Atlanta Ballet: Significant Others, May, 2023

ATLANTA BALLET

Atlanta Ballet dancers Juliana Missano and Jordan Leeper in Significant Others.

Photo by Rachel Neville.

On the cover: Atlanta Ballet dancers Juliana Missano and Jordan Leeper.

Photo by Rachel Neville.

May 12-14, 2023

Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre

Carnivale

A World Premiere

Music by Joaquín Rodrigo

Choreography by Claudia Schreier

Costume Design by Abigail Dupree-Polston

Scenic Design by Claudia Schreier/Dave Smith

Lighting Design by Ben Rawson

Supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts

Three Preludes

Music by Sergei Rachmaninoff

Choreography by Ben Stevenson

Staged by Dawn Scannell

Lighting Design by Ben Rawson

Live Piano Accompaniment by Western-Li Summerton

Significant Others

A World Premiere

Music by Fanny Mendelssohn

Choreography by Remi Wörtmeyer

Costume/Scenic Design by Remi Wörtmeyer

Lighting Design by Ben Rawson

Underwritten by the Council for Quality Growth, in honor of Carol Tomé

COMPANY BALLET REPETITEURS

Angela Agresti, Rory Hohenstein, Eduardo Permuy

CHOREOGRAPHER-IN-RESIDENCE

Claudia Schreier

DEAN OF THE CENTRE FOR DANCE EDUCATION

Sharon Story

THE COMPANY

Jessica Assef, Nadyne Bispo, Severin Brotschul, Emily Carrico, Michael Caye, Anastasia Cheplyansky, Dylan Clinard, Catherine Conley, Georgia Dalton, Larissa Dal’Santo, Thomas Davidoff, Brooke Gilliam, Sujin Han, Jessica He, Airi Igarashi, Darian Kane, Erik Kim, Benjamin Kuefler, Saho Kumagai, Sojung Lee, Jordan Leeper, Guilherme Maciel, Sergio Masero, Juliana Missano, Miguel Angel Montoya, Denys Nedak, Carraig New, Patric Palkens, Hui Wen Peng, Ángel Ramírez, Evelyn Robinson, Kaitlin Matree Roemer, Mikaela Santos, Anderson Souza, Fuki Takahashi, Kelsey Van Tine, Ashley Wegmann, Spencer Wetherington, Luiz Fernando Xavier

ATLANTA BALLET 2

Santiago Bedoya, Georgie Grace Butler, Ephraim Fowler, Will Giannuzzi, Gianna Horton-Sibble, Avery Jarrard, Breanna Faith Justus, Emmanuel López, Stephen Myers, Mayu Nakayama, Estefania Ontanilla, Emma Sophia Robinson, Samantha Schuermann, Paxton Speight, Emanuel Talongo, Covin Washington

Dorothy Moses Alexander - Atlanta Ballet Founder, 1929 - 1960

Robert Barnett - Artistic Director Emeritus, 1961 - 1994

John McFall – Artistic Director, 1994 - 2016

Atlanta Ballet 2 courtesy of Atlanta Ballet Centre for Dance Education

Scan QR Code to View Casting

GENNADI NEDVIGIN (Artistic Director), in February 2016, was named Atlanta Ballet’s fourth artistic director in the Company’s then 87-year history. Nedvigin, born in Rostov, Russia, began his training at age 5. At 10, he was accepted into the Bolshoi Ballet Academy. Upon graduating, he joined Moscow Renaissance Ballet as a soloist before he was invited to dance with Le Jeune Ballet de France in Paris. In 1997, while on tour in the U.S., San Francisco Ballet (SFB) Artistic Director Helgi Tomasson offered Nedvigin a soloist contract. After three years, he was promoted to principal dancer. While at SFB, Nedvigin won the International Competition’s Erik Bruhn Prize (1999). He has also received three Isadora Duncan Dance Awards (2001, 2010 and 2017). Along the way, Nedvigin was fortunate to work with many world-renowned choreographers. In addition to his dancing career, Nedvigin also taught master classes and staged ballets in the U.S. and abroad before becoming an artistic director. Recently, Nedvigin sat on juried panels at the World Ballet Competition in Orlando, the International Ballet Competition held in Jackson, Mississippi, and the Youth America Grand Prix. Under Nedvigin’s guidance, Atlanta Ballet has established the Academy training program, which includes a top-tier performance ensemble, Atlanta Ballet 2, representing his commitment to training for the next generation of professional dancers.

TOM WEST (Executive Director) assumed his role as Atlanta Ballet’s Executive Director at the top of the 2021 | 2022 Season. West’s career in arts management spans more than 20 years, including leadership roles at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Segerstrom Center for the Arts and American Film Institute. An actor and theatre director by training, West received a Master of Arts in arts administration from American University and began his career in arts management at the Kennedy Center in 1997, where he rose to serve as Vice President of Development, overseeing all fundraising programs for the National Symphony Orchestra and the Suzanne Farrell Ballet, and leading the effort to fund a remount of Balanchine’s Don Quixote. In 2007, West served as Vice President of Development for the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa, California. From 2010-2021, West served as the Chief Advancement Officer for the American Film Institute in Los Angeles, where he championed the development of new programs to provide bridges to the film industry for under-represented storytellers in Hollywood. West also served on AFI’s senior leadership team, shaping organizational strategy for the Institute’s filmmaker training programs and working with major studios developing targeted diversity initiatives, as well as its strategy for weathering the COVID-19 pandemic. West established the AFI National Council in 2011, a community of philanthropists from across the United States who serve as champions for excellence in the art of film and opportunities for the next generation of great storytellers.

