Jekyll & Hyde, Kansas City Ballet

Sponsored in part by:

PRESENTED BY KANSAS CITY BALLET GUILD

Moving with Kansas City since 1899.

Dancers Amanda DeVenuta & Joshua Bodden. Cover Artwork | Dancer Cameron Thomas. Photography by Kenny Johnson.

WELCOME TO KANSAS CITY BALLET

Dear Dance Enthusiast,

We’re so excited to kick off our 2023-2024 Season with Val Caniparoli’s Jekyll & Hyde—an authentic telling of Robert Louis Stevenson’s gothic novel.

This incredible theatrical event has been a long time coming. And we are thrilled to be the first ballet company to present it in the U.S. You may be interested to know that Val began the creative process working with our own company dancers in 2019 prior to its world premiere in Helsinki, Finland. And frankly, I’m honored we were chosen by this internationally renowned choreographer to help bring his vision to life. We were the company that he trusted and wanted to work with in this way.

Despite challenges, I like being first. There are so many aspects of the production that must be custom fit to U.S. stages, from the number of dancers to costumes and sets. We have a highly talented production and artistic team here in Kansas City that Val trusts to do a great job of putting his work on stage to dazzle you, our audiences.

This production has KC Ballet in its DNA, and not just in the character of the choreography. Our music director, Ramona Pansegrau, collaborated with Val on all musical selections throughout the last seven years! Ramona has created an incredible arrangement of music. She has been so thoughtful and detailed in intertwining five Polish composers into one experience. It’s seamless and exactly what it should be! I’m thrilled this rewarding and significant moment in her career is happening for her, here at home.

For the dancers, this substantial production, with Val and his stager Maiqui Mañosa and assistance by Oğulcan Borova, has allowed them to develop amazing three-dimensional characters and significantly grow their acting abilities. It’s been incredibly exciting to see them take on these roles, like watching the way Jekyll morphs into Hyde, it’s not physical like in the movies. It’s a personality change. I also appreciate that we see the author, Robert Louis Stevenson, as part of the cast. Thereby we see his writings come to life in real time right before our very eyes.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t also mention how thrilled I am to have David Gray as our new executive director. I’m looking forward to many years of collaboration as we lead this company. We hope you’ll be taking the adventure with us for the rest of our performances this season with our annual holiday delight, The Nutcracker, New Moves with all new choreographic works, the return of my Peter Pan, and Kansas City Ballet’s first time performing the entirety of George Balanchine’s Jewels! I’m thrilled to embark on my 11th season together with you. I hope you enjoy the ride!

Sincerely,

Devon Carney, Artistic Director

SUPPORT KANSAS CITY BALLET

Kansas City Ballet is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. Contributions are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. Your contribution is important to our mission. Contribute today at kcballet.org, 816.931.2232, or make checks payable to Kansas City Ballet, Todd Bolender Center for Dance & Creativity, 500 W. Pershing Rd., Kansas City, MO 64108-2430.

STAY CONNECTED WITH KANSAS CITY BALLET

For exclusive up-to-date information and presale notices on upcoming performances and special events, join our email list at kcballet.org. You can also visit our blog (kcballet.org/blog) and follow us on Facebook (facebook.com/kcballet, facebook.com/ kcbschool), X/Twitter (@kcballet), Instagram (@kc.ballet, @kc.balletschool), TikTok (@kansascityballet), YouTube (@kansascityballet), and LinkedIn (Kansas City Ballet).

Starlight connects our community through live arts experiences that entertain, inspire, and engage.

Connect with Starlight to be the first to know about upcoming Broadway shows, concerts and other events hosted by Starlight.

The first issue of The Independent was published on March 11, 1899. The magazine was the brainchild of Arthur Grissom and George Creel. Young Mr. Grissom soon returned to New York, where he was a founder of The Smart Set prior to his death at the age of 31. George Creel continued to run The Independent until 1909. (In later years, Mr. Creel would serve as chairman of the Committee for Public Information under President Woodrow Wilson. He devised much of the propaganda that encouraged Americans to support World War I.) The next owners of the magazine were Clara Kellogg and Katherine Baxter of the Kellogg-Baxter Printing Company, who lived and worked together. After Miss Baxter’s death from pneumonia at the age of 43 in 1924, Miss Kellogg published an annual tribute to her. Martha Nichols Gaylord (Mrs. Gleed Gaylord) became the editor and owner in 1939, a decade after she joined the staff. Mrs. Gaylord headed the magazine during a time when the arts were proliferating in Our Town: The Kansas City Ballet was founded in 1957, the Lyric Opera of Kansas City in 1958 and the Kansas City Repertory Theatre in 1964. Mrs. Gaylord sold The Independent to Robert P. Ingram in 1983. Laureen Ingram, Mr. Ingram’s daughter-in-law, purchased the magazine from him in 1996. Rachel Lewis Falcon became the new owner and publisher in 2017.

The Independent Magazine Publisher Director of Program Guide Operations Graphic Design

The Independent Magazine 2400 West 75th Street, Suite 120 • Prairie Village, KS 66208 • 816.471.2800

Christin Painter • Christin@kcindependent.com

kcindependent.com

Kansas City Ballet program guides are a publication of the Performing Arts Division of The Independent magazine. Information in this publication was carefully compiled to ensure accuracy. However, the publisher does not assume responsibility for accuracy. Editorial program content was provided by the Kansas City Ballet. Copyright by The Independent magazine. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without written permission of the publisher.

Rachel Lewis Falcon Christin Painter BurningStar Studios, LLC

Elevated Nissan

The 2023 Rogue

The 2023 QX80

INFINITI of Kansas City

KANSAS CITY BALLET LEADERSHIP

DEVON CARNEY ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Devon Carney joined Kansas City Ballet for the 2013-2014 season after spending the previous 10 years with Cincinnati Ballet as associate artistic director. His early training was with Harvey Hysell of New Orleans. He moved to Boston and was a Principal dancer with Boston Ballet for 12 of his 20 professional performing years. Mr. Carney has performed many leading roles in well-known classical ballets and in 20th century classical works, and in roles by cutting-edge choreographers such as Mark Morris, Maurice Bejart and Merce Cunningham. In addition, he performed a diverse Balanchine repertoire and toured extensively with greats such as Rudolf Nureyev, Fernando Bujones and Cynthia Gregory. With Boston Ballet, he was ballet master and artistic director of their Summer Dance Program for eight years. Mr. Carney’s teaching credits include Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, Pittsburgh Ballet and many others. He has choreographed for Boston Ballet, Ballet Met, Cincinnati Ballet, Cincinnati Opera, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Kansas City Symphony, Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival and Kansas City Ballet. He has served as a judge for the premier dance competition Youth America Grand Prix. In the summer of 2011, Mr. Carney choreographed for the Cincinnati Opera for the opera A Flowering Tree by John Adams with a review in Opera News, “Devon Carney’s choreography was both athletic and exquisite.” With Cincinnati Ballet he created over 20 original works including Blue Rondo and World Citizen in March of 2009 with a review stating, “Carney’s work is not only well crafted but moody and intense with a palpable sense of loneliness. His work grows more confident and more skillful with every piece he creates” (David Lyman, Cincinnati Enquirer). He also created Boot It Up!. This was performed with the live musical accompaniment of rock and roll legend Peter Frampton and his entire band. Additionally, he created a full-length world premiere of Dracula and has created his versions of the great classics of Giselle, Sleeping Beauty, and the one-act ballet The Steadfast Tin Solder. He choreographed Die Fledermaus and La Traviata for the Lyric Opera of Kansas City With Kansas City Ballet, he created Opus I in 2013, Giselle in 2014, a brand new world premiere production of The Nutcracker in 2015, his full length Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty and his world premiere choreography of Romeo & Juliet in 2017, and his world premiere choreography of Peter Pan in 2018. Additionally his Nutcracker has been performed at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in 2017 and 2022. Most recently, he created his world premiere choreography of the full-length Cinderella in 2023.

KEVIN AMEY CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER

Kevin Amey’s service to Kansas City Ballet exceeds 40 years. He has served as the company and tour booking manager of Kansas City Ballet since 1983. He was promoted to general manager in 1998. Mr. Amey has had the pleasure of working at length with each of the company’s three Artistic Directors Todd Bolender, William Whitener and Devon Carney, as well as Executive Directors Michael Kaiser, Martin Cohen and Jeffrey Bentley, on producing more than 300 works. Additionally, he was instrumental in booking and executing the many tours the company embarked upon in the 80s and 90s, as well as the 11-year second-city residency in St. Louis. He counts the opportunity to play a significant role as the company’s project manager in the creation of the Todd Bolender Center for Dance & Creativity as his most rewarding achievement. Mr. Amey’s background in the arts began as a young performer, actor, singer, and dancer. He is a graduate of Avila College, where he received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in acting and directing, and in design. He took his design skills into the professional ranks as lighting and sound designer for the Creede Repertory Theatre in Creede, Colorado, as well as production manager, for three seasons. While attending graduate school at the University of Missouri-Kansas City in Theatre Arts, Mr. Amey split his time between the design and scenic shops and as a special graduate assistant to the director, Dr. Patricia McIlrath. He then followed his interest in arts management by acting as company manager for three seasons of touring with the then Missouri Repertory Theatre. He also has served on a variety of local, state and regional panels, including the Missouri Arts Council Tour Advisory Panel and Touring Task Force, as well as the Steering Committee and Grant Awards Panel for the Kansas City Chapter of Young Audiences. He and his wife Mig Lillig have raised five children.

DAVID GRAY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

David Gray was raised in Princeton, NJ, and attended Johns Hopkins University. Following graduation, he moved to New York. He worked in the Publicity Department of Doubleday Publishing before joining the Press Office of New York City Ballet, where he soon became Press Director. He also met and married New York City Ballet Principal Dancer Kyra Nichols. Upon the birth of their first child, Mr. Gray became a full-time parent so that his wife could return to her performing career. He also pursued his passion for writing and published Escape From Verona: Romeo and Juliet Part Two, a novel that required years of research, including visits to Italy. After they moved to the town where he grew up, Mr. Gray became the Executive Director of American Repertory Ballet and their Princeton Ballet School. Mr. Gray then opened a consulting firm, Finance Arts LLC, where he combined his interests in finance and nonprofit management. He served as an itinerant Interim Executive Director for several nonprofits, including the New Jersey Coalition Against Sexual Assault, The New Brunswick Cultural Center (where he was landlord for three theaters), and the Princeton Symphony Orchestra. In addition to teaching nonprofit management and finance classes, he wrote the Finance Arts Guide to Nonprofit Cash Flow, published in 2010. What began as an interim position with the Pennsylvania Ballet (now Philadelphia Ballet) became permanent until his wife was offered a tenured faculty position at Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music. Gray returned to fulltime parenting as a trailing spouse when they moved to Indiana in 2017. He and his youngest son built a batting cage, and Mr. Gray spent many hours throwing baseballs for batting practice (sometimes even hitting the strike zone). During COVID lockdowns, Mr. Gray wrote screenplays, two of which were optioned, and a third, Chelsea and Charles, sold and is in production for release in 2023. Now empty-nesters, Mr. Gray returns to the energy and excitement of the ballet world and is overjoyed to have been chosen for his role at Kansas City Ballet.

RAMONA PANSEGRAU MUSIC DIRECTOR & CONDUCTOR

Ramona Pansegrau has been music director for Kansas City Ballet for 17 years. She came to Kansas City via the Boston and Tulsa ballet companies, where she held the positions of principal pianist, solo pianist, music director and conductor. She has been called one of the best ballet pianists in the world. Robert Joffrey said of her ballet class, “The perfect music for every combination.” She was principal pianist/solo pianist for 10 years at Boston Ballet and tenured keyboard for the Boston Ballet Orchestra for 15 years. Ms. Pansegrau was on the faculty at Aspen/ Snowmass Dance Festival for 11 years and was music director for the ballet school at Jacob’s Pillow for 16 years. She was music director for Tulsa Ballet for nine years, and conductor of the Tulsa Symphony orchestra for ballet performances before coming to Kansas City Ballet. As a piano soloist for ballet, she has performed the piano concertos of Tchaikovsky, Brahms, Gottschalk, Hindemith, and Chopin to name a few, performing with many symphony orchestras, including the Kennedy Center Opera Orchestra. Of her performances, the Boston Phoenix stated, “the music...brought to sublime heights by pianist Ramona Pansegrau, allow[ing] you to experience the music anew each time.” Her arrangements of ballets are now in the repertory of the Western Australia Ballet, Charleston Ballet Theatre, Tulsa Ballet, Louisville Ballet, Washington Ballet, Ballet West, the San Carlo Opera House in Italy, NBA Ballet in Tokyo, Japan, and the Finnish National Ballet. Her edited and compiled score of Penderecki, Gorecki, and others for Jekyll & Hyde, a ballet by Val Caniparoli, premiered in Finland in 2020 to great acclaim, and she will conduct the American premiere in Kansas City in October 2023. Her most recent score for the full-length ballet Aladdin and the Magic Carpet, with choreographer Jill Bahr premiered April 2022. Ms. Pansegrau conducted the premiere of the Tulsa Symphony Orchestra with a full-length Sleeping Beauty, starring Italian ballerina Viviana Durante. Her performances were hailed as “giving life to the music and energizing the dancers.” Conducting for the Ballet Across America Festival, The Washington Post stated, “There is a delicious tension between the outpouring of the strings conducted by Ms. Pansegrau and the hushed anxiety of the dancing.” The Kansas City Star said Ms. Pansegrau’s Symphony No. 5 by Gustav Mahler was conducted with “heartrending sensitivity.” The Orlando Sentinel commented regarding Swan Lake, “…Pansegrau, music director for the Kansas City Ballet, helps Tchaikovsky’s music breathe with emotion reflecting what’s onstage….That gorgeous sound is something I’ll remember.” Regarding Don Quixote, they said, “As conducted by Ramona Pansegrau, the Philharmonic captured each bit of Spanish flair in Ludwig Minkus’ score, as well as the longing in the characters’ hearts. The Phil’s contribution to the electricity in the air can’t be overstated.” Ms. Pansegrau’s other ongoing engagements include guest conductor for Orlando Ballet and performing with the Opus 76 string quartet.

KANSAS CITY BALLET BOARD & AUXILIARIES

BOARD OF DIRECTORS OFFICERS

Julia Irene Dennie-Kauffman, Chairman Muriel McBrien Kauffman Family Foundation

Barbara Storm, President Community Leader

CiCi Rojas, Immediate Past President Tico Productions LLC / Tico Sports

Stephen Doyal, Vice President Hallmark Cards, Retired

Kathleen Nemechek, J.D., Vice President, Governance Berkowitz Oliver LLP

Jack D. Rowe, J.D., Vice President Lathrop GPM LLP

BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEMBERS

Aviva Ajmera SoLVE

Charlotte Kemper Black Commerce Trust Company

Lucy Wells Coulson Community Leader

Derald Davis, Ed.D Kansas City Public Schools

Donna M. Davis, Ph.D University of MissouriKansas City

Anne Elsberry, J.D. Community Leader

Cindy Hampton DecoPac

John D. Hunkeler, M.D. Community Leader

Cyndi James Kansas City Ballet Guild President

Linda Lenza Bank of America

Patricia Macdonald HI-IQ – Healthcare Institute for Innovations in Quality

David Harris, Treasurer US Bank

Carolyn W. Parkerson, Secretary Community Leader

David Gray, Executive Director Kansas City Ballet

Devon Carney, Artistic Director Kansas City Ballet

Steve McDowell BNIM

Rachel Merlo Google Fiber Kansas City

Tracy Musolf Lockton

Sarah J. Nelson State Street Global Services

Joab Ortiz Burns & McDonnell

KANSAS CITY BALLET GUILD BOARD • KCBGUILD.ORG

Cyndi James President

Karen Yungmeyer

President-Elect

Stephanie Eppler Vice President & Treasurer

Ron Fredman Recording Secretary

Penelope Vrooman Corresponding Secretary

Teresa McKinney Membership Vice President

Juliette Singer Membership Data Vice President

Angela Walker Special Projects Vice President

John Walker Education & Engagement Vice President

BARRE KC BOARD • BARREKC.ORG

Marissa Wickam President

Melanie Clark Vice President

Katie Abbott Secretary

Zakry Akagi-Bustin

Quinn Harrold

Angela Moore Marketing/PR Vice President

Cindy Wurm Social Activities Vice President

Lisa Hickok Archives Vice President

Melissa Ford Immediate Past President

Peggy Beal Governance Chairman

G. Mark Sappington, J.D. Community Leader

Suzanne Shank, J.D. Community Leader

Kent V. Stallard, J.D. Stinson LLP

Angela Walker Community Leader

Marissa Wickam

BARRE KC President

Jo Anne Dondlinger Gala Vice President 2023

Lynne & Carl Weilert

Gala Vice Presidents 2024

Michele Hamlett-Weith

Gala Vice President 2025

Juliette Singer & Cyndi James

Gala Vice Presidents 2026

Morgan Holecek

Madison Moore

Alexis Strauss

Jessica Whalen

Kansas City Ballet thanks our Board of Directors and leadership teams whose time, energy and generosity enhance our organization and make our performances and community programs possible.

