HoustonBallet Vol. 4, Issue 7
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Peter Pan
Sept. 9-18, 2022
Good Vibrations
Sept. 22-October 2, 2022
Romeo & Juliet Feb. 23-March 5, 2023
Summer & Smoke March 9-19, 2023
Divergence
May 25-June 4, 2023
Swan Lake June 8-18, 2023
The Nutcracker Nov. 25 - Dec. 24, 2022
Margaret Alkek Williams
Jubilee of Dance Dec. 2, 2022
Academy Spring Showcase April 28-29, 2023
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Principals Karina González and Skylar Campbell. Photo by Claire McAdams
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LA SYLPHIDE
CONTENTS
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FIRST POSITION Learn how Marie Taglioni’s La Sylphide premiere sparked ballet’s Romantic Era; thank you to dear friend Margaret Alkek Williams; an up-close look at the revolutionary La Sylphide tutu; a quick Q&A with Artistic Director Stanton Welch AM on his latest work, Sparrow
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SIMON OR GARFUNKEL? Are you a Simon or a Garfunkel? Take this quiz to find out!
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LA SYLPHIDE Discover the artists behind Sparrow and La Sylphide
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Principals Karina González and Skylar Campbell. Photo by Claire McAdams
ÉTOILE Meet the visionary leaders investing in Houston Ballet’s world-class performances and programs
IN THIS ISSUE 6 Welcome Letter 24 Company Profiles 36 Annual Supporters 41 Special Events 42 In the Wings
Scan here for the latest casting! HOUSTON BALLET
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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
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HoustonBallet Vol. 4, Issue 4
VOL. 4, ISSUE 4 2022
HOUSTON BALLET
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DIRECTOR OF MARKETING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS Angela Lee
Pretty Things
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Sylph elusively floating en pointe in a shortened skirt to show off her intricate footwork stirred the ballet world and set the stage for fantastical creatures to come alive in Giselle, La Bayadère, and Swan Lake. Royal Danish Ballet choreographer August Bournonville created his enchanting version in 1836, which featured more dancing for the role of James. Now his most beloved work, Bournonville’s La Sylphide is one of the oldest ballets still performed to this day thanks to the Royal Danish Ballet’s caring preservation, and it is the one we bring alive on our stage today. As our season draws to a close, I’m more grateful than ever for your enduring support of our Company. Our triumphant return to stage would not have been possible without you, and I can’t wait to show you what we have in store for next season.
HoustonBallet
Dear Houston Ballet friends, I can hardly believe our season is coming to an end. This season marked our return to the stage after nearly a two-year hiatus. The last year has presented us with some of our most challenging hurdles – from navigating safety protocols to pivoting after supply chain issues – but it has also been one of our biggest triumphs. We’re excited to close this season with two ballets, new and old. The first is my newest piece, Sparrow, a short ballet set to and inspired by the music of folk-rock duo Simon & Garfunkel. I remember listening to their music in my adolescent years, and I’ve rediscovered my love for it and the memories that it holds. It has been a joy working with the Company on this piece, and I think you might see some fresh faces dancing on stage. Putting the cherry on top of a magnificent season is August Bournonville’s La Sylphide, which we last performed a whopping 14 seasons ago. La Sylphide marks an important and pivotal milestone in ballet history as one of the first major Romantic ballets. The original production was created by Filippo Taglioni in 1832 starring his daughter and ballet sensation Marie Taglioni. Marie’s debut as the ethereal
CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER Angela Lane
STANTON WELCH AM Houston Ballet Artistic Director
ON THE COVER Principal Karina González. Photo by Claire McAdams
Houston Ballet Artistic Director Stanton Welch. Photo by Charles Ford
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June 2022 Perspectives Series Faculty Chamber Music Tuesdays, June 7, 14, 21
Festival Orchestra Series
June 11: Franz Anton Krager, conductor – Schubert, Gershwin, Strauss June 18: Hans Graf, conductor – Janáček, Bartók June 25: Mei-Ann Chen, conductor – Hindemith, Dawson
Institute Concerts
June 10: Vocal Institute: Building Your Craft June 24: Jazz Institute June 25 and 26: Keyboard Academy
(re)Discovery Week
June 21-25: Concerts, discussion, and performances featuring works by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor and William Dawson Tickets:
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YOU’RE INVITED
Christine and David M. Underwood, Jr., | Chairmen Jean and Henry May | Honorees
Friday, September 9, 2022 | 7:00 p.m. Peter Pan Onstage Dinner immediately following Wortham Theater Center
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Principals Melody Mennite and Connor Walsh
For more information, please contact: Baylee Zeringue at bzeringue@houstonballet.org or 713.535.3230
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FIRST
POSITION
Principals Melody Mennite and Connor Walsh with Artists of Houston Ballet. Photo by Amitava Sarkar
SPOTLIGHT p. 10
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ANATOMY OF A SCENE p. 11
A Romantic History A brief history of how La Sylphide ignited ballet’s Romantic Era and remains a present-day repertoire classic By Kate Wood
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EN POINTE p. 12
DURING THE EARLY-TO-MID 19TH CENTURY, the Romantic Era of ballet flourished across Europe. Audiences everywhere were enchanted when ballet dancers lifted the veil between reality and fantasy and the world of sylphs, nymphs, and wilis moved to the forefront of the performing arts world. For decades prior, ballets had been created from stories of royal courts or Greek mythology;
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UPLIFT p. 13
never before had dancers explored the light, airy movements of ethereal creatures. The Romantic Era brought with it the creation of many famed ballets; however, its origin is widely considered to be the 1832 Paris debut of La Sylphide. Choreographed by Filippo Taglioni for his daughter and ballet sensation Marie Taglioni, La Sylphide’s world premiere was met with great success. The HOUSTON BALLET
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FIRST POSITION
ballet quickly rose to prominence on Parisian stages and attracted audience members from around the world. Danish choreographer August Bournonville saw the ballet in Paris and was captivated; soon, he created his own iteration of La Sylphide on the Royal Danish Ballet in Copenhagen and the Romantic ballet genre continued to spread its influence across Europe, inspiring the creation of classic repertoire staples such as Coppélia, Giselle, and Esmeralda. After its 1836 premiere, Bournonville’s version of La Sylphide garnered recognition as Taglioni’s fell out of the spotlight. “For his production, Bournonville danced the role of James, and shifted the focus from being primarily on the ballerina back to a shared spotlight between James and the Sylph,” noted by San Francisco Ballet in a 2022 article. Romantic Era ballets
typically center around a love story and feature a blurred line between the human and the inhuman; characters betray their loved ones while enchanted by supernatural creatures. This can be spotted in La Sylphide’s choreography; the ballet has no traditional pas de deux between its leading characters. Instead, the Sylph delicately dances just out of human reach to emphasize her otherworldly nature. Ballet-goers delighted in La Sylphide’s airy Romantic movement; dancers gliding effortlessly between positions and leaping frequently to give the illusion of flight. Delicate movements and rounded arms can be seen throughout La Sylphide and many of its Romantic peers. The sharp movement and expressive choreography of other ballets is replaced by a slower, more subtle grace. “You have to be a real balletomane to love La Sylphide,”
Houston Ballet Artistic Director Emeritus Ben Stevenson OBE noted during Houston Ballet’s 1999 run of La Sylphide. “It’s far more delicate than Swan Lake, without the blatant drama. You have to be caught up on a breeze – that’s why it’s Romantic.” Despite being created close to 200 years ago, Bournonville’s La Sylphide enraptures audiences today just as it did when it first premiered. The Australian Ballet explains the timeless popularity of Romantic ballets: “Dancing and death, betrayal and revenge: these were at the heart of Romantic ballet, then and now. La Sylphide and Giselle continue to enchant today’s audiences because their stories, based on the encounters of humans with otherworldly creatures and the concept of unattainable love, are timeless. We still love tales of the supernatural, whether on stage or on the cinema screen.”
SPOTLIGHT
Margaret Alkek Williams
HOUSTON BALLET
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Stanton Welch AM, Margaret Alkek Williams , and Jim Nelson. Photo by Wilson Parish
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BEHIND EVERY TRANSFORMATIONAL MILESTONE at Houston Ballet has been pillar of the Houston arts community, Margaret Alkek Williams. Since her induction to the Houston Ballet Board of Trustees in 1989, Mrs. Williams has been one of Houston Ballet’s most devoted supporters. Mrs. Williams has supported leading Principals – from Phillip Broomhead to current Principal Yuriko Kajiya – through her endowment of The Albert and Margaret Alkek Foundation Principal Dancer. In 2006, she provided underwriting support for Stanton Welch’s Swan Lake, his first full-length production for the Company. Shortly following, her pivotal gift to the construction of the Center for Dance launched Houston Ballet to new heights as a top-tier organization, and in 2017, she endowed the Company’s annual one-night-only gala performance, the Margaret Alkek Williams Jubilee of Dance, in perpetuity. In 2022, Margaret Alkek Williams continues to inspire a lasting love of dance in the Houston community and beyond with an incredible $10 million legacy gift to the Company. In her honor, Houston Ballet’s state-of-the-art training facility – home to professionals, aspiring stars, and enthusiastic patrons – has been named in her honor as the Margaret Alkek Williams Center for Dance.
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Principal Karina González. Photo by Claire McAdams
Longtime supporter and Houston Ballet family member continues to inspire a lasting love of dance
FIRST POSITION ANATOMY OF A SCENE
Lighter than Air A closer look at the Romantic Era tutu popularized by ballet’s first sylph, Marie Taglioni By Kate Wood
FRESH FACES Romantic Era ballerinas began to wear their hair pushed back from their face, often secured by dainty headpieces. An important change for ballet in the nineteenth century, pinning back the hair made way for more expression and freer movement.
TAKING FLIGHT These delicate wings are eye-catching onstage and symbolize the Sylph’s inhumanity. Fox explains that the Sylph’s wings were created to be stable yet move with the dancer: “Even though the steel wiring gives them structure, the wings will still move and flutter during the show.”
TULLE TUTUS This four-layered white skirt is made from two layers of standard tulle, a layer of iridescent organza, and a soft layer of English netting. “When a skirt is layered, it has more fullness and you end up with a very soft, romantic tutu,” says Fox.
Stanton Welch AM, Margaret Alkek Williams , and Jim Nelson.
Principal Karina González. Photo by Claire McAdams
MAKING A POINTE Marie Taglioni made history as the first ballerina to dance a full length ballet en pointe. Pointe Magazine described Taglioni’s shoes as “tight-fitting, darned, leather-soled satin slippers tied with ribbons” – an 1800s version of the modern pointe shoes ballerinas use today.
PERHAPS THE MOST RECOGNIZABLE trademark of the Romantic Era is its fluffy ankle-length tutu. The ghostly white skirts synonymous with Romantic ballets effortlessly float around ballerinas while they leap and turn through choreography. While this type of costuming is commonplace today, dancers used to perform in much more unwieldy dresses, and the free-flowing Romantic skirts were a welcome change. Famed Italian ballerina Marie Taglioni danced the premiere of La Sylphide in a shortened skirt considered scandalous at the time; however, these tutus better displayed dancers’ expert footwork
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onstage, and they paved the way for the elegant skirts we associate with ballet today. “The La Sylphide tutu was designed to be simple and elegant, and that’s why it’s timeless. There’s not a lot of embellishment to it because it’s a very classic ballet,” says Houston Ballet Head of Costumes Sandra Fox. Romantic Era costuming was designed to complement Romantic Era choreography. Ballet dancers were praised for their ability to appear airborne and dance on the very tips of their toes, and their dainty pointework was enhanced by their lighter, more modern tutus. Brittanica describes
Taglioni’s influence as the Sylph: “She created a new style marked by floating leaps, such balanced poses as the arabesque, and a delicate, restrained use of the points.” These delicate movements, pioneered by Taglioni, can still be seen in Romantic ballets today. Though dancers make it look effortless, giving the illusion of flight onstage is no small effort. “Romantic ballets are a great challenge,” said Houston Ballet Artistic Director Emeritus Ben Stevenson OBE in a 1999 interview. “Lightness is required. Think of lithographs of Taglioni standing on a flower – the essence of weightlessness.” HOUSTON BALLET
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FIRST POSITION
BEHIND THE MUSIC Written by Paul Simon, “Sparrow” reflects on the plight of those less fortunate and forgotten in society. The song was included on Simon & Garfunkel’s 1964 debut studio album, Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M., alongside hit song “The Sound of Silence.” EN POINTE
Inside Sparrow Stanton Welch AM sheds light on his latest creation, Sparrow
THE LYRICS
Who will love a little Sparrow? Who’s travelled far and cries for rest? “Not I”, said the Oak Tree “I won’t share my branches with no Sparrow’s nest And my blanket of leaves won’t warm her cold breast” Who will love a little Sparrow? And who will speak a kindly word? “Not I,” said the Swan “The entire idea is utterly absurd I’d be laughed at and scorned if the other Swans heard”
Who will love a little Sparrow? Will no one write her eulogy? “I will”, said the Earth “For all I’ve created returns unto me From dust were ye made and dust ye shall be” 12
Is there a song in the ballet that particularly speaks to you? I think they all do. I think what was interesting is there’s a sadness in the songs. It’s optimistic music, but then when you really listen to the lyrics and really dig into that a little bit more, you realize there’s always a sort of sad undercurrent, which I think is really
relevant. It made the songs interesting. So yes, there are some that are really joyous songs, but some of them are kind of reflective and sad and intimate. Is there special significance to the song “Sparrow” and why you chose it as the title of the ballet? I felt like it was a community driven message. Just the belief in fellow man and this observation that we can be selfish or bitter but really we all love one thing. We’re all the earth, and I thought that was just such a strong, beautiful message. That, for me, was the name.
