nci
national choreographers initiative
Molly Lynch, artistic director
10
th
Anniversary Celebration
dancers: Adam Hundt & Corina Gill | photo by Dave Friedman 2007
July 13 July 27
IRVINE
BARCLAY THEATRE
www.nchoreographers.org | facebook.com/nchoreographers
National Choreographers Initiative Molly Lynch
artistic director NCI Advisory Committee: Anne Nutt, Chair Bobbi Cox
Sophie Cripe
Diane Diefenderfer Joanne Keith Molly Lynch
Lois Osborne
Barbara Roberts
Sally Anne Sheridan Jennifer Szabo
Barbara Tingley
10
th
Anniversary Celebration
Special Thanks to:
Gabriela Simich, social media & Youtube videos Dave Friedman, photographer Aaron Cota, videographer Michelle Maasz, intern Follow NCI online at:
www.nchoreographers.org www.facebook.com/nchoreographers www.youtube.com/ncidance
Welcome to the 10th anniversary celebration of the National Choreographers Initiative! I am so thrilled with the growth of this collaborative, creative endeavor and thank you all for your continued support of NCI. When I first dreamt of this initiative, I wanted to foster choreographic creativity in a workshop setting without strict deadlines, expectations, or mandates. This project was made possible through the vision and commitment of the NCI Advisory committee. The partnership with the Irvine Barclay Theatre has been central to the success of NCI, as they act as our fiscal agent and have presented all of our Discovery showings. We are also grateful towards UC Irvine’s Claire Trevor School of the Arts – Dance Department, who provides the studio space for our rehearsals. I extend my sincerest thanks to all of the organizations and individuals who contribute to this project! In celebration of our 10th year, we expanded NCI into two special programs. The first, NCI Highlights, is a homecoming of nine pieces, originally created through this initiative, that are now in the repertory of companies nationwide. We are pleased to restage these works on the very stage where they premiered! NCI’s 10th Annual Discovery showcase features new work from four innovative choreographers – David Fernandez, Susan McCullough, Kitty McNamee, and Petr Zahradnicek – created during a three-week intensive process with sixteen professional dancers from across the country. I hope that you will engage in the creative process with these choreographers in our discussion at the conclusion our Discovery showcase. Since 2004, NCI has hosted 37 choreographers, 88 dancers, and has produced 40 new works - 22 of which have been produced by companies throughout the United States. As the national scope of NCI continues to expand, I look forward to many more artistic achievements in the years to come! Thank you for supporting dance!
Ann Marie DeAngelo* “The Guy in the White Shirt” Peter Pucci* “Whisper on the Wind” James Sewell* “Modular” renamed “Anagram” Lynne Taylor-Corbett* “Appalachia Stories” renamed “Carolina Jamboree” Val Caniparoli* “Untitled” renamed “Violin” Christopher d’Amboise* “Untitled” renamed “The Studio” William Soleau* “In Passing” Luca Veggetti* “Subject Forgotten” Ron De Jesus Graham Lustig* Charles Moulton Gina Patterson*
“No Fixed Points” “Yield” “A Rope into the Water” “Broken”
A Decade of Creativity - NCI Chronology 2004-2012
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
Melissa Barak “Yueh Fei” Frank Chaves* “Untitled 2” renamed “Sentir em nos” Edwaard Liang* “Untitled” renamed “Vicissitude” Jerry Opdenaker* “Fragments” renamed “Bailame” Amy Seiwert Edmund Stripe Emery LeCrone Ma Cong*
“SoCal Sketch #1” & “SoCal Sketch #2” “Shortened Suite” “Expressions of Leaning into Light” “French Twist”
Sidra Bell “Iconography” Deanna Carter* “Ash to Glass” Rick McCullough* “Weather” Olivier Wevers “Hush-Hush” Ann Marie DeAngelo* Helen Heineman Viktor Kabaniev* Peter Quanz*
“I’m Really Dancing” “Pieces of Eight” “Series of Unrelated Events” “Luminous”
Brian Enos* Heather Maloy* Peter Pucci Paula Weber
“Cold Winter’s Waiting” “Interweave” & “Calm” “Runaway Dream” “Before the After”
Melissa Barak “Lux Aeterna” Thang Dao “Cell” Darrell Grand Moultrie* “Moments” Wendy Seyb “Something About Sundays” & “Lovers”
* Choreographers who later premiered their work at other companies or organizations
Lighting Design for the Highlights Program is by Monique L’Heureux
“Violin” Choreographer: Val Caniparoli (staged by René Daveluy) NCI Title: “Untitled” (2005)
NCI Highlights Program - July 13, 2013
Music: Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber: Passagalia for Solo Violin Performed by Andrew Manze © Harmonia Mundi USA Costumes based on the design by Tamara Cobus, courtesy of Central West Ballet Original lighting design by MK Stewart (Richmond Ballet) Dancers: AJ Abrams, Grigori Arakelyan, Orlando Julius Canova, Christopher Nachtrab, Rex Wheeler “Violin” was premiered by Richmond Ballet, March 2006, at Richmond Ballet Studio Theatre.