Where Love Takes Center Stage: KC’s Leading Engagement Ring Store

AIZURI QUARTET

Sep. 23 | 1900 Building

“NEW HORIZONS”

Oct. 7 | 1900 Building

VOCES8

Oct. 21 | Village Presbyterian

QUARTETTO di CREMONA

Oct. 28 | Grace & Holy Trinity

SIR ANDRÁS SCHIFF

Nov. 14 | Kauffman Center

ALESSIO BAX & LUCILLE CHUNG

Dec. 5 | The Folly Theater

“EXTRAORDINARY IMAGINATIONS”

Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center

Jan. 20 | The Folly Theater

APOLLON MUSAGÈTE QUARTET

Feb. 2 | The Folly Theater

JEREMY DENK

Feb. 13 | The Folly Theater

LE CONSORT

Mar. 1 | Grace & Holy Trinity

QUICKSILVER

Apr. 5 | Grace & Holy Trinity

“SPARK OF GENIUS”

Apr. 26 | The Folly Theater

CHANTICLEER

May 3 | Atonement Lutheran

Emergency Evacuation Procedures

The Kauffman Center is equipped with advanced life-safety early alert systems. Each performance hall is designed with emergency exits in case of an evacuation. In the event of severe weather, shelter in place inside the hall, not in a lobby area, and await further instructions.

In the event of an emergency, the performance will be interrupted. Horns and strobes will sound. Emergency instructions will be delivered from the stage.

Please remain seated as staff use an appropriate amount of investigational time to verify the source of the alarm.* Should an evacuation be necessary, lighted red (Muriel Kauffman Theatre) and green (Helzberg Hall) exit signs will lead patrons to one of eight emergency exit paths.

Patrons with mobility limitations and/or those who are not able to navigate stairs should remain in the venue near one of the marked “Emergency Evacuation Assistance” areas. First responders will evacuate those requiring assistance immediately upon their arrival.

Elevators, primary entrances and the Brandmeyer Great Hall staircase are NOT used in the case of an emergency evacuation.

For more information on emergency evacuation procedures, visit kauffmancenter.org/policies

*Kauffman Center’s emergency egress plan, which includes an appropriate amount of investigational time to verify the source of an alarm, was developed with the assistance of the Kansas City, MO Fire Marshall’s Office.

THEATRE INFORMATION & PATRON SERVICES

CAMERA POLICY

Due to contractual obligations and for the safety of the artists, the use of cameras and recording devices are strictly prohibited. Attendance at a Kansas City Ballet event gives the patron’s consent to be photographed or recorded.

CELL PHONES AND DEVICES

As a courtesy to the artists and audience members, please silence cell phones and other devices and refrain from texting for the duration of the performance.

SEATING POLICY

We know our patrons make every effort to be on time for events; however, traffic or weather problems can cause late arrivals. Latecomers may watch the performance on monitors in our lobby until the theatre has re-opened to allow guests into the auditorium. Seating or reseating once a performance has begun will be allowed at the discretion of the house manager as a courtesy to our audience and in consideration of everyone’s safety.

TICKETING POLICY/CHILDREN

At Kansas City Ballet, we encourage young audiences to attend our shows assuming the program content is appropriate. However, it is strongly suggested that no babies or toddlers be in attendance. Many children over the age of 5 can remain happily and quietly seated for a two-hour performance, but you know your child best. Parents will be expected to immediately remove children creating a disturbance during the performance. Please note that all patrons, regardless of age entering the theatre must have a ticket. No refunds will be available.

WEATHER POLICY

Kansas City Ballet seldom cancels performances due to inclement weather. An exception to this is an official citywide emergency that requires citizens not be on the streets. In the unlikely chance that Kansas City Ballet cancels a performance, such cancellation will be announced no later than 2 hours prior to the scheduled start of the show.

CONCESSIONS

Concession stands are located in the center of the Brandmeyer Great Hall, as well as on Levels 5 and 6. Food/ drink items are prohibited inside the theatre. Each bar offers options to preorder intermission drinks before the performance.

COAT CHECK

Complimentary coat check is available for guests year around. Coat check is located near the restrooms on Level 2 just east of the ticket office.

ELEVATORS

All levels of the building can be reached by elevator with the exception of Upper Grand Tier (Level 7) in Helzberg Hall. However, elevator access does not guarantee the absence of stairs to a seat. Please contact the Kansas City Ballet box office for more information.

PARKING

There are 1,000 parking spaces available at a $13 charge in advance or $16 the day of per car. Valet services are also available at $22 in advance or $24 the day of per car. There are three charging stations for electric cars.

RESTROOMS

Kauffman Center restrooms fully comply with disability requirements of both the city of Kansas City, Missouri, and the ADA. All family restrooms feature infant changing tables. The Mezzanine family restroom features a changing table suitable for children or adults. Patrons needing a universal changing table or an additional private space to tend to medical needs should contact a staff member or volunteer for directions to the First Aid Office.

SPECIAL SERVICES & ACCESSIBILITY

Kansas City Ballet is dedicated to providing an accessible and enjoyable experience to all patrons. The Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts is an accessible facility. All performances of Kansas City Ballet are accessible to people with special needs. Adjacent companion seats also are available in the same area. Please consult with Kansas City Ballet Box Office at 816.931.8993 to determine your best and most accessible seating options.

SERENITY ROOMS

Patrons who would benefit from the use of a private, relaxing environment are invited to step into one of our two Serenity Rooms. These spaces offer comfortable seating and a monitor to view the live performance, plus sensory items, dimmable lights, and an electrical wall outlet. Patrons may contact a staff member or volunteer to access this space.

SENSORY KITS

Patrons who would benefit from comforting sensory resources are invited to exchange an ID card for a Sensory Kit from Coat Check on the Plaza Lobby Level. These kits contain resources such as noise-reducing headphones, weighted lap pads, and handheld sensory items.

LOST AND FOUND

Found items are immediately taken to the Security Console located at the Stage and Performers Entrance near the north entry. Kauffman Center Security will make every effort to identify and contact the owners of lost items. Items unclaimed after 90 days will be donated to a local charity. Cash and items of significant value left over 90 days will be treated as a donation to the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. To inquire about a lost item, contact Kauffman Center Security at 816.994.7222.

KANSAS CITY BALLET HOURS

Kansas City Ballet administrative and box office hours are Monday through Friday 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Box office hours are extended during performance weeks. To contact us, phone 816.931.8993, fax 816.471.1314, or email boxoffice@ kcballet.org. Please visit our website to purchase tickets at kcballet.org.

KAUFFMAN CENTER HOURS

The Kauffman Center box office opens 90 minutes prior to performances and remains open through the first intermission during Kansas City Ballet performances.

A New Day in

The Peking

KANSAS CITY BALLET

Devon Carney

Artistic Director

David Gray Executive Director

Kevin Amey Chief Operations Officer

ARTISTS

Gavin Abercrombie

Isaac Allen

Alladson Barreto

Joshua Bodden

Kaleena Burks

Angelin Carrant

Amanda DeVenuta

Aidan Duffy

KCB II

Ian Anderson-Conlon

Lauryn Brown

TRAINEES

Aysia Bates

Ava Bernardo

Emma Blake

Natalie Boese

Ramona Pansegrau Music Director & Conductor

Kristi Capps Rehearsal Director

Parrish Maynard Rehearsal Director

Georgia Fuller

Sidney Haefs

Chase Hanson

Kelsey Ivana Hellebuyck

Sophie Hod

Amira Hogan *

Whitney Huell

Olivia Jacobus *

Christopher Ruud Second Company Manager & Rehearsal Director

Amy Taylor Director of Production

Laura Krus Stage Manager

Madeline Brasgalla Assistant Stage Manager

Jordan Voth Company Pianist

Joshua Kiesel ‡

Gabriel Lorena

Brock Maye *

Amelia Meissner

Emily Mistretta ◊

Taryn Pachciarz

Amaya Rodriguez ∞

Elliott Rogers *

Naomi Tanioka

Cameron Thomas

Andrew Vecseri

Marisa DeEtte Whiteman

Kevin Wilson

Paul Zusi

Troy Monger-Levin

Malerie Moore

McKibben Needham

Trinity Santoro

Gillian Yoder

Gordon Camplejohn

Sage Guillot

Jake Lapham

Laila Madison

◊ Sally and Thomas J. Wood Senior Dancer

∞ The John Hunkeler Senior Dancer

‡ Greg and Barbara Storm Emerging Dancer

Mei McArtor

Olivia Pearsall

Reagan Pender

Maya Sprague

Elena Victoria

Hannah Waldon

Aaron Williamson

Dylan Wills

* Company Apprentice, supported in part by the Estelle S. and Robert A. Long Ellis Foundation

MOVING INTO THE FUTURE CAMPAIGN

Your investment in Kansas City Ballet will secure the future of dance in our community. Through a perpetual fund, legacy commitment, or sustaining program gift, you provide a strong future and ensure Kansas City Ballet’s forward momentum. Over the years you have helped us build this treasure, we invite you to help us sustain it.

We gratefully recognize the Muriel McBrien Kauffman Family Foundation for their most recent $2 million grant which matches all gifts to this campaign.

The Ballet acknowledges the following supporters for their generous gifts and pledges totaling $5,000 or more through September 25, 2023.

LEADERSHIP

NAMED FUNDS

($100,000+)

Muriel McBrien Kauffman

Family Foundation

The Thomas and Sally Wood Family Foundation (Senior Dancer)

The John Hunkeler Senior

Dancer Endowment Fund

Susan Lordi Marker Fund for Excellence in Choreography

Greg and Barbara Storm

Emerging Dancer Fund

Estelle S. and Robert A. Long Ellis Foundation (Company Apprentices)

Bill and Ginny Shackelford

The Stanley J. Bushman and Ann Canfield Fund for the Reach Out And Dance (R.O.A.D) Scholarship Program

Joan J. Horan Fund (Live Music)

Wendy and George Powell Family Fund (New Works)

Howard Rothwell and Kathy Stepp Rothwell Operations Fund

NAMED FUNDS

($50,000+)

Richard Belger and Evelyn Craft Belger

Carol Blum and Steven Wilson (School)

Brand Family Fund

Mike and Vicki Bray (Mixed Repertoire)

Dave and Dee Dillon Family Fund

Cathy and Steve Doyal (Live Music)

Sue Ann & Richard E. Fagerberg Ballet

Performance Enhancement Fund (Live Music)

Shirley & Barnett

Helzberg Foundation

Gay Dannelly and Richard Jensen Fund

George Hodges Langworthy, Jr., David Evans Langworthy, and George Hodges

Langworthy, Sr. Fund

Linda Lighton and Lynn Adkins

Dr. Linda E. Mitchell

Dr. Robert and Barbara Clarke

Nash Fund (Dancers)

Tannye Shafran Fund (Audience Development)

Suzanne Shank

Derek and Linda Shoare

Gary A. and Kay M. Smith Fund (Dancers)

The John and Angela Walker Fund for Live Music

Dr. Michael J. and Cindy S. Wurm

POOLED FUNDS (UP TO $50,000)

UNRESTRICTED FUND

The Beal Family Fund

Vince and Julie Clark

Ally, Dr. Jessie Ng, and Dr. Tom Curran Fund

Don and Pat Dagenais

Jo Anne and Bill Dondlinger

Edie and Randy Downing

Joseph and Diana Eisenach

Susan and Zack Hangauer

Hank and Mary Beth Hershey

Dr. and Mrs. Edward and Kimbrough Higgins

Dr. Roger and Sandy Jackson

Colette and James Majerle

McDowell Family Fund

Siobhan McLaughlin Lesley

Miller Family Fund, in memory of Alan McMillan

Sarah Nelson and Jesse Pedraza

John and Linda Nobles

OCS Builders/Mike Nikolai, in honor of Marisa Whiteman

George and Suzy Pagels

Carolyn and Bill Parkerson

Margot Patterson

Fred and Cindy Rock

Christopher and Lisa Sirridge

Stratus Group/Courtney and Peggy Jones

Chris and DeEtte L. Whiteman

Thomas F. and Loren Whittaker

Patricia Martin and Brian Woolley

Estate of Dr. Sonya Cornell

Yarmat

Rebecca and Ken Zandarski

JEFFREY J. BENTLEY FUND FOR INNOVATION & CREATIVITY

Peggy and Andrew Beal

Richard Belger and Evelyn Craft Belger

Joe and Claire Brand

Mike and Vicki Bray

Stanley J. Bushman and Ann Canfield

Vince and Julie Clark

Steve and Cathy Doyal

Anne and Howard Elsberry

Richard and Sue Ann

Fagerberg

Sally Firestone

J. Scott Francis

Susan and Zack Hangauer

Joan Horan

Linda Houston Foundation

John and Mary Hunkeler

Dr. Roger and Sandy Jackson

Kansas City Ballet Guild

Linda Lighton and Lynn Adkins

Estate of Billie Mahoney

P. Alan McDermott

Siobhan McLaughlin Lesley

Dr. Linda Mitchell

Gigi and Gary Rose

Suzanne Shank

Christopher and Lisa Sirridge

Kathy Stepp and Howard Rothwell

Greg and Barbara Storm

Angela and John Walker

Jennifer and Bryan Wampler

TODD BOLENDER SCHOLARSHIP FUND

Joseph Appelt

Sally Firestone

TATIANA DOKOUDOVSKA SCHOLARSHIP FUND

Kim and Ted Higgins

John and Mary Hunkeler

William T. Laaser

Suzanne Shank

Jennifer and Bryan Wampler

Brian Weith and Michele Hamlett-Weith

MARIE TAGLIONI POINTE SHOE FUND

Dr. Linda E. Mitchell

JAMES TAYLOR FUND FOR PRODUCTION EXPENSES

Estate of James Taylor

SHIRLEY WEAVER SCHOLARSHIP FUND

Mr. Robert H. Maynard, in memory of Heather Maynard

Shirley Weaver Trust

ARCHIVES FUND

Peggy and Andrew Beal

Carol Blum and Steven Wilson

Jo Anne and Bill Dondlinger

Joan Horan

Kansas City Ballet Guild

Zachary H. Shafran

Greg and Barbara Storm

Angela and John Walker

DANCER FUND

Elsberry Family Foundation

Charlotte Kemper Black

LIVE MUSIC FUND

Brad Allen and Gene Cooper

Gigi and Gary Rose

Jennifer and Bryan Wampler

NEW REPERTOIRE FUND

P. Alan McDermott

SCHOLARSHIP FUND FOR BUILDING DIVERSITY IN BALLET

Sally Firestone

Dr. Linda E. Mitchell

We would gladly assist you with ways to make a gift that is meaningful to you and has a lasting impact for Kansas City Ballet. Please contact Jennifer Wampler at 816.216.5585 or jwampler@kcballet.org.

THE COMPANY

GAVIN ABERCROMBIE | JOINED KCB IN 2018, +2 YEARS – SECOND COMPANY

Gavin Abercrombie was born in Acton, California, and began his ballet training at the age of 8 with the Antelope Valley Ballet. He continued his training at The Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School and the San Francisco Ballet School where he was taught by individuals such as Marjorie Grundvig, Andre Reyes, Patrick Armand, and Parrish Maynard. After joining Kansas City Ballet, Mr. Abercrombie has had the opportunity to perform leading roles such as Albrecht in Devon Carney’s Giselle, Jonathan Harker in Michael Pink’s Dracula, and Cavalier in Devon Carney’s The Nutcracker. Mr. Abercrombie also has had the opportunity to perform in ballets by choreographers such as; Jiří Kylián, Alexander Ekman, Val Caniparoli, Anabelle Lopez Ochoa, Septime Webre, Twyla Tharp, George Balanchine, and Devon Carney.