What can audiences expect to see on stage? It has 19 men and five women. They’re all in turtlenecks and corduroy pants because my mother dressed us like that a lot as kids, and we were always matching. There’s one dance where the women are very much themselves, but for the rest of the dance they are often just part of the ensemble. It’s playing with the idea of the genders, and the fact that they’re all dressed the same. There’s a uniformity in that first movement; you might not even see the ladies. They’re just a part of that same choreography.
Artistic Director Stanton Welch AM rehearsing with Artists of Houston Ballet. Photo By Lawrence Elizabeth Knox
And who will take pity in his heart? And who will feed a starving Sparrow? “Not I”, said the golden Wheat “I would if I could, but I cannot, I know I need all my grain to prosper and grow”
What drew you to make a ballet to the music of Simon & Garfunkel? During COVID, I found a way for me to feel happy with using music that was from my past. I was really going back into my childhood and teens and early 20s to find music. That was where I started relistening to some of this because it’s music that’s been the backdrop of my life since as long as I can remember. It just felt nice to reminisce about how I felt when I heard these songs, and some of them are new to me. When I started researching, I found “Sparrow,” and I’d not heard that before. It’s a beautiful song, and it’s so different from their other stuff. It was good getting to dig through all their different genres. And of course “Cecilia” and “A Hazy Shade of Winter” and “Scarborough Fair/Canticle” – I can’t remember not knowing those songs.
HOUSTON BALLET
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FIRST POSITION UPLIFT
Simon or Garfunkel? The 60s and 70s tunes of Simon & Garfunkel accompany Stanton Welch’s latest creation, Sparrow. Which of the folk-rock duo are you most like?
START At karaoke, you’re more likely to:
PLAY AIR GUITAR
When I say Broadway, you say:
BELT OUT VOCALS
LET’S GET FAR AWAY MUSIC
LET’S GO!
POETRY
Do you go high or low when singing?
LOW FOR ME
When it comes to writing, you’d rather write:
THE HIGHER THE BETTER
Meryl Streep or Liza Minnelli?
LIZA
In your Netflix queue, there’s a lot of:
MERYL
COMEDY
NOT FOR ME
DRAMA
How do you feel about reading?
LOVE IT
Artistic Director Stanton Welch AM rehearsing with Artists of Houston Ballet.
PAUL SIMON
ART GARFUNKEL
Composers unite – you’re most like Paul Simon! The man behind the music, Paul Simon wrote most of Simon & Garfunkel’s hits in addition to providing vocals and guitar melodies. After parting ways with Garfunkel, Simon went on to have many successes in music, wrote and produced for Broadway and even appeared on Saturday Night Live! 14 times.
Warm up those vocal chords – you’re most like Art Garfunkel! While not a songwriter, Garfunkel provided soothing tenor vocals for the duo. Garfunkel branched out into acting after splitting from Simon, even landing himself a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actor in 1972. In addition to his vocal and acting talent, Garfunkel is an avid reader and acclaimed poet.
HOUSTON BALLET
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Principals Karina González and Skylar Campbell. Photo by Claire McAdams
SPARK INSPIRATION Spark inspiration from studio to stage. Give today! 14
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HOUSTON BALLET
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SPARROW p. 16
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LA SYLPHIDE p. 17
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THE ARTISTS p. 19
LA SYLPHIDE JUNE 16-26, 2022
This performance lasts approximately two hours and fifteen minutes.
Principals Karina González and Skylar Campbell. Photo by Claire McAdams
There will be two intermissions lasting twenty minutes each. For casting, scan the QR code.
THE WORTHAM FOUNDATION, INC. HOUSTON BALLET
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SPARROW
Sparrow
WORLD PREMIERE Choreography by Stanton Welch AM, for Mark Music by Simon & Garfunkel Cecilia Scarborough Fair/Canticle Baby Driver The Only Living Boy in New York Sparrow A Hazy Shade of Winter Lighting Design by Lisa J. Pinkham
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Soloist Christopher Gray. Photo by Lawrence Elizabeth Knox
WHAT YOU’RE LISTENING TO A selection of six songs from the folk-rock duo, Simon & Garfunkel. The selections span from their 1964 acoustic melody “Sparrow” from their debut album, Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M., up to tunes from their 1970 and last studio album Bridge Over Troubled Water. Friends since elementary school, they found success after their song “The Sound of Silence” gained popularity a year after its release. While the duo from Queens reached popularity during their time together, it was shortlived due to artistic disagreements leading to their eventual 1970 breakup. Selling more than 100 million records, Simon & Garfunkel won 10 Grammy Awards and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990.
HOUSTON BALLET
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Principal Melody Mennite. Photo by Amitava Sarkar
WHAT YOU’RE WATCHING A new ballet from Artistic Director Stanton Welch AM for 19 men and five women. Set to the music of 60s duo, Simon & Garfunkel, their music has been a backdrop in Welch’s life since his childhood. The ballet’s reminiscent atmosphere is enhanced with the dancers clad in turtlenecks and corduroy pants, just as Welch was dressed in his childhood.
La Sylphide
Choreography by August Bournonville (1805-1879) Music by Herman Severin Løvenskjold (1815-1870) Costume and Scenic Design by David Walker (1934–2008) Lighting Design by Tony Tucci, recreated by Christina R. Giannelli World Premiere: November 28, 1836 by the Royal Danish Ballet at the Royal Danish Theatre in Copenhagen, Denmark. Houston Ballet Premiere: March 12, 1987 at the Jones Hall for the Performing Arts in Houston, Texas.
Soloist Christopher Gray. Photo by Lawrence Elizabeth Knox
Principal Melody Mennite. Photo by Amitava Sarkar
WHAT YOU’RE WATCHING One of the first major Romantic ballets in history. The original production was created in 1832 by Filippo Taglioni, starring his daughter Marie Taglioni. Marie’s embodiment of the Sylph and aesthetic en pointe characterization would inspire the many ethereal and enchanting ballets that followed. Inspired by Taglioni’s version, August Bournonville created his La Sylphide in 1836, which is the oldest ballet still performed to this day. Bournonville’s version features more dancing for the role of James and fast, fluttering footwork, characteristic of the Bournonville style.
WHAT YOU’RE LISTENING TO A score from Norwegian composer Herman Severin Løvenskjold. Løvenskjold was trained by composer Peter Casper Krossing and studied abroad in Vienna, Leipzig, and St. Petersburg. Løvenskjold made a number of dramatic works for the Royal Danish Theatre with La Sylphide being his most notable. SYNOPSIS NEXT PAGE HOUSTON BALLET
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LA SYLPHIDE CREDITS
LA SYLPHIDE SYNOPSIS
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ACT II Madge plots her revenge on James for his rude treatment of her. She prepares an evil brew and dips a gossamer scarf into the magic potion. The scarf is her gift to James, a gift he will soon regret. At daybreak a group of sylphs gather
in a woodland glade as the Sylph shows James her kingdom. The Sylph remains cautious of James as he approaches her. As James pursues the elusive creature, Gurn enters the glade. Madge appears and urges Gurn to propose to Effie, who has also come to the woods in search of James. Because she believes James is lost forever, Effie accepts Gurn's proposal. As they leave, James returns to the glade to find Madge alone there. Madge shows him the magic scarf and promises it will make the Sylph his. James is delighted by the gift. The Sylph returns. As they dance, James wraps the scarf tightly around her arms. Instantly the evil scarf works its spell, and James' cruelty to Madge is revenged. The fragile wings of the magical creature fall off, and she dies as James looks helplessly on. The sylphs carry off the Sylph's body. As James watches the sylphs leave, he hears happy music and looks up to see Effie and Gurn’s wedding procession in the distance. James falls lifeless to the ground, and Madge stands over his body celebrating her victory.
Artists of Houston Ballet. Photo by Amitava Sarkar
ACT I James, a young Scottish farmer, is asleep by the fireplace at his home. At his feet sits the ethereal Sylph, gazing up at him. The Sylph dances gaily around the room while James sleeps and dreams. She kisses him on the forehead. James awakens, but feels as though he is still dreaming when he sees the lovely creature. Today he is to be married to Effie, yet the beauty of the Sylph captures his heart. James approaches the Sylph who becomes frightened and disappears up the chimney. Effie, her bridesmaids, and James’ mother enter the house to prepare for the wedding. Gurn, a young farmer, is unhappy about the wedding because he also loves Effie. As the happy couple and their friends celebrate the occasion, Madge, an old soothsayer, appears crouched by the fireplace. James rudely attempts to send her away, but the other
guests want their fortunes told, so she remains. Madge predicts that Effie will marry Gurn, not James. Angered by this prediction, James drives the woman from his home. The women go upstairs to dress for the wedding leaving James alone. The Sylph appears to James again. Gurn sees them dancing together, yet when he attempts to find the creature, Gurn discovers she has vanished. The wedding dances begin and while everyone else is celebrating, the Sylph returns to James once more. She entices him to leave his friends. As the guests raise their glasses to toast the bride and groom, they realize James is gone. Gurn runs after him but comes back with the news that he has fled with the Sylph.
HOUSTON BALLET
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THE ARTISTS
The Artists STANTON WELCH AM Choreographer, Sparrow 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 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).