“Vicissitude” Choreographer: Edwaard Liang NCI Title: “Untitled 1” (2007) Music: Franz Schubert: Death and the Maiden Dancers:
Jessica Brown and David Ward
“Vicissitude” was performed by Morphoses Ballet, both at the Vail International Dance Festival in Avon, Colorado, and at the New York City Center in 2007.
“Moments” Choreographer: Darrell Grand Moultrie NCI Title: “Moments” (2012) Music: Kenji Bunch Costumes: Ruth Fentroy, courtesy of Barak Ballet Dancers
Jennifer Drake and Isha Lloyd “Moments” was premiered by Barak Ballet on March 31, 2013 at the Ann and Jerry Moss Theater in Santa Monica
“Luminous” Choreographer: Peter Quanz NCI Title: “Luminous” (2010) Music: Marjan Mozetich, “Affairs of the Heart” available on amazon.com Costumes: Anne Armit, courtesy of Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet
Dancers: David Barocio, Roberto Cisneros, Alissa Dale, Amanda Diehl, Shira Lanyi, Preston Swovelin, Cameron Schwanz, and Elizabeth Walker. “Luminous” was premiered by the Hong Kong Ballet on September 24, 2010 at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre
-INTERMISSION-
“Light-years Away” Choreographer: Lynne Taylor-Corbett Part of “Carolina Jamboree,” commissioned by Carolina Ballet NCI Title: “Appalachia Stories” (2004) Music: Traditional songs as arranged and performed by the Red Clay Ramblers Costumes: David Heuval, courtesy of Carolina Ballet Dancers:
Amanda Diehl and Rex Wheeler
“The Guy in the White Shirt” Choreographer: Ann Marie DeAngelo NCI Title: “The Guy in the White Shirt” (2004) Music: Miguel Frasconi Dancers:
Isha Lloyd and Preston Swovelin “The Guy in the White Shirt” was premiered by Marymount Manhattan Dance Ensemble, NY, in 2006.
“French Twist” Choreographer: Ma Cong (staged by Amy London) NCI Title: “French Twist” (2008) Music: Hugues Le Bars Costumes: Ma Cong, courtesy of Smuin Ballet Dancers:
AJ Abrams, Roberto Cisneros, and Alessa Rogers “French Twist” was premiered by Smuin Ballet, May 2010, at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco, CA
“Sentir em nos” Choreographer: Frank Chaves (staged by Melanie Hortin) NCI Title: “Untitled 2” (2007) Music: Andrea Bocelli and Dulce Pontes: O Mare E Tu Dancers:
Orlando Julius Canova and Alexandra Cunningham “Sentir em nos” was premiered by River North Dance Chicago, IL (2009)
“Cold Winter’s Waiting” Choreographer: Brian Enos NCI Title: “Cold Winter’s Waiting” (2011) Costumes: Claire Gardeski & Melissa Leitch, courtesy of: Grand Rapids Ballet Dancers:
Grigori Arakelyan, David Barocio, Alissa Dale, Jennifer Drake, Shira Lanyi, Christopher Nachtrab, Cameron Schwanz, and Elizabeth Walker “Cold Winter’s Waiting” was premiered by Grand Rapids Ballet on April, 12, 2013 at the Peter Martin Wege Theater in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
NCI Highlights Program - July 13, 2013
“Jamboree” was premiered by Carolina Ballet on February 24, 2005 at Memorial Hall in Raleigh, NC.
NCI Highlights Choreographers - July 13, 2013
Ann Marie DeAngelo (2004) has a broad range of
expertise in the dance world. During her ten-year career as a principal dancer with the Joffrey Ballet, she was hailed by TIME Magazine as “one of the most promising ballerinas in America.” Ann has performed internationally as a guest artist, and also toured Europe with her own experimental company. She founded the first privately funded arts organization in Mexico, Ballet de Monterrey, in 1990. Other artistic leadership positions include: Director of Ballet Omaha, Associate Director of the Joffrey Ballet of Chicago from 1994-1998, and producing and directing several Gala benefit evenings as a board member of Career Transitions for Dancers at City Center in NYC. Ann has created over 40 works and has worked with the Joffrey Ballet of Chicago, the National Ballet of Cuba, Ohio Ballet, Pittsburgh Ballet Theater, Oregon Ballet Theater, Ballet Pacifica, Nevada Ballet Theater, Ballet de Monterrey, and ABTStudio Co., among others. DeAngelo’s The Bell Witch was nominated for a Benois de la Danse award in 2004. Ann has taught at numerous universities, dance programs, and holds a certificate in Arts Administration from NYU.