ISAAC ALLEN | JOINED KCB IN 2022

Isaac Allen began his ballet training at the age of 8 at Stillpointe Dance Studio in southern Oregon. He spent many of his summers attending intensive training programs across the country including San Francisco Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet and Oregon Ballet Theatre. In 2015, Mr. Allen joined Oregon Ballet Theatre’s pre-professional program. The next year he was accepted into the HARID Conservatory in Florida where he trained for two years under Meelis Pakri before joining Milwaukee Ballet’s Second Company, performing in ballets such as Michael Pink’s Dracula, Val Caniparoli’s Lambarena, Bruce Wells’ A Midsummer Night’s Dream and many more. Mr. Allen spent three years in the second company before being promoted to the main company as an apprentice where he danced for two years. This is his second season with Kansas City Ballet

ALLADSON BARRETO | JOINED KCB IN 2022

Alladson Barreto was born in Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. In 2015, he began his career in classical ballet at the Alberto Maranhão Theater Dance School (EDTAM) in Natal. While on full merit scholarship at The Rock School in Philadelphia between 2018 and 2019, he was instructed by Bo Spassoff, Stephanie Spassoff, Justin Allen, Telmo Moreira, Natalya Ziegler, and Jody Anderson. Mr. Barreto was a Só Dança Ambassador from 2018 to 2020 and was a Finalist for Youth America Grand Prix in 2018. From 2019 to 2022 he was a member of Ballet West II dancing The Nutcracker, Giselle, Chant du Rosignol, Dracula, Romeo and Juliet, Diamonds, Glass Pieces, Raymonda, Don Quixote, Divertimento and Sleeping Beauty. In October 2021 he began working with ballerina Kathryn Morgan, performing lead roles in The Nutcracker

JOSHUA BODDEN | JOINED KCB IN 2014

Joshua Bodden began his ballet training at age 10 at Miami City Ballet School, he also attended The HARID Conservatory and Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre. He also trained at the School of American Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, and North Carolina School of the Arts. Mr. Bodden was a member of Miami City Ballet, Dance Theatre of Harlem’s Ensemble and Cincinnati Ballet. Mr. Bodden has the prestigious honor of being the first African American male to perform the role of a Ballet Boy in Twyla Tharp’s In the Upper Room with Cincinnati Ballet. With Kansas City Ballet, he has been featured in Alice (in wonderland), Giselle, Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker, In The Upper Room, The Wizard Of Oz, The Four Temperaments, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Lady of the Camellias, Dracula and works by Mark Morris, Jiří Kylián, Edwaard Liang, Amy Seiwert, Yuri Possokhov, Adam Hougland, Jennifer Archibald, Stephanie Martinez, Gabrielle Lamb, Haley Kostas, Andi Abernathy and Stephanie Ruch. In 2022 Mr. Bodden was invited to The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C to be a part of the “Reframing The Narrative” project highlighting the contributions of dancers of color to classical ballet

KALEENA BURKS | JOINED KCB IN 2010

Kaleena Burks was raised in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, where she received training from Magda Auñon and Magaly Suarez. In 2005, she was awarded first place in the pre-professional division of the American Ballet Competition and has since been invited to perform in many galas, including the International Ballet Festival of Miami as well as Moving Arts Dance Festival. Ms. Burks has danced with Cincinnati Ballet, Columbia Classical Ballet, and the Cuban Classical Ballet of Miami. With Kansas City Ballet, she has been featured as the title role in Giselle, Odette/Odile in Swan Lake, Juliet in Romeo & Juliet, Marguerite in Lady of the Camellias, Chosen One in Rite of Spring, Sugar Plum in The Nutcracker, Lilac Fairy in Sleeping Beauty, along with principal roles in Diamonds, Dracula, In the Upper Room, Interplay, Serenade, Tulips and Lobster, and The Wizard of Oz.

ANGELIN CARRANT | JOINED KCB IN 2018, +1 YEAR – SECOND COMPANY

Angelin Carrant, originally from Paris, France, began his training at the age of 6. As a child he was chosen to perform in Le Songe de Médée by Angelin Preljocaj with the Paris Opera Ballet. In 2013, Mr. Carrant was offered a full scholarship with the San Francisco Ballet School, under the leadership of Patrick Armand. He trained there for four years where he danced in productions such as Helgi Tomasson‘s The Nutcracker, Christopher Wheeldon‘s Cinderella and John Neumeier‘s Yondering. He joined the Kansas City Ballet Second Company in 2017 and the following year was promoted to the main company. As a dancer with KCB, Mr. Carrant has danced leading roles in William Forsythe’s In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated, Elegy in George Balanchine’s Serenade and Snow King in Devon Carney’s The Nutcracker. He has also danced in many productions such as Septime Webre’s The Wizard of Oz, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s Tulips and Lobster, Michael Pink’s Dracula and Edwaard Liang’s Wunderland among many others.

AMANDA DEVENUTA | JOINED KCB IN 2014

Amanda DeVenuta is from New York. At the age of 13 she trained with Fabrice Herrault in New York City. She made the move to Boston Ballet’s pre-professional program until becoming a trainee in 2012. There, she performed in The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, Symphony In C, Fanfare, and Coppelia. Ms. DeVenuta apprenticed with Minnesota Dance Theatre where she performed in Nutcracker Fantasy and other works. With Kansas City Ballet, she has performed in Cacti, Petite Mort, Rite of Spring, Diving Into The Lilacs, The Three Musketeers, Alice (in wonderland), Giselle, Wunderland, The Four Temperaments, Interplay, Theme and Variations, Diamonds, The Uneven, Play and Romeo & Juliet along with featured roles in Cinderella, Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, The Lottery, The Sleeping Beauty, Peter Pan and as Dorothy in Septime Webre’s world premiere of The Wizard of Oz. In 2017, she was named one of Dance Magazine’s Top 25 Dancers to Watch.

AIDAN DUFFY | JOINED KCB IN 2023

Originally from Philadelphia, Mr. Duffy began his training with the School of Pennsylvania Ballet and the Rock School. He then joined Boston Ballet School’s Professional Division as a Pao Scholarship recipient, before being invited into Boston Ballet’s Graduate Program. His training was supplemented by coaching with Chérie Noble and summers at School of American Ballet, San Francisco Ballet School, Miami City Ballet School, and Ellison Ballet. Mr. Duffy’s repertoire includes George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker, Angel Corella’s Don Quixote, and Ben Stevenson’s Cinderella (Pennsylvania Ballet), Mikko Nissinen’s The Nutcracker and Petipa/Ashton’s Sleeping Beauty (Boston Ballet), and Coppélia Act 3 (Franz), Le Corsaire pas de trois, and various new works (Boston Ballet School), as well as performances alongside the Philadelphia and Cleveland Orchestras.

GEORGIA FULLER | JOINED KCB IN 2020, +3 YEARS – SECOND COMPANY

Georgia Fuller was born in Cincinnati, Ohio and trained at Cincinnati Ballet Academy since the age of 7. Starting at the age of 15, she performed corps de ballet roles in many productions including The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Raymonda, and Coppélia. Ms. Fuller was a 2017 National YoungArts Winner, and performed in Miami and New York City. Ms. Fuller joined Kansas City Ballet’s Second Company in 2017 where she performed in works such as Romeo & Juliet, The Nutcracker, The Wizard of Oz, and Lady of the Camellias She was featured in works by Price Suddarth, Edwaard Liang, and Marika Brussel as an apprentice. Ms. Fuller was promoted to the Kansas City Ballet Company and has performed in Alexander Ekman‘s Cacti and Jiří Kylián‘s Petite Mort. She is also a teacher for the Kansas City Ballet School. In addition, she is currently pursuing a degree in Secondary Education with a focus in English, and is a National Merit Scholar. In her free time, she volunteers for local Kansas City Public School organizations that focus on inner city education.

SIDNEY HAEFS | JOINED KCB IN 2019, +1 YEAR – SECOND COMPANY

Sidney Haefs was born in Los Angeles, California. She began her training at the Santa Clarita Ballet Academy. Participating in Royal Academy of Dance Exams, she holds her Advanced 2 certificate with distinction. Ms. Haefs graduated magna cum laude from University of Utah with a BFA in Ballet and a Minor in Human Development and Family Studies. From there, she was offered a traineeship with Kansas City Ballet where she spent a year before joining the company as an apprentice in 2019. With KCB, she has performed featured roles in Devon Carney‘s The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, and Giselle, and Emerald Ballerina in Septime Webre’s The Wizard of Oz. She has also danced in Val Caniparoli’s Lady of the Camellias, Adam Hougland’s Carmina Burana, George Balanchine’s Serenade, Edward Liang’s Wunderland, Jirí Kylián’s Petite Mort, Mark Morris’ Sandpaper Ballet, and Alexander Ekman’s Cacti.

CHASE HANSON | JOINED KCB IN 2023

Chase Hanson began his dance training at the Connecticut Ballet Center and Greenwich Ballet Academy. In 2019, he received a full scholarship to attend the ABT JKO school, where he trained for 3 years. After competing in the 2022 Prix de Lausanne in his final year at the JKO school, Mr. Hanson joined the San Francisco Ballet Trainee program under the direction of Patrick Armand, where he performed works by Val Caniparoli, Miles Thatcher, Davide Occipinti, and Dana Genshaft. He also performed with the Corps de Ballet in The Nutcracker, Giselle, Romeo and Juliet, and Christopher Wheeldon’s Cinderella. Mr. Hanson is looking forward to his first season with the Kansas City Ballet.

KELSEY IVANA HELLEBUYCK | JOINED KCB IN 2016

Kelsey Ivana Hellebuyck received her ballet training at San Francisco Ballet School, spending 11 years there. At age 16, she joined the Corps of Boston Ballet, performing not only in Boston but also touring the world. Then joined Philadelphia Ballet where she was featured in works by William Forsythe, Jiří Kylián, Alexei Ratmansky, Jerome Robbins & Angel Corella. In 2016 she joined KCB, some of her favorite roles being Dark Angel in George Balanchine‘s Serenade, Yoomi in Helen Pickett‘s Petal, Petite Mort, Brown Couple in Lila York‘s Celts, Arabian and Snow Queen in Devon Carney‘s The Nutcracker. Ms. Hellebuyck has appeared in Pointe Magazine & The Ballerina Project amongst others. Follow her Instagram (@IvanaDance) for a from the wings view into her life.

SOPHIE HOD | JOINED KCB IN 2022, +3 YEARS – SECOND COMPANY

Sophie Hod was born in Great Neck, New York, and began her dance training at Studio Maestro. In 2007, Ms. Hod began training at The School of American Ballet, the official school of the New York City Ballet. In 2013, Ms. Hod began training at Ballet Academy East and in 2017, she went on to dance with Miami City Ballet School. Ms. Hod joined Cincinnati Ballet as a trainee for the 2018-2019 season, where she performed corps de ballet roles in many of the company’s productions. In 2019, Ms. Hod joined Kansas City Ballet’s Second Company. She spent two years as a Trainee, and one year as a KCB II dancer. In 2022, she was promoted to Company Apprentice, and in 2023, she was promoted to a full member of the Main Company. Over the years she has performed in many ballets with the company. As an apprentice, Ms. Hod performed in Alexander Ekman‘s Cacti and Jiří Kylián‘s Petite Mort. She also choreographed her first work for the Main Company during New Moves, and co-choreographed a work on the Second Company the year prior.

WHITNEY HUELL | JOINED KCB IN 2014

Whitney Huell trained at the South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities under the tutelage of Stanislav Issaev and Robert Barnett. She attended Indiana University earning a B.S. in Ballet and Psychology before joining Ballet West. With Ballet West, Ms. Huell performed featured roles in Paquita, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Petite Mort, and Jewels. In January 2011 she was one of Dance Magazine’s Top 25 to Watch and was also featured in Pointe Magazine‘s September 2012 issue. With Kansas City Ballet, she has performed works by Amy Seiwert, Adam Hougland, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Monique Meunier, Stanton Welch, Edwaard Liang, Val Caniparoli, Helen Pickett, Septime Webre, Mark Morris, Jirí Kylián and Jerome Robbins and has been featured as The Lead Woman in The Man in Black, In the Middle Somewhat Elevated as Jeté Woman, Dark Angel in Serenade and Myrtha in Giselle. In 2018 she was featured as the Sugar Plum Fairy in Devon Carney’s The Nutcracker becoming the first African American in KCB history to perform the role.

JOSHUA KIESEL | JOINED KCB IN 2021, +2 YEARS – SECOND COMPANY Greg and Barbara Storm Emerging Dancer

Joshua Kiesel began his professional training in Hanover Park, Illinois at the Faubourg School of Ballet. In 2017 he competed in Youth America Grand Prix and received a full scholarship to train at the Washington School of Ballet. He spent two years there as a student and a trainee before joining Kansas City Ballet as a KCB II dancer in 2019. Mr. Kiesel spent two years in the Second Company before being promoted to apprentice. While an apprentice, Mr. Kiesel performed featured roles such as Green Man in Celts and Center Russian in The Nutcracker. This past June Mr. Kiesel won third prize among senior males at the Helsinki International Ballet Competition in Finland. This season will be Mr. Kiesel’s third with the company.

| KCBALLET.ORG

GABRIEL LORENA | JOINED KCB IN 2022

Born in São Paulo, Brazil, dancer, choreographer and photographer Gabriel Lorena started his ballet training at the Municipal Theater of São Paulo at age 13. In 2016, he received a full scholarship to train as a pre-professional student at Miami City Ballet School under the direction of Arantxa Ochoa. In 2019, he joined Sarasota Ballet as an apprentice and in 2020 he joined Boston Ballet II. Mr. Lorena has created works for Kansas City Ballet’s New Moves, Boston Ballet II, Moving Arts featuring dancers from Cincinnati Ballet and Kansas City Ballet, BostonBallet@yourhome: The Gift, Miami City Ballet School, Boston Ballet School and for companies in Brazil. Mr. Lorena’s repertoire includes Alexander Ekman’s  Cacti, Jiří Kylián’s  Petite Mort, Jorma Elo’s  Ruth’s Dance, Andonis Foniadakis’s  Someone Else, Mikko Nissinen’s  Swan Lake, Lia Cirio’s  Lenore, Sir Frederick Ashton’s  Les Rendezvous, George Balanchine’s  A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Theme and Variations, and Western Symphony, and Paul Taylor’s  Brandenburgs.

AMELIA MEISSNER | JOINED KCB IN 2023

Amelia Meissner was born in San Antonio, Texas, and began her ballet training with the Ballet Conservatory of South Texas. She attended multiple summer intensives at Houston Ballet Academy and was invited to join the professional training division in 2017 at 15. She progressed through the academy levels and joined Houston Ballet II in 2020 under the direction of Claudio Muñoz. During her time in the second company, Ms. Meissner performed in featured roles with the academy, including Kitri in excerpts of Ben Stevenson’s Don Quixote and Raymonda in Claudio Muñoz’s Raymonda and Corps de Ballet roles with the company. Ms. Meissner was promoted to apprentice with Houston Ballet in 2022 and performed corps roles in Stanton Welch’s The Nutcracker and Romeo and Juliet, Trey Mcntyre’s Peter Pan, and more. In 2022, she traveled with the company to Tokyo to tour Stanton Welch’s Swan Lake. When she is not dancing, Ms. Meissner is an avid reader, enjoys travel, the outdoors, and following the PGA Tour. She is pursuing her bachelor’s degree.

EMILY MISTRETTA | JOINED KCB IN 2016 • Sally & Thomas J. Wood Senior Dancer

Emily Mistretta began her training at Inland Pacific Ballet Academy in Montclair, California. In 2005, Emily attended Boston Ballet’s Summer Dance Program, where she was asked to join the Boston Ballet School and received a tuition scholarship with generous funding from Jack Rugheimer. In 2006, Ms. Mistretta joined Boston Ballet II, and she was promoted to Corps de Ballet in 2008. Ms. Mistretta was featured in several works throughout her career with Boston Ballet, including various works by George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins, Florence Clerc’s La Bayadère, Michel Fokine’s Les Sylphides, The Sleeping Beauty, Jirí Kylián’s Bella Figura, Wings of Wax, Tar and Feathers and Symphony of Psalms and Alexander Ekman’s Cacti

TARYN PACHCIARZ | JOINED KCB IN 2012

Taryn Pachciarz was born in Kansas City, Missouri and received a majority of her training on full scholarship at the Kansas City Ballet School and the School of American Ballet. Ms. Pachciarz was given a Corps de Ballet contract with the New York City Ballet and performed numerous Balanchine and Robbins ballets. Ms. Pachciarz is in her 12th season with the company and has been featured in The Nutcracker, The Four Temperaments, Jiří Kylián’s Petite Mort, Twyla Tharp’s In the Upper Room, Wendy in Peter Pan, Titania in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Sylvie Pas from William Forsythe’s In The Middle, Somewhat Elevated, and as the Lead Woman in James Kudelka’s The Man in Black, Myrtha in Giselle, Russian Girl in Serenade and the Principal Girl in Balanchine’s Theme and Variations and Diamonds.

AMAYA RODRIGUEZ | JOINED KCB IN 2016 • John Hunkeler Senior Dancer

Amaya Rodriguez began her ballet training in Cuba in 1997 under the direction of Laura Alonso. In 2003, she entered the National School of Ballet of Cuba and graduated in 2006. She immediately joined the National Ballet of Cuba under the artistic direction of Alicia Alonso. In 2013, she was promoted to principal dancer. Ms. Rodriguez has performed in Europe, the Americas, Egypt, and Australia. In 2012, she toured throughout Spain, and in 2014, she was a guest artist at the International Gala of Augsburg, Germany. In 2015 she joined the Ballet of Monterrey. She has performed leading roles in Giselle, Swan Lake, Nutcracker, Don Quixote, Sleeping Beauty, Coppelia, Cinderella, Le Corsaire, and in many contemporary works.

