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
Welcome!
Originals - Master.indd 6
DIRECTOR OF MARKETING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS Angela Lee ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF PUBLICATIONS Jasmine Fuller Cane DEVELOPMENT COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR Kate Wood PROJECT STAFF Lynn Chung, Tory Lieberman, Jared Murphy ADVERTISING SALES Ventures Marketing Group Matt Ross
HoustonBallet Vol. 4, Issue 6
See you in the theater, VOL. 4, ISSUE 6 2022
HOUSTON BALLET
CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER Angela Lane
Originals
6
debuts his first solo piece on the Company, set to the enchanting compositions of rising star and Dallas native Quinn Mason, who will also serve as guest conductor for the Houston Ballet Orchestra. I’m proud of how far both Mennite and Walsh have come in their careers and can’t wait to see what they do next. Rounding out this incredible bill of works is The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra, set to Benjamin Britten’s spirited work of the same title. Britten’s 1946 work set out to educate and introduce audiences to the sections of the orchestra, and in 2014, I set the score to dance created on Houston Ballet. This large-scale piece marks a very significant collaboration between our talented dancers and orchestra. Costume designs by Holly Hynes and lighting by Lisa J. Pinkham harmonize with this exquisite work for a truly exhilarating performance. This piece also comes complete with narration from Dewey Caddell, whom you may recognize from our 2018 collaborative performances of Okalahoma! with TUTS. Originals would not be possible without your constant support. I want to thank each of you for your presence in the theater and for your encouragement as Houston Ballet continues to thrive.
HoustonBallet
Dear Houston Ballet friends, I am pleased to welcome you to Originals! After beautiful performances of Pretty Things, we’re excited to demonstrate our diversity of talent and technique in another mixed repertoire of one-act ballets. Houston Ballet is known for its innovation and forward-thinking, and this performance is the perfect opportunity to see new efforts in both collaboration and choreography. First on the stage is Orange from my series of ballets inspired by the colors of the chakra. Performed in tandem with globally acclaimed Dance Theatre of Harlem, this will mark the first time that both companies share the stage. Spurred by the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., Dance Theatre of Harlem was born at the height of the civil rights movement and provided dancers of all colors the opportunity to excel in the classical ballet world. Dance Theatre of Harlem remains one of the most influential American ballet companies for over 50 years; we are honored to collaborate with this impactful and inspiring company. Originals also showcases the premiere of Floreciente, a new one-act ballet by Houston Ballet Principal Dancer Melody Mennite, generously underwritten by Stephanie and Frank Tsuru. After the great success of her earlier work Oh, there you are for the 2018 Margaret Alkek Williams Jubilee of Dance, Mennite presents her first fully commissioned work for the Company, a very important achievement for the 20-year Houston Ballet member, and costume and set designs from artist Olga Saldivar accompany her latest creation. Principal Dancer Connor Walsh also
PUBLISHED BY Houston Ballet
STANTON WELCH AM Houston Ballet Artistic Director
ON THE COVER Nao Kusuzaki Photo by Amitava Sarkar.
Houston Ballet Artistic Director Stanton Welch. Photo by Charles Ford
5/17/2022 9:51:32 AM
