33 minute read
Welcome Letter
Welcome!
Dear Houston Ballet friends, Welcome to Pretty Things! After successful runs of Jewels and Sylvia, we’re proud to bring you a curated bill of three one-act ballets. This show is a wonderful opportunity for you to see our artists in a different light; their impressive range of talent and technique will be seen on the stage tonight through a variety of different pieces.
Houston Ballet alum Trey McIntyre returns to his roots in Houston to present the world premiere of Pretty Things, a ballet exploring peacocking behavior in male dancers. Originally intended to premiere at the beginning of the pandemic, Pretty Things has been in the works for years and has long awaited its stage debut. The opportunity to highlight male dancers through this performance is a feat we’re excited to show you, made possible by McIntyre’s choreographic talents and the generosity of underwriters Allison and Troy Thacker.
We also present Christopher Bruce’s Hush, a spirited favorite exploring the complexities of family dynamics. Bruce’s unique choreography is celebrated across the globe; Hush in particular is made all the more engaging by its soundtrack by Bobby McFerrin and Yo-Yo Ma.
Originally created for a world premiere on Houston Ballet nearly a decade ago, Jorma Elo’s ONE|end|ONE returns to the Wortham. Elo’s award-winning creation reflects the dancemaker’s quirky and unexpected movements to create an atmosphere of playfulness and has become a staple in Houston Ballet’s repertoire.
I want to thank each of you for your presence; none of this would be possible without your constant support and loyalty to our Company. We are truly grateful.
See you in the theater,
STANTON WELCH AM
Houston Ballet Artistic Director
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
CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER Angela Lane
DIRECTOR OF MARKETING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS Angela Lee
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
Houston Ballet HoustonBallet
Vol. 4, Issue 4
Pretty Things
VOL. 4, ISSUE 4 2022
ON THE COVER Demi Soloist Chandler Dalton with Artist of Houston Ballet. Photo by Amitava Sarkar.
FIRST POSITION
SPOTLIGHT p. 10 | ANATOMY OF A SCENE p. 11 | EN POINTE p. 12 | UPLIFT p. 13
Welcome Home
A brief career timeline of celebrated choreographer Trey McIntyre, who returns to his home company for Pretty Things
By Kate Wood
TODAY, KANSAS NATIVE TREY MCINTYRE
is an award-winning choreographer whose work has appeared on countless stages across the country. But in 1987, years before his successful career earned him recognition and accolades, McIntyre was a student in the Houston Ballet Academy who got his choreographic start right here in the Bayou City.
For Academy students and Company dancers alike, choreography is part of the curriculum. “In a lot of companies or schools, you may not choreograph at all unless you seek it out,” explains Houston Ballet Artistic Director Stanton Welch AM. “At Houston Ballet there are many opportunities to participate in the choreographic process, and I think that’s why when our dancers start to create professionally, they’re already much further ahead in their abilities.”
After his Academy graduation in 1989, McIntyre joined the Company as an Apprentice. That same year, his penchant for choreographic creativity was recognized, and he was appointed
to Choreographic Apprentice, a role created specifically for him by former Houston Ballet Artistic Director Ben Stevenson OBE. In 1995, McIntyre was promoted to Choreographic Associate. The title was well earned seeing as the year prior, McIntyre had just become “the youngest choreographer selected internationally to participate in New York City Ballet’s prestigious ‘Diamond Project,’ designed to foster the creation of new dance works,” according to American Ballet Theatre.
During his 13 years as a Choreographic Associate, McIntyre flourished as a talented choreographer at the beginning of a very promising career. He created many pieces on Houston Ballet that are still in the Company’s repertoire today, including his enchanting full-length Peter Pan, which will be performed as part of Houston Ballet’s upcoming 2022-2023 season. For the Company’s 2017-2018 season, McIntyre’s In Dreams, an abstract ballet danced to the popular tunes of Roy Orbison, made its Houston debut at the George R. Brown Convention Center while the Wortham was rebuilt in the wake of Hurricane Harvey. In Dreams has become a favorite of Welch’s; the piece was included in the repertoire Houston Ballet brought to the 2018 Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, a milestone performance for the Company in the wake of Harvey’s destruction.
In 2008, McIntyre left Houston to turn his popular summer touring company, Trey McIntyre Project, into a year-round company based in Boise, Idaho. Trey McIntyre Project has garnered awards and media attention from outlets such as The New York Times, Dance Magazine, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, The Wall Street Journal, and The Boston Globe.
Trey McIntyre Project is recognized as a dance company, but its founder has ambitious visions for other artistic pursuits. McIntyre has also explored the worlds of photography, writing, and filmmaking; according to his website, “McIntyre has developed a cult following for his photography of the human body, written several published essays, and completed the feature-length documentary Gravity Hero, which premiered at the Dance on Camera Film Festival at Lincoln Center.” Welch explains how McIntyre’s strong dance background might naturally lend itself to other creative endeavors: “Body language and dance are the same sort of thing. The cinematography can feel like choreography; in full length ballets, we direct the attention of the audience which is kind of like filmmaking. I think dance, photography, film, music, and acting all have a link and enhance each other.”
