The most famous ballet of all time makes its San Antonio debut.
October 9-11, 2015 with live music by
PediExpress Urgent care for kids
Conveniently located downtown where I-10 meets I-35, PediExpress is an
Board-certified pediatricians No appointment needed Short wait times
urgent-care clinic where you can bring your sick or injured child in to see us immediately no appointment needed. We care for: • Asthma and allergies • Minor cuts and burns • Sprains and fractures • Fever and headaches
• Cold and flu • Abdominal pain • Vomiting • Rashes
Robert B. Green Campus 903 W. Martin St. 358-KIDS (5437) Extended Hours: Mon - Fri: 8 a.m. - 8 p.m. Saturday: 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.
A GATEWAY FOR
EXCEPTIONAL LEADERS
A St. Mary’s education emphasizes both technical excellence for professional success, plus effective communication and critical thinking skills necessary for tomorrow’s leaders. The Catholic and Marianist University www.stmarytx.edu
Go
Jumpstart your holidays with our city’s #1 Nutcracker!
Nuts! December 4 –13 Tobin Center for the Performing Arts presented by
“Childr en will lov e t h i s sh ow ! ”
Exquisite – S an A ntonio E xpres performances by s -Ne ws Ballet San Antonio artists and Tchaikovsky’s music performed live by the San Antonio Symphony.
Tickets at tobincenter.org balletsanantonio.org | 210.223.8624
Choreography by Ben Stevenson, O.B.E. after Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov Music by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky Sets and Costumes by David Walker Lighting Design by Tony Tucci
H-E-B Performance Hall October 9 – 11, 2015
Photographs and recording devices during Swan Lake performances are strictly prohibited.
WELCOME
Welcome to Swan Lake – and the start of Ballet San Antonio’s thrilling second season in the Tobin Center. On behalf of our dancers and staff, I thank you for joining us and supporting Ballet San Antonio. This year marks our thirtieth anniversary, and we have much to celebrate! From its humble start, Ballet San Antonio has gathered momentum over its three decades. We are proud of our accomplishments so far – from the presentation of world-class dance to our ongoing community engagement through the years. We open our season with the beloved Tchaikovsky classic Swan Lake, choreographed by the legendary Ben Stevenson and accompanied by live music from our close collaborators, the San Antonio Symphony. After this groundbreaking but accessible work, we continue our season with a holiday tradition, The Nutcracker – another collaboration with the San Antonio Symphony. Just like the production of Swan Lake you have come to see, Ballet San Antonio is a success due to the endeavors of many people. That group includes our dancers and staff, of course, but also those who craft costumes and sets, provide a top-tier venue here at the beautiful Tobin Center, support our efforts with funding and volunteer effort, and give direction on our Board of Directors and Advisory Board. I would like to deliver a special word of thanks to San Antonio Symphony President David Gross. Ballet San Antonio and the San Antonio Symphony have shared a close and unique relationship over the years, and David’s recent willingness to serve as our interim executive consultant has bound us even closer. We’re excited to announce the selection of Steven Tremaine Bull as our Interim Executive Director. A fifth-generation San Antonian, Steven brings significant strengths to Ballet San Antonio, including the business prowess of a seasoned executive, a passion for the arts, performance experience on both sides of the curtain, and a rich pattern of nonprofit engagement and community service. Welcome, Steven – we look forward to your leadership through this season. Finally, thank you – for believing in Ballet San Antonio, supporting the arts, and allowing us the honor of being your ballet company.
Christine Varela Mayer Christine Varela Mayer Chair, San Antonio Ballet Board of Directors
C H OR E O G R A P H E R
Ben Stevenson, O.B.E. Mr. Stevenson’s career began in London, where he received his dance training at Arts Educational Schools London. Upon graduation, he was awarded the prestigious Adeline Genée Gold Medal, the highest award given to a dancer by the Royal Academy of Dance. At the age of 18, he was invited to join the world famous Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet (currently the Royal Ballet). During his time at the Royal Ballet, he performed with and learned from many of the great stars of ballet, including Sir Frederick Ashton and Sir Kenneth MacMillan. A few years later, his career would take him to the London Festival Ballet when Sir Anton Dolin invited him to become a principal dancer and to perform leading roles in several classic ballets. In 1967 the English National Ballet asked him to stage his first ballet, the highly successful production of The Sleeping Beauty, which starred Dame Margot Fonteyn. A year after staging the ballet in England, Mr. Stevenson arrived in the United States, lending his vast talents and experience to productions across the country. At the request of Rebekah Harkness, he journeyed to New York, where he assumed the position of Artistic Director of the Harkness Ballet. In 1970 he and Frederic Franklin became the Co-Artistic Directors of the National Ballet of Washington, D.C. While there, he choreographed Cinderella and staged a new production of The Sleeping Beauty for the inaugural season of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. In 1976 Mr. Stevenson was enticed to move to Houston, Texas, and become the Artistic Director of the Houston Ballet. Over the next 27 years, he nurtured the Houston Ballet from a small provincial ensemble to one of the largest and most respected ballet companies in the country and around the world. During his tenure at the Houston Ballet, Mr. Stevenson developed the company’s repertoire by acquiring works of the world’s most respected choreographers, commissioning new works, staging classics, and choreographing new works himself. While there, he founded a school and used his skills as a teacher to develop several generations of world-renowned dancers, including Janie Parker, Carlos Acosta, Lauren Anderson, Li Cun Xin, and many others. He is now using those remarkable abilities to accomplish the same for Texas Ballet Theater. Mr. Stevenson traveled to China in 1978 on behalf of the United States government as part of a cultural exchange program. At the invitation of the Chinese government, he has returned almost every year to teach at the Beijing Dance Academy, where he helped create the Choreographic Department. He is now the only foreigner to have been made Honorary Faculty Member of the Beijing Dance Academy and the Shenyang Conservatory of Music. In 2003, Mr. Stevenson became Artistic Director of Texas Ballet Theater. Since his arrival, Texas Ballet Theater has experienced tremendous growth, as demonstrated by a steadily increasing budget that now exceeds $7.3 million annually. He has continued to expand the company’s repertoire, both staging classics and choreographing original works. The international company now includes dancers from countries around the world, including England, Cuba, Ukraine, Israel,
C H OR E O G R A P H E R
and Brazil. Texas Ballet Theater’s education programs have also grown, and enrollment at the Dallas and Fort Worth Academies has reached full capacity. Texas Ballet Theater is the resident ballet company at the two premier performance venues in North Texas, the Nancy Lee and Perry R. Bass Performance Hall in Fort Worth and the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House in Dallas. Mr. Stevenson is one of ballet’s great storytellers. His own choreography includes full length works: Swan Lake, Romeo and Juliet, Cinderella, The Nutcracker, Coppélia, Don Quixote, the original production of Peer Gynt (which opened Norway’s Bergen Festival Gala in 1983), Dracula, The Snow Maiden, and Cleopatra. He has received numerous awards for his choreography, including three gold medals at the International Ballet Competitions. He has staged his ballets for companies around the world, including the English National Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Paris Opera Ballet, National Ballet of Canada, La Scala, Munich State Opera Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, London City Ballet, Ballet de Santiago, Compañía Nacional De Danza, The Norwegian National Ballet, Estonian National Ballet, and many companies in the United States. His talents have also allowed him to work with celebrities such as John Travolta, Elton John, Chita Rivera, and others. For his contributions to the world of international dance, Mr. Stevenson was named an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (O.B.E.) by Queen Elizabeth II, and in 2000 he was presented with the Dance Magazine Award, one of the most prestigious honors on the American dance scene. In 2005 Mr. Stevenson was awarded the Texas Medal of Arts.
