male form in motion and includes excerpts from La Spectre de la Rose and Narcisse.

Polunin is next scheduled to dance in London at the Russian Icons Gala, this year honouring Anna Pavlova,  on March 4th 2012.

Watch Sergei Polunin dance the role created on him in Christopher Wheeldon’s  Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

All photographs © Elliott Franks. NO UNAUTHORISED REPRODUCTION.

[Show as slideshow]

PACIFIC NORTHWEST BALLET PRESENTS APOLLO & CARMINA

April 13-22, 2012

Marion Oliver McCaw Hall

321 Mercer Street, Seattle Center

Seattle, WA 98109

April 13-14 at 7:30 pm

April 19-21 at 7:30 pm

April 14 & 21 at 2:00 pm

April 22 at 1:00 pm

SEATTLE, WA — Pacific Northwest Ballet continues its 39th season with a potent program of masterworks, Apollo & Carmina. From Greek gods to 13th century monks, this blockbuster double-bill reaches through centuries to resonate with powerful impact. Apollo & Carmina runs for eight performances only, April 13 through 22 at Seattle Center’s Marion Oliver McCaw Hall. Tickets start at $28 and may be purchased by calling 206.441.2424, online at Pacific Northwest Ballet’s website, or in person at the PNB Box Office at 301 Mercer St.

In conjunction with Apollo & Carmina, PNB will be presenting Balanchine Then and Now, a special lecture-demonstration featuring PNB founding artistic director Francia Russell, artistic director Peter Boal, and PNB company dancers.  See “Special Events” below for more info.

Apollo

Music: Igor Stravinsky
Choreography: George Balanchine © The George Balanchine Trust
Staging: Peter Boal

Apollo, George Balanchine’s oldest surviving ballet, was his first international success as well as the start of his remarkable collaboration with Igor Stravinsky. Choreographed in 1928 for the Ballets Russes and known originally as Apollon Musagète, Apollo is widely regarded as the fountainhead of contemporary classicism. The depiction of “a wild, half-human youth who acquires nobility through art” (Balanchine), Apollo is instructed by three Muses: Terpsichore, muse of dance and song; Polyhymnia, muse of mime; and Calliope, muse of poetry. Considered “worth every accolade ever bestowed upon it” (DanceView Times), Apollo “has acquired a mythical aura of its own” (New York Times).

Carmina Burana

Music: Carl Orff
Choreography: Kent Stowell

Pacific Northwest Ballet founding artistic director Kent Stowell’s magnificent rendering of Carl Orff’s 1937 musical cantata, Carmina Burana, has played to sold-out audiences since its 1993 premiere. The famous cantata’s poems about the fickleness of fortune, the joy of renewal, and the perils of sin come vividly to life in the shadow of Ming Cho Lee’s colossal 26-foot golden wheel as Stowell’s evocative choreography, a 72-voice chorale.

TICKET INFORMATION

Tickets ($28-$168 advance) may be purchased through the Pacific Northwest Ballet Box Office:

• By Phone – 206.441.2424 (Mon.-Fri. 9am–6pm; Sat. 10am–5pm)
• In Person – 301 Mercer Street, Seattle (Mon.-Fri. 10am–6pm; Sat. 10am–5pm)
• Online
• Subject to availability, tickets are also available 90 minutes prior to each performance at McCaw Hall, 321 Mercer Street.

SPECIAL EVENTS AND DISCOUNT OFFERS

BALANCHINE THEN AND NOW

Tuesday, April 3, 5:30-7:00 pm

The Phelps Center, 301 Mercer Street, Seattle

PNB founding artistic director Francia Russell and artistic director Peter Boal join PNB Company dancers for an exploration of the work of George Balanchine over the span of the great master’s career, focusing on his earliest work still performed – Apollo. Tickets for this special event are $20 and may be purchased through the PNB Box Office, by phone, in person or online.

BALLET PREVIEW — FREE
Tuesday, April 10, 12:00 noon
Central Seattle Public Library, 1000 Fourth Avenue, Seattle
Join PNB for a free lunch-hour preview lecture at the Central Seattle Public Library. Education Programs Manager Doug Fullington will offer insights about Apollo & Carmina, complete with video excerpts that illuminate the ballets being discussed. FREE of charge.

PNB LECTURE SERIES & DRESS REHEARSAL
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Lecture 6:00 pm, Nesholm Family Lecture Hall at McCaw Hall
Dress Rehearsal 7:00 pm, McCaw Hall
Join PNB artistic staff, choreographers, and/or stagers during the hour preceding the dress rehearsal. Attend the lecture only or stay for the dress rehearsal. Tickets are $12 for the lecture, or $25 for the lecture and dress rehearsal. Tickets may be purchased through the PNB Box Office by phone (206.441.2424), in person (301 Mercer Street) or online (pnb.org).

PRE-PERFORMANCE LECTURES
Nesholm Family Lecture Hall at McCaw Hall
Join Education Programs Manager Doug Fullington for a 30-minute introduction to each performance, including discussions of choreography, music, history, design and the process of bringing ballet to the stage. One hour before performances. FREE for ticketholders.

POST-PERFORMANCE Q&A
Nesholm Family Lecture Hall at McCaw Hall
Skip the post-show traffic and enjoy a conversation with Artistic Director Peter Boal and PNB dancers. Immediately following each performance. FREE for ticketholders.

Listen to the Ballet!

Saturday, April 14, 7:30 pm

PNB partners with 98.1 Classical KING FM to bring listeners some of the world’s most popular ballet scores, featuring the Pacific Northwest Ballet Orchestra direct from McCaw Hall. Tune in to KING FM for an opening weekend performance of Apollo & Carmina. Only on 98.1 fm or online at king.org/listen.

STUDENT AND SENIOR RUSH TICKETS
Subject to availability, half-price rush tickets for students and senior citizens (65+) may be purchased in-person with valid ID, beginning 90 minutes prior to show time at McCaw Hall.

$15 TICKETS FOR 25 & UNDER
All Thursday and Friday performances: April 13, 19 & 20 at 7:30 pm
One ticket for $15 or two for $25 for patrons 25 years and younger! To purchase tickets, contact the PNB Box Office at 206.441.2424 or visit 301 Mercer Street. This offer is good for April 13, 19 & 20 performances only. Offer is subject to availability and not valid on previously purchased tickets. Each attendee must present valid ID upon ticket retrieval.

TEEN TIX
PNB is a proud participant of Seattle Center’s Teen Tix program. Teen Tix members, 13 to 19 years old, can purchase tickets to PNB performances and other music, dance, theater and arts events for only $5. For more information about joining Teen Tix or to view a list of participating organizations, visit Seattle Center’s Teen Tix webpage at seattlecenter.com/teentix.

GROUP SALES
Discounts are available for groups of 10 or more. For group tickets, please call 206.441.2416, email juliej@pnb.org or use PNB’s Online Group Builder (at pnb.org) which assists audience members to gather friends, family and co-workers to see any performance and save.

#   #   #

Apollo & Carmina is made possible by presenting sponsor Seattle Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs, and major sponsor the Nesholm Family Foundation. PNB’s performances of Kent Stowell’s Carmina Burana are generously underwritten by Peter & Peggy Horvitz. PNB’s 2011-2012 Season is proudly sponsored by Microsoft Corporation. Additional season support is provided by Artsfund, the Seattle Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs, and 4Culture – King County Lodging Tax.

Schedule and programming subject to change.

David Bintley’s production of Hobson’s Choice

A mixed bill Spring Passions

Venue and booking information:

Birmingham Hippodrome: Tickets: 0844 338 5000

Birmingham Royal Ballet is delighted to return to the Birmingham Hippodrome stage from 22 February to 3 March.  The Company will perform their Spring season in their home town with two programmes, David Bintley’s earthy comedy Hobson’s Choice, and a mixed bill Spring Passions.

Hobson’s Choice                                                      22 – 25 February

Hobson’s Choice, created by David Bintley, enjoyed its world premiere in 1989 performed by Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. It received a standing ovation the likes of which hadn’t been seen since the premiere of Frederick Ashton’s La Fille mal gardée, and has remained hugely popular ever since. Now this story of boots, booze, love and laughter will take to the Birmingham Hippodrome stage for six performances only.

Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Hobson’s Choice, a combination of a tender love-story, hilarious comedy and a foot-tapping musical is based on Harold Brighouse’s well-known play.  The ballet tells the rags to riches tale of the humble boot-maker Will Mossop, whose talent could take him far, if only someone would push him in the right direction.  The girl for the job is headstrong Maggie Hobson.

The story unfolds as Hayden Griffin’s magnificent set and costume designs take the audience from a nineteenth century shop to a Victorian park. The company dances to the music of composer Paul Reade, composer of theme tunes for The Antiques Roadshow and The Flumps. Lighting is by John B. Read.

Spring Passions                                                                   29 February – 3 March

(Daphnis and Chloë / The Two Pigeons)

Two uplifting stories of young love’s survival when tested to breaking point continue the Company’s 2011/12 season at Birmingham Hippodrome.

Considered by many to be Maurice Ravel’s greatest orchestral score and with choreography by Frederick Ashton, Daphnis and Chloë is one of the many great ballets from the outstanding legacy left by Sergei Diaghilev and the Ballets Russes. On an island in ancientGreece, lost in their love for each other, Daphnis and Chloë struggle against jealous rivals and marauding pirates to be together, but ultimately only the power of the god Pan can reunite them.

The second ballet in the Frederick Ashton double bill takes us from a Greek island paradise to a poignant Parisian idyll. The Two Pigeons tells of a young man growing up and finding himself frustrated with the immaturity of his fiancée. He flies the nest, leaving her to her tears and falls in with a group of wild gypsies. The young girl pursues him and battles for his heart with a gypsy beauty. The beauty’s jealous lover beats the young man to within an inch of his life. Realising what he has given up, he returns to his apartment inParis, into the forgiving arms of his sweetheart. Ashton’s 1961 version of this romantic classic, which has been in the repertory continuously since its original premiere in 1886, features some of his best choreography. The closing reconciliation pas de deux, which features two live pigeons, is a true tear jerker and a favourite in galas the world over. A lush romantic score by André Messager perfectly compliments the drama and emotion of the dance.

