DMPA: JESSICA LANG DANCE - Feb. 11, 2016

CENTERSTAGE DES MOINES CIVIC CENTER

0712 - 06456

Inspire

Ami M Yaro

Director/Founder

We seek to inspire our students,

BA with Honors in Dance University of Iowa

Believe

help them to believe in themselves

Achieve

and achieve their goals in life as well as dance

Talen Fisher Iowa Ballet Academy Student Trainee - Ballet West

3890 NW Urbandale Dr Urbandale, IA 50322 (515) 334-5510 www.iowaballetacademy.com

CEO &

From the President

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2016

CONTENTS

Dear friends,

Thanks to our Donors. . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Welcome to the sixth season of The Dance Series, presented by Des Moines Performing Arts. We are thrilled to present three worldclass companies on the Civic Center stage, including a world premiere.

Jessica Lang Dance . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 About the Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Who’s Who in the Company. . . . . . . 9 Local Dancers to Share the . . . . . 12 Civic Center Stage with the Jessica Lang Dance Company Des Moines Performing Arts. . . . . 14 Board of Directors & Staff Guest Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

The season opened with the company that launched this series in 2011, PILOBOLUS. Since the company was founded 44 years ago, PILOBOLUS has become a household name in the world of dance. Well respected for extraordinary speed, accuracy and strength, PILOBOLUS breaks down barriers and helps make dance an even more accessible art form.

JESSICA LANG DANCE blends beloved ballet with its own unique contemporary feel, and we’re proud to participate in two special initiatives with this New York-based company. As part of the Des Moines Dance Project, 16 local dancers will perform one of Ms. Lang’s dances as a prelude to the company’s performance. Another highlight of the evening will be the world premiere of Des Moines Performing Arts’ newest co-commission, Thousand Yard Stare, a moving tribute to our military veterans.

The third company, Los Angeles-based BODYTRAFFIC, performs a vibrant and inspiring repertoire of works from world-class contemporary choreographers. We think you’ll see why BODYTRAFFIC was named one of Dance Magazine’s “25 To Watch” in 2013.

Thank you for coming to tonight’s performance. And remember, immediately following the presentation, we invite you to remain in the theater for DANCEtalk, an intimate conversation with the artistic staff and performers.

Finally, we are grateful for those of you who purchased The Dance Series Season Tickets and Dance Society memberships. It’s your support that makes this programming possible.

Stay after the performance for

Enjoy the show!

DANCEtalk!

Jeff Chelesvig President & CEO Des Moines Performing Arts

3

Thanks to our Donors!

Leadership support for The Dance Series has been provided by:

The National Endowment for the Arts

The Dance Society

Des Moines Performing Arts thanks its Donors who have provided critical philanthropic support for The Dance Series.

$2,500+ Jon and Faith Garnaas Roberta Gilbert and Joseph Barron

$1,000-$2,499 Dr. Jeffrey and Mary Ellen Anderson Steven Betz and David Vanderlinden Jeff Chelesvig Craig and Lucy Davisson Dr. Louis and Lois Fingerman Jeff Freude and Laurie Wolf Cecil Goettsch and Jackie Saunders

Kevin and Sheryl Grimm David and Trudy Hurd Dr. Darren Jirsa Bill and Beth Koenig Dr. Robert and Liz Lee Randy E. McMullin

$500-$999 Ann Detlefsen Elizabeth Ferreira David and Mary Giese Larry Gleason Carrie Louise Gosnell Beth Henning Craig and Annick Ibsen Stephan and Thomasine Johnson Paula McArthur Diane H. Morain Candy Morgan

Kay Pauline Myers Nancy O’Connell Anastasia Polydoran Al and Sue Ravenscroft John Ravet Matt and Jennifer Suhr Dr. Louis Veneziano Melvin and Kathryn Weatherwax John Wild Valerie Williams Mark and Heidi Zlab

Thank you to our Premier Partners:

4

DES MOINES CIVIC CENTER A Des Moines Performing Arts Theater Jeff Chelesvig, President & CEO