Lynne Taylor-Corbett (2004) has established a reputation
as an outstanding choreographer in many capacities – her work ranges from classical to commercial and has been presented for theater, film, and the concert stage. She has received commissions from American Ballet Theatre, Ohio Ballet, Atlanta Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Hubbard Street Dance Company, Pennsylvania Ballet, and others. Lynne is a principal guest choreographer for Carolina Ballet. Her work Chiaroscuro for New York City Ballet was broadcasted on “Live from Lincoln Center” in May 2002. That same year, Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre premiered Prayers from the Edge at the City Center, NY. Lynne has collaborated with Pete Seeger on The Ballad of You and Me. She also directed, wrote, and choreographed More than a Song, which featured Tony-nominated Vivan Reed as Lena. Her children’s theater ballet, The Ugly Duckling, was broadcast on UNCTV, a PBS affiliate. Her choreography is featured in Footloose, My Blue Heaven, Disney’s stage show Aladdin at the Hyperion Theatre in California, the Broadway shows Chess and Titanic, and in countless videos and commercials. As a director, Lynne received two Tony nominations and a Drama Desk nomination for Broadway’s Swing! (2000). She has directed full-length theatrical productions at theatres across the country, and created a show for Disney Hong Kong in 2005.
Val Caniparoli’s (2005) versatility has made him one of the
most sought after American choreographers in the United States and abroad. Val trained at the San Francisco Ballet School, his artistic home for over 30 years – he was appointed Resident Choreographer in the early 1980s. His work is treasured in the repertories of more than 35 dance companies, including Pacific Northwest Ballet, Boston Ballet, Northern Ballet Theatre, Pennsylvania Ballet, Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Ballet West (Resident Choreographer, 1993-1997), Washington Ballet, Israel Ballet, Cincinnati Ballet, Singapore Dance Theatre, Atlanta Ballet, State Theatre Ballet of South Africa and Tulsa Ballet, where he has been a Resident Choreographer since 2001. Val has also choreographed for the Chicago Lyric Opera, San Francisco Opera, Metropolitan Opera, and the San Francisco Symphony. Val’s choreographic signature is rooted in classicism but influenced by all forms of movement: modern dance, ethnic dance, social dancing, and even ice-skating. Caniparoli has been the recipient of ten grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, an artist fellowship from the California Arts Council, and two awards from the Choo-San Goh and H. Robert Magee Foundation.
recognized choreographer, teacher, and educator. As a performer, Frank has danced with Ballet Concerto of Miami, New York’s Ballet Hispanico, Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. Frank first joined River North Chicago Dance Company in 1992 as a choreographer, and became coartistic director in 1994. In May 2001, he assumed sole artistic directorship of River North Chicago, and has created over 20 works in the company’s repertoire. His other choreographic credits include works for Spectrum Dance Theatre, Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago, Point Park College for the Performing Arts, Barat Repertory Dance Company, Kaleidoscope Dancers, Pori Dance Company (Finland), National Choreographers Initiative (twice invited). His theatrical commissions include works for Steppenwolf Theatre and the Cleveland Playhouse. In 2000, Frank received a Ruth Page Dance Achievement Award for Mission, co-created with Sherry Zunker, in honor of the company’s 10th anniversary. He has also been recognized with a 2008 Choo-San Goh Award for Choreography from the ChooSan Goh & H. Robert Magee Foundation for Tuscan Rift. Frank is also an Adjunct Professor of Dance for Western Michigan University.
Edwaard Liang (2007) Named one of the “Top 25 to watch”
for choreography by Dance Magazine, Edwaard Liang is a highly acclaimed freelance choreographer. Born in Taipei, Taiwan, Edwaard was raised in Marin County, CA. He trained at the School of American Ballet; joined New York City Ballet in the spring of 1993; and was then promoted to soloist in 1998. In 2001, Edwaard joined the Broadway cast of Fosse in a leading role. In 2002, Edwaard became a member of the Nederlands Dans Theater I, and began choreographic career in their workshop program. He later returned to NYCB (2004-2007), and also performed as a Guest Artist with the Norwegian National Ballet, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, and others. His choreographic works have been performed by Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, Cedar Lake Dance Company, New York City Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Hamburg Ballet, Mariinsky Ballet, Bolshoi Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Hamburg Ballet, Shanghai Ballet, Washington Ballet, Singapore Dance Theatre, Dortmund Ballet, National Theatre in Beijing, and Sadler Wells Theatre in London. Edwaard also participated in the 2004 New York Choreographic Institute, was the winner of the 2006 National Choreographic Competition, and was nominated for the Golden Mask Award in Russia for best new production and best choreographer (2008 and 2010).
Ma Cong (2008) Recognized as one of the top “40 under 40”
by Oklahoma Magazine, choreographer Ma Cong continues to stun audiences. Ma studied at the Beijing Dance Academy with a full scholarship and graduated with honors. Previously with the National Ballet of China, Ma Cong joined Tulsa Ballet in 1999. Ma has danced as a Principal Guest Artist and has worked with many talented choreographers and teachers. As a choreographer, Ma has created original works for Tulsa Ballet, Houston Ballet, BalletMet, Ballet Florida, Smuin Ballet, Richmond Ballet, Ballet Nouveau Colorado, Ballet Des Moines, among others. Ma was named one of the “25 to Watch” by Dance Magazine for both dancing and choreography in 2006. He was the recipient of the Choo-San Goh award in 2007. And in April 2008, he won two awards at the 21st Century Choreographic Competition, including 1st prize and the Audience Favorite Award. In 2008, Ma was the winner of the 21st Century Choreographic competition and named the “Audience Favorite.” He also received the “Editor’s Choice Award” from Pointe Magazine.