SHARON STORY (Dean of the Centre for Dance Education) joined Atlanta Ballet after a professional dance career that spanned more than 20 years and included tenures with Joffrey Ballet, the School of American Ballet, Stars of New York City Ballet, Atlanta Ballet and 10 years with Boston Ballet. Her Boston Ballet tenure included international tours with Rudolf Nureyev. In 1996, along with her role as ballet mistress, Story became dean of Atlanta Ballet Centre for Dance Education (Centre), which has grown to become one of the largest dance schools in the nation. The Centre is nationally recognized for its programs and community initiatives. Under Story’s direction, the Centre achieved accreditation with the National Association of Schools of Dance (NASD). She serves on the board of directors for NASD. In 2021, Story received Atlanta Ballet’s Dorothy Alexander Award. She received the 2015 Women Making a Mark Award from Atlanta Magazine and was featured in the Arts ATL Legacy Series 2018. Story is committed to providing a noncompetitive atmosphere and access to dance education that is shaped by the community’s needs, is innovative and inspires the commitment and excellence that are the trademarks of Atlanta Ballet.

Atlanta history. he joined dance U.S., Nedvigin dancer.

Atlanta history. he joined dance U.S., Nedvigin dancer.

TOM

Executive arts at the Center director from Kennedy Development, Symphony to fund Vice Costa ment championed film served the developing weathering Council States opportunities

Bruhn Awards work career, and juried Ballet Grand Academy ensemble, next S H Atlanta years Stars Her 1996, Centre largest programs accreditation serves Dorothy from Story dance inspires

TOM

Executive arts at Center director from Kennedy Development, Symphony to Vice Costa ment championed film served the developing weathering Council States opportunities

Bruhn Awards work career, and juried Ballet Grand Academy ensemble, next S H Atlanta years Stars Her 1996, Centre largest programs accreditation serves Dorothy from Story dance inspires

ANGELA AGRESTI (Company Repetiteur) grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana, where she began her training at the Jordon College Academy of Dance. In high school, she transferred to North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA) for ballet where she worked closely with mentor Anna-Marie Holmes. After UNCSA, Agresti went on to dance with Cincinnati Ballet for one season before moving to Amsterdam to be in Het Nationale Ballet (Dutch National Ballet) where she danced for eight years. While at Het Nationale Ballet, she danced a mix of classical ballets, Balanchine works, Hans van Manen repertoire, contemporary and neoclassical works, along with new creations. Agresti has been featured in William Forsythe’s Second Detail, Alexei Ratmansky’s Don Quichot, Shen Wei’s Sacre du Printemps, and other notable ballets, such as The Dream, Paquita and Swan Lake During her time dancing in Amsterdam, Agresti gained experience as a choreographic assistant for multiple choreographers’ stage, film and festival works. She traveled to Riom, Switzerland, assisting works by Juanjo Arques and Peter Leung for the Origen Cultural Festival. She also worked with Peter Leung on the first-ever virtual reality ballet titled Nightfall. Since returning to the U.S. in 2018, Agresti has been teaching, coaching and rehearsing dancers at the collegiate, preprofessional and professional levels. She held positions at Butler University and Anderson University, and as a company ballet teacher and rehearsal assistant at Gregory Hancock Dance Theatre. In 2018, she assisted Annabelle Lopez Ochoa in the making of Tulips and Lobster for Kansas City Ballet and re-staged the work for the company the following season. She holds certifications in the ABT National Training Curriculum for levels

Pre-Primary through Level 5 and has received Basi Pilates teacher training for mat Pilates and reformer. She is certified as an integrative nutrition health coach and holds a Nonprofit Management Certificate from the University of California Irvine. Agresti is looking forward to working with the wonderfully talented dancers and artistic team of Atlanta Ballet led by Gennadi Nedvigin.

RORY HOHENSTEIN (Company Repetiteur) was born in Washington D.C., where he began dancing at the age of 6. Hohenstein furthered his training from the age of 12 at the Kirov Academy of Ballet. At 17, he joined Le Jeune Ballet de France in Paris. In 2000, he joined San Francisco Ballet as a member of the corps, being promoted to soloist in 2006. In 2008, he moved to New York, joining Christopher Wheeldon’s company, Morphoses, performing in its home seasons at New York City Center and at Sadler’s Wells in London. He spent a season dancing with the Lar Lubovitch Dance Company before joining the Joffrey Ballet in 2011, where he continued to be a leading artist with the company through the 2018/19 season. Some personal highlights include dancing the roles of Romeo in Krzysztof Pastor’s Romeo & Juliet, Riff in Jerome Robbins’ West Side Story Suite, Levin in Yuri Possokhov’s Anna Karenina and in Wayne McGregor’s Eden/Eden. This is Hohenstein’s third season as company repetiteur at Atlanta Ballet.

EDUARDO PERMUY (Company Repetiteur) was born in Cuba, where he began his training at the age of 7 at Laura Alonso’s ballet school Pro-Danza, later joining the National Ballet School of Cuba and finishing at Miami City Ballet School under the tutelage of Nancy Raffa. At the age of 17, Permuy started his professional career with Miami City Ballet as an apprentice and he went on to enjoy a career of 18 years also dancing for American Ballet Theatre Studio Company, Joffrey Ballet, Ballet West, Smuin Contemporary Ballet, Cincinnati Ballet, and appearing as guest artist with a few others. During this time, his repertoire included most of the classics and a vast number of ballets from the Balanchine repertoire, ranging from corps to principal roles. He also had the opportunity to perform ballets from Gerald Arpino, Robert Joffrey, Jiří Kylián, Kurt Joss, John Cranko, Frederick Ashton, Kenneth MacMillan, Twyla Tharp, Helen Picket, Nicolo Fonte, Antony Tudor, Ulysses Dove, Michael Smuin, Val Caniparoli, Alberto Alonso, Benjamin Millepied, Leonide Massine,

and Amy Seiwert. Throughout his career, Permuy feels blessed to have learned from figures like Nancy Raffa, Fernanado Bujones, Martha Bosh, Sir Anthony Dowell, Christopher Carr, Eddie Villella and Clinton Luckett. In 2021, he joined Cleveland Ballet as a director of repertoire, where he had the opportunity not only to perform ballet master duties but also was able to return to the stage as a character dancer, performing the roles of Don Quijote in the ballet by the same name and Drosselmeyer in The Nutcracker This is Permuy’s first season with Atlanta Ballet and he’s looking forward to bringing his experiences to the Company and to keep learning and growing under the direction of Gennadi Nedvigin and his team.