After years building a successful creative career, McIntyre returns to his roots in Houston for the world premiere of Pretty Things. Originally intended for Houston Ballet’s 50th anniversary, Pretty Things explores peacocking behavior amongst its all-male cast set to the rockand-roll music of David Bowie.
Having known McIntyre and watched his work for years, Welch believes Pretty Things will captivate its audiences through McIntyre’s signature originality and innovation. “When you watch dance, it should create something in you, whether that’s happiness, sadness, anger... there aren’t many people that have that ability,” Welch says. “Trey has a unique voice, and he’s successful because he’s himself.”
SPOTLIGHT
Allison & Troy Thacker
A spotlight on the Pretty Things underwriters
The Thackers’ love for Houston Ballet shines in their every engagement with the organization. As outstanding leaders, they inspire commitment and generosity in their peers. Allison and Troy are nothing short of champions for the art form and the organization. The Thackers are staples among guests at Houston Ballet’s biggest events, including the Ballet Ball and Onstage Dinner. In 2016, they were incredible leaders in supporting the creation of Stanton Welch’s The Nutcracker and encouraging numerous others to contribute in bringing the landmark production to life. In addition to their incredible support of productions and special events, Allison serves on the Executive Committee of Houston Ballet’s Board of Trustees.
This season, the Thackers have underwritten Houston Ballet alum Trey McIntyre’s world premiere, Pretty Things. It seems only fitting that such close members of Houston Ballet’s family be the ones who help bring this monumental premiere to life.
Classic and Contemporary
Jorma Elo and Holly Hynes effortlessly blend traditional with modern to create ONE|end|ONE’s timeless tutu
By Kate Wood
CREATIVE FREEDOM
The top layer of this tutu is made from pliable yet sturdy black horsehair, adding a fluidity to the tutu while keeping the classic plate shape. It also features bold designs created with gold applique. “I adore creating tutus,” says Hynes in a 2011 article for Houston Ballet’s blog. “The top plate seems to be a canvas for an artist just waiting to be designed on.”
TRADITIONAL TULLE
Like most tutus, this layered skirt is created using a gathered tulle netting for every layer except the top. This gives the tutu a classic plate shape that maintains its structure throughout the performance.
SHOPPING LOCAL
The materials for this tutu were carefully selected by Hynes from Houston-based fabric stores. “I prefer to find fabric sources in the same city as the ballet company because it’s faster to buy more if they need it now or in the future,” Hynes explains in the 2011 En Pointe article. “Houston has some amazing fabric stores!”
CONTRASTING CONCERTOS
This versatile tutu doesn’t just complement Elo’s choreography. Dance Magazine noted the contrast between the ONE/ end/ONE’s music and Hynes’ sleek tutu in a 2011 article: “The snootiness of Mozart’s violin concerto was underscored by Holly Hynes’ traditional costumes: black tutus with gold brocade trim.”
CELEBRATED FINNISH CHOREOGRAPHER
Jorma Elo’s distinctive and challenging masterpiece ONE|end|ONE returns for this season’s performances of Pretty Things. Created on Houston Ballet in 2011, ONE|end|ONE has garnered notoriety not only for its technical difficulty, but also for its quirky blending of classical and modern movement.
“Classical movement, even though I love it thoroughly, is for me sometimes missing musical elements – like retardation, flow, fluidity, fast exhilaration – that are often much easier to portray in more contemporary elements and curves,” Elo explained in the 2020 Forged in Houston program, revealing the choreographic motivations behind his work’s trademark juxtaposition of traditional balletic steps with sharp, modern movement.
Elo’s ONE|end|ONE is rounded out on stage with striking tutus designed by award-winning costume designer Holly Hynes. Hynes’ design process relies on fully understanding the themes and movements of the piece. “Houston Ballet flew me in to overlap with Jorma’s rehearsal period, but before that we met in Moscow to talk about ideas,” Hynes said in a 2011 article for Houston Ballet’s blog, En Pointe with Houston Ballet. “We talked about movement, color, aerobic needs, numbers of dancers, if atmosphere changes between movements…is there a story?”
Hynes’ research pays off in spades. A modern twist on the traditional ballet uniform, these tutus have a core structure much like any other tutu but feature Hynes’ creative nuances in their finishing touches. A welldesigned costume enhances an onstage performance, and these tutus expertly capture the dissonance between classical and contemporary seen in ONE|end|ONE’s choreography.
Houston Ballet artists have worn costumes designed by Hynes for years; her creative talents and originality have earned recognition in the Bayou City. “Thank goodness I have designed many tutus for Stanton,” Hynes noted in the previously mentioned 2011 article. “Getting to work with Jorma in Houston feels like bringing home a friend to meet the family!”