NCI Highlights Choreographers - July 13, 2013
Frank Chaves (2007), a native of Cuba, is an internationally
NCI Highlights Choreographers - July 13, 2013
Peter Quanz (2010) knew he wanted to be a choreographer
at age nine, and chose to pursue his creative development and education rather than follow a dancer’s traditional career. He choreographed for company dancers of the Royal Winnipeg Ballet during his first year as a student there. After performing with Stuttgart Ballet, Peter became a free-lance choreographer in 2002. He has choreographed for the Kirov Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, the Royal Ballet, Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montreal, Pennsylvania Ballet and the National Ballet of Canada, as well as for dancers from the Martha Graham Dance Company. Peter is a recipient of the Clifford E. Lee Award, and is supported by grants from the Canada Council for the Arts, the Chalmers Foundation and the Judy and Henny Jurriens Choreographic Fellowship. Peter founded Q DANCE in 2010 to collaborate with a chamber group of artists and to allow him to create his own programs. Peter Quanz has been awarded the prestigious State Medal in Literature and the Arts by President Vyacheslav Nagovitsyn of the Republic of Buryatia, Russia. The state medal recognizes a significant creation of literary or artistic work for the Republic, and acknowledges Peter’s evening of three ballets made for the Republic of Buryatia in 2011.
Brian Enos (2011), a native of San Francisco, has been
making dances since age 14 and has been described as “a wonder kid of contemporary ballet.” At age 18, while still a student in the Houston Ballet Academy, Enos was invited by Ben Stevenson, O.B.E. to create his first work for The Houston Ballet. He has since gone on to create works that have been performed both nationally and internationally for companies such as Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Ballet Met, DanceWorks Chicago, Ballet Austin II, Chicago Ballet, Hubbard Street 2, Momenta, and the University of Chicago. Enos was named “Best up and coming choreographer” by the Houston press in 2001 and was also a winner of the annual Hubbard Street 2 International Choreographic Competition in 2000. As a dancer, he spent several years performing with The Houston Ballet before embarking on an eight year career with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago.
Darrell Grand Moultrie (2012) is a Juilliard 2000
graduate who is fast emerging as one of America’s most sought after choreographers and master teachers. A proud recipient of the 2007 Princess Grace Choreography Fellowship Award, Darrell has created and staged his work for The Juilliard School, Colorado Ballet, Cincinnati Ballet , BalletMet Columbus, Ailey2, North Carolina Dance Theatre, Cleo Parker Dance Ensemble, Rasta Thomas’s Bad Boys of Dance, Milwaukee Ballet, Atlanta Ballet, Sacramento Ballet, The August Wilson Center Dance Ensemble, Tulsa Ballet, Point Park University, and CalArts. This spring, Smuin Ballet will add Darrell’s work Jazzin to their repertoire, and Richmond Ballet will premiere a new work. Darrell has taught at the Juilliard School, the Ailey School, Dance Theatre of Harlem, and Perry Mansfield, and has served as the Director of Musical Theatre at the Harbor Conservatory of the Performing Arts. As a performer, Darrell has been featured in the Broadway productions Billy Elliot, West Side Story, Radiant Baby, Sweet Charity, and The Color Purple. He was seen on Broadway in the smash hits Hairspray The Musical and AIDA. Moultrie has carved out an impressive career that seamlessly weaves his distinctive and highly praised ballet and modern dance choreography through very diverse genres. Most recently, Grammy Award-winning artist Beyonce selected Darrell as one of her choreographers for her current Mrs. Carter World Tour 2013.
Molly is an award-winning choreographer and artistic director, with over 30 years of experience creating, producing, and presenting dance and is currently an Associate Professor of Dance in the Claire Trevor School of the Arts at UC, Irvine. Ms. Lynch is the Founder and Artistic Director of the National Choreographers Initiative. Ms. Lynch was the Artistic Director for Ballet Pacifica from 1988 to 2003. During her tenure, she established Ballet Pacifica as Orange County’s leading professional dance company and one of the area’s top arts organizations. Among her innovative trademark programs was the Pacifica Choreographic Project. Under Ms. Lynch’s direction, the company worked with forty choreographers, premiered more than forty new ballets and restaged some of America’s most beloved classics by George Balanchine, Antony Tudor and Choo San Goh. Ms. Lynch recently created new ballets for Sacramento Ballet, Festival Ballet, Nashville Ballet, BalletMet (Columbus, Ohio), Dance Collage (Hermosillo, Mexico), Academies of Ballet In Philippines (Manila) and Singapore Dance Theatre. She began her dance training with Lila Zali, received a scholarship to the Joffrey Ballet and performed as a soloist and principal dancer with the Louisville Ballet and Ballet Pacifica for over 10 years. In 1992, Ms. Lynch was given the esteemed Outstanding Alumnus Award from UCI and was named one of OC Metro Magazine’s “Ten Women Who Make A Difference.” She is also the recipient of the Red Cross Clara Barton Cultural Arts Award and the Boy Scouts of America Women of Excellence Award in 1996. She is the recipient of the 2001 Choo San Goh Award for Choreography and the 2007 Outstanding Arts Organization Award for her National Choreographers Initiative from Arts Orange County. In April 2008 she was honored with the Irvine Barclay Theatre’s prestigious Jade Award for her extraordinary leadership and creativity.