REPÉTITEURS
Dominic Walsh Repétiteur Dominic Walsh, former Principal Dancer and Choreographer with Houston Ballet, was born in Elgin, Illinois, in 1971 and started his training at an early age with Lisa Boehm, Frank Boehm, Warren Conover, and Larry Long in Chicago. He joined Houston Ballet in 1989 and was promoted to soloist in 1993 and principal dancer in 1996. Walsh danced throughout Asia, Europe, and North America, receiving praise from critics such as Anna Kisselgoff of the New York Times, who called him “impressively virtuosic.” Walsh has performed all the major classics including Swan Lake, Giselle, Don Quixote, Romeo & Juliet, and Manon with international stars such as Nina Ananiashvili and Alessandra Ferri. He danced Houston Ballet’s entire contemporary repertoire, and Ben Stevenson created numerous roles for him, including Marc Antony in Cleopatra. In 1998, Walsh’s work Flames of Eros for Houston Ballet won the prestigious Choo-San Goh Award for Choreography. He won a second Choo-San Goh Award in 2007 for Amadeus for Anita, a 2008 Princess Grace Award for Mozart, and numerous other prestigious choreography awards. From 2002 to 2015, Walsh directed his contemporary ballet company, Dominic Walsh Dance Theater. After the company’s debut in February 2003, Dance Magazine said, “At last Houston has a contemporary dance company on par with its symphony, opera, and ballet companies.” Since then, the company has accumulated honors and built a reputation for taking the techniques and skills of classical ballet into groundbreaking territory. The company’s repertoire features works by Walsh and such iconic choreographers as Mats Ek, Jiří Kylián, Mauro Bigonzetti, and Matthew Bourne. Walsh has created as many as five new works each season, and has received multiple commissions to set and create works nationally and internationally. They include Teatro di San Carlo, Naples, Italy, Medea (2009) and The Sleeping Beauty (2011); American Ballet Theatre Studio Company, Alchemy (2004); London Studio Centre, Sub-Luminus (2010); and New National Theatre, Tokyo, Orfeo ed Euridice (2007) and Wolfgang for Webb (2010). Walsh also served as the Resident Choreographer for Sarasota Ballet of Florida, creating and staging Wolfgang for Webb (2008), The Trilogy (2009), and Time Out of Line (2011). Walsh lectures and writes about dance, and travels throughout the U.S. and abroad as a guest teacher and coach for both companies and academies. Walsh also stages the works of his longtime mentor Ben Stevenson, most recently for Ballet San Antonio’s Romeo & Juliet. Earlier this year, he made his film debut as a co-director at the Brussels Short Film Festival with Malta Kano, TX, and he will be returning to Japan this fall to stage his Afternoon of a Faun.
REPÉTITEURS
Janie Parker Repétiteur Janie Parker began her ballet career in 1973 dancing with Le Ballet du Grand Théâtre de Genève in Geneva, Switzerland. While there, the late George Balanchine coached her in the role of Terpsichore in Apollo, the pas de deux in Concerto Barocco, and the pas de deux in Symphony in C among other roles. In 1976, Ben Stevenson became the new Artistic Director of Houston Ballet. That year, Janie Parker signed with him as a soloist for the fledgling company. She was promoted to principal in her third year. The next twenty years dancing for Ben Stevenson provided Parker with the opportunity to dance the leading roles in all the major classical ballets, such as The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, Giselle, Cinderella, Coppelia, Don Quixote, La Sylphide, etc. Some of the ballets that Mr. Stevenson created using Parking in leading roles included his Romeo and Juliet, Alice and Wonderland, Peer Gynt, Esmeralda, Romance, and Image. While dancing with Houston Ballet, Parker performed in cities all over the United States and in Canada, Mexico, Europe, Scandinavia, Indonesia, Chile, China, and Russia. She also danced in many galas including ones in Japan, Cuba, and the Anton Dolin Memorial Gala at Covent Garden with Princess Margaret in attendance. She has danced before many other dignitaries and royal family members, including Princess Michael of Kent, Princess Grace, King Olaf, Castro, and George and Barbara Bush.
C O N D U C TOR
Akiko Fujimoto Conductor Akiko Fujimoto is increasingly recognized as one of the most dynamic and versatile conductors of her generation. In 2015, Fujimoto earned critical acclaim for her performance of Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet with Ballet San Antonio and the San Antonio Symphony, and made her debut with the Houston Symphony as part of its third annual Day of Music. As the Associate Conductor of the San Antonio Symphony, Fujimoto conducts over 40 performances annually including the Baroque Series, Pops, ballet, and education concerts. She also assists Music Director Sebastian Lang-Lessing and is the host of the “Classical Conversations,” pre-concert lectures for the Classics Series. During the 2015–2016 season, she will conduct Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake and make a debut on the Classics Series. Previously, Fujimoto was the Conducting Associate for the Virginia Symphony Orchestra where she conducted a variety of concerts, including stepping in for Music Director JoAnn Falletta at a classical subscription concert. Additionally, Fujimoto has conducted Canada’s National Arts Centre Orchestra and the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra as part of the St. Magnus Festival. Fujimoto’s extensive experience working with young orchestral musicians began at Harvard University where she directed the Mozart Society Orchestra and continued at Stanford University with her leadership of the Stanford Symphony Orchestra. While in Virginia, she held the positions of the Director of Orchestras at the College of William & Mary and Music Director of the Williamsburg Youth Orchestras. Born in Japan, Fujimoto moved to the United States at age 14 and went on to Stanford University where she studied music and psychology. She holds Master of Music degrees in conducting from Boston University and the Eastman School of Music.
