National Choreographers Initiative 2009

From the Artistic Director: Welcome to the sixth annual National Choreographers Initiative! This project originated with a group of community leaders, the Advisory Committee. The committee and I have partnered with Irvine Barclay Theatre, who presents the showing and serves as our fiscal agent, and the Claire Trevor School of the Arts – Dance Department, who provides the studios for all of the rehearsals.

The initiative brings together four choreographers, each

Molly Lynch

developing a new work of their choosing. This year, sixteen

NCI Artistic Director

professional dancers from around the country join them to collaborate on these new works presented this evening. It’s

NCI Advisory Committee

important for the health and advancement of the dance community for choreographers to have the opportunity to create new work.

Anne B. Nutt, Chair

It’s exciting to see how far we have reached and the effect of

Bobbi Cox Sophie Cripe Diane Diefenderfer Joanne Keith Molly Lynch Lois Osborne Barbara Roberts Sally Anne Sheridan Pam Shue Barbara Tingley

this project not only on our local community but also across the nation. Since 2004, NCI has invited 20 choreographers to create new work. Fifteen of those works have been developed further and have been performed in the U.S. and abroad. We have also engaged the talents of 53 dancers representing 23 different dance companies.

This is a unique opportunity to engage these outstanding artists in the creative process and promote the development of professional dance. I hope you will join the process through our discussion with the choreographers at the end of the evening.

Special Thanks

Aaron Cota videographer and YouTube video

Dave Friedman photographer

Follow NCI online:

www.youtube.com/ncidance www.nchoreographers.org

Thank you for supporting dance!

“Ash To Glass” Choreography by

Deanna Carter

Lighting Design

Monique L’Heureux

Music Excerpts

Ezio Bosso “Duettino,” “Una Grota Piena” “Rumba Verso Al Buco” “Gli Occhiali,” “Dei Tuoni” Gary Eistler “Quintet for Glass and Strings: sections I. Dance, III. Brisk”

Dancers

Group Dance 1 Duet 1 Combined Duets 2

Adrienne Benz Jean Michelle Sayeg Alexandra Christian Andrea Vierra

Joe Bunn Jeremy Bannon-Neches Ted Keener Geoffrey Kropp

Ensemble Adrienne Benz, Joe Bunn Andrea Vierre, Geoffrey Kropp Alexandra Christian, Ted Keener Jean Michelle Sayeg, Jeremy Bannon-Neches

Deanna Carter is a native of Seattle. She has worked extensively as ballet mistress for international companies: Taller Coreografico de la UNAM (Mexico), Aterballetto and Teatro San Carlo (Italy), Leipzig Ballet and Dessau Ballets (Germany); and has worked internationally from 1994 as a guest teacher and choreographer. In 2004, Ms. Carter returned from Europe to take a position at the University of Iowa’s Department of Dance. With works choreographed for BalletMet, Ballet Quad Cities, the Dessau and Leipzig Ballets, Tanya-Perez Salas Dance Company, Bounard Dance Company, Deanna continues to work as a guest choreographer. In 2007, she was invited to become the resident choreographer for Ballet Quad Cities. Deanna’s works have been recognized as the “Best American Choreography” at the Nureyev International Ballet Festival in Kazan, Russia in 1994. In the United States, Ms. Carter has been awarded the National Choreography Plan of Regional Dance America and several Monticello scholarships for choreography. In June of 2004, BalletMet, Columbus Ohio’s professional company, presented Carter’s original work in their first New York season at the Joyce Theater. While at The University of Iowa, she has created several works and is the co-director of Dancers In Company, the University’s student touring ensemble.

“Weather” Choreography by Lighting Design Music

Dancers

Rick McCullough Monique L’Heureux Michael Gordon “Weather III”

Andrew Brader Michael Eaton Corina Gill Beth Kaczmarek Kelly Ann Sloan Maggie Small Johnstuart Winchell Kristopher Wojtera

*** Intermission ***

Rick McCullough is currently a professor of dance at Florida State University. He had danced professionally with Netherlands Dance Theater for over ten years. He also performed with the Harkness Ballet and North Carolina Dance Theater. He has been the Artistic Director of the North Carolina School of the Arts Summer Festival Dance Company for the past ten years. He has been a guest teacher at the University of Alabama, Ohio State University, Western Michigan University and University of Utah, as well as Perry Mansfield Performing Arts Camp, Peridance Center – NY, Ballet Pacifica, North Carolina Dance Theater, Metropolitan Opera Ballet, and American Dance Festival. He has choreographed works for Columbia Classical Ballet, Ballet Pacifica, Washington Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Boston Ballet, and North Carolina Dance Theater. He has received numerous honors from the North Carolina State Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts. www.rickmcullough.com