BEHIND THE MUSIC
After stepping down as Artistic Director from Rambert Dance Company in 2002, Christopher Bruce was given Yo-Yo Ma and Bobby McFerrin’s album Hush as a parting gift. Bruce cites the music as direct inspiration for the ballet.
HUSH (1992)
Winner of 19 Grammy awards, celebrated cellist Yo-Yo Ma (1955-) first met Bobby McFerrin (1950-) in 1988 at Leonard Bernstein’s 70th birthday party. While most popularly known for his song “Don’t Worry, Be Happy,” McFerrin is a talented American folk and jazz artist and 10-time Grammy winner praised for his impressive vocal techniques. The two lauded musicians first collaborated at McFerrin’s 40th birthday where Ma recalls in Hush’s liner notes, “...he conducted Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony, and I improvised in public for the first time.” Two years after that came their collaborative album, Hush. The 13-track album, originally intended for children, showcases the incredible skills of both musicians – from McFerrin’s vocal improvisation to Ma’s technical proficiency. The album is a “musical celebration of life” and includes their take on classical pieces from Vivaldi, Rachmaninoff and Bach and original works.
EN POINTE
Notes on Hush
Choreographer Christopher Bruce CBE sheds light on his 2006 creation Hush. This Q&A is reprinted from the 2020 Forged in Houston program. Questions by Adam Castañeda
HOW DO THE DESIGN ELEMENTS ENHANCE THE CHOREOGRAPHY OF HUSH? WHAT ADDITIONAL MEANINGS ARE ADDED?
The nature of the design came about because of my decision to place the work in a Commedia dell’Arte setting, [an early form of Italian Theater]. This allowed me to create a travelling group of players who could represent a family group made up of archetypal characters and allows the audience a degree of freedom to interpret the themes present in the dance.
I’ve drawn a parallel between family life and the communal nature of a group of itinerant players. Life becomes a performance. Marian [Bruce] has created costumes, which are clown-like but also express something of the character of the individual roles. The setting suggests a circus ring in the process of being set up or dismantled – a magical but ephemeral world.
WHAT MAKES A CIRCUS AN APPEALING BACKDROP FOR A DEEPLY HUMANISTIC BALLET SUCH AS HUSH?
The circus has been such a wonderful inspiration to artists from every genre. It seems to grip our imagination from childhood and doesn’t let go. I think it goes back hundreds of years when the Commedia was such an important means of expression and comment on the whole of life, personally, socially, and politically.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE FINISHED PIECE, WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ASPECT? WHAT DO YOU HOPE THE AUDIENCE EXPERIENCES?
The dances are vignettes of personal family experiences. The themes and characters are universal, and I hope the audience will identify and feel familiar with some of the situations and incidents I have collaged into the work. However, I also hope they will just enjoy the dancing of these very fine Houston Ballet artists.
Add to Playlist
Chosen for their grand theatricality, Trey McIntyre’s Pretty Things is backed by David Bowie’s most popular tunes. Take this quiz to find out which Pretty Things tune should be your next song on repeat.
START
Your current song on repeat makes you:
WIND DOWN HIT THE TOWN
How often do you try new things?
ALL THE TIME
Have you ever seen the sun rise?
YES, WHEN I GET HOME IF IT AIN’T BROKE...
YES, WHEN I WAKE UP
GROOVE TO THE BEAT
When you listen to a new song, you:
READ THE LYRIC SHEET Where are you at a party?
CHATTING WITH FRIENDS
ON THE DANCE FLOOR
Strum a sixstring or tickle the ivories?
GUITAR
PIANO
LITTLE WONDER
The biggest hit on Bowie’s 1997 album Earthling. This track will get your heart racing with industrial electronic beats and drum loops while referencing all seven dwarves.
YOUNG AMERICANS
If you like something with a groove, you’ll be hitting repeat on “Young Americans.” From the 1975 album of the same name, this marked Bowie’s departure from glam rock into soul.
ZIGGY STARDUST
If an industry-shaping power ballad is what you crave, this quintessential Bowie glam rock song from ‘72 is for you. Ziggy Stardust – as the song suggests, an androgynous alien rock star – also served as Bowie’s stage persona from 1972-73.
OH! YOU PRETTY THINGS
The inspiration for the ballet’s title, “Oh! You Pretty Things” will scratch your itch for jaunty piano playing and a robust and catchy chorus. From Bowie’s 1971 album Hunky Dory, this song is an ode to welcoming change from newer generations.
CREDITS p. 16 | THE ARTISTS p. 19 | ORCHESTRA p. 21 PRETTY THINGS
MAY 20-29, 2022
This performance lasts approximately two hours and twenty minutes.
There will be two intermissions lasting twenty minutes each.
For casting, scan the QR code.
ONE|end|ONE
Choreography by Jorma Elo
Music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) Violin Concerto No. 4 in D, K. 218
Costume Design by Holly Hynes
Lighting Design by Christina R. Giannelli
Denise Tarrant, Violin
ONE|end|ONE was created with the support of a Rudolf Nureyev Prize for New Dance awarded by The Joyce Theater with major funding from the Rudolf Nureyev Dance Foundation.