Artists of Houston Ballet. Photo by Amitava Sarkar
SIMON & GARFUNKEL Singers/Songwriters, Sparrow Simon & Garfunkel were a popular American folk-rock duo comprised of singer-songwriter Paul Simon and singer Art Garfunkel from the late 1960s. They were known for their vocal harmonies and were popular recording artists of the 1960s. They have sold millions of albums and performed sold-out shows worldwide. Paul Simon was born on October 13, 1941 in Newark, New Jersey, and Art Garfunkel was born on November 5, 1941 in Forest Hills, New York. They met as 11-year-olds in 1953 at an elementary school in Queens, New York sharing their love of music, harmonizing and song writing. They formed the group Tom & Jerry and had a minor hit in 1957 with their version of The Everly Brothers’ “Hey, Schoolgirl.” Shortly afterwards the pair went their separate ways briefly. They reconnected in the early 1960s exploring folk-rock music and began singing
together again. They renamed themselves Simon & Garfunkel upon landing a record deal from Columbia Records. Their debut album, Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M., was released in 1964 including “The Sound of Silence.” “The Sound of Silence” acoustic recording was overdubbed with electric instruments and drums making it their first hit in America and United Kingdom in 1965, eventually going platinum. Four more studio albums followed: Sounds of Silence (1966), Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme (1966), Bookends (1968) and Bridge Over Troubled Water (1970), delivering hits including “The Sound of Silence,” “I Am a Rock,” “A Hazy Shade of Winter,” “The Only Living Boy in New York,” “Scarborough Fair/Canticle,” “Mrs. Robinson,” “Homeward Bound,” “Cecilia,” “America” and the titular “Bridge Over Troubled Water.” In 1968, Paul Simon was awarded the Grammy for the Best Original Score for the soundtrack to The Graduate. From 1968 to 1970, the duo was awarded multiple Grammys for “Mrs. Robinson” and “Bridge Over Troubled Water” ranging from Best Contemporary Pop Performance, Record and Album of the Year, Best Contemporary Song and Vocal Group, Best Arrangement Accompanying Vocalists, and Song of the Year. Amidst the hit records and live performances, rivalry and diverging ambitions continued to unravel the partnership. Garfunkel began acting in 1970 in films, which further strained the partnership. Publicly they appeared amicable for their final two hometown concerts at Forest Hills Stadium in 1970. They departed professionally and personally after the second show. Both went on to have successful solo careers. Simon & Garfunkel have performed on occasion during the years since their breakup. They performed multiple nights together at Madison Square Garden as well as playing the legendary 1981 show documented on the album The Concert in Central Park. Simon & Garfunkel were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990. They received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2003 Grammys. They continue to be icons in pop culture. LISA J. PINKHAM Lighting Designer, Sparrow Lisa J. Pinkham has designed lighting for over 200 ballets, operas, and plays. Her lighting can be seen in the repertories of many national companies. She enjoys a successful relationship with Stanton Welch AM, and has designed the lighting for many of his ballets, including Maninyas, Taiko, Tu Tu, and Falling
for San Francisco Ballet; Madame Butterfly for Boston Ballet and Houston Ballet; Clear for American Ballet Theatre; and Swan Lake, Play, Cinderella, Tapestry, Marie, The Rite of Spring, Sons de L’âme, Paquita, The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra, Romeo and Juliet, Zodiac, Giselle, The Nutcracker, and Sylvia for Houston Ballet. AUGUST BOURNONVILLE Choreographer, La Sylphide August Bournonville was born in Copenhagen on August 21, 1805 to a French father and a Swedish mother. His father, Antoine Bournonville, was a dancer and choreographer, and was the director of the Royal Danish Ballet from 1816 to 1823 – a position his son was later to hold for nearly fifty years. Born into a tradition of the theatre, Bournonville began training early, studying dancing, singing, and acting. In 1820, he went to Paris with his father and thus found himself at the center of the international ballet world. Bournonville had the opportunity to study with the best teachers, including Auguste Vestris. He danced at the Paris Opera, was made soloist there, and seemed assured of a successful career in Paris, but chose to return to Copenhagen. Bournonville became the balletmaster of the Royal Theatre in Copenhagen in 1830, a post which gave him responsibility for teaching as well as choreographing. Bournonville dedicated himself to improving the recognition and status of ballet as an art, and always stressed its nobler, more refined aspects over overt bravura and cheap tricks. He created ballets which called for sensitive, dramatically nuanced performing, not mere display. He also greatly upgraded the technical standards of his company, constructing daily classes which challenged the dancers and which survive to this day. Bournonville was particularly concerned with the position of the male dancer and created important roles and difficult choreography for men during a period when the male role in much of ballet had declined considerably. He was also concerned with the way dancers were viewed and treated in the society at large, and he labored hard to gain new respect and financial security for them. Bournonville ended his dancing career in 1848, and remained as director of the Royal Theatre until 1877. He left briefly on two occasions, to work in Vienna (1855-1856) and Stockholm (1861-1864). At his death in 1879, he was convinced that his ballets had little chance of out-living him. He did not foresee
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THE ARTISTS
The Artists his continuing influence on Danish ballet or the world-wide recognition his ballets would receive beginning in the 1950’s when the Royal Danish Ballet made its first appearance outside Denmark. Americans “discovered” his choreography when the company appeared in New York in 1956, and his popularity has been growing ever since. Of the many works Bournonville created during his long and prolific career, only about ten survive today. the Royal Danish Ballet remains the primary repository of the Bournonville repertory; its strong sense of tradition and respect for its history has sustained a continuity in the Bournonville style, and its productions of his ballets are considered the most authentic. La Sylphide has entered the repertory of many major ballet companies; Napoli (1842) has been produced for several companies outside Denmark. Shorter excerpts, such as the pas de deux from Flower Festival in Genzano (1858), are often staged, and Konservatoriet (1849) has been performed by The Joffrey Ballet and London Festival Ballet. Since 1977, New York City Ballet has performed Bournonville Divertissements, a selection of excerpts staged by the Danish teacher Stanley Williams, who has also staged the Flower Festival pas de deux and the pas de trois from The Guards at Amager for American Ballet Theatre. DAVID WALKER Costume and Scenic Design, La Sylphide David Walker collaborated with Houston Ballet on the scenery and costumes for the world premiere of Romeo and Juliet in 1987, and Cinderella in 1989. He studied with Jeanetta Cochrane at the Central School of Arts and Crafts in London. His early costume work includes Lope de Vega’s Sleep Well, produced by Ioan Littlefield for the Liverpool Theatre Workshop. He has designed sets and costumes for Cinderella, The Sleeping Beauty, Giselle and La Sylphide for numerous companies, including The Royal Ballet, London Festival Ballet (now English National Ballet), The National Ballet of Canada and Houston Ballet. His work in theatre design includes The Changeling for The Royal Court Theatre in London, London Assurance for the Royal Shakespeare Company and Man and Superman for London’s Royal National Theatre. He has also done design work for The Royal Opera, The Metropolitan Opera, English National Opera and Stockholm Opera. In 1968, Walker designed Sir Frederick Ashton’s ballet The Dream for The Royal Ballet, a new production of The Nutcracker for
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London Festival Ballet and costumes for San Francisco Opera’s production of La Traviata. TONY TUCCI Lighting Design, La Sylphide Mr. Tucci has designed lighting for numerous works for Houston Ballet, including Ben Stevenson’s productions of Romeo and Juliet, Swan Lake, Cinderella, and The Miraculous Mandarin, and numerous ballets by George Balanchine. Now residing in Austin, Tony Tucci has created lighting designs for the current Ballet Austin repertory and West Side Story, Annie, Jesus Christ Superstar, Music Man and Gypsy for Austin Musical Theatre for which he received the B. Iden Payne Circle of Theatres Award for Best Lighting, 19981999. In Texas he designs for Texas Ballet Theater, Dallas Black Dance Theatre, Bruce Wood Dance Company and Ballet Arlington. In San Francisco, Mr. Tucci designed Charles Duggan’s production of Dames at Sea. Other works include: American Ballet Theatre’s Configurations choreographed by Choo San Goh, Ben Stevenson’s Cinderella, and the video Baryshnikov, The Dancer and The Dance, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s Carmina Burana, Cynthia Gregory’s staging of Swan Lake and Fernando Bujones’ dances for Ballet de Monterrey. For the 1996 Summer Olympics, Mr. Tucci designed lighting for the Cultural Olympiad, which showcased six national and international companies. Other companies that Mr. Tucci has designed for around the country are Washington Ballet, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Milwaukee Ballet, Houston Ballet, Nevada Ballet Theatre, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, San Francisco Ballet, National Ballet of Canada, and Boston Ballet. Internationally, Mr. Tucci’s work includes Christopher Bruce’s Kingdom for Geneva Ballet, Flemming Flindt’s Caroline Mathilde and Lucifer’s Daughter for Royal Danish Ballet, Pygmalion, and the musical Cyprus for the Asian Festival Hong Kong. In addition to lighting dance, Mr. Tucci has designed stage productions including The Rocky Horror Show, Gemini, Spokesong, Extremities, Pericles, Twelfth Night, Romeo and Juliet, Comedy of Errors, Richard III, The Merry Wites of Windsor, The Tempest, The 1989 Van Cliburn Awards Ceremony and On Stage with Bob Hope at Southern Methodist University. CHRISTINA R. GIANNELLI Lighting Designer, La Sylphide Christina R. Giannelli has created lighting for new ballets by Julia Adam, Christopher
Bruce, Jorma Elo, Donald McHale, Sir Kenneth McMillan, Trey McIntyre, Dennis Nahat, Ben Stevenson OBE, Glen Tetley, Natalie Weir, Lila York, Stanton Welch AM, among others. She has designed extensively for ballet, opera and theater companies throughout the United States and abroad and has served as Resident Lighting Designer for Houston Grand Opera, Cleveland-San Jose Ballet, Texas Ballet Theater, Houston Ballet and the Metropolitan Opera. Gianelli earned her BA in History of Art and Theatre Studies from Yale University. She delights in lighting new works and productions that blend multiple art forms. She is the founding director of Dance Source Houston, a service organization that supports and promotes Contemporary Dance in Houston, Texas. JONATHAN MCPHEE Guest Conductor, La Sylphide Jonathan McPhee is currently Music Director Emeritus for Boston Ballet after 29 years as Music Director and is Music Director for the Lexington Symphony. In addition, he is a guest conductor for New York City Ballet, Atlanta Ballet, and Sarasota Ballet. McPhee has served as conductor for The Royal Ballet, Martha Graham Dance Company, National Ballet of Canada, The Australian Ballet, Den Norske Ballet in Norway, and Royal Danish Ballet, among others. During the 2020-2021 season he was Artist in Residence at Boston University. Mr. McPhee’s works as an arranger and composer are published by Boosey & Hawkes, Inc. and Schott Music. McPhee’s edition of Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring and The Firebird are the only authorized reduced orchestrations of these works. His adaption of Wagner’s RING Cycle premiered in 2016 to rave reviews and will soon be available from Boosey & Hawkes, Inc. Mr. McPhee’s recordings of Tchaikovsky’s Sleeping Beauty, Prokofiev’s Romeo & Juliet, and Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker with the Boston Ballet Orchestra, are available on iTunes. His recording of Michael Gandolfi’s Caution to the Wind is available on the CRI label. McPhee conducted for the films of Martha Graham’s works telecast by DANCE IN AMERICA, including Samuel Barber’s Cave of the Heart, Gian Carlo Menotti’s Errand into the Maze, and Edgard Varese’ Integrales, Offrandes, and Octandre. He received his L.R.A.M. from the Royal Academy of Music and University of London, and a B.M. and M.M. from The Juilliard School.
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THE ARTISTS
Houston Ballet Orchestra Conducted by Ermanno Florio and Jonathan McPhee
FIRST VIOLIN Denise Tarrant*, Concertmaster Rachel Shepard, Assistant Concertmaster Linda Sanders* Sylvia Ver Meulen* Mary Reed* Oleg Sulyga* Anabel Detrick Chloe Yeseul Kim Hae-a Lee Kana Kimura Zubaida Azezi SECOND VIOLIN Natalie Gaynor, Principal Trung Trinh*, Assistant Principal Elizabeth Frederick* Barbara Shreffler* Miriam Belyatsky Feld* Melissa Williams Emily Madonia Hannah Watson
VIOLA Lorento Golofeev*, Principal Dawson White, Assistant Principal Elizabeth Golofeev Erika Lawson Gayle Garcia-Shepard
CELLO Barrett Sills*, Principal Max Dyer* Dave Zeger* Steven Wiggs* Esra Sturman Matthew Dudzik BASS Curry Duffey*, Principal Greg Garcia* Carla Clark* Dennis Whittaker
FLUTE Susan Kang, Principal Peggy Russell*
TRUMPET Tetsuya Lawson, Principal Randal Adams
PICCOLO Colleen Matheu Johnson*
TROMBONE Thomas Hultén*, Principal Michael Warny*
OBOE Mayu Isom, Principal Katherine Hart
BASS TROMBONE Richard Reeves*
ENGLISH HORN Katherine Hart
TUBA Mark Barton*, Principal
CLARINET Eric Chi, Principal Rebecca Tobin
TIMPANI Alison Chang, Principal
BASSOON Michael Frederick*, Principal Amanda Swain HORN James Wilson*, Principal Jamie Leff Sarah Cranston* Kevin McIntyre
PERCUSSION Christina Carroll*, Principal Karen Slotter* Robert McCullagh HARP Joan Eidman*, Principal
*Houston Ballet Orchestra members who have more than 10 years of service
Acknowledgements 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. Houston Ballet is a member of Dance/USA Touring Representation: IMG Artists
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HOUSTON BALLET
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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 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.
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 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 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.
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.
