42 minute read
Welcome Letter
Welcome!
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 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.
See you in the theater,
STANTON WELCH AM
Houston Ballet Artistic Director Houston Ballet 601 Preston Street, Houston, TX 77002
713.523.6300 info@houstonballet.org www.houstonballet.org
Stanton Welch AM Artistic Director
James Nelson Executive Director
Ben Stevenson OBE Artistic Director Emeritus
PUBLISHED BY Houston Ballet
CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER Angela Lane
DIRECTOR OF MARKETING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS Angela Lee
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF PUBLICATIONS Jasmine Fuller Cane
DEVELOPMENT COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR Kate Wood
PROJECT STAFF Lynn Chung, Tory Lieberman, Jared Murphy
ADVERTISING SALES Ventures Marketing Group Matt Ross
Houston Ballet HoustonBallet
Vol. 4, Issue 6
Originals
VOL. 4, ISSUE 6 2022
ON THE COVER Nao Kusuzaki Photo by Amitava Sarkar.
FIRST POSITION
SPOTLIGHT p. 10 | ANATOMY OF A SCENE p. 11 | EN POINTE p. 12 | UPLIFT p. 13
Meeting of the Minds
A partnership between choreographer Melody Mennite and artist Olga Saldivar is the perfect mix for Floreciente
By Jasmine Fuller Cane
GIVEN THE BLESSING TO DREAM BIG
from Artistic Director Stanton Welch for her world premiere Floreciente, Principal dancer Melody Mennite’s thoughts immediately rushed to one name for collaboration: Mexican born, Texas-based artist, Olga Saldivar. Fifteen years prior to that moment, Mennite had seen her first Saldivar painting in a coffee shop gallery.
When viewing Saldivar’s works for the first time, you’ll notice a theme. With each brushstroke, Saldivar blends traditional techniques with whimsical elements, building worlds with an edge of innocence, beauty and mystery. Inspired by nature, she often uses flowers, butterflies, and women as her source. So when Mennite’s concept for Floreciente needed costumes and sets, Saldivar was an obvious choice.
“This ballet is about cycles that we find ourselves in as humans and then how those cycles match up with the natural cycles of our environment,” Mennite explains.
The Floreciente choreographer contacted Saldivar through her website with fingers crossed for their first-time collaboration; Saldivar was quick to agree to embark on this journey, her first costume and set design experience. The pair took their first meeting at Saldivar’s home studio, where they listened to the Floreciente music and brainstormed ideas over string melodies and piano chords, often jotting down matching ideas evoked from the music.
Saldivar uses her whimsical worldbuilding talent to capture the cycles in each of Floreciente’s eight movements. But quickly realizing physical sets would put a limit on the boundaries of these worlds, the duo turned their attention to projection and animation for the scenic design. Animation attracted Saldivar immediately, who loved the opportunity to execute her vision through her own hands rather than delegating her designs, but it also meant a lot more hours of love and sweat from the self-proclaimed perfectionist.
A new skill for Saldivar, she quickly taught herself animation to make her paintings come to life behind the Floreciente dancers. Each projected background is hand painted by Saldivar, scanned into the computer, and meticulously digitally layered to make the paintings move, an example being the last movements of the ballet, which take place in a meadow of blooming magnolias. Saldivar’s attention for detail is impeccable,
''Along with Melody, I wanted to create this mystical world with art and movement. By making my paintings move along with the dancers, we want the audience to immerse themselves in this creative environment. Allthough the artwork was animated digitally, everything was originally painted by hand and scanned. I wanted to show the textures and the brush strokes. I feel that along with choreography, emotions can be shown with the paintings and the music.” as she replicates the stages of the magnolia from bud to flower. The costumes also complement each world accordingly. Mennite and Saldivar, who has a background in fashion, keep the costumes clean and able to integrate into the cycle of each world. With no stone left unturned, there’s no doubt that audiences will reap the benefits from this powerful partnership. “Our brains together are very similar in the way that we have an immense amount of meaning and detail to why we make what we make,” Mennite says. “It’s very rewarding when all of that love we’re putting into it hits somebody in even just one way.”
SPOTLIGHT
Stephanie & Frank Tsuru
No strangers to supporting Company members’ choreographic works, Frank and Stephanie Tsuru underwrite Melody Mennite’s Floreciente. Stephanie shares her thoughts on supporting creativity, Melody Mennite, and Houston Ballet.
On supporting choreographic creativity: When the dancers are onstage, the audience is enthralled with their beautiful technique, but the actual dancing is only half of any production’s equation; the concept, the steps, and intention behind the steps – that is pulled out of somebody’s mind. Without the choreography, there would be little for the dancers to do, so I really like highlighting the work and the choreographic process and providing the support necessary to cultivate that creativity. Working from the original ideas to the final product we see on stage is a long and detailed creative journey that is often underappreciated to the general public. We wish to highlight and celebrate the process and those behind it.
On Melody’s next steps after her world premiere: Melody is an immense talent. She is incredibly intelligent with broad interests, so whatever Melody chooses to do and focus on, it will be a success. What I want to see is a fulfilled and content Melody. She is an amazing woman that has only scratched the surface of her potential. Floreciente is the beginning of something great, and I’m excited to see where she goes from here.
On sharing the joy of Houston Ballet: Houston is an enormous city. We feel not enough people actually get the opportunity or take the opportunity to enjoy Houston Ballet. It’s such an amazing gift that we have right here in our community, and it’s amazing how the Company is flourishing despite year after year of huge obstacles and barriers. We hope to encourage more to soak up the talent and beauty of our beloved Houston Ballet – to see what a gem we have right here.