NAOMI TANIOKA | JOINED KCB IN 2019

Naomi Tanioka, originally from Sapporo, Japan, started her training with Chida Toshiko Ballet Studio. Ms. Tanioka was accepted to the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School in Canada, where she concluded her 6 years of professional ballet training, and one year of the Aspirant Program. In 2014, Ms. Tanioka joined Ballet Arizona, where she performed many Balanchine and Bournonville ballets. She then joined Cincinnati Ballet in 2016, where she was pushed out of her box with a variety of repertoire performed there. Since joining Kansas City Ballet in 2019, she has been featured as Cinderella in Devon Carney’s Cinderella, Lucy in Michael Pink’s Dracula, Sugar Plum and Snow Queen in The Nutcracker, and performed works by Adam Hougland, Alexander Ekman, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Edwaard Liang, George Balanchine, Helen Pickett, Jiří Kylián, Lila York, Mark Morris, and Septime Webre.

CAMERON THOMAS | JOINED KCB IN 2017, +1 YEAR – SECOND COMPANY

Cameron Thomas began his dance training in his hometown of Rochester, NY. In 2013, he began performing regularly with the Rochester City Ballet. In 2015, Mr. Thomas received a full scholarship to attend the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at American Ballet Theatre. He then joined Kansas City Ballet II for the 2016-2017 season and was promoted to the company the following season. Now in his sixth season with Kansas City Ballet, Mr. Thomas has performed featured roles in William Forsythe’s In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated, Septime Webre’s The Wizard of Oz, Val Caniparoli’s Lady of the Camellias, and Devon Carney’s The Nutcracker and Swan Lake.

ANDREW VECSERI | JOINED KCB IN 2022

Andrew Vecseri was born and raised in Houston, Texas. He began his training in 2010 at Houston Repertoire Ballet under the direction of Victoria Vittum before he joined the Houston Ballet Academy in 2013. In 2015 he was promoted to Houston Ballet’s second company in which he performed ballets such as Yondering, A Garden of Mirth, Flower Festival, and as Prince Desire in Sleeping Beauty. In 2017 he was chosen to compete in the Prix De Lausanne, where he was offered a company contract with the Houston Ballet. While there, he was promoted to Demi Soloist and performed roles in La Bayadere, Swan Lake, Marie, Sleeping Beauty, and Stanton Welch’s The Nutcracker before joining Kansas City Ballet in 2022.

MARISA DEETTE WHITEMAN | JOINED KCB IN 2018, +4 YEARS - SECOND COMPANY

Originally from St. James, New York, Marisa DeEtte Whiteman began classical training at Seiskaya Ballet, until joining Next Generation Ballet in 2010, and Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre Pre-Professional Program in 2012. Ms. Whiteman spent a year training privately before joining Kansas City Ballet in 2014. She has moved through the ranks of Trainee, KCB II, and Apprentice, to Main Company. Some of her favorite roles have included Twyla Tharp’s In the Upper Room, George Balanchine’s Diamonds, William Forsythe’s In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated, and Alexander Ekman’s Cacti. She has spent summers performing at the Hermitage Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia, and was featured in the Gala Performance at Jacob’s Pillow. She is thrilled to be celebrating her 10th season with KCB.

KEVIN WILSON | JOINED KCB IN 2016

Kevin Wilson studied at The HARID Conservatory where he was awarded the dance achievement award for two consecutive years. Upon graduating he joined the Colorado Ballet where he had the opportunity to dance a number of roles. Some of Mr. Wilson’s favorites include Quincy in Dracula, Puss in Boots in Sleeping Beauty and Glen Tetley’s Rite of Spring.

PAUL ZUSI | JOINED KCB IN 2021

Paul Zusi began his training at Southold Dance Theater at the age of 6, inspired by his mother’s lifelong love of dance. Mr. Zusi attended summer programs at The School of American Ballet in 2018 and Boston Ballet School in 2019. Following the summer of 2019, he joined Boston Ballet as a member of their second company, working closely with renowned choreographers and teachers such as Jorma Elo, Peter Stark, Kathleen Mitchell, Larissa Ponomarenko, and Mikko Nissinen. Mr. Zusi’s professional repertoire includes Jorma Elo’s Carmen, Jerome Robbins’ Glass Pieces, Mikko Nissinen’s The Nutcracker, and other classics including Giselle, Swan Lake, Serenade, The Little Humpbacked Horse, and Don Quixote. Mr. Zusi would like to thank his family and friends for their continued love and support.

AMIRA HOGAN | APPRENTICE, JOINED KCB IN 2023

Texas native Amira Hogan began her dance journey at age 6 at the YMCA and fell in love with ballet. She continued her training at Robert Underwood’s School for dance, TKB Center for Ballet & Dance and graduated from Vitacca Vocational School for Dance in 2023 Ms. Hogan is a Youth America Grand Prix Hope Award recipient, a three-time YAGP Finalist, two-time YAGP Final Round participant, YAGP Champion and YAGP Nervi Intensive Festival participant. Ms. Hogan was also selected as an ADC/IBC Finalist and advanced to the final round twice. She received the World Ballet Competition’s Promise Award and was awarded Emerging Artist. She has received numerous scholarships and offers worldwide. Ms. Hogan is excited and honored for her newest chapter as a company member of Kansas City Ballet.

OLIVIA JACOBUS | APPRENTICE, JOINED KCB IN 2022

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Olivia Jacobus discovered her love for ballet at age 9. She trained with Romy and Zippora Karz of New York City Ballet, and continues to work with them today, professionally. At age 15, Ms. Jacobus was accepted into Colburn Dance Academy’s pre-professional program where she performed works from George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins, including Valse Fantasie, The Four Temperaments, Sleeping Beauty, Who Cares?, and Antique Epigraphs. In 2020, she joined Pacific Northwest Ballet’s Professional Division where she performed Swan Lake, Beauty and the Beast, Divertimento No. 15, and George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker. Some of her favorite moments from the 22/23 season were the classical challenges of Devon Carney’s Giselle, the creative process that came with dancing a brand new production of Cinderella, and learning iconic works like Cacti, Petite Mort, and Sandpaper Ballet. Ms. Jacobus is working towards a degree in business, and in her spare time, enjoys reading, baking, photography, video editing, and creating ballet-themed social media content that resonates.

BROCK MAYE | APPRENTICE, JOINED KCB IN 2022

Brock Maye began his ballet training under the direction of Stanislav Issaev at the Kirov Academy of Ballet in Washington, D.C. and CityDance School and Conservatory in Maryland. He then received a full scholarship to attend the HARID Conservatory in Boca Raton, Florida, under the direction of Meelis Pakri. In 2019 he was accepted into John Cranko-Schule in Stuttgart, Germany where he graduated from Akademie A in 2021. He danced with Boston Ballet II for the 2021-2022 season. There he performed in Mikko Nissinen’s Nutcracker and Swan Lake, George Balanchine’s Allegro Brilliante, and Pas de Six from Giselle

ELLIOTT ROGERS | APPRENTICE, JOINED KCB IN 2023

Elliott Rogers is a native Chicagoan and began dancing at the age of 2. He trained with Ruth Page where he received many opportunities such as participating in an exchange program with the Cuban National Ballet School and a partner Spanish school. At 14, he moved to Houston and began training with the Houston Ballet Academy’s Professional Division for 4 years. After his time in the Professional Division, he joined Houston Ballet II for 2 years. He widely expanded his repertoire and in 2023 he was selected to represent HB II in “Assemblé International”, a program where 37 schools from all over the world come together to perform hosted by the National Ballet School of Canada. Completing his training with the HBA, he joins the Kansas City Ballet as an apprentice as his first step as a professional dancer.

Kansas City Ballet Company Apprentices are supported in part by the Estelle S. and Robert A. Long Ellis Foundation.

JOINED

JOINED

TRAINEES

Sage Guillot

Gordon Camplejohn

Dylan Wills

Elena Victoria

Reagan Pender

Maya Sprague

Jake Lapham

Mei McArtor

Natalie Boese

Aaron Williamson

Emma Blake

Laila Madison

Ava Bernardo

Hannah Waldon

Olivia Pearsall

Aysia Bates

KCB’s Second Company includes KCB II and the Trainee Program, both products of KCB School. These programs are for emerging professionals to give extraordinarily talented young dancers a professional company experience as prelude to their joining a professional company. The Second Company performs throughout the region at public performances, lecture demonstrations, residencies and workshops, enabling the community to experience live dance in a public setting. Those interested in learning more and/or booking them for a performance, email KCBII@kcballet.org.

IAN ANDERSON-CONLON

KCB II IN 2022

All photography by Tom Styrkowicz/53TOM LLC

LAURYN BROWN

JOINED KCB II IN 2022

MALERIE MOORE

JOINED KCB II IN 2022

TRINITY SANTORO JOINED KCB II IN 2022

GILLIAN YODER JOINED KCB II IN 2022

MCKIBBEN NEEDHAM JOINED KCB II IN 2023

TROY MONGER-LEVIN

KCB II IN 2023

JEKYLL & HYDE

Ballet in two acts based on the novella The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson

“He went down to the cellar to fetch a bottle of his favorite burgundy, uncorked it in the kitchen, and suddenly cried out to his wife: What’s the matter with me, what is this strangeness, has my face changed? —and fell on the floor. A blood vessel had burst in his brain and it was all over in a couple of hours.”

Vladimir Nabakov on the death of Robert Louis Stevenson, Author of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Choreography by VAL CANIPAROLI

Music by KRZYSZTOF PENDERECKI, FRÉDÉRIC CHOPIN, HENRYK GÓRECKI, WOJCIECH KILAR AND HENRYK WIENIAWSKI

Conducted by RAMONA PANSEGRAU

Sets and Costumes by DAVID ISRAEL REYNOSO

Lighting Design by JIM FRENCH

Artistic consultant and dramaturge CAREY PERLOFF

Music compilation, editing and arrangment by RAMONA PANSEGRAU

Sound Design by ERNO HULKKONEN

Choreographer’s assistant and Stager MAIQUI MAÑOSA

Additional staging by OĞULCAN BOROVA

Kansas City Ballet Repetiteurs KRISTI CAPPS, PARRISH MAYNARD & CHRISTOPHER RUUD

Children’s Rehearsal Director KIMBERLY COWEN

Music performed by KANSAS CITY SYMPHONY

The set design utilizes the illustration Brain Sick by Robert Carter. Val Caniparoli prepared the choreography in workshops with Kansas City Ballet.

Henryk Górecki: Quasi una fantasia Op. 78, Symphony No. 4 Op. 85, Kleines Requiem fur eine Polka By arrangement with Boosey & Hawkes, Inc., publisher and copyright owner.

Krzysztof Penderecki SYMPHONY NO. 1, I. Arche, SYMPHONY NO. 3, Movements II, IV, V, SERENADE FOR STRINGS, II. Passacaglia, CHACONNE, SINFONIETTA PER ARCHE, II. Vivace

Used by arrangement with European American Music Distributors Company, sole U.S. and Canadian agent for Schott Music GmbH & Co. KG, Mainz, Germany, publisher and copyright owner

Wojciech Kilar ORAWA, TREDOWATA WALTZ

Used by arrangement with European American Music Distributors Company, U.S. and Canadian agent for Polskie Wydawnictwo Muzyczne, Warsaw, Poland, publisher and copyright owner

International Shipping Logistics and Sponsorship Generously Provided by Orient Overseas Container Line Shipping Coordinator – Michael Andrew Curry

Jekyll & Hyde is a production by the Finnish National Opera and Ballet, Helsinki. World Premiere at the Finnish National Opera and Ballet on November 6th, 2020 North American Premiere: Kansas City Ballet, October 13, 2023, Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts

For the most up-to-date casting, please scan the QR code above.

OCTOBER 13, 15, 20 & 21e

20-minute intermission between Act I & II

Robert Louis Stevenson

Dr. Henry Jekyll

Mr. Edward Hyde

Nellie Carew, Dr. Jekyll’s Fiancée

Sir Danvers Carew

Mrs. Danvers Carew

Rowena, A Prostitute

Dr. Hastie Lanyon, Dr. Jekyll’s Colleague

Mrs. Lanyon

Mr. Gabriel John Utterson, A Lawyer

Mrs. Utterson

Mr. Richard Enfield, Dr. Jekyll’s Friend

Mr. Enfield’s Fiancée

Mr. Poole, Dr. Jekyll’s Butler

Dr. Jekyll’s Maid

Head Nurse

Mental Asylum Patients Asylum Orderlies

Wealthy Benefactors

Inspector Newcomen

Deacon Brodie, Tavern Owner

The Madame Tavern Prostitutes

Angelin Carrant

Gavin Abercrombie

Cameron Thomas

Emily Mistretta

Christopher Ruud

Kelsey Ivana Hellebuyck

Amanda DeVenuta

Joshua Bodden

Whitney Huell

Gabriel Lorena

Kaleena Burks

Chase Hanson

Taryn Pachciarz

Parrish Maynard

Naomi Tanioka

Kristi Capps (Oct. 14, 15, 21m & 22)

Lauren Fadeley Veyette (Oct. 13, 19, 20 & 21e)

Ian Anderson-Conlon, Aysia Bates, Lauryn Brown, Gordon Camplejohn, Jake Lapham, Brock Maye, Troy Monger-Levin, Malerie Moore, McKibben Needham, Reagan Pender, Trinity Santoro, Hannah Waldon, Aaron Williamson, Gillian Yoder

Alladson Barreto, Andrew Vecseri

Olivia Jacobus, Amelia Meissner, Marisa DeEtte Whiteman, Aidan Duffy, Elliott Rogers

Jake Lapham

Isaac Allen

Amaya Rodriguez

Georgia Fuller, Sidney Haefs, Amira Hogan, Amelia Meissner, Malerie Moore, Trinity Santoro, Marisa DeEtte Whiteman, Ian Anderson-Conlon, Alladson Barreto, Troy Monger-Levin, Paul Zusi

Alison Cunningham, Robert Louis Stevenson’s Nurse Ballroom Guests

Naomi Tanioka

Georgia Fuller, Sidney Haefs, Amira Hogan, Olivia Jacobus, Amelia Meissner, Malerie Moore, Trinity Santoro, Gillian Yoder, Isaac Allen, Ian Anderson-Conlon, Alladson Barreto, Gordon Camplejohn, Aidan Duffy, Brock Maye, Troy Monger-Levin, Elliott Rogers

Beggar Child

Scarlett Spaulding with Meila Ashman, Hannah Carr, Eden Dessert, Mary Eppler, Evangeline Juraschek, MacKenzie Mejia, Avery Messner, Ellie Sturgeon, Emerson Williams

Beggar Child’s Mother Servants

Sophie Hod

McKibben Needham, Aaron Williamson

OCTOBER 14, 19, 21m & 22

20-minute intermission between Act I & II

Robert Louis Stevenson

Dr. Henry Jekyll

Mr. Edward Hyde

Nellie Carew, Dr. Jekyll’s Fiancée

Sir Danvers Carew

Mrs. Danvers Carew

Rowena, A Prostitute

Dr. Hastie Lanyon, Dr. Jekyll’s Colleague

Mrs. Lanyon

Mr. Gabriel John Utterson, A Lawyer

Mrs. Utterson

Mr. Richard Enfield, Dr. Jekyll’s Friend

Mr. Enfield’s Fiancée

Mr. Poole, Dr. Jekyll’s Butler

Dr. Jekyll’s Maid Head Nurse

Mental Asylum Patients Asylum Orderlies

Wealthy Benefactors

Inspector Newcomen

Deacon Brodie, Tavern Owner The Madame

Tavern Prostitutes

Kevin Wilson

Paul Zusi

Andrew Vecseri

Naomi Tanioka

Christopher Ruud

Georgia Fuller

Amaya Rodriguez

Joshua Bodden

Sidney Haefs

Elliott Rogers

Marisa DeEtte Whiteman

Aidan Duffy

Amira Hogan

Parrish Maynard

Amelia Meissner

Kristi Capps (Oct. 14, 15, 21m & 22)

Lauren Fadeley Veyette (Oct. 13, 19, 20 & 21e)

Ian Anderson-Conlon, Ava Bernardo, Emma Blake, Natalie Boese, Gordon Camplejohn, Sage Guillot, Jake Lapham, Mei McArtor, Troy Monger-Levin, McKibben Needham, Olivia Pearsall, Maya Sprague, Aaron Williamson, Dylan Wills

Gabriel Lorena, Brock Maye

Laila Madison, Trinity Santoro, Elena Victoria, Isaac Allen, Chase Hanson

Jake Lapham

Alladson Barreto

Kaleena Burks

Amanda DeVenuta, Kelsey Ivana Hellebuyck, Whitney Huell, Olivia Jacobus, Malerie Moore, Taryn Pachciarz, Trinity Santoro, Ian Anderson-Conlon, Chase Hanson, Gabriel Lorena, Troy Monger-Levin

Alison Cunningham, Robert Louis Stevenson’s Nurse

Ballroom Guests Beggar Child

Amelia Meissner

Aysia Bates, Lauryn Brown, Olivia Jacobus, Mei McArtor, Olivia Pearsall, Trinity Santoro, Elena Victoria, Gillian Yoder, Isaac Allen, Ian Anderson-Conlon, Angelin Carrant, Chase Hanson, Gabriel Lorena, Brock Maye, Troy Monger-Levin, McKibben Needham

Kinley Buxton with Aliyah Becerra, Delila Gardner, Kitty King, Beatrice Patterson, Clara Pierzchalski, Greta Pilgreen, Annabelle Pontier, Anna Sawafuji, Amelia Stallbaumer

Beggar Child’s Mother Servants

Sophie Hod

Gordon Camplejohn, Aaron Williamson

ACT I

Prologue: Stevenson’s Dream

Robert Louis Stevenson is lying in bed, ill and feverish, wrestling with a painful lung condition. He tries to write but is unable to concentrate. His nurse, Alison Cunningham, administers his nightly injection of opium to relieve the pain. As the drug begins to take effect, a sense of euphoria comes over Stevenson. An image begins to evolve in his mind of a respectable and upright man wrestling with his own dark impulses: this is Dr. Jekyll. As he emerges in Stevenson’s imagination, Dr. Jekyll arrives at his laboratory, where he begins working on dangerous experiments, seeking to explore the dual personality inside every human being. As the opium takes effect, Stevenson slumps into sleep; but in his nightmares, the story of Dr. Jekyll continues to grow.