WHAT YOU’RE WATCHING
A mix of contemporary and classical movement for eight dancers. According to Elo in 2020, he establishes “unique atmospheres in a short time with solos, pas de deux, trios, and groups; and to make an interesting start to each new couple or dancer entering.” Elo states his inspiration: “Along with the music, the piece was partly inspired by my parents, who were married for 65 years. I would observe them working in the garden together, and they were totally synchronized even though they were doing their own thing. Also, ONE/end/ ONE/end/ONE/end/ONE...it’s like the loop of life.”
WHAT YOU’RE LISTENING TO
A violin concerto by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart for solo violin, two oboes, two horns, and strings. Written in 1775, this is the fourth out of five violin concertos composed by Mozart in Salzburg, Austria. This concerto is in three movements: Allegro, Andante cantabile, and Rondeau: Andante Grazioso - Allegro ma non troppo.
Hush
Choreography by Christopher Bruce CBE
Music by Bobby McFerrin and Yo-Yo Ma Grace Vivaldi: Andante from Concerto in D minor for two Mandolins Rimsky-Korsakov: Flight of the Bumblebee Stars Hush Gounod/Bach: Ave Maria Hoedown!
Costume and Scenic Design by
Marian Bruce
Lighting Design by Christina R. Giannelli
WHAT YOU’RE WATCHING
From the choreographer in 2006: “My inspiration for this work has come directly from the music, and for my program note I can hardly do better than quote Yo-Yo Ma’s words from the album liner notes: ‘Hush is a musical celebration of life – from youth to old age. While in so many ways this album speaks to children, it is equally true that perhaps its central goal, to use Bobby [McFerrin]’s phrase, is to release the child in the adult.’ After finishing my ballet, I realized that I have strayed little from these sentiments. However, by adding dance to the composition of McFerrin and Ma, I hope I have managed to develop universal themes in a highly personal way that members of the audience can identify with.”
WHAT YOU’RE LISTENING TO
Selections from the 1992 collaborative album Hush between celebrated cellist Yo-Yo Ma and talented vocalist Bobby McFerrin, also known for his 1988 hit “Don’t Worry, Be Happy.” Originally for children, the 13-track album combines the two musicians’ gifts.
Pretty Things
Generously underwritten by Allison and Troy Thacker
WORLD PREMIERE
Choreography by Trey McIntyre
Music by David Bowie (1947-2016) Ashes to Ashes Ziggy Stardust Little Wonder Changes Oh! You Pretty Things The Man Who Sold the World Life on Mars? Young Americans
Costume and Scenic Design by
Thomas Mika
Lighting Design by Michael Mazzola
WHAT YOU’RE WATCHING
An all male cast of 11 take the stage for Pretty Things. This piece explores peacocking behavior among male dancers. McIntyre said of the piece in Houston Ballet News, “The puzzle in this particular piece is the conflict I have had to reconcile between being a spiritual person and the inherent and valuable attribute of narcissism in performers.”
WHAT YOU’RE LISTENING TO
A selection of eight songs from David Bowie’s expansive body of work. The selections span from Bowie’s 1970 haunting hit “The Man Who Sold the World” up to his ‘97 industrial rock track “Little Wonder.” The English singersongwriter was a leading figure in the music industry from 1962-2016 releasing a whopping 26 studio albums and selling roughly 140 million records worldwide. While Pretty Things is not inspired by nor a comment on the life or career of Bowie, the songs are instead chosen for their grand theatricality.
The Artists
JORMA ELO
Choreographer, ONE|end|ONE Finnish-born Jorma Elo is one of the dance world’s most sought-after choreographers. Mr. Elo has created more than 60 ballets for over 30 companies worldwide, including New York City Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, National Ballet of Canada, Vienna State Opera Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Bolshoi Ballet, Houston Ballet, Dutch National Ballet, Royal Danish Ballet and Nederlands Dans Theatre. Mr. Elo was named Resident Choreographer of Boston Ballet in 2005. Mr. Elo trained with the Finnish National Ballet School and the Kirov Ballet School and enjoyed a long performing career with Finnish National Ballet, Cullberg Ballet and Nederlands Dans Theater. Mr. Elo was awarded the 2011 Benois de la Danse prize and the Helsinki International Ballet Competition’s choreographic prize in 2005. He is the 2006 recipient of the Prince Charitable Trust Prize and the Choo San Goh Choreographic Award. In 2015 Elo was awarded the Pro Finlandia Medal of the Order of the Lion of Finland, one of Finland’s highest honors.