PERFORMANCE DIARY FOR THE 2012 BIRMINGHAM SPRING SEASON

Hobson’s Choice

Birmingham Hippodrome:      22 to 25 February

Spring Passions (Daphnis and Chloë / The Two Pigeons)

Birmingham Hippodrome:      29 February to 3 March

The Prix de Lausanne is celebrating its 40^th anniversary. 40 years of excellence and passion in fostering the stars of tomorrow. Since 1973, the challenge launched by Philippe and Elvire Braunschweig, founders of the Prix de Lausanne, is met each winter with the same creative energy and artistic rigor.

Created in 1973, the Prix de Lausanne is an annual international competition for young dancers aged 15 to 18. Its goal is to discover, promote and support the world’s finest young talents. 65 of the world’s most prestigious dance schools and companies, such as the Royal Ballet School of London, the School of American Ballet in New York, and the Béjart Ballet Lausanne, are associated with the Prix de Lausanne and support its activities.

One of a kind, the Prix de Lausanne represents an exceptional platform for discovering youthful talents and is open to dance professionals who can observe and establish contacts with the candidates, thereby transforming Lausanne into the world’s capital for young dancers during the week of the competition.

79 candidates of 19 different nationalities were selected on the basis of the videos submitted by the 226 entrants and will be competing in Lausanne for a week. At the end of the selection round, on Friday, February 3^rd, 20 candidates will have been chosen to perform in the finals on Saturday, February 4^th.  8 of them will be leaving with a year-long scholarship to one of the 65 prestigious Prix de Lausanne partner schools and companies.

There is only one candidate from the United Kingdom – Max Maxlen (Central School of Ballet), though this is an improvement on last year. The United States has 7 candidates and Japan takes the lead with 20. China has 11, Brazil 6, Korea 6, Australia 5, Spain 4, and the remaining nationalities make up the total of 79.

The jury, composed of 9 personalities of the dance world, all prize winners of the Prix de Lausanne, will be presided by the Director and Choreographer of the Ballets of Monte-Carlo, Mr Jean-Christophe Maillot (prize winner 1977).

In the finals, during the jury deliberations, the public will be able to admire three short performances danced by the students of the Royal Ballet School of London and the Royal Danish Ballet School of Copenhagen, both partner schools of the Prix de Lausanne.

An exceptional Gala will take place on Sunday, February 5^th, 2012, at 5 pm at the Beaulieu Theater with 25 artists, most of them prize winners of the Prix de Lausanne. The pas de deux will be danced by Principals of the Ballet of the National Opera of Paris, the Royal Ballet, and the Ballets of Monte-Carlo among others.

Prix de Lausanne Gala dancers

Some of the dancers performing at the Gala are :

Yuhui Choe and Ryoichi Hirano from The Royal Ballet, dancing Ashton’s Thäis.

Federico Bonelli and Hikaru Kobayashi from The Royal Ballet, dancing La Belle au Bois Dormant (3rd act pas de deux).

Bernice Coppieters and Asier Uriagereka from Les Ballets de Monte Carlo, danicng Maillot’s Altro Canto.

Polina Semionova and Friedmann Vogel from Stuttgart Ballet, dancing Cranko’s Romeo & Juliet.

Leanne Benjamin and Tom Whitehead from The Royal Ballet, dancing Marriot’s Sensorium.

Anna Tsygankova and Matthew Golding from Dutch National Ballet, dancing Don Quixote pas de deux.

The Prix de Lausanne wishes to celebrate this anniversary with the citizens of Lausanne and invites them to share key moments in the life of the competition. Some events are not to be missed: until March 1, an exhibition at the CHUV “The Prix de Lausanne through 40 years of posters”; a photo exhibit on the Grand-Pont “from shadow to light”; and a programme of dance films at the Swiss Cinematheque starting on February 13.

And for the first time, the finals will be commented live on the web in 4 languages by four prize winners – on the Prix de Lausanne website.

Tickets for the finals and the gala are on sale at the Opéra de Lausanne: +41 (0)21 310 16 00 or online.

In addition to the finals, some of the competition activities are open to the public from Tuesday, January 31^st to Thursday, February 2^nd and all day Friday 3^rd. Tickets are on sale at the entrance: 10 Swiss francs from Tuesday to Thursday, 20 Swiss francs on Friday.

Children aged 7 to 15: free of charge (children under 7 not admitted).

World Premieres by Aszure Barton in September 2012 and Edwaard Liang in March 2013 Highlight Season

Stanton Welch Stages New Production of The Rite of Spring in March 2013 to Mark Centennial of Landmark Work

Company Premieres of George Balanchine’s Ballet Imperial, Mark Morris’s Pacific, and Twyla Tharp’s The Brahms-Haydn Variations

Trey McIntyre’s Full-Length Peter Pan Returns to the Repertoire in June 2013

Cullen Series Returns with Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal in February 2013

HOUSTON, TEXAS - Houston Ballet Artistic Director Stanton Welch has announced the company’s 2012-2013 season.  Six new works enter Houston Ballet’s repertoire, including world premieres by Aszure Barton in September 2012 and Edwaard Liang in March 2013; company premieres of George Balanchine’s Ballet Imperial, Mark Morris’s Pacific, and Twyla Tharp’s The Brahms-Haydn Variations; as well as a new staging of The Rite of Spring by Mr. Welchin March 2013.

“This season’s repertory is truly exciting with two new works by Aszure Barton and Edwaard Liang, who are both young, talented, and in demand choreographers. I personally am looking forward to creating my own version of The Rite of Spring in honor of the one hundredth anniversary of the premiere of this milestone work,” comments Mr. Welch.  “Peter Pan and La Bayadère are works that were created especially for Houston Ballet over the last decade, and our audiences will be able to see the growth of the company as the dancers return to these pieces. Iam very excited that Jim Nelson has accepted the position of executive director.  As a former dancer, he brings a special understanding of the creative process, and he also has a deep knowledge of the company’s operations from his decade of service as general manager.”

The 2012-2013 season will mark the first full season under the new leadership of executive director James Nelson, who takes the helm on February 15, 2012. A native of Portland, Oregon he has spent his career in the dance world moving from professional dancer to administrative leader. “Jim Nelson is known as one of the rising stars among young managers in the dance field.  It is highly unusual, and desirable, to find a chief executive for a ballet company with Jim’s unique combination of experience as a ballet student, dancer, and successful administrator.  The fact that all that experience has happened at Houston Ballet makes him an ideal choice to partner with Stanton in leading the company,” states San Francisco Ballet Executive Director Glenn McCoy.

Madame Butterfly, One of the World’s Great Love Stories, Launches the 2012-2013 Season in September 2012

From September 6-16, 2012, Houston Ballet will revive artistic director Stanton Welch’s signature work Madame Butterfly on a program with his one-act ballet Clear. Set to Puccini’s memorable score, in an arrangement by John Lanchbery, Madame Butterfly chronicles the love story of the beautiful geisha Cio-Cio San who is betrothed to marry the handsome American, Lieutenant Pinkerton.  The production unfolds dramatically on Peter Farmer’s picturesque sets, which beautifully evoke the mystery and languor of 19th century Japan. Opening the program is Mr. Welch’s explosive and sensual work Clear, set to music by Bach.

Premiered by The Australian Ballet in 1995, Madame Butterfly was Mr. Welch’s first full-length ballet.  The two-act work tells the story of the beautiful geisha Cio-Cio San who renounces her faith and her family to wed Lieutenant Pinkerton, the handsome American naval officer who is betrothed to another.  The centerpiece of the work is a ravishing wedding night pas de deux for Pinkerton and Cio-Cio San, which closes the first act.

Since its premiere, Madame Butterfly has become Mr. Welch’s international signature piece, having entered the repertoires of Houston Ballet, The National Ballet of Canada, Royal New Zealand Ballet, Singapore Dance Theatre, Boston Ballet, Atlanta Ballet, Ballet West, and Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre.

“Madame Butterfly is a wonderful and famous love story, along the lines of Romeo and Juliet,” says Mr. Welch.  “Returning to this ballet, Houston audiences will be able to see the maturity of our dancers as they return to roles and bring new levels of richness to the story.  It will also be exciting to watch new casts of young company members who are quickly making a name for themselves in the dance world.”

At the ballet’s Houston premiere, Marene Gustin of the Houston Press wrote, “Houston Ballet needs more story ballets like this one…the company really danced, flowing through the choreography and shining in the storytelling.”  (September 26, 2002) Houston Ballet last performed Stanton Welch’s Madame Butterfly in 2007.

Mr. Welch’s Clear is an abstract work, for seven men and one woman, showcasing Houston Ballet’s male dancers and set to music by Bach.  Noted fashion designer Michael Kors created the costumes for Clear.  Sleek and sexy, Mr. Kors’s flesh-toned designs focus the attention on the dancers, emphasizing the emotional impact of Mr. Welch’s choreography. Mr. Kors, who lives near the Joffrey Ballet School in Chicago, was inspired by the students he sees every day in their layers, which influenced designs for some of his collections. 

Women@Art Showcases Influential Female Choreographers September 20 – 30

From September 20-30, 2012, Houston Ballet presents Women@Art featuring a world premiere by Aszure Barton, the company premiere of Twyla Tharp’s The Brahms/Haydn Variations, and the return of Julia Adam’s Ketubah on a program of all female choreographers. With this program, Houston Ballet becomes one of the only American ballet companies to devote an entire program to the work of three living female choreographers.  Houston Ballet is proud to nurture and support the careers of female dance makers.  “It’s rare and exciting for a major ballet company to curate a program featuring the works of three women,” states Houston Ballet Artistic Director Stanton Welch. “In many respects, ballet choreography can be a very male dominated field.”  

Aszure Barton has been called a “brilliant” and “audacious” choreographer by the world’s leading dance critics.  Britain’s Globe & Mail remarked, “The brilliant New York-based Barton produces delectable works that are quirky, deep, cheeky, and poignant. Her quicksilver, unpredictable movement always astonishes the eye.” Ms. Barton’s premiere for Houston Balletwill mark the first time she has choreographed on the company.

“Aszure’s work is European contemporary, very much about dance theater instead of dance in general,” comments Houston Ballet Artistic Director Stanton Welch. “Her choreography is funnywith an edge to the work. For her world premiere with Houston Ballet she is planning on using the full company.”