CLAUDIA SCHREIER (Choreographer-in-Residence and Choreographer, Carnivale) is Atlanta Ballet’s Choreographer-in-Residence and has choreographed, directed and produced for dance, opera and film across the U.S. and internationally. She has been commissioned by Boston Ballet, Miami City Ballet, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Vail Dance Festival, Juilliard Opera, ABT Studio Company and New York Choreographic Institute and will premiere new works for San Francisco Ballet and Richmond Ballet in 2023. Schreier has created three works for Atlanta Ballet: First Impulse, named a 2019 Standout Performance by Pointe Magazine; Pleiades Dances (2021); and Fauna (2022). In October 2022, in collaboration with the Cathedral Choir Society, Atlanta Ballet performed excerpts of Berlioz’s Roméo et Juliette at the Washington National Cathedral, choreographed by Schreier. In 2021, she released Force of Habit, a film commissioned by Guggenheim Works & Process and co-presented by Atlanta Ballet. She has contributed to programs at the White House, Jazz at Lincoln Center and the Kennedy Center, including the Kennedy Center Honors. Her work is the subject of two documentaries, including PBS’s Emmy Award-winning “Dancing on the Shoulders of Giants” (Capital Region). She is a recipient of the Princess Grace Award, Toulmin Fellowship at the Center for Ballet and the Arts at NYU, Lotos Prize, and Suzanne Farrell Dance Prize.

LARISSA DAL’SANTO Chapecó, Brazil

SEVERIN BROTSCHUL Glen Arbor, Michigan

JESSICA ASSEF Sáo Carlos, Brazil

NADYNE BISPO Santos Coast of Sáo Paulo, Brazil

EMILY CARRICO Lexington, Kentucky

MICHAEL CAYE Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

ANASTASIA CHEPLYANSKY Saratoga, California

DYLAN CLINARD High Point, North Carolina

CATHERINE CONLEY Chicago, Illinois

GEORGIA DALTON Columbus, Ohio

THOMAS DAVIDOFF Lincoln, England

BROOKE GILLIAM Boulder, Colorado Special thanks to Brooke’s Pas de Deux Society patron, the Yee Family Charitable Fund

SUJIN HAN Seoul, South Korea

Special thanks to Sujin’s Pas de Deux Society patron, the Corps de Ballet

JESSICA HE Rancho Cucamonga, California

Special thanks to Jessica’s Pas de Deux Society patrons, Vanessa & Robin Delmer

AIRI IGARASHI Gunma, Japan

DARIAN KANE Lincoln, California Special thanks to Darian’s Pas de Deux Society patrons, Adrienne & Scott Hardesty

ERIK KIM Dallas, Texas

BENJAMIN KUEFLER Stow, Massachusetts

SAHO KUMAGAI Sapporo, Japan

Chungju, South Korea

Jamestown, New York

Special thanks to Jordan’s Pas de Deux Society patrons, Elaine & Erroll Davis.

Sáo Paulo, Brazil

Madrid, Spain

Special thanks to Sergio’s Pas de Deux Society patron, Katherine Scott

Cali, Colombia

Special thanks to Miguel’s Pas de Deux Society patrons, Bonnie & Terry Herron

Odessa, Ukraine

Special thanks to Denys’ Pas de Deux Society patron, Frank Holt

CARRAIG NEW Juneau, Alaska

Highland, Michigan

Manila, Philippines

Special thanks to Mikaela’s Pas de Deux Society patron, Danna Sanders

Trinidad, Cuba

Santo Angelo, RS, Brazil

Special thanks to Anderson’s Pas de Deux Society patron, the Corps de Ballet

Yokohama, Japan

Special thanks to Fuki’s Pas de Deux Society patron, the Yee Family Charitable Fund

Naples, Florida

Shamong, New Jersey

Special

to

WETHERINGTON

Bridgeton, New Jersey

Atlanta Ballet photos courtesy of Charlie McCullers and Kim Kenney.

LUIZ FERNANDO XAVIER São Paulo, Brazil

PATRIC PALKENS Boston, Massachusetts

HUI WEN PENG Taichung, Taiwan

EVELYN ROBINSON Tyler, Texas

SOJUNG LEE

JORDAN LEEPER

KAITLIN MATREE ROEMER

GUILHERME MACIEL

SERGIO MASERO

JULIANA MISSANO

Lloyd Harbor, New York

MIGUEL ANGEL MONTOYA

DENYS NEDAK

ÁNGEL RAMÍREZ

MIKAELA SANTOS

ANDERSON SOUZA

FUKI TAKAHASHI

KELSEY VAN TINE

ASHLEY WEGMANN

thanks

Ashley’s Pas de Deux Society patron, Ms. Jan P. Beaves

SPENCER

artistic & production team

BEN STEVENSON, O.B.E. (Choreographer, Three Preludes) served as artistic director of Houston Ballet from 1976-2003, raising the company from a regional troupe of twenty-eight dancers to an internationally acclaimed ensemble of over fifty artists. For his contributions to international dance, Stevenson was named an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (O.B.E.) by Queen Elizabeth II in the New Year’s Honors List in December 1999. In April 2000, he was presented with the Dance Magazine Award. In July 2003, he was appointed artistic director emeritus of Houston Ballet, and the company’s affiliated school was renamed Houston Ballet’s Ben Stevenson Academy. Stevenson, a native of Portsmouth, England, received his dance training at the Arts Educational School in London. He appeared with the Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet and English National Ballet where, as a principal dancer, he performed leading roles in all the classics. In 1967, English National Ballet asked him to stage his first, and highly successful, production of The Sleeping Beauty which starred Margot Fonteyn. In 1968, Rebekah Harkness invited him to New York to direct the newly formed Harkness Youth Dancers. After choreographing Cinderella in 1970 for the National Ballet in Washington, D.C., he joined the company in 1971 as co-director with Frederic Franklin. Stevenson has received numerous awards for his choreography, including three gold medals at the International Ballet Competitions of 1972, 1982, and 1986. In July 2003, Stevenson assumed the artistic directorship of Texas Ballet Theater in Fort Worth, Texas.