“Iconography” I: Adoration II: Thread III: Semiotics Choreography by Rehearsal Assistant Lighting Design Music

Dancers

Sidra Bell Shamel Pitts Monique L’Heureux Deaf Center (1st and 2nd movement) “Thread” and “Stone Beacon” (2005) Dennis Bell (3rd movement) “Xenia” (2009)

Adrienne Benz Ted Keener Alexandra Christian Kelly Ann Sloan Jeremy Bannon-Neches Geoffrey Kropp Kristopher Wojtera

Sidra Bell graduated from Yale University with a B.A. in History and received an M.F.A. in Choreography from Purchase College Conservatory of Dance. She received her training at the Dance Theatre of Harlem and at The Ailey School where she was a fellowship recipient. Ms. Bell’s works have been performed in Spain, Aruba, Montreal, Vancouver, and Toronto. She received recent commissions from the Ailey/Fordham B.F.A. Program, Ballet Divertimento (Montreal), Arts Umbrella (Vancouver), Canadian Children’s Dance Theatre (Toronto), Purchase College Conservatory of Dance in collaboration with the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, Perry Mansfield Performing Arts School, Marygrove College, LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, Springboard Danse Montreal, Ballet Austin, Sacramento Ballet, Ailey II, and the Juilliard School. She was featured in the 2009 Ballet Builders New Choreographers on Point series. She is also the founder and artistic director of her own company, Sidra Bell Dance New York. www.sidrabelldanceny.org

“Hush-Hush” Choreography by

Olivier Wevers

Lighting Design

Monique L’Heureux

Music

Dancers

Philip Glass “Concerto for Harpsicord and Orchestra: II”

Corina Gill

Andrew Brader

Jean Michelle Sayeg Joe Bunn Maggie Small

Michael Eaton

Andrea Vierra

Johnstuart Winchell

******* Followed by a discussion with Molly Lynch, Sidra Bell, Deanna Carter, Rick McCullough, and Olivier Wevers

Olivier Wevers is from Brussels, Belgium. He received his training at the Karys Dance Center with Nicole Karys, a former dancer with Bejart’s Ballet du XXieme Siecle. He was a principal at Royal Winnipeg Ballet, dancing regularly with Evelyn Hart, prior to joining Pacific Northwest Ballet as a soloist in 1997. He was promoted to Principal Dancer in 1998. Mr. Wevers has performed works by George Balanchine, August Bournonville, Agnes de Mille, Mark Godden, Jiri Kylian, Leonide Massine, John Neumeier, Petipa, Antony Tudor, Twyla Tharp, and Hans Van Manen. In addition to his performing career, Mr. Wevers is an active choreographer. Since 1993, he has choreographed works for numerous companies in Canada, Japan, and the United States, including: Pacific Northwest Ballet, Spectrum Dance Theatre, and the Seattle Dance Project. In 2005, he choreographed an original one-act production of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream for the Reiko Yamamoto Ballet in Japan. And in 2006, he participated in the prestigious New York Choreographic Institute. Mr. Wevers is a recipient of the 2008 Artist Trust/Washington State Arts Commission Fellowship Award. www.olivierwevers.com

Artist Biographies Jeremy Bannon-Neches was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. He studied at the North Carolina School of the Arts. He is in his fifth season with Nevada Ballet Theater under the artistic direction of James Canfield.

Adrienne Benz is from Vernon, New Jersey. She trained at the Theatre Arts Dance Academy with Elaine Kudo and Buddy Balou, and at the ABT summer programs. She was the 2006 recipient of the Princess Grace Award in dance. She is in her seventh season with BalletMet, Columbus OH, under the artistic direction of Gerard Charles.

Andrew Brader was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana. He studied at The Harid Conservatory, the JKO School at American Ballet Theatre, and intensively with Susan Jaffee. He was an apprentice with the American Ballet Theatre and has also danced with the Houston Ballet.

He is in his fourth season with the Los Angeles Ballet, under the co-artistic direction of Colleen Neary and Thordal Christensen.

Joe Bunn was born in Connecticut and raised in Washington, DC. He trained with Suzanne Ferrell and studied at the Dance Institute of Washington. He accepted a scholarship to the University of the Arts in Philadelphia where he received his bachelor’s degree. He has danced with the American Repertory Ballet and Suzanne Ferrell Ballet. He is in his second season with the National Ballet of Slovenia.