C O M PA N Y S TA F F
Amy Fote Ballet Master Amy Fote began her dance training with the Jean Wolfmeyer School of Dance in her native Wisconsin. She continued her studies on scholarship at the National Academy of Arts, Interlochen Arts Academy, and HARID Conservatory in Boca Raton, Florida. Upon graduation, she accepted a position with the Milwaukee Ballet, where she danced 14 seasons, rising through the ranks to principal dancer. During her tenure in Milwaukee, Ms. Fote was regularly invited to perform at the famed Chautauqua Institution in Chautauqua, New York. There she was trained, coached, and encouraged by talented mentors such as JeanPierre Bonnefoux, Patricia McBride, Violette Verdy, and Mark Diamond, and danced with leading artists from companies throughout the world. In 2004, Ms. Fote was invited by the Royal New Zealand Ballet to perform the lead role in Stanton Welch’s Madame Butterfly, ultimately giving 16 performances throughout New Zealand to critical acclaim. The following season she accepted Mr. Welch’s invitation to join Houston Ballet as first soloist and was promoted to principal the following year. Ms. Fote’s classical repertoire includes Odette/Odile in Swan Lake; Juliet in Romeo & Juliet; Kitri in Don Quixote; Tatiana in Onegin; Hanna in The Merry Widow; Swanhilda in Coppélia; Giselle (and Myrtha) in Giselle; Sugar Plum Fairy (and Snow Queen) in The Nutcracker; Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty; Esmerelda in The Hunchback of Notre Dame; Svetlana in Dracula; Pamina in The Magic Flute; Marie in Stanton Welch’s Marie; and title roles in Madame Butterfly, Anna Karenina, Cinderella, Carmen, and Scheherazade. She has had featured roles in both classical and contemporary works including Ashton’s Les Rendezvous; Bournonville’s Conservatoire; Balanchine’s Who Cares?, The Four Temperaments, Serenade, Apollo, Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux, Western Symphony, Symphony in C, Allegro Brillante, Rubies, Square Dance, Walpurgisnacht Ballet, Donizetti Variations, and Stars and Stripes; Bruce’s Sergeant Early’s Dream; Forsythe’s In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated; Goh’s Unknown Territories and In the Glow of the Night; Jooss’ The Green Table; King’s Map, Kylián’s Petite Mort and Svadebka; Kudelka’s Little Dancer; Lichine’s Graduation Ball; van Manen’s Grosse Fuge and Five Tangos; McIntyre’s The Reassuring Effects (of Form and Poetry); MacMillan’s Gloria; Robbins’ The Concert and Afternoon of a Faun; Taylor-Corbett’s Great Galloping Gottschalk; Tudor’s Lilac Garden, The Leaves are Fading, and Elegies; Tetley’s Voluntaries; Sappington’s Virgin Forest; Stevenson’s Three Preludes; Wheeldon’s Carnival of the Animals; Welch’s Indigo, The Core, Nosotros, Brigade, The Four Seasons, Clear, Carmina Burana, Orange, Velocity, Falling, Tu Tu, Red Earth, Divergence, A Doll’s House, and Mediæval Bæbes; York’s Celts; and other works from Gerald Arpino, Peter Anastos, Kathy Posin, Jean-Paul Comelin, Bruce Wells, Lisa de Ribere, Michael Smuin, John Utans, James Canfield, and Simon Dow. Ms. Fote appeared on television in the PBS broadcast of Dancing Anna Karenina, a documentary following the stages of André Prokovsky’s ballet from rehearsal to performance. After retiring from her position as principal dancer at Houston Ballet in 2014, Ms. Fote joined Ballet San Antonio.
C O M PA N Y S TA F F
Danielle Campbell Company Outreach Manager Danielle Campbell began her dance training with the Kansas City Ballet School at age 9. She continued her dance education at the Walnut Hill School for the Arts in Natick, Massachusetts, with Michael Owen, Sydelle Gomberg, Samuel Kurkjian, and Tamara King. While there, she was a member of the National Youth Ballet for two seasons. Ms. Campbell also attended several summer programs including the Rock School of the Pennsylvania Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, and Atlanta Ballet. As a professional, Ms. Campbell joined the Georgia Ballet, where she danced in La Sylphide, The Nutcracker, and Swan Lake, and was featured in Ginger Thatcher’s Monet’s Garden. She then joined Nashville Ballet, dancing in numerous classical and contemporary works including Scheherazade, The Sleeping Beauty, and Aida with The Nashville Opera, as the Tortoise in Paul Vasterling’s The Singing Tortoise, and in Robert Philander’s Snap. In 2007, Ms. Campbell joined Ballet San Antonio. She performed in Gabriel Zertuche’s Suzaki Dances and Svelto; in Spanish and Russian dances in The Nutcracker; as a villager and lead bride in Dracula; as lead czardas in Coppélia; and in Ben Stevenson’s Cinderella. Ms. Campbell has extensive experience working with young dancers. She taught at Ballet San Antonio Academy and served as associate director of the school’s dance ensemble for five seasons. She also teaches at the Ballet Conservatory of South Texas, Boys & Girls Clubs, and various schools in the greater San Antonio area. In 2013, Ms. Campbell joined the Ballet San Antonio staff. Since then, Ms. Campbell has helped expand the company’s community education program, locally and nationally, including though a partnership with American Ballet Theatre’s prestigious Project Plié program.