DTH’S
1969
At the height of the civil rights movement, Arthur Mitchell and Karel Shook founded Dance Theatre of Harlem. Dance Theatre of Harlem went on to give their first public appearance in 1971 at the Guggenheim Museum in New York.
1999
During their 30th anniversary season, Dance Theatre of Harlem and its cofounder Arthur Mitchell were inducted into New York’s esteemed National Museum of Dance and the Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney Hall of Fame.
2009
Dance Theatre of Harlem was honored in an exhibition at The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts – a highlight of DTH’s 40th anniversary celebration and tribute to their contributions to the community.
2019
Dually celebrating their 50th anniversaries, Dance Theatre of Harlem performed Stanton Welch’s Orange with Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre alongside George Balanchine’s Rubies, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s Balamouk, and Darrell Grand Moultrie’s Harlem on My Mind.
MILESTONES
ANATOMY OF A SCENE
A Collaborative Effort
New York’s historic Dance Theatre of Harlem comes to Houston to perform Stanton Welch’s Orange alongside Houston Ballet
By Kate Wood
IN AN EXCITING FIRST-TIME PARTNERSHIP, the globallyacclaimed Dance Theatre of Harlem joins Houston Ballet at the Wortham Theater Center for performances of Stanton Welch’s Orange. Dance Theatre of Harlem has long been an institution in New York City, celebrated for their forward thinking repertoire and powerful vision for ballet in the 21st century.
“We’re a very distinct company because the premise of our organization is diversity,” says Virginia Johnson, Dance Theatre of Harlem Artistic Director. “We are built on the idea that ballet belongs to everyone, and we have the capacity to show what ballet looks like when everyone is included on the stage.” Although Originals marks the first time Houston Ballet and Dance Theatre of Harlem will share the stage, Dance Theatre of Harlem is no stranger to Welch’s ballet Orange. During their 50th Anniversary Celebration Performances in 2019, Dance Theatre of Harlem gave stunning performances of Orange in tandem with Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, also celebrating their 50th anniversary. “Orange is just a beautiful ballet,” says Johnson. “It’s musically beautiful and it has a playful feeling to it, but it’s also very dramatic. It’s thrilling that we’re going to be working with Stanton directly on this work.”
From Welch’s color series inspired by the colors of the chakra, Orange is set to various oboe concerti from composer Antonio Vivaldi. Noted by the Pittsburgh City Paper in 2019, “Orange conveys an inexplicable sorrow, depicted through the dancer’s sharp movements.There’s a flowing, seamless display of support, merged with bodily collapse. Dancers sweep the floor, floating from lifts, inducing goosebumps with uninterrupted, fluid movements.”
As the two companies enter a collaboration, Houston Ballet is honored to welcome Dance Theatre of Harlem to the Bayou City. “Dance Theatre of Harlem has performed in Houston many times over the years, and it’s always been a favorite place of ours to be.” says Johnson. “We’re going to have a lot of fun!”
EN POINTE
Music in the Air
Composer and rising star Quinn Mason talks musical inspiration and his collaboration with Houston Ballet Principal Dancer Connor Walsh
HOW WERE YOU AND CONNOR WALSH INTRODUCED? HOW DID YOU COME TO BE THE GUEST CONDUCTOR FOR THE HOUSTON BALLET ORCHESTRA?
Connor reached out to me. He found my work, A Joyous Trilogy, and he told me he was instantly smitten by it, which is an honor because Connor is an amazing dancer. He told me how he listened to my piece over and over and realized he had to choreograph to it, so he reached out and we had a really cool conversation. Then, we got in touch with Maestro Ermanno Florio, and he was excited about it as well; he knew I conducted so he invited me to conduct.
HOW DO YOU EXPECT CONDUCTING A BALLET ORCHESTRA WILL DIFFER FROM CONDUCTING A SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA?
I’ve sought a lot of counsel from my conductor mentors, specifically those who have experience conducting some of the best ballet orchestras in the country. They all tell me that when you conduct for a ballet, your tempo has to be precise, as opposed to when you’re conducting in a symphonic setting, where you have the freedom to mess with the feel of the music. With ballet, it has to be very consistent so the dancers have a strict tempo to dance to. For that advice, I want to give a shoutout to two of my mentors – Edwin Outwater in San Fransisco and Alastair Willis in South Bend. Thank you!
YOUR RÉSUMÉ IS VERY IMPRESSIVE FOR A YOUNG COMPOSER SO EARLY IN THEIR CAREER; YOU’VE WORKED IN MANY DIFFERENT ARENAS AT ONLY 26 YEARS OLD. HOW DID YOU GET YOUR START IN COMPOSITION?
I started when I was 10. I took a piano class, and a couple of years after that, I started playing the cello. I’d been studying music a lot, listening to the radio, and I got curious about what it would sound like to create my own music. In high school, I had a supportive band director who let me compose for and conduct the band. That gave me a lot of opportunities to practice my craft, and then my career really took off when I won a composition contest called the NextNotes High School Music Creator Award my senior year. l got a taste of what it’s like to be a professional, and after high school I went up to Minneapolis to work with professional musicians for the first time. After that, I started getting paid commissions, and now I work with orchestras all across the country.
WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER TO BE YOUR GREATEST INFLUENCES AS A MUSICIAN AND COMPOSER?
When it comes to my orchestral approach, the music of John Adams is a big influence, especially in A Joyous Trilogy. The music of Stravinsky has influenced me as well since he’s my favorite composer, and The Rite of Spring is my favorite piece. I’m inspired by world music, too; since I primarily grew up in a Hispanic neighborhood, I had friends introduce me to salsa, mariachi and banda; listening to the crazy rhythmical stuff they do in those pieces inspired me because I’m very rhythmically oriented as a percussionist. I put some of those rhythmic elements into my own music; a lot of that stuff subconsciously finds its way into my music.
WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO ABOUT YOUR COLLABORATION WITH HOUSTON BALLET?
This will be a very new experience for me. It’ll be very immersive; Maestro Florio wants me to supervise all rehearsals, tech rehearsals with the piano, pit rehearsals with the orchestra. It’ll be new for me to go inside one of the top ballet companies in the country – maybe even the world – and see how everything works and how a production is put together. I’m also really looking forward to working closely with Connor and seeing how we can work together to bring a new project to life.
Musical Match
The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra provides a crash course into the sections of the orchestra. Think your musical knowledge is up to snuff? Match the instruments to their designated sections!
THE SECTIONS
WOODWIND
Instruments in this section require air blown through them to make sounds. Usually, they’re made of wood and use reeds.
BRASS
These instruments also require air but are made of metal and use metal mouthpieces rather than reeds.
STRINGS
String instruments require no air at all. Instead, they are played with a bow or plucked with fingers.
PERCUSSION
The percussion section includes anything that is struck, whether it’s with hands, mallets, or sticks.
THE INSTRUMENTS
FRENCH HORN TIMPANI
HARP BASSOON
VIOLA FLUTE
- TIMPANI VIOLA | PERCUSSION HARP, - | STRINGS FRENCH HORN | BRASS - BASSOON, FLUTE WOODWINDS -
ANSWERS
CREDITS p. 16 | THE ARTISTS p. 20 | ORCHESTRA p. 23 ORIGINALS
JUNE 2-12, 2022
This performance lasts approximately two hours and twenty-five minutes.
There will be two intermissions lasting twenty minutes each.
For casting, scan the QR code.
Orange
This photo is from Dance Theatre of Harlem’s 2020-2021 season photoshoot
Choreography by Stanton Welch AM, for Mark
Music by Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741) Concerti (various) for Oboe, Strings, and Basso Continuo
Costume Design by Holly Hynes
Lighting Design by Lisa J. Pinkham
Featuring Guest Artists from Dance Theatre of Harlem
Mayu Isom, Oboe
World Premiere: July 30, 2001 by Dance Galaxy at the Joyce Theater in New York City, New York.
Houston Ballet Premiere: October 27, 2006 at the Dixon Hall in New Orleans, Louisiana.
WHAT YOU’RE WATCHING
One of Stanton Welch’s color ballets based on the colors of the chakra, Orange features three couples that perform both as a group and in individual pas de deux. Pittsburgh City Paper calls Welch’s Orange “a flowing, seamless display of support, merged with bodily collapse. Dancers sweep the floor, floating from lifts, inducing goosebumps with uninterrupted, fluid movements.”
WHAT YOU’RE LISTENING TO
Orange is performed to a mixture of melodies composed by the famed virtuoso Antonio Vivaldi. Vivaldi’s various excerpts are arranged for Strings, Basso Continuo, and Oboe. Broadway World describes the beginning of Orange’s score as having an “inexplicable sorrow,” that gradually turns cheerful as “Vivaldi’s composition ends jovially.”
A Joyous Trilogy (in flight)
WORLD PREMIERE
Choreography by Connor Walsh
Music by Quinn Mason A Joyous Trilogy
Costume Concept by Connor Walsh and Chae Eun Yang
Costume Realized by Sandra Fox
Lighting Design by Lisa J. Pinkham
WHAT YOU’RE WATCHING
A note from the choreographer: “When creating this piece, I toyed with the idea of a dancer’s relationship with flight. When you dance, it sometimes feels like you’re flying… there’s moments of weightlessness that make you feel absolutely free. When I listened to this wonderful music by Quinn Mason, I got a sense of soaring through different landscapes: canyons, forests, oceans. We started making this work in October shortly after we resumed our normal rehearsal schedules, which led to a real sense of community and joy in this piece. I wanted the dancers to connect with each other and feel like they could dance to their freest and fullest potential. There’s a strong sense of renewal and optimism that I hope comes out through this piece.”
WHAT YOU’RE LISTENING TO
“For A Joyous Trilogy, the composer writes that he ‘wanted to create a composition that was the very embodiment of happiness and cheerfulness, an accessible work that would put any listener in a good mood.’ The first movement, ‘Running’ is so called because of its always-moving and seemingly never-waning energy that keeps going and going. The second, ‘Reflection,’ is a gentle and introspective meditation featuring a solo trombone. The third, ’Renewal,’ picks the energy back up, but a little more spirited and zestful this time, and keeps it going to the very end, complete with dynamic and vibrant interplay between all the orchestral sections.” Written by Jeff Eldridge
Floreciente
Generously underwritten by Stephanie and Frank Tsuru
WORLD PREMIERE
Choreography by Melody Mennite
Music by René Aubry (1947-2016) Ne m’oublie pas, Steppe, Facéties, Après la pluie
Ezio Bosso (1971-2020) Exit, Run 44, Mechanical Dolls (The Turin String Quartet), Pines and Flowers
Max Richter
Sunlight
Costume and Scenic Design by
Olga Saldivar
Lighting Design by Grey Starbird
Projection Design by Leon B. Chenier Jr.