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Company Profiles Principals
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Skylar Campbell
Soo Youn Cho
Jessica Collado*
Karina González
Birthplace Laguna Beach, California
Birthplace Incheon, South Korea
Birthplace Coral Springs, Florida
Birthplace Caracas, Venezuela
Dance Training Victor and Tatiana Kasatsky Classical Ballet Academy. Mentored and coached by David Allan
Dance Training Hye Young Kim Ballet School, Sun Hwa Arts School, Canada National Ballet School, John Cranko Schule Ballet School
Dance Training Gwinnett Ballet Theatre, Houston Ballet Academy, Ballet Nova of South Florida
Dance Training Gustavo Franklin Ballet School, Caracas, Venezuela
Joined the Company as Principal 2022
Joined the Company 2012
Joined the Company 2004
Joined the Company 2010
Promoted to Principal 2018
Promoted to Principal 2017
Promoted to Principal 2013
Yuriko Kajiya
Melody Mennite*
Connor Walsh*
Charles-Louis Yoshiyama*
The Albert and Margaret Alkek Foundation Principal Dancer
The Melza M. Barr Principal Dancer
The Fondren Foundation Principal Dancer
The Anita B. Stude Principal Dancer
Birthplace Aichi, Japan
Birthplace Santa Cruz, California
Birthplace Fairfax, Virginia
Birthplace Shizuoka, Japan
Dance Training Shanghai Dance School, National Ballet School of Canada
Dance Training Santa Cruz Ballet Theatre, Houston Ballet Academy
Dance Training Kirov Academy of Ballet, Harid Conservatory, Houston Ballet Academy
Dance Training Hiraki Ballet School, English National Ballet School, Houston Ballet Academy
Joined the Company 2014
Joined the Company 2001
Joined the Company 2004
Joined the Company 2008
Promoted to Principal 2014
Promoted to Principal 2008
Promoted to Principal 2007
Promoted to Principal 2016
The Robert F. Parker Principal Dancer
The Cullen Trust for the Performing Arts Principal Dancer
The Houston Ballet Guild Principal Dancer
* denotes dancers who have trained in the Houston Ballet Academy
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COMPANY PROFILES
First Soloists
Christopher Coomer*
Mónica Gómez
Oliver Halkowich
Allison Miller*
Harper Watters*
Birthplace Birkenhead, England
Birthplace Havana, Cuba
Birthplace Florida Keys, Florida
Birthplace St. Petersburg, Florida
Birthplace Dover, New Hampshire
Dance Training Houston Ballet Academy, Wallasey School of Ballet
Dance Training National Ballet School of Cuba
Dance Training Miami City Ballet School, San Francisco Ballet School
Dance Training Diane Partington Studio of Classical Ballet, North Carolina School of the Arts
Dance Training Houston Ballet Academy, Walnut Hill School for the Arts, Portsmouth School of Ballet
Joined the Company 2004
Joined the Company 2015
Joined the Company 2002
Joined the Company 2006
Joined the Company 2011
Promoted to First Soloist 2018
Promoted to First Soloist 2019
Promoted to First Soloist 2018
Promoted to First Soloist 2018
Promoted to First Soloist 2021
The Houston Ballet Guild First Soloist
Soloists
Chandler Dalton*
Tyler Donatelli*
Christopher Gray
Ryo Kato
Bridget Kuhns*
Birthplace Richmond, Virginia
Birthplace Huntington Beach, California
Birthplace Vancouver, BC, Canada
Birthplace Saitama, Japan
Birthplace Columbus, Ohio
Jacquelyn Long*
Mackenzie Richter*
Aaron Daniel Sharratt*
Alyssa Springer*
Birthplace Cleveland, Ohio
Birthplace Warner Robins, Georgia
Birthplace Tuscon, Arizona
Birthplace Orange County, California
* denotes dancers who have trained in the Houston Ballet Academy
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COMPANY PROFILES
Demi Soloists
Simone Acri
Aoi Fujiwara*
Yumiko Fukuda
Syvert Lorenz Garcia*
Kellen Hornbuckle*
Estheysis Menendez
Birthplace Saitama, Japan
Birthplace Osaka, Japan
Birthplace Saitama, Japan
Birthplace Oslo, Norway
Birthplace Ann Arbor, Michigan
Birthplace Havana, Cuba
Naazir Muhammad*
Luzemberg Santana
Elivelton Tomazi
Natalie Varnum*
Andrew Vecseri*
Chae Eun Yang
Birthplace Brooklyn, New York
Birthplace João Pessoa, PB, Brazil
Birthplace Joinville, Santa Catarina, Brazil
Birthplace Ashford, Alabama
Birthplace Houston, Texas
Birthplace Seoul, Republic of Korea
Corps de Ballet
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Henrique Barbosa*
Gretel Batista
Magnoly Batista*
Neal Burks*
Jaci Doty*
Birthplace Maracanaú, CE, Brazil
Birthplace Havana, Cuba
Birthplace Santiago, Dominican Republic
Birthplace Jacksonville, Florida
Birthplace Shenandoah, Iowa
Caleb Durbin*
Danielle Esposito
Rafaela Henrique*
Kirsten Hunsberger*
Danbi Kim*
Birthplace Newcastle, Australia
Birthplace San Diego, California
Birthplace Jundiai, SP, Brazil
Birthplace Las Vegas, Nevada
Birthplace Suwon, Republic of Korea
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* denotes dancers who have trained in the Houston Ballet Academy
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COMPANY PROFILES
Fernando Martin-Gullans
Riley McMurray*
Caroline Perry*
McKhayla Pettingill*
Birthplace Atlanta, Georgia
Birthplace Chicago, Illinois
Birthplace Orange County, California
Birthplace Phoenix, Arizona
Samuel Rodriguez
Madison Russo*
Song Teng*
Matthew West*
Jack Wolff*
Birthplace Atlanta, Georgia
Birthplace West Palm Beach, Florida
Birthplace Hunan, China
Birthplace Ibaraki, Japan
Birthplace Pearland, Texas
Apprentices
Jindallae Bernard*
Emma Forrester*
Eli Gruska
Jordan Lovelace
Birthplace New Orleans, Louisiana
Birthplace Houston, Texas
Birthplace Los Angeles, California
Birthplace Dallas, Texas
Zoe Lucich
Jackson Miles*
Yu Wakizuka
Birthplace Marin County, California
Birthplace Denver, Colorado
Birthplace Osaka, Japan
* denotes dancers who have trained in the Houston Ballet Academy
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First Soloist Oliver Halkowich and Soloist Bridget Kuhns in Jiří Kylián’s Wings of Wax. Photo by Amitava Sarkar
First Soloist Oliver Halkowich and Demi Soloist Andrew Vecseri in Jerome Robbins’s Fancy Free. Photo by Amitava Sarkar
Thank you, Oliver! After 19 phenomenal years with Houston Ballet, First Soloist Oliver Halkowich retires from the Company this season. A fan favorite on and off the stage, Halkowich’s infectious energy electrified performances and brought characters to life from the French Man in The Nutcracker to the Evil Stepmother in Cinderella. Not only a talented dancer, Halkowich debuted his first solo choreographic piece, Following, for the Company during its 50th anniversary season. “Oliver was someone who was undefinable,” Artistic Director Stanton Welch AM notes. “He was like a chameleon; he could merge into all these different forms of theater. Oliver is the ultimate artist.”
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First Soloist Oliver Halkowich and Demi Soloist Luzemberg Santana rehearsing Following. Photo by Amitava Sarkar
First Soloist Oliver Halkowich and Artists of Houston Ballet in Stanton Welch’s The Nutcracker. Photo by Amitava Sarkar
2022 Houston Ballet Ball. Photo by Wilson Parish
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Houston Ballet Staff ARTISTIC †Stanton Welch AM* Artistic Director Barbara Bears* Ballet Master Ian Casady* Ballet Master Amy Fote* Ballet Master Steven Woodgate* Ballet Master Katerina De Lawyer Artistic Coordinator Sarah Miller Artistic Administrative Coordinator ADMINISTRATION †James Nelson* Executive Director †Kelli Gilson General Manager Aileen Roberts Company Manager Laurel Rowe Executive Assistant and Board Liason FINANCE †Kristi Roberts Chief Financial Officer †Rachel Koenig Director of Human Resources Thelma Hearren Controller Denise Guevara Senior Accountant Kenneth Knight II Payroll Coordinator Diamantina Peña* Accounts Payable Coordinator Cheryl Zane* Special Advisor Yeriel Zaragoza Human Resources Coordinator Garth Luther Associate Director, Facilities Alma Amaya, Patricia Barnes, Allison Johnson Receptionists TECHNOLOGY †MJ Bavaret* Director of IT Kelly Holcomb Cloud Services Manager Alejandro Rivas Network Administrator Joshua Jemio Help Desk II Silver Ehiwario Project Associate Gilbert Chapa Help Desk I NUTCRACKER MARKET †Patsy Chapman* CEO Jennifer Estrada Nutcracker Market Manager Abimbola Agbabiaka Nutcracker Market Communications Coordinator
Susan Lehmann Nutcracker Market Associate Sofia Del Villar Nutcracker Market Associate DEVELOPMENT †Angie Lane Chief Development Officer Haley Calvert Development Coordinator Stephanie Faulk Assistant Director, Individual Giving Jasmine Fuller Cane Assistant Director, Publications Joey Gaona Assistant Director, Institutional Giving Lucy Graham Donor Relations Manager Ana Gonzalez* Assistant Director, Tessitura Operations Colleen Hargraves Annual Fund Manager Darry Hearon Assistant Director, Major and Planned Gifts Lindsey Hurst* Director of Institutional Giving Madeline Patton Institutional Giving Coordinator Megan Raines Director of Individual Giving Kate Wood Development Communications Coordinator Alexandra Yates Senior Director, Special Events Baylee Zeringue Special Events Associate MARKETING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS †Angela Lee* Director of Marketing and Public Relations Tory Lieberman Associate Director of Marketing Jared Murphy Graphic Designer Lynn Chung* Marketing Coordinator Emily Averitt-Cleveland Education Marketing & PR Coordinator Leslie Goodrum Retail Merchandise & Display Coordinator Anne Wheeler Archivist Project Manager David Rivera Associate Director of Audio & Video Services Nicole Bacon Foreman Audio Visual Assistant Lauren Gayden* Associate Director of Ticketing Services
*Houston Ballet staff who have more than 10 years of service †Senior leadership
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Christina Martinez, Carlyn Scott* Box Office Managers Brittany Restrepo Ticketing Services Manager Rachel Walrath Ticketing Services Coordinator Mike Miles Audience Services Coordinator Nicole Levy Box Office Shift Lead Verity Butler, Austin Cushman, Tabytha Donnelly, Megan Goodlett, Soledad Lara, Stephan Little, Maxwell Paulus, Diamond Rector, Cynthia Saldana, Aaron Thomas, Mary Wemple Wortham Theater Center Box Office Customer Service Representatives PRODUCTION †Michelle de los Reyes* Head of Production †Sandra Fox Head of Costumes †Lisa J. Pinkham Resident Lighting Designer Grey Starbird Technical Director Jonathan Moore Stage Manager Eli Walker Assistant Stage Manager Ashley Christian Production Operations Manager Barry Thomas* Master Electrician Dustin Dowell Property Master Paul Gibson Assistant Electrician/ Light Board Operator Jason Mathis Assistant Electrician Andrew Harper Sound Consultant Gregory Stewart Head Carpenter Lafayette Andrews Assistant Carpenter Zachary Paugh Costume Shop Manager Crystal Breihan, Alexa Carlson Wardrobe Coordinators Drieux Dismukes, Freddy Reymundo Wardrobe Supervisors Meghann Mason Wig and Makeup Supervisor Susie DeBlieck, Ashly Martinez, Dylan Sulak, Darcie Teasley Wig and Makeup Technicians Kendall Sarro Wardrobe Admin Assistant Glinda Andersen, Allison Duke, Alfredo Gonzalez, Monica Guerra, Beau Hamilton, Ashley Jones, Serge Ovechko, Sarah Rogers, Chandler Summerlin Costume Technicians