THE CAST
October 9
October 10
October 11
Sally Turkel Ian Morris Jason Cox Robert Quintanilla Yana López Crystal Serrano Lydia Relle Carol Tang Dylan Duke Andres Angulo Carly Hammond Kate Maxted Jóse Gonzalez Artists of Ballet SA Carol Tang Lydia Relle Mai Uesaka Kate Maxted Sofie Bertolini Eryn Hanes Artists of Ballet SA
Sally Turkel Ian Morris Jason Cox Robert Quintanilla Yana López Crystal Serrano Lydia Relle Carol Tang Dylan Duke Andres Angulo Carly Hammond Kate Maxted Jóse Gonzalez Artists of Ballet SA Crystal Serrano Lydia Relle Mai Uesaka Kate Maxted Sofie Bertolini Eryn Hanes Artists of Ballet SA
Carol Tang Jóse Gonzalez Jason Cox Robert Quintanilla Yana López Sally Turkel Carly Hammond Kathleen Martin Ian Morris Andres Angulo Eryn Hanes Crystal Serrano Dylan Duke Artists of Ballet SA Crystal Serrano Carly Hammond Mai Uesaka Kate Maxted Sofie Bertolini Eryn Hanes Artists of Ballet SA
Robert Quintanilla Carly Hammond Jóse Gonzalez Andres Angulo Kate Maxted Dylan Duke Jenna Stamm Yosvani Cortellan Andie Alshouse Bryony McCullough John Frazer Jimmy Hernandez Lydia Relle Christopher McDaniel Artists of Ballet SA Heather Lacey
Robert Quintanilla Carly Hammond Jóse Gonzalez Andres Angulo Kate Maxted Dylan Duke Jenna Stamm Yosvani Cortellan Andie Alshouse Bryony McCullough John Frazer Jimmy Hernandez Lydia Relle Christopher McDaniel Artists of Ballet SA Heather Lacey
Robert Quintanilla Sofie Bertolini Ian Morris Andres Angulo Carly Hammond Christopher McDaniel Crystal Serrano Yosvani Cortellan Andie Alshouse Kathleen Martin John Frazer Jimmy Hernandez Lydia Relle Dylan Duke Artists of Ballet SA Heather Lacey
Act I Odette/Odile Price Siegfried Von Rothbart The Tutor The Queen Pas de Six Woman Pas de Six Woman Pas de Six Woman P Pas de Six Man Pas de Six Man Pas de trois Woman Pas de trois Woman Pas de trois Man Peasants, Servants & Court Big Swan Big Swan Little Swan Little Swan Little Swan Little Swan Swans
Act II Master of Ceremonies Spanish Woman Spanish Man Spanish Man Neapolitan Woman Neapolitan Man Lead Czardas Woman Lead Czardas Man Czardas Woman Czardas Woman Czardas Man Czardas Man Lead Mazurka Woman Lead Mazurka Man Mazurka Couples Black Swan Double
S Y N OP S I S
Act I Prologue The Lakeside Princess Odette is gathering flowers by the lake one day when the sorcerer Von Rothbart appears and transforms her into a swan.
Scene I The Courtyard and Castle Festivities are underway to celebrate the coming of age of Prince Siegfried. His mother, the Queen, enters and drinks a toast to her son, reminding him that he will soon be King. The Prince is dismayed by the thought of the responsibilities being forced upon him. The Queen presents him with the gift of a crossbow which excites him greatly. As he is left alone to contemplate his future, he suddenly sees white swans soaring overhead, and taking his crossbow, the Prince follows them into the night.
Scene II The Lakeside by Moonlight Discovering the swans by a lake, the Prince watches with amazement as one swan approaches and is transformed into a beautiful maiden. The maiden tells him that she is Princess Odette, and the spell cast upon her by Von Rothbart can only be broken by someone who swears his love for her. Von Rothbart suddenly appears, and Siegfried attempts to shoot the sorcerer. Odette explains that if he succeeds, the sorcerer’s spell can never be broken. Siegfried swears his vow of eternal love to Odette. She warns him that if he breaks his vow, she is doomed to remain a swan forever. At dawn, Odette returns to the lake and becomes a swan again.
-Intermission-
Act II Scene I The Ballroom of the Castle As the Prince dances with Princesses from countries around the world at the ball, his mind is filled with thoughts of Odette. Two uninvited guests arrive, Von Rothbart and his daughter Odile, disguised as Odette. Siegfried believes Odile to be his swan princess, and Von Rothbart forces him to swear that Odile is his chosen love. As Von Rothbart and Odile return to their true forms, the Prince realizes he has been deceived. Odette and her maidens appear as Von Rothbart destroys the castle.
Scene II The Lakeside Odette forgives Siegfried for his unwitting betrayal, and they agree to remain together until death. In his rage, Von Rothbart raises a storm, but the love of Odette and Prince Siegfried proves stronger than his magic. As the couple throw themselves into the lake, Von Rothbart too is destroyed.
P R I N C I PA L DA N C E R S
Sally Turkel - Cary, North Carolina Sally Turkel began her ballet training at Cary Ballet Conservatory in Cary, North Carolina. At age 14, she was accepted to the residential high school ballet studies program at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. After performing with the Houston Ballet, Carolina Ballet, Stiefel and Stars, and Houston Ballet II, Ms. Turkel joined Colorado Ballet in Denver, Colorado, where over five professional seasons she performed a variety of classical and contemporary roles in some of her favorite ballets, including The Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, and George Balanchine’s Theme and Variations. Ms. Turkel joined Ballet San Antonio for the 2013 season and was promoted to principal dancer in 2014. While with Ballet San Antonio, Ms. Turkel danced the roles of Mina in Gabriel Zertuche’s Dracula, Cinderella and Fairy Godmother in Ben Stevenson’s Cinderella, the Sugarplum Fairy and Snow Queen in The Nutcracker, Lead Girl in Balanchine’s Donizetti Variations, and the lead role in Gabriel Zertuche’s Valsa de San Valentino. Throughout her career, she has also worked with choreographers such as Stephen Mills, Twyla Tharp, Michael Pink, Emery LeCrone, and Stanton Welch. In February 2015, Ms. Turkel danced the role of Juliet in Ben Stevenson’s Romeo and Juliet. The Rivard Report said this about her performance: “Turkel maintains the character arc, from impudent and reluctant girl to the grieving and horror stricken widow-too-young, with a richness of feeling that goes beyond her obvious prowess as a dancer.”