WHAT YOU’RE WATCHING
A note from the choreographer: “Floreciente means to flourish or bloom. There was a time, not long ago, when we were closer to the rhythms of the natural world. We more intimately belonged to this Earth and simultaneously to each other. Finding ourselves out of balance in a modern era, we have become disoriented and searching for a clearer path forward. We look back and see that even through our greed and all our distractions, natures rhythms, cycles, and wisdom continue to hold us and sustain us. Shedding the skins that keep us blind to the harm of our assertions of power starts with listening. Respecting each other and our natural teachers who bloom and thrive with the silent wisdom from within will go a long way in this aim. Listen to the song of nature, that rhythm of your own heartbeat, it is the deepest place in you that says you are home. May we bloom.”
WHAT YOU’RE LISTENING TO
A selection of live and recorded music from composers René Aubry, Ezio Bosso, Max Richter.
The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra
Choreography by Stanton Welch AM, for Mark
Music by Benjamin Britten (1913-1976) The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra, Op. 34 By arrangement with Boosey & Hawkes, Inc., publisher and copyright owner
Costume Design by Holly Hynes
Lighting Design by Lisa J. Pinkham
Dewey Caddell, Narrator
World Premiere: March 16, 2014 at Wortham Theater Center’s Brown Theater in Houston, Texas by Houston Ballet.
WHAT YOU’RE WATCHING
The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra gives audiences an inside look at the instruments that make up an orchestra illustrated by dance. An ensemble of 35 dancers open and close the show, with various solos, groups and pas de deux performing in between to bring each orchestral section to life, from strings to woodwinds to brass to percussion. Stanton Welch notes, “The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra marks a very significant collaboration between our dancers and the orchestra.”
WHAT YOU’RE LISTENING TO
Created in 1946, Benjamin Britten’s The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra has helped introduce generations of children to the world of classical music. Complete with a narrator, the piece opens with a theme from English composer Henry Purcell (1659-1695), then takes audiences through each section of the orchestra using variations on the theme. Rounding out the score, the orchestra plays together once again with a fugue – a short melody introduced by one part and successively taken up by others and interwoven – as the brass play the Purcell tune from the beginning.
STANTON WELCH AM
Choreographer, Orange and The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra In July 2003, Australian Stanton Welch AM assumed leadership of Houston Ballet, America’s fifth-largest classical ballet company. Since he took the helm of the Company, Mr. Welch has revitalized Houston Ballet, bringing in new dancers, commissioning new works, and attracting a top-flight artistic staff. Mr. Welch has created works for such prestigious international companies as Houston Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, The Australian Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet, and the Royal Danish Ballet. Mr. Welch was born in Melbourne to Marilyn Jones OBE and Garth Welch AM, two of Australia’s most gifted dancers of the 1960s and 1970s. In 1989, he was engaged as a dancer with The Australian Ballet, where he rose to the rank of leading soloist, performing various principal roles. He has also worked with internationally acclaimed choreographers such as Jiří Kylián, Nacho Duato, and Maurice Bejart. In 1995, Mr. Welch was named resident choreographer of The Australian Ballet. For his contributions to the world of dance, he was awarded the Order of Australia (AM) in June 2015. For Houston Ballet, he has choreographed more than 20 works, including a new full-length narrative ballet Marie (2009), inspired by the life of the legendary Marie Antoinette, and spectacular stagings of Swan Lake (2006), La Bayadère (2010), Romeo and Juliet (2015), Giselle (2016), The Nutcracker (2016), and Sylvia (2019).
HOLLY HYNES
Costume Designer, Orange and The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra Holly Hynes is an award-winning costume designer with over 250 ballets to her credit, including more than 70 at New York City Ballet. Hynes’ designs are also on view in companies around the world, including American Ballet Theatre; The Bolshoi Ballet in Moscow, Russia; National Ballet of Canada; La Scala Ballet in Milan, Italy; The Kirov Ballet in Saint Petersburg, Russia; The Royal Ballet in London; Ballet de l'Opéra National de Paris, The Royal Danish Ballet in Copenhagen; Bulgarian State Ballet in Sofia, Bulgaria, Miami City Ballet; Koninklijk Ballet van Vlaanderen in Antwerp, Belgium; San Francisco Ballet; Houston Ballet; Den Norske Ballet in Oslo, Norway; Finnish National; BalletMet in Columbus, Ohio; Pennsylvania Ballet in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Ballet Vancouver, Canada; Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, Canada; American Repertory Ballet in Princeton, New Jersey; Pacific Northwest Ballet, Seattle, Washington; Atlanta Ballet, Georgia; Nashville Ballet, Tennessee; Ballet Pacifica, California; Dance Galaxy, New York; Joffrey Ballet in Chicago, Illinois; and The Suzanne Farrell Ballet at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, where she has served as the resident costume designer for 19 years. Ms. Hynes has been entrusted by The George Balanchine Trust and the Jerome Robbins estate to teach the execution of costume designs for Mr. Balanchine’s and Mr. Robbins’s ballets to companies all over the world. Mr. Welch has collaborated with Ms. Hynes several times. She has designed the costumes for ten of his works: Tu Tu (2003), Falling (2005), Naked (2008) and Bespoke (2018) for San Francisco Ballet; Don Quixote (2003), The Firebird (2005) and Blue (2005) for BalletMet; Orange (2001) for Dance Galaxy (now Ballet NY); Kisses (2001) for Chamber Dance Project; and Brigade (2006) and The Core (2008) for Houston Ballet. Her HB designs for Stanton Welch include Just, Sons de L’âme, The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, Tapestry, The Core, Brigade, Falling, Tu Tu, Orange and Blue. She also designed the revival of Christopher Wheeldon’s Carousel- A Dance and Jorma Elo’s ONE|end|ONE for the Company.