Alexandra Christian was born in Columbia, South Carolina.

She trained at the North Carolina School of the Arts under Susan McCullough, English National Ballet School under Antony Dowson, and Houston Ballet Academy under Claudio Munoz.

She has danced with the Houston Ballet. She is in her third season with the Nevada Ballet Theater.

Michael Eaton was born and raised in Dallas, Texas. He studied at the Houston Ballet Academy with Clara Cravey and Steve BrulĂŠ and at the School of American Ballet with Stanley Williams. He has danced with the San Francisco Ballet and the Tulsa Ballet. He is in his second season with Kansas City Ballet, under the artistic direction of William Whitener.

Corina Gill was born in Boulder City, Nevada. She studied at the Black Mountain Dance Center with Sylvia Palmer and Ahita Ardalen, and at UC Irvine with David Allan. She has danced with the San Diego Ballet, Ballet Tech, Ballet Pacifica, and State Street Ballet. She is in her fourth season with the Los Angeles Ballet, under the co-artistic direction of Colleen Neary and Thordal Christensen.

Beth Kaczmarek was born in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

She trained at the Santa Fe Dance Foundation with Gisela Genschow and graduated from the North Carolina School of the Arts. She has danced with Washington Ballet, Aspen/ Santa Fe Ballet, and Pittsburgh Ballet. She is in her third season with Company C Contemporary Ballet, under the artistic direction of Charles Anderson.

Ted Keener was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

He studied at the North Carolina School of the Arts, The Rock School of Pennsylvania Ballet, and the Indiana University. He has danced with Richmond Ballet and Sacramento Ballet.

He is in his second season with Smuin Ballet, under the artistic direction of Celia Fushille Geoffrey Kropp was born and raised in Bakersfield, California.

He trained at the Civic Dance Center, The Rock School, and the Pacific Northwest Ballet School. He is in his fifth season with Kansas City Ballet, under the artistic direction of William Whitener.

Jean Michelle Sayeg was born in Glendale, California. She studied at the San Francisco Ballet School with Lola DeAvila and Jorge Esquival, and at Le Studio with Cynthia Young and Phillip and Charles Fuller. She has danced with State Street Ballet, Raiford Rogers Modern Ballet, the Los Angeles Opera, and the Palm Beach Opera. She has also danced in the national tours of Cats and Camelot. She is in her second season with Smuin Ballet.

Kelly Ann Sloan was born and raised in Bayonne, New Jersey.

She studied at the New Jersey Ballet School with Elaine Kudo and at the Indiana University with Violette Verdy. She graduated with a BSOF in ballet and journalism. She had danced with Cincinnati Ballet for five years.

She is currently in her fourth season with the Los Angeles Ballet.

Maggie Small was born and raised in Richmond, Virginia.

She trained at the School of Richmond Ballet. She is in her fourth season with Richmond Ballet, under the artistic direction of Stoner Winslett.

Andrea Vierra was born in Redding, Connecticut. She trained at the Washington Academy of the Performing Arts Conservatory High School and at the Atlanta Ballet Centre for Dance Education. She has danced with Atlanta Ballet and the Northwest Professional Dance Project. She is in her second season with Nashville Ballet under the artistic direction of Paul Vasterling.

Johnstuart Winchell was born in Waterville, Maine. He trained at Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet School with David Maroni, Jorden Morris, and Stephane Leonard. He has danced with Ballet Austin. He is in his first season with Colorado Ballet, under the artistic direction of Gil Boggs.

Kristopher Wojtera was born is Gdansk, Poland. He trained at the National Ballet School in Gdansk. He has danced at the Great Theater in Warsaw, Poland and with the Columbia City Ballet, South Carolina. He is in his seventh season with Louisville Ballet, under the artistic direction of Bruce Simpson.

Monique L’Heureux is an award-winning lighting designer who has been working in the field of dance for over two decades.

Recent projects include: Raiford Rogers Modern Ballet; Charles Moulton’s 60 Person Ball Passing Combine and Backhausdance’s eXit in the Fall for Dance festival at the Orange County Performing Arts Center; Molly Lynch’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream for Festival Ballet Theatre; and Magical Starlight Parade at Universal Studios in Osaka, Japan. Past design projects include Jamie Nichols’ Celebrate Dance, blue 13 dance company in Khel, Regional Dance America’s National Festival, and designs for choreographers, including Anjani Ambegaokar, Melissa Barak, Gema Sandoval, Edwaard Liang, Hae Kyung Lee, Linda Sohl-Ellison, and Amy Seiwert. She has taught in the dance departments at Loyola Marymount University and Moorpark College, and in the theatre department at El Camino College. She is an accomplished artist and photographer whose work has been shown in galleries, including the VIVA Gallery, Long Beach Arts Center, City of Brea Gallery, and The Stage Gallery in New York. She is a member of United Scenic Artists. www.artanddesigns.net.