Artistic Director & Choreographer JESSICA LANG Executive Director GRETCHEN K. WILLIAMS Dancers CLIFTON BROWN, PATRICK COKER, JULIE FIORENZA, JOHN HARNAGE, EVE JACOBS, KANA KIMURA, LAURA MEAD, MILAN MISKO, JAMMIE WALKER Lighting Supervisor/Production Manager MATT MILLER Stage Manager DATHAN MANNING

For booking information, please contact: Margaret Selby- President, CAMI Spectrum: 212.841.9554 | mselby@cami.com | cami.com

Thursday, February 11, 2016 PRESENTED BY DES MOINES PERFORMING ARTS

5

P

rogram

OPENING PROGRAM Performed by Des Moines Dance Professionals and Students

A Solo in Nine Parts (2010) Choreography: Jessica Lang | Staged by: Eve Jacobs and Laura Mead Music: Antonio Vivaldi | Lighting: Nicole Pearce Original Costume Design by Georgia Wagenhurst Costumes courtesy of Booker T. Wahsington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts Dance Ensemble (comprised of Des Moines dance professionals and students): Teresa Feldman, Mya Fisher, Mary Katherine Gillette, Kayli Karkiainen, Riley Kenin, Michal King, Lisa Lewis, Megan Meyer, Cari Naanep, Alyson O'Hara, Kaylyn Peel, Carolyn Rose, Brett Thompson, Cole Van Hauen, Caroline Walton, Emily Weber Rehearsal Director: Ami Yaro, Iowa Ballet Academy These sixteen dancers represent the following: Advanced Dance Academy, Ballet Des Moines, Co'Motion Dance Theater, Des Moines DanzArts Studio, Hurley & Dancers, Iowa Ballet Academy, School of Classical Ballet and Dance, The Dance Place, The Pointe Academy, and Westside Dance Academy First Movement Ensemble Second Movement Teresa Feldman, Lisa Lewis, Alyson O'Hara Third Movement Ensemble A Solo in Nine Parts was originally commissioned by Kansas City Ballet with support from The Jerome Robbins Foundation NEW Program and acquired into the JLD repertory with additional support from The Jerome Robbins Foundation ReNEW Program.

A. Vivaldi, "Le quattro Stagioni". Performed by I Musici - Felix Ayo on violin.

Restorated edition published by Urania Records.

OPENIING REMARKS

JESSICA LANG DANCE PROGRAM

The Calling (excerpt from Splendid Isolation II) (2006) Choreography: Jessica Lang | Music: Trio Mediaeval Costume Concept: Jessica Lang | Costumes: Elena Comendador Original Lighting: Al Crawford, Recreated by Nicole Pearce Julie Fiorenza PAUSE

6

Thousand Yard Stare (World Premiere) (2015) Choreography: Jessica Lang | Music: Ludwig van Beethoven Lighting Design: Nicole Pearce | Costume Design: Bradon McDonald Clifton Brown, Patrick Coker, Julie Fiorenza, John Harnage, Eve Jacobs, Kana Kimura, Laura Mead, Milan Misko, Jammie Walker This work was generously underwritten by Geoff Fallon and co-commissioned by Des Moines Performing Arts.

World Premiere: Des Moines Civic Center, February 11, 2016 Ludwig van Beethoven, String Quartet No. 15, Op 132. Third movement: Adagio “Heiliger Dankgesang eines Genesenen an die Gottheit, in der lydischen Tonart" (Holy song of thanksgiving of a convalescent to the Deity, in the Lydian Mode).

Program Notes: Created in June 2015, "Thousand Yard Stare" sheds light on the theme of war and those who have been affected by it, most specifically veterans. In preparation for the work, Lang talked with numerous soldiers to learn about their experiences as well as to gather their reactions to samples of music. Her research included themes of injury, post-traumatic stress disorder, and arts-based therapies for veterans, to name a few. The music used for this piece, Beethoven's late String Quartet No. 15, is an adagio written while the composer himself was battling a serious illness.

JLD would like to thank the soldiers and veterans who contributed their artwork to the costumes for Thousand Yard Stare INTERMISSION

Among the Stars (2010) Choreography: Jessica Lang | Music: Ryuichi Sakamoto Costumes: Elena Comendador | Lighting: Nicole Pearce Laura Mead and Clifton Brown Commissioned by TITAS with support from the Strelizia Foundation.