Ms. Barton was born and raised in Canada. She received her formal training at National Ballet School in Toronto where she helped originate the Stephen Godfrey Choreographic Showcase. She has created works for Mikhail Baryshnikov, Hell’s Kitchen Dance, The National Ballet of Canada, Nederlands Dans Theater, American Ballet Theatre, Les Ballets Jazz de Montréal (Resident Choreographer 2005–2008), Sydney Dance Company, The Juilliard School, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago and Martha Graham Dance Company, among others. In 2006 Ms. Barton choreographed the Broadway revival production of The Threepenny Opera directed by Scott Elliott. She is the founder and director of Aszure Barton & Artists, a New York based international dance project and her works continue to tour nationally and internationally. She is an artist in residence at The Banff Centre in Canada and Baryshnikov Arts Center in New York City, and was proclaimed the Ambassador of Contemporary Choreography in Alberta, Canada.

Twyla Tharp’s The Brahms-Haydn Variations will have its Houston Ballet premiere. The work was originally premiered in 2000 by American Ballet Theatre and subsequently toured to Washington D.C. and Berlin, Germany.  Sarah Kaufman of The Washington Post remarked “It is a marvel of musicality, soaring flight, understated wit and seamless design.” (March 22, 2000)Time Out New York critic Gia Kourlas raved “As she railed against the composers completely unreasonable symmetry, frequently mimicking a mad conductor in order to help the audience follow the score, Tharp delivered the performance of a lifetime.” (May 2000)

“Twyla is the world’s most famous living American female choreographer. She took ballet mainstream and made it popular,” states Mr. Welch. “She has become a household name because of her success in all aspects of dance in the arts: Broadway, film, and operas.”

After graduating from Barnard College in 1963, Ms. Tharp founded her dance company, Twyla Tharp Dance in 1965. A leading choreographer of modern dance and ballet, Ms. Tharp rose to prominence during the dance boom of the 1960s and 1970s. In the mid-1970s, she began to cross over into ballet choreography. Her American Ballet Theatre debut, Push Comes to Shove, wasvery popular with audiences, and became a signature work for Mikhail Baryshnikov.  Ms. Tharp went on to create several ballets for Baryshnikov, including The Little Ballet, Once More Frank, and the choreography for Baryshnikov and Gregory Hines in the film White Nights. Her dance style is a combination of modern dance and ballet, and is set to a variety of music types, including classical and popular.  In addition to choreographing for her own company and ABT, she has created works for other companies including The Joffrey Ballet, Paris Opera Ballet, The Royal Ballet, New York City Ballet, Boston Ballet, Hubbard Street Dance, Martha Graham Dance Company, Miami City Ballet and Pacific Northwest Ballet.

Houston Ballet has one other work by Ms. Tharp in its repertory, In the Upper Room, which had its company premier in 2010.

Julia Adam’s Ketubah was the first work by the celebrated young choreographer to enter Houston Ballet’s repertoire in 2004.  Set to live klezmer music by The Best Little Klezmer Band in Texas, Ms. Adam’s work is inspired by the rituals of a traditional Jewish wedding, following one couple from first glance to wedding night.

Ketubah is a Hebrew term referring to the marriage contract signed by the bride and groom on their wedding day.  A work involving 16 dancers – eight women and eight men – the ballet features movement that is a mixture of several styles.  “I’m classically trained,” Ms. Adam explains, “so I’m taking from that world, but there are contemporary and folk elements in the ballet.  I’m also pulling shapes from Jewish folk dance.”

The piece begins with a lighthearted game of “musical chairs” that serves to introduce the bride and groom, and then flows through the elements of a Jewish wedding, including a ritual bath, the groom’s party, the unveiling of the bride, the ceremony under the chuppah – the wedding canopy – and finally ending with a celebration.  Ms. Adam uses a single design element throughout the piece to unify and emphasize the underlying theme.

Comments Ms. Adam, “I take a piece of fabric that morphs from the mikvah – the bath where the bride immerses herself to cleanse her hands, feet, and body – and becomes her veil.  Bedecken, the unveiling, is when the groom looks at the bride and sees that it is the woman he’s supposed tomarry.  The veil then turns into the chuppah, and the chuppah becomes the sheet that was historically used in the marriage bed.  The ballet ends with festivities, and the last song is ‘Mazel Tov.’”

Ketubah is set to klezmer music, a uniquely evocative style integral to the once vibrant Eastern European Jewish culture, which is frequently played at Jewish weddings.  Ms. Adam choreographed her ballet to music recorded by a Houston-based group, The Best Little Klezmer Band in Texas, which will perform live.  The band embraces the past by drawing upon the musical influences of the Yiddish-speaking culture of old-world Europe, and melding them with the infectious rhythms of America’s jazz age.  The 11 piece ensemble is known for its spirited performances of Jewish folk songs and traditional wedding dances, haunting, lyric melodies of East European Jews, fiery virtuosic Gypsy showpieces, and dazzling theater music, all infused with an electrifying world-beat.

Of her inspiration for Ketubah, Ms. Adam says, “I began with the idea of this wedding. I’m pulling from Eastern European Jewish Ashkenazi ritual.  Pulling from ritual and tradition makes good theater.”  She looked to her own family and roots when creating the ballet.  “I’m Jewish, so it’s coming from my background,” she said.  “I’m visiting a part of my life.  I married a non-Jew, but had a Jewish wedding: a rabbi, the chuppah, the whole thing.”

Ms. Adam, a former principal dancer with the San Francisco Ballet, began her choreographic career in 1993.  She has created numerous pieces for San Francisco Ballet including: The Medium is the Message (1993), Once is Enough (1994), Night (2000), and Imaginal Disc(2003). Night has become a signature work for the San Francisco troupe, and the company has performed it at London’s Royal Opera House, at the Palais Garnier in Paris and at New York’s City Center.  Reviewing Night for Dance Magazine, Janice Ross wrote, “Adam’s brilliance inNight resides in the way she can generate and sustain a very complicated stage picture, one that starts deep in the physical actions of each of her eleven dancers.”

Houston Ballet Celebrates 25th Anniversary of Ben Stevenson’s dazzling production of The Nutcracker

From November 23-December 30, 2012, Houston Ballet celebrates the silver anniversary of Ben Stevenson’s beloved production of The Nutcracker, featuring visually stunning scenery and costumes by the legendary English designer Desmond Heeley.  A Houston holiday tradition seen by more than one million people since its debut in 1987, the Stevenson/Heeley production ofThe Nutcracker is the perfect way to introduce young children to the power and beauty of classical dance.

2012 also marks the 40th anniversary of Houston Ballet performances of The Nutcracker.  Houston Ballet first presented The Nutcracker on December 28, 1972 at Jones Hall for the Performing Arts in downtown Houston.  It was the company’s first full-length production, and featured choreography by Frederic Franklin and designs by Peter Farmer.  The company gave six performances in 1972.  That number has increased to thirty-six in 2012, with performances running from Thanksgiving to New Year’s.  The Nutcracker also plays a key role in Houston Ballet’s financial picture, generating $3.74 million in ticket sales revenues in 2011.

The Nutcracker tells the story of a little girl named Clara who is given a magical nutcracker doll on Christmas Eve. She encounters the frightful rat king before embarking on a journey through the Land of Snow and the Kingdom of Sweets. Young and old alike will experience the production’s many special effects, including the Christmas tree that “grows” to 40 feet, 200 pounds of “snow” falling during the snow scene and the firing of a canon on stage. Molly Glentzer, dance critic for the Houston Chronicle, wrote, “You’d have to be a Scrooge not to surrender to the spirit.”

Houston Ballet’s Jubilee of Dance: A One-Night-Only Extravaganza

On Friday, November 30, 2012, Houston Ballet presents its ninth annual Jubilee of Dance, a special one-night-only performance showcasing the talent and artistry of the company dancers in a program of high-energy excerpts from signature works and beloved classics. Houston Chronicle dance critic Molly Glentzer called the 2006 Jubilee of Dance “the event of the season,” noting, “the audience gave it a rousing standing ovation.”

Cullen Series Returns with Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal’s Cantata and Four Seasons in February 2013

On Friday, February 1 and Saturday, February 2, 2013, Houston Ballet presents Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal as part of the Cullen Series.  One of the missions of the Cullen Series is to introduce the city to exciting contemporary dance makers.  Under the artistic direction of Gradimir Pankov, Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal will perform Cantataand Four Seasons by Italian choreographer Mauro Bigonzetti. The Four Seasons is set to Antonio Vivaldi’s score of the same name. The twelve-movement ballet highlights classical technique with contemporary motion.  Cantata features live traditional Southern Italian music by Gruppo Musicale Assurd, a quartet of female singers from Italy.  

“We are very proud to be bringing back Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal with two very fresh and imaginative works, Four Seasons and Cantata,” remarks Houston Ballet Artistic Director Stanton Welch.

Featuring a cast of 20 dancers, Four Seasons, another 40-minute ballet, is structured in 12scenes to match the 12 movements in Vivaldi’s score. In describing his decision to choreograph to such a well-known piece of music, Mr. Bigonzetti has said that he wanted to “take on this challenge whose grandeur lies in the possibility to express – once again – something different, new, despite the familiarity of this work known to all.” He continues, “After so many centuries, these notes can still stir the heart of human beings.” Montréal’s La Presse states that Four Seasons is “a graceful jewel carved of extreme choreographic difficulty, dizzying performancespeed, and fine attention to every detail…It’s stunning and remarkable.” 

Choreographer Mauro Bigonzetti began his dance training at Rome Opera Ballet School at the age of 11, and became a full-time company member eight years later. He danced there for four years before joining Aterballetto, a modern dance company in northern Italy. There he performed in works by George Balanchine, Léonide Massine, Alvin Ailey, and William Forsythe, before becoming a freelance choreographer in 1990. He has since choreographed for companies all over the world, including in Italy, England, Germany, Brazil, Portugal, Argentina, Turkey, France, and Canada. Some of his most recent works include In Vento for New York City Ballet, Romeo and Juliet for Aterballetto, Caravaggio for Staatsballett Berlin, and Festa Barocca for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Until 2007, he was artistic director of Aterballetto. He remains their resident choreographer.

Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal was formed in 1957 by Ludmilla Chiriaeff, a former ballerina who is credited with helping introduce the art form to Canadian audiences. The company made its U.S. debut at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival in 1959. Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal is often described as a diverse and adventurous company rooted in classical ballet traditions. Its repertory includes full-length classical ballets, but also works by some of today’s leading contemporary choreographers, including Jiří Kylián, Mats Ek, Ohad Naharin, Mauro Bigonzetti, and Nacho Duato. In 2000, Gradimir Pankov was named artistic director of the company, after directing several renowned international dance companies, including Nederlands Dans Theater II, National Ballet of Finland, Cullberg Ballet, and Ballet du Grand Théâtre de Genève. The New York Times’ John Rockwell has praised Pankov’s contributions to the company, saying that his “revolution at Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal continues, with breathtaking results.”