Molly Lynch (Artistic Director) is an award-winning choreographer and artistic director, with over 30 years of experience creating, producing, and presenting dance. She is an Assistant Professor of Dance in the Claire Trevor School of the Arts at the University of

NCI 2007 choreography by Melissa Barak dancers: Adam Hundt & Corina Gill photo by Dave Friedman

California, Irvine. Ms. Lynch is the Founder and Artistic Director of the National Choreographers Initiative, an internationally-known project that nurtures the development of new choreography.

She was the Artistic Director of Ballet Pacifica from 1988 to 2003. During her tenure, Ms. Lynch established Ballet Pacifica as Orange County’s leading professional dance company and one of the area’s top performing arts organizations. Among her innovative trademark programs was the Pacifica Choreographic Project. Under Ms. Lynch’s direction, the company worked with 40 choreographers, premiered more than 40 new ballets and restaged some of America’s most beloved classics by George Balanchine, Antony Tudor, and Choo San Goh. Ms. Lynch has also choreographed over 30 concert and story ballets, 6 children’s ballets and a full-length production of The Nutcracker. Ms. Lynch has recently created new ballets for Sacramento Ballet, Nashville Ballet, BalletMet (Columbus, Ohio), and Dance Collage (Hermosillo, Mexico).

In 1992, Ms. Lynch was given the esteemed Outstanding Alumnus Award from UCI and was named one of OC Metro Magazine’s “Ten Women Who Make A Difference”. She was also the recipient of the Red Cross Clara Barton Cultural Arts Award and the Boy Scouts of America Women of Excellence award in 1996. She was the recipient of the 2001 Choo San Goh Award for Choreography. In 2007 she received the Outstanding Arts Organization Award for her National Choreographers Initiative from Arts Orange County.

And in April 2008 she was honored with the Irvine Barclay Theatre’s prestigious Jade Award for her extraordinary leadership and creativity.

The National Choreographers Initiative Molly Lynch, artistic director would like to thank the following individuals for their support of the 2009 Initiative: Producer Mr. and Mrs. William Roberts Director Bobbi Cox Frank W. Lynch Choreographer

Mr. and Mrs. Larry Cripe William Gillespie Mrs. Richard Steele Dancer

Janet and Henry Eggers Anne B. Nutt The Robinson Foundation Michelle F. RohĂŠ Designer

Mrs. Alan V. Andrews Alan Andrews and Molly Lynch Fran Bass Diane Diefenderfer and David Hanlon Paula Tomei and David Emmes Frome Family Foundation Hoff Foundation Joanne and Dennis Keith Mr. & Mrs. J. Matthew Osborne Marshall Parker Don and Sally Anne Sheridan

Dance Contributor

Wylie and Bette Aitken Dr. Michael Bear David and Beverly Carmichael Bronwyn Daniels Mr. and Mrs. Sam Goldstein Dr. Burton Karson Kathryn Lynch and Robert McDonnell Ed Moen and Janek Schergen Chris and Steve Sumpter Mr. and Mrs. Jack Tingley

Partner

Betsy Andrews and Alex Moad Diane Baker William Bardens Victoria Barrett Laurie and Bart Brown Edith Corbin Roger du Plessis Gale Edelberg and Bob Butnik Mrs. Paul Faranda Cliff Faulkner and Shigeru Yaji Gillian Finley and Robert Labaree Roberta Fox Mary and Andrew Franklin Rachel Gamby and Hugh Roberts Fred and Jeanne Golding Rowell and Pinky Greene Mike an Valerie Harris James and Carol Hollas Lorenzo and Karen Knapp Jack Lyons Maurice and Maureen Mandel Debra Maxwell Mrs. Michael McNalley Dale Merrill John and Margi Murray Joy Owens James Penrod Robert Petel Jane Phelan Jody and Jack Pike Janice Gudde Plastino Dolly Platt Marjorie Reday Patricia Ringstad Louise Ringwalt Cyndi and David Runstrom Timothy Saunders Bruce and Jan Scherer Jack and Katy Schoellerman Mr. and Mrs. William Shue Jackie Smiley Liz Stillwell Gary and Karen Thorne John Warndahl Max and Peggy Weismair Mary Vensel White Updated as of 7/20/09

