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Table of

Contents V. MAKE A DIFFERENCE

I. LETTERS & COMPANY OVERVIEW Season at a Glance Leadership Letters Board of Directors Advisory Council History of The Sarasota Ballet 20 Seasons of Iain Webb The Facts The Sarasota Ballet Repertoire Joyce Tour 2026 Gala 2026

7 9 14 17 18 20 25 26 28 32

II. SEASON OVERVIEW Program One Program Two Program Three Program Four Program Five Program Six Program Seven Alastair Macaulay Article

36 50 58 64 74 78 84 92

III. DANCERS & STAFF Director Biographies Senior Leadership School Leadership Artistic Staff Dancer Biographies Staff

101 107 109 110 112 130

IV. SEASON SUPPORTERS Season Supporters In Memoriam

136 163

Why Become a Patron The Martucci Legacy Society

168 176

VI. THE SARASOTA BALLET SCHOOL Children’s Program Preparatory Program The Conservatory The Studio Company Adult Programs Summer Programs Performances The Nutcracker

186 187 188 190 193 194 196 197

VII. DANCE—THE NEXT GENERATION Dance — The Next Generation Programs

204 206

VIII. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT Dance Education Experiences Community Experiences Adaptive Dance Friends of The Sarasota Ballet

215 216 217 218

IX. INDEX & ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Ballet Foundations and Trusts Advertisers Index Media Sponsors

225 229 231

Letters Company Overview

Celebrating Iain Webb’s 20th Anniversary as Director, the 2026 - 2027 Season reflects two decades of artistic vision, distinctive repertory, and enduring commitment to ballet. The following pages introduce the leadership and Company whose work has shaped the identity The Sarasota Ballet and continues to guide its future in Sarasota and beyond today.

“We can’t change the world, but we can change little pieces of it and hope for a ripple effect.” - Margie Barancik

Season At A

Glance

Program One

October 23 - 25, 2026 | FSU Center Gemma Bond Manner ° Sir Frederick Ashton Divertissements Dominic Walsh Wolfgang for Webb

Program Two

November 20 - 21, 2026 | Sarasota Opera House

ACCOMPANIED BY THE SARASOTA ORCHESTRA

Sir Kenneth MacMillan Solitaire ° Jessica Lang Lyric Pieces Alexei Ratmansky Pictures at an Exhibition °

Program Three

December 18 - 19, 2026 | Van Wezel

ACCOMPANIED BY THE SARASOTA ORCHESTRA

Christopher Wheeldon Within the Golden Hour ° Sir Frederick Ashton The Two Pigeons

Program Four

January 29 - February 1, 2027 | FSU Center George Balanchine Donizetti Variations Ashley Page Walking in the Heat ° Ashley Page The Pump Room ° Paul Taylor Mercuric Tidings °

Program Five

February 26 - March 1, 2027 | FSU Center Paul Taylor Dance Company Presented by The Sarasota Ballet

Program Six

March 26 - 27, 2027 | Van Wezel

ACCOMPANIED BY THE SARASOTA ORCHESTRA

Sir Frederick Ashton Romeo and Juliet

Program Seven

April 30 - May 1, 2027 | Sarasota Opera House

ACCOMPANIED BY THE SARASOTA ORCHESTRA

Marius Petipa The Kingdom of the Shades (From La Bayadère) ° Dame Ninette de Valois The Rake’s Progress Antony Tudor Gala Performance Company Premieres °

The performance continues at SELVA PROUDLY SUPPORTS THE SARASOTA BALLET

IAIN N WEBB

Director

Twenty seasons. I’m not quite sure how we arrived here so quickly. When I first came to Sarasota, I knew there was an opportunity to build something distinctive here. What I could not have imagined was the journey this Company would take, the extraordinary artists who would become part of it, or how deeply Sarasota would become home. To begin my 20th season as Director is both rather difficult to believe and an enormous privilege. An anniversary naturally makes you look back, but I have never been terribly interested in looking back simply for the sake of it. Ballet’s history matters because it is alive. These works must be danced, challenged, rediscovered, and passed on to another generation of artists. Sir Fred is, of course, never far away. The Two Pigeons, the first Ashton ballet I programmed for The Sarasota Ballet, returns this season, as does his magnificent Romeo and Juliet. We also revisit Wolfgang for Webb, created by Dominic Walsh for my first season here. To see it return now, nearly twenty years later, brings the beginning of this journey rather neatly into the present. What excites me just as much, however, is what is new to the Company. Alexei Ratmansky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, Christopher Wheeldon’s Within the Golden Hour, Sir Kenneth MacMillan’s Solitaire, Ashley Page’s The Pump Room and Walking in the Heat, and Paul Taylor’s exhilarating Mercuric Tidings all enter our repertoire. Before we even begin our performances at home, The Joyce Theater presents The Sarasota Ballet in New York with a program honoring Sir Frederick Ashton, Antony Tudor, and Sir Peter Wright. To take these works to New York at the beginning of this particular year feels wonderfully appropriate—and a reminder that what we have built here in Sarasota now reaches audiences well beyond our own stages. There are personal threads woven throughout this season as well. The Two Pigeons holds wonderful memories for Maggie and me, and pairing it with Christopher Wheeldon feels particularly fitting given Maggie’s connection to his early career. We close with Petipa, Dame Ninette de Valois, and Tudor—three very different choreographic voices, and three reminders of just how rich this art form can be. None of these twenty seasons belongs to one person. Maggie has been beside me throughout this journey, artistically and personally. Joe Volpe, our Board, donors, staff, and this community have given us the confidence to keep thinking bigger. And our dancers—past and present—have taken every idea, every difficult ballet, and more than a few ambitious challenges and made them real. Twenty years later, I am still excited to walk into the studio and see what comes next. Thank you for continuing to give us the freedom to take risks, make discoveries, and occasionally surprise ourselves.

PROUD TO BE A PARTNER in enriching lives, captivating emotions, and strengthening the community through the art of dance.

Each one of us has the potential to impact a person, a cause, a community. For more than 45 years, the Community Foundation of Sarasota County has been key to unlocking possibilities for all who call our area home. You can be the one to make a difference.

cfsarasota.org

JOSEPH H VOLPE

Executive Director

Twenty seasons under Iain’s direction is a milestone worth celebrating. During that time, The Sarasota Ballet has developed an artistic identity of its own, earned recognition well beyond Sarasota, and, most importantly, continued to put exceptional works onstage. For me, that is always the goal. I joined the board of The Sarasota Ballet in 2014 and became Executive Director in 2016. I had spent most of my career in the theater by then, and one thing I knew was that the work onstage is only as strong as the organization supporting it. Over the past decade, we have worked to strengthen that foundation—building our administration, increasing financial stability, supporting our artists, and creating more opportunities for the Company to be seen outside Sarasota. That work is visible in this Anniversary Season. We begin with a return to The Joyce Theater in New York and continue at home with seven programs, 16 ballets by 13 choreographers, and eight Company premieres. We also welcome the Paul Taylor Dance Company as our guest company. It is an ambitious season, and that is exactly what it should be. Iain and Maggie have never been interested in standing still, and the dancers continue to meet every challenge placed before them. Our work also extends well beyond our performances. The Sarasota Ballet School, The Conservatory, Dance — The Next Generation, and our education and community engagement programs are important parts of our responsibility to this community. A successful organization has to think about today, but it also has to think about what comes next. I learned early in my career that putting something exceptional onstage takes many people. Artists, staff, trustees, donors, partners, and audiences all help make it possible. That has certainly been true here. I am grateful to our Board, supporters, staff, and this community for continuing to believe in what The Sarasota Ballet can accomplish. This anniversary is an opportunity to recognize what Iain and Maggie have built and the many people who helped build it. I am proud to have been part of that work for the past decade, and even more interested in what we do next. Thank you for being part of it.

F U N C T IO NA L A R T W O R K

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MARGARET T BARBIERI Assistant Director What an amazing 20th anniversary Season this is. I am especially excited to welcome the stunning ballets of Alexei Ratmansky, Christopher Wheeldon, and Sir Kenneth MacMillan into our repertoire, alongside many other Company premieres. And the return of Dame Ninette de Valois’s Rake Progress, Jessica Lang’s Lyric Pieces, and the Dominic Walsh’s Wolfgang for Webb - which was the first ballet Iain commissioned for the Company. The Two Pigeons is particularly close to my heart as it was the first Ashton ballet Iain and I staged in Sarasota during his inaugural Season as Director. It’s also special because Iain and I danced it together, and I was the first person that Sir Fred allowed to dance both the Young Girl and the Gypsy Girl roles. To share these works and experiences with our dancers is an enormous privilege. Passing on the musicality, style, and detail that make each ballet unique, and then watching our dancers embody that and bring each ballet to life, remains one of my greatest joys. I look forward to you witnessing all these beautiful ballets and I hope you’ll find this anniversary Season as breathtaking as I do.

JEAN WEIDNER R GOLDSTEIN Founder & Chair Emerita Nearly forty years ago, I founded The Sarasota Ballet with the dream of creating a resident ballet company for this community. To now celebrate Iain’s 20th Season as Director and see all that the Company has become is deeply meaningful to me. Under the leadership of Iain Webb, Margaret Barbieri, and Joseph Volpe, our dancers have carried The Sarasota Ballet from Sarasota to some of the world’s most important stages, while never losing the connection to the community where it began. I am enormously proud of how far we have come and grateful to every supporter, artist, and audience member who has helped make that journey possible. What a joy it is to see the dream continue.

Board of

Directors

2026 - 2027 SEASON

LINDA A MITCHELL

Board Chair

On behalf of the Board of Directors, I’d like to welcome you to The Sarasota Ballet’s 2026 - 2027 Season. After a highly successful seven performance run this September at the Joyce Theatre in New York City, we now turn to celebrating the milestone 20th Season anniversary of the artistic direction and inspiration of Iain Webb. With additional leadership by Joseph Volpe and Margaret Barbieri, this season will feature 16 ballets, 13 choreographers, and 8 company premieres. As one of the nation’s leading ballet companies, The Sarasota Ballet is bound to impress you with the level of excellence, artistry, and athleticism of our dancers. I am immensely grateful for the generous support of our individual patrons, foundations, corporations, and community. Your involvement helps us to be our best, on stage, in our studios, and in our community outreach programs. It’s going to be an incredible anniversary season, and I look forward to sharing it with you.

Charles Wilson Board Vice Chair

2026 - 2027 Season

Pat Kenny Treasurer

Maureen Steiner Secretary

Shari Ashman

Ginger Cannon Bailey

William E. Chapman II

Warren R. Colbert, Sr.

Sandra DeFeo

Bill Farber

Patricia A. Golemme

Robin Grossman

Julie A. Harris

Richard S. Johnson

Frank Martucci

Rosemary Oberndorf

Mercedita OConnor

Audrey Robbins

Jan Sirota

Hillary Steele

Julie G. Swanger

Lisa D. Tobias

Sydney Goldstein

Mark Famiglio

Jean Weidner Goldstein Founder and Chair Emerita

Chair Emerita

Honorary Trustee

Chair Emerita

Dr. Bart Price

Honorary Trustee

Letters & Company Overview

Advisory

Council Maryann Armour

Laura A. Feder

Jan Farber

Dr. Amy L. Harding

Charles Huisking

Robin Klein-Strauss

Peter E. Kretzmer

Karen Lichtig

Tina Lieberman

Richard March

Joan Mathews

Howard Noble

Richard Segall

Lois Stulberg

Letters & Company Overview

History

of The Sarasota Ballet

1987 FOUNDED

Founded in 1987 by Jean Weidner Goldstein, The Sarasota Ballet began as a presenting organization with a clear ambition: to establish a fully resident professional ballet company in Sarasota. In its earliest years, the organization introduced local audiences to visiting artists and companies while steadily building the artistic, administrative, and community foundation that would make a permanent company possible just three years later.

“

Right: Jean Weidner Goldstein on the cover of West Coast Woman, 1988

What began in 1987 as an idea to give Sarasota a ballet company of its own has become something far greater than any one person. Each generation of artists, leaders, students, and supporters has added to its story, and it has been remarkable to watch The Sarasota Ballet continually evolve. Jean Weidner Goldstein, Founder

1990 TOUSSAINT

The Sarasota Ballet in Eddy Toussaint’s Peter and The Wolf

2026 - 2027 Season

In 1990, The Sarasota Ballet became a resident professional company with the appointment of Montreal-based choreographer Eddy Toussaint as its first Director. Toussaint brought most of the dancers from Ballet Eddy Toussaint de Montréal to Sarasota and launched the Company’s first true Season. His choreography formed much of the early repertoire, establishing a distinct artistic identity as the young organization moved from presenting dance to producing it.

1991

FOUNDING DNG In 1991, The Sarasota Ballet established Dance — The Next Generation, extending its mission beyond the stage and into the community. Created by Jean Weidner Goldstein, the program opened access to tuition-free dance training for underserved children in Sarasota and Manatee Counties, combining rigorous instruction with academic support, mentoring, and enrichment. DNG ultimately helped form the beginnings of The Sarasota Ballet School.

Pavel Fomin works with a Dance — The Next Generation student

1994 DE WARREN

The Sarasota Ballet in Robert de Warrens’ Gigabyte

In 1994 Robert de Warren, former Director of Ballet at Teatro alla Scala Milan and Northern Ballet, took the mantle of Artistic Director. During his thirteen years with the Company, de Warren focused on bringing his own choreographic creations to the stage, creating 24 ballets including works such as Madam Butterfly and Last Call: The Dance. De Warren brought in ballets by other choreographers, as well as commissioning new works from artists such as Jim Buckley and Pavel Fomin.

The Sarasota Ballet in Robert North’s Troy Game Letters & Company Overview

Of Iain Webb

2007 A NEW ERA

In 2007, Iain Webb became Director of The Sarasota Ballet, beginning a transformative new chapter for the Company. Drawing on his career with The Royal Ballet and Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet, Webb revolutionized the repertoire and developed relationships with leading choreographers, répétiteurs, and artists. His vision began shaping the distinctive artistic identity that would bring the Company increasing national and international recognition.

2012

WELCOMING BARBIERI In 2012, Margaret Barbieri joined The Sarasota Ballet full-time as Assistant Director, following several years of staging works for the Company. A former Principal of The Royal Ballet, Barbieri brought decades of performance, coaching, and teaching experience to Sarasota. Her meticulous staging, deep knowledge of the repertoire, and dedication to the dancers have become integral to the Company’s artistic development.

Margaret Barbieri and Suzanne Farrell

2014

CELEBRATING ASHTON In 2014, The Sarasota Ballet presented the Sir Frederick Ashton Festival, an ambitious four-day celebration of the choreographer’s extraordinary legacy. Across multiple programs, the Company performed fourteen Ashton ballets and divertissements, complemented by films, lectures, and special events. Drawing artists, scholars, and dance leaders from around the world to Sarasota, the Festival established the Company as an important steward of Ashton’s repertoire. The Sarasota Ballet in Sir Frederick Ashton’s Sinfonietta

2016

VOLPE JOINS LEADERSHIP In 2016, Joseph Volpe, former General Manager of the Metropolitan Opera, became Executive Director of The Sarasota Ballet. Working alongside Iain Webb and Margaret Barbieri, Volpe strengthened the organization’s administrative and financial foundations, expanded its staff and Board, and supported its growing national profile. His leadership helped build the organizational structure necessary to sustain the Company’s increasingly ambitious artistic work, performances, and touring. Letters & Company Overview

2019

REVIVING APPARITIONS In 2019, The Sarasota Ballet returned Sir Frederick Ashton’s Apparitions to the stage after more than three decades. Last performed in London in 1987, its revival required two years of research and reconstruction, drawing upon artists, historians, and archival resources, with Cecil Beaton’s scenery and costumes recreated for the production. The achievement exemplified the legacy Iain Webb and Margaret Barbieri had been building: preserving important works not as museum pieces, but as living ballets. Their knowledge, relationships, and commitment to passing on the artistry from so many icons of dance allowed so many works at risk of disappearing to live again onstage. Apparitions, in both its scale and importance, represented a significant milestone for both the Company and both Webb and Barbieri. In 2026 Webb was asked what he hoped to be remembered for, his answer was simple: “that we revived Apparitions and it was a success.”

The Sarasota Ballet in Sir Frederick Ashton’s Apparitions

2023

CULTIVATING NEW VOICES In 2023, internationally acclaimed choreographer Jessica Lang began a three-year residency with The Sarasota Ballet as the Virginia B. Toulmin Artist in Residence. The partnership created an opportunity for Lang to work closely and consistently with the Company’s dancers, developing new work while bringing existing ballets into the repertoire. Her residency deepened the Company’s commitment to contemporary creation and established an ongoing artistic relationship between choreographer and Company.

2026 - 2027 Season

“ Jessica Lang

Iain’s commitment to choreographers and the creative process is something I have felt from the very beginning of my relationship with The Sarasota Ballet. He has cultivated an environment built on time, trust, and artistic freedom, allowing me to work closely with the dancers to create new ballets and revisit existing works with fresh perspective. This kind of sustained artistic partnership is rare and incredibly meaningful, and it continues to enrich and deepen the work we create together - Jessica Lang

2024

AN INTERNATIONAL DEBUT In 2024, The Sarasota Ballet made its first international tour, traveling to London at the invitation of Royal Ballet Director Kevin O’Hare. As part of Ashton Celebrated, the Company presented two programs at the Royal Opera House’s Linbury Theatre and joined The Royal Ballet on the Main Stage. Receiving rave reviews from audiences and critics alike, the engagement marked a significant milestone in the Company’s growing international reputation and artistic reach.

“

The Sarasota Ballet in London

To take our dancers to The Royal Opera House, where Margaret and I spent so much of our lives, and for the Company to perform Sir Fred’s ballets on that stage was something I could never have imagined when we came to Sarasota. Then to witness the extraordinary response from London audiences and critics—I was bursting with pride. It was quite simply unforgettable. - Iain Webb, Director

NOW

20 SEASONS OF IAIN WEBB Twenty Seasons of Iain Webb’s artistic leadership have transformed The Sarasota Ballet. Together with Joseph Volpe and Margaret Barbieri, Webb has built a Company defined by discovery—reviving masterworks at risk of being lost, introducing American audiences to rarely seen repertoire, championing choreographers, and creating space for new work. What began as an ambitious artistic vision has become a distinctive identity. The Company’s repertoire now spans generations of choreographers, from works preserved through direct connections to their creators to ballets made on Sarasota’s dancers today. Its reach has grown with appearances in London, New York, and beyond, bringing international recognition to the Company and its repertoire. Two decades into Webb’s tenure, The Sarasota Ballet stands as a testament to what sustained artistic vision can achieve: a Company rooted in ballet’s history, alive to its possibilities, and with an extraordinary repertoire built to endure.

A SARASOTA ICON CELEBRATING 40 YEARS, MICHAEL'S ON EAST HAS SET THE STANDARD FOR EXCEPTIONAL DINING AND GRACIOUS HOSPITALITY. HAPPY HOUR • LIVE MUSIC • PRIVATE DINING • AWARD-WINNING WINE LIST

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The

Facts Company

Under the direction of Webb since 2007

197 63

30,000+

Ballets and Divertissements

Audience Members Annually

World Premieres

National and International Tours

Renowned Choreographers

44 Professional Dancers

The Sarasota Ballet School Aug 1, 2025 - Jul 31, 2026

Students 646 Total Trained

47 Performance Opportunities The Conservatory and The Studio Company Members

Dance — The Next Generation Aug 1, 2025 - Jul 31, 2026

424

The Number of Students Reached through DNG Programs

49 Schools / Partners 171 DNG Programming

Students Enrolled through

Community Engagement Aug 1, 2025 - Jul 31, 2026

28,143 74 Community Partners

Lives Enriched through Programs

3,586 Matinee Attendance 1008

Free tickets provided to the Community

The Sarasota Ballet

Repertoire

Under the direction of Webb since 2007 SIR FREDERICK ASHTON Apparitions, Birthday Offering, La Chatte métamorphosée en femme, Dante Sonata, The Dream, Enigma Variations, Explosionspolka, Façade, La Fille mal gardée, Illuminations, Jazz Calendar, Marguerite and Armand, Meditation from Thaïs, Monotones I, Monotones II, Les Patineurs, Les Rendezvous, Rhapsody, Romeo and Juliet, Scènes de ballet, Sinfonietta, The Sleeping Beauty (Awakening Pas de Deux and Princess Aurora’s Act II Vision solo), Symphonic Variations, Tweedledum and Tweedledee, The Two Pigeons, Valses nobles et sentimentales, Varii Capricci, Voices of Spring Pas de Deux, The Walk to the Paradise Garden, A Wedding Bouquet GEORGE BALANCHINE Allegro Brillante, Apollo, Bugaku, Diamonds, Divertimento No. 15, Donizetti Variations, Emeralds, The Four Temperaments, Jewels, Mozartiana, Prodigal Son, Rubies, Serenade, Stars and Stripes, Tarantella, Theme and Variations, Valse-Fantaisie, Western Symphony, Who Cares? RICKI BERTONI Hip 2 Be Square, Ragtop SIR DAVID BINTLEY A Comedy of Errors, Four Scottish Dances, The Spider’s Feast, ‘Still Life’ at the Penguin Café GEORGE BIRKADZE Farandole GEMMA BOND Excursions, Last Solo, Manner, Panoramic Score, The Beginning, The Waiting Room SIR MATTHEW BOURNE Boutique, The Infernal Galop

AUGUST BOURNONVILLE Flower Festival in Genzano Pas de Deux, From Siberia to Moscow (The Jockey Dance), The Kermesse in Bruges (Act I Pas de Deux), William Tell Pas de Deux ARCADIAN BROAD Frequency Hurtz, Passing By CHRISTOPHER BRUCE Sergeant Early’s Dream JAMES BUCKLEY Anne Frank ASIA BUI Song on the Beach JAMIE CARTER À Deux Mains, Addio ad un Sogno, Concordium, Five Duets (Between Longing and Yearning), Holiday Overture, The Tarot JOHN CRANKO Pineapple Poll PETER DARRELL Othello AGNES DE MILLE Rodeo DAME NINETTE DE VALOIS Checkmate, The Rake’s Progress ROBERT DE WARREN The Nutcracker [production] MEG EGINGTON Cézanne’s Doubt FLEMMING FLINDT The Lesson MICHEL FOKINE Les Sylphides, Petrushka PAVEL FOMIN Hommage à Chopin

MARCELO GOMES Dear Life... MARTHA GRAHAM Appalachian Spring RICARDO GRAZIANO A Study for One, Amorosa, Before Night Falls, En Las Calles de Murcia, In a State of Weightlessness, One Step Closer, The Jolly Overture, The Pilgrimage, Pomp and Circumstance, Shostakovich Suite, Somewhere Pas de Deux, Sonata in Four Movements, Sonatina, Symphony of Sorrows, Valsinhas, Schubert Variations ALEX HARRISON The Blue Hour MATTHEW HART Cry Baby Kreisler, John Ringling’s Circus Nutcracker, Tchaikovsky’s Ballet Fantasy KATE HONEA Baroque and Blues, Gitana Galop, Headlines, Percolator RICHARD HOUSE Living Ghosts, Lost in a Dream JOHAN KOBBORG La Sylphide [production after Bournonville], Napoli Act III [production after Bournonville], Salute JESSICA LANG The Lorenz Butterfly, Lyric Pieces, Shades of Spring, A Time of Beauty JOE LAYTON The Grand Tour LOGAN LEARNED Nebulous, Scene de Ballet EDWAARD LIANG The Art of War

2026 - 2027 Season

SIR KENNETH MACMILLAN Concerto, Danses Concertantes, Elite Syncopations, Las Hermanas, Solitaire, The Four Seasons (Summer Pas de Deux) OCTAVIO MARTIN On The Outside, Orpheus and Eurydice MARK MORRIS The Letter V VASLAV NIJINSKY L’Après-midi d’un faune - The Afternoon of a Faun ROBERT NORTH Troy Game

GALINA SAMSOVA Paquita [production]

DOMINIC WALSH Bello, Camille Claudel La Valse (Pas de Deux), Clair de Lune, Dying Swan, I Napoletani, Time Out of Line, The Trilogy: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Wolfgang for Webb

PETER SCHAUFUSS La Sylphide (Pas de Deux) [production]

CHRISTOPHER WHEELDON The American, There Where She Loved, Within the Golden Hour

PAUL TAYLOR Airs, Brandenburgs, Company B, Mercuric Tidings

SIR PETER WRIGHT Giselle [production], The Mirror Walkers, The Sleeping Beauty (Pas de Quatre), Summertide

JEROME ROBBINS The Concert, Fancy Free, In the Night

TWYLA THARP In The Upper Room, Nine Sinatra Songs DAVID TLAIYE Xibalba

RUDOLF NUREYEV Raymonda Act III

WILL TUCKETT Changing Light, Lux Aeterna, The Secret Garden, Spielende Kinder

ASHLEY PAGE Scorched Sky, The Pump Room, Walking in the Heat

ANTONY TUDOR Continuo, Gala Performance, The Leaves are Fading, Lilac Garden

RENATO PARONI Rococo Variations

VASILY VAINONEN Flames of Paris (Pas de Deux)

ANNA PAVLOVA The Dragonfly Solo

HANS VAN MANEN Grosse Fuge

EMELIA PERKINS Washington Square

MACYN VOGT Exurgency

KELLY YANKLE Ne Me Quitte Pas ROSTISLAV ZAHKAROV Gopak

MARIUS PETIPA La Bayadère (Bronze Idol, Act II - Pas de Trois, Pas de Deux, The Kingdom of the Shades and Finale), Le Corsaire (Pas de Trois), Diana and Actaeon (Pas de Deux), Don Quixote (Pas de Deux), Harlequinade (Solo), Paquita, The Sleeping Beauty (Act III - Pas de Deux, Blue Bird Pas de Deux), Swan Lake (Act II - Pas de Deux, Act III - Black Swan Pas de Deux) YURI POSSOKHOV Firebird ANDRÉ PROKOVSKY Anna Karenina, Vespri ALEXEI RATMANSKY Pictures at an Exhibition

Letters & Company Overview

T H E S A R A S OTA B A L L E T R E T U R N E D TO T H E

September 29 – October 4, 2026

From September 29 through October 4, 2026, The Sarasota Ballet returned to New York City’s Joyce Theater for its third week-long residency at the venue. The engagement marked another significant chapter in the Company’s relationship with New York audiences and affirmed its national and international presence. Across seven performances, the Company presented a program celebrating three of Britain’s great choreographers: Sir Frederick Ashton, Antony Tudor, and Sir Peter Wright.

