Twyla Tharp Dance | Presented by Performing Arts Houston

p re s e n t s

Twyla Tharp Dance Saturday, September 28, 2024 | 7:30 pm Cullen Theater, Wortham Center Duration: 120 minutes, including 20-minute intermission

PROGRAM OCEAN’S MOTION (1975) Music by Chuck Berry Costume Design by Santo Loquasto Original Lighting Design by Jennifer Tipton Almost Grown

Miriam Gittens, Daisy Jacobson, Skye Mattox, Reed Tankersley, Jake Tribus

Deep Feeling

Miriam Gittens, Daisy Jacobson, Skye Mattox

School Days

Miriam Gittens, Daisy Jacobson, Skye Mattox, Reed Tankersley, Jake Tribus

Nadine

Reed Tankersley with Miriam Gittens, Daisy Jacobson, Skye Mattox, Jake Tribus

Too Pooped to Pop

Daisy Jacobson

Havana Moon

Miriam Gittens, Daisy Jacobson, Skye Mattox, Reed Tankersley, Jake Tribus

Almost Grown

Miriam Gittens, Daisy Jacobson, Skye Mattox, Reed Tankersley, Jake Tribus

PAUSE BREL (2024) Music by Jacques Brel Costume Design by Santo Loquasto Lighting Design by James F. Ingalls Performed by Daniel Ulbricht Quand On N’ A Que L’Amour Ne Me Quitte Pas Amsterdam Les Marquises Marieke

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INTERMISSION THE BALLET MASTER (2024) Music: BI BA BO by Simeon ten Holt Per la Solennità di S. Lorenzo’, RV 562 in D major by Antonio Lucio Vivaldi Performed by Dmitry Sinkovsky with the National Symphony Orchestra, recorded live at National Concert Hall Dublin, 2022.

Costume Design by Santo Loquasto Lighting Design by James F. Ingalls Performed by John Selya, Skye Mattox , Daniel Ulbricht Miriam Gittens, Daisy Jacobson, Reed Tankersley, Jake Tribus

Major support for Twyla Tharp Dance is provided by Jay Franke and David Herro.

Special thanks to Dmitry Sinkovsky, Mark Seliger, The Chuck Berry Estate, Simeon ten Holt Foundation, Foundation Brel, the National Symphony Orchestra, Donebus Publish, Dualtone Music Group and Universal Music Group, and New York City Ballet.

Brel and The Ballet Master have been commissioned by The Joyce Theater’s Stephen and Cathy Weinroth Fund for New Work.

TOUR CRED I TS CHOREOGRAPHY

Twyla Tharp

LIGHTING

Jennifer Tipton & James F. Ingalls

COSTUMES

Santo Loquasto

DANCERS PRODUCTION SUPERVISOR & STAGE MANAGER

Miriam Gittens, Daisy Jacobson, Skye Mattox, John Selya, Reed Tankersley, Jake Tribus, Daniel Ulbricht Steven Carlino

WARDROBE SUPERVISOR

Jeffrey Shirbroun

COMPANY MANAGEMENT

Jesse Ontiveros

TOUR BOOKING & MANAGEMENT

Opus 3 Artists Robert Berretta, Managing Director Benjamin Maimin, Chief Operating Officer Jemma Lehner, Associate Manager

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BIOS TWYLA THARP (Choreographer/Artistic Director), since graduating from Barnard College in 1963, has choreographed more than 169 works: 129 dances, 12 television specials, six Hollywood movies, four full-length ballets, four Broadway shows, and two figure skating routines. She received one Tony Award, two Emmy Awards, 19 honorary doctorates, the Vietnam Veterans of America President’s Award, the 2004 National Medal of the Arts, the 2008 Jerome Robbins Prize, and a 2008 Kennedy Center Honor. Her many grants include the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Fellowship. She is a member of the American Philosophical Society, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and an Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Today, ballet and dance companies around the world continue to perform Ms. Tharp’s works. In 1992, Ms. Tharp published her autobiography Push Comes to Shove. She went on to write The Creative Habit: Learn it and Use it for Life, followed by The Collaborative Habit: Life Lessons for Working Together. In 2019, her fourth book was published, Keep It Moving: Lessons for the Rest of Your Life. Today, Ms. Tharp continues to create.

MIRIAM GITTENS (Dancer) was born and raised in Fresno, CA, where she received a diverse dance education at The Dance Studio of Fresno. She earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from The Juilliard School in 2017. Following graduation, Miriam joined chuthis, a project-based company presenting the work of Peter Chu, and continues to collaborate there. In 2018, she joined Ballet BC under the direction of Emily Molnar. Miriam had the extreme honor of performing works by Aszure Barton, Sharon Eyal & Gai Behar, William Forsythe, Johan Inger, Felix Landerer, Ohad Naharin, Out Innerspace, Crystal Pite, and Medhi Walerski, spanning over four seasons. In 2022, Miriam returned to New York to join Gibney Company, where she is currently an Artistic Associate. In 2023, Gittens was featured in Dance Magazine’s “On the Rise” column.