Scene 1: The Insane Asylum

The stage is filled with beds and mental patients, dominated by an intimidating Head Nurse. Dr. Jekyll and his colleague Dr. Lanyon enter the room arguing about Dr. Jekyll’s latest experiments into human personality, which Dr. Lanyon describes as “scientific balderdash.” Some wealthy benefactors have been invited to watch Jekyll perform his experiments in an effort to generate funds to further his work, but his efforts are a failure.

Scene 2: Dr. Jekyll’s Laboratory

Jekyll makes a decision to experiment upon himself. He creates and then ingests a dangerous potion designed to bring out what is hidden in his innermost consciousness. At the same time Stevenson takes more opium, we catch a glimpse of Mr. Hyde, the embodiment of evil that is within Dr. Jekyll, waiting to emerge. For a moment both Jekyll and Stevenson sense Hyde’s presence. In the midst of that discovery, Stevenson forces Jekyll to dress and leave for Sir Danvers Carew’s dinner party.

Scene 3: The Street

Dr. Jekyll rushes through the rain-soaked night landscape of London, past street lamps and through the fog, towards Dr. Carew’s house. He can’t escape the feeling of Mr. Hyde within him.

Scene 4: Sir Danvers Carew’s Estate

We find ourselves at the home of Sir Danvers Carew filled with guests. Dr. Jekyll is greeted by Sir Danvers, Mrs. Carew and his fiancée, their daughter Nellie. Jekyll and Nellie begin an intimate conversation, but he is distracted, his mind still on his dangerous experiment. Nellie gives Jekyll the gift of an ornate cane. Carew invites his male guests to escape with him to Deacon Brodie’s Tavern for the rest of the evening; Dr. Jekyll follows them out.

Scene 5: Deacon Brodie’s Tavern

The men arrive at a bustling tavern, full of prostitutes, drugs and danger, but also characterized by sexual appetite and high spirits. Dr. Jekyll is brought down the stairs and into the pulsating space by Carew along with Dr. Lanyon, Mr. Utterson and Mr. Enfield. Deacon Brodie escorts

in a young prostitute named Rowena, the “new girl”. When Deacon Brodie behaves badly towards her, Dr. Jekyll tries to intervene to protect her and she becomes smitten by him. But as his libido rises, Dr. Jekyll becomes aggressive towards Rowena. Realizing that the drug has been successful and that his “other self” is emerging, he grabs his coat and cane and attempts to flee. Rowena follows him from a distance, worried about what is happening to him.

Scene 6: The Street and Dr. Jekyll’s Hallucination

As Dr. Jekyll moves towards his house, Rowena trails behind him in the darkness. She sees Dr. Jekyll enter through the red door, where Stevenson is waiting on the other side, ready to unleash the evil of Mr. Hyde within Dr. Jekyll. Mr. Hyde emerges before our eyes, triumphant and fully formed.

ACT II

Scenes 1 & 2: The Ballroom/The Street

In the midst of a brilliantly lit ballroom full of fashionable people, Mr. Hyde arrives and makes a grand entrance from the top of the staircase. The party guests greet Hyde, but everyone is mystified: who is this strange man who seems so familiar? Hyde flirts with Nellie and tries to seduce her. But at the height of the party, he starts to begin to feel “odd”, as if the drug is wearing off. Realizing that he needs to escape before he is “discovered”, Mr. Hyde grabs his coat and cane and dashes up the steps and out into the street. In his panic, he collides with a child, whom he proceeds to beat with his cane, before disappearing into the night.

Scene 3: Mr. Hyde’s Hallucination

Mr. Hyde returns home, where Stevenson continues to activate the struggle between good and evil inside Mr. Hyde. Another hallucination begins, and Hyde fights to stay in the world of danger and violence that he has come to inhabit with such relish.

Scene 4: Dr. Jekyll’s Bedroom

Slowly the hallucination fades, and Mr. Hyde is transformed back into Dr. Jekyll. In his withdrawal, the apparition of Nellie Carew haunts him. Time passes. Dr. Jekyll is unable to return to his old self; he is alone, a ruined man.

Scene 5: Dr. Jekyll’s Laboratory

Dr. Jekyll, unkempt and disheveled, writes a letter with instructions that from now on, a man named Mr. Hyde should be allowed to freely enter his home. He shows it to his butler, Mr. Poole. Dr. Lanyon, Mr. Utterson, Mr. Enfield, and Sir Danvers Carew force their way into the room to see what is happening to their reclusive friend, urging Jekyll to come with them to Deacon Brodie’s Tavern. Dr. Lanyon stays behind for a moment to seek more information from Dr. Jekyll; Jekyll reluctantly agrees to ingest the dangerous potion in front of Lanyon. Guided by Stevenson, the transformation begins. Lanyon is horrified to witness his friend turning into something so violent and unfamiliar. By the time Hyde fully emerges, Dr. Lanyon is slumped dead on the chair.

Scenes 6 & 7: Deacon Brodie’s Tavern/The Street

Hyde arrives and takes over the tavern. He pays the Madame, engages in a sexually aggressive way towards Rowena, and bullies the crowd, enjoying their fear. He then gives the Madame his card and asks her to send Rowena to him later that evening. Rowena is frightened but has no choice. Hyde stalks Sir Danvers Carew and hands him a calling card. He then heads for the door, knowing that Carew will follow him into the street. Once they are outside and alone, Hyde wreaks his violence on the unsuspecting Carew, bloodying his cane in the process.

Scene 8: Dr. Jekyll’s Bedroom

Arriving back at his house, Mr. Hyde places the cane beside his bed. He waits behind the red door for Rowena, who arrives escorted by the Madame. As she approaches, Rowena recognizes the red door of Mr. Jekyll’s home, but when the door opens, it’s Mr. Hyde. Hyde pays the Madame and slams the door in her face, trapping Rowena inside. When Rowena sees the bloody cane, she immediately intuits her fate. A violent tussle ensues. As the Maid pounds on the door, Mr. Hyde strangles Rowena with her own scarf.

NOTEWORTHY

RAMONA PANSEGRAU MUSIC DIRECTOR/CONDUCTOR

When Val Caniparoli asked me to collaborate with him on a score for his ballet based on the story of Jekyll and Hyde, I had no idea that the journey would lead to an international hit that would premiere in Finland, and then come to Kansas City Ballet for the American premiere. It has been an incredible seven-year adventure. Val was initially attracted to the music of Penderecki for the transformation of Jekyll into Hyde, and that initial attraction led to the exploration of not only Penderecki, but of Polish composers in general. We found works of Górecki with a similar “sound” that would work for specific scenes as well as linking pieces for transitions. For large scenes, the music of Wojciech Kilar is used – opening both acts. The Asylum scene in Act I is Kilar’s Orawa – a work I had wanted someone to choreograph for years, and I was delighted that Val loved it as much as me. That led to a further exploration of Kilar’s film music – and the opening waltz in Act II. For Dr. Jekyll, we explored the genteel music of Wieniawski and the more classical works of Penderecki, as well as opening and closing the ballet with Chopin. For Mr. Hyde, we use the more percussive, harmonically challenging pieces of music, coupled with a curated soundscape to demonstrate his sinister character. We are performing the work as it premiered

Scene 9: Dr. Jekyll’s Laboratory

Hyde carries Rowena’s body offstage as the laboratory reappears. Nellie forces her way into the room and is shocked to see Mr. Hyde rather than Dr. Jekyll. Sensing danger, Nellie tries to run away, but Hyde stops her. We watch Hyde, Nellie and Dr. Jekyll locked in an intense struggle; just as Hyde is about to murder Nellie, Dr. Jekyll is able to take control for a moment and Nellie escapes.

Scene 10: The Confrontation

Left alone together, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde face off in a final battle for control. Ultimately, we realize that Mr. Hyde has completely taken over Dr. Jekyll’s inner “goodness”. Stevenson appears, his mind flooded with opioids as he imagines the climax of his story, in which Dr. Jekyll is pushed back into the abyss, leaving Hyde behind.

Scene 11: Epilogue

We find ourselves back in the asylum, where Mr. Hyde takes his place with the insane. Stevenson is in the final throes of his creation. In the last moments, a hemorrhage takes Stevenson’s life, and he sinks back onto the bed. Both he and his creation have finished their terrifying journey.

in Finland – with the more fantastical musical sections and soundscapes recorded. It is an intentional choice to further the difference in the psychological aspects of the characters. There is a repeated bass note motive in all of the selected works that lead to the cohesiveness of the entire score. The repeated bass lines, along with the Polish rhythmic traditions, lend themselves to dance. We used waltzes from the 21st century, mazurkas from the 19th century, and ancient dance forms such as the chaconne – but written in the 20th century. It took four years of listening, editing, adding, and deleting pieces to create the perfect musical support for the story. After the initial premiere in Finland in 2020, Val continued to refine the choreography and revisit the music to make the storytelling even more consistent. With the largest string section we have ever had in the orchestra pit, I am delighted to have the Kansas City Symphony with us once again. Special thanks to our violin soloists Stirling Trent and Tamamo Someya Gibbs in the Wieniawski Caprices, and pianist Jordan Voth performing Chopin Prelude no. 15. It has truly been an honor to work with Val Caniparoli on this epic story, and to conduct the American premiere with my home company, Kansas City Ballet.

The position of music director is generously supported by a gift from Bill and Ginny Shackelford.

In 2016, choreographer Val Caniparoli sought out Ramona Pansegrau, Kansas City Ballet’s Music Director and Conductor, to assist in building the musical score for his new project, Jekyll & Hyde. Val and Ramona had known each other for years, and the answer was an immediate “yes!”. “We understand music on the same wavelength,” stated Pansegrau.

A musician as well as a choreographer, Val had already explored the music of Krzysztof Penderecki for Jekyll’s hallucination in the plot line, so that became the starting point for the musical exploration. “Val is incredibly musical,” stated Ramona, “and working with a choreographer that reads score and understands tonal relationships is a true joy. He also brings out specific musical lines with his choreography, which makes me hear the music differently.” After working for over five years to carefully choose, arrange, and edit the musical selections, the ballet premiered in Finland in 2020. The final score contains only the work of Polish composers – Krzysztof Penderecki, Henryk Górecki, Wojciech Kilar, Henryk Wieniawski, and Frédéric Chopin. Miss Pansegrau stated that the works chosen from all five composers all

VAL CANIPAROLI CHOREOGRAPHER

Val Caniparoli’s versatility has made him one of the most sought-after American choreographers internationally. He is most closely associated with San Francisco Ballet, his artistic home for over 50 years. He first worked under the artistic directorship of Lew Christensen, and in the early 1980s, was appointed resident choreographer. He was appointed as a Ballet Master and Principal Character Dancer under Helgi Tomasson’s Artistic Directorship and continued to create such internationally performed works such as Lambarena, Ibsen’s House, Connotations, Aria, Double Stop, Hamlet & Ophelia and Pulcinella and is currently working with the company under the new Artistic Director leadership of Tamara Rojo. Caniparoli has contributed to the repertoires of more than 60 companies, including Joffrey Ballet, Finnish National Ballet, Royal New Zealand Ballet, Scottish Ballet, National Ballet of Canada, Kansas City Ballet, Boston Ballet, Hong Kong Ballet, Milwaukee Ballet, Alberta Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Northern Ballet Theatre, Pennsylvania Ballet, Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Ballet West (resident choreographer 1993-97), Washington Ballet, Israel Ballet, Richmond Ballet, Louisville Ballet, Cincinnati Ballet, Singapore Ballet, Atlanta Ballet, State Theatre Ballet of South Africa, Alberta Ballet, and Tulsa Ballet (resident choreographer 2001-06). He has also choreographed for the Chicago Lyric Opera, San Francisco Opera, and The Metropolitan Opera and several occasions with the San Francisco Symphony. Choreography for the esteemed American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.), include A Christmas Carol, A Doll’s House, A Little Night Music, Arcadia, and the creation, with Carey Perloff, of a new movementtheater piece, Tosca Cafe. One of his most popular ballets, Lambarena, was nominated for the Prix Benois de la Danse in 1997 for Best Choreography and was also featured on

have a very distinctive repeated note bass line, which helps tie the works together into a cohesive score. Mr. Caniparoli also likes to use larger works to span over several scenes, instead of separate pieces of music for each scene. This creates a musical flow, omitting the choppy feeling of using several smaller pieces.

Kansas City Ballet’s involvement with the creation of Jekyll & Hyde went beyond the musical realm. Caniparoli was able to use Kansas City Ballet dancers to “workshop” movement ideas and choreographic phrases on two different occasions over the course of the creation. Those sections of movement were then used on Finnish dancers to complete the choreography for the premiere in 2020 with Finnish National Ballet. Val returned to Kansas City Ballet to further refine some of the sections and try new ideas, so the roots of the ballet are deep within Kansas City.

“I’m very proud of how the score sounds,” said Pansegrau. “It really works to serve the choreography and tell the story.”

MEET THE ARTISTS

Sesame Street with dancers Lorena Feijoo and Lorna Feijoo. In 2015, Caniparoli co-choreographed, with Helgi Tomasson, a commercial for the 50th Anniversary Super Bowl with dancers from San Francisco Ballet. Caniparoli’s full eveninglength ballets include Lady of the Camellias, five different productions of The Nutcracker for Royal New Zealand Ballet, Louisville Ballet, Grand Rapids Ballet, Cincinnati Ballet, and Tulsa Ballet (co-created with Ma Cong), Jekyll & Hyde for Finnish National Ballet and A Cinderella Story choreographed to music of Richard Rodgers for Royal Winnipeg Ballet. Born in Renton, Washington, Caniparoli opted for a professional dance career after studying music and theatre at Washington State University. He received a Ford Foundation Scholarship to attend San Francisco Ballet School. He performed with San Francisco Opera Ballet before joining San Francisco Ballet in 1973, where he continues to perform as a Principal Character Dancer.

DAVID ISRAEL REYNOSO SET AND COSTUME DESIGNER

Internationally renowned, scenic, costume, and exhibit designer; Obie Award–winning costume designer of Sleep No More (Boston, New York and Shanghai) and The Burnt City (London); His celebrated theatrical designs have been featured at The Finnish National Ballet, La Jolla Playhouse, The Old Globe, American Repertory Theater, American Conservatory Theater, Portland Center Stage, Arena Stage, Berkeley Rep, Seattle Rep, The Roundabout, Signature Theatre, among many others. He is the Founder of OPTIKA MODERNA and Creator of La Lucha, Teatro Piñata, Portaleza, Las Quinceañeras, and Waking La Llorona; Other work includes designs for Meow Wolf, Museum of Us, and New Children’s Museum. davidreynoso.com.

MEET THE ARTISTS

JIM FRENCH LIGHTING DESIGNER

Jim French designs lighting for the performing arts and live events, with work seen in twenty five countries around the globe. Highlights of Jim’s work in dance include over twenty five world premieres for San Francisco Ballet, nine seasons as resident designer for Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet, and long running collaborations with choreographers Val Caniparoli, Pascal Rioult, and Amy Seiwert, with vertical dance company Bandaloop, and with Ballet West. At home in the San Francisco Bay Area, he has collaborated with Alonzo King Lines Ballet, Smuin Contemporary Ballet, Opera Parallele, Shotgun Players, Kronos Quartet, Joe Goode Performance Group, ODC Dance, Post:Ballet, SF Danceworks, Marin Theater Company, West Edge Opera, and has been house LD at SF Jazz. Favorite credits from further afield include Finnish National Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Joffrey Ballet, Ballett Basel, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Nederlands Dans Theater, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Carte Blanche, Opera Ballet Vlaanderen, and LA Dance Project. Jim has designed lighting for the Global Climate Action Summit, and volunteers for Dancers Responding to AIDS and Bike East Bay.