The repertoire featured Tudor’s Lilac Garden, performed in honor of the 90th anniversary of its premiere; a selection of Ashton divertissements, including the New York premiere of the Balcony Scene from his Romeo and Juliet; and Wright’s Summertide, presented in honor of the choreographer’s 100th birthday. Returning to The Joyce offered the Company an opportunity to share the depth of its distinctive repertoire and the artistry of its dancers, while showcasing Sarasota on one of the country’s most respected stages for contemporary and classical dance.

“

A gift from Florida, by way of Britain... I hope they come back soon. - Mary Cargill, Dance View Times

Thank you Tour Sponsors The Sarasota Ballet extends our heartfelt thanks to our incredible Tour Sponsors for making our return to The Joyce Theater possible.

TOUR UNDERWRITER Philip and Janice Levin Foundation William A. Farber, Trustee ELITE SPONSOR Jean Allenby Goldstein Touring Fund Bud and Betty Shapiro Touring Fund GOLD SPONSORS Robert Crandall and Barbara Bankoff

SILVER SPONSORS Shari and Steve Ashman

The Neil and Sandra DeFeo Family Foundation

Bonnie and William Chapman

Sandra and Neil DeFeo

Keith F. Nelson and Judith K. Marquis

Julie A. Harris

Maureen and Tom Steiner

Pat and Ann Kenny

Maria and Jim Wilson

Harry Leopold and Audrey Robbins Katherine and Frank Martucci Bill and Linda Mitchell Paul and Sharon Steinwachs Melissa Kenworthy Swenson In Loving Memory of Curt Swenson

Susan and Charlie Wilson 30

2026 - 2027 Season

BENEFACTOR SPONSORS Marie and Warren Colbert Linda A. Fiorelli Patricia A. Golemme Lisa and Mark Tobias

SAVE THE DATE SUNDAY, MAY 2, 2027

CELEBRATING 20 SEASONS

Under the direction of Iain Webb

You are invited to a night of splendor! This dazzling evening will begin at 4:00 pm at the Sarasota Opera House with an exclusive performance followed by an elegant night of dinner and dancing at the Circus Arts Conservatory with Company artists in attendance.

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES ARE AVAILABLE For more information and to RSVP contact Sara Kious at skious@sarasotaballet.org | 941.225.6503 | SarasotaBallet.org

THANK YOU TO OUR GALA SPONSORS

Season Overview This Anniversary Season features 16 ballets by 13 choreographers, including eight Company premieres, bringing extraordinary range to the stage. From treasured revivals to bold new additions, plus a guest appearance by Paul Taylor Dance Company, this Anniversary Season showcases the Company’s distinctive artistic vision.

October 23 - 25, 2026 | FSU Center

GEMMA BOND Manner

(Company Premiere) Music by Franz Liszt

SIR FREDERICK ASHTON Divertissements DOMINIC WALSH Wolfgang for Webb Music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

PROGRAM ONE

Manner COMPANY PREMIERE

Choreography by Gemma Bond Music by Franz Liszt Costume Designs by Gemma Bond Lighting Design by Ethan Vail

Gemma Bond’s The Waiting Room

Gemma Bond Choreographer

Gemma Bond got her first taste of choreography at 13 when she competed in The Royal Ballet School’s Sir Kenneth MacMillan Choreographic Competition. From 2010 to the present, she has created works for American Ballet Theatre and Studio Company, Atlanta Ballet, Ballet Nacional de Cuba, The Washington Ballet, New York Theater Ballet, Intermezzo Ballet Company, the Hartt School, Ballet Sun Valley, Kaatsbaan Summer Festival, The Royal Ballet, City Center’s Fall for Dance, and The Sarasota Ballet. Her choreography has been performed at the prestigious Erik Bruhn Competition, The Royal Opera House, The Joyce, Jacob’s Pillow, New York City Center, and the Metropolitan Opera House.

2026 - 2027 Season

In 2014 she was awarded the fellowship grant from the New York Choreographic Institute (an affiliate of New York City Ballet) and she has also received grants from the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation. Ms. Bond is a 2017 – 2018 New York City Center Choreography Fellow, the recipient of a 2017 Princess Grace award, 2018 winner of the Clive Barnes Foundation Award for her choreography, and a 2020 Bessie for outstanding breakout choreographer.

“Manner was the first ballet I ever created, originally

premiered on October 12, 2010, as part of American Ballet Theatre’s first Choreographic Initiative at Jazz at Lincoln Center. The initiative was created to discover and support new choreographic talent, with dancers auditioning for the opportunity to present their work. Being chosen was thrilling and truly set me on a path toward choreography. Sixteen years later, I am returning to Manner with The Sarasota Ballet—not simply recreating it, but continuing the ideas I began exploring then. Originally created for two couples, the work has evolved to three couples, set to Franz Liszt’s Six Consolations, with a renewed perspective shaped by everything I have learned since. It feels both nostalgic and new to revisit this first work and finally realize the ballet I first imagined.”

Gemma Bond’s Panoramic Score

Franz Liszt

Ethan Vail

Franz Liszt (1811 - 1886) was the most celebrated piano virtuoso of his day, as well as a renowned teacher, conductor, and composer. Inspired by Paganini, he toured Europe for 20 years to triumphant acclaim, donating much of his earnings to charity. Liszt also encouraged the careers of composers including Wagner, Berlioz, Grieg, Saint-Saëns, and Borodin. His relationships with Countess Marie d’Agoult and Princess Carolyne zu Sayn-Wittgenstein shaped his personal and professional life. At 35, he retired from concert work to focus on composition in Weimar. Later, as the Abbé Liszt, he divided his time between Rome, Weimar, and Budapest.

Ethan Vail, originally from Indiana, discovered his passion for lighting dance at Purdue University. His designs span full-length ballets such as Johan Kobborg’s La Sylphide and works by Ashton, Balanchine, and MacMillan. His 2025 - 2026 credits include Jessica Lang’s The Lorenz Butterfly, and Gemma Bond’s The Waiting Room. For Ashley Page’s Scorched Sky, he designed the lighting and collaborated on the set design and concept. His work also includes Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, Urbanite Theatre, and Asolo Repertory Theatre. Highlights include the 2013 USITT Young Designers Award and lighting The Sarasota Ballet’s 2024 performances at London’s Royal Opera House.

Composer

Lighting Designer

Gemma Bond’s Excursions

Premiered by American Ballet Theatre | October 10, 2010 First Performed by The Sarasota Ballet | October 23, 2026

Season Overview

PROGRAM ONE

Ashton Divertissements Friday’s Child (Jazz Calendar) Méditation from Thaïs Pas de Cinq (Illuminations) Awakening Pas de Deux (The Sleeping Beauty) Belfry Spirits (Apparitions) Margot Fonteyn Pas de Deux (Birthday Offering)

Sir Frederick Ashton Choreographer

Sir Frederick Ashton (1904 – 1988) was born in Ecuador and resolved to dance after seeing Anna Pavlova perform in Lima in 1917. In London, he studied with Léonide Massine and later with Dame Marie Rambert, who encouraged his first choreographic ventures, including A Tragedy of Fashion (1926). After dancing briefly with Ida Rubinstein’s company, he accepted Dame Ninette de Valois’ invitation in 1935 to join her Vic-Wells Ballet as both dancer and choreographer, beginning a lifelong association with what would become The Royal Ballet. His career extended beyond the company to opera, film, revues, and international commissions, but it was at Covent Garden, after wartime service in the RAF, that he created Symphonic Variations (1946), affirming a new postwar spirit. Over the following decades he

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choreographed ballets often tailored to individual dancers, among them Cinderella (1948), Daphnis and Chloe (1951), Romeo and Juliet (1955), Ondine (1958), La Fille mal gardée (1960), The Two Pigeons (1961), Marguerite and Armand (1963), and The Dream (1964). Ashton was appointed Associate Director of The Royal Ballet in 1952 and succeeded de Valois as Director from 1963 to 1970, during which time he also created works such as Monotones II (1965), Enigma Variations (1968), A Month in the Country (1976), and the film The Tales of Beatrix Potter (1971), in which he performed as Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle. Knighted in 1962 and later named Founder Choreographer of The Royal Ballet, Ashton left a body of work distinguished by versatility, musical sensitivity, and theatrical imagination.

Friday’s Child Jazz Calendar

Méditation from Thaïs

Pas de Cinq Illuminations

The Awakening Pas de Deux

The Sleeping Beauty

Belfry Spirits Apparitions

Margot Fonteyn Pas de Deux

Birthday Offering

PROGRAM ONE

Friday’s Child Jazz Calendar

Choreography by Sir Frederick Ashton Music by Sir Richard Rodney Bennett Costume Designs by Derek Jarman Staged by Margaret Barbieri and Victoria Hulland Lighting Design by Ethan Vail

Created by Sir Frederick Ashton for

a hastily arranged program replacing a canceled Aïda, Jazz Calendar is a playful ballet set to Sir Richard Rodney Bennett’s score, inspired by the nursery rhyme Monday’s Child. Derek Jarman designed its vibrant, polychromatic sets and costumes. Premiered with stars including Merle Park, Anthony Dowell, Antoinette Sibley, Rudolf Nureyev, and Wayne Sleep, the ballet humorously interprets each day of the week through distinct dances.

Sir Richard Rodney Bennett Composer

Sir Richard Rodney Bennett (1936 – 2012), born in Kent, was an acclaimed British composer whose career spanned opera, orchestral, choral, and concert music. He studied at the Royal Academy of Music and with Pierre Boulez, developing his distinctive “neo-Romantic serialism.” Bennett composed three operas in the 1960s, including The Mines of Sulphur, as well as the popular children’s opera All the King’s Men. He lived in New York from 1979 until his death.

Derek Jarman

Costume Designer Derek Jarman (1942 –1 994) was one of Britain’s most original artists, working across film, painting, poetry, design, and autobiography. Invited by Sir Frederick Ashton to design Jazz Calendar (1968), he brought a painter’s eye and poet’s imagination to his work. His lyrical, provocative films, including Caravaggio and Blue, redefined avant-garde cinema. Jarman’s art fused beauty, rebellion, intimacy, and spectacle, leaving a lasting legacy. He remains celebrated as a fearless auteur and singular voice in twentieth-century British art.

Premiered by The Royal Ballet | January 9, 1968 First Performed by The Sarasota Ballet | February 4, 2011 42

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PROGRAM ONE

Méditation from Thaïs Choreography by Sir Frederick Ashton Music by Jules Massenet Costume Designs by Sir Anthony Dowell Originally Staged by Grant Coyle Staged by Margaret Barbieri and Iain Webb Lighting Design by Ethan Vail

editation from Thaïs, a rich and poetic pas de deux set to the Méditation from the opera Thaïs. Ashton choreographed this work on Dame Antoinette Sibley and Sir Anthony Dowell specifically for a gala performance on March 21,1971 in aid of Friends of Fatherless Families, held at the Adelphi Theatre in London.

Jules Massenet Composer

Jules Massenet (1842 – 1912) was a French Romantic composer best known for his operas, including Manon and Werther. He entered the Paris Conservatoire as a schoolboy and won the prestigious Prix de Rome in 1863. Massenet composed more than forty stage works, as well as ballets, orchestral music, songs, and piano pieces. Celebrated for his melodic, expressive style and theatrical skill, he became one of France’s leading opera composers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Sir Anthony Dowell Costume Designer

Sir Anthony Dowell, born in London, joined The Royal Ballet in 1961 after training at The Royal Ballet School. Renowned for his elegant style, he created Oberon in Sir Frederick Ashton’s The Dream and performed in many celebrated ballets. Dowell also collaborated with Jerome Robbins and designed costumes. In 1986, he became The Royal Ballet’s fifth Director, serving until 2001. He was made a CBE in 1973 and knighted in 1995. He continues to stage productions internationally.

Premiered by The Royal Ballet | March 21, 1971 First Performed by The Sarasota Ballet | May 3, 2014 Season Overview

PROGRAM ONE

Pas de Cinq Illuminations

Choreography by Sir Frederick Ashton Music by Benjamin Britten Costume Design by Cecil Beaton Poems by Arthur Rimbaud Staged by Margaret Barbieri Lighting Design by Ethan Vail

Illuminations, Ashton’s first ballet for

New York City Ballet, is set to Benjamin Britten’s 1939 settings of poems by Arthur Rimbaud. Inspired by Rimbaud’s turbulent poetry, the ballet explores the artist’s perception of life as a “wild sideshow.” Ashton follows Britten’s musical structure through urban chaos, love, ensemble dances, and dramatic solos, culminating in the haunting Parade and a resigned farewell in Departure.

Benjamin Britten Composer

Benjamin Britten (1913 – 1976) was one of Britain’s most important 20th-century composers, creating songs, operas, choral, orchestral, and chamber music. His works included ten operas, children’s operas, church parables, string quartets, and the celebrated War Requiem, commissioned for Coventry Cathedral in 1962. He also composed music for ballet. Britten declined a knighthood but received the Companion of Honor and Order of Merit. Shortly before his death, he became the first musician to be made a life peer.

Cecil Beaton

Costume Designer Sir Cecil Beaton (1904 – 1980) was a celebrated British photographer, artist, costume designer, and stage designer whose elegant style influenced theatre, film, and fashion. He designed costumes and sets for ballet, opera, and theatre, including productions for The Royal Ballet and the Metropolitan Opera. Beaton won Academy Awards for his work on My Fair Lady (1964). Renowned for his sophistication and imagination, he created designs combining glamour, wit, and theatricality.

Premiered by New York City Ballet | March 2, 1950 First Performed by The Sarasota Ballet | November 22, 2013 44

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PROGRAM ONE

The Awakening Pas de Deux

The Sleeping Beauty Act II

Choreography by Sir Frederick Ashton Music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Staged by Margaret Barbieri Lighting Design by Ethan Vail

t Sir Peter Wright’s request, Sir Frederick Ashton created The Awakening pas de deux for the close of Act II in The Sleeping Beauty, giving Aurora and Prince Florimund a moment together immediately after her awakening. Set to Tchaikovsky’s score, the duet captures their instant connection through tender partnering, flowing transitions, and Ashton’s musicality. Originally created for Dame Antoinette Sibley and Sir Anthony Dowell, the pas de deux combines refinement with a youthful purity and intimacy that make the encounter feel both delicate and expressive.

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Composer

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840 -1893) gave Romantic music some of its most beloved works. Trained at the St. Petersburg Conservatory and later a professor in Moscow, he devoted himself to composition. His music combines lyrical beauty with deep emotional resonance, from his Piano Concerto No. 1 to his celebrated ballets. With Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, and The Nutcracker, Tchaikovsky transformed ballet into a richly symphonic art form. His gift for melody was matched by

a remarkable command of orchestral color, balancing sweeping grandeur with moments of tender intimacy. In these scores, music becomes a dramatic voice of its own, shaping atmosphere, revealing character, and giving dancers a powerful foundation for storytelling through movement. His passionate, poignant music continues to captivate audiences worldwide.

Premiered by The Royal Ballet | December 17, 1968 First Performed by The Sarasota Ballet | May 3, 2014 Season Overview

PROGRAM ONE

Belfry Spirits Apparitions

Choreography by Sir Frederick Ashton Music By Franz Liszt Costume Design By Cecil Beaton Staged By Margaret Barbieri Orchestrated By Gordon Jacob Music Arranged By Constant Lambert Lighting Design By Ethan Vail

Sir Frederick Ashton’s Belfry

Spirits, from Apparitions, conjures a haunting, otherworldly atmosphere as spectral figures emerge around the Poet. Set to Franz Liszt’s music, the choreography blends romanticism, theatricality, and intricate ensemble movement, revealing Ashton’s remarkable ability to transform music and imagery into a vivid, dreamlike world.

Franz Liszt Composer

Cecil Beaton

Costume Designer Sir Cecil Beaton (1904 - 1980) was a celebrated British photographer, artist, costume designer, and stage designer whose elegant style influenced theatre, film, and fashion. He designed costumes and sets for ballet, opera, and theatre, including productions for The Royal Ballet and the Metropolitan Opera. Beaton won Academy Awards for his work on My Fair Lady (1964). Renowned for his sophistication and imagination, he created designs combining glamour, wit, and theatricality.

Premiered by Sadler’s Wells Ballet | February 1, 1936 First Performed by The Sarasota Ballet | March 8, 2019

2026 - 2027 Season

PROGRAM ONE

Margot Fonteyn Pas de Deux

Birthday Offering

Choreography by Sir Frederick Ashton Music by Alexander Glazunov Costume Designs by André Levasseur Staged by Margaret Barbieri Lighting Design by Ethan Vail

Created in 1956 for the 25th anniversary

of Sadler’s Wells Ballet, soon to become The Royal Ballet, Sir Frederick Ashton’s Birthday Offering honored founder Dame Ninette de Valois. Inspired by the Imperial Russian tradition she absorbed through Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes, the ballet pairs Glazunov’s lush score with André Levasseur’s opulent décor. Seven couples enter in regal procession, followed by solos, a spirited mazurka, and the central pas de deux created for Margot Fonteyn and Michael Somes. Its jubilant finale celebrates de Valois’ vision and achievement.

Alexander Glazunov Composer

Alexander Glazunov (1865 – 1936), born in St. Petersburg, was a precocious composer nurtured by “The Five” and studied with RimskyKorsakov, whom he later succeeded as Director of the St. Petersburg Conservatory (1905–30). Supported by patron Mitrofan Belyayev, he met Liszt, toured Europe, and became a leading symphonist and ballet composer, writing The Seasons and Raymonda. Glazunov left Russia in 1928 for Paris. His music blends Russian Romantic nationalism with Western lyricism.

André Levasseur Costume Designer

André Levasseur (1927 – 2006) was a French stage and costume designer celebrated for collaborations in ballet, opera, and theatre. He began his career in the 1950s and became known for designs balancing elegance with theatricality. Working with choreographers and directors across Europe and North America, he contributed to productions for the Paris Opera Ballet, Ballets de Monte-Carlo, and American Ballet Theatre. His designs combined clarity, color, and atmosphere, enhancing classical and contemporary works.

Premiered by The Sadler’s Wells Ballet | May 5, 1956 First Performed by The Sarasota Ballet | February 1, 2013 Season Overview

PROGRAM ONE

Wolfgang for Webb Choreography by Dominic Walsh Music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Costume Designs by Domenico Luciano Set Design by Libbie Masterson Lighting Design by Ethan Vail

Dominic Walsh Choreographer

Dominic Walsh, born in Elgin, Illinois, is an accomplished dancer, choreographer, and artistic director. He began his training in Chicago and joined Houston Ballet in 1989, becoming a Principal Dancer in 1996. During his career, he performed internationally throughout Asia, Europe, and North America in classics such as Swan Lake, Giselle, Don Quixote, Romeo and Juliet, and Manon. He also performed contemporary works and originated roles created by Ben Stevenson, including Marc Antony in Cleopatra. In 1998, Walsh choreographed Flames of Eros for Houston Ballet, earning the Choo-San Goh Award for Choreography. He created three additional works for the company before leaving in 2004 to pursue his own company full-time.

2026 - 2027 Season

Walsh founded Dominic Walsh Dance Theater in 2002, with its debut in 2003 receiving widespread critical acclaim. The company presented works by Walsh and internationally renowned choreographers including Mats Ek, Jiří Kylián, Mauro Bigonzetti, and Sir Matthew Bourne. Walsh received a second Choo-San Goh Award in 2007 and a Princess Grace Award in 2008 for The Trilogy: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. In 2012, he was inducted into the Fox Valley Hall of Fame. Walsh has created and staged works internationally, served as Resident Choreographer for The Sarasota Ballet, taught and coached dancers worldwide, and written extensively about dance. In 2015, he closed Dominic Walsh Dance Theater after 12 seasons and co-directed the short film Malta Kano, TX. That year, he also published a 200-page photography book documenting the company’s history. Currently, Walsh serves as the Oregon Ballet Theatre 2 Director.

“wolfgang for Webb is the first of three ballets in my

tribute to W.A. Mozart, The Trilogy: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. For years, I had wanted to create a world inspired by his compositions. I find his music humorous, poignantly touching, and sometimes irreverent. The ballet explores the creative process—the challenge of holding onto an idea while shaping it into a work of art. Distractions, interruptions, and the elusive nature of creativity become the subjects of the ballet. When my dear friend Iain took the reins as Director of The Sarasota Ballet, I was thrilled to create his first new commission and work with his artists. It is hard to believe twenty years have passed since we created this work. I remember with great fondness the company’s enthusiastic and thoughtful dancers and their contributions to the process. I’m delighted Wolfgang for Webb is part of his anniversary season and congratulate Iain on a remarkable two decades of dance in Sarasota.” —Dominic Walsh

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Domenico Luciano

Composer

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 – 1791) was one of the most prolific and influential composers of the Classical era, leaving over 600 works spanning symphonic, chamber, operatic, choral, and sacred music. Born in Salzburg, he displayed prodigious talent from childhood, composing by age five and touring Europe as a performer. At 17 he became a court musician in Salzburg, before settling in Vienna in 1781, where he composed many of his greatest masterpieces. Though admired, he often faced financial struggles. Married to Constanze Weber, he fathered six children, two surviving infancy. His Requiem remains among his most enduring works.

Costume Designer

From Naples, Italy, Domenico Luciano trained at the Teatro San Carlo Ballet School and danced as a Principal Dancer with several European companies. He joined Tulsa Ballet in 2004 and Dominic Walsh Dance Theater in 2005. Since 2013, he has been a Principal Dancer with Colorado Ballet. Luciano made his choreographic debut in 2008, co-creating a new production of The Nutcracker with Dominic Walsh for Ballet Quad Cities. In 2016, he choreographed Attraversiamo and Sirens for Colorado Ballet, designing costumes for both works. He has also created costumes for DWDT productions and Wolfgang for Webb for The Sarasota Ballet.

Libbie Masterson Set Designer

Libbie Masterson is a Houstonbased artist working in sculpture, painting, glass and photography. She has created stage sets for Dominic Walsh Dance Theater and Houston Grand Opera’s HGOco. She collaborated with filmmaker Ford Gunter on a video performance piece for the Houston Symphony. With overwhelming enthusiasm from volunteers and a Kickstarter campaign, Ms. Masterson created a temporary installation of large, illuminated water lilies that floated on the Reflection Pool of Hermann Park, Houston. Most recently, she completed a large-scale glass mosaic commission for the new concourse at Houston’s Hobby Airport. Ms. Masterson is represented by Catherine Couturier Gallery, Houston.

Commissioned by The Sarasota Ballet First Performed by April 25, 2008 Season Overview

November 20 – 21, 2026 | Opera House Accompanied by the Sarasota Orchestra

SIR KENNETH MACMILLAN Solitaire

(Company Premiere) Music by Sir Malcolm Arnold

JESSICA LANG Lyric Pieces

Music by Edvard Grieg

ALEXEI RATMANSKY Pictures at an Exhibition

(Company Premiere) Music by Modest Mussorgsky

PROGRAM TWO

Solitaire COMPANY PREMIERE

Choreography by Sir Kenneth MacMillan Music by Sir Malcolm Arnold Costume Designs by Desmond Heeley Staged by Yuri Uchiumi Lighting Design by Ethan Vail

Sir Kenneth MacMillan Choreographer

Sir Kenneth MacMillan was born in Dunfermline, Scotland, in 1929. He won a scholarship to the Sadler’s Wells Ballet School and became a founding member of Sadler’s Wells Theatre Ballet in 1946. Returning to Sadler’s Wells in 1952, he discovered his true vocation as a choreographer. His first ballet, Somnambulism (1953), was followed by Laiderette and Danses Concertantes, which established him as a major choreographic voice.

Elite Syncopations, Requiem, Mayerling, La Fin du Jour, Gloria, and Isadora.

During the 1960s and 1970s, MacMillan created acclaimed and often provocative works, including The Invitation, Romeo and Juliet, The Sleeping Beauty, and Swan Lake. He became Director of Ballet at Deutsche Oper Berlin (1966 – 1969), Director of The Royal Ballet (1970 – 1977), and later Resident Choreographer. His major works included Manon,

Knighted in 1983, MacMillan later served as Artistic Associate of American Ballet Theatre from 1984 to 1989. He died unexpectedly in London in October 1992, aged 62, while attending a performance of Mayerling. At the time of his death, he was working on a revival of the musical Carousel.

2026 - 2027 Season

MacMillan was particularly celebrated for his psychologically intense storytelling and exploration of human relationships, often addressing themes of love, sexuality, violence, and social conflict. Mayerling, premiered at Covent Garden in 1978, became one of his most acclaimed full-length ballets.

Sir Kenneth MacMillan’s Solitaire, subtitled “A kind of

game for one,” is a one-act ballet exploring loneliness, imagination, and the desire to belong. Created in 1956 for the Sadler’s Wells Theatre Ballet, the work follows a young girl who moves between solitary play and efforts to join those around her, remaining ultimately apart. Set to Malcolm Arnold’s Eight English Dances, with additional music composed for the ballet, Solitaire balances playful ensemble passages with moments of tenderness and quiet isolation. MacMillan’s choreography draws on the spirit of English country dance while revealing the emotional world beneath its surface. Originally designed by Desmond Heeley and created for Margaret Hill, Donald MacLeary, and Sara Neil, the ballet offers an early glimpse of themes of outsiders and human connection that would recur throughout MacMillan’s career.

Sir Malcolm Arnold Composer

Sir Malcolm Henry Arnold CBE (1921– 2006) was an English composer and conductor whose extensive output included nine symphonies, concertos, chamber and choral music, and works for brass and wind bands. His distinctive style is characterized by lively rhythms, brilliant orchestration, and memorable melodies. Arnold composed extensively for the theatre, including five ballets commissioned by The Royal Ballet, as well as two operas and a musical. He also became one of Britain’s most prolific film composers, writing scores for more than 100 films. His celebrated film music included The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957), for which he won an Academy Award.

Desmond Heeley Designer

Heeley was born in Staffordshire, England and began his career as an apprentice designer at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in 1948, and soon established himself as an important designer at that theater and at Sadler’s Wells Theatre in London. In 1957, he designed his first set for the Stratford Festival in Ontario, Canada, with whom he established a very long professional relationship, designing sets for more than 40 productions through 2009, and designed sets and costumes for several Broadway productions and at the Metropolitan Opera. He also taught design at the Tisch School for the Arts at NYU, as well as other universities in the United States, England and Canada.