The Artists
LISA J. PINKHAM
Lighting Designer, Orange, A Joyous Trilogy (in flight), and The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra 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.
DANCE THEATRE OF HARLEM
Guest Artists, Orange Dance Theatre of Harlem is a leading dance institution of unparalleled global acclaim, encompassing a professional touring company, a leading studio school, and a national and international education and community outreach program. Each component of Dance Theatre of Harlem carries a solid commitment towards enriching the lives of young people and adults around the world through the arts. Founded in 1969 by Arthur Mitchell and Karel Shook, Dance Theatre of Harlem is considered “one of ballet’s most exciting undertakings” (The New York Times). Shortly after the assassination of The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Mitchell was inspired to start a school that would offer children – especially those in Harlem, the community in which he was born – the opportunity to learn about dance and the allied arts. Now in its sixth decade, Dance Theatre of Harlem has grown into a multi-cultural dance institution with an extraordinary legacy of providing opportunities for creative expression and artistic excellence that continues to set standards in the performing arts. Dance Theatre of Harlem has achieved unprecedented success, bringing innovative and bold new forms of artistic expression to audiences in New York City, across the country and around the world. Now a singular presence in the ballet world, the Dance Theatre of Harlem Company tours nationally and internationally, presenting a powerful vision for ballet in the 21st century. The 17-member, multi-ethnic company performs a forward-thinking repertoire that includes treasured classics, neoclassical works by George Balanchine and resident choreographer Robert Garland, as well as innovative contemporary works that use the language of ballet to celebrate African American culture. Through performances, community engagement and arts education, the Company carries forward Dance Theatre of Harlem’s message of empowerment through the arts for all.
MAYU ISOM
Oboe, Orange Mayu Isom is 2nd Oboe and English horn with Houston Grand Opera and 3rd Oboe with Houston Ballet Orchestra; she currently
serves as Acting Principal Oboe with both orchestras. Earlier this season, Isom appeared as a soloist with the Houston Ballet Orchestra, performing English horn on Aaron Copland’s “Quiet City.” Isom’s orchestral credits include performances with the San Antonio Symphony, the Amarillo Symphony, the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra, and others. Her festival appearances include the Spoleto Festival USA, the Music Academy of the West, the National Repertory Orchestra, the National Orchestral Institute, and many other festivals. Prior to winning her positions in Houston, Isom was a member of the studios of John Ferrillo and Anne Marie Gabriele at Boston University. While in Boston, Isom won the Ralph Gomberg Merit Award Competition through the Boston Woodwind Society. Isom earned her Master of Music at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music, where she was awarded a full scholarship to study with Robert Atherholt, and earned her Bachelor of Music at Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music as a prestigious Jacobs Scholar under the tutelage of Linda Strommen and Roger Roe.
CONNOR WALSH
Choreographer, A Joyous Trilogy (in flight) Born in Fairfax, Virginia, Connor Walsh began his training at the age of seven under the direction of his mother Constance Walsh. He has trained at The Kirov Academy of Ballet, The Harid Conservatory, and Houston Ballet’s Ben Stevenson Academy, where he was awarded the Rudolf Nureyev Foundation Scholarship and the Ben Stevenson Scholarship award. In 2004, he won the first annual gold award from the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts (NFAA) and was given the Award of Encouragement at the Shanghai International Ballet Competition. In 2004, Walsh joined Houston Ballet’s company as a member of the corps de ballet. He was quickly promoted to soloist in 2006 and then to principal dancer in 2007. Walsh has originated lead roles in Stanton Welch’s The Nutcracker (The Prince), Romeo and Juliet (Romeo), Giselle (Albrecht), Marie (Count Axel von Fersen), and La Bayadère (Solor). He has danced major roles in numerous full-length ballets including John Cranko’s Onegin (Lensky) and The Taming of the Shrew (Petruchio), Sir Kenneth MacMillan’s Manon (Des Grieux) and Mayerling (Prince Rudolf), John Nuemier’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Puck), Sir Frederick Ashton’s La Fille mal Gardée (Colas), Ronald Hynd’s The Merry Widow (Camille), Ben Stevenson’s Don Quixote (Basilio), The Sleeping Beauty (Prince Florimund), and Dracula (Fredrick), Sir David Bintley’s Aladdin (Aladdin) and The Tempest (Ferdinand), Trey McIntyre’s Peter Pan (Merman), and Stanton Welch’s Swan Lake (Siegfried), Marie (Count Axel Fersen and King Louis XVI), Madame Butterfly (Pinkerton), La Sylphide (James), and Cinderella (The Prince and Dandini). Walsh’s repertory also includes works by George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, Jiří Kylián, William Forsythe, Justin Peck, Alexander Eckman, Wayne McGregor, Christopher Wheeldon, Twyla Tharp, Hans Van Manen, Glen Tetley, Christopher Bruce, Anthony Tudor, Nacho Duato and Serge Lifar, Melissa Barak. One act creations include Stanton Welch, Aszure Barton, Edwaard Liang, Mark Morris, James Kudelka, Nicolo Fonte, Melissa Hough, and Garrett Smith among others. In recent years Walsh has expanded his reach into teaching, coaching and choreographing. In 2015, along with fellow Houston Ballet company members Oliver Halkowich and Melody Walsh, Walsh founded REACH - a choreographic project that raises money for arts education in schools. Following the success of REACH, Walsh and his colleagues were invited to create a world premiere, entitled What we keep, for Houston Ballet in spring of 2018. Walsh enjoys teaching, coaching and choreographing as well as participating in many forms of dance. He is also a soccer fanatic as well as food enthusiast.