SNOWY VILLAGE & THE GIRL Written by Ryuichi Sakamoto (ASCAP) ©2007 KAB America Inc. (ASCAP) All Rights Administered by Sony/ATV Tunes LLC (ASCAP) 8 Music Sq.W., Nashville, TN. 37203 All Rights Reserved. Used By Permission.

White (2011) A Dance on Film Choreography and Direction: Jessica Lang | Director of Photography: Shinichi Maruyama Editor and Compositor: Tetsushi Wakasugi and Jackson Notier Music: Edward Grieg | Costumes: Elena Comendador Julie Fiorenza, Kana Kimura, David Leventhal*, Hanan Misko, Kanji Segawa*, Andrea Weber* *Jessica Lang Dance Affiliated Artist This work was created during Lang’s Joyce Theater Residency with support from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

i.n.k. (2011) Choreography: Jessica Lang | Video Editor/Compositor: Tetsushi Wakasugi and Jackson Notier Original Score: Jakub Ciupinski | Costumes: Elena Comendador | Lighting: Nicole Pearce Video Art KUSHO: Shinichi Maruyama Clifton Brown, Julie Fiorenza, Eve Jacobs, Kana Kimura, Laura Mead, Milan Misko, Jammie Walker Inspired by the work of Shinichi Maruyama, i.n.k. was created during Lang’s Joyce Theater Residency with support from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. The third movement of this piece was originally created for The New York Choreographic Institute’s 10th Anniversary Celebration in November 2010 and redeveloped with permission. Additional funding for i.n.k. was provided by The Rockefeller Brothers Fund through a DRA Major Sponsorship.

7

Founded in 2011, Jessica Lang Dance (JLD) is a New York City-based dance company dedicated to creating and performing the work of Jessica Lang.

JLD enriches and inspires global audiences by immersing them in the beauty of movement and music. Since the company's inception, marked by Lang's receipt of a Joyce Theater Artist Residency supported by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, JLD has made rapid success performing at renowned venues and festivals throughout the country including Brooklyn Academy of Music’s Next Wave Festival, Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, New York City Center's Fall for Dance Festival, the Kennedy Center Concert Hall, the Joyce Theater and the Winspear Opera House in Dallas, TX where the company’s performance was chosen as the best dance event of 2013. In 2014, JLD received rave reviews for Scape, commissioned by the Kennedy Center and the National Symphony Orchestra to John Adams' Violin Concerto and played live by violinist Leila Josefowicz with the NSO. JLD has received numerous grants and funding from organizations including the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, the Jerome Robbins Foundation, the O'DonnellGreen Music and Dance Foundation, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, Japan Foundation New York, Foundation for Contemporary Arts, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

In Summer 2015, JLD performed a rare two-week run of The Wanderer at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, marking the company’s third Pillow season since its company debut at Festival 2012. In November 2015, JLD made its Chicago debut with a world premiere by Lang co-commissioned by the Harris Theater and the inaugural Chicago Architecture Biennial featuring a set by worldrenowned architect Steven Holl.

8

Photo by Dan Welk

A

bout the Company

W

ho’s Who in the Company

JESSICA LANG (Choreographer/Artistic Director) is a choreographer and the artistic director of Jessica Lang Dance. Hailed as "a master of visual composition" by Dance Magazine, Lang seamlessly incorporates striking design elements and transforms classical ballet language into artfully crafted, emotionally engaging contemporary works.

Since 1999, Lang has created more than 90 works on companies worldwide including Birmingham Royal Ballet, The National Ballet of Japan at the New National Theatre Tokyo and Joffrey Ballet, among many others. American Ballet Theatre has presented her work at the Metropolitan Opera House, and she has received commissions from the Dallas Museum of Art and the Guggenheim Museum for its Works and Process series. For opera, Lang received outstanding acclaim for her directorial debut and choreography of Pergolesi's Stabat Mater at the 2013 Glimmerglass Opera Festival. Lang is a New York City Center Fellow for 2015 and the recipient of a prestigious 2014 Bessie Award. Her ballet Lyric Pieces, commissioned and performed by Birmingham Royal Ballet earned a nomination for a coveted 2013 Manchester Theatre Award in the UK. Lang has received numerous grants for her work on ballet companies from organizations including the Jerome Robbins Foundation, the NEA, and the Choo San Goh Foundation. Her receipt of a 2010 Joyce Theater Artist Residency supported by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation helped launch her own company, Jessica Lang Dance (JLD) in 2011. Since 2002, Lang has been a teaching artist at American Ballet Theatre for their Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School, Summer Intensive Program in NYC and Make a Ballet Program. Lang has also taught and choreographed for many numerous educational institutions including The Juilliard School, NYU Tisch School of the Arts, and The Ailey/Fordham BFA Program. With her strong belief in the importance of education, Lang recently developed her own methodology called LANGuage, a unique creative curriculum that teaches individuals from all populations to cultivate the habit of creative thinking through exercise. Lang, a graduate of The Juilliard School under the direction of Benjamin Harkarvy, is a former member of Twyla Tharp's company, THARP!