Premiered by Sadler Wells Theatre Ballet | June 7, 1956 First Performed by The Sarasota Ballet | November 20, 2026

Season Overview

PROGRAM TWO

Lyric Pieces Choreography by Jessica Lang Music by Edvard Grieg Costume Designs by Elena Comendador Set Concept by Jessica Lang Staged by Eric Tamm Lighting Design by Nicole Pearce

Jessica Lang Choreographer

Jessica Lang is an American director and choreographer based in New York City. She currently serves as The Sarasota Ballet’s Virginia B. Toulmin Artist in Residence and Pacific Northwest Ballet’s Resident Choreographer. Since 1999, Lang has created more than 100 original works with companies worldwide including American Ballet Theatre, The Royal Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Pacific Northwest Ballet, The Sarasota Ballet, the National Ballet of Japan, and her eponymous company Jessica Lang Dance, among many others. Her opera credits include directing and choreographing Stabat Mater at Glimmerglass Opera Festival, later presented at Lincoln Center’s White Light Festival, and 54

2026 - 2027 Season

choreographing San Francisco Opera’s Aida, seen at Washington National Opera (WNO), Seattle Opera, and LA Opera. She co-choreographed Turnadot with her Creative Associate Kanji Segawa for WNO, and Salome for Des Moines Opera. She has also created works for The Kennedy Center, The Harris Theater, Dallas Museum of Art, Guggenheim Museum, and served as movement advisor for Carolina Herrera’s Pre-Fall 2022 collection. As Artistic Director of Jessica Lang Dance (2011 – 2019), the company was presented in over 85 cities at venues including Lincoln Center, Jacob’s Pillow, BAM Fisher, and Tel Aviv Opera House. A Juilliard graduate and former member of Twyla Tharp’s company, Lang is the recipient of the 2018 Martha Hill Mid-Career Award, 2017 Arison Award, and 2014 Bessie Award and has been a fellow of NY City Center, and The Center for Ballet at NYU. In 2019 she was named Choreographer-in-Residence at Princeton University.

Lyric Pieces was originally commissioned and premiered

by Birmingham Royal Ballet in 2012, under the Artistic Direction of Sir David Bintley. The ballet is set to 10 movements from Norwegian Composer Edvard Grieg’s solo piano pieces of the same name. Drawing inspiration from the characteristics of each musical theme, this ballet quite literally unfolds into collections of scenes that charms viewers with its poetic sophistication and delightful wit. Praised by critics for her “exceptional stage imagination” (The Guardian, UK), Lang cleverly incorporates concertinaed paper as her set design, created by molo, a Vancouver-based design company led by Stephanie Forsythe and Todd McAlister. In Lyric Pieces, Lang creates an organic relationship between choreography and set to build new landscapes that suit the musical effect of each piano piece. Lyric Pieces received a 2012 Manchester Theatre Award nomination for Dance.

Edvard Grieg Composer

Edvard Grieg (1843 - 1907), born in Bergen, Norway, was a leading composer of the Romantic era. He began piano lessons at six and studied at the Leipzig Conservatory from age 15. Grieg became known for intimate piano works, particularly his Lyric Pieces, which reflect Norway’s folk traditions and dramatic landscapes. His music, including In the Hall of the Mountain King from Peer Gynt, combines expressive melodies with distinctive orchestration. Grieg married soprano Nina Hagerup in 1867 and remained deeply connected to Norwegian culture throughout his career. He died in Bergen, leaving a lasting legacy as one of Norway’s most celebrated composers.

Elena Comendador Costume Designer

A former dancer, dance educator, and interdisciplinary artist, Ms. Comendador has collaborated with choreographer Jessica Lang, designing for Birmingham Royal Ballet, Ballet West, Colorado Ballet, American Ballet Theatre II, and Jessica Lang Dance. Her work also includes Ailey II, Rioult Dance NY, Complexions, Philadanco, Buglisi Dance Theatre, Shen Wei Dance Arts, Dallas Black Dance Theatre, and Dayton Contemporary Dance Company. She has worked with choreographers including Sidra Bell, Shen Wei, Pascal Rioult, Troy Powell, Darrell Moultrie, and Igal Perry. She co-directed The Ailey School’s Junior Division and taught at Marymount Manhattan College until 2021. She now resides in France.

Nicole Pearce

Lighting Designer Nicole Pearce is a multidisciplinary artist living in Queens, NY. Her work has been seen across the United States, Cuba, England, Germany, Japan, Korea, Italy, New Zealand, and Russia. Recent works include The Look of Love choreographed by Mark Morris with the Mark Morris Dance Group, Catch Me If You Can Directed by Molly Smith with Arena Stage, and Children’s Songs choreographed by Jessica Lang with American Ballet Theatre. Her installation of 1,000 paintings entitled Tiny Paintings for Big Hearts is open to doctors, nurses, staff, and patients of Elmhurst Hospital in Elmhurst, NY.

Premiered by Birmingham Royal Ballet | May 3, 2012 First Performed by The Sarasota Ballet | April 26, 2024

Season Overview

PROGRAM TWO

Pictures at an Exhibition COMPANY PREMIERE

Choreography by Alexei Ratmansky Music by Modest Mussorgsky Costume Designs by Adeline André Projection Design by Wendall K. Harrington Staged by Amar Ramasar Lighting Design by Mark Stanley

Alexei Ratmansky Choreographer

Alexei Ratmansky is a Ukrainian-American choreographer and former ballet dancer known for his innovative approach to classical ballet. Born in Kyiv in 1968, he trained at the Bolshoi Ballet Academy in Moscow and danced with several major ballet companies, including the Ukrainian National Ballet and Royal Danish Ballet.

His choreography often explores musicality, history, and the traditions of ballet while introducing fresh movement and storytelling. Ratmansky is also known for reconstructing historic ballets, using archival research to revive choreography in ways that reflect how these works may originally have been performed.

Ratmansky began gaining international recognition as a choreographer in the 1990s. From 2004 to 2008, he served as artistic director of the Bolshoi Ballet, where he created acclaimed works that combined classical technique with contemporary ideas. He later became artist in residence at American Ballet Theatre (ABT), creating numerous ballets for the company.

Among his notable works are Namouna, The Bright Stream, Concerto DSCH, and Pictures at an Exhibition. His contributions have made him one of the most influential choreographers in contemporary ballet. Alexei currently serves as Artist in Residence at New York City Ballet.

2026 - 2027 Season

Alexei Ratmansky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, created

for New York City Ballet in 2014, transforms Modest Mussorgsky’s original 1874 piano suite into a vivid series of choreographic portraits. Ratmansky chose the piano score rather than Ravel’s familiar orchestration, favoring its directness, clarity, and emotional immediacy. Ten dancers move through 17 sections that shift between wit, abstraction, intimacy, and intensity, creating a constantly changing gallery of movement. Rather than recreating Viktor Hartmann’s artworks, which inspired Mussorgsky’s music, the ballet uses projections of Wassily Kandinsky’s Color Study: Squares with Concentric Circles, designed by Wendall K. Harrington. Adeline André’s simple, colorblocked costumes echo the visual world around the dancers. Together, music, movement, and design create a work that feels spontaneous, inventive, and deeply responsive to Mussorgsky’s score throughout its shifting moods and musical textures.

Modest Mussorgsky Composer

Modest Mussorgsky (1839 – 1881) was a Russian composer and a member of “The Five,” a group dedicated to creating distinctly Russian music. Born into a wealthy family, he first pursued a military career before devoting himself to music. Mussorgsky was largely self-taught and developed a unique style inspired by Russian history, folk music, and everyday life. His best-known works include the opera Boris Godunov, the song cycle Songs and Dances of Death, and the piano suite Pictures at an Exhibition. Although he struggled with alcoholism and financial difficulties, Mussorgsky’s innovative music strongly influenced later composers.

Adeline André

Costume Designer Adeline André is a French haute couture designer and costume artist known for her innovative, sculptural approach to fashion. Born in Bangui in 1949, she studied at the École de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne and also studied art with Salvador Dalí. She began her career at Christian Dior before founding her own fashion house in 1981. André has created costumes for ballet, opera, and theater, collaborating with choreographers including Alexei Ratmansky. For Ratmansky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, which premiered with New York City Ballet in 2014, she designed costumes inspired by the geometric art of Wassily Kandinsky.

Premiered by New York City Ballet | October 2, 2014 First Performed by The Sarasota Ballet | November 20, 2026

Season Overview

December 18 – 19, 2026 | Van Wezel Accompanied by the Sarasota Orchestra

CHRISTOPHER WHEELDON Within the Golden Hour

(Company Premiere) Music by Ezio Bosso & Antonio Vivaldi

SIR FREDERICK ASHTON The Two Pigeons

Music by André Messager

PROGRAM THREE

Within the Golden Hour COMPANY PREMIERE

Choreography by Christopher Wheeldon Music by Ezio Bosso & Antonio Vivaldi Costume Designs by Jasper Conran Staged by Michele Gifford and Jason Fowler Lighting Designs by Peter Mumford

Christopher Wheeldon Choreographer

Christopher Wheeldon trained at The Royal Ballet School and joined The Royal Ballet in 1991 before moving to New York City Ballet in 1993, where he became a Soloist and, in 2001, the company’s first Resident Choreographer. He has since created works for leading companies worldwide, including The Royal Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, The Bolshoi Ballet, The Mariinsky Ballet, The Paris Opera Ballet, and American Ballet Theatre. Wheeldon is Artistic Associate of The Royal Ballet, where his acclaimed full-length ballets include Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, The Winter’s Tale, Corybantic Games, and Like Water for Chocolate. His other major works include Cinderella for Het Nationale Ballet, The Nutcracker for The Joffrey Ballet, and Oscar for The Australian Ballet. 60

2026 - 2027 Season

His theatre credits include directing and choreographing the Broadway musical An American in Paris, which earned him a Tony Award, and MJ The Musical, for which he won the 2022 Tony Award for Best Choreography and the 2025 Olivier Award for Best Theatre Choreographer. His screen credits include Center Stage and the television series Étoile. Wheeldon has received numerous honors, including the Benois de la Danse, Olivier Awards, London Critics’ Circle Awards, and the Léonide Massine Prize for new choreography. In 2016, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE).

Christopher Wheeldon’s Within the Golden Hour is

a one-act ballet created for San Francisco Ballet’s 75th-anniversary New Works Festival in 2008. Set to music by Ezio Bosso, with an arrangement of Vivaldi, the work unfolds through a series of flowing pas de deux and intricate ensemble passages. Wheeldon’s choreography is known for its musical clarity, shifting patterns, and seamless transitions, balancing intimacy with a sense of collective movement. Inspired by the luminous colors and gold-leaf richness associated with Gustav Klimt, the ballet carries a warm, atmospheric quality throughout. For The Royal Ballet, designer Jasper Conran created shimmering mosaic-patterned costumes that heighten the sense of light and texture. Within the Golden Hour reveals Wheeldon’s ability to blend classical technique with contemporary invention, creating a work that feels elegant, dynamic, and emotionally expansive.

Ezio Bosso Composer

Ezio Bosso (1971 - 2020) was an Italian composer, pianist, conductor, and educator known for his emotional music. Born in Turin, Italy, he began playing piano as a child and later studied composition and double bass. Bosso composed music for orchestras, chamber ensembles, film, theater, and dance. His work blended classical traditions with contemporary influences, creating music that was accessible and deeply personal. Despite living with a serious neurodegenerative condition, he continued performing and composing, inspiring audiences with his determination. Bosso remained dedicated to sharing the transformative power of music until his death in 2020.

Jasper Conran

Costume Designer Jasper Conran is a British fashion designer, author, and creative director known for his elegant and innovative designs. Born in London in 1959, he is the son of designer Sir Terence Conran and writer Shirley Conran. He launched his fashion label in 1979 and became known for creating sophisticated clothing that combines classic British style with modern influences. Conran has also designed costumes for ballet and opera, collaborated with major cultural institutions, and worked in interior and product design. His diverse career has established him as an influential figure in British fashion and the arts.

Antonio Vivaldi Composer

Antonio Lucio Vivaldi (1678 - 1741), born in Venice, was a major Baroque composer and virtuoso violinist. He learned violin from his father and became maestro di violino at the Ospedale della Pietà, a Venetian orphanage and music school. His early success led to his appointment as music director in 1716. Vivaldi later worked in Mantua, where he composed operas and his celebrated Four Seasons violin concertos. His music brought commissions from European royalty, including Emperor Charles VI. Vivaldi traveled widely and collaborated with leading Italian writers. After Charles VI’s death, Vivaldi fell into poverty and died in Vienna. His music has since experienced a remarkable revival.

Peter Mumford Lighting Designer

Peter Mumford is a British lighting designer and filmmaker known for his work in dance, theater, and opera. He has collaborated with leading choreographers and companies, creating atmospheric lighting designs that enhance movement and storytelling. Mumford worked with choreographer Christopher Wheeldon on Within the Golden Hour, a ballet that premiered in 2008. His lighting design helps shape the ballet’s shifting moods and visual atmosphere. Over his career, Mumford has received recognition for his innovative contributions to the performing arts and has worked internationally on productions ranging from contemporary dance to opera and theater.

Photography: The Royal Ballet in Christopher Wheeldon’s Within The Golden Hour At The Royal Opera House | Photo by Robbie Jack

Premiered by San Francisco Ballet | April 22, 2008 First Performed by The Sarasota Ballet | December 18, 2026

Season Overview

PROGRAM THREE

The Two Pigeons Choreography by Sir Frederick Ashton Music by André Messager Arranged by John Lanchbery Costume Designs by Jacques Dupont Staged by Margaret Barbieri and Iain Webb Lighting Design by Ethan Vail

Sir Frederick Ashton Choreographer

Sir Frederick Ashton (1904 - 1988) was born in Ecuador and resolved to dance after seeing Anna Pavlova perform in Lima in 1917. In London, he studied with Léonide Massine and later with Dame Marie Rambert, who encouraged his first choreographic ventures, including A Tragedy of Fashion (1926). After dancing briefly with Ida Rubinstein’s company, he accepted Dame Ninette de Valois’ invitation in 1935 to join her Vic-Wells Ballet as both dancer and choreographer, beginning a lifelong association with what would become The Royal Ballet. His career extended beyond the company to opera, film, revues, and international commissions, but it was at Covent Garden, after wartime service in the RAF, that he created Symphonic Variations (1946), affirming 62

2026 - 2027 Season

a new postwar spirit. Over the following decades he choreographed ballets often tailored to individual dancers, among them Cinderella (1948), Daphnis and Chloe (1951), Romeo and Juliet (1955), Ondine (1958), La Fille mal gardée (1960), The Two Pigeons (1961), Marguerite and Armand (1963), and The Dream (1964). Ashton was appointed Associate Director of The Royal Ballet in 1952 and succeeded de Valois as Director from 1963 to 1970, during which time he also created works such as Monotones II (1965), Enigma Variations (1968), A Month in the Country (1976), and the film The Tales of Beatrix Potter (1971), in which he performed as Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle. Knighted in 1962 and later named Founder Choreographer of The Royal Ballet, Ashton left a body of work distinguished by versatility, musical sensitivity, and theatrical imagination.

The Two Pigeons is an allegorical ballet based on a fable

by Jean de La Fontaine. Les Deux Pigeons premiered at the Paris Opéra in 1886, choreographed by Louis Mérante, with music by André Messager and a libretto by Henri Régnier. Sir Frederick Ashton created his celebrated two-act version for The Royal Ballet, premiering at Covent Garden on February 14, 1961, with Lynn Seymour and Christopher Gable. Ashton retained Messager’s beautiful score while replacing Régnier’s scenario with an allegorical interpretation inspired by La Fontaine’s fable. Two live pigeons symbolize the temporarily separated lovers and their eventual reunion. With its lightness, musicality, warmth, and French Romantic character, Ashton’s The Two Pigeons celebrates love, forgiveness, reconciliation, and the enduring pull of home.

André Messager Composer

French composer and conductor André Messager (1853 – 1929) was born in Montluçon and studied at Paris’s Niedermeyer School with Camille Saint-Saëns and Gabriel Fauré. He became organist at Saint-Sulpice in 1874 and later conducted at the FoliesBergère. Although he composed a symphony, Messager established his reputation through 24 operettas and nine ballets. His successful works included La Basoche, Madame Chrysanthème, Mirette, Véronique, and Monsieur Beaucaire. He conducted widely in Paris and London, including the 1902 premiere of Debussy’s Pelléas et Mélisande. Messager also served as director of Covent Garden Opera from 1901 1907 and the Paris Opera from 1908 - 1914.

Jacques Dupont Costume Designer

French theater designer Jacques Dupont was born in Paris in 1909 and began designing for the stage in 1924, working within the artistic milieu surrounding Diaghilev. His early designs included Strindberg’s Ghost Sonata and Stravinsky’s The Soldier’s Tale. In 1937, his designs for Darius Milhaud’s Hecuba earned the Grand Prix de Spectacle. Dupont went on to design for major opera and ballet companies worldwide, including The Metropolitan Opera, Paris Opera, and The Royal Ballet. His notable collaborations included JeanLouis Barrault, Frederick Ashton, and Roland Petit. He also designed the 1966 film Hotel Paradiso. Dupont died in Paris in 1978.

Premiered by The Royal Ballet | February 14, 1961 First Performed by The Sarasota Ballet | November 30, 2007

Season Overview

January 29 - February 1, 2027 | FSU Center

GEORGE BALANCHINE Donizetti Variations Music by Gaetano Donizetti

ASHLEY PAGE Walking in the Heat

(Company Premiere) Music by Orlando Gough

ASHLEY PAGE The Pump Room

(Company Premiere) Music by Aphex Twin & Nine Inch Nails

PAUL TAYLOR Mercuric Tidings

(Company Premiere) Music by Franz Schubert

PROGRAM FOUR

Donizetti Variations Choreography by George Balanchine Music by Gaetano Donizetti Original Costume Designs by Karinska Staged by Sandra Jennings Lighting Design by Ethan Vail

George Balanchine Choreographer

George Balanchine (1904 - 1983), born Georgi Balanchivadze in St. Petersburg, became one of the most influential figures in 20th-century ballet. A graduate of the Petrograd Imperial Ballet School, he also studied piano and composition, joining the Mariinsky Ballet in 1921. In 1924, he left the Soviet Union, and Sergei Diaghilev soon appointed him chief choreographer of the Ballets Russes, where he created Apollo (1928) and Prodigal Son (1929), works that defined his neoclassical style.

Balanchine’s vast output includes collaborations with Igor Stravinsky and other leading composers, blending classical technique with modernist clarity and musical sophistication. His ballets—Serenade, Concerto Barocco, Jewels, Agon, and many more—redefined the art form, emphasizing speed, precision, and musicality over narrative. He also choreographed extensively for Broadway and film during the 1930s and 1940s, including On Your Toes and The Boys from Syracuse.

After Diaghilev’s death, Balanchine worked across Europe before moving to the United States in 1933 with arts patron Lincoln Kirstein. Together they founded the School of American Ballet, from which emerged several companies that culminated in New York City Ballet (1948), where Balanchine served as Ballet Master until his death.

Known as the father of American ballet, Balanchine created a neoclassical aesthetic that gave the United States its own ballet identity. His legacy endures worldwide, his ballets still central to the repertoire of major companies.

2026 - 2027 Season

George Balanchine’s Donizetti Variations is a buoyant

classical ballet created in 1960 for New York City Ballet’s “Salute to Italy,” marking the centenary of Italian unification. Set to music from Gaetano Donizetti’s opera Dom Sébastien, Roi de Portugal, the work was conceived as a bright counterpoint to the program’s more serious offerings. Balanchine fills the ballet with quick footwork, lively allegro passages, and a lightness often associated with the Bournonville tradition. Two principal dancers lead the work through sparkling solos and a shared coda, supported by three trios that keep the stage in constant motion. Though joyful in spirit, Donizetti Variations demands remarkable speed, precision, stamina, and musical responsiveness, making it both an audience favorite and a technically exacting showcase for its dancers, from its opening moments to its finale.

Gaetano Donizetti Composer

Gaetano Donizetti (1797 - 1848) was an Italian composer best known for his operas. Born in Bergamo, Italy, he showed musical talent at an early age and studied under composer Simon Mayr. Donizetti became one of the leading composers of the bel canto tradition, known for beautiful melodies, expressive singing, and dramatic storytelling. He composed more than 70 operas, including Lucia di Lammermoor, L’elisir d’amore, and Don Pasquale. His music was performed throughout Europe, and his influence helped shape the development of Italian opera. Donizetti died in Bergamo in 1848 after suffering from serious health problems.

Karinska

Costume Designer Barbara Karinska (1886 - 1983) revolutionized stage costume with elegance and practicality. Beginning her career at forty-one, she designed over 70 ballets for George Balanchine, creating the iconic “powder puff” tutu. An Academy Award winner, her work across ballet, theater, opera, and film continues to define the visual language of dance worldwide.

Premiered by New York City Ballet | November 16, 1960 First Performed by The Sarasota Ballet | December 3, 2010

Season Overview

PROGRAM FOUR

Walking in the Heat COMPANY PREMIERE

Choreography by Ashley Page Music by Orlando Gough Woman’s Costume Design by Antony McDonald Man’s Costume Design by Ashley Page Lighting Design by Ethan Vail

Ashley Page Choreographer

Ashley Page, born in Kent, began training locally before entering The Royal Ballet Schools. He joined The Royal Ballet in 1976, where formative collaborations with Sir Frederick Ashton, Kenneth MacMillan, and Richard Alston profoundly shaped his artistry. Promoted to Principal Dancer in 1984, he combined a distinguished performing career with choreography, creating 17 works for the Company and receiving commissions from Rambert Dance Company, Dutch National Ballet, and others. His choreography—praised for bold collaborations and stylistic versatility—has since been performed internationally by leading companies including San Francisco Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, Royal Ballet of Flanders, and Vienna State Ballet. In 2002, after 27 years with The Royal 68

2026 - 2027 Season

Ballet, Page was appointed Artistic Director of Scottish Ballet. Over the next decade he revitalized the company, creating acclaimed full-length productions and expanding its repertoire with contemporary works and new commissions. Now working internationally as a freelance choreographer and opera director, Page continues to bring his distinctive voice to ballet. Page’s achievements have been recognized with numerous honors, including the Olivier Award, the De Valois Award for Outstanding Achievement, and appointment as Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 2006.

Ashley Page’s Walking in the Heat is a pas de deux

taken from a larger work created in 1992, and is often performed as a stand-alone piece. The evocative music by Orlando Gough provides a distinctly Spanish flavor as the two dancers playfully stalk each other in the sultry heat of a Latin city at night. There is a sexually charged tension between the couple which simmers just below the surface…it’s a slow-burn balletic tango with a film noir edge.

Orlando Gough Composer

Orlando Gough born in 1953 is a British composer, educated at Oxford, known for music written for ballet, contemporary dance, and theatre. His collaborators have included Siobhan Davies, Alain Platel, Shobana Jeyasingh, and Ashley Page of The Royal Ballet. In 1998, he co-founded The Shout with Richard Chew and serves as its artistic director. The choir won the Time Out Award for Classical Artist of the Year in 2001. Gough composed Birds on Fire for Fretwork and music for Stavanger’s 2008 European Capital of Culture closing ceremony. In 2011, his The Red Volcano, commissioned by Turner Contemporary, premiered for community choir and orchestra.

Antony McDonald Costume Designer

Antony McDonald is an awardwinning British theatre & opera director and scenic costume designer. He is widely recognized for combining classical structures with whimsical, modern, playful design twists. In 2013, McDonald won the Set Design Award at the International Opera Awards. He won the Golden Mask for best costume design in a musical production (Russia) for L’Enfant et les Sortileges at the Bolshoi Moscow, and the Irish Times Best Costume design award for Gerald Barry’s opera The Importance of Being Earnest.

Premiered by Dutch National Ballet | March 21, 1992 First Performed by The Sarasota Ballet | January 29, 2027

Season Overview

PROGRAM FOUR

The Pump Room COMPANY PREMIERE

Choreography by Ashley Page Music by Aphex Twin & Nine Inch Nails Costume Designs by Ashley Page Staged by Paul Liburd Lighting Design by Ethan Vail

Ashley Page Choreographer

2026 - 2027 Season

Ashley Page’s The Pump Room is a cavernous free-

flowing quartet set to powerfully atmospheric music by Aphex Twin. It is specifically choreographed for two female/male couples, one using a more contemporary dance language while the other deploys a ‘modern ballet’ idiom. The music contains a deep and almost ever-present industrial pulse which suggests a giant engine – at once machinelike and drenched with emotional weight – which ultimately short-circuits. The dancers roam the stage like rogue elements, engaging with each other in constantly shifting groupings driven by the seemingly inexorable unfolding of the soundscape. It could be interpreted as the dancers representing the four chambers of the heart, while the industrial character of the music suggests the beating of that heart….hence the pump room of the body.

Aphex Twin

Ethan Vail

Aphex Twin is the stage name of British electronic musician Richard D. James, born in Cornwall in 1971. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in electronic music. Known for his experimental sound, complex rhythms, and innovative use of technology, Aphex Twin has released influential albums including Selected Ambient Works 85 – 92, Richard D. James Album, and Drukqs. His music ranges from atmospheric ambient compositions to intense, unconventional electronic tracks. Aphex Twin has inspired generations of producers and helped shape genres such as IDM, ambient techno, and experimental electronic music.

Music Artist

Lighting Designer

Nine Inch Nails Music Artist

Nine Inch Nails, founded by Trent Reznor in 1988, is an influential American industrial rock band known for its innovative fusion of electronic music, rock, and experimental sound. Reznor’s layered compositions and distinctive sonic landscapes have earned Nine Inch Nails critical acclaim, multiple Grammy Awards, and an enduring influence across music and popular culture.

Premiered by Scottish Ballet | April 13, 2005 First Performed by The Sarasota Ballet | January 29, 2027

Season Overview

PROGRAM FOUR

Mercuric Tidings COMPANY PREMIERE

Choreography by Paul Taylor Music by Franz Schubert Costume Designs by Gene Moore Staged by Micheal Trusnovec Lighting Design by Jennifer Tipton

Paul Taylor

Choreographer Paul Taylor (1930 - 2018) was one of the most accomplished artists this nation has ever produced. He established the Paul Taylor Dance Company in 1954, serving as both a virtuoso performer and a trailblazing choreographer until 1974, when he turned exclusively to choreography. During his 64-year career as a dance maker, Mr. Taylor helped define and shape the home-grown American art of modern dance through a matchless repertoire of 147 works with an extraordinary range of subject matter. Mr. Taylor won public and critical acclaim for the vibrancy, relevance, and power of his dances, offering cogent observations on life’s complexities while tackling some of society’s challenging issues.