NCI Artistic Director
Molly Lynch, artistic director
NCI Discovery Choreographers - July 27, 2013
David Fernandez – born in Mexico City,
he began his training at the Centro de arts y Ballet. After receiving a scholarship to Giordano Jazz Dance in Chicago, he immigrated to the United States. While performing with the company, he began creating contemporary works for performance in art galleries and alternative spaces. During his dancing career he performed with Chicago’s Boitsov Classical Ballet, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Ballet Theatre of Chicago, and he performed alongside Mikhail Baryshnikov in the play The Doctor and The Patient at the 2004 Lincoln Center Festival. In 2008 he was commissioned to create a solo for Joaquin de Luz (NYCB) for the original Kings of Dance, which premiered at the National Opera House, Kiev. He has created works for many principal dancers from American Ballet Theatre and New York City Ballet. His other commissions include the Kings of the Dance Tour, Dance Theatre of Harlem Ensemble, Youth America Grand Prix, Opera North, Staten Island Ballet, and the Vassar Repertoire Dance Theatre, Joffrey Ballet School – NY and Some Dance Company. In 2011, David directed and choreographed the short film White Shirt, Black Tie, Black Pants XXS, which premiered at the Dance on Camera Film Festival at Lincoln Center in 2012. His previous films include Objects in Mirror are Closer Than They Appear (2009) and Icarus APR (2009). He also teaches in several ballet and contemporary summer programs in the United States and Mexico. www.davidferndance.com
Susan
McCullough – is a native of Columbus, Ohio. She graduated from the high school program of the North Carolina School of the Arts in 1969 and shortly became a founding member of the North Carolina Dance Theatre. She joined Harkness Ballet in 1972 and in 1974, as Jiri Kylian became the director, she joined Nederlands Dance Theatre (NDT). Over the next nine years with NDT Ms. McCullough was an original cast member in Kylian’s Sinfonietta, Symphony in D, Symphony of Psalms and of other choreographers such as Hans Van Manen, Glenn Tetley and William Forsythe. She became a company teacher and Ballet Mistress for NDT in 1980. Returning to the United States in 1984 Ms. McCullough was a guest teacher and staged Kylian’s repertory for The Joffrey and The Royal Winnipeg. In 1986 she was appointed the Director of the Pittsburgh Ballet School. In 1988 she was appointed the Dean of The School of Dance of the North Carolina School of the Arts, a position she held until 2008. She “retreated” to the faculty of the School of Dance at (U)NCSA in 2008. Since returning to the USA in 1984, Susan has choreographed and restaged over thirty works for the North Carolina Dance Theatre, The Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, the Tallahassee Ballet, SUNY Purchase and the North Carolina School of the Arts to name a few. She was the recipient of the Pennsylvania Arts Council Choreographer Grant in 1987.