Stanton Welch’s La Bayadère:A Story of Love, Mystery, Fate, Vengeance and Justice

From February 21-March 3, 2013, Houston Ballet presents Stanton Welch’s La Bayadère, a historic classic newly staged by Houston Ballet Artistic Director Stanton Welch and set in royalIndia of the past. La Bayadère is a dramatic ballet of eternal love, mystery, fate, vengeance and justice intertwined to tell the story of Nikiya, a temple dancer, her lover Solor, and the vengeance that keeps them apart, at least in this life.

La Bayadère’s third act, the famous Kingdom of the Shades section, showcases 24 female dancers in white tutus, executing 38 synchronized and seamless arabesques while descending onto the stage, and is one of the purest forms of ballet-blanc, or white tutu ballet. “The Kingdom of the Shades is a challenging segment because it requires such control and precision from the corps de ballet women,” says Mr. Welch. “There are few works in the classical repertoire that require more precision from the corps de ballet.” The Kingdom of the Shades is so popular it is often performed on its own.  Houston Ballet first performed The Kingdom of the Shades scene, staged by Ben Stevenson after Marius Petipa, in March 1994 and revived it in 1998.

Mr. Welch choreographed La Bayadère on Houston Ballet in 2010.  The piece was his second staging of a 19th century classic for Houston Ballet, after Swan Lake in 2006. He has choreographed a number of full-length story ballets for The Australian Ballet, including Madame Butterfly (1995), Cinderella (1997) and The Sleeping Beauty (2005); as well as two original evening-length works for Houston Ballet, Tales of Texas (2004) and Marie (2009).

English designer Peter Farmer, who has a long and rich history with Houston Ballet, created the spectacular scenery and costumes for La Bayadère. Mr. Farmer created a total of nine full-length productions for Houston Ballet since 1972 and is one of the few designers to have worked with three of the company’s directors:  Nina Popova, Ben Stevenson and Stanton Welch.

The costume designs are reminiscent of brightly colored traditional Indian attire, such as harem pants and saris, for the first and second acts.  “Peter’s scenic design is not a realistic depiction of India.  It’s like looking through an old picture book from western culture with a view of romanticized India,” comments Mr. Welch.  “The production has a very painterly look, almost reminiscent of Monet that will give it dreaminess and romance.”   The lavish production includes 121 costumes, comprised of 568 items.  This also includes 26 handmade white tutus for The Kingdom of the Shades scene.

The Rite of Spring Features Stanton Welch’s World Premiere of The Rite of Spring, a World Premiere by Edwaard Liang, plus the Company Premiere of Mark Morris’s Pacific

From March 7-17, 2013, Houston Ballet will present Rites of Passage, a program of premieres featuring three exciting 21st century choreographers. The company will unveil the world premiere of Stanton Welch’s The Rite of Spring. A world premiere by internationally renowned choreographer Edwaard Liang and a Houston Ballet premiere of Mark Morris’s Pacific roundout the program.

Hailed by The Oxford Dictionary of Dance as “a seminal moment in modernism,” the premiere of The Rite of Spring on May 29, 1913, at Théatre des Champs-Elysées in Paris, shocked its audience. The ballet nearly started a riot among audience members with its unconventional music, modern choreography, and provocative storyline about a young woman chosen by her tribe as a sacrifice.

“The impact of Stravinsky’s magnificent score and the ballet’s universal theme of the cycle of life, death and rebirth has gone far beyond 1913,” writes Jody Leader in The International Dictionary of Ballet. “The Rite of Spring became a touchstone of orchestral virtuosity in the latter half of the twentieth century, as well as a continuing challenge to choreographers.”Stravinsky’s landmark score has inspired a plethora of great dance makers, including Richard Alston, Pina Bausch, Maurice Bejart, Martha Graham, Lester Horton, Leonide Massine, Sir Kenneth MacMillan, John Neumeier, John Taras, Paul Taylor, Glen Tetley, Hans Van Manen, and Vladimir Vasiliev.  Houston Ballet has performed Glen Tetley’s  staging of The Rite ofSpring (originally created in 1973 for Munich’s Bavarian State Opera Ballet) on two occasions:  in 1988 and in 1997.  

To honor this famous artistic collaboration, Mr. Welch has conceived his own interpretation. The full-company ballet taps into the themes of primitiveness, sexuality and sacrifice. “With this full company piece I will explore primitive, primal movements, and emotion, while trying to capturewhat I have imagined since I first listened to this music as a child,” notes Mr. Welch. “There are so many wonderful versions of The Rite of Spring, and I hope to pay homage to the rich music and history of the story.”

The Rite of Spring sets are designed by acclaimed indigenous Australian artist Rosella Namok and include two giant back cloths printed in an aboriginal style. Ms. Namok’s work has been hailed by critics as “bold” and “inspired.” Mr. Welch discovered Ms. Namok’s work at Houston’s Booker-Lowe Gallery, which features the largest collection of contemporary Australian Aboriginal fine art in the Americas. “I immediately felt connected to Rosella Namok’s work which was very Australian and captured the spirit of the music for The Rite of Spring,” explains Mr. Welch.

Edwaard Liang’s world premiere for Houston Ballet will employ his distinctive choreographic style to create a new work specifically for company dancers. The ballet marks the first work by the acclaimed choreographer to enter Houston Ballet’s repertoire. “I first saw Edwaard’s choreography at The Joffrey Ballet.   He has a unique mix of influences inspiring his work, ranging from George Balanchine to Jiří Kylián to his Asian heritage,” comments Mr. Welch. “I am excited for Houston Ballet’s dancers to work with Edwaard.”

Born in Taipei, Taiwan and raised in Marin County, California, Mr. Liang began his training at Marin Ballet. In 1989 he entered the School of American Ballet. He joined New York City Ballet in the spring of 1993, and that same year, was a medal winner at the Prix de Lausanne International Ballet Competition. He was promoted to the rank of soloist in 1998.  In 2001, he joined the Tony Award winning Broadway cast of Fosse, performing a leading principal role. In 2002, he was invited by Jiří Kylián to become a member of the acclaimed Nederlands Dans Theater. Dancing with Nederlands Dans Theater is where he discovered his passion and love for choreography.  After returning from Holland, Mr. Liang again danced with New York City Ballet from 2004-2007.

Mr. Liang has choreographed a number of works, starting in 2003 with Nederlands Dans Theaterworkshop, Flight of Angels, which has since been staged for many companies. Mr. Liang was invited to do a piece for the 2004 New York Choreographic Institute and choreographed a piecefor the opening season of Cedar Lake Dance Company in Manhattan. Mr. Liang’s Distant Cries,created for Peter Boal and Company, premiered in March 2005 at The Joyce Theatre, to positivereviews from The New York Times, and was then performed as part of a New York City Ballet Gala later in 2005. Since then, Mr. Liang has choreographed ballets for many companies, including New York City Ballet, The Joffrey Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, and Shanghai Ballet, among others. Mr. Liang was named one of the “Top 25 to Watch” for 2006 by Dance Magazinefor choreography, winner of the 2006 National Choreographic Competition, and invited to be a part of the 2007 National Choreographers Initiative. In 2008, Mr. Liang was invited to create a new work for The Joffrey Ballet. The resulting ballet, Age of Innocence, was deemed by Hedy Weiss of the Chicago Sun-Times as “a newly minted masterpiece.” (October 17, 2008)

Pacific by legendary American choreographer Mark Morris rounds out the program. Mr. Morris’s Pacific is a light and joyous ensemble piece for nine dancers set to the music of Lou Harrison’s Trio for Violin, Cello and Piano. Sarah Kaufman of The Washington Post calledPacific “a creation of unalloyed beauty” (May 22, 2010).

Mr. Morris formed the Mark Morris Dance Group in 1980 and saw his creativity flourish. From 1988-1991 he was the director of dance at Le Théâtre Royal de La Monnaie in Brussels; and in 1990 he founded the White Oak Dance Project with Mikhail Baryshnikov.  He has choreographed works for San Francisco Ballet, American Ballet Theatre and Boston Ballet, among others.  His work is currently in the repertory of Houston Ballet, Ballet West, Dutch National Ballet, New Zealand Ballet, English National Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet and The Washington Ballet. His opera credits include directing and choreographing productions for The Metropolitan Opera, New York City Opera, English National Opera, Gotham Chamber Opera and the Royal Opera, London. He is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences,American Philosophical Society, and the subject of a biography by Joan Acocella (Farrar, Straus & Giroux). In 2001, he opened Mark Morris Dance Center in Brooklyn, New York, his company’s first permanent headquarters in the U.S. Houston Ballet has two other works by Mr. Morris in its repertoire:  Sandpaper Ballet and Drink to Me Only with Thine Eyes.

Journey with the Masters Features Company Premiere of George Balanchine’s Legendary Ballet Imperial in May 2013

From May 30 – June 9, 2013 Houston Ballet offers up a mixed repertory program titled Journey with the Masters featuring the company premiere of Ballet Imperial, George Balanchine’s tribute to Marius Petipa and Peter Tchaikovsky, alongside revivals of Jiří Kylián’s exuberant and joyous Sinfonietta and Jerome Robbins’s The Concert, a laugh-out-loud ballet depicting a group of concertgoers at a performance with keen insight to human behavior.

Balanchine created Ballet Imperial for American Ballet Caravan, and it premiered on June 25, 1941 at the Teatro Municipal in Rio de Janeiro. Ballet Imperial, a ballet for two principals, three soloists, and 24 corps de ballet dancers, is set to the music of Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No.2 in G major, Op. 44. A sumptuous tutu ballet, with a hierarchical cast, and a brilliant courtly atmosphere, Ballet Imperial, in Balanchine’s words, is “a contemporary tribute to Petipa, ‘the father of the classic ballet,’ and to Tchaikovsky, his greatest composer.”