Lubovitch Dance Company, and as a guest artist with Miami City Ballet, Rome Opera Ballet, Nevada Ballet and Parsons Dance Company. He has made several television appearances including performing as a guest artist on So You Think You Can Dance and Dancing With The Stars. As a répétiteur, he has set the work of Alvin Ailey, Earl Mosley and Jessica Lang on various companies.

He continues to assist Lang on her creations across the globe, most recently for Birmingham Royal Ballet and the Glimmerglass Opera Festival. Brown is a founding member of JLD.

CLIFTON BROWN (Choreographer's Assistant, Dancer and Rehearsal Director) began his professional career when he joined the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 1999.

There he was featured in many works, named Assistant Rehearsal Director and served as Judith Jamison's choreographic assistant. While dancing with the Ailey company he was nominated in the U.K. for a Critics Circle National Dance Award for best male dancer. Brown has received a "Bessie" Award in recognition of his work with the Ailey company, as well as a Black Theater Arts Award. He has had the privilege of performing at the White House, and for President Obama. He has also danced with Earl Mosley's Diversity of Dance, Lar

JOHN HARNAGE (Dancer) is a native of Miami, Florida who studied dance with the Miami City Ballet School and New World School of the Arts. In May of 2014 he graduated from The Juilliard School under the direction of Lawrence Rhodes, where he had the privilege of learning works by choreographers such as Jose Limon, Alexander Ekman, Pina Bausch, and Lar Lubovitch. Harnage is also a modern dance finalist from the 2010 NFAA YoungArts competition, has worked professionally with Brice Mousset's Oui Danse, and performed internationally at the 2012 Edinburgh International Festival with the Juilliard Dance Ensemble. Harnage began working with JLD in 2014 and joined the company in 2015.

PATRICK COKER (Dancer) grew up in Chester, Virginia. He received his training from the Eastern Virginia School of the Performing Arts, the Richmond Ballet, and Jessica Morgan’s School of Dance. He was awarded the American Ballet Theatre's National Trainee Scholarship from the years 2008 to 2010. In May 2014, Patrick graduated magna cum laude from the Ailey/Fordham BFA program, where he apprenticed with Ailey II in his senior year. He has danced professionally as an apprentice with Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet and has performed with the Mark Morris Dance Group in The Hard Nut. Patrick began working with JLD in 2015 and joined the company in 2016.

JULIE FIORENZA (Dancer) was born in South Korea and grew up in Massachusetts where she trained at the Academy of Dance Arts and the Boston Ballet School. She earned a B.F.A. in Dance from The Ailey School/Fordham University, graduating with honors, and has performed throughout the country as a member of Ailey II, Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company and Adams Company Dance. Fiorenza has danced at the Metropolitan Opera in its productions of Turandot and Mark Morris' Orfeo ed Euridice. She has performed with the Mark Morris Dance Group in Romeo & Juliet: On Motifs of Shakespeare, The Hard Nut, and L'Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato, and appeared with MMDG in the television debut of L’Allegro which aired in March 2015 on Great Performances. Fiorenza is a founding member of JLD.