QUINN MASON
Composer and Guest Conductor, A Joyous Trilogy (in flight) Quinn Mason (b. 1996) is a composer and conductor based in Dallas, Texas. He recently served as the Detroit Symphony Orchestra’s Classical Roots composer in residence for 2022 (the youngest composer to serve in that role) and currently serves as KMFA’s inaugural composer in residence. His music has been played by groups such as the Dallas Symphony, San Francisco Symphony, Detroit Symphony, New World Symphony. Utah Symphony, Toledo Symphony, Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della RAI, National Youth Orchestra of the United States and more. A multiple prize winner in composition, he is also the recipient of awards from the American Composers Forum, Philadelphia Youth Orchestra, Heartland Symphony Orchestra, ASCAP, and Voices of Change among others. He is also a conductor, having studied with Marin Alsop, James Ross, Christopher Zimmerman, Kevin Sütterlin, Miguel Harth-Bedoya and Will White, and has guest conducted many orchestras around the country, including the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra, Harmonia Orchestra, and MusicaNova Orchestra. Upcoming performances in the 2022-2023 season will be by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, The Cleveland Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra, Pensacola Symphony, Rhode Island Philharmonic, Sarasota Orchestra and numerous other orchestras. He will also make his conducting debut with a major orchestra, leading the National Symphony Orchestra in May 2023.
MELODY MENNITE
Choreographer, Floreciente A native of Santa Cruz, California, Melody Mennite trained at Santa Cruz Ballet Theatre under Robert Kelley and Diane McLarty and at Pacific Northwest Ballet. She also attended summer intensive programs with Suzanne Farrell. At the age of 13, Mennite began her training with Houston Ballet’s Ben Stevenson Academy and also attended three consecutive summer intensive programs with the academy. In the 2000-2001 season, she spent one year in Houston Ballet II on full scholarship and stipend. Mennite also won a scholarship award from Regional Dance America in 2000. At the age of 17, she joined the Company in 2001 as an apprentice, rose to Corps de Ballet dancer in 2002 then Soloist in 2005. Mennite was promoted to principal in 2008. She was invited to tour with Santa Cruz Ballet Theatre through Tansonmer, Austria. Prior to joining Houston Ballet, she performed numerous leading roles with Santa Cruz Ballet Theatre: the Sugar Plum Fairy and Snow Queen in The Nutcracker; Kitri in Don Quixote and Odette in Swan Lake. Mennite has performed the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy as a guest artist with Santa Cruz Ballet Theatre in The Nutcracker productions since 2006. Mennite has performed leading roles in ballets by Stanton Welch AM, John Cranko, Ben Stevenson OBE, Marius Petipa, Jiří Kylián, Christopher Bruce, George Balanchine, Mark
The Artists
Morris, Paul Taylor, Justin Peck and Harold Lander. Stanton Welch choreographed the full-length Marie with Mennite as his muse and title character, Marie Antoinette. He choreographed a new production of The Nutcracker in 2016 with Mennite as Clara. Welch has created many roles on her like Psyche in Sylvia, Cinderella in Cinderella, Falling, The Four Seasons, Carmina Burana, The Core, Brigade, and Velocity. Justin Peck created a role on her with his world premiere of Reflections in 2019. In 2015, along with fellow Houston Ballet Company members Oliver Halkowich and Connor Walsh, Mennite founded REACH – a choreographic project that raises money for arts education in schools. Following the success of REACH, Mennite and her colleagues were invited to create a world premiere, entitled What we keep for Houston Ballet in spring of 2018. Mennite is also a choreographer and premiered Oh, there you are at Houston Ballet’s Margaret Alkek Williams Jubilee of Dance on November 30, 2018. Mennite has created 13 commissioned works since 2011 including Ana for Ballet Arkansas in 2015, Next of Kin for Houston Ballet Academy in 2016, Own commissioned for Kingwood Dance Theatre which won a Regional Dance America award and was chosen for their Gala Festival in 2017, The 64 and 91 for Kansas City Ballet in 2020, We all are for Contingent Ballet in 2020, Nostalgia de los montañas for Houston Chamber Orchestra Festival in 2020, and You and me and the waves for Houston Ballet in 2021. She was the choreographer and dancer in the awardwinning film Self Sabotage, which was the short film category winner for the Festivus Film Festival in 2012. Mennite frequently appears as a guest artist in galas and with companies nationally and internationally. She performs in Seattle with Whim W’Him, where she originated roles in Cylindrical Shadows by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa and Monster by Olivier Wevers.
OLGA SALDIVAR
Costume and Scenic Designer, Floreciente Olga is a Mexican born, Texas-based artist, illustrator, and designer. She grew up in Monterrey, Mexico, and developed a passion for fashion and for creating. After moving to Texas she left the fashion world behind and started adding paint to her drawings. She has shown her artwork for almost 20 years in galleries across United States and Mexico. Her artwork blends traditional techniques with whimsical elements creating an edge between innocence, beauty, and mystery. Olga has worked with different mediums during her career as an artist. Whether she is doing ceramics, painting, or working with leather, she is extremely inspired by nature. Flowers, butterflies and birds are a common subject in her art, with texture playing a key element on each of her pieces. Olga Saldivar lives in Houston, Texas with her husband and two children.
GREY STARBIRD
Lighting Designer, Floreciente Grey Starbird (she/her) is a Houston-based designer, technical director, and educator. She is currently the Technical Director for Houston Ballet. She has designed for Mildred’s Umbrella Theatre Company, Karen Stokes Dance, Suchu Dance, San Antonio Ballet, Rice University Dance, Episcopal High School, St. Agnes Academy, Westbury Christian School, University of St. Thomas, University of Houston, Brave Little Company, Main Street Theatre and Main Street Youth, Queensbury Theatre, Rec Room Arts, and Trinity University, among others. She has been a finalist for Houston Theater Awards for Best Lighting thrice, was featured in Houston Press’ 100 Houston Creatives, and is an Eagle Scout.