2026 - 2027 Season

Mr. Taylor received nearly every important honor given to artists in the United States. In 1992 he was a recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors and received an Emmy Award for Speaking in Tongues, produced by WNET/New York. He was awarded the National Medal of Arts by President Clinton in 1993. In 1995 he received the Algur H. Meadows Award for Excellence in the Arts and was named one of 50 prominent Americans honored in recognition of their outstanding achievement by the Library of Congress. Awards for lifetime achievement include a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship – often called the “genius award” – and the Samuel H. Scripps American Dance Festival Award. Mr. Taylor left an extraordinary legacy of creativity and vision not only to American modern dance but to the performing arts all over the world.

Paul Taylor’s Mercuric Tidings, created in 1982, is a

vibrant modern dance work set to excerpts from Franz Schubert’s First and Second Symphonies. 13 dancers sweep across the stage in a rush of fast runs, buoyant leaps, intricate skips, and constantly shifting formations, giving the work its distinctive sense of speed and exhilaration. Taylor matches Schubert’s bright, propulsive music with choreography that feels both playful and exacting, demanding remarkable stamina, precision, and ensemble awareness. Gene Moore’s vivid costumes heighten the ballet’s youthful energy, while Jennifer Tipton’s lighting adds warmth and atmosphere. Beneath its effortless surface lies a tightly constructed work of musical and spatial intelligence. Mercuric Tidings remains one of Taylor’s most celebrated creations, admired for its athleticism, wit, momentum, and sheer joy in movement from beginning to end.

Franz Schubert Composer

Franz Schubert (1797 – 1828) was one of the most prolific composers in history, leaving over 600 lieder, nine symphonies, and a wealth of chamber, piano, and choral works despite his death at only 31. A former chorister in the Vienna Imperial Court chapel, he began composing as a child and created his first masterpiece, Gretchen am Spinnrade, at 17. Though often living in poverty, he produced music of extraordinary lyricism and emotional depth, including the song cycles Die Schöne Müllerin and Winterreise, the “Unfinished” and “Great” Symphonies, the String Quintet, and late piano sonatas—works now central to the repertoire.

Gene Moore

Costume Designer Gene Moore (1910 – 1998) was an American designer whose career bridged fashion, visual display, and dance. In 1955, he joined Tiffany & Co. as Artistic Director and Vice President, transforming its Fifth Avenue windows into imaginative works of art and designing thousands of displays over four decades. Moore also brought his distinctive visual sensibility to the stage through a longtime collaboration with choreographer Paul Taylor. He created sets and costumes for several Taylor works, including Airs, Dust, Arden Court, and Mercuric Tidings. His theatrical designs combined clarity, color, and wit, complementing Taylor’s choreography while giving each work a memorable visual identity.

Premiered by Paul Taylor Dance Company | April 20, 1982 First Performed by The Sarasota Ballet | January 29, 2027

Season Overview

February 26 – March 1, 2027 | FSU Center

THE SARASOTA BALLET PRESENTS Paul Taylor Dance Company

Patrick Gamble in Paul Taylor’s Under the Rhythm | Photo by Ron Thiele

PROGRAM FIVE

About the Company

The PAUL TAYLOR DANCE COMPANY is one of the world’s leading dance organizations, based in New York City with a vast international reach. Under the artistic direction of Michael Novak, the Company continues to innovate and shape 21st-century dance performance and education alongside exceptional dancers, choreographers, educators, and creatives. Founded in 1954 by Paul Taylor (1930 – 2018), one of America’s most celebrated artists, the Company carries forward his belief that dance can express complex truths about the human experience. The hallmark of the Company is its brilliant, everexpanding repertory. Of the 170 dances in its canon, 147 were choreographed by Taylor, and many are recognized among the greatest works of the 20th and 21st centuries. While preserving these masterworks, the Company

invests in the future of dance, appointing Lauren Lovette as its first Resident Choreographer in 2022 and Robert Battle as its second in 2024. Committed to making dance and education accessible to broad audiences, the Company maintains a global presence through extensive touring. Since its first European tour in 1960, it has performed in more than 600 cities across 66 countries, representing the United States at international arts festivals and touring under the aegis of the U.S. Department of State. With its new Midtown headquarters, Taylor Dance West, complementing its longtime Lower East Side studios, Taylor Dance East, the Company is expanding its role as a cultural resource in New York City. Its three creative sites—Lincoln Center, Midtown, and the Lower East Side—connect audiences with the world of Taylor.

Jessica Ferretti, Kenny Corrigan, and Payton Primer in Paul Taylor’s Piazzolla Caldera | Photo by Erin Baiano

Paul Taylor

Founding Director Paul Taylor (1930 – 2018) was one of America’s most accomplished artists and a defining figure in modern dance. He founded the Paul Taylor Dance Company in 1954, performing as a virtuoso dancer and choreographer until 1974, when he devoted himself to choreography. Over a 64-year career, Mr. Taylor created 147 works that helped shape an American voice in modern dance. His choreography explored a range of subjects, earning acclaim for its vibrancy, relevance, and power. His dances offered observations on life’s complexities while confronting society’s most challenging issues. Mr. Taylor received major honors, including the Kennedy Center Honors, an Emmy Award, the National Medal of Arts, the MacArthur Foundation Fellowship, and the Samuel H. Scripps American Dance Festival Award. His legacy continues to influence American modern dance and the performing arts worldwide.

Michael Novak Artistic Director

Michael Novak, Artistic Director of the Paul Taylor Dance Company, is leading a new era of expansion driven by artistic innovation, inclusion, and education. Before becoming Artistic Director, Novak enjoyed a distinguished career as a critically acclaimed Taylor dancer. In 2018, after eight years with the Company, Paul Taylor appointed Novak as his successor, entrusting him with preserving and evolving his legacy. Under Novak’s leadership, Taylor remains one of the world’s leading dance companies, with extensive

domestic and international touring, an annual Lincoln Center season, an expanding repertory combining Taylor’s groundbreaking works with new choreographic voices, and educational programs serving future generations of dancers and audiences. The Company has also expanded to new Midtown Manhattan headquarters, strengthening its role within New York City’s creative community. Novak trained at institutions including the University of the Arts and Taylor School. He earned a BA in Dance magna cum laude from Columbia University, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and serves on the Board of Visitors.

Paul Taylor Dance Company in Paul Taylor’s Roses | Photo by Paul B. Goode

Season Overview

March 26 – 27, 2027 | Van Wezel Accompanied by the Sarasota Orchestra

SIR FREDERICK ASHTON Romeo and Juliet

Music by Sergei Prokofiev Production Courtesy of Peter Schaufuss

PROGRAM SIX

Romeo and Juliet Choreography by Sir Frederick Ashton Production Courtesy of Peter Schaufuss Music by Sergei Prokofiev Costume Designs by Peter Rice Staged by Marilyn Vella-Gatt Lighting Design by Ethan Vail

Sir Frederick Ashton Choreographer

2026 - 2027 Season

that he created Symphonic Variations (1946), affirming a new postwar spirit. Over the following decades he choreographed ballets often tailored to individual dancers, among them Cinderella (1948), Daphnis and Chloe (1951), Romeo and Juliet (1955), Ondine (1958), La Fille mal gardée (1960), The Two Pigeons (1961), Marguerite and Armand (1963), and The Dream (1964). Ashton was appointed Associate Director of The Royal Ballet in 1952 and succeeded de Valois as Director from 1963 to 1970, during which time he also created works such as Monotones II (1965), Enigma Variations (1968), A Month in the Country (1976), and the film The Tales of Beatrix Potter (1971), in which he performed as Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle. Knighted in 1962 and later named Founder Choreographer of The Royal Ballet, Ashton left a body of work distinguished by versatility, musical sensitivity, and theatrical imagination.

Created for the Royal Danish Ballet in 1955, Sir Frederick

Ashton’s Romeo and Juliet occupies a distinctive place in ballet history. Ashton first proposed the work to Dame Ninette de Valois for Sadler’s Wells Ballet, but when the project did not move forward, he took it to Copenhagen. There, he created a three-act ballet for Henning Kronstam and Mona Vangsaae, with Frank Schaufuss as Mercutio. Its premiere at the Royal Theatre on May 19 earned nine curtain calls. Ashton’s production preceded the Bolshoi Ballet’s landmark Western debut with Leonid Lavrovsky’s Soviet staging. Working without that production’s influence, Ashton returned directly to Shakespeare, following the play as closely as possible while distilling its action around Romeo and Juliet. The result is intimate yet richly theatrical: humor, violence, ceremony, and youthful ardor unfold with his characteristic musicality, while the lovers’

private world grows increasingly urgent against Verona’s public conflict. Sergei Prokofiev’s score drives the drama from the vitality of the marketplace and grandeur of the Capulet ball to the lyricism of the balcony scene and final devastation of the tomb. Ashton’s choreography gives the supporting characters vivid dramatic presence but never loses sight of the central relationship. Later revived by Peter Schaufuss—the son of the original Juliet and Mercutio—the ballet remains a rare and revealing work: an independent Western response to Prokofiev and Shakespeare, shaped by Ashton’s theatrical imagination and profound understanding of love, human nature, and tragedy through expressive movement and gesture.

SYNOPSIS ACT I In Verona, the Montagues and Capulets are divided by a bitter feud. After violence erupts in the marketplace, Escalus Prince of Verona orders both families to keep the peace. At a ball hosted by the Capulets, Romeo meets Juliet, whose parents intend her to marry Paris. The young pair fall immediately in love, despite their families’ hatred. Later, beneath Juliet’s balcony, they declare their devotion and resolve to marry in secret. ACT II Juliet’s Nurse delivers her promise of marriage to Romeo, and Friar Laurence secretly unites the lovers, hoping their union will end the feud. When Tybalt challenges Romeo, Mercutio fights in his place and is fatally wounded. Enraged by his friend’s death, Romeo kills Tybalt and is banished from Verona.

ACT III Following their wedding night, Romeo and Juliet reluctantly part. Juliet’s parents insist she marry Paris, but she refuses and seeks Friar Laurence’s help. He gives her a potion that will make her appear dead until Romeo can return for her. The Friar’s message never reaches Romeo. Believing Juliet has died, Romeo enters the Capulet tomb, kills Paris and drinks from the poison bottle beside Juliet’s body. She awakens, discovers Romeo dead and takes her own life. EPILOGUE United in grief, the Montagues and Capulets renounce their hatred. The lovers’ deaths bring peace to Verona— but at a devastating cost.

Premiered by Royal Danish Ballet | May 19, 1955 First Performed by The Sarasota Ballet | March 28, 2025

Season Overview

Sergei Prokofiev

Peter Rice

Composer

Sergei Prokofiev (1891 - 1953) entered the St. Petersburg Conservatory at 13 and graduated in 1909. He traveled throughout Europe, meeting Diaghilev and Stravinsky, before moving to the United States and Western Europe after the Russian Revolution. For the Ballets Russes, he composed Chout, Le Pas d’Acier, and The Prodigal Son. Returning to the Soviet Union in 1936, Prokofiev created major works including Romeo and Juliet, Cinderella, War and Peace, and film scores for Eisenstein’s Alexander Nevsky and Ivan the Terrible. After his music was condemned as “Formalist” in 1948, he continued composing despite illness and financial hardship until his death.

Costume Designer Peter Rice was a prolific and respected British stage designer, born in 1928 in Simla, India. He studied stage design at London’s Royal College of Art and began his professional career in 1951. Over the following decades, Rice designed sets and costumes for opera, ballet, and theatre worldwide. His acclaimed 1950s work with London’s Old Vic Theatre Company led to an extensive career encompassing West End productions, Greenwich Theatre Company, Royal Exchange Manchester, and Chichester Festival Theatre. He also designed for leading opera and ballet companies, including the Royal Opera, Sadler’s Wells, New Sadler’s Wells Opera, Scottish Opera, and Handel Opera. Rice died in January 2016, aged 87.

Peter Schaufuss Production Owner

Peter Schaufuss was born into the theatre, the son of Royal Danish Ballet dancers Frank Schaufuss and Mona Vangsaae. After his professional debut at 18, he became an international principal dancer with leading companies including London Festival Ballet/English National Ballet, The Royal Ballet, New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Paris Opera, Mariinsky Ballet, and the Royal Danish Ballet. He later directed London Festival/English National Ballet, where he founded the English National Ballet School, Berlin Ballet Deutsche Oper, and The Royal Danish Ballet. In 1997, he founded Peter Schaufuss Ballet & School, creating 22 full-length works and touring internationally. He has produced, directed, and choreographed over 100 productions, earning Evening Standard, Olivier, Berlin and Edinburgh Critics Awards. Knighted in Denmark in 1988.

Romeo Costume Design by Peter Rice

Katherine Healy, Sir Frederick Ashton, and Peter Schaufuss Curtain Call in Ashton’s Romeo and Juliet

2026 - 2027 Season

April 30 - May 1, 2027 | Opera House Accompanied by the Sarasota Orchestra

MARIUS PETIPA The Kingdom of the Shades (Company Premiere) Music by Ludwig Minkus

DAME NINETTE DE VALOIS The Rake’s Progress Music by Gavin Gordon

ANTONY TUDOR Gala Performance

Music by Sergei Prokofiev

PROGRAM SEVEN

The Kingdom of the Shades LA BAYADÈRE COMPANY PREMIERE

Choreography by Marius Petipa Music by Ludwig Minkus Staged by Margaret Barbieri and Iain Webb Lighting Design by Ethan Vail

Marius Petipa Choreographer

theatrical storytelling, elaborate ensemble scenes, and opportunities for principal dancers to display virtuosity.

Marius Petipa was one of the most influential choreographers and ballet masters in the history of classical ballet. Born in Marseille, France, in 1818, Petipa spent much of his career in Russia, where he became a central figure in the development of the Imperial Russian Ballet. Over several decades, he created and staged works that established many of the conventions still associated with classical ballet today.

As a choreographer and teacher, Petipa helped shape generations of dancers and established a detailed approach to ballet production that influenced companies far beyond Russia. His work emphasized musical structure, classical technique, character development, and the careful arrangement of corps de ballet formations. Although many of his original productions have been revised over time, the foundations of his choreography remain visible in productions performed around the world.

Petipa is particularly celebrated for his collaborations with composers such as Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and Ludwig Minkus. His productions of The Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker (with Lev Ivanov), and Swan Lake (also with Ivanov), as well as Don Quixote, La Bayadère, and Raymonda, became landmarks of the repertoire. His choreography combined demanding technique with

Petipa died in Gurzuf, Crimea, in 1910, but his artistic legacy continues to define much of the classical ballet canon. His influence can be seen not only in the works associated with his name, but also in the training, staging practices, choreographic traditions, and performance styles that continue to shape ballet today.

2026 - 2027 Season

The Kingdom of the Shades from Act II of La Bayadère

is one of classical ballet’s most iconic scenes. Choreographed by Marius Petipa to music by Ludwig Minkus, it premiered in St. Petersburg in 1877. In the ballet, the grieving warrior Solor enters a dreamlike vision of the spirit world, where he is reunited with his lost love, Nikiya. The scene opens with the famous descent of the Shades, a long procession of ballerinas in white performing the same arabesque sequence in perfect unison. The effect is both serene and hypnotic, demanding extraordinary control from the corps de ballet. Solo variations and the central pas de deux add further technical and emotional depth, making the scene a lasting showcase of classical precision, harmony, and beauty.

Left and Above: Kyrgyz National Ballet in Marius Petipa’s Kingdom of the Shades from La Bayadere | Photo by Stephen Lioy

Ludwig Minkus Composer

Ludwig Minkus was an Austrian-born composer and violinist whose music became an enduring part of the classical ballet repertoire. Born in Vienna in 1826, he developed a successful career before moving to Russia, where he became closely associated with the Imperial Ballet. Minkus collaborated extensively with choreographer Marius Petipa, creating scores celebrated for their lively rhythms, memorable melodies, dramatic energy, and theatricality. Among his bestknown works are Don Quixote, La Bayadère, and Paquita. His music continues to be performed by ballet companies worldwide, admired for its vitality, elegance, and ability to support storytelling and virtuosic dance.

Ethan Vail

Lighting Designer Ethan Vail, originally from Indiana, discovered his passion for lighting dance at Purdue University. His designs span full-length ballets such as Johan Kobborg’s La Sylphide and works by Ashton, Balanchine, and MacMillan. His 2025 - 2026 credits include Jessica Lang’s The Lorenz Butterfly, and Gemma Bond’s The Waiting Room. For Ashley Page’s Scorched Sky, he designed the lighting and collaborated on the set design and concept. His work also includes Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, Urbanite Theatre, and Asolo Repertory Theatre. Highlights include the 2013 USITT Young Designers Award and lighting The Sarasota Ballet’s 2024 performances at London’s Royal Opera House.

Kirov Ballet Corps de Ballet in Marius Petipa’s Kingdom of the Shades from La Bayadere | Photo by Ann Johansson

Premiered by Imperial Ballet | February 4, 1877 First Performed by The Sarasota Ballet | April 30, 2027

Season Overview

PROGRAM SEVEN

The Rake’s Progress Choreography by Dame Ninette de Valois Music by Gavin Gordon Designs by Rex Whistler, after William Hogarth Staged by Margaret Barbieri Lighting Design by Ethan Vail

Dame Ninette de Valois Choreographer

Dame Ninette de Valois (1898 - 2001) is widely credited with establishing a distinctive British ballet tradition and founding the company that became The Royal Ballet. Born Edris Stannus in County Wicklow, Ireland, she began dancing at age 10 and studied with Enrico Cecchetti. She performed in pantomime, revue, and opera before joining the Massine-Lopokhova company in 1922 and Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes in 1923. She adopted her stage name in 1921, reflecting the era’s preference for French and Russian-sounding identities. In 1926, de Valois opened her Academy of Choreographic Art in London. Two years later, Lilian Baylis invited her to provide dancers for the Old Vic. By 1931, de Valois had established her company at the newly reopened Sadler’s Wells Theatre, founding the Vic-Wells Ballet. The company 88

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evolved into Sadler’s Wells Ballet and, in 1956, became The Royal Ballet at Covent Garden. As director, teacher, and choreographer, de Valois nurtured generations of artists, including Margot Fonteyn, Robert Helpmann, Sir Frederick Ashton, and Moira Shearer. Her important ballets include Job (1931), The Rake’s Progress (1935), and Checkmate (1937), often drawing on English themes and composers. The Royal Ballet’s triumphant 1949 American tour established the company internationally. Affectionately known as “Madam,” de Valois remained influential after retiring as director in 1963 and received numerous honors for her extraordinary contribution to British ballet. She died in 2001 at the age of 102.

The Rake’s Progress, an early English ballet masterpiece,

was inspired by William Hogarth’s satirical series of eight paintings depicting the downfall of wealthy heir Tom Rakewell. Dame Ninette de Valois collaborated with Gavin Gordon and Rex Whistler to transform the story into a sixscene ballet, tracing Rakewell’s journey from privileged excess through gambling, debt, prison, and madness. The ballet premiered successfully in 1935 and remains a staple of the English repertoire. De Valois captures Hogarth’s sharp social satire through expressive characterization and economical choreography. The Betrayed Girl, the ballet’s sole figure of integrity, dances en pointe, while Rakewell’s movement deteriorates from elegant classical form to animalistic wildness. The ballet’s tragicomic narrative and vivid theatricality have secured its enduring place in ballet history.

Gavin Gordon Composer

Gavin Muspratt Gordon was born in Ayr, Scotland, in 1901 and died in London in 1970. A gifted musician, he studied composition at the Royal College of Music with Ralph Vaughan Williams, whose influence shaped his work. Gordon is best remembered for his ballet scores of the 1930s, including Toothsome Morsel, Regatta, The Scorpions of Ysit, and his most successful work, The Rake’s Progress (1935), created with Dame Ninette de Valois and designer Rex Whistler. Gordon also wrote the ballet’s libretto, adapting William Hogarth’s paintings for the stage. Though his music is little known today, he enjoyed a varied career as a composer, singer, and actor.

Rex Whistler Designer

Reginald “Rex” Whistler was born in Kent in 1905 and displayed an early talent for art. After studying at the Royal Academy and Slade School of Art, he developed a distinguished career spanning theatre, book illustration, mural painting, and portraiture. He painted prominent figures of London society, including Cecil Beaton, and became associated with the “Bright Young Things.” Whistler also designed scenery and costumes for ballet, notably The Rake’s Progress in 1935. During World War II, he joined the Welsh Guards while continuing to paint. Sent to France after the D-Day landings, Whistler was killed in battle in 1944, aged 39.

Premiered by The Vic-Wells Ballet | May 20, 1935 First Performed by The Sarasota Ballet | January 30, 2009

Season Overview

PROGRAM SEVEN

Gala Performance Choreography by Antony Tudor Music by Sergei Prokofiev Costume Designs by Hugh Laing Staged by Amanda McKerrow and John Gardner Lighting Design by Ethan Vail

Antony Tudor Choreographer

It took Marie Rambert’s instinct for talent to recognize the potential in 19-year-old William Cook (born 1908 in London), then an invoice clerk at Smithfield Market. Stage-struck and determined, he came to her Ballet Club for lessons after work, becoming her stage manager, pianist, and assistant. Adopting the name Antony Tudor, he soon emerged as Sir Frederick Ashton’s chief British choreographic rival of the 1930s. Tudor’s debut, Cross-Garter’d (1931), drew praise from Léonide Massine and was followed by Lysistrata, Adam and Eve (1932), The Planets (1934), and the acclaimed Lilac Garden (1936) and Dark Elegies (1937). Witty works such as Judgment of Paris and Gala Performance (1938) displayed his range. That same year, frustrated with Rambert’s demands, 90

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he co-founded London Ballet with Andrée Howard, Agnes de Mille, and Hugh Laing, his lifelong partner. In 1939, Tudor accepted Lucia Chase’s invitation to Ballet Theatre in New York, beginning a long association with the company (later American Ballet Theatre). As Resident Choreographer, he restaged earlier works and created the seminal Pillar of Fire (1942). Retiring from performance in 1950, he directed the Metropolitan Opera Ballet School and taught at Juilliard and UCLA, while choreographing for New York City Ballet and the National Ballet of Canada. He briefly led the Royal Swedish Ballet (1963 – 64) before returning to ABT in 1974 as Associate Artistic Director, where he created late works including The Leaves Are Fading (1975). A committed Zen Buddhist, Tudor died in New York in 1987, remembered for choreography of psychological and emotional depth.

Antony Tudor’s Gala Performance turns the grand

traditions of ballet into a sharply observed comedy of vanity, rivalry, and theatrical one-upmanship. Created for London Ballet in 1938, the work later became an important part of American Ballet Theatre’s early repertory. Set to music by Sergei Prokofiev, the ballet imagines a gala featuring three celebrated ballerinas from Russia, Italy, and France, each determined to command the stage. Their competing styles, exaggerated personalities, and increasingly brazen attempts to outshine one another give Tudor ample room for wit, parody, and precise character work. Beneath the humor is an affectionate understanding of ballet culture and its larger-than-life personalities. With its blend of technical brilliance, theatrical timing, and sly satire, Gala Performance remains one of Tudor’s most enduring and entertaining works.

Sergei Prokofiev Composer

Sergei Prokofiev (1891 - 1953) entered the St. Petersburg Conservatory at 13 and graduated in 1909. He traveled to Paris and London, meeting Diaghilev and Stravinsky, before leaving Russia after the Revolution. In the West, he composed the Ballets Russes works Chout, Le Pas d’Acier, and The Prodigal Son, along with major symphonies, operas, and concertos. Returning to the Soviet Union in 1936, he created Romeo and Juliet, Cinderella, War and Peace, and film scores for Eisenstein. After his music was condemned as “Formalist” in 1948, Prokofiev continued composing despite illness and financial hardship until his death.

Hugh Laing

Costume Designer Hugh Laing (1911 - 1988) was one of the finest dramatic dancers of 20th-century ballet. His artistic partnership with choreographer Antony Tudor began at Ballet Rambert, where he originated roles in Lilac Garden and Dark Elegies. Their collaboration continued at Ballet Theatre (later ABT), where Laing danced The Young Man in Pillar of Fire and Romeo in Romeo and Juliet. At New York City Ballet, he also performed in Todd Bolender’s The Miraculous Mandarin and Balanchine’s Prodigal Son. In later years, Laing worked as a professional photographer and designer while continuing to assist Tudor with revivals, including Gala Performance in 1988.

Premiered by London Ballet | December 5, 1938 First Performed by The Sarasota Ballet | April 4, 2014

Season Overview

A N B R I T I S H T R A D I T I ON I N A M E R I CA

by Alastair Macaulay

n 2016, The Sarasota Ballet danced a double bill of George Balanchine’s most overtly American ballet, Stars and Stripes (1958), and Frederick Ashton’s most subtly English one, Enigma Variations (1968). The one was danced with an entirely American accent, the other with an entirely English one. What a feat! Few if any other companies could have brought it off; only Sarasota, under the direction of Iain Webb, has even tried. For twenty years, this Englishman has been pursuing his vision of ballet in America: a labour of love.

Some of that ballet’s masterstrokes are perfect examples of English understatement. (To one particular note in the Nimrod melody in Enigma Variations, one Edwardian gent simply adjusts his spectacles. One of the oddest and smallest moments in all choreography, it gets deeply under your skin, a tiny psychological revelation of how this man will start to converse with his close friend, Elgar, about music itself. They leave much unsaid – this ballet really is enigmatic - and yet they’re eloquent.)

I’d watched Enigma Variations many times in the London theatre for which Ashton created it, the Royal Opera House Covent Garden. In 2016, as I walked to successive performances at the Van Wezel theatre, Sarasota’s “purple palace”, I remember marvelling that Enigma - a ballet set in the rural Worcestershire of the late Victorian era, with eccentric characters using eartrumpets, spectacles, hammocks, and tricycles - was alive again here, with flamingos visible on the gulf behind the theatre.

How fabulous to see this on the same program as Stars and Stripes, which can seem as irresistibly brash as Enigma is charmingly subtle. Actually, there’s much more than brashness going on in Stars and Stripes: you could analyse it forever in terms of its changing geometries and arithmetics. But certainly it shows the exuberant outwardness of American energy at its most innocent. Webb has the largeness of mind to make Sarasota the place where these two unalike visions of ballet can rub shoulders.