9

EVE JACOBS (Dancer) grew up in Wilmette, IL, and received her dance training at Dance Center Evanston and North Carolina School of the Arts. Upon earning a B.F.A. from The Juilliard School in 2014, Jacobs was recognized with the Hector Zaraspe Prize for Choreography. Throughout her training, Jacobs performed in works by Jerome Robbins, Lar Lubovitch, Ohad Naharin, and Andrea Miller, and was featured in the revival of Pina Bausch’s Wind Von West. She has performed in schools and care centers throughout New York City, and worked professionally with Buglisi Dance Theater. In 2014, Jacobs was granted a residency at Brooklyn’s White Wave Dance, culminating in a dance-theater presentation. Her writing can be found in The Juilliard Journal, Musical America Worldwide, and on StageBuddy.com. Jacobs joined JLD in 2015.

KANA KIMURA (Dancer) was born in Hiroshima, Japan, where she began her ballet training at the age of four and studied contemporary dance with Takako Asakawa.

After graduating from The Juilliard School, Kimura worked with Wally Cardona Quartet. She also appeared in Nixon in China at The Metropolitan Opera, choreographed by Mark Morris, worked on a dance video performance for Shanghai Expo, and has also performed with Japanese Arts Organization J-­Collabo in NYC. She was in an Off­Broadway show The Nutcracker Rouge with Company XIV. Kimura is a founding member of JLD. LAURA MEAD (Dancer) grew up in Austin, TX and Berkeley, CA. She received a B.F.A. in Dance from The Juilliard School, where she performed works by Jessica Lang, Ronald K. Brown, Eliot Feld and Paul Taylor, among others. Mead originated the principal role of Betsy in Twyla Tharp's Broadway musical Come Fly Away, for which she received an Astaire Award nomination. Mead served as Dance Captain on a national tour of Tharp's Movin' Out. She has also performed with American Repertory Ballet, the Metropolitan Opera, Morphoses, Post:Ballet, and Los Angeles Dance Project. Mead has been a member of JLD since the full company's debut in 2012.

MILAN MISKO (Dancer) was raised in Missouri, where he began his dance training with Jo Noth’s White Oak Dance Academy and the Kansas City Ballet School. He holds a BFA from the Purchase College Conservatory of Dance. Misko has worked with Kansas City Ballet, Lar Lubovitch Dance Company, Merce Cunningham Dance Company RUG, Kazuko Hirabayashi Dance Theater, Adams Company Dance, and Setsuko Kawaguchi Ballet, Japan. He has created dances for Take Dance, Bucknell University, and directed his first short dance film, Transportation, which was selected for Lincoln Center's Dance on Camera Festival 2013. Misko has been a member of JLD since the full company’s debut in 2012.

10

JAMMIE WALKER (Dancer) began his dance training at Western Arkansas Ballet under the direction of Melissa Schoenfeld. He earned his BFA from the University of Oklahoma School of Dance under the direction of Mary Margaret Holt. Walker has had the honor of touring in China and Austria with Oklahoma Festival Ballet. He danced with the Dayton Ballet for three seasons, performing works by such choreographers as Septime Webre, Amy Seiwart, Jessica Lang, and Stuart Sebastian. He has performed with Dance Grand Moultrie as well as with Clawson Dances. Walker joined JLD in 2015.

NICOLE PEARCE (Lighting Designer) Previously with Jessica Lang: ten works including Escaping the Weight of Darkness (National Ballet of Japan),Crossed (Joffrey Ballet), & Lyric Pieces (Birmingham Royal Ballet). Selected dance credits: 10 works with Mark Morris (Mark Morris Dance Group, Boston Ballet, & Houston Ballet); 7 works with Aszure Barton (Nederlands Dans Theater & Hubbard Street Dance Company); 3 works with Andrea Miller (Gallim & Jacoby & Pronk); 10 works with John Heginbotham (Dance Heginbotham & Atlanta Ballet); No Longer Silent with Robert Battle (Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater). Episode 31 with Alexander Ekman (Joffrey Ballet). New Dances with choreographers Kyle Abraham, Monica Bill Barnes, Brain Brooks, Matthew Neenan & Pam Tanowitz (all at The Juilliard School).