The celebrated American dance critic John Martin noted: “It would be a grave mistake to imply anything old-fashioned in any respect except the psychological setting. The virtuosity of the old academic style, the grandiloquence of manner, even the conventional mime [Balanchine] has looked back on with a certain tenderness but with an artistic objectivity as well, which allows him to treat it purely as choreographic material and to compose it freely and imaginatively.” Indeed, the ballerina’s role is still considered perhaps the most difficult in Balanchine’s repertory. The choreography of the entire piece has been described (by the respected American dance historian Nancy Reynolds) as “a non-stop outpouring of kinetic exuberance.”

Born in St. Petersburg, Russia, George Balanchine (1904-1983) is regarded as the foremost contemporary choreographer in the world of ballet. Balanchine served as its ballet master and principal choreographer for New York City Ballet from 1948 until his death in 1983. Balanchine’s more than 400 dance works include Serenade (1934), Concerto Barocco (1941),The Nutcracker (1954), Symphony in Three Movements (1972), Stravinsky Violin Concerto(1972), Vienna Waltzes (1977), and Mozartiana (1981). Houston Ballet has 14 Balanchine works in its repertory, including Apollo (1928), Serenade (1934), Concerto Barocco (1941),The Four Temperaments (1946), Symphony in C (1947), Theme and Variations (1947), La Valse (1951), Western Symphony (1954), Pas de Dix (1955), Agon (1957), Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux (1960), and Jewels (Diamonds, Rubies, and Emeralds) (1967).

Jiří Kylián, one of the most important choreographers of our time, has influenced generations of dance-makers since creating his first works with Stuttgart Ballet in the 1970s. “Kylián is one of the leading influencers in dance. He has a rich career with a broad range of style and ability that work well with classically trained dancers,” states Mr. Welch. “He is one of my idols and his work is constantly challenging the dancers musically and intellectually.”

“I make ballets because dance can express things which are inexpressible with words,” Mr.Kylián has said. “My choreographies have been based on classical ballet, influenced by modern dance, folk-dance and extremely natural movements.”

Kylián set his Sinfonietta to the music of Janáček to create this fluid, spacious, romantic ballet which has become a milestone in contemporary choreography. The forceful fanfares of Janáček’s music are matched by a ceaselessly energetic and exuberant display of movement, creating and image which carries through the composer’s intention of evoking the spirit of what Kylián calls the “free Czech man . . . [and] represents free men in general.”

Mr. Kylián considers Sinfonietta “perhaps my most spontaneous work.” He created it in 1978 for Spoleto Festival in Charleston, South Carolina, when the company had little sense of direction and a tight deadline, but “the result was quite remarkable. The audience at theCharleston premiere never heard the end of the music, because they already stood on the top of their chairs cheering and throwing the program books into the air. This was the moment that tore the company out of a depression and this work where simplicity is one of the major characteristics, became a cornerstone of the repertoire of Nederlands Dans Theater.”

The ballet, choreographed for seven couples, begins with a rousing series of leaps for the men, set to Janáček’s celebratory opening fanfares. The most classically based of Mr. Kylián’s ballets,Sinfonietta has five sections. Both men and women leap joyously through the air, seemingly effortless in their transcendence of gravity, building to a thrilling conclusion.  Sinfoniettaentered Houston Ballet’s repertoire in 1995.

Born in Prague, Jiří Kylián studied at Prague Conservatory and The Royal Ballet School in London before joining Stuttgart Ballet in 1968 under the direction of John Cranko. He began his choreographic career in Stuttgart, creating his first work for that company in 1970.   Mr. Kylián joined Nederlands Dans Theater in 1973 as a guest choreographer, and was appointed artistic director in 1978.  After joining Nederlands Dans Theater he created and realized over 60 productions for the company including such works as: Sinfonietta (1978), Forgotten Land(1981), Bella Figura (1995), and Last Touch (2003).  In 1995 Mr. Kylián celebrated 20 years as artistic director with Nederlands Dans Theater with the large-scale production Arcimboldo as well as receiving Holland’s highest honor, Officier in de Orde van Oranje Nassau.  In 1999 Mr. Kylián retired as artistic director, but still has an active role as resident choreographer and artistic advisor with the company.  Houston Ballet has seven works by Mr. Kylián in its repertoire, including Falling Angels, Soldiers’ Mass, Petite Mort, Svadebka, Forgotten Land,Sinfonietta, and Symphony in D.

Jerome Robbins’s The Concert is a comic spoof of a classical music concert.  Set to music by Chopin and orchestrated by Clare Grundman, the piece begins with a pianist onstage.  The audience for this particular concert is made up of dancers who file in carrying chairs.  This audience, like many others, gets distracted once the music starts, and that is when the fun begins.

Mr. Robbins once observed, “One of the pleasures of attending a concert is the freedom to lose oneself in listening to the music.  Quite unconsciously, mental pictures and images form.”  Thissentiment is brought comically and vividly to life in his choreography, when the hilariously unthinkable happens in the concert hall.  Some of the vignettes from the ballet feature a young lady whose enormous hat blocks the view, a bickering married couple who chase each around the stage, and confusion with the tickets which causes everybody to switch seats.  

Comments Mr. Welch, “The Concert is one of the funniest ballets ever created.  It’s still fresh and funny today.  Jerome Robbins was one of the true masters of dance.  He had a unique and subtle sense of choreography which is lovely.”

The Concert was created for New York City Ballet and was premiered at New York’s City Center on March 6, 1956.  Houston Ballet first performed The Concert in 2007 and has threeother works by Jerome Robbins – Fancy Free (1944), Afternoon of a Faun (1953), and In the Night (1970) – in its repertory. The Concert is widely regarded as a 20th century classic, one of the few works to successfully integrate humor into its dramatic storytelling.

New York-born choreographer Jerome Robbins, one of the first great American ballet masters, had a wide-ranging career in the fields of both theater and dance – as a performer and choreographer in ballet and musical theater, and as a director and choreographer in theater, movies, television and opera.  In a career that spanned five decades, he won four Tony Awards, two Academy Awards, an Emmy, and countless other awards for his achievements.   He joined Ballet Theatre (now American Ballet Theatre) in 1940 and choreographed his first work, Fancy Free, for that company in 1944.  This was followed by Interplay (1945) and Facsimile (1946), after which he embarked on a prolific and enormously successful career as a choreographer and later as a director of Broadway musicals and plays.  He was simultaneously creating ballets for New York City Ballet, which he joined in 1949 as associate artistic director with George Balanchine. Among his outstanding works for that company were The Guests (1949), Age of Anxiety (1951), The Cage (1951), The Pied Piper (1951), Afternoon of a Faun (1953), and Fanfare (1953). For his own company, Ballets U.S.A. (1958-1962), he created N.Y. Export: Opus Jazz (1958), Moves (1959) and Events (1961). After the triumph of Fiddler on the Roof in 1964, Mr. Robbins dedicated his energies to creating ballets for New York City Ballet, for whom he became ballet master in 1972.  After the death of Balanchine in 1983, he shared the post ofballet master in chief of New York City Ballet with Peter Martins until 1990 when he resigned.  He died at the height of his creative powers in 1998 at the age of 79.

Escape to Neverland in Trey McIntyre’s Peter Pan in June 2013

From June 13-23, 2013, Houston Ballet presents Trey McIntyre’s enchanting three-act workPeter Pan.  Based upon the popular story by Sir James M. Barrie, the ballet is set to the music of Sir Edward Elgar in an arrangement by Niel DePonte.  With elaborate, magical sets by Houston Ballet Director of Production Thomas Boyd and imaginative costumes by Broadway designer Jeanne Button, the production reinterprets the classic story with verve and wit for the new millennium.  The ballet features spectacular flying sequences, swashbuckling swordfights, giant puppets, colorful masks, and costumes inspired by punk fashion.  

Houston Ballet premiered Peter Pan in March 2002, with dance critic Robert Greskovic ofDanceView writing, “To call Trey McIntyre’s Peter Pan the most impressive, original, multi-act ballet created by an American choreographer in recent memory doesn’t quite do the three-act production justice….Peter Pan is a story ballet that really flies.” (Summer 2002)  Molly Glentzer, of the Houston Chronicle, called Mr. McIntyre “a superb storyteller with a kid’s heart and an adult’s appreciation of life’s complexities,” (March 16, 2002) and Clive Barnes, writing in Dance Magazine, described Mr. McIntyre as a “choreographer of considerable promise…who tackled it [Peter Pan] with invention, a sure dramatic instinct, and a very special sensibility.” (July 2002)

Mr. McIntyre’s Peter Pan is told from a child’s perspective, which is evident in the set design and costumes.  Many set pieces have a playful sense of scale, representing a pint-sized person’s perspective.  The ballet opens with seven-foot, larger-than-life nannies wheeling in huge buggies.  Mr. and Mrs. Darling, who wear stiff masks, seem cold and imposing; in this retelling, the adults seem far removed and somewhat frightening.  

This Peter Pan also emphasizes the connection between children and the dream world.  The Darling children sleep in beds festooned with flowers and vines.  Right beyond their bedroomlies a massive garden full of pink and purple blooms, inhabited by fairies.  The garden motifs on the beds and other set pieces symbolize their tie to a world full of magical creatures.  Fairies are real, shadows become a threatening presence and the children meet a new friend who whisks them away to a fantastical place full of mermaids, pirates, redskins and a very large crocodile.

Mr. McIntyre is one of the most sought-after choreographers working today. Born in Wichita, KS, McIntyre has created more than 80 works for companies such as Houston Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Stuttgart Ballet, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, New York City Ballet and Ballet de Santiago (Chile). Mr. McIntyre is an artist who was discovered and nurtured at Houston Ballet over two decades:  He studied at Houston Ballet Academy in the late 1980s, danced with Houston Ballet from 1989 to 1995; and served as choreographic associate for Houston Ballet from 1989-2008. Houston Ballet has commissioned seven works from Mr. McIntyre, including including Second Before the Ground (1996), Bound (2000), The Shadow (2003), and the full-length Peter Pan (2002).  

In 2008, he formed his own company, the acclaimed Trey McIntyre Project, based in Boise,Idaho.  In 2010 Mr. McIntyre was named the United States Artists Wynn Fellow. He has received two choreographic fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, a Choo-San Goh Award for Choreography, was named one of Dance Magazine’s “25 to Watch” in 2001, one of People Magazine’s “25 Hottest Bachelors” in 2003 and one of Out Magazine’s 2008 “Tastemakers.” In 2012 the Trey McIntyre Project will tour to China, South Korea, the Philippines, and Vietnam. 