DAWN SCANNELL (Stager and Repetiteur, Three Preludes) was born on Long Island, NY and grew up in Fort Lauderdale, FL. She received her training from Victoria Leigh, James Franklin, and Ruth Petrinovic. Scannell joined Houston Ballet in 1985, rose to the rank of Principal Ballerina, and retired from the stage in 2001. Throughout her career, she performed leading roles in both full-length classical and contemporary work, and has danced for esteemed choreographers such as Sir Kenneth MacMillan, Jiri Kylian, Paul Taylor, James Kudelka, Stanton Welch, Ben Stevenson, Christopher Bruce, Ronald Hynd, John McFall, Trey McIntyre, Lila York, Natalie Weir, and Helgi Tomasson. Many of these choreographers created roles specifically for her. In 2006, Scannell was invited by Stanton Welch to become Ballet Master for Houston Ballet, staging Ben Stevenson’s fulllength Don Quixote. In this role she taught classes for the Company, as well as for Houston Ballet II and the Houston Ballet Academy. She staged the works of Welch, Ben Stevenson, Christopher Bruce, and others. She also worked closely with repetiteurs in both contemporary, and classical styles. Scannell’s trademarks are her attention to detail and her ability to recreate a choreographer’s vision. Her care in fulfilling the artistic integrity of choreography from classical to contemporary has allowed her to stage and coach effectively for numerous companies, Paris Opera Ballet, Royal Ballet School, Staatsballett Berlin, Royal Swedish Ballet, Queensland Ballet, Houston Ballet, and companies all throughout the US. In coaching principal dancers to young trainees, Scannell has gained a reputation for demanding precision and technique, but also inspiring and cultivating artistry, and emotional nuance.

artistic & production team 13

(Choreographer, Scenic and Costume Designer, Significant Others) is a multidisciplinary artist whose work for stage, film, fashion and art galleries has been shown and sold worldwide. His experiments at combining the visual and performing arts, first as choreographer-designer and principal dancer for Dutch National Ballet, and more recently as a painter-sculptor and the creator of films (Holland Festival, G-Star RAW, Paco Rabanne, RVDK) make him a unique artist with a distinctive voice. His recent music video, Afraid Of The Dark for Chef’Special, won the Edison Award for best music video in the Netherlands. Born in Adelaide, Australia, Wörtmeyer started his dance career with the Australian Ballet before joining American Ballet Theater. He was invited to join Dutch National Ballet in 2010 and appeared as guest artist across Europe, Russia, Asia, North and Central America. Wörtmeyer was ranked among the world’s top 100 dancers by Dance Europe, which also awarded him the Critics’ Choice for best performance on two occasions. He has been recipient of Australia’s Walter Bourke Award, multiple prizes at Dance Open St Petersburg (including Excellence in Artistry and the People’s Choice Award), and the Netherlands Alexandra Radius Prize. Wörtmeyer has made numerous choreographic-design creations for the Dutch National Ballet, Australian Ballet, Royal Concert Hall, Dutch National Ballet Academy, Muziekgebouw Amsterdam, Roberto Bolle and Friends, Dance Open and Moscow’s Benois de la Danse. As a visual artist, Wörtmeyer has had solo exhibitions throughout the Netherlands and shown in Germany and Australia. Most recently his hand sculpted porcelain jewelry debuted at Paris Couture Fashion Week for the Dutch sustainable couture house Ronald Van Der Kemp.

REMI WÖRTMEYER

artistic & production team

BEN RAWSON (Lighting Designer) is an Atlanta-based Lighting Designer for Theatre, Opera, and Dance, member USA 829. Theatrical/Opera design work can be seen at The Alliance Theatre, Michigan Opera Theatre, Florida Studio Theatre, Atlanta Opera, Glimmerglass Opera, Theatrical Outfit, Actors Express, Aurora Theatre, Atlanta Lyric Theatre, 7 Stages, and Synchronicity Theatre. Dance design work includes choreographers Ana Maria Lucaciu, Troy Schumacher, Danielle Agami, and Claudia Schreier as well as with Atlanta Ballet, Terminus Modern Ballet Theatre, BalletCollective, Fly On A Wall, Staibdance, Bluebird Uncaged, Proia Dance Project, and Emily Cargill and Dancers. Rawson has also worked across the country as an Associate & Assistant Lighting Designer for San Diego Opera (CA), The Alliance Theatre (GA), Berkshire Theatre Festival (MA), Atlanta Opera (GA), Utah Opera (UT), Atlanta Ballet (GA), and Playmakers Repertory Company (NC). Benrawsondesign.com

ABIGAIL DUPREE-POLSTON (Costume Designer, Carnivale) came to ballet from a career in fashion design, designing athletic apparel before transitioning to design for the stage. She has been a designer and technician for ballet and opera, most recently designing pieces for the Atlanta Ballet, Miami City Ballet and San Francisco Ballet with choreographer Claudia Schreier.