Selected New York theater credits includes work with directors: Edward Albee, Leigh Silverman, Trip Cullman, Pam MacKinnon, Jade King Carroll & Ed Sylvanus Iskandar. With companies including The Cherry Lane, The Play Company & Labryinth Theater Company. www.nicolepearcedesign.com

Photo by Dan Welk

W

ho’s Who in the Company

Photo by Dan Welk

BRADON MCDONALD (Costume Designer) has had a diverse career in both the performing arts and design fields. Upon graduating from Juilliard in 1997, McDonald danced with José Limón Dance Company for three years, and with Mark Morris Dance Group for 10 years. He has choreographed operas and taught movement to opera singers at companies including LA Opera, Bolshoi Opera, Royal Academy of Music, Houston Grand Opera, Gotham Chamber Opera, Wolftrap Opera, and Tanglewood Music Festival. Twelve hours after retiring from the stage, McDonald began studying Fashion Design at LA's Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising where he earned two degrees in fashion design. McDonald was a top four finalist and showed a collection at New York Fashion Week on Project Runway Season 12. He was both costume designer and choreographer for the Kurt Weill opera The Protagonist, a Beth Morrison Projects production at Fire Island Opera Festival. As well as creating couture garments for private clients from his Los Angeles studio, his signature dancewear collection, Bradon@Capezio, is available worldwide.

JAKUB CIUPINSKI (Composer), a Polish composer living in New York City has collaborated with Lang on her works i.n.k. and Within the Space I Hold for JLD, Eighty One for Ballet San Jose, and Droplet for The NY Choreographic Institute. His concert music has been commissioned by the Metropolis Ensemble, The New Juilliard Ensemble, and violinists Anne Akiko-Meyers and Philippe Quint, among others. His works have been performed at prestigious venues such as Tonhalle in Zurich and Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall. Ciupinski studied composition at The Juilliard School, the Cracow Academy of Music, and the Birmingham Conservatoire. ciupinski.pl

SHINICHI MARUYAMA (Visual Artist), born in Japan, studied at Chiba University and was a member of Hakuhodo Photo Creative as well as a freelance photographer from 1992-98. In 2003 Maruyama moved to New York City and created his Kusho series, exhibited at Bruce Silverstein Gallery in 2009. His most recent series, Gardens was also on exhibit there in 2011. The Peabody Essex Museum in Boston displayed Maruyama’s work from 2011 to 2012. Maruyama has collaborated with JLD for i.n.k. and White and with Lang for his print and video series entitled Nude. shinichimaruyama.com JESSICA LANG DANCE STAFF

Jessica Lang, Artistic Director and Choreographer

Gretchen K. Williams, Executive Director

Clifton Brown, Rehearsal Director

Claudia MacPherson, Assistant Rehearsal Director

Deborah Wingert, David Leventhal, Clinton Luckett, Company Teachers

Julie Fiorenza, Director of Administration

Milan Misko, Video Content Manager

Milan Misko, Takao Komaru, Photographers

John Harnage, Social Media Manager

Jim Lang, Graphic Designer

Allan Hatta, Website Developer Dancewear and dance shoes courtesy of Gayle Miller & Capezio NYC. JLD would like to thank its Board of Directors and generous donors who made tonight’s program possible.

For booking information, please contact: Margaret Selby- President, CAMI Spectrum: 212.841.9554 | mselby@cami.com | cami.com

11

LOCAL DANCERS TO SHARE THE CIVIC CENTER STAGE WITH THE

A

udiences at this evening’s Des Moines debut of Jessica Lang Dance are in for a special treat.

In addition to the mastery of choreographer Jessica Lang, hailed by Dance Magazine as “a master of visual composition,” audiences will enjoy the result of a unique project. At the top of tonight’s performance, 16 local dance professionals and students will open the evening with a piece from Jessica Lang’s repertoire.

The special performance is the culmination of the Des Moines Dance Project, a collaboration between Des Moines Performing Arts and Jessica Lang Dance.

Both organizations share a commitment to enriching communities through art and cultural activities.

“Des Moines has a strong dance community and we continue to look for ways to partner and connect the dance community to world class artists on our stage,” said Eric Olmscheid, Des Moines Performing Arts’

12

Fourteen-year-old Caroline Walton dances center stage of the Des Moines Civic Center during a rehearsal of A Solo in Nine Parts.

Director of Programming and Education. Dancers delight in the opportunity. “Getting to work with such a talented choreographer is an amazing experience.

Being able to perform the choreography of such a world-renowned choreographer is a dream come true,” said Iowa Ballet Academy student Riley Kenin.