DENISE TARRANT
Violinist, ONE|end|ONE Denise Tarrant studied at the University of Houston with Fredell Lack; Rice University with Sergiu Luca; Royal College of Music in London with Dona Lee Croft; and Trinity College of Music with Bela Katona. Ms. Tarrant began her professional career as the violinist in the Midland-Odessa (Texas) Symphony at the age of 16. She began her tenure with the Houston Ballet Orchestra in 1986 and was promoted to concertmaster in 1988. Ms. Tarrant has been featured as a violin soloist in several Houston Ballet productions including Stanton Welch’s Maninyas, Clear and the world premiere of Tapestry (Mozart Violin Concerto No. 5); world premiere of Jorma Elo’s ONE|end|ONE (Mozart Violin Concerto No. 4); Natalie Weir’s Steppenwolf; Mark Morris’ Pacific; world premiere Edwaard Liang’s Mumuration (Ezio Bosso, Violin Concerto No. 1). She has enjoyed an extensive career with Houston Grand Opera Orchestra, becoming concertmaster under the baton of Maestro Patrick Summers in 1999. Ms. Tarrant has also performed in Europe and toured to Japan with the Houston Symphony.
CHRISTOPHER BRUCE CBE
Choreographer, Hush One of Britain’s leading choreographers, with an international reputation, Christopher Bruce trained at the Ballet Rambert School. He joined Ballet Rambert in 1963 where he was acclaimed as one of the most gifted performers of his generation, and remembered particularly for his performances in Glen Tetley’s Pierrot Lunaire and in Cruel Garden, a collaboration with Lindsay Kemp. He is recognized as the last major choreographer to have been nurtured by Marie Rambert. In addition to performing and choreographing, Christopher was Associate Director of Ballet Rambert from 1975-1979 and in 1980 became its Associate Choreographer. In 1994, he returned to the Company as Artistic Director until 2002. Among his bestknown works are Cruel Garden, Ghost Dances, Requiem, Intimate Pages, Sergeant Early’s Dream, The Dream is Over, Swansong, Rooster, Moonshine and Four Scenes all of which have been televised. Christopher has choreographed for many companies around the world and has enjoyed close associations with Australian Dance Theatre, Nederlands Dans Theater, Cullberg Ballet, the Royal Danish Ballet, the Gulbenkian Ballet, Ballet du Grand Théâtre de Genève, English National Ballet (where he was Associate Choreographer from 19861991) and Houston Ballet (where he was Resident Choreographer from 1989-1998 and Associate Choreographer from 1998-2021). He has choreographed for musicals, plays, operas television and videos. Over the last decades, Houston Ballet has emerged as Bruce’s artistic home in America. The Company has 12 works by Bruce in its repertoire. He has staged his Ghost Dances, Grinning in Your Face, Intimate Pages, Swansong, Sergeant Early’s Dream, Cruel Garden, Rooster and Land for the Company and has created four original works: Guatama Buddha (1989), Journey (1990), Nature Dances (1992) and Hush (2006). In 1990, Houston Ballet traveled to Denmark to film Ghost Dances and Journey for Danish Television. His most recent works include Three Songs, Two Voices (2005), A Steel Garden (2005), Hush (2006), Shift (2007), Dance at the Crossroads (2007), Ten Poems (2009), Fur Alina (2011), Dream (2012), Shadows (2014), Morning and Moonlight (2015) and Mya (2016). His awards include Evening Standard Award, 1974 and 1997; Prix Italia (for Television Production of Cruel Garden), 1982; International Theatre Institute Award for Excellence in International Dance, 1993; De Valois Award for Outstanding Contribution to Dance at Critics’ Circle National Dance Awards, 2003; Rheinische Post Theater Oscar for ‘An Evening of Work by Christopher Bruce’ at Theater Krefeld-Mönchengladbach 2004; Best Choreography, Critics’ Circle Awards, 2009. Christopher Bruce was awarded a CBE in 1998; Honorary Doctor of Art from De Montfort University, 2000; Honorary Doctor of Letters from University of Exeter, 2001; Honorary Life Membership of Amnesty International, 2002 and Honorary Visiting Professor, Exeter University 2009. He was appointed Patron of the Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance in 2022.
TREY MCINTYRE
Choreographer, Pretty Things Trey McIntyre was created in 1969 as a collaboration between his mother and father. His interest both in art and getting the hell away from Kansas led him to train at North Carolina School of the Arts and the Houston Ballet Academy. In 1989, he was appointed Choreographic Apprentice to Houston Ballet, a position created especially for him, and in 1995 he became the Company’s Choreographic Associate. He has worked for more than 30 years as a freelance choreographer, producing more than 100 pieces during the span of
The Artists
his career so far. He also did a bunch of other cool things, including working with a lot of amazing companies such as The Stuttgart Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Queensland Ballet, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, New York City Ballet, Oregon Ballet Theatre, BalletX, The Washington Ballet, Ballet Memphis, and San Francisco Ballet. He has won numerous awards and honors such as the Choo San Goh Award for Choreography, a Lifetime Achievement Award from The National Society of Arts and Letters, two personal grants for choreography from The National Endowment for the Arts, and is a United States Artists Fellow. In 2019, he won the Isadora Duncan Award for Outstanding Achievement in Choreography for his work Your Flesh Shall be a Great Poem, which he created for San Francisco Ballet for their Unbound Festival. He 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.” The New York Times critic Alastair Macaulay said of Mclntyre, “...There’s a fertility of invention and a modernity of spirit here that are all Mr. Mclntyre’s own.” The Los Angeles Times wrote, “...There is indeed such a thing as genuine 21st century ballet, and it belongs more to this guy from Wichita than any of the over-hyped pretenders from England, France or Russia.” A confessed polymath, McIntyre has developed a cult following for his photography of the human body, written several published essays, and completed the feature-length documentary Gravity Hero, which premiered at the Dance on Camera Film Festival at Lincoln Center. His main focus recently has been adding more love into the world. He loves you and doesn’t even know you.