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Ballet -

a beautifully stylized image of human behavior made to express courtesy and harmony even in the classroom - began life in the 1400s in the courts of northern Italy. It was first crystallised in the 1500s and 1600s at the court of France. What a lesson in evolution it is to see it now in Sarasota, Florida! Iain Webb does not come from the upper crust of British society. His mother owned a small ballet school in Yorkshire, England; his father was a fireman. Many English theatre folk of Webb’s generation learnt to gentrify their accents, but not so Webb: he still speaks with the Yorkshire accent of his upbringing. When Webb, as a boy, lost his heart to ballet in the 1970s and 1980s, the Western ballet world had been largely re-shaped by four eminences who were still active but now senior: Ninette de Valois (1898 - 2001), Balanchine (1904 - 1983), Ashton (1904 - 1988), and Lincoln Kirstein (1907-1996). In the 1930s, De Valois and Ashton had founded and shaped the company that became today’s Royal Ballet, building upon the school that she had founded in 1926; in the 1930s and 1940s, Balanchine and Kirstein had started ballet companies that in 1948 became today’s New York City Ballet, building on the School of American Ballet, which they had co-founded in 1934. These two companies, the Royal Ballet and New York City Ballet, gave new life to ballet across the Western world. They exemplified different visions of what twentiethcentury classicism could be. In their wake, other ballet schools and other ballet companies opened. Ballet in the United States was greatly influenced by the Balanchine-Kirstein project, while ballet across the former British Commonwealth was extensively guided by the Royal Ballet’s example. The Sarasota Ballet is a rare combination of the two: an American company suffused with Royal Ballet style.

This Sarasota company was first founded almost forty years ago, in 1987, by Jean Weidner Goldstein. Its British connection goes back to Robert de Warren, who was its artistic director from 1994 to 2007. What nobody foresaw, however, was that the British connection was to deepen when Webb succeeded de Warren in 2007. Webb, then in his forties, had been in the ballet business for years - as dancer, as ballet master and rehearsal director. (I remember him as an enthusiastic student, watching – as was I - countless performances from the cheapest seats at Covent Garden.) Still, even those who knew him had no idea of the kind of ballet company that he and his wife, Margaret Barbieri - former ballerina, teacher, and director - were about to re-forge. In 2007 (and for a year or two after), The Sarasota Ballet was performing to taped music. Its performances at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall were of high quality but still had many empty rows. Ticket sales were $300,000 in 2007. Did even Webb guess that in the 2020s the company’s annual box-office budget would approach $2million? Did he guess that it would be performing in both New York and London?

“

I remember him as an enthusiastic student, watching – as was I countless performances from the cheapest seats at Covent Garden. - A. Macaulay

Yet to speak of today’s Sarasota Ballet as if Webb’s achievements were to be measured in terms of box-office success and international popularity is to miss what makes the company most phenomenal. Webb and Barbieri have achieved something stranger and rarer. The company they have made in Southwest Florida is much closer in style, spirit, and repertory to the Royal Ballet of Ashton and de Valois than is today’s Royal Ballet in London. Who’d have thunk it?

Sir Frederick Ashton and Iain Webb | Photo by Leslie E. Spatt

Season Overview

Webb and Barbieri, coming from different background and different generations, each knew De Valois and Ashton - Barbieri studied leading roles with both of them. Both husband and wife remain steeped in the values of the Royal Ballet, in particular the values of that company when it reached its prime in the 1960s and 1970s. In Sarasota today, as in London then, the rules of academic ballet are rigorously honoured, but with a strong flavouring of acting, gesture, and characterisation, and with a juicy pliancy of the upper body. (Ashton’s favourite two words in rehearsal were “Bend” and “More”. Those mottos are now well known throughout The Sarasota Ballet, even to office staff.) Sarasota dance musicality has the multi-layered nature that comes from Ashton’s deeply textured response to music. The dancers illustrate points of musical rhythm (sometimes playing with the music’s rhythm, anticipating and echoing it); their dancing also corresponds to qualities of melody and harmony in the music. (Whereas Balanchine dancers tend to count their way when learning their choreography, Ashton dancers are likelier to sing it. As for harmony, Ashton’s response to moments of dissonance or harmonic tensions within a musical phrase was to add elements of complexity to the dancers’ line, twisting the body this way or that.)

How Uncanny, how utterly improbable -

that the sole ballet company on the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of America - what you will) should often be a better exponent of Ashton style than today’s Royal Ballet or Birmingham Royal Ballet. Yet just look - it has come to pass. How has Webb managed this? Some strange blend of charm, sweetness, vision, and bloody-minded determination. For Ashton, it was important that his company should dance the work of other choreographers, from the nineteenth century classics to new works from experimentalists. So it has been in Sarasota with Webb. That Stars and Stripes hasn’t been Sarasota’s only Balanchine production by any means. The company has also acquired ballets by – among others – Agnes de Mille, Jessica Lang, Justin Peck, Jerome Robbins, Alexei Ratmansky, Paul Taylor, and Twyla Tharp. Still, it’s remarkable how often Webb chooses to cook his ballet meals with British ingredients - with ballets by choreographers to from Ninette de Valois to Matthew Bourne, from Antony Tudor to Gemma Bond, from Kenneth MacMillan to Will Tuckett. Yes, this reflects bias on Webb’s part - but a dance bias rather than a nationalist one. As you can tell from watching the company, he wants his company to show the kind of dance style and stage personalities that have abounded in British choreography: aspects of theatricality, 94

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Sir Frederick Ashton’s A Wedding Bouquet

Season Overview

characterisation and sheer charm that are part of much British dance theatre - One company flaw is to dance with heightened, unspontaneous facial expressions: not the Ashton way. In 2014, the company presented a four-day Ashton Festival, with four separate programmes of ballets choreographed by Ashton between 1931 and 1986. Audaciously, the festival began with Ashton’s Birthday Offering (1956), one of the ultimate Fabergé-egglike vehicles for Ashton ballerina style as its most sophisticated and intricaste, a work that has defeated numbers of experienced Royal Ballet dancers. It’s for seven women and seven men, who enter in a kind of whirling Viennese waltz. A number of observers had come for the festival from Britain; they knew better than the residents of Sarasota how brittle and hollow this ballet can look when even experienced Ashton dancers don’t fully command the tricky steps. Somehow, however the Sarasota dancers showed from the first that they understood this elusive work - that they belonged in its world. I remember Garry Grant, who had known Ashton and had danced in many Ashton ballets in Britain, saying “As soon as they came on in Birthday Offering, I knew it was going to be all right.”

“

As soon as they came on in Birthday Offering, I knew it was going to be all right. - Garry Grant

Alastair Macaulay, 2026 Alastair Macaulay, a critic and historian of the performing arts, is resident critic to the website “Slipped Disc”. In 2007 - 2018, he was chief dance critic to the “New York Times”. In 1994 - 2007, he was chief theatre critic to the “Financial Times”. Above The Sarasota Ballet in Sir Frederick Ashton’s Birthday Offering Right The Royal Ballet in Sir Frederick Ashton’s Enigma Variations Photo by Richard MacDonald

2026 - 2027 Season

Season Overview

Dancers Staff

From the dancers onstage to the staff and educators who engage our community and audiences, every part of The Sarasota Ballet is powered by people. These pages introduce the artists and team members whose work makes each production possible and supports the Company onstage, in the studio, and throughout Sarasota.

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IAIN N WEBB

Director

Born in Yorkshire, England, Iain Webb trained for two years with The Rambert School of Ballet and a year at The Royal Ballet School, before joining The Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet. His principal repertoire included Ashton’s The Dream (Oberon), La Fille mal gardée (Colas and Alain), The Two Pigeons (Young Man); Bintley’s The Snow Queen (Kay); Fokine’s Petrushka (Petrushka), Les Sylphides (Poet); Balanchine’s Prodigal Son (The Son); Cranko’s Card Game, Lady and the Fool; Nureyev’s Raymonda; Massine’s La Boutique Fantasque; van Manen’s Five Tangos; and Wright’s productions of Coppélia (Franz), The Sleeping Beauty (Blue Bird), and Swan Lake (Prince and Benno). In 1989, Webb transferred to The Royal Ballet, Covent Garden, to perform character roles that included Ashton’s Cinderella (The Small Sister, Dancing Master, and Napoleon), The Dream (Bottom), Tales of Beatrix Potter (Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle and Pigling Bland); Baryshnikov’s production of Don Quixote (Sancho Panza); and MacMillan’s Different Drummer (The Doctor), and Manon (The Client). During this time, he was a board member of Sir Matthew Bourne’s Adventures in Motion Pictures. After retiring as a dancer, he was invited by Sir Matthew Bourne to be Rehearsal Director for the West End, LA, and Broadway seasons of Swan Lake and Cinderella. In 1999, Webb joined Tetsuya Kumakawa’s K-Ballet Company in Japan as Ballet Master and later as Assistant Director. Webb also worked with many stars including Adam Cooper, Johan Kobborg, with whom he co-produced Out of Denmark, and staged Carmen Pas de Deux for Alessandra Ferri and Julio Bocca for American Ballet Theatre’s 65th Anniversary Gala. Throughout Webb’s career, he has produced and directed many international performances, presenting dancers from The Royal Danish Ballet, Paris Opera Ballet, New York City Ballet, and Stuttgart Ballet, to name a few. He has been a guest teacher for White Oak Dance Project, Birmingham Royal Ballet, and Rambert Dance Company. In 2013, he became an Ashton Associate for the Sir Frederick Ashton Foundation. In July 2007, Webb took over the directorship of The Sarasota Ballet. Under his leadership the Company will have performed 186 ballets and divertissements by the end of the 2024 – 2025 Season, including 59 world premieres and 15 American Company premieres. In 2011, Webb secured The Sarasota Ballet’s first national tour, performing George Balanchine’s Diamonds in collaboration with The Suzanne Farrell Ballet at The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. This

would be swiftly followed by invitations to perform at festivals and theaters including The Kennedy Center’s Ballet Across America III, Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, New York City Center’s Fall for Dance Festival, The Joyce Theater, and Ballet West’s inaugural National Choreographic Festival. In 2014, Webb and Assistant Director Margaret Barbieri organized The Sir Frederick Ashton Festival, commemorating the 25th anniversary of Ashton’s passing. The Festival garnered national and international acclaim for its dedication in preserving and presenting the choreographic legacy of Sir Frederick Ashton. In 2024, Webb was presented with the De Valois Award for Outstanding Achievement at the National Dance Awards in London by the Dance Section of the Critics’ Circle. This recognition coincided with The Sarasota Ballet’s first international tour to the Royal Opera House in London, England. Together with The Royal Ballet, The Sarasota Ballet opened the five-year festival, Ashton Worldwide, receiving critical acclaim from audiences and critics alike. Webb led The Sarasota Ballet in successful returns to Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival in July 2025 and New York’s Joyce Theater in 2026. These engagements reflect his commitment to sharing the Company’s distinctive repertoire with national and international audiences, as The Sarasota Ballet celebrates his 20th Season as Director.

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JOSEPH H VOLPE

Executive Director

Joseph Volpe, retired General Manager of The Metropolitan Opera and theater and management consultant, was appointed Executive Director of The Sarasota Ballet in February 2016. Volpe first joined the Board of The Sarasota Ballet in 2014 after a long history in the world of the performing arts. He spent 42 years working at The Metropolitan Opera, rising from apprentice carpenter to General Manager from 1990 to 2006. In that role, Volpe expanded the length of the Met repertory season as well as the number of new productions, including four world premieres, 22 Met premieres, four commissions, and expanded international touring activities. His term was characterized by sound fiscal management, fresh customer service initiatives, and no contract disputes for over three decades of his leadership in contract negotiations. He conceived and developed “Met Titles,” an innovative titling system providing multilingual translations of the operas on the backs of each seat, visible only to the individual audience member who wished to utilize them, and initiated the development of Tessitura, a management software program for targeted marketing and fundraising appeals, which is now licensed to more than 400 companies worldwide. In 1998, Volpe instituted an education outreach project for young children in cooperation with the City of New York Department of Education, emphasizing direct experience with music and opera for students. He also established a partnership with the University of Connecticut that provides students from music and drama departments with behind the scenes access to the creative and technical processes that bring the opera to life on the Met stage. Volpe retired from The Met in July of 2006, leaving the company with a strong administration, an endowment fund that had increased from $100 million to $345 million, and exceptional artistic plans for the future. Since then, Volpe has consulted with Theatre Projects Consultants, where he provided comprehensive advice from project conception and design to daily operations and fiscal management. As Executive Director of The Sarasota Ballet, Volpe has overseen a period of significant and sustained growth and financial stability. He has focused on expanding and strengthening the administrative structure, increasing not only staff, but also refining and augmenting administrative infrastructures. Through his support of the visions of Director Iain Webb and Assistant Director Margaret Barbieri, The Sarasota Ballet

has expanded its national touring, and has undertaken some of its largest and most significant projects, including The Sarasota Ballet School’s expansion into the Patricia A. Golemme Studios and commissioning hugely successful world premieres. Under his leadership, The Sarasota Ballet weathered the unpredictable and volatile COVID-19 pandemic. Through his investment and guidance, The Sarasota Ballet managed to return to a full season of in-person performances, which was followed by a highly successful tour to The Joyce Theater, New York, in August of 2022. The Sarasota Ballet’s international reputation has reached new heights, bolstered by the financial acumen of Executive Director Joseph Volpe. His strategic planning and leadership played a key role in making the Ballet’s triumphant Ashton Celebrated tour in London a reality in 2024. This landmark tour at the Royal Opera House opened the five-year Ashton Worldwide Festival, further elevating the Company’s profile on the world stage and expanding its influence beyond American borders. Volpe guided The Sarasota Ballet through successful returns to Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival in July 2025 and New York’s Joyce Theater in 2026, reinforcing the Company’s standing among the nation’s most respected ballet companies. His commitment to expanding its national and international presence continues as the Company celebrates 20 years under the direction of Iain Webb.

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MARGARET T BARBIERI

Assistant Director

Born in South Africa of Italian parents, Margaret Barbieri moved to England to study at The Royal Ballet School. In 1965, she joined The Royal Ballet Touring Company (now Birmingham Royal Ballet), and became a Principal Dancer in 1970. During a 25-year dancing career, she danced most of the leading roles in the classical repertoire, including The Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, Coppélia, Romeo and Juliet, La Fille mal gardée, The Two Pigeons, and The Dream. However it was her major impact in the title role of Giselle at the age of 21 that first established her special reputation as a Romantic Ballerina. In 1973 she was invited to dance Giselle at the Deutsche Oper in Berlin and received high praise from the press, a triumph which she repeated in 1974 when she returned to her native South Africa to dance the role in Durban. She replaced an indisposed Natalia Makarova at short notice in the same role for Norwegian National Ballet and made many guest appearances internationally in Giselle, Swan Lake, Coppélia, and Cinderella. In addition to guesting, Barbieri also performed worldwide with The Royal Ballet. Barbieri worked closely with most of the great masters of the 20th Century, including Sir Frederick Ashton, Sir Kenneth MacMillan, Dame Ninette de Valois, John Cranko, Antony Tudor, Rudolf Nureyev, and Hans van Manen. Roles were created on her by Ashton, Sir Peter Wright, Tudor, Sir David Bintley, Michael Corder, Ronald Hynd, and Joe Layton. With David Ashmole, she was featured in BBC TV’s Ballet Masterclass series, given by Dame Alicia Markova, who later coached her in Fokine’s The Dying Swan and Pavlova’s The Dragonfly. Barbieri retired from The Royal Ballet in 1990 to become Director of the new Classical Graduate Programme at London Studio Centre and Artistic Director of the annual touring company, Images of Dance. During her tenure, she was instrumental in devising the Classical Ballet Course for the BA Honours degree. Here she gave Christopher Wheeldon his first professional commission and Sir Matthew Bourne his first classical ballet commission.

Barbieri has been invited to judge at ballet competitions across the globe, including Brazil, Japan, South Africa, the United States, and Europe. In April 2010, she was awarded Distinction by the University of the Arts, London, for her Post Graduate Certificate in Teaching and Learning. In 2013, she was invited to speak at the Ashton Symposium in London and became an Ashton Associate for the Sir Frederick Ashton Foundation. Having previously staged several works for The Sarasota Ballet, Barbieri was appointed Assistant Director in August 2012. During her time with the Company, in addition to staging ballets, Barbieri has focused on the coaching and nurturing of dancers, passing on her unparalleled experience and artistry to former, current, and future members of the Company. Through her keen eye and remarkable dedication and work ethic, her impact on the Company is evident from the moment the curtain rises.

Her staging credits include Nureyev’s production of Raymonda Act III for K-Ballet in Japan; Ashton’s Façade for Scottish Ballet, K-Ballet, and Oregon Ballet Theatre; and The Two Pigeons for K-Ballet and State Ballet Theatre of Georgia. At The Sarasota Ballet she has staged Wright’s production of Giselle; Ashton’s Birthday Offering, Façade, La Fille mal gardée, The Two Pigeons; de Valois’ The Rake’s Progress, Checkmate; Fokine’s Les Sylphides and Petrushka; Nureyev’s Raymonda Act III; and Wheeldon’s The American, There Where She Loved. Dancers & Staff

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Senior Leadership MICHELLE E BUTLER

Deputy Executive Director Michelle Butler was promoted to Deputy Executive Director in 2025, a newly created position designed to further strengthen the Ballet’s leadership and management structure. Butler joined The Sarasota Ballet in 2024 and she continues to lead philanthropic activities while working closely with Executive Director Joseph Volpe and Director Iain Webb on the company’s operations as well as the Board of Directors on broader organizational priorities. Prior to joining The Sarasota Ballet, she held senior development positions with Sarasota Memorial Healthcare Foundation, The Southwest Florida YMCA, and Make-A-Wish Foundation. Additionally, Butler had an extensive career in Business Development and Human Resources. She received her Bachelor of Business Administration from Stetson University and is currently a Board member of the Arts & Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County.

JASON N W. ETTORE

General Manager

Born in London, England, Jason Ettore joined The Sarasota Ballet in 2012. Working through the Marketing Department, he was promoted in 2018 to Marketing Director, where he oversaw consistent box office growth and spearheaded the development and strengthening of the Company’s international brand. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Ettore stewarded the Company’s Digital Season, producing digital performances that reached thousands of audience members across 30 countries. Under the guidance of Executive Director Joseph Volpe, Ettore took on a new role in 2022 as General Manager, where in addition to learning directly from Volpe, he has managed projects including The Sarasota Ballet’s critically acclaimed tour to London’s Royal Opera House.

AMY Y MILLER

Finance Director

Amy Miller was born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky, and first came to Sarasota in 2007 as a Company Dancer with The Sarasota Ballet, joining the first group of dancers hired by Iain Webb. Over the next 12 years, she advanced from Coryphée in 2009 to Soloist in 2010 and Junior Principal in 2015. Alongside her performing career, Miller worked part-time in various Ballet administrative departments beginning in 2009, gaining broad knowledge of the organization. She joined the finance team part-time in 2016 and, following her retirement from performing, became Finance/Office Manager full-time in January 2020 under Joseph Volpe.

Empowering expression through every step.

Dancer: Victoria Hulland Photographer: Frank Atura

Northern Trust is proud to support The Sarasota Ballet. For more than 135 years, we’ve been meeting our clients’ financial needs while nurturing a culture of caring and a commitment to invest in the communities we serve. See all the ways we can support you. PA U L G . H U D S O N Market Leader, Sarasota northerntrust.com/sarasota I N V E S T I N G / B A N K I N G / T R U S T & E S TAT E S E R V I C E S / W E A LT H P L A N N I N G / FA M I LY O F F I C E

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The Sarasota Ballet School

Leadership

CHRISTOPHER R HIRD

Education Director

Christopher Hird studied at The Royal Ballet School, earned a BA in Dance from Roehampton University, and a Diploma from Canada’s National Ballet School’s Teacher Training Program. After performing with a company featuring Sylvie Guillem, he returned to The Royal Ballet School as Assistant to the Development Manager. He later served 13 years as Artistic Manager and Head of Adult Programming at Boston Ballet School and guest taught for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Cecchetti Council of America, and Harvard University. Hird has also been a juror for Youth America Grand Prix, ADCIBC, and the Japan Grand Prix. In July 2016, The Sarasota Ballet appointed him Education Director, where he has expanded and strengthened the Company’s Education and Community Engagement Programs.

DIERDRE MILES S BURGER

Assistant Education Director

Dierdre Miles Burger trained at Boston Ballet School before joining Boston Ballet in 1974. She performed countless principal roles in the classical and contemporary ballet repertory. Following retirement, Miles Burger joined Boston Ballet’s Artistic Staff and in September 2002 she was appointed Principal of Boston Ballet School. In July 2010, she was named Director of Orlando Ballet School. During her eight-year leadership, Orlando Ballet School grew and developed, most notably the Orlando Ballet School Academy, which develops young dancers for professional careers. Miles Burger is a member of the American Ballet Theatre® National Training Curriculum’s prestigious Board of Examiners. She has served on the international jury of many ballet competitions including Youth America Grand Prix and ADCIBC. In June 2019, Miles Burger was appointed Assistant Education Director with The Sarasota Ballet.

ALBERTO O BLANCO

Principal of The Sarasota Ballet School Alberto Blanco, a native of Spain, began his training in Gijón at the Centro de Danza Karel before studying under Victor Ullate in Madrid and later at Boston Ballet School, where he performed in Balanchine’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream and The Nutcracker. He went on to dance with Orlando Ballet II and the main company, performing in Robert Hill’s Vampire’s Ball, Romeo and Juliet, Swan Lake, and Carmina Burana. Awarded a Jacob’s Pillow scholarship, he studied Bournonville with Dinna Bjørn and trained in Copenhagen with Vivi Flindt and Thomas Lund. A passionate teacher, Blanco has served on the faculties of Orlando Ballet School and UNC School of the Arts, and is an ABT® Certified Teacher. He frequently guest teaches, coaches, adjudicates competitions, and supports outreach bringing ballet to diverse communities.

Artistic

Staff

VICTORIA A HULLAND

Artistic Assistant to the Directors

Originally from Upstate New York, Hulland studied ballet at Ellison Professional Training Program in New York City and then later at Boston Ballet School. She then went on to start her professional career with The Sarasota Ballet in 2007 under Director Iain Webb. In 2009, Hulland was promoted to the rank of Principal dancer and enjoyed a fifteen year career dancing numerous lead roles in works by Ashton, Balanchine, and MacMillan, to name a few. Throughout her time with The Sarasota Ballet, Hulland had the privilege of being coached by world renowned figures in the ballet world including Margaret Barbieri, Sir Peter Wright, Sir Anthony Dowell, and Johan Kobborg. In 2023, Hulland joined The Sarasota Ballet artistic staff as Assistant to the Artistic Directors and works closely alongside Margaret Barbieri and Iain Webb with rehearsing the company repertoire.

JESSICA A LANG

Virginia B. Toulmin Artist in Residence

Jessica Lang joined The Sarasota Ballet in 2023 as the Virginia B. Toulmin Artist in Residence. Lang is also Resident Choreographer at Pacific Northwest Ballet. Lang, a graduate of The Juilliard School, is an American director and choreographer with a prolific career spanning over two decades. She has created over 100 original works on renowned companies worldwide including American Ballet Theatre, The Royal Ballet, the Birmingham Royal Ballet, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Pacific Northwest Ballet, and her eponymous company Jessica Lang Dance. Lang has also created for opera companies including San Francisco Opera, LA Opera, Seattle Opera and Washington National Opera. She is the recipient of a 2018 Martha Hill Mid-Career Award, 2017 Arison Award, and 2014 Bessie Award. She has been a fellow of NY City Center and NYU’s Center for Ballet and the Arts. Lang is a former member of Twyla Tharp’s company, THARP!

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OCTAVIO O MARTIN

Ballet Master

A native of Havana, Cuba, Martin received his training at the Cuban National Ballet School, joining the National Ballet of Cuba in 1994, and in 2001 was promoted to Primer Bailarin. In 2004, Martin was awarded the Alejo Carpentier medal, one of the highest honors an artist can receive in Cuba. For two years, he was a Principal Guest Artist with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet of Canada, and in 2006 he joined The Sarasota Ballet, rising to Principal Dancer in 2008, where he danced leading roles in ballets by Ashton, Balanchine, de Valois, and Wheeldon. As Ballet Master with the Company, Martin works closely with Director Iain Webb and Assistant Director Margaret Barbieri in working and rehearsing with the Company, and in addition teaches at The Sarasota Ballet School Conservatory.

ROMAN N RYKINE

Ballet Master

Rykine is a graduate of the Rudolph Nureyev State Ballet Academy in his hometown of Ufa, Russia. He was a Principal Dancer with the Boston Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, English National Ballet, and the Bavarian State Opera and Ballet Theatre. Rykine danced most of the major classical roles including La Fille mal gardée, Sleeping Beauty, La Sylphide, Raymonda – Act III, La Bayadère – Act III, Giselle, Swan Lake, Romeo and Juliet, The Nutcracker, Don Quixote and Les Sylphides. His repertoire also included many contemporary and neoclassical roles. He holds the honorary title of “Artist of Merit of the Republic” from the Government of Ufa, Russia. He has toured extensively throughout Europe, Asia, and the United States, and was a guest artist with various ballet companies. Rykine has been fortunate to learn from teachers, choreographers, and coaches, such as Rudolf Nureyev, Natalia Makarova, Nacho Duato, Yuri Possokhov, Christopher Wheeldon, Peter Martins, Helgi Tomasson, and others.