and has her BFA from the University of Texas, Austin. She is the artistic director of Hysterica Dance Company, a consistently prolific and invigorating force in the LA dance community. She was recently commissioned to create a work for the LA Ballet’s NextWave LA; and by the LA Philharmonic to create choreography for its “Firebird” Symphony for Youth concerts. Recent highlights with Hysterica include 12th Annual Dance Camera West Dance Media Festival at the Getty, Minimalist Jukebox with The LA Philharmonic at Disney Hall, hysterica x (celebrating the company’s 10th anniversary) at the Ford Amphitheatre and performances at REDCAT, LACMA, Dorothy Chandler Pavilion and Highways. Kitty’s work includes original productions for LA Ballet, LA Opera, San Francisco Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago and LA Philharmonic. She also brings her passion and unique voice to television, film and live performances. www.kittymcnamee.com
Petr Zahradnicek –
is a native of the Czech Republic. As a dancer, he has worked with the National Theater in Prague (Czech Republic), Theater Vorpommern, Salzburg Ballet, Stadttheater Würzburg (Germany), Colorado Ballet and the Milwaukee Ballet. Since joining the Milwaukee Ballet as a dancer in 2003, Petr has created many pieces for the Milwaukee Ballet, Milwaukee Ballet II and Milwaukee Ballet School. He has also choreographed four pieces for Ballet Memphis in Tennessee. In 2007, Petr received a grant from the New York Choreographic Institute, an affiliate of New York City Ballet. He has choreographed and collaborated with other Milwaukee area art groups including Danceworks, Master Singers of Milwaukee, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee and Present Music. This autumn, Petr will choreograph La Traviata for the Florentine Opera, Milwaukee. He is a three-time finalist at McCallum’s Choreography Festival and two time winner of the Paid Engagement Award. This year, Petr will present a new full length program of his work at the McCallum Theater in Palm Desert. Petr is currently a choreographer in residence with the Milwaukee Ballet. www.petrz.com
NCI Discovery Choreographers - July 27, 2013
Kitty McNamee - is from Houston, Texas
Meet the 2013 NCI Dance Ensemble AJ Abrams [Long Beach, CA] trained with Keith Clifton of Clifton Dance Project. He has also studied with the School of American Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet and Pennsylvania Ballet. Abrams began his professional career with Ballet Austin, under the direction of Stephen Mills. AJ has also performed in musicals as well as the Crystal Cathedral’s Glory of Christmas. Currently, AJ dances with Festival Ballet Theatre and Luminario Ballet of Los Angeles. This is AJ’s first appearance with NCI. Grigori Arakelyan
[Erevan, Armenia] was born in Erevan, Armenia. In 2000, after graduating from the National Ballet Academy of Armenia, he moved to southern California where he danced with Pasadena Dance Theatre. In 2006 he joined Nevada Ballet Theatre where he is currently dancing. His repertoire includes: Albrecht in Giselle, Espada in Don Quixote, Cavalier in The Nutcracker, Donizetti Variations, among others. This is Grigori’s third summer dancing with NCI. David Barocio [Los Angeles, CA] began his training in 1991, and was a scholarship recipient at San Francisco Ballet, Boston Ballet, Houston Ballet, Los Angeles Classical Ballet, and American Ballet Theatre. He has performed in Europe, South America, and throughout the United States. David danced with Eugene Ballet before coming to Oklahoma City Ballet in 2008. David is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma with a B.A. in Ballet Performance. This is David’s first appearance with NCI. Orlando Julius Canova [Anaheim, CA] trained with Lawrence and Sarma Rosenberg at the Anaheim Ballet School. At age 16, Orlando attended the School of American Ballet on a full tuition
merit scholarship and a sponsorship by Debbie Allen, and later trained with the Miami City Ballet School, FL. In 2001, Orlando became an Arpino Apprentice with the Joffrey Ballet of Chicago before joining the full company in 2003. He was featured in Robert Altman’s The Company. In 2005, Orlando joined Ballet Austin. This is Orlando’s second summer with NCI. Roberto Cisneros [San Francisco, CA] started his ballet training with Richard Gibson and Zory Karah. At age 9, he began performing with Smuin Ballet. He was given the Young Artist Award for the “Best Young Performer in Live Theater.” Robert later joined the Sacramento Ballet under the direction of Ron Cunningham and Carinne Binda. In 2011 Mr. Cisneros was named one of Dance Magazine’s “25 to Watch”. This is Roberto’s first NCI experience. Alexandra Cunningham [Baltimore, MD] is in her 8th season with the Sacramento Ballet. Alexandra trained under Barbara Crockett and has attended summer intensives at Springboard Danse Montreal, Juilliard, Alonzo King’s LINES Ballet, Boston Ballet, Harid Conservatory, and The Kirov Academy. She is currently deferring admission from UC Berkeley, and looks forward to attending school fulltime in the future. This is Alexandra’s second appearance with NCI. Alissa Dale [Flagstaff, AZ] trained at the Northern Arizona Preparatory Academy under Maureen Price. She then went on to earn a B.F.A. in Dance from the University of Arizona. While in Tucson, she spent one year dancing for Ballet Tucson before moving to Las Vegas to dance for the Nevada Ballet Theater. She has danced with NBT for 8 seasons, and this is her third NCI experience.