DAVID BOWIE
Singer/Songwriter, Pretty Things Rock and roll legend David Bowie is widely recognized as one of the most influential musicians of all time. The singer, songwriter, actor and fashion icon was born in South London in 1947. Bowie is known for his ever-changing persona and genre-bending discography. From his breakout single “Space Oddity” in 1969 to his alter-ego Ziggy Stardust, his musical styles covered pop, R&B, funk, dance, glam rock, progressive rock, hard rock, soul and more. His first American single in 1975 was “Fame”, co-written with fellow legends John Lennon and Carlos Alomar. In 1976, Bowie starred in his first feature film, The Man Who Fell To Earth, skyrocketing his star power even higher into an accomplished acting career with leading roles in films such as the cult classic Labyrinth (1986). He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996. Bowie died from cancer on January 10, 2016, shortly after the release of his final album, Blackstar. His influence on music, fashion and culture continues to be felt posthumously, with current artists like Lady Gaga, Madonna, U2 and more crediting Bowie for shaping their careers.
THOMAS MIKA
Costume and Scenic Designer, Pretty Things Thomas Mika is a set and costume designer for modern and classical ballet productions worldwide. He studied opera direction at Hamburger Hochschule für Musik und Theater, Germany. He has worked with modern choreographers Alejandro Cerrudo, Edward Clug, Marco Goecke, Katarzyna Kozielska, Jack Lister, Trey McIntyre, Juliano Nunes, Kevin O’Day and Jeroen Verbruggen. His classical repertoire designs include John Cranko’s Onegin and Romeo and Juliet, Derek Deane’s Lady of the Camellias, Alexey Fadeechev’s Don Quixote, Nina Ananishvili’s version of Don Quixote, Ben van Cauwenbergh’s Romeo and Juliet, Thomas Edur’s Swan Lake, and Eno Peci & Sabrina Sadowska’s version of Swan Lake. Thomas has collaborated worldwide with ballet companies including Ballet de Opéra National de Paris, Bolshoi Ballet Moscow, Vienna State Ballet, Stuttgart Ballet, State Ballet Berlin, San Francisco Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, BalletX Philadelphia, Birmingham Royal Ballet, National Ballet of China, Hong Kong Ballet, Universal Ballet Seoul, Queensland Ballet Brisbane, Hungarian National Ballet, Polish National Ballet, Estonian National Ballet, Slovenian National Ballet, Croatian National Ballet, Hessisches Staatsballett Wiesbaden, Ballett Mannheim, Aalto Ballett Theater, the Royal Ballet of Flanders and San Francisco Ballet. As a director he has directed and designed The Count of Luxemburg by Franz Lehár for the Estonian National Opera and will direct and design Tchaikovsky’s opera Iolanta and the ballet Nutcracker for Salzburg. His work has been presented in France, Germany, Belgium, England, Hungary, Poland, Estonia, Croatia, China, South Korea, Australia and the United States.
MICHAEL MAZZOLA
Lighting Designer, Pretty Things Michael Mazzola’s critically acclaimed lighting and scenery has been seen in venues all over the U.S. and Europe, ranging from opera houses to circus tents to outdoor amphitheaters. The threetime New York Dance and Performance Award winner has designed lighting and scenery for Oregon Ballet Theatre; Pacific Northwest Ballet; San Francisco Ballet, Whim W’Him of Seattle, Queensland Ballet; National Ballet of Finland; Stuttgart Ballet; Grand Rapids Ballet; Ballet West; Ballet Nacional de Cuba; Trey McIntyre Project; The Washington Ballet; Houston Ballet; Rachel Tess Dance at the Wanas Foundation in Sweden, Baryshnikov Arts Center, NYC and LMCC’s River to River Festival, Third Rail Repertory Theatre, Bebe Miller Company, and the Liz Lerman Dance Exchange. He is the lighting director for Oregon Ballet Theatre. Michael has received awards on the west coast for his lighting of musical theater and drama. At the Kennedy Center Concert Hall, he designed lighting and video for the 2015 Presidential Scholars Awards. He has also designed scenery for two Comedy Central Celebrity Roasts, and the 2015 Lincoln Awards at the Kennedy Center Concert Hall for Uplight, Inc, based in NYC.