Ian Morris - Saratoga Springs, New York Ian Morris was born in Saratoga Springs, New York, and began his dance training under the direction of Phyllis Latin. He studied ballet, jazz, Latin, and tap, and joined the Phyllis Latin Dance Company to further pursue his ballet training. In December 2002, he and the Latin Dance Company performed at the Bolshoi Student Theatre in Moscow, Russia. He attended the Joffrey Ballet School on full scholarship in 2004 and was subsequently invited to join the Joffrey Ensemble Dancers. Mr. Morris has been a guest artist with Ballet Tennessee, Connecticut Ballet, and Berks Ballet Theatre, among others. In 2006, he joined Montgomery Ballet under the direction of Elie Lazar. He was featured in lead roles in The Nutcracker, Carmen, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Paquita, La Bayadère, and The Sleeping Beauty, as well as other classical and contemporary works. Mr. Morris spent the 2009-2010 season with Ballet San Antonio before returning to Montgomery Ballet. In 2011, he came back to Ballet San Antonio, making his debut as principal dancer in the title role of Dracula. According to mesa.com’s Art Beat, “Played by principal dancer Ian Morris, Dracula is even more menacing and compelling. His speed, strength, acting, and sheer presence give you shivers.” Since his arrival in San Antonio, Mr. Morris has danced leading roles in Gabriel Zertuche’s The Nutcracker, Love Triangle, and Scheherazade. He also debuted the role of Prince Charming in Ben Stevenson’s Cinderella and Romeo in Ben Stevenson’s Romeo & Juliet.
S O LO I S T S
Carol Tang - Cincinnati, Ohio Carol Tang, a native of Cincinnati, Ohio, began her classical training at the age of ten with the Cincinnati Ballet. She had the privilege of performing with the company in ballets such as Val Caniparoli’s Nutcracker, Kirk Peterson’s The Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, and Giselle. In 2004 and 2005, Ms. Tang placed in the top 12 at the Youth American Grand Prix regional semi-finals. In addition to the Cincinnati Ballet, Ms. Tang has also studied at Ballet Internationale, Steps on Broadway, and China’s Shanghai Ballet. She has worked closely with Irina Chistyakova, Jiang Qi, Deirdre Carberry, Devon Carney, Xin Lili, and Ka-Ron Brown Lehman. She is a scholarship graduate with a BFA in ballet performance from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. In 2011, she joined Island Moving Company for three seasons. During her career, she has performed Giselle in Giselle, Principal in Paquita, Sugar Plum Fairy as a guest artist in The Nutcracker, and parts in Le Corsaire and La Bayadère. With Ballet San Antonio, she has performed The Nutcracker, Ben Stevenson’s Romeo and Juliet, Balanchine’s Donizetti Variations, and Gabriel Zertuche’s Dracula, Arvo, Scheherazade, and Butterflying. This is Ms. Tang’s second season with Ballet San Antonio.
Jóse Gonzalez - Seattle, Washington Jóse Gonzalez began his ballet studies at the age of eight at INCOLBALLET in Cali, Colombia. Upon graduating, he danced with Ballet de Cali, performing both classical and modern repertoire. In 2002, he joined Ballet Contemporáneo de Caracas in Venezuela, where he danced the principal roles in Le Corsaire, Don Quixote, The Nutcracker, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Carmina Burana, Carmen, and others. In 2005, he was a principal dancer with Ballet Teresa Carreno in Don Quixote. Later he joined Tulsa Ballet, where he danced in Val Caniparoli’s Lambarena, Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker, La Sylphide, and Western Symphony. In 2009, he joined State Street Ballet as a principal dancer, dancing lead roles in Cinderella, The Nutcracker, Love Love, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and The Jungle Book. In 2011, he joined the cast of Neos Dance Theatre. Mr. Gonzalez danced with Charleston Ballet theatre in 2012, performing Balanchine’s Allegro Brilliante and Who Cares?, The Firebird, The Nutcracker, Cinderella, and Dracula. He also danced with Island Moving Company in Newport, Rhode Island. Mr. Gonzalez has worked with major choreographers and teachers such as Nina Novak, Maria Eugenia Barrios, Oscar Aráiz, Jimmy Gamonet, Juan Carlos Peñuela, Christopher Fleming, Rodney Gustafson, William Soleau, Jill Eathorne Bahr, Dominic Walsh, and Philip Neal. With Ballet San Antonio, Mr. Gonzalez has performed The Nutcracker, Ben Stevenson’s Romeo and Juliet, Balanchine’s Donizetti Variations, and Gabriel Zertuche’s Dracula, Arvo, and Butterflying. This is Mr. Gonzalez’s second season with Ballet San Antonio.