Past NCI choreographers 2008

2005

Ma Cong Emery LeCrone Amy Seiwert Edmund Stripe

Val Caniparoli Christopher d’Amboise William Soleau Luca Veggetti 2004

2007 Melissa Barak Frank Chaves Edwaard Liang Jerry Opdenaker

Ann Marie DeAngelo Peter Pucci James Sewell Lynne Taylor-Corbett

2006 Ron De Jesus Graham Lustig Charles Moulton Gina Patterson

2004-2009 dancers from: American Repertory Ballet Ballet Austin BalletMet Ballet Pacifica Ballet West Carolina Ballet

Patricia J. Murphy, Chairman Francisco Ayala Arlene Cheng Michael Clark Bobbi Cox Rosemary Cumming Ginny Davies Tony Ellis Morgan Evans Robert Farnsworth Mary Ann Gaido Sam Goldstein Kurt Hagel Skip Johnson Sean Joyce Michael A. Kerr Rick Paikoff Leason Pomeroy Ryan Rieches Mickie L. Shapiro Gary Singer Alan Terricciano Robert E. Tarlton Cheryl Trosky Lisa Bhathal Vogel Ex Officio Beth Krom

Kansas City Ballet

Mayor, City of Irvine

Los Angeles Ballet

Michael V. Drake, M.D. Chancellor, UCI

Louisville Ballet Nashville Ballet National Ballet of Canada Nevada Ballet Theatre Richmond Ballet

Company C Contemporary Ballet

Sacramento Ballet

Eugene Ballet

Slovene National Theatre Opera and Ballet

Festival Ballet Theatre

Irvine Barclay Theatre Board of Directors

Smuin Ballet

Hubbard Street Dance Chicago

State Street Ballet

James Sewell Ballet

Zurich Ballet

Administration Douglas C. Rankin, President Domenick Ietto, Vice President Christopher Burrill, General Manager Karen Drews Hanlon, Dir of Communications Gary Payne, Director of Finance Luanne Bauer, Box Office Manager Helena Danovich, Marketing Assistant Ginny Hayward, Assistant to the President Ryan Main, Patron Services Manager Jeff Stamper, Production Manager Brianna Sparks, Assistant Box Office Manager Jeremy Bolnick, Assistant Production Manager

ANNOUNCING

T h e Barclay’s 20th Season!

2 0 F e atured Events!

A l l t i ckets priced in the 20’s! including these great dance events

“Fondly Do We Hope... Fervently Do We Pray” Bill T Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company

Alberta Ballet in Joni Mitchell’s “The Fiddle and the Drum”

Friday, October 9, 2009 at 8pm

Thursday, February 25, 2010 at 8pm

The West Coast premiere tour of a dance/theatre work by Bill T. Jones, one of our nation’s most revered choreographers, that investigates and celebrates the remarkable life of Abraham Lincoln. Tickets $23

With Joni Mitchell’s powerful songs and beautiful artwork used as scenery, the 30 extraordinary dancers of Alberta ballet use movement to create a contemporary fusion of art forms that awaken and stir the soul. Tickets $28

www.billtjones.org | www.fondlydowehope.com

www.albertaballet.com

NCI Discovery 2010 National Choreographers Initiative

Bruno Beltrão’s Grupo de Rua: “H3” Saturday, January 16, 2010 at 8pm This company from Brazil fuses hip-hop with the inventions of contemporary dance, winning a string of accolades in the process. The Guardian in London calls its “raw 21st-century expression…extraordinarily brilliant.”

Tickets $23 www.grupoderua.com

Molly Lynch, artistic director Saturday, July 31, 2010 at 8pm A southern California dance project with national impact, NCI premieres four new works by choreographers invited by artistic director, Molly Lynch. Tickets $23 www.nchoreographers.com

Tickets go on sale this Monday

“Bahok” Akram Khan Dance Company & National Ballet of China

July 27

Tuesday, February 9, 2010 at 8pm

check the website calendar for all the 20/20/20 events IRVINE

A unique dance-theater piece by one of London’s most exciting young choreographers explores the idea of national identity by pushing boundaries, both geographic and cultural. Tickets $23 www.akramkhancompany.net

BARCLA Y THEATRE 949.854.4646 www.thebarclay.org

IRVINE BARCLAY THEATRE

949.854.4646

www.thebarclay.org youtube.com/newworldflamenco