WESTERN-LI SUMMERTON (Piano Accompanist, Three Preludes) is a pianist based in Atlanta, Georgia. Born in Bellingham, Washington, Summerton has studied with renowned pianists throughout the Pacific Northwest including Judith Widrig, Ralph Markham Kenneth Broadway, Anita King, Jean-David Coen, and Hwakyu Lee; as well as compositional studies with Renee Favand-See and Kenji Bunch. Summerton has performed in various solo, chamber, choral and orchestral settings, including Mendelssohn’s two piano arrangement of A Midsummer Night’s Dream with Bodyvox, and The Portland Ballet’s production of Stravinsky’s The Firebird. Summerton has an extensive history in collaboration between music and dance. He played for many companies across the country, including The Portland Ballet, Oregon Ballet Theatre, NW Dance Project, Alonzo King LINES Ballet and United Ballet Theatre. In 2021, Summerton was invited to play classes for the Royal Danish Ballet and Hungarian National Ballet. In 2022, he made his debut performance with Atlanta Ballet, performing in Claudia Schreier’s Pleiades Dances. He currently serves as the Company Accompanist/Music Administration Coordinator for Atlanta Ballet. Summerton holds a Bachelor of Music in piano performance with a minor in business from Portland State University.

Officers

Nancy Field, J.D., Chair

Barbara S. Joiner, Vice Chair

Juan Carlos Urdaneta, Treasurer

Jan Beaves, Secretary

Elizabeth Adams, Immediate Past Chair

Lynda B. Courts, Chair Emeritus

Trustees

Emily C. Baker

Ron Breakstone

Ginny Brewer

Chris Carlos

Dr. Meria Carstarphen

Lynn Cochran-Schroder

Cynthia Crain, Ed.D.

Vanessa Delmer

Yelena Epova, CPA

Nigel Ferguson

Jacqueline Flake

Amy Gerome

Matthew Hartnett

Mona Heyer

Lindsay R. Hill

Joyce Houser, Ph.D

Tharon Johnson

Kathleen Knous

Kristen Manion Taylor

Araya Mesfin, CFP

Taylor Meyer, CFA

Linda Morris

Gennadi Nedvigin*

Rachel Lee Phipps

Katherine Scott

Pam Wakefield

Tom West*

board of trustees

REMEMBERING LAVONA CURRIE

Lavona Currie holds an extraordinary place in the hearts of all of us at Atlanta Ballet. A very special light, influence and personality, she joined the Board in 1977, serving first as a Trustee and then as a Trustee Emeritus for a combined 46 years. Lavona was an incredible supporter of Atlanta Ballet and the Atlanta Ballet Centre for Dance Education.

Lavona lit up any room she walked into, loved everyone and was loved in return. She passed away peacefully at her home on February 7, 2023, surrounded by family.

Today we celebrate an amazing life of curiosity, art, travel, beauty—and of course, love.

Bravo, Lavona. We will miss you but know that you will always be with us, smiling on our students, dancers and performances.

Advisory Council

David M. Barnett

Mark R. Bell, Ph.D.

Harvey Coleman

Elaine E. Davis

Erroll B. Davis

Anne-Laure Desjonquères

F. Javier Diaz

Raoul “Ray” Donato

Jake Evans

Linda Nau Givens

Robert L. Green

Marius Hechter

Ceci Johnson

Susan S. Kettering

Allen Maines

Santiago Marquez

Juan Mejia

Allen W. Nelson

Eric Robbins

Joni Santos

Laura Turner Seydel

Rebecca Christian Smith

Anat Sultan-Dadon

Dov Wilker

Allen Yee

Sonjia Waller Young

Honorary Board

Margaret Carton

David Crosland

Kenneth R. Hey

Wade Hooper

J. David Hopkins

Bill Huber, CPA

Michael Jones

Sloan Kennedy-Smith

Edward Krugman

Amanda Shailendra

Michelle Sullivan

Trustees Emeriti

Lynda B. Courts

Lavona S. Currie†

Karen Vereb

Patti Wallace†

Lifetime Board

Jane Dean

Carole Goldberg

Joseph Prendergast

Deen Day Sanders

Corps de Ballet Board

Marius Hechter, Chair

Doug Weiss, Immediate Past Chair

Kimberlyn Daniel

Jane Dean

Nancy Flaherty

Jacqueline Flake

Joanne Chesler Gross

Caroline Jeffords

Corrie Johnson

Amy Nelson

Gailen Rosenberg

Arden Hess Rowland

Sharon Silvermintz

Dottie Smith

Marsha Taylor

Preston Wilson, Jr.

*Ex-Officio

†In Memoriam

ANNUAL FUND DONORS

Atlanta Ballet gratefully acknowledges the following individuals whose generous annual contributions were received during the period of March 1, 2022 – March 1, 2023. If you find that we did not recognize you appropriately, we apologize. For corrections, please contact us at advancement@atlantaballet.com.

THE CHOREOGRAPHER’S CIRCLE

Recognizes exceptional gifts of $10,000 and above

DIAMOND $100,000+

Anonymous

Chris Carlos & Family

Ms. Nancy Field & Mr. Michael Schulder

Katherine Scott

SAPPHIRE $50,000+

Elaine & Erroll Davis

The Elster Foundation

EMERALD $25,000+

Anonymous (2)

Mr. & Mrs. Richard W. Courts II

Cynthia Crain, Ed. D. & Dwight Lee, Ph.D.

Barbara & Eric Joiner

Mr. William F. Snyder

PEARL $20,000+

Mrs. Lynn Cochran-Schroder & Mr. Bill Schroder

Bonnie & Terry Herron

Joyce Houser, Ph.D.