S O LO I S T S
Lydia Relle
Seattle, Washington
Andres Angulo Cali, Colombia
C OR P S D E BA L L E T
Andrea Alshouse El Paso, Texas
Carly Hammond Detroit, Michigan
Yanaylet L贸pez
Santa Clara, Cuba
Crystal Serrano
Seattle, Washington
Kate Maxted
Durango, Colorado
Alexa Horwath
Mexico City, Mexico
Eryn Hanes
Miamisburg, Ohio
Jenna Stamm
Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
Mai Uesaka
Detroit, Michigan
Sofie Bertolini Austin, Texas
Rose Forte Hensley
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Bryony McCullough
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
C OR P S D E BA L L E T
Kathleen Martin Grayslake, Illinios
Gustavo Candelas
Boston, Massachusetts
Dylan Duke
Baltimore, Maryland
Hans Gloor
Zurich, Switzerland
APPRENTICES
Heather Nichols
Richmond, Virginia
Kanae Kusu
Matsuyama, Japan
Mica Ward
Chicago, Illinios
Zane Terry
Ashleigh Chuang
Grand Rapids, Michigan
TRAINEE
Astin Bryson
Vaness Hopkins
Bulverde, Texas
Burlington, New Jersey
C H A R A C T E R A RT I S T
Jason Cox
San Antonio, Texas
For more info on the dancers, please visit balletsanantonio.org
Leawood, Kansas
GU E S T A RT I S T S
Not pictured: Jimmy Hernandez San Antonio, Texas
Heather Lacey Chicago, Illinois
Yosvani Cortellan Camaguey, Cuba
John Frazer
Boise, Idaho Courtesy of Ballet Idaho
Christopher McDaniel East Harlem, New York
Robert Quintanilla San Antonio, Texas
SPECIAL THANKS The Tobin Endowment Bruce Bugg H-E-B Christopher Cheever Ben Stevenson, O.B.E Texas Ballet Theatre American Ballet Theatre Janie Parker Dominic Walsh Ken McCombie Amy Fote San Antonio Shoes Elizabeth Cox Ballet San Antonio Board of Directors La Villita La Villita Cafe Instituto Cultural de Mexico Tobin Center for the Performing Arts Michael Fresher Department for Culture and Creative Development, City of San Antonio Texas Commission on the Arts Kronoski Foundation Robert Marshall Drs. Christine & Paul Mayer Dr. Liz Conklyn News 4 San Antonio Shelly Miles Dorothy’s Dance Shop Stephanie Basse Alyssa Tamez Ann Reese Marriot Residence Inn Marriot Towne Place Suites Tobin Center Ghost Light Society Rack Gives Back Rackspace Hosting Cara Nichols Alamo Pants and Petals Cover That Up! Ranch at the Rim Mrs. Laura Johnson Neiman Marcus
The Sporting District Kristina & Thomas Fentress Karen Lee & David Zachary Elise & Craig Boyan Dr. John Browning & Mrs. Lauren Browning Ana Montoya Franco Mondini Ruiz AnArte Gallery theFund Susan Clark Epitacio Resendez Smart Barre Hotel Valencia Dr. Paul Saenz Sports Medicine Associates SRO Associates, Inc. Eddy Snell Karen Miller Raul McGinnes Ballet Conservatory of South Texas Elena Oseguera Honorable Nelson Wolff Stefanie Alvheim Marieli Guardiola Pope Susan Mata Barbara & Alexander Devora Still Life Photography by Alexander Devora Kristina & Mike Horwath Tim Francis Huffman Developments Corporation Janet & Steve Huffman Cynthia Evers StudioOne Esteban Cardenas Kristine Carpenter Texas Public Radio Mike Osterhage Radius Building Paul Carter Mehron Azarmehr Azarmehr & Associates, P.C. Yazmeen Fernandez Karen Hennessy
SPECIAL THANKS Kierstan Fessler Karen Yarbrough KSAT 12 Stacie Healy Boys & Girls Club of San Antonio Angie Mock Virginia & Michael Himoff Drs. Shea and Brian Nietz San Antonio Center for Physical Therapy San Antonio Symphony Opera San Antonio Rosemary Kowaski The RK Group Trinity University Marisa Andrade Suhail Arastu Ruth Battiato Anne Bayerkohler Robert Best Jennifer Bligh Jennifer Borhelt Maureen Caspers Anna Cavazos Francois Colin Nathaniel Cone Lori Darchicourt Iris de Andrade Catherine de Marigny Marilyn Faye Kierstan Fessler Anna Folsom Nancy Fonseca Jody Fries Kierstan Gallagher Jennifer Garza Andrew Gignac Page Graham Marieli Guardiola Pope Elizabeth Hammond Deborah Harhai Tanya Haug Heather Hernandez Alison Hinojosa
Jacquelyn Hudson Betty Humphris Phyllis Ingram Charles John Mia Johnson Margaret Joseph Carla Katselnik Stephanie Key Joseph Kirkland Darenda Klentzman Kristy Kosub Aaron Krohn Barbara C. Kyse Ellie Leeper Catherine Lester Clarissa Martinez Susan Mata Syl Mauro Marguerite McCormick Carol McGanity Mimi Meissner Karen Miller Kayleigh Miller Toni & Joe Murgo Mario Ochoa Mission Orthodontics Alejandro Padilla Linda Relle Evelyn Rogers Mark Ruiz Anne Schelleng Dr. Brian Skop Andrew Elvin Steans Shannon Stephens Robert Stevens Ertan Torgul Carolyn True Zuani Villarreal Julie Villejo Janet Volz Joan Wyatt Teri Wilson Teri Zuwala
B OA R D OF D I R E C TOR S Dr. Christine Varela Mayer, Chair Dr. Elizabeth Conklyn Ami Gordon Johnette Lee George Pedraza Victoria Roca Lisa Westmoreland
A DV I S ORY B OA R D Ben Stevenson O.B.E. Cathy Burzik Michael Himoff Steve Huffman
CREDITS Executive Director Interim: Steven Tremaine Bull Company & Outreach Manager: Danielle Campbell Steans Production Manager: Aaron Krohn Administrative Assistant: Crystal Ramos Stage Manager: Jonathan Moore Set Design & Construction: David Walker Costume Design and Construction: David Walker Wardrobe Master: Raul McGinnes Wardrobe Assistants: Kristina Horwath Lighting Designer: Tim Francis Program: Smith Print Company Physician: Dr. Paul Saenz, Sports Medicine Associates Company Physical Therapists: Drs. Brian & Shea Nietz Company Dietician: Elissa R. Lueckemeyer RD, LD Company Photographer: Alexander Devora, Still Life Photography Publicity Photographs: Alexander Devora, Still Life Photography
S P O N S OR S H I P OP P ORT U N I T I E S
Individual & Corporate Giving Allegro Circle Ambassadors First Position Society Ballet San Antonio relies on individual and corporate contributions to present ballet of the highest caliber. Many granting agencies require that 30% of an organization’s annual budget come from public support; your contribution helps Ballet San Antonio reach that number. Please consider partnering with Ballet San Antonio in our mission to provide San Antonio with artistic excellence, innovation and education. Please visit www.balletsanantonio.org for more information on how you can support your ballet company.
Become a Ballet San Antonio Sponsor When you become a Ballet San Antonio sponsor, you support not only great dance, but also our educational and cultural work throughout our city. We invite you to partner with us in support of these worthy endeavors. As an individual, you might consider one of several giving options (each with its own set of perks), including Friend of the Ballet (at the $100+ level), Supporter ($500+), Patron ($1,000+), and Partner ($5,000+) levels – or set your own amount. We invite our Patron level and above sponsors into the prestigious Allegro Circle, and offer the elite Ambassador level for the most formidable, multi-year contributions. We are glad to offer an array of options to our supporters. Our First Position Society is an affordable program for young patrons ages 3 to 12 – a perfect birthday or holiday gift – and there’s the opportunity to sponsor an individual dancer at the Principal Circle ($5,000), Soloist Circle ($2,500), or Corps de Ballet Circle ($1,000) level. Of course, we could not put on such wonderful productions without the help of our volunteers. If you have time and talent, consider lending a hand with our Corps de Volontaires. However you contribute, thank you for making an investment in San Antonio’s artistic excellence!