On February 17, 1969 a troupe of 15 young dancers made its stage debut at Sam Houston State Teacher’s College in Huntsville, Texas.  Since that time, Houston Ballet has evolved into a company of 52 dancers with a budget of $19.2 million (making it the United States’ fourth largest ballet company by number of dancers), a state-of-the-art performance space built especially for the company, Wortham Theater Center, the largest professional dance facility in America, Houston Ballet’s $46.6 million Center for Dance which opened in April 2011,   and an endowment of just over $57.6 million (as of May 2011).

Australian choreographer Stanton Welch has served as artistic director of Houston Ballet since 2003, raising the level of the company’s classical technique and commissioning many new works from dance makers such as Christopher Bruce, Jorma Elo, James Kudelka, Trey McIntyre, Julia Adam, Natalie Weir and Nicolo Fonte.  James Nelson serves as the administrative leader of the company, assuming the position of executive director of Houston Ballet in February 2012 after serving as the company’s general manager for over a decade.    

Houston Ballet has toured extensively both nationally and internationally.  Over the last decade, the company has appeared in London at Sadler’s Wells, at the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow,Ottawa, in six cities in Spain, in Montréal, at The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., in New York at City Center and The Joyce Theater, and in cities large and small across the United States.  Houston Ballet has emerged as a leader in the expensive, labor-intensive task of nurturing the creation and development of new full-length narrative ballets.  

Writing in The Financial Times on March 6, 2006, dance critic Hilary Ostlere praised Houston Ballet as “a strong, reinvigorated company whose male contingent is particularly impressive, a well-drilled corps and an enviable selection of soloists and principals.”  

Houston Ballet Orchestra was established in the late 1970s and currently consists of 61 professional musicians who play all ballet performances at Wortham Theater Center under music director Ermanno Florio.

Houston Ballet’s Education and Outreach Program has reached over 22,000 Houston area students (as of the 2010-2011 season).  Houston Ballet’s Academy has 509 students and has had four academy students win prizes at the prestigious international ballet competition the Prix de Lausanne, with one student winning the overall competition in 2010.  For more information on Houston Ballet visit www.houstonballet.org.  

HOUSTON BALLET 2012-2013 SEASON OVERVIEW

All performances listed here are in Wortham Theater Center.

I​MADAME BUTTERFLY (1995)

Music by Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924), arrangement by John Lanchbery (1923-2003)

Choreography by Stanton Welch
Scenic and Costume Designs by Peter Farmer
Lighting Design by Lisa J. Pinkham

CLEAR (2001)

Music by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750), Concerto for Violin and Oboe in C minor and the first and second movements from the Violin Concerto in G minor

Choreography by Stanton Welch

​Costume Design by Michael Kors

​Lighting Design by Lisa J. Pinkham

A signature work for Houston Ballet Artistic Director Stanton Welch since its creation in 1995, Madame Butterfly depicts the story of a beautiful Japanese geisha who gives up her faith and her family to marry an American naval lieutenant. Set to Puccini’s powerful score with exquisitecostumes and sets by Peter Farmer, Stanton Welch’s Madame Butterfly is a stunning achievement in neoclassical ballet that has been an international success, with performances on three continents. Opening the program is Welch’s Clear, a showcase for the men of Houston Ballet set to Bach.

​At 7:30 p.m. on September 6, 8, 14, 15, 2012

​At 2 p.m. on September 9, 16, 2012

II​WOMEN@ART featuring:

WORLD PREMIERE BY ASZURE BARTON

Costume Design by Fritz Masten

Lighting Design by Burke Brown

THE BRAHMS-HAYDN VARIATIONS (2000)

Houston Ballet Premiere
Music by Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)
Variations on a Theme by Haydn for Orchestra, Op. 56a

Choreography by Twyla Tharp
Costume Design by Santo Loquasto-Linea

Lighting Design by Jennifer Tipton

KETUBAH (2004)
Music by The Best Little Klezmer Band in Texas

Choreography by Julia Adam

Costume Design by Christine Darch

Lighting Design by Christina R. Giannelli

Three of the world’s leading female choreographers take Houston Ballet on a spectacular odyssey of dance with a fall repertory program unlike any other. Julia Adam’s Ketubah was originallycreated in Houston. The tale of a traditional Jewish wedding, the ballet showcases the natural humor and story-telling style of the affable choreographer. Already a Houston favorite, acclaimed young Canadian choreographer Aszure Barton creates a theatrical work specifically for dancers of Houston Ballet. And the legendary Twyla Tharp demonstrates why she’s recognized as one of the pioneers of contemporary dance with The Brahms/Haydn Variations, a neoclassical milestone.

​At 7:30 p.m. on September 20, 22, 28, 29, 2012

​At 2 p.m. on September 23, 30, 2012

THE NUTCRACKER (1987)

​Music by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)​​​​​​​Choreography by Ben Stevenson, O.B.E.

​Scenic and Costume Designs by Desmond Heeley

​Original Lighting Design by Duane Schuler

​Recreated Lighting Design by Christina R. Giannelli

In 2012, Houston Ballet celebrates the 25th anniversary of its beloved production of The Nutcracker, choreographed by Ben Stevenson and featuring magical scenery and costumes by Tony Award-winning designer Desmond Heeley.  Set in 19th century Germany, the production follows the little girl Clara and her Nutcracker Prince on a colorful, magical Christmas journeythrough the Land of the Snow and the Kingdom of the Sweets.  Seen by over one million people since its premiere in 1987, the production has been hailed by USA Today as “full of magic.”

November 23 – December 30, 2012
At 7:30 p.m. on November 23*, 24* and December 1, 2*, 7*, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 18*, 19*, 20*, 21, 22, 23, 26, 27*, 29*

At 2:00 p.m. on November 24, 25* and December 1, 2, 8, 9, 15, 16, 22, 23, 24, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30
*Indicates discounted performance

​​JUBILEE OF DANCE

A glance back in time. A peek into the future.  The Jubilee of Dance is a joyous and fleeting celebration of all that is Houston Ballet, a chance to honor our legends and find our future stars.  With highlights of productions past and productions yet to come, this annual event is a fast-paced evening that allows each of the dancers shine. Reserve your seats early, for the Jubilee of Danceis an evening not to be missed.

At 7:30 p.m. on Friday, November 30, 2012

CULLEN SERIES featuring:

Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montreal

FOUR SEASONS

Choreography by Mauro Bigonzetti
Music by Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741), Four Seasons

CANTATA

Choreography by Mauro Bigonzetti

Original and traditional music of southern Italy with live arrangements by: Gruppo Musicale Assurd

Houston Ballet’s Cullen Series returns, showcasing the stellar company Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal, two contemporary pieces by choreographer Mauro Bigonzetti, a native of Rome, and the magnificent cultural heritage of Italy. Set to the familiar and always stirring music of Vivaldi, The Four Seasons is among Bigonzetti’s newest works, created specifically for the Canadian company. His recognized and ever-popular Cantata is a passionate homage to the Italian culture and music tradition, evoking a wild Mediterranean beauty.

At 7 p.m. on Friday, February 1 and Saturday, February 2, 2013

III        LA BAYADÈRE (2010)

(“The Temple Dancer”)

Music by Ludwig Minkus (1826-1917) La Bayadère, Arranged by John Lanchbery (1923-2003)

Choreography by Stanton Welch

Scenic and Costume Designs by Peter Farmer

Lighting Design by Francis Croese

A brilliant fire god, opium dreams and a crashing temple. Stanton Welch’s colorful staging of La Bayadère is classical ballet with a touch of Bollywood.  La Bayadère dramatizes the love story of Nikiya the temple dancer, her lover Solor, and the vengeance that keeps them apart – at least in this life. With lavish scenery depicting the jungles of India and costumes by Peter Farmer, La Bayadère features mesmerizing classical performances highlighted by the famous Shades scene, staged for the entire corps de ballet.

At 7:30 p.m. on February 21, 23 and March 1, 2, 2013

At 2 p.m. on February 24 and March 2, 3, 2013

IV        THE RITE OF SPRING featuring:

World Premiere by EDWAARD LIANG

THE RITE OF SPRING

World Premiere

Music by Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971)

Choreography by Stanton Welch

PACIFIC (1995)

Houston Ballet Premiere

Music by Lou Harrison (1917-2003), Trio for Violin, Cello and Piano (3^rd & 4^th movement)

Choreography by Mark Morris

Costume Design by Martin Pakledinaz

Lighting Design by Jim Ingalls

When it was originally performed in 1913, The Rite of Spring, a collaboration of Igor Stravinsky and Vaslav Nijinsky, shocked the audience with its audacious music and controversial subject matter.  To mark the 100^th anniversary of this exceptional work, Stanton Welch is honoring the tradition of artistic collaboration with his own Le Sacre du printemps, a new staging featuring art by the famed Australian painter Rosella Namok. Also on the program is a world premiere by Edwaard Liang, an internationally renowned choreographer making his debut in Houston, and Pacific, a joyous and beautiful ballet by celebrated American choreographer Mark Morris.

At 7:30 p.m. on March 7, 9, 15, 16, 2013
At 2 p.m. on March 10, 17, 2013

            ACADEMY SPRING SHOWCASE

In the Spring Showcase, the gifted young artists of Houston Ballet’s professional training program perform works that spotlight their multitude talents. They will dance a variety of ballets, some created on professional companies, others choreographed especially for the program and for the young dancers. Come, see if you can spot the stars of tomorrow.

At 7 p.m. on Friday, April 26, 2013

At 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 27 2013

V         Journey with the Masters featuring:

ballet imperial (1941)

Houston Ballet Premiere
Music by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893), Piano Concerto No. 2 in G major, Op. 44

Choreography by George Balanchine (1904-1983), © The George Balanchine Trust

Scenic and Costume Designs by Rouben Ter-Aurtunian

            THE CONCERT (1956)

Music by Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849), Orchestrated by Clare Grundman

Choreography by Jerome Robbins (1918-1998)

Costume Design by Irene Sharaff (1910-1993)

Scenic Design by Saul Steinberg

Lighting Design by Jennifer Tipton

SINFONIETTA (1978)

Music by Leoš Janáček (1854-1928)

Choreography by Jiří Kylián

Scenic and Costume Designs by Walter Nobbe (1941-2005)

Lighting Design by Joop Caboort

From the banks of the Vltava River to the grandeur of a Russian palace to the rain drenched sidewalks of Central Park, the spring repertory program is a fantastic voyage led by the grand masters of choreography.  Jiří Kylián’s Sinfonietta is an exuberant tribute to the Czech choreographer’s homeland. Ballet Imperial is George Balanchine’s homage to St. Petersburg, to the choreographer Marius Petipa, who he referred to as “the father of classic ballet,” and to Russia’s greatest composer, Peter Tchaikovsky.  The Concert is famed American choreographer Jerome Robbins’s laugh-out-loud funny reflection on the active imaginations of New York City concert goers.