Kelin Foundation

Heather & Bill Preston

The Rogers Family Foundation

OPAL $15,000+

Vanessa & Robin Delmer

AMETHYST $10,000+

Anonymous (3)

Elizabeth & Howell Adams III

Mr. Daniel E. Gaylord & Ms. Marilyn Altman

Emily C. Baker

Mr. Robert J. Barnett

Ms. Jan P. Beaves

Ginny & Charles Brewer

Dr. Meria J. Carstarphen & Mr. David Heleniak

Dr. & Mrs. Lawrence W. Davis

Yelena Epova

Nigel Ferguson

Jacqueline Flake & David Dase

Adrienne & Scott Hardesty

Kathleen & Kirk Knous

Mariana Laufer

Taylor & Brad Meyer

Allen W. Nelson & Caroline B. Gottschalk

Danna Sanders

Stephanie & Austin Stephens

Greer & Alex Taylor

Kristen Manion Taylor & Jason Taylor

The Yee Family Charitable Fund

Pam Wakefield

THE DANCER’S CIRCLE

Recognizes generous gifts up to $10,000

GRAND JETÉ $7,500+

Pam & Paul Whitacre

TOUR JETÉ $5,000+

Anonymous

James J. Andrews, in honor of Jill M. Voznick

Mr. Richard Delay & Ms. Francine Dykes

Kenneth & Colleen Hey

Frank Holt

Carole & Nelson Marchioli

Linda & Don Morris

Ginger Brill Pisik

Carol & Ramon Tomé

Karen Vereb & Bud Blanton

ASSEMBLÉ $2,500+

Anonymous

Diana & Miguel Arteche

Lucy & Henry Bush

Dr. & Mrs. William Brinkman

Mr. & Mrs. Jerome M. Cooper

Mr. Joseph Dawsey III

Robert Paul Dean & Robert Epstein

Mr. Mark du Mas

Laura Grabeman

Matthew & Brittany Hartnett

Steve, Susan & Grace Hauser, in memory of Armantine Groshong

James Honkisz & Catherine Binns

Laurie & John Hopkins

Dr. Leslie & Mrs. Marilyn Kelman, in honor of Darcy & Rachel Denneen

Vaughn Linder, in honor of Richard & Lynda Courts

Linda L. Lively & James E. Hugh III

Mr. & Mrs. Larry Pelletier

Stuart Pliner & Barbara Bing Pliner

Wade Rakes & Nicholas Miller

Mr. & Mrs. Robert Ratonyi

Dr. & Mrs. Mark Silverstein

Sharon Story, Julien & Kim Kenney

The Mortimer Family

Dr. John Trimble & Ms. Marianne Stribling

Jeff & Catherine Tucker

Mrs. Julie Turner-Davis & Mr. John Davis

Irma J. Turnipseed

Eric & Chan Voiles

Sonia P. Witkowski

Allen W. Yee

GLISSADE $1,000+

Anonymous (3)

Hope Barrett

Mr. & Mrs. Martin P. Bennett

Xavier Bignon

Lindsay & Evan Borenstein

Peter Boucher

Michael Bracken, in memory of Louis Molino

James A. Brennan, M.D.

Sara & Alex Brown

Mr. Michael E. Carroll & Mr. Paul Alberto

David Cofrin & Christine Tryba-Cofrin

John Condo

Consilium Partner Group

Ann & Frank Critz

Dr. & Mrs. O. Anderson Currie, Jr., in honor of Sharon Story

James Datka & Nora DePalma

Kevin & Demi Doyle

Antoinette J. Earley & William L. Green

Lauren & Rick Elliott

Doug & Florida Ellis

Dr. Marvin Goldstein

Richard Goodjoin & Kelvin Davis

Mrs. Carol Lanier Goodman

Ms. Marguerite Hallman

Marius Hechter

Lisa & Forrest Hibbard

Mr. Douglas Hopkins

Dorothea & Robert Jeffrey

Holland & Ceci Johnson

Edward Krugman & Jill Pryor

Leigh Anna & Steven Lang

Allegra Lawrence-Hardy & Timothy Hardy

Ms. Doreen M. Lewis

Dr. & Mrs. Ellis L. Malone

Melissa & Austin Merritt

Audrey & Danny Meyer

Terri & Stephen Nagler

Dr. Z. Pressley & Mr. Billy S. Rice

Dr. Robert & Gail Riesenberg

Lovette Russell, in honor of Maddie Hardy

Ashley & Drew Scott

Manda & Jeremy Shankel

Toreya Shea

Beverly & Dianne Shlapak

Matt Simon

Mr. & Mrs. James E. Stueve

Mr. Tarek Takieddini

Mr. & Mrs. Perry Taylor

Mr. Robert J. Taylor IV, in honor of Kathleen Knous

The Kang Family

Dr. Peter & Mrs. Beverly Thomas

Dr. Kirsten Travers-UyHam & Mr. John J. UyHam

Annie York Trujillo & Karen Trujillo

Mr. & Mrs. Juan Carlos Urdaneta

Joseph Vivona

Harriet H. Warren

Betsy Wash

Norman Zapien

RELEVÉ $500+

Anonymous

Nina Allen

Ms. Tracie Arnold

Susan Bass & Thomas Bradford, in honor of Marsha Taylor

Herb & Lisa Bastin

Richard Bohrer

Mr. & Mrs. Sean Bowen

Cynthia Brant

Sandra & David Burgess

Mr. Robert Clark & Ms. Kelsey Parsell

Lawrence M. Cohen

Carol Comstock & Jim Davis

Deborah Dalton

Dr. Catherine Dekle & Dr. Keith Mannes, in memory of Vielka Del Carmen Sheppard

Ashleigh Dobrin, in loving memory of Mel Dobrin

Elaine Eaton

Tricia & Chris Ekholm

Dytre Fentress & Stephen Rann

Kathryn & Patrick Gaul

Christine A. Gilliam

Mr. & Mrs. Tim Harben

Virginia Hepner & Malcolm Barnes

Helen & Jeff Herbert

Michal & Jack Hillman

Vicki Hooten

Mr. J. David Hopkins

Jean Gatton Jones

Mrs. Peter G. Kessenich, Sr.