Dancers & Staff

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The Sarasota Ballet

Principals

Jessica Assef

Kaitlyn Casey

Lead and Featured Roles include: Ashton’s Façade, Illuminations Pas de Cinq, Les Patineurs, Valses nobles et sentimentales; Balanchine’s Mozartiana, Rubies, Theme and Variations, Who Cares?; Bintley’s The Spider’s Feast; Bond’s The Beginning; Graziano’s In A State of Weightlessness, Sonatina; Kobborg’s Napoli Act III; Lang’s A Time of Beauty; MacMillan’s Las Hermanas; Paroni’s Rococo Variations; Taylor’s Brandenburgs; Wheeldon’s The American; Wright’s Giselle

Lead and Featured Roles in previous companies include: Ashton’s Cinderella, The Dream; Balanchine’s Apollo, The Four Temperaments, Symphony in C; Bausch’s Iphigenie auf Tauris; Celis’ Romeo and Juliet; Dawson’s Giselle, Romeo and Juliet; Ek’s Gamla Barn; Ekman’s Cacti, COW; Elo’s Carmen, Bach cello suites; Forsythe’s Herman Schmerman, The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude; Nissinen’s The Nutcracker, Raymonda, The Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake; Nureyev’s Don Quixote; Palmquist’s A Collection of Short Stories; Peck’s Everywhere We Go, Heatscape; Petipa’s Paquita; Pickett’s Petal; Watkin’s La Bayadère, The Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake

Joined in 2023 Previous Company: Atlanta Ballet

Lead and Featured Roles in previous companies include: Amarante’s Love Fear Loss, The Premiere; Balanchine’s Serenade, Who Cares?; Baryshnikov’s Don Quixote; Caniparoli’s A Cinderella Story; Gaine’s Sum Stravinsky; Kobborg’s La Sylphide; Masero’s Schubertiada; McFall’s Nutcracker; Petipa’s Giselle, Paquita, Swan Lake; Pink’s Dracula; Possokhov’s Don Quixote, Firebird, The Nutcracker; Rhoden’s Sunrise Divine; Robbins’ Fancy Free; Scarlett’s Vespertine; Schreier’s First Impulse, Pleiades Dances; Stevenson’s Three Preludes

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2026 - 2027 Season

Joined in 2026 Previous Companies: Boston Ballet and Semperoper Ballet in Dresden Germany

Marijana Dominis

Ricardo Graziano

Lead and Featured Roles include: Ashton’s Birthday Offering, Dante Sonata, Façade, Jazz Calendar, Les Patineurs, Romeo and Juliet, Sinfonietta, The Sleeping Beauty Vision Solo, Valses nobles et sentimentales; Balanchine’s Divertimento No.15, Donizetti Variations, Mozartiana, The Four Temperaments, Stars and Stripes, Serenade, Theme and Variations, Western Symphony, Who Cares?; Bintley’s A Comedy of Errors, Still Life’ at the Penguin Café; Bond’s Excursions; Broad’s Frequency Hurtz; Fokine’s Les Sylphides; Graziano’s Amorosa, En Las Calles de Murcia, In a State of Weightlessness, The Pilgrimage, Shostakovich Suite, Sonatina; Hart’s John Ringling’s Circus Nutcracker; House’s Living Ghosts; Kobborg’s Napoli Act III, La Sylphide; Lang’s The Lorenz Butterfly, Lyric Pieces, Shades of Spring; MacMillan’s Elite Syncopations, Las Hermanas; Page’s Scorched Sky; Robbins’ In The Night; Taylor’s Brandenburgs, Company B; Tharp’s Nine Sinatra Songs; Tuckett’s Changing Light; Tudor’s Lilac Garden; Walsh’s I Napoletani; Wheeldon’s The American; Wright’s Giselle, Summertide

Lead and Featured Roles include: Ashton’s Birthday Offering, Dante Sonata, Enigma Variations, La Fille mal gardée, Illuminations, Jazz Calendar, Marguerite and Armand, Méditation from Thaïs, Monotones II, Romeo and Juliet, Symphonic Variations, Valses nobles et sentimentales, Varii Capricci, The Walk to the Paradise Garden; Balanchine’s Diamonds, Emeralds, Mozartiana, The Four Temperaments, Prodigal Son, Stars and Stripes, Western Symphony, Who Cares?; Bintley’s A Comedy of Errors, ‘Still Life’ at the Penguin Café; Darrell’s Othello; de Mille’s Rodeo; de Valois’ The Rake’s Progress; Fokine’s Les Sylphides; Graham’s Appalachian Spring; Lang’s The Lorenz Butterfly, Shades of Spring; MacMillan’s Danses Concertantes, Elite Syncopations, Las Hermanas; Nijinsky’s L’Après-midi d’un Faune; Nureyev’s Raymonda Act III; Page’s Scorched Sky; Robbins’ The Concert, Fancy Free, In The Night; Tharp’s In the Upper Room, Nine Sinatra Songs; Taylor’s Airs, Brandenburgs; Tuckett’s Changing Light, Lux Aeterna; Tudor’s Lilac Garden; Wheeldon’s The American, There Where She Loved; Wright’s Giselle, Summertide

Joined in 2019 Promoted to Soloist in 2021 and Principal in 2022

Joined in 2010 Promoted to Principal in 2011

Dancers & Staff

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The Sarasota Ballet

Principals

Andrii Ishcuk

Misa Kuranaga

Lead and Featured Roles in previous companies include: Cranko’s Onegin; Kylián’s Petite Mort; MacMillan’s Romeo and Juliet; McKenzie’s Swan Lake; Ratmansky’s Bernstein in a Bubble, Of Love and Rage, Serenade after Plato’s Symposium, Songs of Bukovina, The Nutcracker; Tharp’s Deuce Coupe

Lead and Featured Roles include: Ashton’s Birthday Offering; Balanchine’s Stars and Stripes; Fokine’s Les Sylphides

Joined in 2026 Previous Company: American Ballet Theatre

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2026 - 2027 Season

Joined in 2026 Previous Companies: San Fancisco Ballet, Boston Ballet

Lead and Featured Roles in previous companies include: Ashton’s Cinderella, La Fille mal Gardée, Marguerite and Armand; Balanchine’s Apollo, Ballo della Regina, Concerto Barocco, Coppélia, Diamonds, Divertimento No. 15, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Rubies, Serenade, Stravinsky Violin Concerto, Symphony in C, Symphony in Three Movements, Theme and Variations, Who Cares?; Bournonville’s La Sylphide; Cranko’s Onegin, Romeo and Juliet, The Taming of the Shrew; Ekman’s Cacti; Forsythe’s Artifact 2017, The Second Detail, The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude; Kylián’s Petite Mort, Sechs Tänze, Symphony of Psalms, Wings of Wax; Nureyev’s Don Quixote; Petipa’s Le Corsaire, The Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake; Tomasson’s Caprice, Giselle, Harmony; Wheeldon’s Polyphonia

Ricardo Rhodes

Joined in 2007 Promoted to Soloist in 2010 and Principal in 2012 Lead and Featured Roles include: Ashton’s Birthday Offering, Dante Sonata, The Dream, La Fille mal gardée, Jazz Calendar, Méditation from Thaïs, Monotones II, Les Rendezvous, Romeo and Juliet, Rhapsody, Scènes de ballet, Sinfonietta, Symphonic Variations, The Two Pigeons, Valses nobles et sentimentales, Varii Capricci; Balanchine’s Apollo, Bugaku, Diamonds, Divertimento No.15, Emeralds, Mozartiana, The Four Temperaments, Rubies, Serenade, Stars and Stripes, Theme and Variations, Western Symphony, Who Cares?; Bintley’s A Comedy of Errors, ‘Still Life’ at the Penguin Café; Bruce’s Sergeant Early’s Dream; Darrell’s Othello; de Valois’ Checkmate; Fokine’s Les Sylphides; Kobborg’s La Sylphide, Salute; Lang’s Shades of Spring; Liang’s The Art of War; Nijinsky’s L’Après-midi d’un Faune; North’s Troy Game; Nureyev’s Raymonda Act III; Page’s Scorched Sky; Robbins’ The Concert, Fancy Free, In the Night; Taylor’s Brandenburgs; Tharp’s In The Upper Room, Nine Sinatra Songs; Tuckett’s Changing Light; Wheeldon’s The American, There Where She Loved; Wright’s Giselle, Summertide

Sierra Abelardo JUNIOR PRINCIPAL

Joined in 2022 Promoted to First Soloist in 2024, and Junior Principal 2025 Lead and Featured Roles include: Ashton’s A Wedding Bouquet, Birthday Offering, Dante Sonata, Façade, Jazz Calendar, Les Patineurs, Romeo and Juliet, Stars and Stripes, Sinfonietta, Valses nobles et sentimentales; Balanchine’s Divertimento No.15, Emeralds, Rubies, Serenade, The Four Temperaments, Theme and Variations, Western Symphony, Who Cares?; Bintley’s The Spider’s Feast, Still Life’ at the Penguin Café; Bond’s Excursions, The Waiting Room; de Valois’ Checkmate; Fokine’s Les Sylphides; Graziano’s Amorosa, In A State of Weightlessness, Schubert Variations, Sonatina; Kobborg’s Napoli Act III, Salute, La Sylphide; Lang’s The Lorenz Butterfly, Lyric Pieces, Shades of Spring, A Time of Beauty; Liang’s The Art of War; MacMillan’s Danses Concertantes, Las Hermanas; Page’s Scorched Sky; Petipa’s The Sleeping Beauty Act III Blue Bird Pas de Deux; Taylor’s Company B; Tharp’s In The Upper Room; Wheeldon’s The American; Wright’s Giselle, Summertide

Dancers & Staff

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The Sarasota Ballet

Principals

Ricki Bertoni

GUEST CHARACTER PRINCIPAL

Joined in 2007 Promoted to Soloist in 2012 and Character Principal in 2014 Lead and Featured Roles include: Ashton’s Dante Sonata, The Dream, Enigma Variations, Façade, Jazz Calendar, La Fille mal gardée, Romeo and Juliet, A Wedding Bouquet; Balanchine’s Prodigal Son, Western Symphony, Who Cares?; Bond’s The Beginning, Excursions, The Waiting Room; Bintley’s A Comedy of Errors, ‘Still Life’ at the Penguin Café; Bruce’s Sergeant Early’s Dream; de Mille’s Rodeo; de Valois’ Checkmate, The Rake’s Progress; Flindt’s The Lesson; Fokine’s Petrushka; Graham’s Appalachian Spring; Graziano’s Amorosa, Before Night Falls, In a State of Weightlessness, Schubert Variations, Symphony of Sorrows; House’s Living Ghosts; Kobborg’s Salute, La Sylphide; Layton’s The Grand Tour; Liang’s The Art of War; MacMillan’s Elite Syncopations; North’s Troy Game; Robbins’ The Concert; Taylor’s Brandenburgs, Company B; Tharp’s In The Upper Room, Nine Sinatra Songs; Tuckett’s Changing Light, The Secret Garden; Walsh’s I Napoletani; Wheeldon’s The American; Wright’s Giselle

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2026 - 2027 Season

The Sarasota Ballet

First Soloists Sumika Fujiwara FIRST SOLOIST

Joined in 2026 Previous Company: Tulsa Ballet Lead and Featured Role: Ashton’s Awakening Pas de Deux (The Sleeping Beauty) Lead and Featured Roles in previous companies include: Cong’s Flight of Fancy; Deane’s Strictly Gershwin; Ekman’s Cacti; Lopez Ochoa’s Vendetta A Mafia Story; Prossokov’s Classical Symphony; Stevenson’s Dracula; Tindal’s Casanove; Productions Alice in Wonderland, Carmen, Cinderella, Don Quixote, Giselle, The Nutcracker, Romeo and Juliet, The Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake

Samuel Gest FIRST SOLOIST

Joined in 2021 Promoted to Soloist in 2025 and First Soloists 2026 Lead and Featured Roles include: Ashton’s Birthday Offering, Dante Sonata, Les Patineurs, Romeo and Juliet, Valse nobles et sentimentales, Varii Capricci, A Wedding Bouquet; Balanchine’s Rubies, Serenade; Bintley’s The Spider’s Feast; Bond’s The Beginning; de Valois’ The Rake’s Progress; House’s Living Ghosts; Kobborg’s La Sylphide; Lang’s The Lorenz Butterfly, Shades of Spring; MacMillan’s Danses Concertantes; Morris’ The Letter V; Paroni’s Rococo Variations; Taylor’s Brandenburgs; Wright’s Giselle, Summertide

Gus Payne FIRST SOLOIST

Joined in 2025 Previous Company: Birmingham Royal Ballet Lead and Featured Roles include: Ashton’s Birthday Offering, Jazz Calendar, La Fille mal gardée; Balanchine’s Mozartiana, Stars and Stripes; Bintley’s ‘Still Life’ at the Penguin Café; Page’s Scorched Sky Lead and Featured Roles in previous companies include: Altunaga’s City of a Thousand Trades; Acosta’s Don Quixote; Bintley’s Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella; Clugg’s Radio and Juliet; Crecis’ 24; MacMillan’s Concerto, Romeo and Juliet; Reinoso’s Black Sabbath the Ballet; Scholz’s The Seventh Symphony; Tharp’s In the Upper Room; Tuckett’s Changing Light, Lazuli Sky; Van Manen’s 5 Tangos, Solo; Wright’s The Nutcracker, The Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake

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2026 - 2027 Season

The Sarasota Ballet Soloists

The Sarasota Ballet

Corypheé

Kennedy Falyn Cassada

Ze Ellis

Promoted to Coryphée 2024 Trained at The Sarasota Ballet Studio Company (19-20)

Promoted to Coryphée 2025 Trained at The Sarasota Ballet Studio Company (21-22)

Joined in 2020

Featured Roles include: Ashton’s Birthday Offering, Jazz Calendar, La Chatte Metamorphosee en Femme, Les Patineurs, A Wedding Bouquet; Balanchine’s Divertimento No. 15, Emeralds, Stars and Stripes, Serenade, Who Cares?; Bintley’s ‘Still Life’ at the Penguin Café; Bond’s The Beginning; Kobborg’s Napoli Act III; Lang’s The Lorenz Butterfly, Lyric Pieces, A Time of Beauty; MacMillan’s Las Hermanas; Page’s Scorched Sky; Paroni’s Rococo Variations; Taylor’s Brandenburgs, Company B; Tharp’s In The Upper Room; Wheeldon’s The American; Wright’s Giselle

Featured Roles include: Ashton’s Dante Sonata, Facade, Illuminations Sacred Love Pas de Cinq; Les Patineurs, Varii Capricci; Balanchine’s Divertimento No. 15, Rubies, Serenade, Western Symphony, Who Cares?; Bintley’s A Comedy of Errors, ‘Still Life’ at the Penguin Café; Bond’s Excursions, Panoramic Score, The Waiting Room; de Valois’ The Rake’s Progress; Graziano’s Amorosa, Schubert Variations, Sonatina; Kobborg’s Salute; Lang’s The Lorenz Butterfly, Lyric Pieces, A Time of Beauty; MacMillan’s Elite Syncopations; Taylor’s Company B; Wright’s Giselle, Summertide

Willa Frantz

Mischa Goodman

Joined in 2022

Promoted to Coryphée 2023 Trained at The Sarasota Ballet Studio Company (21-22) Featured Roles include: Ashton’s A Wedding Bouquet, Birthday Offering, Dante Sonata, Façade, Les Patineurs; Balanchine’s Divertimento No.15, Rubies, Serenade, The Four Temperaments, Western Symphony, Who Cares?; Bintley’s The Spider’s Feast; Bond’s Excursions, The Beginning; Graziano’s In A State of Weightlessness, Schubert Variations; Kobborg’s La Sylphide, Salute; Paroni’s Rococo Variations; Robbins’ In The Night; Taylor’s Brandenburgs, Company B; Tudor’s Lilac Garden; Wright’s Giselle

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Joined in 2022

2026 - 2027 Season

Joined in 2024 Previous Company: English National Ballet Featured Roles include: Ashton’s Birthday Offering, Danate Sonata, Façade, Jazz Calendar, Les Patineurs, Romeo and Juliet, Valses nobles et sentimentales, A Wedding Bouquet; Balanchine’s Serenade; Bintley’s The Spider’s Feast; Bond’s The Beginning; Graziano’s Valsinhas; Kobborg’s Napoli Act III; Lang’s The Lorenz Butterfly; Tuckett’s Changing Light Featured Roles in previous companies include: Deane’s Swan Lake; Eagling’s Nutcracker; Makarova’s La Bayadère; Petitpa’s Swan Lake; Rojo’s Raymonda; Wheeldon’s Cinderella

The Sarasota Ballet

Corypheé

Dominique Jenkins

Joined in 2019 Promoted to Coryphée in 2022 Trained at The Sarasota Ballet Studio Company (18-19) Featured Roles include: Ashton’s Birthday Offering, Jazz Calendar, Les Patineurs, Romeo and Juliet, Rhapsody; Balanchine’s Divertimento No.15, Emeralds, Rubies, Stars and Stripes, Serenade, The Four Temperaments; Bintley’s A Comedy of Errors, ‘Still Life’ at the Penguin Café; Graham’s Appalachian Spring; Kobborg’s Napoli Act III; Lang’s A Time of Beauty, Lyric Pieces, Shades of Spring; Morris’ The Letter V; Page’s Scorched Sky; Taylor’s Brandenburgs, Company B; Tharp’s In The Upper Room; Tuckett’s Changing Light; Wright’s Giselle, Summertide

Joined in 2025 Previous Company: Teatrul de Balet Sibiu Featured Roles include: Ashton’s Birthday Offering, Jazz Calendar, Valses nobles et sentimentales; Balanchine’s Divertimento No. 15, Stars and Stripes; Bintley’s ‘Still Life’ at the Penguin Café; Fokine’s Les Sylphides; Morris’ The Letter V; Page’s Scorched Sky; Tuckett’s Changing Light; Tudor’s Lilac Garden; Wright’s Summertide Lead and featured roles in previous companies include: Barte’s The Nutcracker; Gardner’s Cinderella; Petipa’s Don Quixote, Le Corsaire pas d’esclave, Swan Lake

Annie Wilson

PAIGE YOUNG

Featured Roles include: Ashton’s Birthday Offering, Jazz Calendar; Balanchine’s Divertimento No. 15, Stars and Stripes; Bintley’s ‘Still Life’ at the Penguin Café; Bond’s The Waiting Room; de Valois’ Checkmate; Lang’s The Lorenz Butterfly; Page’s Scorched Sky; Tuckett’s Changing Light Featured roles in previous companies include: Balanchine’s Symphony in C; Bintley’s Christmas Carol; Charles’s The Nutcracker; Liang’s Swan Lake; Neumeier’s Death in Venice; Nixon’s Dracula; Piaf’s La Vie en Rose

Featured Roles include: Ashton’s Birthday Offering, Dante Sonata, Façade, Les Patineurs, Valses nobles et sentimentales, Rhapsody, Varii Capricci; Balanchine’s Divertimento No.15, Emeralds, Serenade, The Four Temperaments; Bond’s Panoramic Score, Excursions; Bintley’s Still Life’ at the Penguin Café; de Valois’ The Rake’s Progress; Graham’s Appalachian Spring; Graziano’s Amorosa, Schubert Variations, Sonatina; Kobborg’s Salute; MacMillan’s Danses Concertantes; Morris’s The Letter V; Tharp’s Nine Sinatra Songs

Joined in 2025 Previous Company: Finnish National Opera and Ballet

122

Iku Okura

2026 - 2027 Season

Joined in 2018 Promoted to Coryphée in 2023

The Sarasota Ballet

Corps de Ballet

Andrew Buckley

Federico Coletti

Previous Company: Ballet Austin

Previous Companies: Milwaukee Ballet II, Ballet du Capitole, Ballet Opera de Paris

Joined in 2025

Olivia Dugan

Camille Gentes

Trained at San Francisco Ballet School and The Washington School of Ballet

Trained at Canada’s National Ballet School and Classical Ballet of WNY

Joined in 2023

Joined in 2025

Jonah Glickman

Ella Lau

Trained at English National Ballet, School of American Ballet, and Northeast School of Ballet

Trained at The Sarasota Ballet Studio Company, The Sarasota Ballet School Conservatory, and Theatre Arts Tulsa

Joined in 2024

124

Joined in 2026

2026 - 2027 Season

Joined in 2025

Pasha Levy

Robert Steven Mack

Trained at Ellison Ballet Professional Training Program and Eva Janiszewski Ballet

Previous Companies: Indianapolis Ballet, City Ballet of San Diego

Andrea Marcelletti

Jordan Micallef

Previous Company: English National Ballet

Previous Company: National Ballet of Canada

Joined in 2025

Joined in 2019

Joined in 2026

Joined in 2023

Alessandra Nova

Gabriella Schultze

Trained at Pacific Northwest Ballet

Previous Company: Ballet West II

Joined in 2022

Dancers & Staff

125

The Sarasota Ballet

Corps de Ballet

Nathan Smith

Emmanuelle Watkins

Previous Company: Pittsburgh Ballet Theater

Trained at The Sarasota Ballet Studio Company and Maryland Youth Ballet

Joined in 2025

Owen Watson

Brooke Wilson

Previous Company: Kansas City Ballet Second Company

Previous company: Boston Ballet

Joined in 2026

126

Joined in 2023

2026 - 2027 Season

Joined in 2024

The Sarasota Ballet

Apprentices

Haley Dale

Isabella Damico

Trained at The Sarasota Ballet Studio Company and The Sarasota Ballet School Conservatory

Trained at Chamberlain Ballet and Miami City Ballet School

Joined in 2025

Annette Darren

McKibben Needham

Previous Company: City Ballet of San Diego

Previous Company: Kansas City Ballet 2

Joined in 2026

Joined in 2025

Isabella Nova

Simon Plante

Trained at Pacific Northwest Ballet School

Trained at Ballet West Academy and Berrend Dance Centre

Joined in 2025

128

Joined in 2025

2026 - 2027 Season

Joined in 2024

Trevin Ralphs

Ella Tuite

Trained at The Sarasota Ballet Studio Company and The Sarasota Ballet School Conservatory

Trained at Ballet Nova

Joined in 2025

Dancers & Staff

129

The Sarasota Ballet

Staff Development

Maya Collins

Doricha Sales

Sara Kious

Bryan Lewis

Katherine Knowles

Will Ingramm

Joana Mitra

Barbara Epperson

John Johnson

Sherrie McKinley

Heyckal Taveras

Mikenna Bowers

Zachary Mondres

Senior Manager of Individual Giving

Senior Manager of Donor Engagement

Special Events and Board Liaison

Development & Database Administrator

Grants Manager

Administration

Leslie Van Brink Company Manager

Tessitura Database Administrator

Finance Assistant

Executive Assistant

IT Consultant

Marketing

Jess Abbott

Marketing Director

130

2026 - 2027 Season

Creative Services Manager

Graphic Designer

Digital Marketing Coordinator

Video Production & Designer

Box office

Rod Kelly

Box Office & House Manager

Chris Callahan Box Office Associate

Production

Ethan Vail

Erin Charles

Natalie Beckham

Michelle Marcus

Doug Nicholson

David Marik

Zara Baroyan

Carl Haan

Production Manager & Resident Lighting Designer

Production Consultant

Head of Wardrobe

Facilities Coordinator

Wardrobe Assistant

Class Pianist

Assistant Production Manager

Diana Childs Stage Manager

Class Pianist

Photography by Frank Atura - Performance and set up ballet photography Mikenna Bowers - Education photography and headshots Matthew Holler - Season Announcement, Gala photography, and headshots Steven Pisano - Joyce Theater Tour photography

Dancers & Staff

131

The Sarasota Ballet School

Risa Kaplowitz Senior Faculty

Addul Manzano Faculty

Kim Marsh Faculty

Joe Aubry

Education Operations Manager

Community Engagement Administration

Isabelle Ball

Community Engagement Manager

Flor Urbina Uriarte Community Engagement Coordinator

School Part-Time Faculty Kaylin Carrera Rita Duclos Colin Hathaway Gaida Paulovska Amy Wensley

Community Engagement Part-Time Faculty Kaylin Carrera Thais Domingos Sea Lee Andrea Marcelletti Drew Robinson Lilly Walker

132

2026 - 2027 Season

Diane Partington Faculty

Maria Ferraro Faculty

The Sarasota Ballet Studio Company

Rileigh Benn

Gregory Dempsey

Max Berg

Izzy Desabrais

Emily McAllister

Lily Grace Patterson

Jacqueline Sanders

Scarlett Schultes

Kerry Shannon

Gavin Talbot

Dancers & Staff

133

Season Supporters The generosity of individuals, foundations, and corporations plays an essential role in advancing the work of The Sarasota Ballet. Their support helps sustain artistic excellence, expand opportunities for audiences and students, as well as strengthen the Company’s impact throughout Sarasota and beyond. We are proud to recognize those whose commitment makes this work possible.

Luminary Circle $100,000+

Our Special Angel Program 2

Jan and Bill Farber Program 1

Jean Weidner Goldstein

Julie A. Harris Program 3

in Loving Memory of Alfred Goldstein

Touring

Linda and Bill Mitchell Program 4

Victor and Joyce Rendano Program 7

Gifts are current as of September 30, 2026. Gifts and pledges (of $2,500 or more) received after this date will be recognized in the Performance Programs.