MUSIC †Ermanno Florio* Music Director Richard Reeves* Orchestra Manager/Music Administrator Theresa Hanebury* Music Librarian/Pianists’ Manager & Technical Director Katherine Burkwall-Ciscon* Principal Pianist/Music Coordinator William Patterson Academy Pianist Manager Tyrone Boyle, Jennifer Edmondson, Grecia Lavenderos,* Benjamin Kaplan, April Zhi Li-Thompson, William Patterson, William Marsden* Pianists Krume Andreeveski, Benjamin Chavez, Marshall Davies, Krystel Grauvogl, Tomoe Hayashi,* Ning-Chih Hsu, Nara Jeffus, Elizabeth Mendez, Alex Navarro, Pelayo Parlade, Adeline Saylor, Michele Vesceri Part-Time Pianists James Edwards, Terrence Karn, William Suddreath Academy Part-Time Percussionists ACADEMY †Jennifer Sommers* Academy Director Claudio Muñoz* HBII Ballet Master Cheryne Busch* Upper School Principal Beth Everitt* Lower School Principal & Children’s Ballet Master Melissa Bowman Director of Curriculum Orlando Molina Academy Instructor & Boys Program Coordinator Susan Bryant*, Elizabeth McMillan, Kelly Myernick Kubin* Academy Instructors Katie Wesche Academy Administrative Manager Yahudi Castañeda Academy Artistic Operations Manager Carla Cortez Academy Registrar Dustin Shaw Academy Programs Manager Megan Doerksen Manager, Student Life Shelby Connolly Academy Artistic Operations Coordinator Tempest McLendon Academy Administrative Coordinator Akihiro Kawasaki Head Academy Strength & Conditioning Coach Lauren Anderson* Associate Director, Education and Community Engagement
Alexandra Garza Coordinator, Education & Community Engagement Jamie L. Cegelski Associate, Education & Community Engagement Yasmine De La Rosa Intern, Education & Community Engagement Brittany Bass, Gabrielle Becerra, Jacquelyne Boe, Melanie Boettcher, Durell Comedy, Dwayne Cook, Victoria De Bethencourt, Marshall Davies, Benjamin Delony, Dawn Dippel, Rupert Edwards, Carla Flores Keniston, LaRodney Freeman, Anna Gould, Valerie Handy, Spencer Hering, Gabrielle Johnson, Paige Kutschall, Gabrielle Luna, Ellen Mallon, Lindsey McGill, Mallory Mehaffey, Robbie Moore, Kristina Mosbo, Paola Murga Parada, Lucinda Rohrer, Dawn Scannell, Kathleen Tidwell, Brittany Wallis Part-Time Academy Instructors & Teaching Artists Arin Alston, Kaitlynn Berrones, Lara Hannaford, Jamela Johns, Chloe Normand, Katherine Wicks, Anna Gould, Evoni McClain Part-Time Academy Class Monitors Pam Blangy, Jacquelyne Boe, Brittany Deveau, Danielle Farzanegan, Michelle Gregovic, Gabrielle Johnson, Nadia Khan, Patricia King, Ellen Blanchat Mallon, Dontre Nguyen, Katrina Olson, Lisa Petrozzi, Michelle Phillips, Hilary Schaff, Chelsea Smith, Jennifer Trimmer Wellness Team Kelsey Fyffe Academy Counselor Judy Spong Academy ESL Teacher Emily Hahn Academy Nutritionist Maria McCain Resident Dorm Supervisor Tai John Part-Time Dorm Chaperone Amy Pearl Resident Advisor Andrew Faulk, Nathanial Nakadate*, Peter Nguyen Academic Advisors HOUSTON METHODIST STAFF Carina M. Nasrallah, MS, LAT, ATC, CISSN Head Athletic Trainer Leanne Wonesh Academy Athletic Trainer
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2021-2022 Board of Trustees EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OFFICERS Ms. S. Shawn Stephens*, Chairman Mrs. Leigh M. Smith, President Mrs. Margaret Alkek Williams, Secretary Mrs. Elizabeth R. Zdeblick, Vice President – Academy Mr. Jesse H. Jones II*, Vice President – Development Mrs. Elizabeth Leykum, Vice President – Education & Community Engagement Mrs. Amy Pincu, Vice President – Finance Mr. Daniel M. McClure, Vice President – Investment Mr. Jerry Martin, Vice President – Marketing
MEMBERS-AT-LARGE Mrs. F. T. Barr– Ms. Gillian Hobson – Mrs. Russell C. Joseph Ms. Jennifer Kushner – Chad Libertus – Ms. Leticia Loya – Mrs. Kelley S. Lubanko Mr. James J. Parr – Mrs. Carroll Robertson Ray– Mrs. Allison Thacker* – Stephanie Tsuru Mrs. Christine M. Underwood – Ms. Hallie Vanderhider – Mr. Marcus A. Watts – Mrs. Lynn Wyatt
TRUSTEES Mr. W. Cameron Alguire Dr. Julia D. Andrieni Mrs. Diane Bazelides Ms. Ann C. Bean Mr. Gary V. Beauchamp Mrs. Gina Bhatia Mrs. Susan Binney Mrs. Leslie Blanton Mr. Tony Bradfield Mrs. Kristy J. Bradshaw Ms. Lindsey Brown Mrs. Lenni Burke Mrs. Anne S. Chao Mr. James Cowan Mr. and Mrs. James W. Crownover Mrs. Lilly Cullen Mrs. Rosanette S. Cullen Ms. Sasha Davis Mr. Bastiaan de Zeeuw Mrs. Pamela D. Earthman Sharon F. Erskine Mrs. Martha Finger Mrs. Allison L. Flikerski Richard W. Flowers Hon. Charles C. Foster Mrs. Kate Fowler Mrs. Jo Furr 30
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Mr. Mitchell George Mrs. Mignon Gill Sandra S. Godfrey Mrs. Donald M. Graubart Mr. Jeremy Griggs Mr. Joseph A. Hafner, Jr. Mr. Herschel Hamner Dr. Joshua D. Harris Mrs. Nancy Ferguson Haywood Mr. Michael Heckman Mrs. Winell Herron Ms. Michelle Iversen Jeffery Mr. James M. Jordan* Natasha Khan Dr. Dale G. Konicek Elizabeth Mata Kroger Ms. Melanie Lawson Dr. Bridgitte Shen Lee Mr. Mark Loveland Mr. Joseph A. Matula Mrs. Jean E. May Mrs. J. Luke McConn III Mrs. Kris McGee Richard K. McGee* Mrs. Martha Rocks McMurrey Mr. Shane A. Miller Mrs. Michael Mithoff
Marsha L. Montemayor Ms. Nancy Powell Moore Ms. Beth Muecke Dr. Duyen Huynh Nguyen Tammy Tran Nguyen Mrs. Cabrina Owsley Mr. Robert F. Parker* Mrs. Elisa S. Pye Mr. Ron Rand Macey Reasoner Laura M. Robertson Mrs. Akemi Saitoh Ms. Samira A. Salman Mrs. Louisa Stude Sarofim* (L) Ms. Elizabeth Schwarze Mrs. James Shaffer Dannika E. Simpson Mrs. Alicia Smith Mrs. Heidi Smith Dr. Liliana Soltero Mr. Karl S. Stern* Mr. Nicholas L. Swyka* Becca Cason Thrash Mrs. Ileana Treviño Mrs. Phoebe Tudor* Mrs. Kelli Weinzierl Mrs. Rini Ziegler (L) Life Trustee * Former Board President
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Étoile
Étoile honors the visionary leaders who make extraordinary annual commitments of $100,000 or more to Houston Ballet. Étoile, translated from French, means “star” and is most frequently used in the ballet world to designate the highest ranking of principal dancers within a company – a fitting tribute to those whose generosity substantially underwrites Houston Ballet’s world-class performances, renowned dance training, and extensive community programs.
MELZA AND TED BARR Melza and Ted Barr, longtime Houston Ballet subscribers, are champions of Stanton Welch’s ambitious vision to bring Houston Ballet to the forefront of dance here in the U.S. and internationally. They were instrumental in making possible the 2015 world premiere of Romeo and Juliet and its milestone tour to Melbourne, Australia. Melza and Ted were also supporters of the campaign to build the Company’s Center for Dance and integral contributors to Houston Ballet’s Crisis Relief Fund. Additionally, the Barrs endowed a Principal Dancer position in Melza’s name, currently held by Melody Mennite.
THE BROWN FOUNDATION, INC. For nearly four decades, The Brown Foundation has been one of Houston Ballet’s most generous philanthropic supporters. Established in 1951 and based in Houston, the Foundation distributes funds principally for education, community service, and the visual and performing arts. The Foundation was instrumental in contributing to Houston Ballet’s crisis relief efforts in the wake of Hurricane Harvey and COVID-19. The Foundation’s tremendous commitment to Houston Ballet’s endowment, general operating fund, and the Center for Dance has paved the way for Houston Ballet to grow into the world-renowned company it is today.
GARY V. BEAUCHAMP AND MARIAN WILFERT BEAUCHAMP As longtime members of the Ballet family, Marian and Gary’s extraordinary generosity has touched nearly every aspect of the Company, from production underwriting to support for the Ballet’s world-class dance facility. For the past two seasons, Marian and Gary have made important gifts toward one of Houston Ballet’s key education and community engagement initiatives – Student Matinees – which bring the joy of dance to thousands of schoolchildren each year, many of whom would not otherwise have such opportunity to experience performing arts.
MYRA BROWN Myra Brown is a longtime friend to Houston Ballet since moving to Houston from New Jersey over 20 years ago. Together with her late husband, Ira, Myra has been a devoted supporter and advocate for the arts in Houston and, in particular, aspiring young artists involved in the performing arts. She was instrumental in supporting a collaborative production featuring both Houston Ballet and University of Houston’s Moores School of Music. She established an endowed scholarship in the Houston Ballet Academy, which creates an enduring legacy to help develop the next generation of ballet dancers for Houston and the world of dance.
ALBERT AND ANNE CHAO Albert and Anne Chao are inspiring community leaders and philanthropists who have supported the Ballet for more than a decade. The Chaos chaired the 2017 Houston Ballet Ball and provided critical support to the Ballet’s Crisis Relief Fund in 2020. Through the Ting Tsung and Wei Fong Chao Foundation, the Chaos provided instrumental and early support of Houston Ballet’s new production of The Nutcracker. Albert and Anne also serve in a number of leadership roles in other arts and cultural organizations throughout Houston.
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THE CULLEN TRUST FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
CONOCOPHILLIPS ConocoPhillips has been a proud sponsor of Houston Ballet for more than three decades. As one of the world’s largest independent exploration and production companies, ConocoPhillips is proud to support Houston’s thriving cultural arts community. ConocoPhillips’s investment in Houston Ballet’s mission and goals can be recognized in their support of the construction of Houston Ballet’s Center for Dance and productions including Cinderella, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Giselle, and Stanton Welch’s The Nutcracker. They were honored at the 2019 Houston Ballet Ball. Laura Robertson, Deputy General Counsel, serves on Houston Ballet’s Board of Trustees.
THE CULLEN FOUNDATION One of the city’s oldest and most significant charitable institutions, The Cullen Foundation has supported Houston Ballet for nearly 50 years and is one of its most important benefactors. Established in 1947, the Foundation has more than 70 years of giving history generously supporting cultural arts, education, health care, and public service in the greater Houston area, granting nearly $500 million to Houston institutions. Notably, the Foundation was a lead supporter of Houston Ballet’s Center for Dance, Stanton Welch’s The Nutcracker, and the Ballet’s crisis relief efforts in recent years.
THE CULLEN TRUST FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS The Cullen Trust for the Performing Arts has been a generous underwriter of Houston Ballet’s presentation of new and premiere ballets for more than three decades. The Trust was established from assets of The Cullen Foundation to support Texas performing arts institutions, focusing on those within the greater Houston area. In addition to supporting new works, The Trust has been a generous sponsor of Houston Ballet’s endowment, the construction of the Center for Dance, and The Nutcracker. Additionally, The Trust has generously supported the Ballet’s Crisis Relief Fund and the Share the Joy campaign, providing both vital challenge grants.
THE JERRY C. DEARING FAMILY FOUNDATION The Jerry C. Dearing Family Foundation passionately supports Houston-based nonprofits that provide health, education, and sustainability services for the at-risk men, women, and children of Houston and Harris County. As a family-run private foundation that distributes funds for public charitable purposes, the Foundation principally provides encouragement and assistance to Houston-based nonprofits. The Foundation’s Executive Director Kate Dearing Fowler is an integral member of Houston Ballet’s Board of Trustees, and the Foundation supports Houston Ballet’s Education and Community Engagement programming, which reaches more than 74,000 participants annually. The Foundation was honored at the Raising the Barre event on April 24, 2022.
THE EVENTS COMPANY Houston Ballet is proud to count The Events Company among its top supporters. For many years, The Events Company has provided incredibly generous support to Houston Ballet’s special events and, especially, the Houston Ballet Ball. Their support has been instrumental in the success of numerous events. Richard Flowers of The Events Company joined Houston Ballet’s Board of Trustees in the 2018-2019 season.