Eric Larson

Allan & Vaneesa Little

Jeanie & Albert Marx

Mimi Maslia

Jean & Robert McColl

Jennifer & Virginia McGuffey

Mr. & Mrs. Eugene F. Meany

Caroline Montojo

Miho & Gennadi Nedvigin

Mrs. Debby Overstreet

Mr. & Ms. Patel

Erin Perez

Judith Powell

Grace Pownall & Ron Harris

Margery & Dan Reason Family Fund

Dr. & Mrs. William M. Scaljon

Sharon & David Schachter

Jennie & Stephen Schuermann

Anne M. Spratlin

Teena Stern

Judith Story

Dr. Michael & Mrs. Francoise Szikman

Roberta Taylor & James Hill

Johnny Thigpen & Clay Martin, in honor of Tricia Ekholm

Alan & Marcia Watt

Tom West

INSTITUTIONAL GIVING

Atlanta Ballet gratefully acknowledges the following corporations, foundations and government agencies whose generous annual contributions were received during the period of March 1, 2022 – March 1, 2023.

$100,000+

The Home Depot Foundation

Lettie Pate Evans Foundation

The Molly Blank Fund of the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation

The Thalia & Michael C. Carlos Foundation

The Thalia N. Carlos & Chris M. Carlos Foundation

$75,000+

PNC

The Shubert Foundation

$50,000+

City of Atlanta Office of Cultural Affairs

John H. & Wilhelmina D. Harland Charitable Foundation

The Imlay Foundation

$25,000+

Bobbie Bailey Foundation

Cox Enterprises

Fulton County Arts Council

Mark & Evelyn Trammell Foundation

Southern Company Gas Foundation

The Kettering Family Foundation

The Morgan Family Fund

Warner Brothers Discovery

$20,000+

Arrow Exterminators

Chick-fil-A

JBS Foundation

The Ray M. & Mary Elizabeth Lee Foundation

$15,000+

FLOWER Magazine

Georgia Council for the Arts

Google

$10,000+

National Endowment for the Arts

Publix Super Markets Charities

$5,000+

Massey Charitable Trust

Price Gilbert, Jr. Charitable Fund

$2,500+

Anonymous

$1,000+ Dana Foundation

ETRO

Jamestown, L.P.

Lindsey Treadaway, Realtor, Berkshire Hathaway Homeservices

Lois & Lucy Lampkin Foundation

$500+

Sweet Tea Murals

Atlanta Ballet is supported in part by the Georgia Council for the Arts (GCA) through the appropriations of the Georgia General Assembly. GCA also received support from its partner agency, the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional support is provided by the Fulton County Commission under the guidance of the Fulton County Arts Council and the City of Atlanta Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs.

GIFTS MADE IN LOVING MEMORY OF LAVONA S. CURRIE

Anonymous

Dr. & Mrs. W. Perry Ballard III

Ms. Eleanor F. Banister

Robert J. Barnett

Ruthanna & Bill Bost

Mary Burns

Lucy & Henry Bush

Consilium Partner Group, Seth Abrams & Hunter Sapp

Linda Copeland

Betsy Akers Crawford

Peter Howard

Barbara Johnson

Judy Lampert

Audrey & Danny Meyer

Mr. & Mrs. Frederick L. Neely, Jr.

Carol Osner

Ginger Brill Pisik

Judith Powell

Mitch Purvis

Patty & Doug Reid

Mr. & Mrs. Schear

Mr. & Mrs. Slick

Judith Story

Sharon Story, Julien & Kim Kenney

The Office of Institutional Advancement at the Westminster Schools

THE PAS DE DEUX SOCIETY

Members of the Pas de Deux Society have made an additional gift to underwrite support for an individual dancer.

Jan P. Beaves

Atlanta Ballet Corps de Ballet (2 dancers)

Lynda Bradbury Courts

Elaine & Erroll Davis

Vanessa & Robin Delmer

Adrienne & Scott Hardesty

Bonnie & Terry Herron

Frank Holt

Danna Sanders

Katherine Scott

The Yee Family Charitable Fund

THE DOROTHY ALEXANDER LEGACY SOCIETY

Individuals who have included Atlanta Ballet in their long-term estate plans through bequests and other deferred-giving arrangements.

Madeline & Howell Adams, Jr.

C.D. Belcher

Cynthia Crain

Mrs. Lynn Cochran-Schroder

Patty & Marc Dash

Mrs. Daphne Moore Eitel

Melodi Ford

Brad Foresythe

Joyce Houser, Ph.D.

Mrs. Audrey B. Morgan

Mrs. Elizabeth Ann Morgan

Elizabeth Morgan Spiegel

John K. Palmisano & Stephen A. Williams, III

Katherine Scott

Marianne Stribling

EXECUTIVE

Tom West, Executive Director

Nathan Jones, Executive Assistant

CENTRE FOR DANCE EDUCATION

Gennadi Nedvigin,  Artistic Director

Sharon Story,  Dean

EXECUTIVE

FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION

Kelly Tonina Cooper , Centre Administrative Director

Tom West, Executive Director

Pamela Whitacre, Chief Operating O cer

Kelly Tonina Cooper, Centre Administrative Director

Thomas Fowlkes, General Manager

Hana Miller, Controller

Kassie Brinkley, Executive Assistant & Board Liaison

Amani Hill, Accounts Payable & Benefits Manager

Diane Caroll Sales,  Community Partnerships Director

Kate Gaul,  Buckhead Centre Principal

Nicole Adams,  Virginia-Highland Centre Principal

Nicole Adams, Virginia-Highland Centre Principal Ansilla Bearden, Buckhead Centre Manager & Interim Principal/Summer Programs Coordinator

ARTISTIC

Dana Hylton Calabro, Director, Data Services

Gennadi Nedvigin, Artistic Director

ADVANCEMENT

Angela Agresti, Company Repetituer

Ansilla Bearden,  Satellite Manager

Brittney Flowers, Centre Associates Manager

Brittney Flowers,  Centre Education Associate

Faculty

Rory Hohenstein, Company Repetiteur

Eduardo Permuy, Company Repetiteur

Manda Wilhite, Senior Director of Advancement, Major Gifts and Board Liaison

Faculty

Nicole Adams, Alice Balhatchet, Ansilla

Claudia Schreier, Choreographer-in-Residence

Sicily Palms, Director of Artistic Operations

Sherren Sandy, Director of Advancement, Donor Engagement

Bearden, Shirley Bennett, Haley Brink, Darby Burgess, Serena Chu, Harmony Clair, Kelly

