Houston Ballet 601 Preston Street, Houston, TX 77002 713.523.6300 info@houstonballet.org www.houstonballet.org Stanton Welch AM Artistic Director James Nelson Executive Director Ben Stevenson OBE Artistic Director Emeritus
PUBLISHED BY Houston Ballet
Welcome
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF PUBLICATIONS Jasmine Fuller Cane DEVELOPMENT COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR Kate Wood PROJECT STAFF Lynn Chung, Tory Lieberman, Jared Murphy ADVERTISING SALES Ventures Marketing Group Matt Ross
HoustonBallet Vol. 4, Issue 3
See you in the theater, VOL. 4, ISSUE 3 2022
HOUSTON BALLET
DIRECTOR OF MARKETING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS Angela Lee
Jewels
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As the first full-length abstract ballet, Jewels made history and delighted audiences with its decadence and grandeur. Generously underwritten by cherished friend of Houston Ballet Hallie Vanderhider, this production is a wonderful opportunity to see our company perform a Balanchine ballet truly unlike any other. Houston Ballet’s performances of Jewels feature the stunning work of Emeralds and Diamonds repetiteur Diana White, and Rubies repetiteur Bart Cook. Having both been students of Balanchine himself, these repetiteurs bring invaluable perspectives to our production here in Houston. I want to thank you, our loyal patrons. Your continued support is invaluable to our company, and we are delighted to have you in the theater with us.
HoustonBallet
Dear Houston Ballet friends, I am thrilled to welcome you to George Balanchine’s elegant ballet Jewels. Famed for its glittering costumes and iconic choreography, this production highlights three acts embodying three very different gemstones, united by their common attributes of grace, beauty, and luxury. Jewels opens with Emeralds, performed to the elegant music of Gabriel Fauré. Balanchine’s choreography exudes both sophistication and strength as the artists dance in bejeweled green costumes. Second comes Rubies, a divergence from Emeralds, with sharp movements and fire-red fringed leotards. The dissonant compositions of Igor Stravinsky accompany the ballet’s dynamic movements, which are meant to serve as a contrast to Jewels’ first and third acts. Diamonds then closes the show with its timeless choreography and opulent costuming. The music of Balanchine’s artistic inspiration, Pytor Ilyich Tchaikovsky, creates a finale that is nothing short of extraordinary.
CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER Angela Lane
STANTON WELCH AM Houston Ballet Artistic Director
Houston Ballet Artistic Director Stanton Welch. Photo by Charles Ford
ON THE COVER Principal Jessica Collado with Artists of Houston Ballet in Rubies. Photo by Amitava Sarkar. Choreography by George Balanchine. © The George Balanchine Trust