            At 7:30 p.m. on May 30 and June 1, 7, 8, 2013

            At 2 p.m. on June 2, 8, 9, 2013

VI        PETER PAN (2002)

Music by Edward Elgar (1857-1934), in an arrangement by Niel Deponte

            Choreography by Trey McIntyre

Scenic Design by Thomas Boyd

Costume Design by Jeanne Button

Lighting Design by Christina R. Giannelli

Join Wendy, Peter and the Darling boys as they embark on a magical adventure to Neverland. It’s a magnificent world where people fly, where fairies are real, where crocodiles tick like clocks, and where boys never grow up.  With swashbuckling swordfights, giant puppets, vibrant masks and colorful sets by Thomas Boyd, Trey McIntyre’s Peter Pan is an invigorating journey from beginning to end. It’s a voyage navigated by a choreographer who appreciates the fantasies of youth yet understands the complexities of aging.  Peter Pan may not have grown up, but his story has.

At 7:30 p.m. on June 13, 15, 21, 22, 2013

At 2 p.m. on June 15, 16, 23, 2013

SUBSCRIPTIONS

Full season subscriptions, with tickets to six productions, range in price from $93 to $1080, depending on seat location and date of performances.  To subscribe, call (713) 5-BALLET (713-522-5538)

SINGLE TICKETS

Single tickets go on sale Monday, August 6, 2012 and may be purchased by calling 713-227-ARTS (713-227-2787) or purchased online.

Northern Ballet Dancer Hannah Bateman. Photograph : Jason Tozer

Northern Ballet opens its spring tour with Perpetual Motion, the Company’s first programme of short dance pieces to be performed at its award-winning headquarters. Performances will take place from 9 – 18 February in the Stanley & Audrey Burton Theatre, in Northern Ballet’s centre for dance in Leeds.

Perpetual Motion features a mixture of work from well-established choreographers including Christopher Hampson, who was recently appointed as Artistic Director of Scottish Ballet, and Northern Ballet Artistic Director David Nixon OBE. The programme also showcases new talent nurtured by the Company, with the choreographic debut of Northern Ballet Premier Dancer Kenneth Tindall, and a piece by Ballet Master Daniel de Andrade.

Perptuum Mobile, by Christopher Hampson, is set to Bach’s Violin Concerto in E Major and celebrates dancers’ strength with spins, jumps and beats. The piece was Hampson’s first professional choreography and was originally created for English National Ballet. Christopher Hampson describes how the music inspired him to create the piece, “initially I was inspired by the score. I remember I’d been listening to a lot of contemporary music and one day on my way to work I grabbed a CD for my Disc-Man (we’re talking fifteen years ago) and it was of four Bach violin concertos. I began listening obsessively to the one in E Major. I thought I knew it quite well, but every time I played it I heard something new, and I still do today. I began the ballet by wanting to construct and layer movement to make a whole, like Bach does with his composition. I realised that the music never stops, even the slow middle movement has a pulse going through it that pushes the ear to anticipate the next development. So, I wanted the movement to do the same, hence Perpetuum Mobile.”

Project #1 is the debut piece from Northern Ballet Premier Dancer Kenneth Tindall. It was originally created for a Choreographic Workshop performance in the summer of 2011 but has now been extended to form part of the Perpetual Motion programme. The piece has been developed by looking at dancers physical attributes and producing choreography which showcases their individuality. Project #1 is set to three different pieces of music including Dinah Washington and Max Richter’s haunting This Bitter Earth. Kenneth Tindall said, “when I first started dancing professionally I had little interest in choreography but my interest in it has developed during my time at Northern Ballet. This is largely due to the extent dancers are involved in creating new works. David Nixon pushed me to take part in the Choreographic Workshop last year and from there I have not looked back.”

Glass Canon is a high energy and mischievous piece from Northern Ballet’s Ballet Master Daniel de Andrade, who was recently awarded a prestigious Clore Leadership Dance Fellowship. The first part of the piece is set to Tanzt Glassidic which is Moishe’s Bagel’s mischievous take on what of their pieces would sound like if written by famous American composer Phillip Glass. The second piece The McGoldberg’s Jig and Reel has a comedic black and white 1920s cinema feel to it. The music has inspired a dynamic dance piece with cannons of explosive movement. Daniel de Andrade commented, “a real folk and gipsy theme inevitably takes over when listening to music by Moshie’s Bagel, as it is filled with Middle Eastern and Eastern European rhythms. I predictably got infected by this gipsy element with the movement itself and it was also a major influence on the gorgeously detailed costumes, designed by Christopher Giles.” 

The programme is rounded off with Rhapsody in Blue, which brings to life this famous Gershwin piece of music, with five couples fusing ballet and jazz.  Two pianos and a clarinet provide a jazz atmosphere within the intimate surroundings of the studio theatre. Choreographed by Northern Ballet Artistic Director David Nixon OBE, Rhapsody in Blue forms part of the Northern Ballet production I Got Rhythm, offering audiences a sneak preview before performances of the full production take place at the Leeds Grand Theatre and Norwich Theatre Royal this May. The piece was included in Perpetual Motion after being suggested by dancers as a fitting end to the programme.

Event Listing

Perpetual Motion

Stanley & Audrey Burton Theatre

Thu 9 – Sat 18 February

Box Office: 0113 220 8008

Book Online

Kenneth Tindall talks about Project #1, his debut choreographic work.

What was the inspiration or thinking behind Project #1?

Project #1 is inspired by movement of dancer’s bodies. When I first started work on the piece I focused on the physical attributes of three dancers – Tobias Batley’s (Premier Dancer) flexibility, Ben Mitchell’s (Dancer) feet and Victoria Sibson’s (Soloist) pliable ribcage. Project #1 now involves six dancers but I have continued to work in the same way, looking at the physical movement quality of each dancer and creating choreography which showcases each dancer’s individual attributes.

Is there a narrative or theme to this work?

Project #1 is not a narrative piece, it focuses on movement. The theme is essentially the DNA imprint of individuals– how we are all simultaneously identical yet radically different.

Did the music inspire the movement or was it the other way round?

I started work on the piece thinking about movement first. When I heard This Bitter Earth by Dinah Washington and Max Richter I knew it was the perfect music to accompany the movement I had created. As I developed the piece I found myself taking inspiration for the music and using movement to communicate the lyrics of the song.

The extended piece now starts with a short piece of music called J by Alva Noto which is an electronic composition and much faster tempo than This Bitter Earth. This is followed by Possibility by Lykke Li which brings everything together and allows themes to run through the whole work.

How do dancing and choreography compare for you?

Dancing stretches you physically whereas choreography is mentally challenging, it has been great for me to be able to see things from a choreographer’s perspective after many years of dancing.

At the moment I am dancing in class and taking part in rehearsals for Madame Butterfly, Perpetual Motion and Rhapsody whilst also leading rehearsals for Project #1. Having to switch between a dancer’s and a chorographer’s mindset is very demanding – I’m going to bed exhausted every night at the moment!

Northern Ballet Artistic Director David Nixon OBE talks about why Rhapsody in Blue was selected to be part of Perpetual Motion and why he thinks mixed programmes are important in the dance world.

What was the inspiration or thinking behind this piece?

Rhapsody in Blue formed part of an evening around Gershwin music, my last evening creation as director of BalletMet Columbus. The evening was inspired by the music and my fascination around the American love of this composer.

Is there a narrative or theme to this work?

There is no narrative; the form and movement are a response to the music.

Why did you choose this particular piece from the full work I Got Rhythm?

This was actually a suggestion from the dancers, which was very thoughtful. It works well to close the program and looks good on the company. The addition of two pianos and a clarinet provide a very appropriate jazz atmosphere in our intimate studio theatre.

Why do you think it is important for a company to perform a mixed programme?

It is extremely important to perform a mixed programme for a variety of reasons. It is an opportunity for the company and audience to work with and see different styles of dance. Guest choreographers give opportunities to different artists and another direction for dancers to discover themselves. The experience puts the focus on another area of our dance offering and this in turn will inform our core work.

Primrose Bakery supports Ballet News

Cupcakes & Conversation with Andrea Bayne, Principal, Ballet Victoria

Andrea

What motivates you at 8am on a Monday morning ?

The simple fact of waking up and knowing that I am able to fulfill my passion as my career is more than enough to get me going on a Monday morning, I feel so fortunate.

Why ballet ?
I guess this is a difficult question for me to answer because dancing has never been a question for me, it is something that is a part of me and makes me whole. The physicality in combination with the artistry is something that for me, is irreplaceable.

What are you looking forward to dancing during 2012 & what are the big challenges likely to be for you ?
I am really looking forward to BV’s next program of the Four Seasons choreographed by artistic Director Paul Destrooper. Destrooper’s work always proves to be the perfect combination of challenging and unique movement with a strong sense of artistry, plus, dancing to Vivaldi’s amazing score will be a treat in itself. Secondly, I am excited to be playing the role of Puck in the company’s last program; Midsummer Night’s Dream. Trying to portray a character with such impish tendencies will be fun! I think my most difficult challenge this year is to continue to push myself to become an extremely versatile dancer. My comfort level has always fallen towards classical ballet and I have been typecast in all the dainty, graceful, adagio roles. This year after working with a string of new choreographers, I was forced to drop my weight into the floor, travel and move bigger than I ever would have expected myself to. It was a challenge for sure considering my classical tendencies, but learning how to use my classical training to enhance the bigger, deeper movement is what has proved to be so fulfilling.

Who would you most like to dance with & what would you dance ?
I have been lucky to dance with some truly beautiful partners so far in my career and look forward to dancing with anyone else who is passionate, willing to work and be as detailed in the rehearsal process as I am! Romeo and Juliet is a ballet I would love to dance, and Val Caniparoli’s, Lady of the Camellias has always tugged at my heart strings.