136

2026 - 2027 Season

Luminary Circle

$100,000+

Paul and Sharon Steinwachs Live Music and Program 6

PHILIP & JANICE LEVIN FOUNDATION William A. Farber, Trustee

Touring

Season Supporters

137

Benefactor Circle $75,000 - $99,999

138

Shari and Steve Ashman Lyric Pieces

Sandra and Neil DeFeo Pictures at an Exhibition

Mark Famiglio Paul Taylor Dance Company

Sydney Goldstein The Two Pigeons

Pat and Ann Kenny Lyric Pieces

Charmian and Earl Noel Pictures at an Exhibition

2026 - 2027 Season

Benefactor Circle

$75,000 - $99,999

In Loving Memory of

Bob and Jeanne Zabelle

Bob and Jeanne Zabelle Endowment Fund for The Sarasota Ballet at Gulf Coast Community Foundation

JEAN WEILLER FOUNDATION CHARITABLE FUND

VIRGINIA B. TOULMIN FOUNDATION

Season Supporters

139

Guardian Circle $50,000 - $74,999

Bonnie and William Chapman Romeo and Juliet

Karol Foss The Rake’s Progress

Robin and Roy Grossman Donizetti Variations

Sherry and Mike Guthrie Within the Golden Hour

Katherine and Frank Martucci Manner

Mercedita OConnor Manner

JEAN ALLENBY GOLDSTEIN TOURING FUND

140

2026 - 2027 Season

Connoisseur Circle $25,000 - $49,999

Bob and Ginger Bailey Pictures at an Exhibition

Marie and Warren Colbert Gala Performance

Robert Crandall and Barbara Bankoff Romeo and Juliet

Brendan and Nicola Doyle Wolfgang for Webb

Linda A. Fiorelli Romeo and Juliet

Alison Gardner and Jan Sirota Romeo and Juliet

Patricia A. Golemme Manner

Charlie Huisking

Robin Klein-Strauss and Michael Strauss The Kingdom of the Shades

Huisking Family Fund of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County

Lyric Pieces

Season Supporters

141

Connoisseur Circle $25,000 - $49,999

142

Harry Leopold and Audrey Robbins Lyric Pieces

Tina and Rick Lieberman Within the Golden Hour

Richard March Donizetti Variations

Richard and Cornelia Matson The Two Piegeons

Dr. Nachaat Mourad, MD The Rake’s Progress

Rosemary and Lou Oberndorf Divertissements

Stu and Gini Peltz Solitaire

Toby and Noel Siegel Solitaire

Hillary Steele Mercuric Tidings

2026 - 2027 Season

Connoisseur Circle $25,000 - $49,999

Maureen and Tom Steiner The Two Pigeons

Dr. David Sugar Walking in the Heat

David Welle and Rosemary Reinhardt The Pump Room

Susan and James Travers Romeo and Juliet

Susan and Charlie Wilson Romeo and Juliet

BANK OF AMERICA CLIENT FOUNDATION

Bank of America, N.A., Trustee

Season Supporters

143

Aficionado Circle $15,000 - $24,999

144

James and Maryann Armour Family Foundation Manner

Isabel A. Becker Lyric Pieces

Murray Bring

Darlene J. and Richard P. Carroll Gala Performance

Andrew Economos The Kingdom of the Shades

JoAnn Heffernan Heisen Gala Performance

Barbara Jacob Pictures at an Exhibition

Richard S. Johnson Pictures at an Exhibition

Michael and Barbara Landy Mercuric Tidings

2026 - 2027 Season

In Loving Memory of Kay Delaney

Pictures at an Exhibition

Aficionado Circle $15,000 - $24,999

Joan Mathews The Pump Room

Keith F. Nelson and Judith K. Marquis Donizetti Variations

Dorothy O’Brien and Richard Antoine Divertissements

Marilyn and Steve Rothschild Walking in the Heat

Ellen and Richard Sandor Mercuric Tidings

Greg and Belle Stikeleather The Rake’s Progress

Lois Stulberg Live Music

Lisa and Mark Tobias The Kingdom of Shades

Thomas and Gwendolyn Watson Gala Performance

Season Supporters

145

Aficionado Circle $15,000 - $24,999

LELA D. JACKSON FOUNDATION FOR THE ARTS

146

2026 - 2027 Season

Patrons Circle $10,000 - $14,999

George Allison and Alan Watkins Paul Taylor Dance Company

Leslee Belluchie and Mike Davis Romeo and Juliet

B. Aline Blanchard and Arthur Siciliano Pictures at an Exhibition

Donna and Jon Boscia Romeo and Juliet

Jenne K. Britell, PhD Paul Taylor Dance Company

Robin and Chase Curtis The Rake’s Progress

Laura Feder Dance—The Next Generation

Frances D. Fergusson and John Bradbury Within the Golden Hour

Susan and Thomas Ghezzi Divertissements

Season Supporters

147

Patrons Circle $10,000 - $14,999

148

Pam and Duncan Goldie-Morrison The Pump Room

Jane C. Gould and Stephen W. Fillo Wolfgang for Webb

Dedrea A. Greer and John S. Lindsey Manner

Nancy and John Harris Wolfgang for Webb

Ineza Hart Walking in the Heat

Bill and Christie Krugler Donizetti Variations

Mary Lee and Michael McGranaghan Donizetti Variations

Jo Ellen and John McKenzie Romeo and Juliet

Carla and Michael Miller The Kingdom of the Shades

2026 - 2027 Season

Patrons Circle $10,000 - $14,999

Elizabeth Moore The Rake’s Progress

Michael and E-Dee Murphy Paul Taylor Dance Company

Kimberley A. Pelyk Solitaire

Gail and Skip Sack Gala Performance

Amy Schachter

Clare and Rich Segall Mercuric Tidings

Nancy and Richard Sneed Romeo and Juliet

Margie and Joe Stauffer Divertissements

In Loving Memory of Oscar Schachter

Dance—The Next Generation

John and Rita Steele Wolfgang for Webb

Season Supporters

149

Patrons Circle $10,000 - $14,999

Julie Swanger Romeo and Juliet

Melliss Kenworthy Swenson In Loving Memory of Curt Swenson

Hélène and Phil Tucker Solitaire

Mercuric Tidings

Jean Volpe

Pictures at an Exhibition

Beatrice Wesselmann Walking in the Heat

150

2026 - 2027 Season

Diana Chapman Walsh The Two Pigeons

Christopher and Nanci Weaver Within the Golden Hour

Patrons Circle $10,000 - $14,999

CORDELIA LEE BEATTIE FOUNDATION

CORNELIA T. BAILEY FOUNDATION

KEATING FAMILY FOUNDATION

Season Supporters

151

Devotee Circle $5,000 - $9,999

152

Peggy and Ken Abt

Sara and Robert Arthur In Honor of Ben Stevenson

Margaret Barbieri

Maria Beck

Katherine Benoit and John Brooks

Jerry and Helga Bilik

Duncan and Susan Brown

Dorcas “Dee” Burlingame

Lois and Jim Champy

Linda and Garry Condon

Robert Cook and Danniel Anthon

Mary and Peter Davis

Syble DiGirolamo

Rosalyn and Joel Ehrenpreis

Bruce Ensinger and Clark Denham

Jennifer and Bill Esposito

2026 - 2027 Season

Devotee Circle $5,000 - $9,999

William C. and Joyce K. Fletcher

Herman and Sharon Frankel

Linda and Tom Garden

Dr. Amy L. Harding

Paula Hawk and Paul Hennekes

Alastair Hunter-Henderson and Noralyn Marshall

Lila and Stephen Huse

Ann Jackson

Dorothy and Charles Jenkins

Merrill Kaegi

Linda Z. Klein

Susie Klingeman

Peter and Melody Kretzmer

Gerda Maceikonis

Guy and Maria Mandler

Stephania and James McClennen

Season Supporters

153

Devotee Circle $5,000 - $9,999

154

Bonnie McIntyre In Loving Memory of Bill Noonan

Robert and Sharon McMillan

Patrick McNamee and Sandra Young

Mary Ann and John Meyer

Carolyn Michel In Loving Memory of Howard Millman

Howard and Barbara Noble, Jr.

Dr. Sarah H. Pappas

Dr. Larry Press and Mrs. Lisa Keverian-Press

Rose Marie Proietti

Pamela Revels

Ronald and Marci Rhodes

Shelley Roisen

Bob and Diane Roskamp

Sam Samelson and Marion Levine

Valerie and Gabriel Schmergel

2026 - 2027 Season

Devotee Circle $5,000 - $9,999

Dona and Sam Scott

Micki Sellman In Loving Memory of Jerry Sellman

Diana Smith and Barry Cohen

Gordon Stanley

Jonathan Strickland Coleman and Rick Kerby

Swanson and Kutner Family Fund

Ed Town and Steve Rubin

Sallie Carter Tyler

Wendy and Chad Weiss

Susan and Lewis Winarsky

Richard Wires

Maria and Jim Wilson

Sora Yelin In Loving Memory of Cary F. Yelin

Season Supporters

155

Devotee Circle $5,000 - $9,999

THE EXCHANGE ELIZABETH LINDSAY ARTS IN EDUCATION

JEROME ROBBINS FOUNDATION

WOMEN’S OUTREACH MINISTRY CHURCH OF THE REDEEMER

WOMEN IN PHILANTHROPY OF SARASOTA INC

156

2026 - 2027 Season

Golden Circle $2,500 - $4,999

Alexandra Armstrong

Lynn M. McBrier

Carol Arscott

Holly and Joe McDonough

Margaret and Isaac Barpal

Margaret Melun and Lt. Col. Ky L. Thompson

Barbara and Bill Epperson

Deanne and Jim Naples

Donna Jill Feldman

Paula Norwood and Allen McGee

Patsy and Ed Garno

Roxanne Permesly

Alfred Cope Garrett

Jeffrey Peterson

In Loving Memory of Anne W. Garrett

Megan Powers

Pat and David Goldrich

Susan L. Robinson

David Green

Susan Serling and David Kessler

Marshall Greenwald and Catherine Cooper

Robert and Charlene Sessions Fund

Deborah Hill

Willie M. and Rosa L. Stanfield

Moira Hintsa

Noreene Storrie and Wesley G. McCain

Dr. Deborah E Jessiman and Mr. Alistair Jessiman

Charlotte and John Suhler

Anne E. Jones

Jacqueline and John Thompson

Carol and Richard Kalikow

Emily Walsh

Ronald and Rita Karns

Carol B. Williams

Dr. Bart and Joan Levenson

Lynn Winslow

Carolou and Lou Marquet

Fremajane Wolfson

Elenor Maxheim

In Loving Memory of Blair Wolfson

MEDICAL SERVICES INTERNAL MEDICINE PHYSICIANS

GILBERT WATERS CHARITABLE FUND II

Rugs As Art ...And More!

Season Supporters

157

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Wealth Advisory Services | 1stsource.com/was | 941-554-2605 Bank deposit products and services Member FDIC. Investment products are not insured by FDIC or any other government agency, not bank guaranteed, not bank deposits or obligations and may lose value. Dancers: Misa Kuranaga and Ricardo Rhodes

Photographer: Frank Atura.

Silver Circle $1,000 - $2,499

Janette Albrecht

Roz Goldberg

Sally Peterson

Peggy C. Allen and Steve Dixon

Marjorie Goldstein

William Anderson and Gary Satterfield

Patrica Gondelman

Richard Reston and Brenda Griffiths

Darla and Donald Anthony

Allison Gregory

Joan W. Bauerlein

Charles and Bonnie Granatir Helen and John Habbert

Rachel Bennett

Peggy Lyman Hayes

Barbara Blackburn

Ed and Judy Hoerr

Myrna Blume Linda and Glen Bodzy Marty and Barbara Bowling Veronica Brady and Keith Monda

D’Anne Hurd Mike and Roxanne Jerde Elizabeth M. Johnston Charitable Fund Alison S. Jones

In Loving Memory of Thomas H. Jones

Barbara Brizdle Kathy and Michael Bush

Deborah Kalb

Diana Cable

Judith Kozlowski

Lynn and Gary Coffin

Melvy Erman Lewis

Margie and Kelvin Cooper

Joan Lovell

Lynda and Fred Doery Patricia and John Dupps Annette and Edward Eliasberg Jonathan and Margaret Elsner Iris Fanger

James and Kathleen Scholler William R. and Gloria A. Schranz Charitable Fund at CFSC Nancy and Barry Shapiro Abby Sherry

In Loving Memory of Murray Sherry

Barbara B. and Jeffrey C. Shivers Steven and Frances Siegler Dawn Spencer Mel and Rob Stanek Hadassah Strobel

In Loving Memory of Waldron Kraemer

Susan and Arthur Luger Ken Mailender Joyce B. Mailhouse Virginia R. McLain

In Loving Memory of Robert Fanger

Lee McLernon

Jan and David Feinman

Dean and Patty Miller

Michael and Jean Freed

Catherine and C. David Moll

Suzan and Barry Friedman

Michael and Michelle Morris

In Loving Memory of Albert and Nora Balk

Anna Naumovich

Kevin Fulcher and Kim Deme-Fulcher

Eric and Mafalda Neikrug

William A. Gentes

Jennifer and Blake Rolley

In Loving Memory of Martin Strobel

Wendy Surkis Jim and Gwen Swanger Diran and Virginia Tashian Joan Tatum Leonard Tavormina Alair A. Townsend Anna Maria Troiano James Tuite John and Debbi Wilson Mary Lou Winnick In Loving Memory of Ed Winnick

Stanley Zielinski

Susan Newsome

In Loving Memory of Jon Newsome

Sheila Gleason and Jay Banerjee

COUSINS LANING FOUNDATION

Sharon and Lee Oberlander

FAY A. SCHWEIM MEMORIAL CHILDREN’S DANCE FUND

HELENE AND GENE NOBLE TESTAMENTARY FUND

FISHER & FINE ESTATE JEWELRY AND APPRAISALS

Coastal Partners UBS Financial Services Inc. Private Wealth Management Coastal Partners UBS Financial Services Inc. Private Wealth Management

Season Supporters

159

CELEBRATING

100 YEARS OF CIRCUS IN SARASOTA

Your Seat to Wonder Awaits at CircusArts.org

Enthusiasts Circle $500 - $999

Pamela Akins and Barry Levinson

Judith and Ike Koziol

Caroline C. Amory and Marjorie A. Floyd

Sara LeFloch

Begay Atkinson

Sheila Worthington Lirtzman

Sumner and Irene Bagby

Judy Love

Gaele Barthold

Sandra and Neil Malamud

Marc Behrendt

Lisa R. Markham

In Loving Memory of Everett Behrendt

Nancy Markle

Elizabeth Beninati Dr. and Mrs. S. D. Braun William Buckingham Peter and Judy Carlin Lynn Chancer Jamie Chappell In Loving Memory of Stella Deal

Dr. Stanley Cohen Patricia Corson and Martin Goldstein Michael Dotsey Sandy Fink Cherie and Jeff Finn Wendi Fogelson and Ed Mills Melinda and Hank Foster Mary Fuerst Martha and Thomas Galek Kathryn and Steven Gold Nancy A. Gold Bonnie and David Goldmann Dr. Barbara Hajjar Bob Hemingway James W. Heslin, Jr. Penny Hill Dr. Terry Hynes Emily Joslin and Michael Eden Valda Kaye

In Loving Memory of Dr. Keith Kaye

John and Marge Kelly

Lydia and Patrick McKenzie Nancy Milbauer Doug Nicholson JoAnne and Greg Pieczynski Julie Planck Judith Posner Dena and Scott Prose Sara and Benjamin Robinson Karen Roosen Meredith Rutter Jan Ryan Lawrence V. Sage Margo Mazur Schleman MD and Mr. Anthony Nijssen Ronnie and Steven Schnoll Bonnie Schur Doug and Hilory Seaton Lenore Shapiro and Glen Behrendt In Loving Memory of Everett Behrendt

Jane Sheridan Ann Syring Marcia Jean Taub and Peter Swain Philip Tavill Linda Torcivia Dr. Martin Tucker Robert Tutnauer Michael Vlaisavljevich and Stephanie Arthur Leigh Witchel

Holly and Hal Kennedy

Season Supporters

161

In Memoriam The following members of our Sarasota Ballet Community have passed away in the last year. We celebrate their lives and honor them for their generosity and patronage.

David Beliles

Stella Deal

Kay Delaney*

Robert Fanger

Shirley Fein

Joan Switt Langbord

Dr. Joel Morganroth

Ann Schluederberg

Miriam Mason Wood

The In Memoriam page above is presented to the best of our knowledge. We truly apologize if we have not recognized members of our Ballet community that have recently passed away. Please contact the Development Department so that we may update our records. *Denotes members of the Martucci Legacy Society

Season Supporters

163

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At Sarasota Magazine, our job is to capture all of it. SUBSCRIBE TO SARASOTA MAGAZINE.

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Make a Difference A gift to The Sarasota Ballet is an investment in the art form, our community, and the Company’s future. Your support helps sustain exceptional performances, expand access to dance, nurture education and engagement, as well as ensure that a shared love of ballet continues to inspire Sarasota for generations yet to come.

Why Become a Patron? Play a Principal Role in taking the Company to new heights. Your generosity supports The Sarasota Ballet in the following areas of work, each playing an essential role in advancing the mission and expanding the Ballet’s impact.

The Sarasota Ballet Company Creating seasons that take audiences from beloved classics to world premieres featuring live music, acclaimed choreographers, guest artists, and dancers who bring Sarasota’s artistry to the stage.

a lifelong music “ Aslover, there is nothing so

engaging and thrilling to me as ballet performed in collaboration with live musicians, which is why I enthusiastically direct my contribution to support live music for The Sarasota Ballet.” - Sora Yelin

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2026 - 2027 Season

want to share with the “ We world the gift we experience

in Sarasota by having The Sarasota Ballet among us. We’re proud to support the touring fund and see the company bring its extraordinary diversity, professionalism, and talent to audiences beyond Sarasota.” - Barbara Bankoff and Robert Crandall

Sharing the Company’s artistry and unique artistic identity with audiences beyond Sarasota through national and international touring.

Make a Difference

171

The Sarasota Ballet School Providing exceptional ballet training for students ages three through adulthood with different aspirations, from young beginners discovering the joy of dance to dedicated pre-professional dancers preparing for the next stage of their journey.

“

We support a scholarship for The Sarasota Ballet School Conservatory because talent deserves a chance to flourish. Ballet demands discipline, artistry, and opportunity—and we want to make sure lack of support isn’t the thing that holds a young dancer back.” - Victor and Joyce Rendano

172

2026 - 2027 Season

Dance—The Next Generation (DNG) Transforming lives through dance education and academic enrichment, providing tuition-free programs, workshops, and onsite experiences that expand access to the arts for students in grades 3 - 12 across Sarasota and Manatee Counties.

“

We support Dance—The Next Generation because we believe in this beautiful program for the experiences it offers, and the values it teaches underserved children in our community. We are fortunate to live in such a culturally rich city, and grateful that we are able to support this wonderful treasure, The Sarasota Ballet!” - Gini and Stu Peltz

Make a Difference

173

Community Engagement Connecting thousands of Gulf Coast students and community members each year through school matinees, free performances, educational experiences, behind-the-scenes access, and specialized movement programs that make the transformative power of dance accessible to all.

Sarasota Ballet School Matinee of “ The Clara & The Nutcracker’s Magical Journey

opens a door to a world many of our students have never experienced. For some, it may be their first introduction to ballet and a moment they will remember long after the curtain closes.” - Third Grade Teacher, Garden Elementary

174

2026 - 2027 Season

Special Events for Patrons We invite you to be a part of the experience and celebrate the upcoming season with us. As a Patron, your giving level unlocks a range of exciting benefits. These events build community, offer joy and insight, and enrich the connection between audiences and artists.

LUMINARY CIRCLE Studio Dress Rehearsal Be the first to access every dress rehearsal—a unique chance to experience the magic before it hits the stage.

CONNOISSEUR CIRCLE Celebration Dinner An elegant evening of dinner and conversation, held in appreciation of our valued patrons, with the opportunity to engage with Company dancers, special guests, and leadership.

DEVOTEE CIRCLE Opening Night Receptions Kick off Company programs with a VIP Cocktail Party while you mingle with fellow supporters, dancers, directors, and special guests.

To learn more, please contact our Development team at 941.225.6510 or development@sarasotaballet.org Make a Difference

175

The Martucci Legacy Society Katherine and Frank Martucci founded The Martucci Legacy Society to inspire others to leave a legacy gift.

WHY CREATE A LEGACY GIFT? Including The Sarasota Ballet in your estate plan helps secure the future of our performances, education, and community programs for generations to come.

WHY JOIN LEGACY SOCIETY? As a member you will be recognized for your thoughtful generosity, invited to special events, and celebrated for the lasting impact of your gift.

WE ARE PROUD TO RECOGNIZE THE FOLLOWING INDIVIDUALS FOR THEIR COMMITMENT TO THE SARASOTA BALLET’S FUTURE: George Allison and Alan Watkins Shari and Steve Ashman Chuck Angulo and Kathleen Fischer Donald H. and Barbara K. Bernstein Jerry and Gay Bowles Marty and Barbara Bowling Kay Delaney and Murray Bring Donald Britt Ann Burroughs Judy Cahn Lois Champy Bonnie and William Chapman Lynn Chancer Alan Cohen Jonathan Strickland Coleman and Rick Kerby Edward N. Cooke Michael Corrigan Douglas Endicott Laura Feder Frances D. Fergusson

Geoffrey W. Fulton Micki H. Gamer Alfred and Anne Garrett Ellen Goldman Jean Weidner Goldstein* Patricia A. Golemme Gudrun Graugaard Gerald and Deborah Hamburg Julie A. Harris* JoAnn Heffernan Heisen Elaine C. Herda Richard S. Johnson Deborah Kalb Richard Kemmler Pat and Ann Kenny Lydia Landa Harry Leopold and Audrey Robbins Dr. Bart and Joan Levenson Richard March* Frank and Katherine Martucci* Joan Mathews Donna Maytham Mary Jane McRae

Peter B. Miller and Dr. Martha Harrison* Sandra Miranda Stu and Gini Peltz Dr. Richard L. Prager Rose Marie Proietti David Welle and Rosemary Reinhardt Terry and Susan Romine James and Kathleen Scholler Bud and Betty Shapiro* Arthur Siciliano and B. Aline Blanchard Jan Sirota and Alison Gardner* Jeffrey and Marion Shields Hillary Steele Melliss Kenworthy Swenson Marcia Jean Taub and Peter Swain* Jean and Joseph Volpe Kim Wheeler Charles and Susan Wilson Richard Wires *Denotes Leadership Gift

“

My Legacy Gift to The Sarasota Ballet is more than a donation, it is a gift to support dance education, nurturing talent, inspiring dreams, and enriching lives for generations to come.” - Pat Golemme

To learn more, please contact our Development team at 941.225.6510 or development@sarasotaballet.org Make a Difference

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B e I n fo r m e d • B e E n t e r t a i n e d • B e S c e n e A RT S

COM MU NIT Y

C U LT U R E

PH I L A N T H RO PY

SINCE 1957... Sarasota Scene is the go to publication for arts and culture, philanthropy, and for a local society that understands the power of community. For more information, please visit scenesarasota.com.

Sara sota S ce n e P rou dly Suppor ts Th e S a r a s o t a B a l l e t 183 4 Ma i n St reet , Sa r a sot a , FL 3 4 236 • P: 941.365 .1119 publisher@scenesarasota.com • scenesarasota.com

2026-27 SEASON

RICHARD RUSSELL, General & Artistic Director

2026 FALL SEASON

2027 WINTER OPERA FESTIVAL

Hansel and Gretel

L a traviata

OCTOBER 30 – NOVEMBER 14, 2026 Engelbert Humperdinck | Adelheid Wette

Rootabaga Country NOVEMBER 7 & 8, 2026 Rachel J. Peters

FEBRUARY 6 - MARCH 20, 2027 Giuseppe Verdi | Francesco Maria Piave

H. M.S. Pinafore

FEBRUARY 13 - MARCH 19, 2027 Arthur Sullivan | W.S. Gilbert

Ariadne auf Naxos

FEBRUARY 27 – MARCH 13, 2027 Richard Strauss / Hugo von Hofmannsthal

Jenůfa

MARCH 6 – MARCH 21, 2027 Leoš Janáček

YOUTH OPERA

All performances in the original language with simultaneous translations above the stage.

G E T YO U R T I C K E T S N O W !

(941) 328-1300 SARASOTAOPERA.ORG

Sarasota Opera House | 61 N. Pineapple Avenue, Sarasota, FL

Proud Partner of the Arts

A Symphony of Color A Celebration of Dance

The Sarasota Ballet School As the official school of The Sarasota Ballet, we offer exceptional training for students of all ages. From fun and creative movement for our youngest dancers through to our pre-professional program at The Conservatory, the School inspires a love of dance in every child.

The Sarasota

Ballet School

CHILDREN’S PROGRAM

PREPARATORY PROGRAM

THE CONSERVATORY

THE SARASOTA BALLET STUDIO COMPANY

ADULT PROGRAM

SUMMER PROGRAMS

THE SARASOTA BALLET SCHOOL

Children’s Program Ages 3 - 7

The Children’s Program is where everything starts, at age three, with movement, music, and a first introduction to ballet. Through creative movement, music, and storytelling, dancers build the earliest steps toward rhythm, balance, and coordination, the foundation for every level of training that follows.

Students are guided by the American Ballet Theatre® National Training Curriculum, a breakthrough, outcome-based program that combines high-quality classical ballet training with best practices in dancer health, child development, and proper body alignment.

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THE SARASOTA BALLET SCHOOL

Preparatory Program Ages 8+

The Preparatory Program is built for dancers ages eight and up, continuing their training across multiple levels. Classical technique remains the core of every level, developed further through Character Dance and Contemporary classes, with conditioning built in through Progressing Ballet Technique.

Students participate annually in American Ballet Theatre® National Training Curriculum examinations, providing a standardized assessment of their progress while reinforcing proficiency, artistic development, and confidence as they advance through their training.

The Sarasota Ballet School

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THE SARASOTA BALLET SCHOOL

The Conservatory

The Conservatory is the pre-professional program of The Sarasota Ballet School for talented young dancers who dream about a professional career. Our outstanding faculty are committed to providing the highest quality of dance training in an inclusive and nurturing environment. Graduates are dancing with The Sarasota Ballet, Ballet Austin, Louisville Ballet, Indianapolis Ballet and Philadelphia Ballet among others. Other students have gone on to train with the American Ballet Theatre JKO school, the Juilliard School and John Cranko School in Germany.

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TRAINING MEETS THE PROFESSIONAL STAGE During the 2025 – 2026 Season, The Conservatory students joined the professional dancers of The Sarasota Ballet in the Company Premiere of George Balanchine’s Mozartiana. Staged by Balanchine Trust répétiteur Maria Calegari, the ballet places four young dancers alongside its principal ballerina—an element particularly meaningful to Balanchine, who loved incorporating children into his works. Calegari praised the students during rehearsals, telling the local Sarasota Observer, “The kids are fantastic.” The experience offered The Conservatory students an exceptional opportunity to learn, rehearse, and perform Balanchine’s choreography alongside professional artists.

Top: Marijana Dominis and The Sarasota Ballet School Students in George Balanchine’s Mozartiana, circa 2025 Above: Maria Calegari and School of American Ballet students in George Balanchine’s Mozartiana, circa 1987 Right: Maria Calegari, students of The Sarasota Ballet School, and Dierdre Miles Burger

THE SARASOTA BALLET SCHOOL

The Sarasota Ballet Studio Company As a bridge between student and professional, The Sarasota Ballet Studio Company provides the first step in their future professional career. As well as providing a full training curriculum, The Studio Company gains valuable performance experiences by taking leading roles in The Sarasota Ballet School’s The Nutcracker, the end of year Images of Dance plus performances in the local community. The Studio Company dancers also have the opportunity to rotate into the main Company class and understudy main Company roles. In previous seasons, The Studio Company dancers have performed with The Sarasota Ballet in Romeo and Juliet, Serenade, Giselle and Jazz Calendar among others. Six of The Studio Company dancers this year are graduates of our Trainee Program. Former The Studio Company dancers are now performing with The Sarasota Ballet, Royal Swedish Ballet, Czech National Ballet, Richmond Ballet, Charlottesville Ballet and Wonderbound.

The 2026 Sarasota Ballet Studio Company members; Back row: Gregory Dempsey, Gavin Talbot, Max Berg Middle row: Isabella Desabrais, Scarlett Schultes, Lily Grace Patterson, Rileigh Benn Front row: Kerry Shannon, Emily McAllister, Jacqueline Sanders

ZE ELLIS: A SARASOTA STORY From student to professional artist, Ze Ellis’s journey demonstrates the pathway available to young dancers at The Sarasota Ballet. Ze trained in The Conservatory before advancing to The Studio Company and joining The Sarasota Ballet as an Apprentice in 2022. He was promoted to Corps de Ballet in 2023 and Coryphée in 2025. His repertoire now includes works by Sir Frederick Ashton, George Balanchine, Gemma Bond, Jessica Lang, Sir Kenneth MacMillan, Ashley Page, and other leading choreographers. Top: Ze Ellis performing Graziano’s Valsinhas with The Sarasota Ballet in 2026 Bottom: Ze Ellis performs on the Terrace stage in 2021 as part of The Conservatory.