Amanda Diehl [Spokane, WA] graduated from North Carolina School of the Arts. She also studied at Ballet West Conservatory and at Milwaukee Ballet. After studying with the Hungarian National Ballet Academy, she joined the Louisville Ballet in 2000 and was promoted to Soloist in 2007. She has worked with choreographers, including Amy Seiwert, Graham Lustig, Val Caniparoli, among others. This is Amanda’s second NCI appearance. Jennifer Drake [Boca Raton, FL] began her professional training at The Harid Conservatory. Upon graduating, she joined The Cincinnati Ballet for four and a half seasons. Jennifer has traveled extensively teaching and choreographing creative works for schools and companies, and dancing as a principle guest artist in numerous company productions. This is Jennifer’s first appearance with NCI. Shira Lanyi [Richmond, VA] was born and raised in Richmond, Virginia. She began her dance training with The School of Richmond Ballet. Shira also attended summer programs at Boston Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, and American Ballet Theatre. After graduating from high school, Shira joined the Richmond Ballet’s apprentice program for two years before being promoted into the professional company in 2007. Shira is now enjoying her sixth season in the company. Isha Lloyd [Helena, MT] studied privately under Sallyann Mulcahy in Montana. She performed with Artisan Dance (now Ballet Montana) for seven years before becoming a trainee with the Pacific Northwest Ballet under the direction of Peter Boal. Now with
Sacramento Ballet, Isha took part in many world premieres by choreographers such as Darrell Grand Moultrie, Yannis Adoniou, Amy Seiwert, Matthew Neenan, and Viktor Kabaniaev. She is continuing her education through the University of Montana and other online schooling. This is Isha’s second summer with NCI. Christopher Nachtrab [Long Island, NY] began his dance training under the guidance of his mother, Susan Nachtrab. Christopher graduated cum laude from Indiana University, where he trained with Violette Verdy, Guoping Wang and Virginia & Jacques Cesbron. He danced with The Richmond Ballet, before joining Sacramento Ballet. Mr. Nachtrab has been recognized with the Marina Svetlova Memorial Award and the Verdy Award for Ballet Excellence. This is Christopher’s first summer with NCI. Alessa Rogers [Twentynine Palms, CA] began her training with Daphne Kendall before attending high school at North Carolina School of the Arts. She danced with North Carolina Dance Theater 2 before joining Atlanta Ballet where she is entering her fifth season as a company dancer. Last season at Atlanta Ballet, Alessa created the lead role in the 2012 world premiere of Twyla Tharp’s full-length The Princess and the Goblin. This is Alessa’s second NCI experience. Preston Swovelin [Los Angeles, CA] trained with the Pasadena Dance Theatre and Miami City Ballet, on full scholarship, under Cynthia Young, Lawrence Blake and Edward Villella. He is the recipient of various awards including 2nd place for Hip-Hop at the USA Nationals. Preston has spent the past three seasons with Nevada Ballet Theatre and performing/choreographing in collaboration with Cirque Du Soliel. This is Preston’s second appearance with NCI.
Elizabeth Walker [New York, NY] trained at the Ballet School of Stamford and JKO School at American Ballet Theatre before becoming a founding member of Los Angeles Ballet in 2006. During a hiatus from LA Ballet, she attended college at Harvard University and performed as a freelance dancer on the East Coast. After graduation, she returned to Los Angeles Ballet, where she dances a variety of Balanchine ballets, new works, and classics. This is Elizabeth’s first year with NCI.
Rex Wheeler [London, England] began his training with Anna Du Boisson, the Elmhurst Ballet School, and The Royal Ballet School. Rex performed at Birmingham Royal Ballet, and was awarded many honors. Rex joined Slovak National Ballet in 2009 where he danced works by Jiří Kylián, James Kudelka and Mario Radacovsky. This is his third season with Sacramento Ballet where he also pursues choreographic opportunities. This is Rex’s first appearance with NCI.
Additional NCI Highlights Dancers - July 13th Jessica Brown trained at American Dance Center, and later at the University of Missouri, Kansas City. She has studied on full scholarship at Boston Ballet and Milwaukee Ballet summer programs and performed in the RDA Honors Choreography Project. She is in her eighth season with BalletMet.
David Ward was born in Lewisham, England, and trained at the English National Ballet School. He then spent five years dancing with Northern Ballet Theatre in Leeds, England. He has toured across mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao, and Thailand, as well as dancing for Prince Edward. He is in his third season with BalletMet.
Cameron Schwanz, a former student of the National Ballet School of Canada and the Houston Ballet Academy, is currently a freelance dancer in southern California. Cameron has danced for such companies as Texas Ballet Theater, Ballet San Jose, Los Angeles Ballet, and Festival Ballet Theatre.