Houston Ballet Orchestra
Conducted by Ermanno Florio
FIRST VIOLIN
Rachel Shepard, Concertmaster Linda Sanders*, Assistant Concertmaster Sylvia Ver Meulen* Mary Reed* Oleg Sulyga* Chloe Yeseul Kim Hae-a Lee Kana Kimura Mila Neal
SECOND VIOLIN
Natalie Gaynor, Principal Trung Trinh*, Assistant Principal Elizabeth Frederick* Karen Hall Wilkson* Barbara Shreffler* Miriam Belyatsky Feld* Erica Robinson* Melissa Williams
VIOLA
Rene Salazar*, Principal Lorento Golofeev*, Assistant Principal Dawson White Elizabeth Golofeev Erika Lawson Gayle Garcia-Shepard
CELLO
Barrett Sills*, Principal Erika Johnson, Assistant Principal Max Dyer* Dave Zeger* Steven Wiggs* Steven Estes*
BASS
Curry Duffey*, Principal David Connor, Assistant Principal Greg Garcia* Carla Clark*
OBOE
Mayu Isom, Principal Katherine Hart Grace Tice
HORN
James Wilson*, Principal Jamie Leff
SOLO VIOLINIST Denise Tarrant*
*Houston Ballet Orchestra members who have more than 10 years of service
Acknowledgements
Pretty Things, One/end/One, and Hush costumes built by Houston Ballet Costume Shop
Costume design for Pretty Things includes prints from the following artists: Gösta Adrian-Nilsson, Frederic Bazille, Bernard Buffet, Donald Friend, Henri Matisse, Alice Neel, Pablo Picasso, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Jean-Baptiste Santerre, Egon Schiele and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec.
Mr. McFerrin’s music for Hush used by arrangement with Original Artists Music.
General Counsel: Vinson & Elkins, LLP
Immigration Attorneys: Foster, LLP
The dancers appearing in this performance are represented by the American Guild of Musical Artists AFL-CIO
Houston Ballet Orchestra members are represented by Houston Professional Musicians Association, Local 65-699, A.F. of M.
Stage Crew personnel are placed by I.A.T.S.E., Local 51.
Wardrobe personnel are placed by I.A.T.S.E., T.W.U. Local 896.
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Touring Representation: IMG Artists
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Artistic Staff Profiles
STANTON WELCH AM The Harris Masterson III Artistic Director
In July 2003, Australian Stanton Welch AM assumed leadership of Houston Ballet, America’s fifth-largest classical ballet company. Since he took the helm of the Company, Mr. Welch has revitalized Houston Ballet, bringing in new dancers, commissioning new works, and attracting a top-flight artistic staff. Mr. Welch has created works for such prestigious international companies as Houston Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, The Australian Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet, and the Royal Danish Ballet. Mr. Welch was born in Melbourne to Marilyn Jones OBE and Garth Welch AM, two of Australia’s most gifted dancers of the 1960s and 1970s. In 1989, he was engaged as a dancer with The Australian Ballet, where he rose to the rank of leading soloist, performing various principal roles. He has also worked with internationally acclaimed choreographers such as Jiří Kylián, Nacho Duato, and Maurice Bejart. In 1995, Mr. Welch was named resident choreographer of The Australian Ballet. For his contributions to the world of dance, he was awarded the Order of Australia (AM) in June 2015. For Houston Ballet, he has choreographed more than 20 works, including a new full-length narrative ballet Marie (2009), inspired by the life of the legendary Marie Antoinette, and spectacular stagings of Swan Lake (2006), La Bayadère (2010), Romeo and Juliet (2015), Giselle (2016), The Nutcracker (2016), and Sylvia (2019).
ERMANNO FLORIO Music Director
Ermanno Florio has impressed both audiences and critics in the major centers of Europe, North America, and Asia. The extremely versatile Mr. Florio has well distinguished himself in genres of symphonic, operatic, and balletic repertoire. Mr. Florio maintains an active conducting schedule that has included extensive engagements with the world’s major ballet companies. In 1985, Mr. Florio was appointed Principal Conductor and Music Administrator of The National Ballet of Canada by Erik Bruhn and since 1992 has held the position of Music Director of Houston Ballet. From 1998 to 2001, Mr. Florio held the position of Music Director of American Ballet Theatre. In March 2004, Mr. Florio was appointed Music Director of Het Nationale Ballet in Amsterdam and currently continues his relationship with the company as Principal Guest Conductor. Mr. Florio’s extensive discography includes DVD releases of critically acclaimed performances of The Sleeping Beauty, La Sylphide, Onegin, Cinderella, The Merry Widow, Alice, The Nutcracker, La Ronde, and Le Corsaire with ABT, which won an Emmy for Outstanding Classical Program in the Performing Arts. Mr. Florio’s DVD recording of Don Quichotte with L’Orchestre de L’Opera National de Paris also won the Cannes Classical Music Award for Best DVD in the category of Concert and Ballet Recordings. Mr. Florio’s music arrangements include scores for Patrice Bart’s Tchaikovsky, Das Flammende Hertz, and Gustaf III; Stanton Welch’s Marie and La Bayadère; and Asami Maki’s La Dame aux Camelias.