CAREY PERLOFF ARTISTIC CONSULTANT AND DRAMATURGE

Carey Perloff is a director, playwright, producer and educator who served as Artistic Director of American Conservatory Theater (1992-2018) and of Classic Stage Company, NYC (19881992). She has collaborated frequently with Val Caniparoli on such productions as A Doll’s House, A Christmas Carol, ‘Tis Pity She’s a Whore and The Tosca Project, a dance-theater piece co-created with Caniparoli. Perloff recently launched Tiny Theatricals, an online digital project featuring open rehearsals of classical plays for London’s Digital Theatre Plus, and published Pinter and Stoppard: A Director’s View (Bloomsbury Methuen 2022). As a playwright, Perloff’s work includes Vienna, Vienna, Vienna (Finalist, Jewish Play Project); Edgardo or White Fire (commissioned by WTF); If God Were Blue; Kinship; Higher; The Fit. Recent directing: The Lehman Trilogy (Huntington Theater and Repertory Theater of St. Louis), Home? (Voices Festival, D.C.), Ibsen’s Ghosts (Seattle Rep and Williamstown), Pale Sister (Gate Theater, Dublin), Queens (LJP), Private Lives (Stratford Festival), A Thousand Splendid Suns, Merchant of Venice, The Oedipus Cycle starring John Douglas Thompson. Author: Beautiful Chaos: A Life in the Theater (City Lights Press) 2016. careyperloff.com

MAIQUI MAÑOSA CHOREOGRAPHER’S ASSISTANT & STAGER

Maiqui Mañosa joined the Atlanta Ballet in 1980. She advanced to principal dancer where she was recognized for her performances in Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, Giselle, Swan Lake, Dennis Nahat’s Coppelia as Swanilda, Midsummer’s Night Dream as Titania, Eugene Loring’s Billy the Kid as the Sweetheart, Lyn Taylor Corbett’s Escape, Fernand Nault’s world renowned Carmina Burana and La Fille Mal Gardee as Lizette. Ms. Mañosa

received wide acclaim for her interpretation of Tom Pazik’s Romeo and Juliet and his world premiere of Madame Butterfly with the Philippine Ballet Theater in the role of Cio-Cio-San. Pazik created this ballet for Maiqui. Atlanta Ballet’s Director, Robert Barnett featured Maiqui in several Balanchine ballets, including the Dark Angel in Serenade, the Siren in Prodigal Son, Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux, Four Temperaments, Allegro Brillante, Concerto Barrocco, Scotch Symphony, Square Dance, Stars and Stripes, Tarantella and Themes & Variations. Ms. Mañosa was chosen to represent the Philippines in a cultural exchange program with China. Performing with the Central Ballet of China, she was warmly received and widely acclaimed by Chinese audience and critics. Ms. Mañosa was invited to work with the Singapore Dance Theater (SDT) as ballet mistress, where she staged Graham Lustig’s Cinderella. Maiqui also worked with internationally renowned choreographers such as Val Caniparoli and John Paul Comelin. She returned to the United States and joined the faculty of Rock School for Dance Education where she became Principal Teacher. Currently, Ms. Mañosa stages ballets for Val Caniparoli both in the US and internationally. She has staged Mr. Caniparoli’s works with American Repertory Ballet, Ballet West, Boston Ballet, Cincinnati Ballet, Finnish National Ballet, Kansas City Ballet, Los Angeles Ballet, Louisville Ballet, Milwaukee Ballet, Nashville Ballet, Nevada Ballet Theatre, Oregon Ballet Theatre, Orlando Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet, Richmond Ballet, Sacramento Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Singapore Dance Theater, Texas Ballet Theater and Tulsa Ballet. One of her more memorable experiences was in Moscow coaching Bolshoi Ballet’s ballerina Anastasia Volochkova in Val Caniparoli’s ballet Lambarena. She continues her guest teaching in summer workshops around the country.

OĞULCAN BOROVA GUEST STAGER

Oğulcan Borova was born in Turkey and recognized as the First Prize Winner at the 3rd National Rotary Clubs Dance Competition. His awards include a Bronze Medal at the Varna International Ballet Competition, Gold Medal at the New York International Ballet Competition, Gold Medal at the Seoul International Ballet Competition, and High Achievement Recognition from the Dokuz Eylül University, where he studied in the conservatory’s dance department. From 2011-2015, he danced with The Joffrey Ballet, where he danced principal roles in the productions such as Don Quixote, La Bayadere, Prodigal Son, and The Nutcracker. Oğulcan returned to Cincinnati Ballet as a Ballet Master in 2015 and worked closely with Artistic Director Victoria Morgan. Following five seasons with Cincinnati Ballet, he pursued his career by joining the National Ballet of Finland as a Ballet Master in 2020, under the direction of Madeleine Onne. He has staged productions for companies such as Atlanta Ballet, Finnish National Opera & Ballet, Cincinnati Ballet, Oklahoma City Ballet, Los Angeles Ballet. Borova is Head of Studio Company and Ballet Trainee Program with the Joffrey Academy of Dance, official school of Joffrey Ballet since 2022. He is a recipient of a certificate from University of Notre Dame in Leadership and Management.

KRISTI CAPPS REHEARSAL DIRECTOR

Kristi Capps began her professional career with the Atlanta Ballet and then joined Cincinnati Ballet. Rising quickly through the ranks to principal, Ms. Capps delighted audiences performing the principal role in ballets such as Coppelia, Don Quixote, Sleeping Beauty, Giselle, Swan Lake, Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Cinderella and many of George Balanchine’s ballets. She performed the leading role in George Balanchine’s Chaconne with The Suzanne Farrell Ballet at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. She was a guest artist with many ballet companies and galas such as the Chautauqua Ballet Company, International Ballet Festival of Miami, Florida, International Dance Festival in Vail, Colorado, and with Angel Corella and Stars of American Ballet in Spain. Ms. Capps performed original works by Luca Veggetti at New York City’s Guggenheim Museum “Works in Process” series as well as additional works of Veggetti’s with the Morphoses dance company in Paris, France. She was part of the faculties of the Cincinnati Ballet Academy and Colorado Ballet Academy, as well as a guest teacher at numerous universities and ballet academies throughout the country. Ms. Capps served as ballet mistress in residence for Kansas City Ballet’s 2013-2014 season during the production of Dracula as well as a repetiteur for its spring production of Cinderella before joining the artistic staff permanently.

PARRISH MAYNARD REHEARSAL DIRECTOR

Parrish Maynard danced with American Ballet Theatre, where he was invited to join by Mikhail Baryshnikov, and as a principal dancer at The Joffrey Ballet and San Francisco Ballet. In addition to being a recipient of the Princess Grace Award and the Presidential Scholar Award, he was a silver medalist in the International Ballet Competition. Mr. Maynard has performed in Dance in America’s American Ballet Theatre Now, danced Nacho Duato’s Romanso, and danced in Lar Lubovich’s Othello at San Francisco Ballet in the role of Iago which was created on him. In 2005 Mr. Maynard joined the faculty of San Francisco Ballet School. In his 10 years at San Francisco Ballet, Mr. Maynard choreographed more than 20 ballets for the San Francisco Ballet School, some of which have been danced by companies around the world including Royal Ballet School, Royal New Zealand Ballet and National Ballet of Canada.

CHRISTOPHER RUUD

SECOND COMPANY MANAGER & REHEARSAL DIRECTOR

Christopher Ruud has been a part of the performing arts since birth. Growing up backstage at San Francisco Ballet he was immersed in the art of professional dance, performance and stagecraft. Receiving the majority of his dance training at San Francisco Ballet School he began his performing career on the War Memorial Opera House stage at the age of 9. Mr. Ruud was hired into Ballet West in 1998. Quickly moving through the ranks he was named Principal Dancer in 2004. He spent 21 years as a leading artist for Ballet West performing a huge range of classical and contemporary repertoire. Ruud is grateful to have seen sold out houses

in Utah, all over the United States, and internationally most notably in China, Cuba, New York and at the Kennedy Center. He has directed his own small company, RUUDDANCES, which was a regular attraction in the Annual Utah Arts Festival and toured to Jacobs Pillow. Having retired from being a professional dancer in 2019, he is thrilled to have joined the artistic team at Kansas City Ballet that same year. Since taking the position of KCB Second Company Manager and Rehearsal Director for the company, he has created, and rehearsal directed the creation of many new and existing works while also spending time in the Kansas City community educating children about ballet and performance with the Lecture Demonstration program “Studio to Stage”.

KIMBERLY COWEN PRINCIPAL & KCYB DIRECTOR

Kimberly Cowen, a native of St. Louis, Missouri, received most of her ballet training from Nathalie LeVine. She also has studied at St. Louis Ballet under Ludmila Dokoudovsky and Antoni Zalewski, at Pacific Northwest Ballet with Fleming Halby and Nina Danilova and at The Joffrey Ballet with Francesca Corkle and Winthrop Corey. She studied at the Kansas City Ballet School with Todd Bolender, Una Kai, and Lisa Dillinger before joining the Kansas City Ballet in 1991, where she danced for 20 years. Ms. Cowen has danced as Swanilda in Coppélia, Odette in Swan Lake, Titania in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty, the title role in Giselle, Carmen and Romeo & Juliet. She has had the pleasure of dancing a wide variety of styles by famous choreographers such as George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, Anthony Tudor, Todd Bolender, David Parsons, Paul Taylor, Merce Cunningham, Twyla Tharp, Vincente Nebrada, Nacho Duato, Margo Sappington, Trey McIntyre, Jessica Lang, Val Caniparoli, Mary Wigman and William Whitener. Ms. Cowen began teaching at the Somerset Ballet in 1998 and joined the KCBS staff in 2002. Ms. Cowen is responsible for the students of the Upper School and is the director of the Kansas City Youth Ballet. She is dedicated to teaching the next generation of dancers and passing on all she has learned in her time as a student and a professional.

JORDAN VOTH COMPANY PIANIST/PRINCIPAL ACADEMY PIANIST

Kansas native Jordan Voth joined the accompanist staff of the Kansas City Ballet in the summer of 2015. Before arriving in Kansas City for graduate studies at the University of MissouriKansas City in 2013, Jordan won the piano division of the 2010 Yamaha Young Performing Artists Competition and studied at the International Keyboard Institute and Festival at Mannes College in New York City. As a class accompanist, Jordan has played for masterclasses taught by Wendy Whelan, Victoria Simon, Robert Garland, Peter Stark, and Daniel Ulbricht. After graduating from UMKC with a Doctorate of Musical Arts in 2020, Jordan joined the full-time staff of Kansas City Ballet in 2022, where he accompanies classes, rehearsals, and performances as Company Pianist / Principal Academy Pianist.

AMY TAYLOR DIRECTOR OF PRODUCTION

Amy Taylor’s design credits for Kansas City Ballet include Giselle, Suite Kander, The Scarlatti Dances, Carmina Burana, Coppélia and On the Boulevard. Locally, she has also worked with Wylliams/Henry Contemporary Dance Company and the Kansas City Symphony. Before joining Kansas City Ballet, Ms. Taylor received her M.F.A. from the University of Missouri – Kansas City.

LAURA KRUS STAGE MANAGER

Laura Krus is a graduate of Oklahoma City University’s Dance Management Program. Laura worked with Adams Davy Media as a Production Intern for productions like Batman Live and Arts for Autism. She also has worked with various professional dance companies as a Production Stage Manager for the American Dance Festival. Laura began working with Kansas City Ballet in 2021. Laura wants to thank her family and friends for always believing in her and helping get her to where she is now.

JENNIFER CARROLL COSTUME SUPERVISOR

Jennifer Carroll came to Kansas City Ballet in 2008 after touring with Broadway Shows for eight years. She toured with shows such as Victor, Victoria, Jekyll & Hyde, Cabaret, Oklahoma!, and Twyla Tharp and Billy Joel’s Movin’ Out. Her design credits for Kansas City Ballet include Concerto Grosso, Mercy of the Elements, Energy Made Visible, Vesna, and Klein Perspectives. Ms. Carroll received her M.F.A. in Costume Design and Technology from the University of Arkansas. She is a member of Kansas City’s IATSE Theatrical Wardrobe Union, Local #810.

BETTI JO DIEM ASSISTANT COSTUME SUPERVISOR

Betti Jo Diem came to Kansas City Ballet after touring with the Radio City Christmas Spectacular Arena Tour and the First National Tour of Rock of Ages. She is a member of the IATSE Theatrical Wardrobe Union, Local #810 here in Kansas City. She began her theatrical wardrobe career in Branson, Missouri while working for Silver Dollar City’s Opera House theater and the Radio City Rockettes at the Grand Palace Theater. She feels extremely lucky to have a career she is passionate about. And that allows her to learn something new every day!

MADELINE BRASGALLA ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER

Madeline Brasgalla was born and raised in El Paso, Texas. She has an M.F.A. in Theatre: Design and Technology from the University of Missouri-Kansas City and has a B.A. in Dance from Agnes Scott College in Atlanta, Georgia. Maddie has experience stage managing concert dance, ballet, opera, and theatre. She has previously worked with EPIC Arts and the Heart of America Shakespeare Festival. Maddie is excited to be part of the Kansas City Ballet full-time after working on previous season shows (The Nutcracker, The Wizard of Oz).

JENNA LINK GUEST STAGE MANAGER

Jenna is pleased to make her Kansas City Ballet debut with Jekyll & Hyde! As a professional freelancer, Jenna has stage managed for renowned companies such as San Francisco Ballet, Houston Ballet, The Atlanta Opera, Nashville Opera, Geva Theatre Center, Des Moines Metro Opera, the Florentine Opera Company and South Coast Rep. She currently resides in Lawrence, KS, where she is the Production Manager and Assistant Specialist in Stage Management for the Department of Theatre & Dance at the University of Kansas. Proud member of the American Guild of Musical Artists.

RICHARD SCHUPP LIVES HIS PASSION FOR LIVE PERFORMANCE

In his lifetime, Dr. Richard Schupp has lived his passion for live performance many times over. His joy comes not just from being an audience member, but also from being on stage behind the drums. As a percussionist, Richard has performed at The White House, Carnegie Hall, and many stages across the country. As an audience member, he has ignited that passion in others by inviting them to attend performances of Kansas City Ballet.

“There‘s a joy in dance, to be a part of the music and performing for people.”

In addition to sharing his passion with others, Richard is a member of the Tatiana Dokoudovska Legacy Society. “I want those who haven‘t experienced [Kansas City Ballet] yet to have that opportunity,” Richard said. “It enriches their lives. That‘s what the arts do.” Just as seeing ballet performances as a child enriched his life, he hopes many others will have that opportunity for years to come.

DECEMBER 1, 2023

Celebrate the holiday season at Kansas City Ballet Guild’s annual gala, the Nutcracker Ball at The Westin Kansas City at Crown Center. Proceeds from the Nutcracker Ball provide essential support for Kansas City Ballet.

TICKETS START AT $350

To buy your benefactor level or single tickets, visit kcballetball.org

KANSAS CITY BALLET GUILD PRESENTS

Photography by Kenny Johnson.

BALLET BUSINESS COUNCIL

Kansas City Ballet thanks the following corporations and corporate foundations for their support from August 1, 2022 - September 7, 2023.

DIAMOND ($50,000-$99,999)

Bank of America

Cumulus Media

Hallmark Corporate Foundation

PLATINUM ($25,000-$49,999)

The Westin Kansas City at Crown Center, Partner Hotel of Kansas City Ballet

YMCA of Greater Kansas City

GOLD ($10,000-$24,999)

Belger Cartage Service, Inc.

Encore

H&R Block Foundation

JE Dunn Construction Company

Lockton Companies Inc.

Performance Rehab

KCOI, the Official Performance Rehabilitation Provider to Kansas City Ballet

SS&C Technologies, Inc.

State Street

Stepp & Rothwell, Inc.

SILVER ($5,000-$9,999)

ArtsKC

Assured Partners

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas City

Bluefox Live Event

Production

Burns & McDonnell

CIGNA Healthcare of Kansas and Missouri Commerce Bank

Elevé Dancewear, Kansas City Ballet’s School

Uniform Partner

Husch Blackwell

Mark One Electric Company, Inc.

Microsoft Matching Gifts

Panache Chocolatier

Parisi Coffee, Official Coffee Provider for Kansas City Ballet

BRONZE ($2,500-$4,999)

Aetna

BlueScope Steel

BNIM Architects

BNSF Railway Foundation

BOK Financial

Craig Sole Designs Delta Dental of Kansas

PARTNER PROFILE: PARISI COFFEE

East Market StudiosBrett Pruitt

Evergy

Henderson Engineers, Inc.

Kansas City Foot & Ankle, The Official Podiatry Treatment Provider to Kansas City Ballet

Lathrop GPM LLP

OCS Builders - Mike Nikolai, in honor of Marisa Whiteman

Sanofi

Sun Life Financial

Tito’s Handmade VodkaFifth Generation, Inc.

UMB Financial Corporation

United Healthcare

XS Lighting, LLC

PATRON ($1,500-$2,499)

The Big Biscuit

Cboe Global Markets

Crossroads Hotel

FORVIS

Gill Studios, Inc.