S U P P ORT E R S Contributor ($25,000+) Cathy & Frank Burzik Elizabeth Conklyn Lisa & Jason Westmoreland Director ($10,000+) Elizabeth Fund San Antonio Area Foundation Christopher Cheever Dorothy’s Dance Shop Ami Gordon Ballet San Antonio Guild Partner ($5,000+) Dr. Elizabeth Conklyn Lisa & Jason Westmoreland Patron ($1,000+) Brenda Avery & Syl Mauro Lewis Moorman IV Rachel & George Pedraza Cicero Alexander Rust III Laura & Richard Turkel Supporters ($500+) Acorn Pediatrics Larry Adamson Lauren & John Browning Thomas Fentress Michael Himoff Brenda Avery & Syl Mauro Christine & Paul Mayer Mega Systems Inc. Anna & Jamie Shaw Jack Williams III Ann Vineyard Tracy & Jack Williams Teri Wilson Friends of the Ballet ($100) Larry Adamson Stanley Allen Erin Bertolini Charles Braun James Calvert Rodolfo Carreon Randall Cook
Tina Craig Chris Eugster Rose Forte Amy Fote Timothy Francis Yvonne & Earle Freeman Denis Gagnon Shannan Hern Charles John Martin Kushner Katie & Kurt Meissner David Mollenauer Larry Nuese Kevin Peckham Jamie Shaw Valorie Shaw Eddy Snell Jessica Stanco Cindy Thayer Ann Vineyard Izabara Wallisch Teri Wilson Mark Woods
Ballet Ball Sponsors
Allegro Circle Edgar Alcazar Elise & Craig Boyan Cathy & Frank Burzik Chris Cheever Dr. Elizabeth Conklyn Drs. Christine & Paul Mayer Laura & Lewis Moorman IV Kevin Peckham Rachel & George Pedraza Robert Rivard Epitacio Resendez Laura & Richard Turkel David Vasquez Lisa & Jason Westmoreland Karen Lee & David Zachry
Sponsor a Swan ($200) Leslie & Stanley Allen Stephanie & Cris Eugster Laura & Rob Walls Stacey & Mark Woods
Black Swan ($10,000) Christopher Cheever Tsaichovsky ($5,500) Dr. Elizabeth Conklyn Lisa & Jason Westmoreland Princess Odette ($2,500) Elise & Craig Boyan Drs. Christine & Paul Mayer Karen Lee & David Zachry Patron ($225) Acorn Pediatrics Lauren & John Browning Jean & Charles Hanor Johnette Lee Anna & Jamie Shaw Tracy & Jack Williams Teri Wilson
Corporate Partners Elizabeth Fund San Antonio Area Foundation Frost Bank H-E-B San Antonio Shoemakers
Great care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of this list. Please contact Ballet San Antonio at 210-404-9641 or info@balletsanantonio.org if you have any questions or to report an error.
OU T R E AC H
Ballet San Antonio Outreach Ballet San Antonio not only produces world-class dance at the Tobin, but also gives back to the community in many ways. We have performed across the city, from the Children’s Hospital of San Antonio and the Children’s Bereavement Center to the Carver Library and Fort Sam Houston. We have danced at the H-E-B Tree Lighting, the Artist Foundation’s Art Ball, Fiesta events, and many, many other local celebrations. We are especially proud of our many free performances, such as Ballet in the Park, which premiered at the new Travis Park in April 2014 and has now become an annual event. Because we are committed to San Antonio as a premiere arts destination, we collaborate and perform with many other local arts organizations, including the San Antonio Symphony, Opera San Antonio, the San Antonio Museum of Art, the McNay Art Museum, Luminaria, and others. Our Learning That Moves You program, an interactive arts opportunity for students in kindergarten through 12th grade, takes dance directly into the schools. Our dancers supplement the fine arts curriculum by acquainting students with dance history and interpretation, as well as teaching them some basic dance moves. We touched about 10,000 young lives last school year – and look forward to inspiring even more this year. Since 2012, we have partnered with the Boys and Girls Clubs of San Antonio by providing free weekly ballet instruction during the school year as part of what we call Chance to Dance. The ongoing program has provided underserved children an exposure to the arts, and allowed them a healthy and vibrant means of self-expression. In view of its success, American Ballet Theatre invited us to participate in its prestigious Project Plié, which focuses on increasing racial and ethnic representation in ballet and diversifying America’s ballet companies. We are proud to offer City Barre, a schedule of weekly classes created by Ballet San Antonio specifically for our city’s working professionals. Held 5:00 pm Wednesdays in the Plaza De Armas Building, City Barre classes are a total body workout combining the best elements of a traditional ballet class with influences from yoga and Pilates. It’s our effort to encourage our city’s cultural engagement and physical fitness at the same time – while having a blast.