BARBARA BEARS Ballet Master
Barbara Bears, winner of the silver medal at the 1991 International Ballet Competition, was born in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, and received her early dance training from Victoria Leigh and James Franklin. Ms. Bears joined Houston Ballet as a corps member in 1988 and that same season was selected by Sir Kenneth MacMillan to dance the lead in his ballet Gloria. Ms. Bears was promoted to Principal Dancer in 1995 and after 20 years with Houston Ballet retired in 2009. Ms. Bears’s repertoire included leading roles in Swan Lake, Giselle, The Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker, La Sylphide, Romeo and Juliet, The Merry Widow, Manon, Onegin, and Madame Butterfly. Houston Ballet’s diverse repertoire has afforded Ms. Bears the opportunity to perform works by Glen Tetley, George Balanchine, Sir Kenneth MacMillan, Christopher Bruce, Jiří Kylián, Anthony Tudor, Nacho Duato, Jerome Robbins, Christopher Wheeldon, William Forsythe, and Mark Morris. Ms. Bears had the honor of dancing under the directorship of both Ben Stevenson OBE and Stanton Welch AM. With choreographers at the helm, Ms. Bears created roles in over 30 different ballets. In 2001, Ms. Bears was honored to be featured on the cover of both Dance Magazine and Pointe Magazine. In 2016, Ms. Bears joined the artistic staff of Houston Ballet as ballet master.
Ian Casady was born in Fairfax, California, and received his dance training there from David Roxander, Jody White, and Georgia Ortega. In 1998, Mr. Casady studied at Houston Ballet’s Ben Stevenson Academy before joining the Company as a member of the Corps de Ballet. He was promoted to Soloist in 2002, to First Soloist in 2006, and to Principal in 2007. Over the course of his career, Mr. Casady has danced a wide range of roles in works by some of the most celebrated choreographers, both past and present. Mr. Casady has been fortunate enough to have danced on some of the most historic and famous stages around the world including Lincoln Center and the Kennedy Center in New York, the Bolshoi in Moscow, the Champs Elysee in Paris, the Sydney Opera House, Sadler’s Wells in London, and theaters in Hong Kong, Spain, Germany, and Canada. Mr. Casady was a finalist at the 2002 International Ballet Competition in Jackson, Mississippi.
IAN CASADY Ballet Master
Upon his retirement after a 22-year professional career onstage, he joined the artistic staff of Houston Ballet as ballet master in 2020.
AMY FOTE Ballet Master
Amy Fote began dancing at the age of four in her hometown of Manitowoc, Wisconsin, under the direction of Jean Wolfmeyer. She continued her studies on scholarship at the National Academy of Arts, Interlochen Arts Academy, and at the Harid Conservatory, where she graduated with honors. Ms. Fote then accepted a position with the Milwaukee Ballet and rose through the ranks to become a principal dancer. During her 14 years with the Company, she regularly performed at the Chautauqua Institution in New York and was subsequently invited to dance the title role in Stanton Welch’s Madame Butterfly with the Royal New Zealand Ballet. In 2005, she joined Houston Ballet, where she danced for eight seasons. In 2003, she was featured in a PBS documentary entitled Dancing Anna Karenina, focusing on her portrayal of one of the great heroines of Russian literature. She was also featured on PBS, performing Alonzo King’s Map, in a moving 9/11 performance. Following retirement, Ms. Fote accepted the position of Ballet Master with Ballet San Antonio. Upon returning to Houston, she began teaching for Houston Ballet II and Houston Ballet before joining the artistic staff in 2018.
STEVEN WOODGATE Ballet Master
Australian Steven Woodgate graduated from The Australian Ballet School in 1985. He performed with The Australian Ballet, progressing through the ranks to senior artist in 1996. In 2000, he was awarded The Churchill Fellowship, which enabled him to observe many ballet masters from around the world and study their various teaching methods. Mr. Woodgate joined the artistic staff of Houston Ballet in January 2004. Mr. Woodgate has taught both student and professional classes around the world. Mr. Woodgate reproduced Stanton Welch’s Madame Butterfly for the Singapore Dance Theater, The Royal New Zealand Ballet, The National Ballet of Canada, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, Atlanta Ballet, Ballet West Utah, and The Australian Ballet. In 2009, Mr. Woodgate staged Clear for Angel Corella’s company in Spain and in 2011 re-staged Ronald Hynd’s The Merry Widow for Texas Ballet Theatre, Tulsa Ballet, National Ballet of Canada, Teatro Colon Argentina and Houston Ballet. Woodgate also represented Australia in the Moscow Ballet Competition in 1989. Woodgate danced principal roles in Ashton’s La Fille Mal Gardee, Van Praggh’s Coppélia, Bejart’s Le Concours and Gaite Parisienne, works by Tudor and Balanchine, Welch, and many other choreographers.