Google Fiber

The Independent Kansas City Life Insurance Company

MC Realty Group, LLC

For more than a decade, Parisi Coffee has been a valued partner and the Official Coffee Provider of Kansas City Ballet.

Owners Joseph and Salvatore Paris believe the science of roasting and the art of brewing and preparing coffee and espresso-based beverages - when done correctlycan ignite a passion. We are grateful for the opportunity to unite these passions – coffee and dance!

Parisi Coffee first began roasting coffee in Kansas City in 2006. All Parisi coffees are small-batch, drum roasted at the company’s Kansas City production facility.

Savor Parisi’s handcrafted coffee beverages at their Union Station and Overland Park locations or order a bag at ParisiCoffee.com.

Carol MeierottoMeierotto Jewelers

New York Life Insurance Company

Reliance Standard Life Insurance Company

US Bank Foundation

Wells Fargo Foundation

PRINCIPAL ($500-$1,499)

Aristocrat Motors

Kansas City Southern Industries Inc.

Charitable Fund

Meritage Portfolio

Management

MTI Security

Oberheiden P.C.

Scotwood Industries

Uhl Engineering, Inc. -

Mr. Terry Uhl

SOLOIST ($250-$499)

Abbott Laboratories

Kendra Scott

Macquarie Asset

Management

State Farm - Emmett

Thompson Agency

T-Mobile

Wee Create

CORPS DE BALLET ($100-$249)

Equifax

Kramer Commercial, Inc.

Printing Services, Inc. - 2 Friends Printing

REACH Healthcare Foundation

A Kansas City Ballet Business membership offers companies of all sizes the opportunity to join other leaders with a commitment to their community to help Kansas City Ballet fulfill its vision and mission.

To become a member, please contact Chris Roady, Manager, Corporate Partnerships and Data at 816.216.5582 or croady@kcballet.org.

Made possible by the John N. and Marilyn P. McConnell Foundation

JOHN CLEESE

DANIEL TIGER’S

KANSAS CITY SYMPHONY

FIRST VIOLINS

Jun Iwasaki, Concertmaster

Miller Nichols Chair

Stirling Trent, Associate Concertmaster

Sunho Kim, Assistant Concertmaster

Anne-Marie Brown

Michael Brown

Betty Chen

Anthony DeMarco

Susan Goldenberg*

Tomoko Iguchi

Dorris Dai Janssen

Filip Lazovski ∆

Chiafei Lin

Vladimir Rykov

Alex Shum*

SECOND VIOLINS

Tamamo Someya Gibbs, Principal

Kristin Velicer, Acting Associate Principal

Minhye Helena Choi, Acting Assistant Principal

Arianna Brusubardis^

Mary Garcia Grant

Kazato Inouye

Rena Ishii

Paul Kim^

Stephanie Larsen

Jinyou Lee^

Sodam Lim

James Zabawa-Martinez ∆

VIOLAS

MingYu Hsu, Principal

Duncan Steele^, Associate Principal

Jessica Nance, Assistant Principal

Kent Brauninger

Sean Brumble

Marvin Gruenbaum

Jenifer Houck

Duke Lee

Jesse Yukimura

CELLOS

Mark Gibbs, Principal Robert A. Kipp Chair

Susie Yang, Associate Principal

Richard Hill Chair

Alexander East, Assistant Principal

Matt Beckmann ∆

Maria Crosby

John Eadie

Lawrence Figg

Meredith McCook

Allen Probus

DOUBLE BASSES

Evan Halloin, Acting Principal

Richard Ryan, Acting Associate Principal

Nils Aardahl

Lena Goodson ∆

Joseph Nunez

Keith Wymer ∆

Caleb Quillen‡

FLUTES

Michael Gordon, Principal Marylou and John Dodds Turner Chair

Shannon Finney, Associate Principal

Kayla Burggraf

PICCOLO

Kayla Burggraf

OBOES

Kristina Fulton, Principal Shirley Bush Helzberg Chair

Alison Chung, Associate Principal

Matthew Lengas

ENGLISH HORN

Matthew Lengas

CLARINETS

Raymond Santos, Principal

Bill and Peggy Lyons Chair

Silvio Guitian, Associate Principal

John Klinghammer

E-FLAT CLARINET

Silvio Guitian

BASS CLARINET

John Klinghammer

BASSOONS

Ann Bilderback, Principal Barton P. and Mary D. Cohen Chair

Thomas DeWitt, Associate Principal

Maxwell Pipinich

CONTRABASSOON

Thomas DeWitt

HORNS

David Sullivan, Acting Principal Landon and Sarah Rowland Chair

Alberto Suarez‡, Principal Elizabeth Gray, Acting Associate Principal David Gamble

Stephen Multer, Associate Principal Emeritus

Benjamin Bacni ∆

TRUMPETS

Julian Kaplan, Principal James B. and Annabel Nutter Chair

George Goad, Acting Associate Principal

Steven Franklin‡, Associate Principal

Shea Kelsay ∆

TROMBONES

Evelyn Carlson^, Principal Porter Wyatt Henderson, Associate Principal

Jahleel Smith ∆

BASS TROMBONE

Jahleel Smith ∆

TUBA

Joe LeFevre, Principal Frank Byrne Chair

TIMPANI

Timothy Jepson, Principal Michael and Susan Newburger Chair

PERCUSSION

David Yoon, Acting Principal

Justin Ochoa ∆, Acting Associate Principal

HARP

Katie Ventura ∆, Acting Principal

LIBRARIANS

Elena Lence Talley, Principal Fabrice Curtis

Justin White, Director of Orchestra Personnel

Kirsten Loynachan, Assistant Personnel Manager

Tyler Miller, Stage Manager

* Non-Rotating Musician

^ New Member

‡ On Leave of Absence

∆ One-Year Member

The plié is fundamental to every move in ballet, and Plié Partners are the foundation of Kansas City Ballet. By giving monthly, you contribute what makes sense for you AND make an incredible impact in the lives of so many in our community.

Kansas City Ballet Guild

The primary volunteer and fundraising organization supporting the Kansas City Ballet

Impacting all facets of Kansas City Ballet: The Company, School, Archives, Endowments and Community Engagement Programs

• Annual Guild Ballet Ball

• Nutcracker Boutique

• Special engagement & education events

GIVE.KCBALLET.ORG/ PLIE-PARTNERS

Performance.

• Luncheons & social events

• Open rehearsals, meet the dancers & staff

• Book club & movie nights

@KCBGUILD

@KCBGUILD

PerformanceRehabisproud tobetheexclusivephysical therapyandwellnessprovider fortheKansasCityBallet.

Asthe#1ratedphysicaltherapyprovider inJohnsonCounty,PerformanceRehab offers11convenientlocationstoserve you.ScantheQRcodetorequestan appointmentorfreeconsultationtoday!

www.performancerehabkc.com

offers 11 convenient locations to serve you. Scan the QR code to request an appointment or free consultation today!

performancerehabkc.com

KANSAS CITY BALLET’S MONTHLY GIVING PROGRAM

Photography by Mark McDonald & Kenny Johnson.

Dancers: Sidney Haefs and Gavin Abercrombie.

Photography: Kenny Johnson.

love is a rose program Have a rose bush planted and dedicated to your loved one! A truly unique gift or memorial.

LEARN ABOUT ALL THAT WE OFFER AT

kansascityrosesociety.org

- Dwight D. Eisenhower

- John Lasseter

At KC Ballet School, we believe dance is for everyone, including adults with little or no dance experience. Our dance & fitness classes are drop-in style and meet weekly.

ALL ABILITY LEVELS START ANYTIME! CLASSES START AT $15

BARRE KC is the leading group for young professionals interested in supporting Kansas City Ballet

Share your love of ballet with other like-minded individuals at a variety of social, educational, and networking events year-round.

INDIVIDUAL MEMBERSHIP – $75/ANNUALLY or $6/MONTH

• Discounted pricing for performances up to 50% off

• Invitation to all BARRE KC events

• 5 free KCB School Dance & Fitness classes

SIGN UP TODAY AT BARREKC.ORG

• Drink tickets at BARRE KC pre- and post-parties

• Discounted pricing for BARRE KC’s Soiree fundraising event

• Open rehearsals to meet dancers

@BARRE.KC @BARREKC

Enjoy

Photos by Mark McDonald & Brian Rice. Named

Kansas City Ballet Comes to You! An exciting, interactive lecture demonstration that offers a range of classic and contemporary ballet excerpts in a 50-minute program that includes a Q & A. Narration is provided by KC Ballet directors and dancers from Kansas City Ballet’s Second Company, who also perform.

Great for schools, libraries, and community organizations! KC Ballet’s Studio to Stage Lecture Demonstrations are offered on specific dates in October and November 2023 and in January- April 2024.

FOR QUESTIONS AND TO PURCHASE:

If you are a community organization, school, library, or senior center, and want more information or bring this program to your venue, email aberry@kcballet.org or call 816.216.5583.

Photo by Andrea Wilson.

When Stanislav loudenitch first started the Park International Center for Music, he began with a simple concept. Find exceptional music teachers, and give them the time, tools, focus, and dedication needed to transform exceptional students into masters themselves. An internationally-recognized Van Cliburn gold medalist, Ioudenitch assembled a team that shared his world-class skills and his passion for teaching. Other outstanding programs have great master instructors. But no other American conservatory lets those masters devote the time to their students like they do at Park ICM. Not even storied programs like Juilliard, Curtis, or Eastman.

Come experience the birth of our international stars. Visit ICM.PARK.EDU for our concert schedule today.

“These featured soloists from Park University’s International Center for Music represent not only the quality of performance in Kansas City, but the future of it, too.”

– THE KANSAS CITY STAR

You can impact future generations through a legacy gift to Kansas City Ballet. Legacy giving does not require a large income or vast estate. Legacy giving only requires a thoughtful intention to make a difference by remembering Kansas City Ballet in your will or estate plans.

Mary Ann and Bill Allen

The Amelia Fund/ Nancy L. Murdock, Ph.D.

Leslie G. Anderson

Anonymous (2)

Peggy and Andy Beal

Jeffrey J. Bentley

Brand Family Fund

Mike and Vicki Bray

Jerry and Meghan Carpenter Family Trust

Melissa Kelly Cavanaugh

Robert J. Cody

Don and Pat Dagenais

Dickerson Family Trust

J. Scott Francis

Dr. Michael Frost

Norman E. and Marilyn A.W. Gaar

David and Beth Harris

John and Mary Hunkeler

Dr. Richard Jensen and Gay Dannelly

Estate of Lothar P. Krause

Hazel Deana McClure

P. Alan McDermott

Lindsey Mayer and Corey Brunk

Dr. Linda E. Mitchell

Marcy Nelson

Estate of Marilyn Pierson Patterson

Wendy and George Powell, III

Jean and Jack Rosenfield Trust

Jack and Paula Rowe

G. Mark Sappington

Dr. Richard Schupp

Suzanne Shank

Estate of James E. Taylor

Angela and John Walker

Jacquie and Kyle Ward

Estate of Shirley Weaver

Thomas F. and Loren Whittaker

Estate of Dr. Sonya

Cornell Yarmat

Rebecca Zandarski

Thank you to the following Legacy Society members: HONORING OUR PAST, CELEBRATING OUR PRESENT, AND PLANNING FOR OUR FUTURE

If you have included Kansas City Ballet in your estate plans, please let us know. We would like to thank you now for your thoughtful gift.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2023

The Westin Kansas City at Crown Center

Join the enchanting Sugar Plum Fairy and her friends at a magical holiday celebration! After lunch and entertainment, it’s off to the Kauffman Center for the 2 p.m. performance of The Nutcracker.

Your Adventure Awaits! Reserve Your Seats Now!

KCBALLET.ORG/SUGAR-PLUM

Photography by Larry F. Levenson.

KANSAS CITY BALLET CONTRIBUTORS

Many thanks to the following individuals and charitable foundations for their support from August 1, 2022 – September 7, 2023.

BOLENDER SOCIETY LEADERSHIP

($100,000+)

Julia Irene Dennie-Kauffman

Estelle S. and Robert A. Long

Ellis Foundation

Francis Family FoundationJ. Scott Francis

Marilyn A.W. Gaar and Norman E. Gaar, Esq.

Hall Family Foundation

John and Mary Hunkeler

Kansas City Ballet Guild

Dennis and Susan

Lordi Marker

Missouri Arts Council

Muriel McBrien Kauffman

Family Foundation

Richard J. Stern Foundation for the Arts - Commerce Bank, Trustee

The Seeley FoundationDana Seeley

Bill and Ginny Shackelford

BOLENDER SOCIETY DIAMOND

($50,000-$99,999)

Evelyn R. Craft Belger and C. Richard Belger

Carol Blum and Steven R. Wilson

The Shubert Foundation

BOLENDER SOCIETY PLATINUM

($25,000-$49,999)

Anonymous

Mr. and Mrs. A. Joseph Brandmeyer

Innes and John Hale

Ms. Joan Horan

The Estate of Billie Mahoney

R and C Charitable Foundation

Sosland Foundation

Greg and Barbara Storm

Angela and John Walker

William T. Kemper Foundation - Commerce Bank, Trustee

BOLENDER SOCIETY GOLD

($10,000-$24,999)

Brad Allen and Gene Cooper

Anonymous

Arvin T. Gottlieb Charitable Foundation - UMB Bank, Trustee

Bruce and Vicki Baxter

Mr. Blair Bieser

Joe and Claire Brand

Mike and Vicki Bray

Janis E. Brewster

Stanley J. Bushman and Ann Canfield

Karen and Stephen Clegg

Bill and Jo Anne Dondlinger

Cathy and Steve Doyal

Elsberry Family FoundationAnne & Howard Elsberry

Richard and Sue Ann Fagerberg

Linda Houston Foundation

Bonne and Clifford W. Illig

J.B. Reynolds Foundation

Dr. Roger and Mrs. Sandy Jackson

Jerome Robbins Foundation

Kao Family Foundation

Daniel Keating Foundation

William T. Laaser

The Lighton Fund - Linda Lighton and Lynn Adkins

Louis & Elizabeth Nave

Flarsheim Charitable Foundation - Bank of America, Trustee

The Edward G. and Kathryn

E. Mader Foundation

Mary Anne and Steve McDowell

Teresa and Bruce McKinney

Miller Nichols Charitable Foundation

Dr. Linda E. Mitchell

Barbara Clarke Nash

National Endowment for the Arts

Neighborhood Tourist Development Fund

Sarah Nelson and Jesse Pedraza

Leslie A. Pfriem

George and Wendy Powell Fund of The Kuehn Foundation

Paula and Jack Rowe

Suzanne Shank

Derek and Linda Shoare

Dr. Christopher and Mrs. Lisa Sirridge

Ms. Kathy Stepp and Mr. Howard Rothwell

Mr. and Mrs. William

D. Sullivan

The Thomas and Sally Wood Family Foundation

Mr. Bill Weaver and Ms. Crystal O’Dea

Brian Weith and Michele

Hamlett-Weith

William T. Kemper Charitable Trust, UMB Bank

Patricia Martin and Brian Woolley

Sarah Ye

BOLENDER SOCIETY

SILVER

($5,000-$9,999)

Andy and Kathy Anderson

Dr. Lillard and DeVette Ashley

Peggy and Andrew Beal

Dr. Stephen and Susan Bubb

Ms. Lisa Choules

Vicki and Mark Dickerson

Dee and Dave Dillon

Joseph and Diana Eisenach

Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation

Carol and Tony Feiock

Mr. Michael D. Fields

Sally Firestone

Drs. Nicholas and Stephanie Golda

David and Beth Harris

Susan and Zack Hangauer

Haverty Family Foundation -

Michael and Marlys Haverty

Mr. and Mrs. Barnett

C. Helzberg, Jr.

Kim and Ted Higgins

Ingram Family FoundationBeth Ingram

Cynthia James

Dr. Richard Jensen

Melanie Jones and Susan Johnson

Charlotte Kemper Black

Jonathan and Nancy

Lee Kemper

Kirk Foundation - Julie and Mike Kirk

Ms. Victoria Lamkey

George H. Langworthy, Sr.