The Artists
LEON B. CHENIER JR.
Projection Designer, Floreciente Leon is a proud member of the I.A.T.S.E Local 51 stagehand union of Houston for 47 years. He has traveled with Broadway touring shows such as The Wiz 1979 (1st National Tour), The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Into the Woods, and Guys and Dolls. In 1998, he was contracted by the Houston Grand Opera to produce their large screen projection images for The Flying Dutchman, Carmen, A Little Night Music, Madame Butterfly, and Pagliacci. Other projection projects: Theatre Under The Stars (TUTS): Scrooge, Tommy, The Wiz, and the Kansas City Opera: Of Mice and Men. He produced projection images for the Utah Opera during the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics. Mr. Chenier is the projection operator for the Houston Ballet’s The Nutcracker, Sylvia, and Floreciente.
DEWEY CADDELL
Narrator, The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra A graduate of the great University of Missouri, Dewey is an actor, concert tenor and comedian. Some favorite credits include: Finian’s Rainbow (Irish Rep), The Will Rogers Follies (Goodspeed), Oklahoma with Houston Ballet (TUTS), The Story Pirates! (Worldwide), Brigadoon (Iroquois Amphitheatre), and Dear World (York). Dewey is a proud member of Actors’ Equity and SAG/AFTRA and can be found at thedewey.com.
JONATHAN MCPHEE
Guest Conductor 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.
Houston Ballet Orchestra
Conducted by Ermanno Florio, Quinn Mason, 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
SECOND VIOLIN
Natalie Gaynor, Principal Elizabeth Frederick* Karen Hall Wilkson* Miriam Belyatsky Feld* Erica Robinson* Melissa Williams Emily Madonia Hannah Watson
CELLO
Barrett Sills*, Principal Max Dyer* Dave Zeger* Steven Wiggs* Esra Sturman Matthew Dudzik
BASS
Curry Duffey*, Principal David Connor, Assistant Principal Greg Garcia* Carla Clark*
FLUTE
Susan Kang, Principal Peggy Russell* Colleen Matheu Johnson*
PICCOLO
Colleen Matheu Johnson*
CLARINET
Eric Chi, Principal Sean Krissman
BASSOON
Michael Frederick*, Principal Amanda Swain
HORN
James Wilson*, Principal Jamie Leff Sarah Cranston* Kevin McIntyre
TRUMPET
Tetsuya Lawson, Principal Randal Adams Jason Adams
TROMBONE
Thomas Hultén*, Principal Michael Warny*
TIMPANI
Alison Chang, Principal
PERCUSSION
Christina Carroll*, Principal Karen Slotter* Robert McCullagh Richard Brown
HARP
Joan Eidman*, Principal
CELESTE
Katherine Burkwall-Ciscon*
*Houston Ballet Orchestra members who have more than 10 years of service
VIOLA
Rene Salazar*, Principal Lorento Golofeev*, Assistant Principal Dawson White Elizabeth Golofeev Erika Lawson Gayle Garcia-Shepard
OBOE
Mayu Isom, Principal Katherine Hart
ENGLISH HORN
Katherine Hart
BASS TROMBONE
Richard Reeves*
TUBA
Mark Barton*, Principal
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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Artistic Staff Profiles
STANTON WELCH AM The Harris Masterson III Artistic Director
In July 2003, Australian Stanton Welch AM assumed leadership of Houston Ballet, America’s fifth-largest classical ballet company. Since he took the helm of the Company, Mr. Welch has revitalized Houston Ballet, bringing in new dancers, commissioning new works, and attracting a top-flight artistic staff. Mr. Welch has created works for such prestigious international companies as Houston Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, The Australian Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet, and the Royal Danish Ballet. Mr. Welch was born in Melbourne to Marilyn Jones OBE and Garth Welch AM, two of Australia’s most gifted dancers of the 1960s and 1970s. In 1989, he was engaged as a dancer with The Australian Ballet, where he rose to the rank of leading soloist, performing various principal roles. He has also worked with internationally acclaimed choreographers such as Jiří Kylián, Nacho Duato, and Maurice Bejart. In 1995, Mr. Welch was named resident choreographer of The Australian Ballet. For his contributions to the world of dance, he was awarded the Order of Australia (AM) in June 2015. For Houston Ballet, he has choreographed more than 20 works, including a new full-length narrative ballet Marie (2009), inspired by the life of the legendary Marie Antoinette, and spectacular stagings of Swan Lake (2006), La Bayadère (2010), Romeo and Juliet (2015), Giselle (2016), The Nutcracker (2016), and Sylvia (2019).