HOUSTON BALLET GUILD Founded in 1973, Houston Ballet Guild has supported Houston Ballet, its Academy, and special programs for more than 40 years. The Guild hosts the phenomenal Nutcracker Market each year and, along with other projects, has contributed millions of dollars since its inception. The group has underwritten the Sugar Plum Fairy costume in Stanton Welch’s The Nutcracker and Houston Ballet’s bi-annual publication Houston Ballet News. Each year, Houston Ballet Guild volunteers collectively provide more than 5,400 hours of their time to support Houston Ballet.
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HOUSTON METHODIST This season will mark the 14th year of Houston Ballet’s partnership with Houston Methodist and the Center for Performing Arts Medicine (CPAM). Houston Ballet is proud to have Houston Methodist as its Official Health Care Provider as well as receive the unique benefits provided to the dancers through CPAM—a specialized group of more than 100 elite physicians working collaboratively to address the specific demands placed on performing artists. Recently ranked as the No. 1 hospital in Texas by U.S. News and World Report, Houston Methodist supports Houston Ballet through its philanthropic giving in addition to providing high-quality health care to the dancers. Through the ongoing pandemic, Houston Methodist has been instrumental in creating guidelines to keep Houston Ballet dancers safe and healthy as they return to the studio.
JESSE H. JONES II Jesse H. “Jay” Jones II was first introduced to the ballet when his mother served on the Houston Ballet Board of Trustees. Now a Board Trustee himself since 1983, he currently serves on the Board’s Executive Committee as Vice President of Development. Jay was a member of the search committee for Stanton Welch and co-chaired the committees for Houston Ballet’s Dance With Us, Crisis Relief Fund, and Share the Joy campaigns. Jay was honored at the 2016 Ballet Ball and carries on a distinguished family legacy of civil leadership in Houston.
DEBORAH AND ED KOEHLER For nearly fifty years, Deborah and Ed Koehler have been Houston Ballet supporters and ticketholders. As the Executive Director of the Raymond N. Plank Philanthropy Fund, Deborah is instrumental in providing support to the Ballet’s Education and Community Engagement programs. The Koehlers have continued to give generously in honor of Lauren Anderson, Houston Ballet’s Associate Director of Education and Community Engagement. They feel deeply connected to the importance of Lauren’s work in introducing Houston’s youth to the joy of dance. The Koehlers recently made a lead gift to the Lauren Anderson Young Dancer Scholarship Fund, which invests in promising underrepresented young artists who aspire to be professional ballet dancers.
KPRC Official Television Partner of Houston Ballet, KPRC has been a leader in the Houston community for more than 65 years. Their unparalleled support in providing media coverage for artistic programming and the annual Nutcracker Market allows the organization to showcase the Company’s worldclass talent. In addition to providing exceptional media coverage, KPRC is a strong supporter of Houston Ballet’s special events. Houston Ballet is proud to partner with KPRC, Houston’s home for news. Houston Ballet is honored to have Vice President, General Manager Jerry Martin as a member of the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees as Vice President of Marketing.
LETICIA LOYA For more than a decade, Leticia Loya has been a gracious supporter of Houston Ballet. Letty has held many leadership roles since she joined the Board of Trustees in 2005. From 2009 to 2016, she was Vice President of Academy, while championing the development of the Center for Dance facility. Through Letty’s continued commitment to the Company, Houston Ballet has brought many new works to the stage, including Zodiac; Revisit, Rebirth, Revolt; and What the H Stands For. Letty was recently honored at the 2019 Ballet Ball, and graciously provided underwriting support for Stanton Welch’s series of dance films In Good Company.
CARROLL AND HUGH RAY For more than 20 years, Carroll Ray has championed the mission of Houston Ballet. Her leadership has been instrumental to the success of many Houston Ballet initiatives, including the campaign of Stanton Welch’s The Nutcracker and recovery from Hurricane Harvey. Most recently, Carroll has underwritten a museum-quality installation for the Center for Dance to commemorate the Ballet’s history and achievements during its 50th anniversary season.
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ISLA AND T.R. RECKLING III Isla and T.R. Reckling III are both longtime supporters of the Ballet; as decades-long Opening Night season ticketholders, they have carried out a generational family legacy of support for Houston Ballet. Over the years, the Recklings have been active across many facets of the Ballet, including Nutcracker Market and special events such as the Ballet Ball. They were also important contributors to the Dance With Us campaign and the Crisis Relief Fund through leadership gifts.
YASUHIKO AND AKEMI SAITOH As lead underwriters for Houston Ballet’s 2022 Japan Tour, longtime Guild member and Trustee Akemi Saitoh and her husband Yasuhiko are committed to investing in the Ballet’s visibility on the world stage. The Saitohs have provided a warm welcome to Japanese students and dancers over the years, and have been invaluable in creating cross-cultural inroads for the Ballet, both in Houston and around the world. Akemi has traveled with the Company to both Hamburg and New York City, and their keen support of the Ballet’s special events has helped grow the Ballet Family among their many table guests over the years.
ALLISON AND TROY THACKER Loyal subscribers since 2012, Allison and Troy Thacker are deeply committed to seeing the Company prosper. Former Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Allison currently serves on the Executive Committee of the Board. She and Troy made a generous challenge grant for the 2016 world premiere of Stanton Welch’s The Nutcracker, helping to garner community-wide support for the new production. The Thackers underwrote Trey McIntyre’s world premiere, Pretty Things, in honor of the Company’s 50th anniversary; after being delayed in 2020, Pretty Things made its debut this season.
ANN TRAMMELL Ann Trammell has been one of Houston Ballet’s most steadfast advocates for over three decades. Ann has taken on numerous leadership roles, including Chairman of the Board and as a member of the capital campaign committee that raised $50 million for the Ballet’s state-of-the-art Center for Dance. She also is a member of the Arabesque Society, which recognizes friends who have included the Ballet in their estate plans, and was the honoree at the 2017 Ballet Ball. Recently, she was a generous contributor to Stanton Welch’s The Nutcracker and was instrumental in the Ballet’s Hurricane Harvey recovery and Crisis Relief Fund.
STEPHANIE AND FRANK TSURU Houston Ballet is honored to have Stephanie and Frank Tsuru as part of the Houston Ballet family. Stephanie serves on several boards across Houston and joined Houston Ballet as a Trustee in the 2018-2019 season, now serving on the Executive Committee. Stephanie and Frank generously underwrote Company dancer Oliver Halkowich’s world premiere Following in 2019 and are fundamental supporters of Houston Ballet special events. Stephanie and Frank co-chaired the 2022 Ballet Ball and generously underwrote Melody Mennite’s 2022 world premiere Floreciente.
PHOEBE AND BOBBY TUDOR Phoebe and Bobby Tudor have been amazing friends of Houston Ballet for more than two decades. Phoebe was a key member of the strategic planning committee and has served as Board President and Board Chairman. In 2014, Phoebe and Bobby underwrote John Neumeier’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, bringing its American premiere to Houston Ballet, and underwrote the world premiere of Stanton Welch’s Sylvia in 2019. Their incredible generosity was also instrumental in the creation of Stanton Welch’s The Nutcracker, and they served as Honorary Chairs for the 2020 Ballet Ball.
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UNITED AIRLINES For over 15 years, United Airlines has been proud to be the Official Airline of Houston Ballet. United provides generous support to first-class arts organizations such as Houston Ballet and takes great pride in setting philanthropic standards in the community. United’s generous support has helped further Houston Ballet’s international recognition through its support of tours around the world, including tours to Melbourne, Australia; Ludwigshafen and Bonn, Germany; and Dubai, United Arab Emirates. United Airlines was honored at the 2018 Ballet Ball.
HALLIE VANDERHIDER Hallie Vanderhider has made a tremendous impact since becoming part of the Houston Ballet family. She joined the Houston Ballet Board of Trustees in the 2017-2018 season and recently extended her leadership by joining the Executive Committee. As an incredible supporter of Houston Ballet’s special events, her generosity shines through the organization. Hallie served as Chairman for the 2018 Ballet Ball. Most recently, she underwrote Edwaard Liang’s Murmuration and provided critical support to the Ballet’s Crisis Relief Fund. This season, Hallie generously underwrote Houston Ballet’s performances of George Balanchine’s iconic Jewels.
THE WORTHAM FOUNDATION, INC.
MARGARET ALKEK WILLIAMS A pillar of the arts community in Houston, Margaret Alkek Williams is one of Houston Ballet’s most devoted supporters. Margaret has championed the works of Artistic Director Stanton Welch, supporting his landmark staging of Swan Lake in 2006. Her transformational gift in 2008 helped to build the Center for Dance. In addition, she endowed a Principal Dancer position held by Yuriko Kajiya and Houston Ballet’s annual gala performance, the Margaret Alkek Williams Jubilee of Dance. To help ensure the company’s future, Margaret most recently endowed Houston Ballet’s building, The Margaret Alkek Williams Center for Dance. Houston Ballet is fortunate to be one of many organizations impacted so greatly by her generosity.
THE WORTHAM FOUNDATION, INC Founded in 1958, The Wortham Foundation is one of Houston’s most impactful art supporters contributing to the city’s performing and visual arts organizations as well as supporting community improvement projects throughout Houston. For nearly four decades, the Foundation has been instrumental in bringing many of Houston Ballet’s most loved and treasured story ballets to the Wortham Theater Center. The Foundation’s commitment to Houston’s arts and culture community can be seen and felt throughout the city—and it continues to uphold the values and incredible tradition of philanthropy established by founder Gus S. Wortham.
LYNN WYATT For more than 30 years, Lynn has been a passionate leader of Houston Ballet. She served as a key member of the search committee that recruited Stanton Welch AM. Their friendship has flourished over the years, and she continues to be a staunch supporter of his creative vision and has long been a champion of new work. Lynn generously underwrote Stanton Welch’s world premiere of Giselle and underwrote a new dance floor for the Company following the destruction from Hurricane Harvey. She was most recently honored at the 50th Anniversary Onstage Dinner.
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Annual Support Houston Ballet is grateful to our generous individual supporters who ensure we remain a world-class ballet company, bringing high-caliber, exhilarating performances and educational programming to audiences of all ages.
Directors Circle $50,000-$99,999
Friend of Houston Ballet Lori Gallagher and Curtis Huff Bobbie Nau Mr. and Mrs. Reginald R. Smith Mr. Mike S. Stude
Artists Circle $25,000-$49,999
Friend of Houston Ballet Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Bradshaw Lenni and Bill Burke Mrs. Jerry Ann Woodfin-Costa and Mr. Victor Costa Dr. Michael Hawkins and Dr. Liliana Soltero
Mr. and Mrs. Mark Loveland Stephen and Kelley Lubanko Kris and Richard McGee Marvin and Martha McMurrey Cabrina and Steven Owsley Mr. and Mrs. William E. Pritchard III
Mr. Kent A. Schaffer and Ms. Shara Kuy Dylan and Jordan Seff S. Shawn Stephens and James M. Jordan Bonnie Weekley Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas J. Zdeblick
Presidents Circle $15,000-$24,999
Friend of Houston Ballet Dr. Julia Andrieni and Dr. Robert Phillips Mr. and Mrs. Phil Bazelides Mr. and Mrs. Philip D. Belanger Jack Bell Dr. and Mrs. Devinder Bhatia Sasha Davis and Joseph Matulevich Bastiaan and Nathalie de Zeeuw Mr. and Mrs. James E. Furr
Mignon and Stephen Gill Sandy and Lee Godfrey Mr. and Mrs. Donald M. Graubart Mr. and Mrs. Joseph A. Hafner, Jr. Claudia and David Hatcher Mrs. Nancy Ferguson Haywood Mr. and Mrs. Russell C. Joseph Susan Lapin D. M. Marcinek Mr. and Mrs. Henry S. May, Jr.