The Des Moines Dance Project began with an audition workshop last October. Of the 29 dancers who auditioned, 16 were selected to participate.

Regardless of final selections, all dancers that participated in the workshop had the opportunity to work with dancers from Jessica Lang Dance on style, technique, and the ins and outs of a professional dance audition. “This is a fabulous opportunity for young and old dancers alike. I am very excited to work with such high caliber dance professionals, having the chance to learn from them will help me

Photo by Dan Welk

JESSICA LANG DANCE COMPANY

"Being able to perform the choreography of such a world-renowned choreographer is a dream come true."

– Riley Kenin, Iowa Ballet Academy Student

Laura Mead, a Jessica Lang company member, instructs local dancers during a Des Moines Dance Project rehearsal this past January.

Of those who auditioned, 16 dancers were selected to perform A Solo In Nine Parts as the opening to the Jessica Lang Dance performance at the Civic Center.

Local professional and student dancers warm up prior to rehearsal.

Des Moines Dance Project dancers rehearse A Solo in Nine Parts at the Des Moines Civic Center.

Local dancers spent the first week of January staging the piece A Solo in Nine Parts with Jessica Lang Dance company members and spent this week in final rehearsals. This piece was commissioned by the Kansas City Ballet in 2010, and, as the name suggests, is a piece originally created for nine dancers.

However, as part of this unique opportunity, some sections of the piece have been restructured to allow for the participation of 16 dancers.

In addition to the Des Moines Dance Project, this morning more than 1600 students experienced Jessica Lang Dance as part of Des Moines Performing Arts’ Applause Series.

Eve Jacobs, a Jessica Lang Dance company member, leads local dancers in a barre class prior to rehearsal.

Photos by Dan Welk

push myself to go beyond my comfort level and to continually progress in my own artistry, ” said Des Moines professional dancer Lisa Lewis.

13

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

D

Staff &

es Moines Performing Arts Board of Directors

OFFICERS Mary Kramer * Chair RET Ambassador Karen J. Lynn * Vice-Chair Athene USA Rosemary Parson * Treasurer EquiTrust Life Insurance Company Thomas E. Press * Secretary Midland's Choice Thomas Brown * Past Chair/Compensation Chair Brown NationaLease

ADMINISTRATION Jeff Chelesvig President & CEO Laura Sweet Vice President & COO

STAFF

Tricia Moore Human Resources Adminstrator

Frank Cownie City of Des Moines

Monica Kirgan Principal Financial Group

Eric T. Crowell * Audit Chair UnityPoint Health – Des Moines

Michael Eberle, DVM Eberle Animal Hospital

Patrick Mack RET John Deere Financial

John Craig * Finance Chair RET Sammons Financial Group Dr. Andy McGuire * Nom/Gov Chair Iowa Democratic Party DIRECTORS Tom Ahart Des Moines Public Schools Robert Brownell Polk County Board of Supervisors

Nicholas Romano Stage Operations Manager/Head Carpenter Greg Tracy Production Manager/ Head Audio

* Indicates member of the Executive Committee

Terry Johnson Wells Fargo Wealth Management

LEGAL COUNSEL Mike Kulik Davis Brown Law Firm

L Carlson Donor Relations Coordinator Dylan Struck Development Intern

Production: Alan Dyer Technical Operations Manager/Head Electrician

DEVELOPMENT Brett Smith Research Specialist

Carina Woodward Marketing Manager Greg Votava Digital Marketing Manager

GUEST SERVICES Brooke Vaske Joel Cox Marketing Intern Guest Services Manager

Building Services: Earl Smith Building Services Manager House Managers: Kerry George Shirley Kleywegt Doug Kouba Ly Ung Building Services Manager Evonne Kouba Sharon Montgomery Cynde Pool Building Services Shirley Ramirez Associates: Marion Singleton Francisco Hernandez Paul Kemp MARKETING Khom Mao Barb Preuss Francisco Mora Director of Marketing Irene Perez Hank Teav Matt Spangler Dominick Ung Sr. Marketing Manager

PRODUCTION AND BUILDING SERVICES Janet Albanese Director of Production and Building Services