Allison Cash, Artistic Operations Coordinator/ Assistant Stage Manager

Kelly Criss, Director of Advancement, Leadership Gifts

Francesca Frederick, Director of Advancement, Institutional Gifts

FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION

Pamela Whitacre, Chief Operating Officer

MARKETING & PUBLIC RELATIONS

Hana Miller, Controller

Tricia Ekholm, Chief Marketing O cer

Calla Vaugn, Accounting Associate

Allison Kang, Director of Public Relations

Natasha Harris, Director of Human Resources

Taylor Graves, Interim Graphic Designer

Tonina Cooper, Kameron Davis, Nardja

el-Shabazz, Kate Gaul, Ashley Gibson, Nell Heflin Goza, Jennifer Inman, LaToya Princess Jackson, Aaron James, Malik Jenkins, Caroline Kraehe, Sergio Masero, Loren

McFalls, Arneshuia Nelson, Anna Penny, Chantia Robinson, Diane Caroll Sales, Roscoe Sales, Erin Smith, Jasmine Stevenson, Abigail

Shirley Bennett, Darby Burgess, Diane Caroll, Serena Chu, Harmony Clair, Kelly Tonina Cooper, Kameron Davis, Sophia Dixon, Nardja el-Shabazz, Allegra Fasshauer, Mia Givens, Jennifer Inman, LaToya Princess Jackson, Sergio Masero, Loren McFalls, Amelia Murren, Arneshuia Nelson, Anna Penny, Chantia Robinson, Roscoe Sales, Anderson Souza, Jasmine Stevenson, Ashley Suta, Jennifer Van Meter, Calla Vaughn, Natalya Vyashenko, Martine Weber

Company Accompanist/Music

Dana Hylton Calabro, Director of Technology and Sales Operations

Brian Wallenberg, Video Content Producer

Myredith Momongan, Associate Director of Group Sales

D’Anté Dukes, Technology and Operations Support Associate

Toni C. Vacinek, Associate Director of Marketing Communications

PATRON SERVICES

Stephen Hall, Patron Services Supervisor

Zoey Fleck, Social Media Manager/Graphic Designer

Kristian Brown, Patron Services Coordinator

PATRON SERVICES

ADVANCEMENT

Juliana Han Witt, Chief Advancement Officer

Lindsay Smith, Associate Director of Patron Services

Kelly Criss, Director of Annual Fund

Desiree Houston, Patron Services Manager

Sherren Sandy, Director of Special Events

Mallory Hazen , Patron Services Assistant

Jasmine Martinez , Patron Services Assistant

MARKETING & PUBLIC RELATIONS

Josh Reynolds , Patron Services Assistant

Tricia Ekholm, Chief Marketing Officer

Fiona Shaw, Senior Manager Communications

PRODUCTION

Alane Marco, Design Director

Lindsay Smith, Senior Manager of Sales Strategy

Dave Smith, Production Manager & Technical Director

Amber Times, Social Media Manager

Sicily Palms, Company Manager

Nicole Walters, Production Stage Manager

PRODUCTION

Jane Kuipers, Assistant Stage Manager

Kristin Kelley , Assistant Stage Manager

Dave Smith, Production Manager & Technical Director

Nicole Walters, Production Stage Manager

COSTUMES

Colleen McGonegle,  Costume Director

Abby Polston,  Draper

Stephanie Krall, Assistant Technical Director/ Lighting Supervisor

Susan Carter, Costume Construction Supervisor

COSTUMES

Colleen McGonegle, Costume Director

Abby Parker, Company Shoe Manager/Wardrobe Supervisor/Costume Technician

Susan Carter, Costume Construction Supervisor

Chloe Gervais,  Costume Technician

Maddie Simmons, Costume Technician

Ashleigh Dobrin,  Finisher

Abby Parker, Company Shoe Manager/Wardrobe Supervisor/Costume Technician

Chloe Gervais, Costume Technician

Maddie Simmons, Costume Technician

Stefanie Baker and Abigail Dupree-Polston, Costume Technicians

CENTRE FOR DANCE EDUCATION

Gennadi Nedvigin, Artistic Director

Sharon Story, Dean

Diane Caroll, Community Partnerships Director

Administrative Coordinator

Western-Li Summerton

Tan-Gamino, Grace Thompson, Jennifer Van Meter, Calla Vaughn, Natalya Vyashenko, Martine Weber

Accompanists

Accompanists

Aleksandra Korshunova, Yulia Rice, Kyla Zollitsch

Elizabeth Grimes, Aleksandra Korshunova, Yulia Rice, Gretel Rodriguez, Kyla Zollitsch

Centre Education Associates

Centre Education Associates

Imani Austin-Edwards, Shannon Geary, Flora Mangio, Hui-Wen Peng, Kaitlin Roemer, Jada Russell, Samantha Schuermann, Emma Seif

Atlanta Ballet Boutique

Christina Demps, Jeanette Estrella, Allegra Fasshauer, Shannon Geary, Christiana McLeod Horn, Courtney Johnson, Breanna Faith Justus, Carol March, Hui-Wen Peng, Bradley Stallings, Bryony Whitelaw

Leslie Campbell Judge, General Manager

Nardja el-Shabazz,  Asst. General Manager, Atlanta Ballet Boutique

Atlanta Ballet Boutique

Kate Gaul, Boutique Merchandise Manager

Louise Gordon, Retail Operations Manager

Atlanta Ballet is an American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA) Company

Atlanta Ballet is an American Federation of Musicians (AFM) Company

Atlanta Ballet is an International Alliance of Theatrical Stage (IATSE) Employees Company