Marsha L. Montemayor Ms. Nancy Powell Moore James Nelson and Richard Lapin Mr. Dee S. Osborne Elisa and Cris Pye Macey and Harry Reasoner Ms. Elizabeth Schwarze Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas L. Swyka Mary and Greg Whalley
Impresario $10,000-$14,999
Friends of Houston Ballet Christopher Barr and Patricia Shanley Ms. Ann Bean Gary And Susan Binney Mr. and Mrs. Jack S. Blanton, Jr. Geraldine Briceño Carol Butler Mr. and Mrs. James W. Crownover Myles and Leslie Culhane Mrs. Rosanette S. Cullen Marsha and Sam Dodson Bruce and Pamela Earthman Sharon F. Erskine Twana and Kelly Faykus Mr. and Mrs. Richard Finger Myrna Fisch Allison and Adam Flikerski 36
The Friedkin Group/Marc and Brenda Watts Mitchell B. George and Stanley Curtis, Jr. Nancy L. Harwell Hope Huber Donna Kaplan and Richard Lydecker Dr. Dale G. Konicek Elizabeth and Bill Kroger Sissy Lappin Ms. Melanie Lawson and Mr. John F. Guess, Jr. Dr. Bridgitte Shen Lee and Mr. Eugene E. Lee Evelyn Leightman Elizabeth and Charlie Leykum Marilyn G. Lummis Joseph and Jenifer Matula Judy and Dan McClure Mr. and Mrs. Michael Mithoff Ms. Beth Muecke Drs. Duyen and Marc Nguyen
Sara and James Parr Kevin S. Potter Mrs. Lila Rauch Mike Rydin Ms. Samira A. Salman Max Seewann and Sheel Patel Helen and Jim Shaffer Dannika E. Simpson Heidi and Marcus Smith J. Michael and Ileana Treviño Jessica Trincanello and Jeremy Griggs Mr. and Mrs. David M. Underwood, Jr. Mr. Timothy Wampler Mrs. Kelli Weinzierl Drs. Randall and Crystal Wright Dow and Meredith Zabolio Rini and Edward Ziegler
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ANNUAL SUPPORT VIRTUOSO $7,500-$9,999 Friend of Houston Ballet Nancy C. Allen Zachary and Karen Bell Dr. Patrick Benge C. Robert Bunch and Lilia D. Khakimova Marcia and Tom Faschingbauer Marion and Gary Glober Mr. Samuel F. Gorman Mr. and Mrs. Brian B. Hughes Dr. Raymond and Leora Kahn Susan and Michael Klaveness Ms. Tracy N. LeRoy Ginni and Richard Mithoff Mr. and Mrs. Frederick J. Plaeger II Dr. David W. Reininger and Laura Lee Jones Fay and George A. Rizzo Susan and Ed Septimus Syma and Walter Zerkow AMBASSADOR $4,000-$7,499 Friends of Houston Ballet Mr. and Mrs. W. Kendall Adam Ms. Jacqueline S. Akins Mr. and Mrs. Cameron Alguire Maida and Paul Asofsky Dr. Saul and Ursula Balagura Anne Morgan Barrett Mr. Duane Bennett Muffet Blake Nancy Boruta Anne Orton Boss Ms. Michaela Botha Mr. and Mrs. Douglas J. Bourne Mr. and Mrs. David A. Bristol, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Mark Brookner Lindsey Brown Judy Gray Brunk Reagan and Claudia Burch Jess and Patricia Carnes Beth and Michael Chambers Nada Chandler Mr. Robert Chanon Donna Collins Mr. Robert and Dr. Carol Collins C.C. Conner, Jr. and David Groover Sylvie and Gary Crum Rochelle Cyprus Douglas R. Davis and Rachel J. Littman David and Lynne Devine Mr. and Mrs. Cody Dick Sandra Didlake Ms. Jane DiPaolo Dr. and Mrs. Thomas Doneker Ms. Catherine M. Donohue Mrs. Carol Drawe Burl and Jenny Wang Drews Rebecca and Brian Duncan Danielle Ellis C.C. and Duke Ensell The Honorable Catherine and Mr. James Evans Mary Ann and Larry Faulkner Vicki Faulkner Sidney Faust Marla and Stewart Feldman Marion and Caroline Freeman Joe and Laura Freudenberger Prince and Princess Piotr and Maria-Anna Galitzine Cynthia and Ty Geiger Dr. Eugenia George Ms. Debra Gibson Dr. and Mrs. George S. Glass Mr. and Mrs. Murphy Graham Mr. and Mrs. Joel Grossman William and Jane Guest Kerry and Jay Harpole Linda Lloyd Hart Susan and Michael Hawes
Mr. and Mrs. Jim Hibbert Gillian Hobson Gary Hollingsworth and Ken Hyde Lonnie Hoogeboom and Betsy Strauch Mrs. James E. Hooks Sandra and Richard Jackson Debbie and Frank Jones Mrs. Neale W. Kempner John Atterbury Kendall Ms. Ann Koster Mrs. Warren W. Kreft Jake and Jennifer Kushner Angie Lane and Nick Eoff Dr. Claire Langston Stephanie Larsen and Bryn Kristen Larsen Chad Libertus Ms. Judy Liu Eugene F. Loveland Stephen and Chris Lukin Dr. and Mrs. Michael Mann Melanie and Jerry Martin Mr. and Mrs. Alexander Matiuk Tom Mays Dorothy B. McCaine Bill, Julie and Jason McClung Warren and Yana McFatter Mimi Reed McGehee Vickie Milazzo and Thomas Ziemba Mr. and Mrs. Jordan H. Mintz David and Mary Montague Kathleen Moore and Steven Homer Brad and Lauren Morgan Tammy and Wayne Nguyen Mr. and Mrs. James M. Nicklos Steven J. O’Connor and Catherine L. Cegielski-O’Connor Mr. Michael and Mrs. Catherine Oestmann Martha Farish Oti Mr. and Mrs. R. Robert Page Robert and Mireille Patman Mr. and Mrs. Jordan Alexander Pincu Mr. Vsevolod Popov Ms. Lori Fultz Priess Joan and Lou Pucher Sharon Roark Joseph Henry Rose Bob Scott and Susan Bickley Sarah and Tom Scott Mr. and Mrs. Thomas M. Simmons Michael B. Smith Frances and Chris Stacy James Stafford and Deborah Keyser Mr. and Mrs. Robert Stibolt Summit Dental Center-Dr. Essa A. Kawaja Dr. Jeffrey Sweterlitsch Dr. Jeff and Erin Thompson Diana C. Treviño Paul and Sherry Vaughan Stanton Welch AM Mrs. Sara E. White Susan Whitfield Mrs. Andrew Wilkomirski Loretta and Lawrence Williams Helen B. Wils and Leonard A. Goldstein Mr. John L. Zipprich II
Shannon Lindamood Shane A. Miller David Moyer II R. Trevor Myers Elizabeth Price Melissa Reihle Mr. and Mrs. Michael Ritchie Kristiann Rushton Lauren Walstad Hardy Alexandra Yates
YOUNG AMBASSADORS $2,000 Friends of Houston Ballet Renee Anderson Nicholas Baran Katherine Brooker and Thomas Stenack Sara Carbo, River Oaks Dance Rebecca Childs Claudia Espinosa Jessie Gill Victoria Gutierrez Lindsey Hurst Ms. Mariya Idenova Katie Jurgielewicz
ENCORE $1,000-$1,999 Friends of Houston Ballet Norah G. Adams Ms. Cecilia Aguilar Joan and Stanford Alexander Jonni and Skip Almoney Kenneth Anderson and Jean-Marie Simon Mr. and Mrs. Daniel O. Aronson Ann and Jonathan Ayre Laura and Tom Bacon Anthony and Gina Bahr Kristina Baizan Devereux Mrs. Greta Bandy
BRAVO $2,000-$3,999 Friends of Houston Ballet Dr. and Mrs. George J. Abdo Mrs. Elaine Adams Leslie Alston and Michael Zenker Lauren and Mark Bahorich Michelle and Lorne Bain Mr. and Mrs. Paul Balmert Drs. Robert and Nancy Benjamin Stephen and Linda Bickel Tessa Bodnar Ingrid Osborn Bond In Remembrance of Howard King Bostock Mr. and Mrs. R. Lawrence Brown III Dr. and Mrs. Raul Caffesse Drs. Steven Craig and Janet Kohlhase In Memory of Ramon Creixell Mr. and Mrs. Michael A. Denham Cynthia A. Diller Mrs. Jenny Elkins Betsy M. Figueroa Mrs. Elaine Finger Ms. Leslie Gassner Lisa Gray Dave and Bodil Guenther Mr. and Mrs. Ross K. Hill Sippi and Ajay Khurana Mr. and Mrs. William H. Knull III Paul and Nancy LeGros Nicole and Julius Leitner Mr. and Mrs. Peter MacGregor Monica McNeill Patti Mullendore Paula and Geoff Newton Paul and Arvella Oliver Mrs. Peg Palisin and Mr. Gary C. Gardner Captain Kim and Rosie Parker Grace Phillips and Eugene Nosal Jim and Kaylon Phillips Ann and Lou Raden Mr. and Mrs. Eric Reed Mr. Shannon Sasser and Mrs. Leslie Elkins Sasser Barbara and Louis Sklar Allison and Tom Stovall Dr. Wadi N. Suki and Dr. Adaani E. Frost Susan Lee Taylor Drs. Peter and Pamela Triolo Lynda Underwood Ann Wales Kristine and Stephen Wallace Dr. Joan and Mike Weltzien Betsy Winn Mr. and Mrs. Richard Wright
HOUSTON BALLET
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ANNUAL SUPPORT
Corporations, Foundations, and Public Agencies Houston Ballet gratefully acknowledges the support of the following corporations, foundations, and public agencies.
$750,000 OR MORE Melza M. and Frank Theodore Barr Foundation, Inc. The Brown Foundation, Inc. Houston Methodist $500,000-$749,999 The Cullen Trust for the Performing Arts The Wortham Foundation, Inc. $250,000-$499,999 City of Houston through Houston Arts Alliance The Cullen Foundation The Jerry C. Dearing Family Foundation The Hearst Foundations $100,000-$249,999 Ting Tsung and Wei Fong Chao Foundation ConocoPhillips Houston Ballet Guild The Elkins Foundation KPRC The Shubert Foundation, Inc. Texas Commission on the Arts United Airlines $50,000-$99,999 Bank of America Beauchamp Foundation Chevron City of Houston through the Miller Theatre Advisory Board, Inc. The Freebird Foundation H-E-B Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo The Humphreys Foundation KPMG The Powell Foundation Shell Oil Company Vivian L. Smith Foundation Wells Fargo $25,000-$49,999 Baker Botts LLP De Beers Jewellers The Fondren Foundation William S. and Lora Jean Kilroy Foundation
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King & Spalding LLP M. D. Anderson Foundation Norton Rose Fulbright Rand Group The Sarofim Foundation Texas Children’s Hospital – Pavilion for Women Truist Bank Van Cleef & Arpels Vinson & Elkins LLP $10,000-$24,999 BHP Bora The Friedkin Group George and Mary Josephine Hamman Foundation William E. & Natoma Pyle Harvey Charitable Trust Albert and Ethel Herzstein Charitable Foundation Jerome Robbins Foundation KNOWAutism Foundation Robert & Pearl Knox Charitable Foundation, Bank of America, N.A., Trustee John P. McGovern Foundation Mitsubishi Corporation (Americas) Nan and Company Properties National Endowment for the Arts Scurlock Foundation Sidley Austin LLP The William A. & Madeline Smith Foundation Sterling-Turner Foundation Truluck’s The Vaughn Foundation $2,500-$9,999 Bridge Development Partners LLC The Joan and Marvin Kaplan Foundation The Sartain and Tamez Family Trust Fund Strake Foundation $1,000-$2,499 EagleLight LLC Houston (TX) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated The Oshman Foundation Performance Solar Inc.