Katie Patterson Happy Medium

Laure Guisinger Holmes Murphy & Associates

Bill McElrath Business Director

Chris Browning Office Manager

Bob O’Hollearn RET Allied Insurance

Sheryl Grimm Community Leader

Jamie L. Stepp Production Supervisor

Barbara Hanson Accountant

Robert Mahaffey City of Des Moines

Jon Garnaas Healthy Living Centers of America

Heidi Watkins Finance Director/ Controller

Vicky Barr Executive Assistant

14

Christine Lauridsen Sand * Assets Chair Lauridsen Group

Allie Ross Assistant Guest Services Manager

PROGRAMMING & EDUCATION Eric B. Olmscheid Director of Programming & Education Karoline Myers Education Manager Julie Houghton Programming & Education Coordinator Sarah Bannon Community Programs Coordinator Michelle McDonald School Programs Coordinator

Jonathan Brendemuehl Janelle Ketcher Communications Education Intern Manager

TICKET OFFICE Denise Smithson Green Ticket Office Director Brooke Bridenstine Ticket Office Staff Manager Jeff Waldschmitt Ticket Office Database Manager Kennedy Bollmeyer Ticket Office Manager Laura Arenson Customer Service Team Member Candace Bell Customer Service Team Member Chontel Berthelsen Group Sales Coordinator The backstage employees of Des Moines Performing Arts are represented by the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Local 67.

G uest Information ATM An ATM is located in the Ticket Office Lobby.

LISTENING DEVICES Listenig devices are available for use at no charge at the Nollen and Prairie Meadows Lobby Guest Services Counters.

BINOCULARS Binoculars are available for rent at the Nollen and Prairie Meadows Lobby Guest Services Counters for $5.

CAMERAS The use of cameras or any type of recording device in the Main Hall is prohibited at all times.

CELL PHONES AND MOBILE DEVICES Please turn cell phones and mobile off, or set them to silent mode. Please also refrain from text messaging and using them as light sources during the performance.

ELEVATORS Elevators to the second level of the lobby are located in the Nollen Lobby and near the Stoner Theater.

EMERGENCY EXITING In case of an emergency, please leave through your nearest exit location.

LATE SEATING Late seating will be accommodated by House Staff at the earliest appropriate time. Pay attention to lobby chimes, which are sounded five minutes before the show begins, as well as after intermission.

LOST ITEMS Lost items may be reported or claimed at the Nollen Lobby Guest Services Counter during an event. After an event, please contact our Ticket Office at (515) 246-2300 or stop by Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Items are kept for 30 days.

MEDICAL ASSISTANCE If you have a medical need, please notify the House Staff. Medical services are provided by UnityPoint Health – Des Moines in the Prairie Meadows Lobby.

SPECIAL SEATING NEEDS Seating is available for all performances for a variety of accessibility requirements (including wheelchair, motorized cart, difficulty with stairs and sight impairment). Please call the Ticket Office at (515) 246-2300.

TOBACCO USE The use of tobacco products, e-cigarettes, etc. is not allowed in the Des Moines Civic Center or within 15 feet of any entrance.

WHEELCHAIRS Des Moines Performing Arts has wheelchairs available to assist guests with mobility concerns. Guest Services staff may be contacted to assist.

STAY CONNECTED!

JOIN OUR EMAIL CLUB!

/DesMoinesPerformingArts

@DSMPerforming DesMoinesPerformingArts.org Des Moines Performing Arts 221 Walnut Des Moines, IA 50309-2104 (515) 246-2300

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR: Serkan Usta www.balletdesmoines.org

IN COLLABORATION WITH THE

Des Moines Community Orchestra March 26, 2016

DES MOINES CIVIC CENTER

TICKETS AVAILABLE AT

DesMoinesPerformingArts.org, the Civic Center Ticket Office or all Ticketmaster outlets

15

Performance worthy of an encore.

At Bankers Trust, we believe one great act deserves another. We start with an excellent product selection, and back it up with exceptional service. We’ve added new products like Apple Pay™ to help you keep up with today’s busy lifestyle, and offer personal banking expertise to plan for the future. We take pride in being locally owned, and have the capacity to serve even the most sophisticated financial needs.

Bankers Trust has been serving Iowa for 98 years. Now’s the time to join us, because the best is yet to come.

Call us, stop in or visit our website.

(515) 245-2863 BankersTrust.com |

Member FDIC