Sebastian Lang-Lessing, Music Director Akiko Fujimoto, Associate Conductor | Christopher Wilkins, Music Director Emeritus
Violin I
Cello
Clarinet
Bass Trombone
Eric Gratz Elizabeth H. Coates Concertmaster Chair Bonnie Terry Associate Concertmaster Sarah Silver Assistant Concertmaster Joan Christenson Beth Girko* Philip Johnson Bassam Nashawati Anastasia Parker* Laura Scalzo Renia Shterenberg* Andrew Small* Craig Sorgi
Kenneth Freudigman Mary Rohe Principal Chair David Mollenauer Assistant Principal Barbara George Holgen Gjoni Morgen Johnson Lachezar Kostov Ryan Murphy
Ilya Shterenberg Principal Stephanie Key Assistant Principal Rodney Wollam
Ilan Morgenstern
Violin II Mary Ellen Goree Principal Karen Stiles Assistant Principal Cleo Aufderhaar Angela Caporale* Beth Johnson* Judy Levine-Holley Sayaka Okada* Eric Siu* Aimee Toomes* Amy Venticinque* Stephanie Teply Westney*
Viola Allyson Dawkins Col. and Mrs. Ran Watson Principal Chair Emily Watkins Freudigman Alice Viola Winters Edison Assistant Principal Chair Beverly Harnish Bias1 Beth Breslin Marisa Bushman Kayleigh Miller Terry Stolow
Bass Thomas Huckaby Principal David Milburn Assistant Principal Nicholas Browne James Chudnow Zlatan Redzic Steve Zeserman
E-flat Clarinet Stephanie Key
Bass Clarinet Rodney Wollam
Bassoon Sharon Kuster Principal Brian Petkovich Assistant Principal Ron Noble
Tuba Lee Hipp Principal Timpani Peter Flamm Principal Riely Francis Assistant Principal
Percussion Riely Francis Principal David Reinecke Assistant Principal Bill Patterson
Flute
Contrabassoon
Harp
Martha Long Principal Jean Robinson Julie Luker Associate Principal
Ron Noble
Rachel Ferris Principal
Horn
Piccolo Julie Luker
Oboe Paul Lueders Ewing Halsell Foundation Principal Chair Hideaki Okada Assistant Principal Jennifer Berg
English Horn Jennifer Berg Sarah Knapp Kidd English Horn Chair
Jeff Garza Abraham M. Sidorsky Principal Chair Peter Rubins+ Associate Principal Spencer Park1 Adedeji Ogunfolu
Trumpet
Librarian Greg Vaught Principal Allison Bates
Musician Emeritus Mark Ackerman, oboe Harvey Biskin, timpani
John Carroll Principal Lauren Eberhart Jan Roller Assistant Principal
Trombone Patrick Montgomery+ Principal Michael Maier1 Assistant Principal Ilan Morgenstern
Stage & Operations Manager, DeAnna D’Egidio | Orchestra Personnel Manager, Kathy Nix * 1 +
Voluntarily rotates between violin sections Temporary Acting
S A S B OA R D OF D I R E C TOR S David Gross President, San Antonio Symphony
David Kinder Chair David Barge San Antonio Symphony Mastersingers, Chair
David Holmes
Steven Bennett Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary James R. Berg President, MatsonCreative.com Ernest Bromley Chairman & CEO Bromley Communications
Eric D. Honeyman Vice President, Refining Operations Valero Energy Corporation Clay Jett Market President, San Antonio, Bank SNB Carol Lee Klose Philip Knight-Sheen
Diane Persellin Music Education Professor, Trinity University Brian Petkovich Musician - Bassoon San Antonio Symphony Beverly Purcell-Guerra Stephen Seidel Managing Shareholder Winstead PC Dr. Sheila Swartzman Tejas Anesthesia, retired Steven Tye The Martha-Ellen Tye Foundation
Marisa Bushman Musician - Viola San Antonio Symphony
Alfredo La Rosa Executive Vice President, Intercontinental Wealth Advisors, LLC
Felicia Cantu Ernst & Young
James Lowe Board Treasurer
Freddie E. Cervera, III President, San Antonio Symphony League
Greg Markovich Capital Group
Dr. Alice Viroslav, M.D. Neuroradiologist, Radsource Clinical Professor of Radiology, UTSA
Betty Merchant Dean of Education and Human Resources, UTSA
Dennert O. Ware Chief Executive Officer CeloNova BioSciences, Inc.
Jennifer Munzel H.E.B.
Didi Weinblatt Ph.D., CFA USAA, Retired
Lauren Eberhart Musician - Trumpet San Antonio Symphony Alfredo Flores, Jr. President, Alamo Music
Mary Jane Verette Vice President of Administration, Frost Bank
Dr. Michael Ozer Board Secretary, Pediatric Medicine
S A S A D M I N I S T R AT I V E S TA F F
Katherine Adams Individual Giving Manager
Allison Bates
Assistant Librarian
Karina Bharne
Vice President of Concert Production
Jeremy Brimhall
Director of Education & Community Outreach
Karen Cramer
Director of Group Sales and Business Partnerships
DeAnna D’Egidio
Stage and Operations Manager
Jessica Fasola Data Manager
David Gross President
Yvonne Perez
Director of Payroll and Human Resources
Richard RochĂŠ
Greg Vaught
Principal Librarian
Administrative Support Staff
Office Assistant
Chief Financial Officer
Christine Arriaga Rosie Santos Aurora Yebra
Katie Kinder DeBauche
Catie Shanks
Office Volunteers
Sharon May
Paul Stanley Salazar
Margaret Hager
Vice President of Development Staff Accountant
Kathy Nix
Orchestra Personnel Manager
Annette Paulin
Director of Grants
Artistic Operations/ Music Director Personal Assistant
Vice President of Marketing and Communications
Cassandra Sanchez Administrative Assistant
Nancy Black Ruth Frederick Marcia Holliman Agnes Lowe Mary Anne Kramer Martin Kushner Ann Maggart Toni Murgo B J Neal Kathy Rafferty Don Wilkinson
Wishes to extend a special thanks to our partners who have made this production possible
OPERATION: McNay Outreach
We used to be San Antonio’s best-kept secret, now we’re telling all. The McNay offers world-class art and diverting experiences.
Home to Th e Tob in Collectio n of Th eatre Arts
REFERENCES: MCNAY ART MUSEUM, GIFT OF THE TOBIN FOUNDATION FOR THEATRE ARTS.
LEON BAKST, COSTUME DESIGN FOR VASLAV NIJINSKY AS CHINESE DANCER IN LES ORIENTALES, 1917. WATERCOLOR AND GRAPHITE ON PAPER. COLLECTION OF THE
CONTACT: mcnayart.org
Overlooking the River Walk 203 South St. Mary’s at Market Street Reservations 210.225.0722 | Biga.com Did someone say party? biga.com/private-dining/
3 Course Seasonal Menu – perfect before or after the show, starting from just $39. ORDER BEFORE 6:30 OR AFTER 9:30
“Passionate performances do crazy things to a chef’s imagination.”
Dinner Service Nightly | Valet Parking Ride The E! to Biga for free! Westin Riverwalk Stop.
Chef BruCe J. Auden
Biga Symphony Program Ad 2015 Season_v2.indd 1
9/9/15 9:55 AM