ERMANNO FLORIO Music Director
Ermanno Florio has impressed both audiences and critics in the major centers of Europe, North America, and Asia. The extremely versatile Mr. Florio has well distinguished himself in genres of symphonic, operatic, and balletic repertoire. Mr. Florio maintains an active conducting schedule that has included extensive engagements with the world’s major ballet companies. In 1985, Mr. Florio was appointed Principal Conductor and Music Administrator of The National Ballet of Canada by Erik Bruhn and since 1992 has held the position of Music Director of Houston Ballet. From 1998 to 2001, Mr. Florio held the position of Music Director of American Ballet Theatre. In March 2004, Mr. Florio was appointed Music Director of Het Nationale Ballet in Amsterdam and currently continues his relationship with the company as Principal Guest Conductor. Mr. Florio’s extensive discography includes DVD releases of critically acclaimed performances of The Sleeping Beauty, La Sylphide, Onegin, Cinderella, The Merry Widow, Alice, The Nutcracker, La Ronde, and Le Corsaire with ABT, which won an Emmy for Outstanding Classical Program in the Performing Arts. Mr. Florio’s DVD recording of Don Quichotte with L’Orchestre de L’Opera National de Paris also won the Cannes Classical Music Award for Best DVD in the category of Concert and Ballet Recordings. Mr. Florio’s music arrangements include scores for Patrice Bart’s Tchaikovsky, Das Flammende Hertz, and Gustaf III; Stanton Welch’s Marie and La Bayadère; and Asami Maki’s La Dame aux Camelias.
BARBARA BEARS Ballet Master
Barbara Bears, winner of the silver medal at the 1991 International Ballet Competition, was born in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, and received her early dance training from Victoria Leigh and James Franklin. Ms. Bears joined Houston Ballet as a corps member in 1988 and that same season was selected by Sir Kenneth MacMillan to dance the lead in his ballet Gloria. Ms. Bears was promoted to Principal Dancer in 1995 and after 20 years with Houston Ballet retired in 2009. Ms. Bears’s repertoire included leading roles in Swan Lake, Giselle, The Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker, La Sylphide, Romeo and Juliet, The Merry Widow, Manon, Onegin, and Madame Butterfly. Houston Ballet’s diverse repertoire has afforded Ms. Bears the opportunity to perform works by Glen Tetley, George Balanchine, Sir Kenneth MacMillan, Christopher Bruce, Jiří Kylián, Anthony Tudor, Nacho Duato, Jerome Robbins, Christopher Wheeldon, William Forsythe, and Mark Morris. Ms. Bears had the honor of dancing under the directorship of both Ben Stevenson OBE and Stanton Welch AM. With choreographers at the helm, Ms. Bears created roles in over 30 different ballets. In 2001, Ms. Bears was honored to be featured on the cover of both Dance Magazine and Pointe Magazine. In 2016, Ms. Bears joined the artistic staff of Houston Ballet as ballet master.
Ian Casady was born in Fairfax, California, and received his dance training there from David Roxander, Jody White, and Georgia Ortega. In 1998, Mr. Casady studied at Houston Ballet’s Ben Stevenson Academy before joining the Company as a member of the Corps de Ballet. He was promoted to Soloist in 2002, to First Soloist in 2006, and to Principal in 2007. Over the course of his career, Mr. Casady has danced a wide range of roles in works by some of the most celebrated choreographers, both past and present. Mr. Casady has been fortunate enough to have danced on some of the most historic and famous stages around the world including Lincoln Center and the Kennedy Center in New York, the Bolshoi in Moscow, the Champs Elysee in Paris, the Sydney Opera House, Sadler’s Wells in London, and theaters in Hong Kong, Spain, Germany, and Canada. Mr. Casady was a finalist at the 2002 International Ballet Competition in Jackson, Mississippi.
IAN CASADY Ballet Master
Upon his retirement after a 22-year professional career onstage, he joined the artistic staff of Houston Ballet as ballet master in 2020.
AMY FOTE Ballet Master
Amy Fote began dancing at the age of four in her hometown of Manitowoc, Wisconsin, under the direction of Jean Wolfmeyer. She continued her studies on scholarship at the National Academy of Arts, Interlochen Arts Academy, and at the Harid Conservatory, where she graduated with honors. Ms. Fote then accepted a position with the Milwaukee Ballet and rose through the ranks to become a principal dancer. During her 14 years with the company, she regularly performed at the Chautauqua Institution in New York and was subsequently invited to dance the title role in Stanton Welch’s Madame Butterfly with the Royal New Zealand Ballet. In 2005, she joined Houston Ballet, where she danced for eight seasons. In 2003, she was featured in a PBS documentary entitled Dancing Anna Karenina, focusing on her portrayal of one of the great heroines of Russian literature. She was also featured on PBS, performing Alonzo King’s Map, in a moving 9/11 performance. Following retirement, Ms. Fote accepted the position of Ballet Master with Ballet San Antonio. Upon returning to Houston, she began teaching for Houston Ballet II and Houston Ballet before joining the artistic staff in 2018.
STEVEN WOODGATE Ballet Master
Australian Steven Woodgate graduated from The Australian Ballet School in 1985. He performed with The Australian Ballet, progressing through the ranks to senior artist in 1996. In 2000, he was awarded The Churchill Fellowship, which enabled him to observe many ballet masters from around the world and study their various teaching methods. Mr. Woodgate joined the artistic staff of Houston Ballet in January 2004. Mr. Woodgate has taught both student and professional classes around the world. Mr. Woodgate reproduced Stanton Welch’s Madame Butterfly for the Singapore Dance Theater, The Royal New Zealand Ballet, The National Ballet of Canada, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, Atlanta Ballet, Ballet West Utah, and The Australian Ballet. In 2009, Mr. Woodgate staged Clear for Angel Corella’s company in Spain and in 2011 re-staged Ronald Hynd’s The Merry Widow for Texas Ballet Theatre, Tulsa Ballet, National Ballet of Canada, Teatro Colon Argentina and Houston Ballet. Woodgate also represented Australia in the Moscow Ballet Competition in 1989. Woodgate danced principal roles in Ashton’s La Fille Mal Gardee, Van Praggh’s Coppélia, Bejart’s Le Concours and Gaite Parisienne, works by Tudor and Balanchine, Welch, and many other choreographers.