DAISY JACOBSON (Dancer) grew up in Manhattan Beach, CA and began her training at Lauridsen Ballet Centre at the age of six. She was fortunate to attend summer programs with Houston Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Nederlands Dans Theater, gaga lab, Arts Umbrella, and Springboard Danse Montreal. In 2017, Daisy earned her BFA in Dance from The Juilliard School and moved to Los Angeles to join LA Dance Project under the direction of Benjamin Millepied. She spent six seasons with LADP and performed in new works and repertoire by choreographers such as Benjamin Millepied, Kyle Abraham, Ohad Naharin, Martha Graham, Bella Lewitzky, Janie Taylor, Zack Winokur, Emily Mast, Madeline Hollander, Gianna Reisen, Shannon Gillen, Jill Johnson, and Bobbi Jene Smith. During her last season with the company, Daisy guested with Twyla Tharp Dance in the 2023 Bessie Award winning revival of In The Upper Room and Nine Sinatra Songs. Daisy has been featured in Dance Magazine’s dancers “On the Rise” and Dance Teacher Magazine “What My Teacher Taught Me” as well as Honolulu Magazine “Breaking the Ballet Mold.” She is a YoungArts Winner and Presidential Scholar. in the Arts.

SKYE MATTOX (Dancer) is honored to be joining Twyla Tharp here at Performing Arts Houston. Broadway: West Side Story, On The Town (Ivy Smith understudy), and Carousel. Film: West Side Story (Dir. Steven Spielberg), Maestro (Dir. Bradley Cooper).

TV: Smash (Season Two), Fosse/Verdon, The Deuce (Season Three). Other NYC credits include American Dance Machine (Joyce Theater), and numerous shows for New York City Center’s Encores! series, such as Little Me and High Button Shoes. In addition to performing, Skye teaches and choreographs for studios and programs around the country, including two of New York City’s premier dance studios, Broadway Dance Center and Steps On Broadway.

JOHN SELYA (Dancer), native New Yorker, trained at the School of American Ballet. Upon completion of his training, John received the Mae L. Wien award for outstanding promise. Mr. Selya was then invited by Mikhail Baryshnikov to join American Ballet Theatre, where he performed and choreographed for the company. Mr. Selya then joined Twyla Tharp Dance as a company member, where he went on to perform the leading role of Eddie in Twyla Tharp’s Tony-winning Broadway show, Movin’ Out. His performance earned him a Tony nomination for best actor in a musical, an Astaire award for outstanding dancing on a Broadway stage and a Theater World Award for outstanding Broadway debut. Since then Mr. Selya has appeared as the Mambo dancer in Damn Yankees, Scranton Slim in Guys and Dolls, and Sid in Come Fly Away. Mr. Selya has also performed as a break dancer at The Sands Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City. In addition to appearing on stage, John has appeared in movies, Everyone Says I Love You, Across the Universe, and Romance and Cigarettes, as well as many televised productions. Mr. Selya is a choreographic associate for Twyla Tharp, staging and directing productions alongside Ms. Tharp. Additionally, John regularly teaches throughout the world to educate and encourage future performing artists.

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BIOS REED TANKERSLEY (Dancer) was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area and began his dance training at the age of five.

After graduating from The Juilliard School in 2014, Reed joined Twyla Tharp’s 50th Anniversary Tour and continues to perform her works, most recently starring in Tharp’s In The Upper Room at New York City Center. As a freelance performer he has performed works by many New York-based choreographers including Jonah Bokaer, Jessica Lang for Seattle Opera’s Aida, and Broadway’s Chase Brock. In 2019, Reed ran away to the circus and toured the country as the lead performer in Cirque Du Soleil’s Volta. Reed is a NFAA Youngarts award winner and was named one of Dance Magazine’s “25 to Watch” for 2017.

JAKE TRIBUS (Dancer) is originally from Raleigh, NC, where he began his training at CC & Company Dance Complex. He also trained at Next Generation Ballet in Tampa, FL, under the direction of Peter Stark. Jake Tribus is a 2020 graduate of USC’s Glorya Kaufman School of Dance under the direction of Jodie Gates. In 2020, Jake joined Gibney Company, where he is currently still employed, as an Artistic Associate. Tribus’ past training includes intensives with Netherlands Dance Theater, Batsheva Gaga Technique, and The Juilliard School. He has performed repertoire from choreographers such as William Forsythe, Ohad Naharin, Crystal Pite, Jîrí Kylián, Johan Inger, Sharon Eyal, Paul Taylor, Aszure Barton, and Dwight Rhoden. Jake has performed on stages including The Joyce Theater (with Gibney Company and the Glorya Kaufman School of Dance), The Shed (with A Quiet Evening of Dance by William Forsythe), the Kampnagel International Summer Festival (premiering Where There’s Form by Aszure Barton), and in 2022 the Fire Island Dance Festival (choreography by Akira Uchida and Micaela Taylor). He has also performed in music videos and on stage for artists including Ariana Grande, Taylor Swift, Lorde, Backstreet Boys, and Janet Jackson, among others. He also has appeared in fashion campaigns for brands like Carolina Herrera. Jake is the recipient of a 2022 Princess Grace Award in Dance.

DANIEL ULBRICHT (Dancer) was born in Florida and began his dance training at the age of 11. At age 15, he attended the School of American Ballet. In 2000, he became an apprentice with New York City Ballet and in November 2001 he joined as a member of the corps de ballet. In 2005, Mr. Ulbricht was promoted to soloist and principal dancer in 2007. He has danced featured roles in Balanchine, Robbins, Martins, Peck, Ratmansky, Wheeldon, and Tharp ballets. Mr. Ulbricht is currently the Director of Programming at Manhattan Youth Ballet and Artistic Director of NYSSSA. Mr. Ulbricht is also founder and director of Stars of American Ballet. Mr. Ulbricht is also on the faculty of Yale University. Mr. Ulbricht is also the co-founder and coproducer of “Dance Against Cancer and is also on the board of the NDI.

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