The Sarasota Ballet School

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D IS COV E R A FUTU RE AS

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THE SARASOTA BALLET SCHOOL

Adult Program Ages 16+

Adult Programs of The Sarasota Ballet School welcome dancers ages 16 and up, offering year-round opportunities for every level of experience, from complete beginners to advanced students. A progressive range of classes allows participants to build technique, musicality, strength, and confidence at a pace that suits their individual goals, with offerings extending through advanced ballet and pointe.

Beyond weekly classes, the program includes specialized workshops, weekend and mini intensives, creating opportunities to explore repertoire, refine specific skills, and deepen training. Whether returning to ballet or discovering it for the first time, adults can find a welcoming place to dance, learn, and connect.

The Sarasota Ballet School

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THE SARASOTA BALLET SCHOOL

Summer Programs

SUMMER INTENSIVE Designed for dancers ages 12 – 21, the Summer Intensive develops each student’s technique and artistry through a comprehensive program of classical and contemporary training, variations, repertoire, and Progressing Ballet Technique. Guided by renowned faculty and guest teachers, students are challenged to grow as confident, expressive dancers. The program culminates in InMotion, an exciting performance opportunity featuring classical and contemporary works on the same stage as The Sarasota Ballet throughout the Season.

THE SARASOTA BALLET SCHOOL

Summer Programs continued SUMMER CAMPS Designed for ages 3 – 7, the Summer Camps introduce young dancers to movement through themed weeks of dance, crafts, storytelling, and creative exploration. Led by experienced faculty, each camp builds coordination, confidence, and creativity, concluding with an in-studio performance for family and friends.

JUNIOR INTENSIVE Designed for dancers ages 8 – 12, the Junior Intensive builds technical and artistic skills through ballet, jazz, contemporary, character, dance history, conditioning, and mime. The program offers young dancers an immersive introduction to the high-quality training and varied curriculum of The Sarasota Ballet School.

ADULT INTENSIVE Launched in 2026, the Adult Intensive welcomes dancers of all abilities to deepen their training and connect with fellow adult dancers. Focusing on technique, pointe, and repertoire, the program culminates in a short in-studio performance celebrating participants’ progress and accomplishments.

The Sarasota Ballet School

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THE SARASOTA BALLET SCHOOL

Performances

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IMAGES OF DANCE

END OF YEAR PERFORMANCE

This special performance at the Sarasota Opera House features the talented dancers of The Sarasota Ballet Studio Company and students of The Conservatory. With live music by the Sarasota Music Conservatory and the Sarasota Youth Opera, Images of Dance celebrates the amazing youth arts organizations in Sarasota.

A true highlight of every student’s year is the final performance. It allows the children the opportunity to dress up in costume, tell a story through dance and showcase what they have learned during the year. Productions have included: A Meadow’s Tale, The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, and The Wizard of Oz.

IN MOTION

ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

A unique feature of The Sarasota Ballet School Summer Intensive is the opportunity for the students to perform on the Mertz Stage at the FSU Center for the Performing Arts. Developing artistry is a key part of the student’s summer training, and InMotion allows every student to perform in specially chosen repertoire.

A special benefit that you can only get by being a student of The Sarasota Ballet School is the opportunity to perform on the main stage with The Sarasota Ballet. In March 2026, Zoe Breneman and Andi Ludera performed in Sir David Bintley’s “Still Life” at the Penguin Café.

2026 - 2027 Season

20 2 6 THE SARASOTA BALLET SCHOOL PERFORMS THE NUTCRACKER For young dancers, The Nutcracker offers a special opportunity to experience the excitement and responsibility of performing in a full theatrical production. Students of all ages come together from across The Sarasota Ballet, including Dance — The Next Generation, The Sarasota Ballet School, The Conservatory, and The Studio Company. The experience begins well before the curtain rises. Students are introduced to the many elements required to bring a production to the stage: costume fittings, spacing rehearsals, stage calls, and the unique opportunity to work alongside and look up to more advanced dancers introduce them to the many elements required to bring a production to the stage.

LIVE MUSIC 2026 In 2026, that experience expands with live music for every performance. A new partnership with the Sarasota Music Conservatory will bring its sideby-side orchestra to performances at the Sarasota Opera House, while the Venice Symphony will once again accompany performances in Venice. Together, these partnerships make The Sarasota Ballet the only local school presenting all of its The Nutcracker performances with live music.

The Nutcracker in Venice DEC 11 – 12

LIVE MUSIC BY THE VENICE SYMPHONY Venice Performing Arts Center

The Nutcracker in Sarasota DEC 20 – 22

LIVE MUSIC BY THE SARASOTA MUSIC CONSERVATORY Sarasota Opera House

The Nutcracker Brunch DEC 21

Art Ovation

The Sarasota Ballet School

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The Sarasota Ballet School | Official uniform partner

Supporting the next generation of dancers with expertise and excellence

10% OFF ONLINE*

For every purchase, Sarasota Ballet School will receive 10% of the sale back towards their programming

Scan QR code to shop now or enter code SBSBLOCH10 at the checkout

*Enter code at checkout. exclusions apply

DISCOVER

ENGAGE

CONNECT

Home Delivered Meals and Dining Centers

help feed hearts and souls with nutritious meals.

Adult Day Care & Caregiver Resources

offers support groups and classes as well as affordable, licensed adult day services in Sarasota and Venice.

In-Home Care helps low-income older adults secure care to be brought in the home.

Senior Centers are dynamic places offering classes, exercise, games, music, art and more!

You’ve Got

Friends We believe in the power of friendship. In addition to providing music, dancing, games, exercise, and fun ways to connect with other seniors, we also oﬀer a wide array of support programs and services.

Friendship at Home services include reassurance phone calls, visitors, and help for those facing a one-time financial crisis.

Become a Member Call (941) 955-2122

Sarasota:

1880 Brother Geenen Way, 34236

Venice:

2350 Scenic Drive, 34293

Visit us online at friendshipcenters.org

NATE’S HONOR ANIMAL RESCUE CENTER

WHERE SAVING LIVES IS ALWAYS EN POINTE At Nate’s Honor Animal Rescue Center, second chances take center stage. With double the capacity for dogs, a brand new kitty city, and adoption center now open, we’re saving more lives than ever before. Visit our campus to see the future of animal rescue, and meet the animals waiting to find their forever homes. Scan to learn more.

Give animals a new leash on life.

4951 Lorraine Rd, Bradenton, FL 34211 NatesHonorAnimalRescue.org

S R SOT

CONCERT

SSOCI TION

Five Extraordinary Pianists. One Legendary Violinist. PIANIST DANIIL TRIFONOV

Tues, Dec 1, 2026, 7:30 pm Sarasota Opera House Works by Handel and Stravinsky, and Schubert’s “Wanderer-Fantasy.”

CHANTICLEER HOLIDAY CONCERT Wed, Dec 2, 2026, 7:30 pm Sarasota Opera House An all-new program of Renaissance classics and holiday favorites.

TAKÁCS QUARTET Jeremy Denk, piano

Sat, Jan 16, 2027, 7:30 pm Riverview Performing Arts Center Works by Franck, Mozart, and Mendelssohn.

PIANIST ARISTO SHAM

Wed, Feb 3, 2027, 7:30 pm Riverview Performing Arts Center Performing Chopin’s Impromptus, and works by Beethoven and Rachmaninoff.

ORPHEUS CHAMBER ORCHESTRA Isata Kanneh-Mason, piano

Mon, Feb 15, 2027, 7:30 pm | Van Wezel Performing selections from Mozart, Haydn, and Handel’s “Water Music” Suite.

VIOLINIST MIDORI WITH FESTIVAL STRINGS LUCERNE

Sun, Feb 28, 2027, 2 pm | Van Wezel Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 2.

THE CLEVELAND ORCHESTRA Semyon Bychkov, conductor Alexandre Kantorow, piano

Sun, March 14, 2027, 2 pm | Van Wezel Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini and Elgar’s Enigma Variations.

SCAsarasota.org 941-966-6161

Dance—The Next Generation (DNG) As the pioneering community engagement program, Dance—The Next Generation (DNG) has embodied the commitment of The Sarasota Ballet to strengthening community through the art of dance. For more than three decades DNG reflects a belief at the heart of The Sarasota Ballet: every child deserves the opportunity to discover their potential through dance.

Dance—

The Next Generation MORE THAN AN AFTER-SCHOOL DANCE PROGRAM

Dance — The Next Generation (DNG) expands access to dance for young people throughout Sarasota and Manatee Counties, offering students in grades 3 – 12 the opportunity to participate at no cost to their families. Through a longstanding after-school program, DNG combines quality dance training with academic support, guidance, and enrichment opportunities, creating an inclusive and well-rounded experience that supports each student both in and beyond the studio.

424

The Number of Students Reached through DNG Programs during 2025-2026

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2026 - 2027 Season

Along with 10 years of diverse dance training, every DNG student receives transportation assistance (elementary), after-school snacks, free dance attire and shoes. Students experience cultural enrichment through field trips with partner organizations and complimentary tickets to The Sarasota Ballet performances. Academic support is encouraged through an onsite classroom and computer lab, homework assistance, and college and career planning with eligible graduates receiving access to the DNG Scholarship offered through State College of Florida.

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Dance—The Next Generation Programs DNG AT TALLEVAST Our full program serving more than 120 students in grades 3 – 12 each season. Throughout the school year, students receive academic guidance and enrichment alongside at least two dance classes each week creating a consistent, supportive environment.

DNG WORKSHOPS Extends our reach into the community by bringing dance directly to local schools and community centers. Through six-week sessions, students who may otherwise have limited access to the arts experience quality dance education in their neighborhood. We proudly reach almost 100 additional students through Workshops at such locations as Boys & Girls Clubs, Girls Inc., Sarasota Housing Authority, as well as Sarasota County Schools and School District of Manatee County.

DNG EXPERIENCE CLASSES Brings masterclass-style dance instruction directly to Title I schools throughout Sarasota and Manatee Counties, introducing students to at least two dance genres in an engaging, accessible format. For many of the 200 we reach each year, a DNG Experience class is their first experience with a formal dance class opening the door to the opportunities found through movement. 206

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Dance—The Next Generation

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From

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Account for Anything™

A proud sponsor of The Sarasota Ballet. Helping clients enjoy life’s great dance since 1952. ADVISORY TAX AUDIT ACCOUNTING LEGAL WEALTH

Merrill Wynne 941‑955‑4429

Sarasota Art Museum

Feel the inspiration in your own backyard. I m m er se yo ur se lf in Flo r ida’s Cultur a l Coas t ® a n d fe e l m o re a live in ever y m o m ent .

Asolo Repertory Theatre

The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art

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Proud Supporter of Sarasota Ballet

Frank Atura Photography

Sarasota Bay Club Luxury Retirement Living On Sarasota Bay Experience The Difference Firsthand – Call Us For A Personal Bay Club Tour (941) 552-3284 1301 North Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, Florida • Visit Us Online at SarasotaBayClub.com

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Community Engagement The Sarasota Ballet believes dance is for everyone. Through Dance Education Experiences, Adaptive dance programs, and Community Experiences, the Ballet creates meaningful ways for people of all ages and backgrounds to connect with dance. These initiatives expand access, welcome new audiences, and strengthen Sarasota through movement, creativity, and shared experience.

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Community

Engagement

The Sarasota Ballet is proud to extend into the community, ensuring that people of all ages and backgrounds can experience the transformative power of dance. Spanning 35 years, we are privileged to deepen the cultural richness of the area by offering individuals the chance to discover inspiration through dance.

Dance Education Experiences The Sarasota Ballet is often a children’s first experience with live ballet. Partnering with schools across Sarasota, Manatee, and Charlotte counties we offer dance education experiences for students including School Matinees, in-school performances, and interactive workshops.

SCHOOL MATINEES The Sarasota Ballet presents a rare and exciting opportunity for elementary students to attend a special interactive learning experience like no other. Students are treated to a performance at the theater, featuring dancers from The Sarasota Ballet Studio Company and The Conservatory as they bring story ballets to life. School matinee performances of The Sarasota Ballet are engaging adaptations of ballets in which an emcee guides students through the story, history, and music combining informative teaching segments, live performance, and audience participation.

Community Engagement

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COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Dance Education Experiences continued

IN-SCHOOL PERFORMANCES

IN-SCHOOL DANCE CLASSES

Designed for K–12 students, our dancers and School faculty bring the magic of ballet directly into schools. These interactive performances introduce students to ballet.

Designed for students to experience dance movement incorporating elements of ballet, jazz, and additional dance styles all from the convenience of your classroom.

Community Experiences

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ENGAGE & EXPLORE

ACCESS TO LIVE PERFORMANCE

Through Community Performances, Lecture Demonstrations, and Backstage Tours, The Sarasota Ballet creates welcoming opportunities for people to engage with dance, explore the art form, and connect more closely with the Company and its work.

Through partnerships with community organizations, The Sarasota Ballet provides complimentary or discounted tickets to individuals and families who may otherwise have limited access to live performing arts, allowing more members of our community experience ballet firsthand.

2026 - 2027 Season

Adaptive Dance The Sarasota Ballet opens the joy and benefits of movement to individuals of all abilities by tailoring dance to meet diverse needs. By celebrating each person’s abilities, these programs foster confidence and community showing that dance truly is for everyone. JOYFUL MOVEMENT THROUGH PARKINSON’S This tuition-free program offers weekly dance classes led by The Sarasota Ballet faculty trained in the internationally acclaimed Dance for PD® method developed by Mark Morris Dance Group. Participants enjoy improved balance and flexibility, overall wellbeing, and a supportive community.

SILVER SWANS® The Royal Academy of Dance has a special movement program designed for adults ages 55 and older. Presented by The Sarasota Ballet within retirement communities, this engaging program blends movement, music, and dance history, connecting participants to the artistry and repertoire of the current season.

Community Engagement

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Friends of

The Sarasota Ballet

ADVANTAGES OF BEING A FRIEND •

Become an insider through exclusive programming, and volunteer opportunities

•

Meet dancers, staff, and key leadership

•

Meet and build friendship with fellow dance and art lovers

•

Priority access and special discounts on Friends events

•

Share in the Company’s growth and achievements

Learn, engage, connect and support The Sarasota Ballet with fellow ballet enthusiasts

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

FRIENDS EVENTS

Friends of The Sarasota Ballet play a vital role in supporting and engaging with the Company through a wide range of meaningful opportunities. From volunteering in the Box Office and welcoming patrons to sharing a passion for the Ballet throughout the community, there are many ways to become involved.

Throughout each season, Friends of The Sarasota Ballet host a variety of special events designed to deepen appreciation and understanding of the Company by offering a behind-the-scenes look at its work. These engaging events feature exciting guest speakers and unique programming, while also serving as a social hub for those who share a passion for The Sarasota Ballet.

Community Engagement

219

SPECIAL EVENTS The Friends of The Sarasota Ballet are excited to present five special events for the 2026 – 2027 Season. Each event is thoughtfully curated to bring members and guests closer to the Ballet through familiar and innovative experiences. Monday, October 26, 2026 | 11:30 AM Luncheon #1: Exclusive Interview with Gemma Bond Fresh from the Sarasota debut of Manner, get to know Gemma Bond as she shares insights into her remarkable career and creative process. Monday, December 21, 2026 | 11:00 AM 2026 Nutcracker Brunch Join us for a festive event which pairs a delicious brunch at Art Ovation with a premium ticket to the Monday matinee performance of The Nutcracker at the Sarasota Opera House. Monday, February 1, 2027 | 5:30 PM Dinner & Show Don’t miss the debut Dinner & Show crafted especially for Friends and their guests featuring a dinner at the FSU Center followed immediately by an evening performance of Program Four in the Mertz Theatre. Monday, March 8, 2027 | 11:30 AM Luncheon #2: Panel to be Determined Join us for the second luncheon at Michael’s on East. Monday, April 12, 2027 | 11:30 AM Luncheon #3: Behind the Curtain with Iain Webb Join us for our final Luncheon of the season where Iain Webb shares insights on the upcoming 2027 – 2028 Season.

MEMBERS OF THE FRIENDS OF THE SARASOTA BALLET: Julia Aaron Peggy and Ken Abt Christine Albritton Andrea Anderson Kathryn Arion Carol Arscott Shari and Steve Ashman Jocelyn and Nicholas Baskey Joan Bauerlein Isabel Becker Jack Bennington Donna Brownlee Kathryn Carr Berndadette Caswell Bonnie and William Chapman Barbara Chertok Meryl and Dennis Ciborowski Marianne and Louis Cohen Jonathan Strickland Coleman Edilia Correa Patricia Corson Katie Couchot Mary Dalton Jacqueline and Harold D’Alessio Sandra DeFeo JoAnne DeVries Syble DiGirolamo Lynda and Fred Doery Janice Dube Barbara and Les Dubitsky Diana Efthimides Rosalyn Ehrenpreis David Eichlin and Bob Griffiths Bruce Ensinger Annette and Edward Eliasberg Jan and Bill Farber Laura Feder Betty Ferguson Susan Fingerman Sandy Fink Cherie and Jeff Finn Linda Fiorelli Bert Fivelson Martine Flamen Karol Foss Alison Gardner and Jan Sirota Roger Gleckman Nancy Gold Ellen Goldman Patricia Golemme Lydia Gracing

Dedrea Greer Robin and Roy Grossman Mary Hale Jill and Marc Halman Renee Hamad Julie Harris JoAnn Heffernan Heisen Marcia Hendler Lindsey Hilton Dale Horwitz Barbara Jacob and Karen Lichtig Barbara Jarabek Richard Johnson and Deb Kalb Susan Johnson Alison Jones Anne Jones Cynthia and Barry Karafin Carolyn Keidel Margaret Kelly Pat and Ann Kenny Evelyn Kenvin Marlene Kitchell Robin Klein-Strauss and Michael Strauss Susanne Klingeman James and Lois Kourlas Lauren Kurnov Gail Landry Mary and James Lang Sara LeFloch Marlene Liberman Andrea Lieberman John Lindsey Beverly Longo Judy Love Margaret Maguire Maria Mandler Richard March Carolou and Lou Marquet Jean Martin Katherine and Frank Martucci Joan Mathews Carol Mathias Helen McBean Linda Mitchell Linda Nordenberg Marilyn Nordby Rosemary Oberndorf Mercedes OConnor Jeanette Paladino Jason and Lorie Parrott Stuart and Viginia Peltz

Julie Planck and Chuck Albers Kenneth Pope Rose Marie Proietti Sara Robinson CJ Robison and Chris Holder Ellen Roderick Terry and Susan Romine Jack and Nancy Rozance Beverly Ryan Sharon Sakson Susan Schell Tracy Seider Nancy and Barry Shapiro Timothy and Susan Sheehan Declan Sheehy Jane Sheridan Linda Simons David and Linda Sischy Ellen Skeels James and Beverly Smith Irene Stankevics Hillary Steele Maureen and Tom Steiner Louise Stevens Susan Stewart Susan Strahs Lois Stulberg David Sundeen Julie Swanger Cynthia Swanson and Michael Kutner Edward Swindell Joan Tatum Rochelle Tepperman John Teryak Jacqueline and John Thompson Lisa D. Tobias Janet Tolbert Joe and Jean Volpe Carol Von Allmen Wendy Wagner Carolyn Warner Sandra Warner Thomas and Gwendolyn Watson Douglas and Karen Wear David Welle and Rosemary Reinhardt Kim Wheeler Anthony Winer and Paul Settle Caitrin Wolford Barbara Woods Elaine Zwelling

Community Engagement

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Mastery is a Practice. Legacy is a Purpose. Your vision for your family and community

deserves absolute poise and precision.

Victoria Hulland and Ricardo Rhodes Photo by Frank Atura

Ballet Foundations and Trusts

THE FREDERICK ASHTON FOUNDATION

GEORGE BALANCHINE TRUST

KENNETH MACMILLAN ESTATE

The Ashton ballets are performed by arrangement with The Frederick Ashton Foundation and are three of over 100 ballets created by Part of Ashton Frederick Ashton (1904 – Worldwide 1988). These performances Festival are presented as part of the 2024 - 2028 Ashton Worldwide 2024 - 2028 festival. For further information, visit frederickashton.org.uk

Donizetti Variations Choreography George Balanchine © The George Balanchine Trust. The performances of Donizetti Variations Balanchine® Ballets, are presented by arrangement with The George Balanchine Trust and has been produced in accordance with the Balanchine Style ® and Balanchine Technique®. Service standards established and provided by the Trust.

Solitaire is performed by arrangement with the estate of Sir Kenneth MacMillian. Special thanks to Lady Deborah MacMillan for her generous support. The Kenneth MacMillan Estate is the official organization that preserves, promotes, and manages the copyright and licensing for the approximately 65 ballets created by the renowned British choreographer Sir Kenneth MacMillan.

PAUL TAYLOR DANCE COMPANY

THE ROYAL BALLET SCHOOL

ANTONY TUDOR BALLET TRUST

Paul Taylor’s Mercuric Tidings is performed by The Sarasota Ballet by arrangement with the Paul Taylor Dance Foundation. The Foundation preserves and advances Taylor’s artistic legacy through the stewardship of his repertory and the work of the Paul Taylor Dance Company, presented by The Sarasota Ballet in its entirety for Program Five of the 2026 – 2027 Season.

Dame Ninette de Valois’ The Rake’s Progress is performed with permission of The Royal Ballet School. Founded by Dame Ninette de Valois, The Royal Ballet School trains and educates outstanding classical ballet dancers, while also preserving the rich heritage and legacies of British Ballet.

Antony Tudor’s Gala Performance is performed by kind permission of the Antony Tudor Ballet Trust, which is dedicated to preserving Antony Tudor’s artistic genius and to sharing his master works through restagings and education so they may breathe with new life through future generations of dancers.

The Sarasota Ballet offers special thanks to choreographers Gemma Bond, Jessica Lang, Ashley Page, Alexei Ratmansky, Dominic Walsh, and Christopher Wheeldon. Index & Acknowledgments

225

Join us for the 2027 Season of Sarasota Polo. For more information, visit SarasotaPolo.com

(941) 907-0000 8201 Polo Club Ln, Sarasota, FL 34240

Celebrat ing

40Years Rugs As Art

6650 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL 34231 941.921.1900 www.rugsasart.com

WSMR Classical Music Station

CLASSICAL

.ORG

89.1

WEDU Arts Plus is a weekly program devoted to sharing vibrant stories about arts and culture in our community.

Noland Anderson FINE ARTIST

Episode 1314

Sphinx Virtuosi CHAMBER ORCHESTRA

Episode 1207

Watch at wedu.org/artsplus or on the PBS app.

Advertisers Index 1st Source Bank

158

Rugs as Art

226

Apiro

209

Sarasota Bay Club

211

Bloch

198

Sarasota Bookstore One

199

Bradenton Herald

224

Sarasota Concert Association

201

Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation

Sarasota Magazine

165

The Circus Arts Conservatory

160

Sarasota Polo Club

226

Community Foundation of Sarasota County, Inc.

Scene Magazine

178

Concierge Medical Services

223

Sarasota Opera

179

Eurotech Cabinetry, Inc.

Sarasota Orchestra

180

Cumberland Advisors

102

Selva Grill

The Exchange

Senior Friendship Centers

199

Fisher and Fine

164

Shumaker Law

164

Gulf Coast Community Foundation

So Staged

104

Herald Tribune

162

SRQ The Magazine

230

Justice Pays

164

True Blue Air and Services

222

Michael’s on East

Venice City Lifestyle

181

Morton’s Gourmet Market

164

Visit Sarasota

210

Nate’s Honor Animal Rescue Center

200

WEDU

228

Northern Trust

108

Williams Parker Attorneys at Law

223

Observer Media Group

208

WUSF/WSMR

227

Palm Printing

100

Plymouth Harbor

192

The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota

106

Index & Acknowledgments

229

SRQ MAGAZINE IS PROUD TO SUPPORT THE ART OF DANCE We are proud to sponsor Sarasota Ballet and celebrate the artistry, passion and extraordinary talent that bring each performance to life. Thank you for inspiring our community, enriching our cultural landscape and reminding us of the beauty and power of the arts. Bravo to Sarasota Ballet and all who make the magic possible.

LIVE LOCAL. LOVE LOCAL. SRQMAG.COM

Media Sponsors SEASON SPONSORS

PROGRAM SPONSORS PROGRAM ONE

PROGRAM FOUR

PROGRAM TWO

PROGRAM FIVE

PROGRAM THREE

PROGRAM SIX

PROGRAM SEVEN

THE NUTCRACKER SPONSORS THE NUTCRACKER: SARASOTA

THE NUTCRACKER: VENICE

Index & Acknowledgments

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THE SARASOTA BALLET

NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL TOURS UNDER THE DIRECTION OF IAIN WEBB THE JOYCE THEATER SEPTEMBER 2026 Joyce Theater, New York, NY JACOB’S PILLOW DANCE FESTIVAL JULY 2025 Ted Shawn Theatre, Becket, MA ASHTON CELEBRATED JUNE 2024 The Royal Opera House, London, UK THE JOYCE THEATER AUGUST 2022 Joyce Theater, New York, NY THE JOYCE THEATER AUGUST 2018 Joyce Theater, New York, NY GUGGENHEIM WORKS & PROCESS NOVEMBER 2017 Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, NY NATIONAL CHOREOGRAPHIC FESTIVAL MAY 2017 Eccles Theater, Salt Lake City, Utah ARCADIA CENTENNIAL AUGUST 2016 Criterion Theatre, Bar Harbor, ME THE JOYCE THEATER AUGUST 2016 Joyce Theater, New York, NY FALL FOR DANCE FESTIVAL OCTOBER 2015 New York City Center, New York, NY JACOB’S PILLOW DANCE FESTIVAL AUGUST 2015 Ted Shawn Theatre, Becket, MA FALL FOR DANCE FESTIVAL OCTOBER 2014 New York City Center, New York, NY BALLET ACROSS AMERICA III JUNE 2013 John F. Kennedy Center, Washington DC THE SUZANNE FARREL BALLET OCTOBER 2011 John F. Kennedy Center, Washington DC

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