If you could dance anywhere in the world (not only in a theatre), where would you dance ?
Give me anywhere with a warm climate and I am happy:)

How do you prepare your pointe shoes ?
I get my shoes made with a custom shank by Gaynor Minden, so despite the typical elastic/ribbon sewing and a bit of water to soften the bunion area of the shoe, I am good to go!

What is your daily routine at the moment ?
I am up at 7:15am in order to have breakfast and warm up properly (unlike other dancers I like to warm up at home where I have an elliptical machine to use and can stretch on my carpet;) Class begins at 9am and goes until 10:30 when we begin rehearsal. We have a break for lunch and rehearse until 4:00 on a regular day. When we are in performance mode, whether on tour or not, we usually get to sleep in a bit, class starting around 11am, followed by rehearsal at the theatre, a quick dinner break and then back to the theatre to prepare for a typical 7:30 curtain call.

What do you eat during the course of a typical working day ?
As a naturally tiny person, I have found that the best way to maintain my strength and muscle tone is to add protein to every meal. Breakfast is typically apple cinnamon flavored oatmeal and an egg. (or if I’m really lucky, one of my Nanny’s raisin tea biscuits:)
Lunch is some sort of vegetable and dip and a turkey & cheese sandwich on whole wheat bread, followed by a snack after work which usually consists of yogurt and fruit.
Dinner varies…fish, chicken, scrambled eggs (a personal fav) combined with what I like to call an “everything but the kitchen sink salad” including every vegetable imaginable, olives etc.
At night I like to snack on anything salty, pretzels and sunchips are typical faves.

You can ask six famous people to dinner – who would you invite ?
Balanchine, Baryshnikov, Tchaikovsky, Rosa Parks, Meryl Streep and Natalia Makarova.

What would surprise people about you ?
I love reading murder mysteries..

Who inspired you to dance ?
I can’t say that anyone in particular inspired me to dance. I have had many teachers and dancers inspire me along the way, but I think ballet was something that was just ingrained in me from the beginning.

What is your best piece of advice ?
Believe in yourself (as hard as it may be) and remember that hard work and dedication DO pay off.

How do you prepare in the hours before a show ?
I make sure that in class that day I push myself to work correctly and intelligently, remaining calm, but focused. I usually begin my hair and make-up two hours pre-show, do my own 30 min. warm-up barre on stage at our one-hour call, head back to the dressing rooms to change into costume, and then head back onstage to work through anything I’d like to from the rep. about 15min before curtain!

How do you deal with the stress of performing ?
Finding the perfect mental state before a show is a challenge for many dancers. Personally, if I can get into that mental zone in which I am calm, confident, focused and positive, I am able to perform my best.

Which role has tested you the most & how ?
I think that any of the roles I have performed, whether it be the delicate simplicity required for Odette’s variation from Act II in Swan Lake, the regalness of the Grand Pas in Sleeping Beauty, or even some of the difficult lifts in Norbert Vesak’s ballet Belong, it tests you in a different way. I think it is the roles which test you the most, whether technically or artistically, that are the most exciting roles to be able to perform!

If you were asked to design your own ballet costume, what would you create ?
Anything pink with bling!

What do you look for in a dance partner?
Dancing with someone who is willing to work hard, give and take, and connect with me not only onstage, but during the rehearsal process as well.

What is your favourite quote ?
” What is once well done is done forever. When you aim for perfection, you discover it’s a moving target.”

Do you have a ‘signature step’ – one that comes naturally to you ?
Pirouettes and adagio.

A phrase I use far too often is … ?
“I know eh?!”

What’s been your best on-stage moment so far ?
Any moment I am onstage and I am able to get completely lost in my character; when everything falls in to place, the technique, the artistry..these are the moments worth living for.

Do you have a secret skill which no-one knows about ?
I love to sing.

In terms of your ballet career, where would you like to be in a year from now ?
I think the thing that attracts me most to ballet is the simple fact that the more you know, the more you know you don’t know, if that makes any sense?!? Still being in the early stages of my career, the only thing I know I want to have accomplished a year from now is growth..growth in all aspects of my art form.

What is your exit strategy, for the time when you stop dancing, and how did you plan it ?
I am so happy doing what I love to do that I suppose I have not put much thought into an exit strategy per say. I do however think that after my body says it has had enough ballet I might look further into some singing/acting possibilities.

Lauren Cuthbertson as Alice and Sergei Polunin as Jack in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland Photograph : ROH/Johan Persson

A statement from The Royal Ballet

Dame Monica Mason announced this afternoon that Principal Sergei Polunin has resigned from The Royal Ballet with immediate effect.

Born in the Ukraine, Sergei joined The Royal Ballet in 2007 from The Royal Ballet School. He rose rapidly through the ranks and was promoted to Principal at the end of the 2009/10 season aged just 19.

Speaking about the announcement, Monica Mason said:

“This has obviously come as a huge shock, Sergei is a wonderful dancer and I have enjoyed watching him tremendously, both on stage and in the studio, tremendously over the past few years. I wish him every success in the future.”

Polunin joins ex-Royal Ballet dancer Ivan Putrov

Polunin will dance with ex-Royal Ballet principal Ivan Putrov at Sadlers Wells in Men in Motion from Friday 27th January. Plans are underway to replace him in The Dream and other roles he has been rehearsing at The Royal Ballet.

Watch Sergei Polunin dance Johan Kobborg’s superlative Les Lutins in Cuba (unfortunately no footage of the original cast has been made public, which included Steven McRae who was replaced by James Hay as the company were touring Cuba at the time of the Swine Flu epidemic)

·       Olivier Awards Ceremony held at the Royal Opera House for the first time in its entirety on Sunday 15 April 2012 hosted by  West End stars Michael Ball and Imelda Staunton, with extensive coverage on BBC tv, radio and online
·       Stars of UK and US theatre industry will attend a star-studded reception and live show relay on Broadway
·       Free public event in Covent Garden piazza with live show relay and West End performances
·       Nominees announcement to be streamed live online on 15 March 2012

Imelda Staunton & Michael Ball backstage at The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, London Photograph : Charlie Gray

The most prestigious event in the UK’s theatrical calendar, the presentation of the 36th Olivier Awards with MasterCard will take place for the first time in its entirety at the Royal Opera House, London on Sunday 15 April 2012 when distinguished guests from London’s arts and cultural scene will join winners and celebrities at the glamorous red carpet event.

In an exciting new development for 2012, there will be a live show relay to a New York celebration of the awards where an invited audience of VIPs including British stars on Broadway and high profile industry figures will gather to celebrate the awards. The event in New York will be held at the Frederick P. Rose Hall, Home of Jazz at Lincoln Center, Broadway at 60th Street, New York City.  It will take the form of a brunch (from 11.45 NY time) and live relay of the ceremony from London (from 13.00 NY time) for an invited audience of UK and US theatre stars and professionals and special guests.

Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: “I’m incredibly proud of the continuing success of so many British productions on Broadway, a tribute to the talent and quality to be found here. London goes centre-stage in this Olympic and Paralympic year, whilst the Olivier Awards put our superb theatre right in the spotlight. The special event being staged at this year’s awards is a taste of the amazing things we have planned for a summer like no other and we look forward to welcoming millions of Americans to the capital, who can take advantage of our award-winning shows on sale throughout the Games and beyond.”

Mayor of New York City, Michael Bloomberg, said: “New York City and London share a long tradition of theatrical productions that have transferred from Broadway to the West End and vice versa, so it’s a pleasure to welcome the Olivier Awards to our side of the pond in this very special way. It doesn’t matter if you spell it theater or theatre; musicals and plays are a top attraction for tourists, and we look forward to hosting more than a million visitors from the United Kingdom in the coming year.”

Another addition for 2012 will be an awards celebration in Covent Garden piazza, where theatre-lovers can gather to enjoy a free big-screen live show relay and other entertainment including live performances from some of the West End’s major shows. The event will be presented in conjunction with Magic 105.4, and hosted by breakfast presenter Neil Fox, alongside West End leading lady Louise Dearman.

The Awards Ceremony will, as in 2011, be hosted by two of London theatre’s best-loved performers – Michael Ball and Imelda Staunton – who open in Sweeney Todd at the Adelphi Theatre in March.

The BBC will be giving the awards extensive live coverage on television (via the Red Button), on Radio 2 and online, with red carpet coverage from 5pm and the Ceremony starting at 6pm. The awards will include unique theatrical entertainment created especially for the occasion with music throughout from the BBC Concert Orchestra.

Julian Bird, Chief Executive of the Society of London Theatre and Executive Producer of the Awards, said: “This year’s 36th Olivier Awards with MasterCard will reflect a particularly star-studded year for London theatre, and the plethora of high calibre sell-out productions for which audiences have been queuing around the block. I am delighted we have been able to extend our celebrations to New York, and this connection is particularly apt in a year in which we are working closer than ever with VisitBritain and London & Partners to deliver a warm welcome to theatre audiences during the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.“

Alfredo Gangotena, Chief Marketing Officer of MasterCard Worldwide, commented: “Our ambition is to connect Priceless experiences across the globe so that we can continue to surprise and delight our cardholders, whether they’re at home or abroad. The live relay of the Oliviers to New York is a unique opportunity to bring together theatre lovers from both sides of the Atlantic in an exciting evolution of our Priceless Cities programme. We’re also offering privileged access to the exclusive VIP screening in New York, so that a few lucky cardholders can mingle with the stars while indulging their passion for theatre.”

Hany Fam, President of MasterCard UK & Ireland, commented: “London and New York are at the heart of our new Priceless Cities programme, which is designed to enrich our cardholders’ cultural experiences in these two great cities. We’re proud to be working with one of our founding Priceless London partners, SOLT, to enable our friends in New York to share in this night of celebration of the best of British theatre.”

SOLT will announce the full list of awards nominations at a press briefing at the Mayfair Hotel at 12 noon on Thursday 15 March 2012. For the first time, the nominations will also be broadcast live online simultaneously at the Olivier Awards website, reflecting the significant profile of the awards around the world.

Once again, in 2012, BBC Radio 2 partners with the Olivier Awards on the BBC Radio 2 Audience Award, to launch on the Elaine Paige show on Sunday 5 February.

Established in 1976, the Laurence Olivier Awards celebrate the world-class status of London’s theatre and are Britain’s most prestigious stage honours. The Awards were relaunched in 2011 with a new strategic partnership with MasterCard, the Olivier Audience Award supported by BBC Radio 2 and a live broadcast of the Awards Ceremony via the BBC Red Button.