Lighting Design Monique L’Heureux is an award-winning lighting designer who has been working in the field of dance for over two decades. This year, she is celebrating her fourteenth collaboration with artistic director, Molly Lynch. Past designs include: Ma Cong’s French Twist for Smuin Ballet; Molly Lynch’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream; Anjani Ambegaokar’s Made in Mumbaii at the Cerritos Performing Arts Center;The Motion Picture and Television Fund event featuring Chita Rivera, Dick van Dyke, Shirley MacLaine, Hugh Jackman, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Jennifer Hudson, and others; Charles Moulton’s Ball Passing piece in Fall for Dance at the Orange County Performing Arts Center; Robert Sund’s Alice in Wonderland; the National and Pacific
Festivals of Regional Dance America; the summer season at the Hollywood Bowl; and associate design work on the Universal Studios’ Magical Starlight Parade in Osaka, Japan. She attended Pepperdine University and received her MFA from the University of California, Irvine , after which she apprenticed at the Los Angeles Music Center ’s Mark Taper Forum. She has taught for the dance departments at Loyola Marymount University and Moorpark College and the theatre department at El Camino College. She is the recipient of four Lester Horton Dance Awards. She is an accomplished artist and photographer whose work has been shown in galleries including the Long Beach Public Library’s Art on Display, the Carl Broderick Gallery, VIVA Gallery, Long Beach Arts Center, City of Brea Gallery, and The Stage Gallery, as well as a permanent installation in the Glendale Adventist Medical Center. She is a member of United Scenic Artists. www.artanddesigns.net
National Choreographers Initiative 2013 Molly Lynch, Artistic Director
The National Choreographers Initiative would like to thank the following individuals for their support of the 2013 Initiative: Producer Bobbi Cox* Mrs. William Roberts Mrs. Richard Steele* Director William J. Gillespie Foundation* Choreographer Mrs. Alan V. Andrews* Anne B. Nutt* The Robinson Foundation Michelle RohĂŠ*
Beverly and David Carmichael Cliff Faulkner & Shigeru Yaji* Gillian Finley and Robert Labaree Dr. Burton Karson Mrs. Michael McNalley* Thomas Nielsen Ed Moen and Janek Schergen Elizabeth and John Stahr Jenny Szabo
Designer Alan Andrews and Molly Lynch* Fran Bass Diane Diefenderfer and David Hanlon Paula Tomei and David Emmes Kathryn Lynch and Robert McDonnell* Mr. & Mrs. J. Matthew Osborne Marshall Parker Andrew Rose Don and Sally Anne Sheridan Mr. and Mrs. Jack Tingley*
Partner Senator Marian Bergeson* Paul Blank* Gale Edelberg and Bob Butnik Bronwyn Daniels Mrs. Paul Faranda Robert Farnsworth* Mary and Andrew Franklin* Judi Gorski Phuong & Joseph S. Lewis III Jack Lyons Leo McDonnell* Dale Merrill John and Margi Murray* James Penrod* Dr. Ivar Roth* Cyndi and David Runstrom Bruce and Jan Scherer Katy and Jack Schoellerman Donna and Nick Shubin Jackie Smiley* Kim Smith Liz Stillwell Gary and Karen Thorne Mary Vensel White
Dance Contributor Dr. Michael Bear Laurie and Bart Brown*
Friends Beau Corps Studio* Betty Anderson
Dancer Mr. and Mrs. Larry Cripe Janet and Henry Eggers Joanne and Dennis Keith
Betsy Andrews and Alex Moad William Bardens Victoria Barrett Roger du Plessis Roberta Fox Sandra and Donald French Suzanne Fromkin Rachel Gamby and Hugh Roberts Milda and Denis Gray Rowell and Pinky Greene Mike and Valerie Harris James and Carol Hollas Chuck Johnston Mike and Kari Kerr* William and Carolyn Klein* Lorenzo and Karen Knapp Grace and Don Laffoon Martin Langer Nancy Locke Maurice Mandel Debra Maxwell Carl and Pat Neisser Suzy and Jack Peltason Jody and Jack Pike Janice Gudde Plastino Dolly Platt Louise Ringwalt Beth Rosenbaum Timothy Saunders* Ann and Dick Sim Barbara Stevens Chris Thayer Rene and Don Thompson Max and Peggy Weismair*
* Special donations towards the 10th anniversary NCI Highlights performance. Updated as of 7/4/13
Irvine Barclay Theatre Staff Douglas C. Rankin, President Christopher Burrill, General Manager Julia Foster, Chief Development Officer Karen Hanlon, Director of Communications Ginny Hayward, Assistant to the President Gary Payne, Director of Finance
Luanne Bauer, Box Office Manager Helena Danovich, Marketing Assistant Ryan Main, Patron Services Manager Brianna Sparks, Assistant Box Office Manager Jeff Stamper, Production Manager
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The creative experience with NCI allowed me to choreograph for the pleasure of making dance. I was free to focus completely on the thrilling collaboration with the dancers. My process and approach to making a ballet changed because of NCI as I learned to trust and connect better with dancers. Luminous has been my most successful work because of the investment of research time that I was given at NCI. More importantly, however, my choreography since being part of NCI has become richer through a strengthened approach to the process. It is rare to have an opportunity like NCI where one can slow down and focus only on the work in the studio. NCI made a significant impact on the artist that I am today. – Peter Quanz 2010
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“ NCI provided me with my first large white
canvas on which I could create a piece without any outside direction. It provided me with excellent and capable dancers that allowed me to explore movement and creative freedom. This freedom gave me the confidence I needed to show the audience my style of art. It also provided me with a great network through which I can connect with other artists and professionals. – Ma Cong 2007
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“ Having the NCI experience helped
me explore American folk dance as a genre for a major dance work. The additional time gave me the courage to take chances I would not otherwise have taken – Lynne Taylor-Corbett 2004
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dancers: Ted Keener & Emily Ramiirez | photo by Dave Friedman 2010
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“ NCI was an amazing experience. The freedom to create without the pressure to make a “hit” is a luxury not often afforded to choreographers. I felt as though I could take certain risks that I might not have otherwise allowed myself to take. It was also great to connect with the other choreographers and dancers who participated in the project. – Brian Enos 2011