Mr. and Mrs. Stephen J. Banks Monica and Scott Barker Stephen Barnes, MD, JD and Amy Barnes Deborah Bautch Victor and Anna Mae Beghini Fund Elise Bentch Ed A. and Valerie Blair Mona Bostwick Ms. Barbara Brooks Cecilia and David Campbell Marilyn Caplovitz Stephanie and Ted Carpenter Mr. and Mrs. Jack Cato Drs. David A. Cech and Mary R. Schwartz Dr. Rupi Chatha Angela Chen Drs. Melissa and Stephen Chen Neel and Adrienne Choksi Janette Choy Steve and Lynne Clark Mr. Wayne Clark Brenda J. and Richard Clem Judy and Art Coen Alice and Michael Conlon In Memory of Becky Crow Ms. Gay Currie Mr. and Mrs. John deGroot Cindy and Al DeMoya Drs. Rafael Diaz and Yanett Anaya Jeanne Doornbos and Michael Maher EagleLight Consulting The Escalona Family Suzi Feickert Mr. Robert Feldman Charles and Sharlynn Fenn Mrs. Madeleine Ferris Ms. Stella Fitzgibbons Mike and Lindsay Fiuzat Ermanno and Franca Florio Mary Lou Flynn-Dupart Mr. and Mrs. Harris Forbes Curtis Ford Lois Frankel Christopher and Ann Frautschi Paula Friedlander Robert and Jayne Garner Ms. Lucy Gebhart Stephan Gelinsky Anne Marit Ghazi Jason and Monik Giordano Russell Handy Karen R. and Franklin J. Harberg, Jr. Ms. Jacquelyn Harrison Cynthia Herzog and Rocky High Mr. Robert Heyl Mr. and Mrs. John Higgins Ms. Kathryn de Sousa Craig and Kate Holzhauser Mr. Scott P. Howard Ms. Barbara J. Hughey Mr. James Hunter Caroline and Bruce Hurley Mr. Francisco J. Izaguirre Debra W. Jackson Mr. and Mrs. Justin Jarski Jill and Dunham Jewett Ms. Emily Kao Ara Karian Ms. Jody Kelley Ann and Tom Kelsey Doug and Karen Kenaley Stephen and Patricia King Rob and Karen Kwok Brenda Landry Parry and Sydney Lauzon Alex and Victoria Lazar Mr. Jaime Ledergerber Joseph Levitan and Nicolo Messana George and Helen Littell
HOUSTON BALLET
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ANNUAL SUPPORT Mrs. Sylvia Lohkamp Linnar Looris Mr. Robert Lorio David and Susan Loveland Marvin Lummis Dr. Brian Malechuk and Mr. Kevin Melgaard Mr. Thomas Manners Renee Margolin Shelly Mark Dr. Mary F. McAleer Mr. and Mrs. James McCartney V Michael and Onalee McEwen April and Wells McGee Ms. Patricia McMahon Bill and Judy McNamee Katie and Kurt Meissner Christianne Melanson and Durwin Sharp Colonel Michael Mergens and Mrs. Mergens Julie Miles Mrs. Eileen Moore Ms. Desrye Morgan Terrylin G. Neale Mrs. Kim T. Nguyen Mrs. Jo Papadakis Carolyn W. Payne Richard A. and Thelma A. Percoco Mr. and Mrs. Cameron Ray Wanda A. Reynolds Ms. Diana Riggle Dr. and Mrs. Mark S. Rigo Elena Lexina and Brian Rishikof Maura and Walter Ritchie Gregory and Dina Rozenfeld Brenda and Mansel Rubenstein DonNell Rushing Robert and Michele Ryan Mrs. Dominique D. Salazar-Rodgers and Dr. Shawn M. Rodgers Dan and Brenda Sauls Mr. and Mrs. Russell D. Sellen Juan Serrato M.D. Audrey and Sofie Sims Jewel Sims and Thomas Springer Tricia and Mark Singer Mrs. Randal Smith Mr. William Snypes and Mrs. Suzanne Suter Mrs. Christine Sofka Ms. Judy Spinella Christen and Amy Springs Carol Todd Stamatedes James and Ginger Stark Marty and Bob Stein Mr. Sam L. Stolbun and Dr. Alana R. Spiwak Kay and Bert Tabor Amir Taghi Dr. Deborah A. Thomas Marty Thomas Mrs. Jean A. Unger Dr. and Mrs. Giles Leslie Vick Dean Walker Suzanne Walstad Dr. and Mrs. J. Anthony Walter III Barbara and Howard Weiner Mr. Gary Whitney Mary Anne Wilkinson and Bill Samelson Janice B. Willett The Wolens Family Dr. and Mrs. Bruce Wright Lori and Scott Wulfe Cheryl Lynn Zane
These generous donations were received before May 1, 2022. For more information about supporting Houston Ballet through annual membership, please contact Darry Hearon, Assistant Director, Major and Planned Gifts, at 713.535.3275 or dhearon@houstonballet.org.
Arabesque Society The Arabesque Society recognizes and honors those friends who have provided for Houston Ballet in their estate plans. These generous individuals allow Houston Ballet to continue to perform world-class ballet, be a premier training ground for dance, and create important education and community outreach programs by helping to safeguard its future. With deep gratitude, we acknowledge the following donors for including Houston Ballet in their estate plans. Friends of Houston Ballet Dr. and Mrs. George Abdo Susan Battelstein Jack Bell Dr. Patrick Benge The Edna Madden and Paul John Berres Charitable Remainder Trust Myra Brown Tripp Carter Cecil C. Conner, Jr. Sasha Davis Burton Dickey and Yean Sun Debra Donaldson Sharon Erskine Susan Feickert Myrna Fisch Mrs. Barry Galt Mitchell B. George Mr. Samuel F. Gorman Anne and Donald Graubart Mr. Jas A. Gundry Linda Lloyd Hart Ms. Karen J. Hartnett Nancy Ferguson Haywood Dr. Lamar and Jane Jackson Charitable Remainder Trust Jesse H. Jones II
Barbara and Raymond Kalmans John A. Kendall Dr. James E. and Betty W. Key Mrs. Evelyn Leightman Christianne Melanson Shane A. Miller Mr. Juan R. Morales Ms. Kathleen Much Mrs. Patti Murphy James D. Nelson Dr. Susan Osterberg Richard A. and Thelma A. Percoco Dr. Didier Piot Rick and Kathy Plaeger Shelly and Marty Power Mrs. Lila Rauch Sharon Roark Jon and Nell Schwartz Dr. and Mrs. Robert S. Toth Ann G. Trammell Lynda Lighthouse Transier Ms. Jana E. Vander Lee Elba L. Villarreal Dean Walker Margaret (Midge) Wische Cecily and Jim Young Mr. John Zipprich
We honor the memory of those who included Houston Ballet in their estate plans. Harriet Bath Audrey Jones Beck Joe Anne Berwick Raymona Brown Bomar Mary Frances Newton Bowers Suzanne S. Braden Ira B. Brown Lawrence E. Carlton George W. Ernst, Jr. 52 PLAYBILL Frank R. Eyler Linda K. Finger Cora Lee Gott David Haber Mickey Hagey
Kevin Harvey Mr. John S.W. Kellett Frederick Adrian Lee Mr. E. Daniel Leightman Elizabeth Martin Harris Masterson III Mr. William McAnear Charles Edward McKerley Dr. Matilda B. Melnick Robert A. Moody David Glenn Puckett Gloria E. Roberti Mr. Richard H. Stork Anita B. Stude Dorothy B. Thomas
For more information about The Arabesque Society, please contact Megan Raines, Director of Individual Giving at 713.535.3241 or mraines@houstonballet.org
HOUSTON BALLET
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Houston Ballet Endowment Endowed funds assist Houston Ballet in attracting talented artists.
The Harris Masterson III Artistic Director – Stanton Welch AM The Albert and Margaret Alkek Foundation Principal Dancer – Yuriko Kajiya The Melza M. Barr Principal Dancer – Melody Mennite The Cullen Trust for the Performing Arts Principal Dancer – Jessica Collado The Fondren Foundation Principal Dancer – Connor Walsh The Houston Ballet Guild Principal Dancer – Karina González The Houston Ballet Guild First Soloist – Allison Miller The Anita B. Stude Principal Dancer – Charles-Louis Yoshiyama The Robert F. Parker Principal Dancer – Soo Youn Cho
Halli
The Carolyn Lee and Frederick Adrian Lee Production Fund supports the creation of new productions and the restoration of existing works. Margaret Alkek Williams / The Alkek and Williams Foundation endows the Margaret Alkek Williams Center for Dance. The Albert and Margaret Alkek Foundation endows the Margaret Alkek Williams Jubilee of Dance, Houston Ballet’s annual gala performance. The Ira and Myra Brown Young Dancer Scholarship Fund underwrites training for Academy dancers annually. The Fayez Sarofim & Co. Touring Fund supports Houston Ballet’s domestic and international tours.
The C. C. Conner Scholarship Fund, The Roy M. Huffington Scholarship Fund, The Billie Bath Perlman Scholarship Fund, and The Winifred Wallace Scholarship Fund each underwrite training for one HBII dancer annually. The Margaret Wiess Elkins Young Artist Fund, The Ben Stevenson Scholarship Fund and The Anita Borges Stude Scholarship Fund each underwrite training for one Academy dancer annually. The AIG American General/AIG VALIC Education and Community Engagement Programs Fund helps Houston Ballet reach a broad population of all ages and economic levels.
With deep gratitude, we salute the following donors for their contributions to the Endowment.
$5,000,000 OR MORE The Brown Foundation, Inc. Estate of Frederic Adrian Lee Margaret Alkek Williams / The Alkek and Williams Foundation $3,000,000-$4,999,999 Estate of George W. Ernst, Jr. The Wortham Foundation, Inc. $1,000,000-$2,999,999 The Albert and Margaret Alkek Foundation Melza M. and Frank Theodore Barr Foundation, Inc. The Cullen Foundation The Cullen Trust for the Performing Arts Houston Endowment, Inc. Mr. and Mrs. Harris Masterson III†
$500,000-$999,999 Ira† and Myra Brown National Endowment for the Arts Mr. Fayez Sarofim $100,000-$499,999 Friends of Houston Ballet AIG American General/AIG VALIC Mr. and Mrs. Isaac Arnold, Jr. Lee and Ramona Bass Foundation Estate of Audrey Jones Beck Estate of Joe Anne Berwick Estate of Suzanne S. Braden Mrs. Laurie Champion The Cockrell Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Peter R. Coneway Charles Engelhard Foundation Mr. James A. Elkins, Jr.† The Elkins Foundation
The Fondren Foundation Mr. and Mrs. William J. Gillingham† Hearst Foundations Mr. William J. Hill† Barbara F. and Gerald D. Hines† Hobby Family Foundation Houston Ballet Guild Mr. and Mrs. Meredith J. Long Mary Ralph Lowe Estate of William McAnear Mr. and Mrs. George P. Mitchell† Mitchell Energy & Development Corp. Mr. and Mrs. Roy S. O’Connor Mr. and Mrs. Robert F. Parker Mr. Henry Salvatori Scurlock Foundation Tarrant Hancock Trust Estate of Dorothy B. Thomas
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†in memoriam 40
HOUSTON BALLET
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Hallie Vanderhider and Neal Peeler
Tyler Donatelli, Leigh Smith, Harper Watters and Jacquelyn Long
SPECIAL EVENTS
2022 Presidents Circle Dinner
Margaret Alkek Williams and Yuriko Kajiya
Mary Sage, Jessica Collado and Marguerite Swartz
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ON MAY 3, 2022, Houston Ballet honored its Presidents Circle members with a rooftop dinner at the brand new PostHTX. Formerly one of the city’s largest postal sorting centers, the venue has become one of Houston’s greatest examples of imagination and rebirth, and thus was the perfect backdrop for celebrating this group of stalwart supporters helping to guide the Ballet into our own bright future. The Company extends a huge thank you to all of our Ballet family who have made our success possible with particular thanks to this special group who continue to help drive our mission to new heights in Houston and beyond!
Kristy and Chris Bradshaw
Kelley Lubanko, Connor Walsh and Shawn Stephens
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Escape to Neverland with Wendy, John, Michael and Peter on their daring adventures in Trey McIntyre’s Peter Pan! This reinterpretation of Sir James M. Barrie’s classic tale is told through the eyes of a child, with spectacular flying sequences, swashbuckling sword fights, giant puppets and of course, a little pixie dust! Set to a soaring score by Sir Edward Elgar, arranged by Niel DePonte, with elaborate sets by Thomas Boyd and colorful, punk-fashion inspired costumes from Broadway great Jeanne Button, this magical ballet is sure to mesmerize audiences of all ages!
Houston Ballet will present Peter Pan September 9-18, 2022 at the Wortham Theater Center. For tickets, please visit houstonballet.org or call the box office at 713.227.2787.
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Principal Melody Mennite and Soloist Christopher Gray in Trey McIntyre’s Peter Pan. Photo by Amitava Sarkar
In the Wings
HOUSTON BALLET
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LAUREN ANDERSON YOUNG DANCER SCHOLARSHIP FUND Honor a hometown hero by becoming one. Every gift to the Lauren Anderson Young Dancer Scholarship Fund makes you a champion for Houston Ballet’s stars of tomorrow and will be generously matched dollar-for-dollar by Deborah and Edward Koehler.
SCAN THE QR CODE TO GIVE ONLINE
OR TEXT HBGIVE TO 44-321
Principal Melody Mennite and Soloist Christopher Gray in Trey McIntyre’s Peter Pan.
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5/26/2022 10:01:50 AM
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