Christopher and Gretchen Leff

Colette and James Majerle

Julia and Greg Malter

Rachel and Matt Merlo

Edward P. Milbank

Ms. Sherrill Mulhern

Mr. and Mrs. Jeff Musolf

John and Linda Nobles

George and Suzy Pagels

Carolyn and Bill Parkerson

Ms. Margot Patterson

Ms. Julie Phillips

R.A. Long Foundation

Gigi and Gary Rose

Mr. and Mrs. Glen Sands

Mr. Zachary H. Shafran

Mr. Ian Spinks and Ms. Juliette Singer

Deb and Tom Swenson

Jennifer and Bryan Wampler

Lynne and Carl Weilert

Raelee Wright

Dr. John and Karen Yungmeyer

BOLENDER SOCIETY BRONZE

($2,500-$4,999)

Ms. Lona Abildgaard

Chris Ahrens

Anonymous (2)

Marina and Matthew Bell

Sarah Bent and Craig Thompson

Dr. Angelo & Mrs. Joan

Brisimitzakis

Lynne and Peter Brown

Mr. and Mrs. Michael Burke

Devon Carney and Pamela Royal Carney

Ms. Patricia A Chasnoff

Dennis and Marilyn Christopher

City of Kansas City, MO

Dr. Robert Claassen

Vince and Julie Clark

Robert J. Cody

Gene and Joy Cota

Fred and Lucy Coulson

Dr. Suzanne C. Crandall

Don and Pat Dagenais

Kyle Danner

Drs. Charles and Donna Davis

Edie and Randy Downing

Peggy and Terrence Dunn

Julia Kirk and John Duty

Melanie and Mike Fenske

Ms. Melissa Ford and Dr. Eric Molloy - UMKC

Mark and Nancy Gilman

Susan Gilmore and Barry Loughrige

Bruce and Kathy Gordon

Ms. Cynthia L. Hampton

George and Sharon HarterA Night on the Town Theater Trips

Rudy and Deb Herrmann

Lisa Merrill Hickok

Robert and Cindy Hisle

Jackson and Gamble Family

Stratus Group LLC - Courtney and Peggy Jones

Dr. Karen M. Jordan

Mr. Steve Joss

Dana M. Koehn

Dr. and Mrs. William Kruse

Siobhan McLaughlin Lesley

Bill Lindsay and Jan Foletta

Mrs. Bobbie A. Mathes

Mr. Robert H. Maynard, in memory of Heather Maynard

P. Alan McDermott

Julia and Dennis Meyer

Katherine A. Miller

Dr. Dan and Rev. Jeanie Murphy

Kathy and Justin Nemechek

Barbara Nicely

Kathy and Michael Rainen

CiCi Rojas and Oscar Monterroso

Mr. Mark Sappington and Dr. David S. McGee

Mark and Janice Schonwetter

Dr. Richard Schupp and Dr. Marilu Goodyear

Sherman Family FoundationMarny and John Sherman

Mrs. Sunday Siragusa

Marya and Kent Stallard

Bradley and Cynthia Strecker

Aviva Ajmera and Wayne Strickland

Suhor Family FoundationJoe and Carol Suhor, Trustees

Fr. Paul Turner

Mr. Jeff Van Slyke

Dr. and Mrs. Charles

W. Van Way III

Linda Weber

Keith and Margie Weber Foundation

Dr. Loren and Thomas Whittaker

Mr. Ronald Wilson, in memory of Barbara Baer, PhD

Darlus M. Wolff

Dr. Michael J. and Cindy S. Wurm

Mrs. Margaret Wurst

Andy Zaborny and Karyn Clewes Zaborny

PATRON

($1,000-$2,499)

John and Anna Allen

Mary Cade Allen

Ms. Leslie G. Anderson

Anonymous (3)

Mr. Roger Arwood and Ms. Marcelle Cooper

Ivan and Karla Batlle

Melinda Beal

Cynthia J. Bleck

Sallyann and Loren Boline

Dr. Robert and Pamela Bruce

Dr. Kenneth and Mrs. Norma

Buchwach

Robert Butler

Michelle and Mike Castagno

Copaken Family Foundation

Jonathan Cordell

Creative Planning Foundation

Ally, Dr. Jessie Ng and Dr. Tom Curran

Doug and Karen Downing

Ericson Family

Ms. Jewel Faeh

Michelle and William Fasel

Beth and Zachary Gall

Kim Garcia

Frances and George Gerritz

Ann and Douglas Ghertner

Lisa and Steven Glassman

Ellen R. and John R. Goheen

Gayle Gotcher

Mr. Chris Lee Hafner

Mr. Donald J. Hall, Sr.

Ms. Pamela Hancock

George Helmkamp

Henry E. Wurst Family

Foundation

Mary Beth and Hank Hershey

Sharon and John Hoffman

Ms. Angela Hudson

Humboldt Sax

Diana Ice

Ms. Jill Ingram Reynolds

Johnson & Johnson Foundation

Linda and Topper Johntz

Dr. and Mrs. Howard Kilbride

Regina and Bill Kort

Art Lafex

Laura T. Landmann

Peter and Monica Lane

Linda Lenza

Ken and Nan Lippincott

Mr. Wayne E. Lippman

Louis and Frances Swinken

Supporting Foundation

Mr. and Mrs. Michael Lyon

Patricia Macdonald

Donna and Rex Martin

Mr. G. Dale Mathey

Patrick and Martina McLarney

Mr. and Mrs. William McVay

Jacqueline and John Middelkamp

Joshua and Abigail Millan

James Miller and Ursula Terrasi

Mr. Marshall V. Miller Family Fund

Miller-Mellor Association - Mr.

JoZach Miller and Mr. Peter Bali

Dr. and Mrs. Robert E. Moffat

Troy and Angela Moore

George and Linda Neill

Marcy Nelson

KANSAS CITY BALLET CONTRIBUTORS

Dr. Amy Patel

Diana and Rick Poccia

Drs. Charles and Susan Porter

Mr. Brian Puckett and Mrs. Dawn Michelle Wolff

Connie and David Ross

John Rufenacht Associates

Mrs. Mary Lisa Sackuvich

Lisa and Charles Schellhorn

Stephen and Delores Schroff

Ms. Carol Nelson Shifflett

Pam and Gary Smedile

Rebecca and Phil Smith

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas and Sharon Soetaert

Craig Sole and Wayne Long

Michele and Jim Stowers

Pamela and Terrence Sullivan

The Trudy Foundation

UMKC Foundation

Unified Government-Hollywood

Casino of Wyandotte County

Dr. Angela Valadez and Mr. Patrick Valadez

Lauren Vohland

Myron and Nicole Wang

Jane and Matthew Webster

Sandy and Byron Whitaker

Chris and DeEtte L. Whiteman

Mr. Jeff Whitman

Marissa Wickam

The Rev. Canon Ryan and Mrs. Christina Wiksell

PURE Workplace SolutionsJean-Paul Wong

Ken and Rebecca Zandarski

Gregory Woodhams and Julia Gargallo

Sophia C. Zetmeir

PRINCIPAL ($500-$999)

Ms. Kathryn Abbott

Tricia Adolphson

Anne Allen

David and Jennifer Anderson

Anonymous

Mr. Joseph Appelt

Pamela Bachman

Thomas and Karen Badgett

Margaret Perkins-McGuinness and Nathan Benjamin

Brittany and Matt Benson

Ms. Laura Bentley

Joan and Bert Berkley

Blue Heron Foundation

Ms. Mary Best

Ms. Sharon Betzelberger

Mr. Michael J. Blomberg

Dr. and Mrs. Michael Borkon, in honor of Mary Lynn and Kamal Mikhail

Tom and Judy Bowser

Diana and Mike Brady

Cynthia Bray

Mr. Charles E. Bruffy and Mr. Donald Loncasty

Dr. Joan and Mr. David Brunfeldt

Jillian Leigh Bush

Mr. Ken Bush, in memory of Mrs. Victoria Bush

Ms. Norma Butler

Regina Leigh Ann Carlyle

Kirk and Tamara Carson

Craig and Jill Connell

Christine Copeland

Dr. Patricia Cox

Brenda and Yosef Crossley

Mr. and Mrs. James C. Cusser

Mrs. Rochelle Kammer

Marvie and Mark Dirks

David Donovan, PhD

Stephen Eads

George and Mary Edwards

Cynthia and Larry Eisenhauer

Dr. and Mrs. Jason W. Eppler

Joni and Chuck Etherington

Mr. Brett D. Fadeley

Connie and Richard Fey

Dan Flanigan

Ron and Tricia Fredman

David and Carol Freirich

Kent Galley

Ms. Astra Garner

Ms. Anita Toby Grow and Dr. Jon Scheinman

Matt and Haley Haar

Craig and Gina Harrison

Gary and Liddell Hobin

Jim Hoenscheidt

Lesley and Peter Holt

Whitney and Patrick Hosty

Brenda L Hulse

Mrs. Marsha L. Hunt

Stephanie Isaacson

Kristen and Ryan Jacobs

Harold and Vicki James

Jessica and Malik James

Christina and Chris Johnson

Mrs. Karen R. Johnson

Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Johnson

Jessica Joseph and Vivek Dubey

Renate Julian

Mr. Alex Keiffer

Carole and Richard Kelly

Ms. Sue Ann Knight

Mr. and Mrs. James Laursen

Mary Leonida

Barbara MacArthur

Jenny Manka

Lynnly Busler Marcotte

Jill and Sean McCarthy

Dr. and Mrs. David D. McIntire

Mr. Mark E. McNeal Jr.

Wendy and Patrick Melland

Ms. Patricia Miles

Mrs. Samantha Mockaitis

Phyllis Naragon

Mrs. Barbara Nelson

Ronald Newton

Emily and Todd Novicoff

Mr. Joab Ortiz

Bill Pallucca

Jo Beth Paradis and Bill Steeb

Mr. and Mrs. Richard Parizek

Eastin Pecota

Mr. and Mrs. Adam Pontier

Ms. Joan Priolo

Emilia Ann Rivera

Dick and Sharyl Roady

Fred and Cindy Rock

Ms. Rebecca E. Roman

Mary Beth Russell

Ruthie Russell

Mr. Dan Savino

Anastasia and Max Schlesinger

Mrs. Latrica R. Schnepf

Mrs. Shirley Schoenlaub

Mr. Jim Schraeder

Stephanie Seiler

Veronica and Jere Sellers

Ms. Mary Shearer

Kristine Sheridan-Harris

Steve and Joan Sherman

Linda Singer and Louis Klein Jr.

Ms. Alexis Strauss

Will Stroman

Dan and Karen Toughey

Kyle and Jacquie Ward

Brad Warden

Christa Wisniewski

Joyce and Gregory Wolfe

Mary and Lance Wood

Kevin and Brooke Yoder

Kansas City Ballet could not function without the generosity of you, our Family of Supporters. For more information or to become a member of The Bolender Society, contact Maya Collins, Associate Director of Individual Giving at 816.216.5608 or mcollins@kcballet.org.

KANSAS CITY BALLET SCHOOL

GRACE M. HOLMES SCHOOL DIRECTOR

Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, she began her ballet training with Audrey Maduell, Lelia Haller and Harvey Hysell. She was a soloist with New Orleans Ballet, San Francisco Ballet and Birmingham Royal Ballet, England. Her repertoire includes over 100 ballets spanning both classical and modern genres. She created leading roles with choreographers of international fame and has performed at major theaters across the globe. After retiring from the stage, she worked in Education and Outreach for Birmingham Royal Ballet and became the ballet education manager for the Royal Opera House in London. Upon returning to the United States, she became academy director for Tapestry Dance Company and was a professor of dance at University of Texas at Austin. She is thrilled to be at the helm of Kansas City Ballet School.

KANSAS CITY BALLET SCHOOL | STAFF

Grace M. Holmes School Director

Kimberly Cowen Principal & KCYB Director

Lauren Fadeley Veyette Principal & YAGP Coordinator

Taryn Ouellette Principal, South Campus at Meadowbrook

Dmitry Trubchanov

Men’s Program Coordinator & KCYB Associate Director

KANSAS CITY BALLET SCHOOL | FACULTY

Iyonna Barris

April Berry

Joshua Bodden

Chelsea Brown

Tara Burgat

Nora Burkitt-Davis

Christina Burton

Kristi Capps

Devon Carney

Pamela Carney

Tamara Carson

Courtney Collado

Mary Kay Cottrill

Kimberly Cowen

Caroline Dahm

Rachel Dugan

Sean Duus

Stephanie Eppler

Lauren Fadeley

Veyette

Melissa Ford

Georgia Fuller

Tess Gadwood

Sidney Haefs

Maureen Hall

Michele HamlettWeith

Grace Holmes

Debbie JacobsHuffaker

KANSAS CITY BALLET SCHOOL

Kansas City Ballet School is the Official School of Kansas City Ballet and offers two tracks of study: the Academy for the career-minded student who aspires to be a professional dancer; and the Studio for youth and adults who wish to study for recreation. Classes are offered in ballet, pointe, men’s technique, tap, flamenco, modern, jazz and more. All classes are taught by highly-qualified professionals with the experience and dedication to guide, inspire and nurture all students in their dance training. The School uniform partner is Elevé Dancewear. Kansas City Ballet School was named “Outstanding School” by Youth America Grand Prix 2017-2022. There are two convenient locations: the Todd Bolender Center for Dance & Creativity in downtown Kansas City and the South Campus at Meadowbrook at 95th & Nall. Call 816.931.2299 for more information or email school@kcballet.org.

Monica Cameron School Operations Manager

Nora Burkitt-Davis

Children’s Program & Adaptive Dance Coordinator

Megan Robinson School Administrator

PART-TIME ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANTS/RECEPTION

Miana Abramson, Nicole Brewton, Maddie Keller, Phoebe Monsees, Aspen Ross, Susan Williams

Macy Jordan

David Justin

Joshua Kiesel

Elaine Kimble

Haley Kostas

Kramer Kreiling

Hannah Lareau

Susan Lewis

Skyler Linn

Gabriel Lorena

Michael Martin

Parrish Maynard

Troy Monger-Levin

Erin Muenks

Tempe Ostergren

KANSAS CITY BALLET SCHOOL | ACCOMPANISTS

Jordan Voth

Principal Academy Pianist

Brian Bates

Robert Beasley

Samuel Beckett

John Currey

Inna Daniels

Phillip DeWalt

Taryn Ouellette

Jennifer Owen

Logan Pachciarz

Taryn Pachciarz

Andrew Parker

Nadine Price-Rojas

Tina Ray

Megan Robinson

Amaya Rodriguez

Aspen Ross

Christopher Ruud

Suzanne Ryanstrati

Jenny Schmidt

Emily Simpson

Lisa Sirridge

Jonathan Doram

Ian Evans Guthrie

Noila Ortega

Andrew Ouellette

William Puckett

Angie Roustio

Dmitry Trubchanov

Laura Vernaci

Francis Veyette

Lynley Von Engeln

Paula Weber

Marisa DeEtte

Whiteman

Sarah Wilczewski

Susan Williams

Latra Wilson

Jaclyn Rylee

Cameron Thomas

Jacob Thomas

Yee-Sik Wong

Xiangyu Zhao

ARTISTIC

Devon Carney Artistic Director

Kristi Capps Rehearsal Director

Parrish Maynard Rehearsal Director

Christopher Ruud Second Company Manager & Rehearsal Director

PHILANTHROPY

Jennifer J.E. Wampler, MBA, CFRE Chief Philanthropy Officer

Rebecca Zandarski, CFRE, CSPG Director of Gift Planning

Maya Collins Associate Director of Individual Giving

Grace Ingham Manager, Events & Philanthropy

Grace M. Holmes School Director

Ramona Pansegrau Music Director & Conductor

Jordan Voth Company Pianist

KANSAS CITY BALLET STAFF

ADMINISTRATIVE

David Gray Executive Director

Kevin Amey Chief Operations Officer

George Hans Chief Financial Officer

Gregg Markowski Finance Director

MARKETING

Mary Allen Office Manager/Executive Assistant

Kenneth Madlock Facilities Management

Natalie Sextro Manager, Research & Stewardship

Chris Roady Manager, Corporate Partnerships and Data

Ian Boyd Philanthropy Assistant

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT & EDUCATION

April Berry Director of Community Engagement and Education

Sean Duus R.O.A.D. Residency Coordinator

TEACHING ARTISTS

April Berry

Sean Duus

Brittany Moss

Tina Ray ACCOMPANISTS

Robert Beasley

Sam Beckett

Andrew Ouellette

David Anderson Director of Marketing

Andrea S. Wilson Associate Director of Marketing

Savanna Daniels Design & Digital Marketing Manager

Beeh Becvar Creative Content Producer

PRODUCTION

Amy Taylor Director of Production

Laura Krus Stage Manager

Jennifer Carroll Costume Supervisor

Betti Jo Diem

Assistant Costume Supervisor

April Madden Costume Shop Assistant

Madeline Brasgalla Assistant Stage Manager

Nicole Dolan Marketing Coordinator

Ellen McDonald Publicist

Mark Volk Patron Services Manager

Kim Toigo Assistant Patron Services Manager

IATSE LOCAL #31, STAGE CREW

Greg Brown Head Electrician

Josh Beasley

Head Carpenter

Dale Klamm

Head Properties

Rick Knapp, Programmer

Ryan Lewis, Steward & Head Flyman

Phil Rebel, Audio Engineer

IATSE LOCAL #810, WARDROBE ATTENDANTS

Desiree Story Head of Wardrobe

Kansas City Ballet acknowledges the following professional service providers:

Lathrop GPM, Legal Stinson Leonard Street LLP, Legal Husch Blackwell LLP, Legal BKD, LLP, Auditors Commerce Trust Company, Investment Advisors SRA Benefits, Insurance

KC Foot & Ankle

Dr. John J. Riley, DPM

Kansas City Orthopedic Alliance

Lead physicians - Dr. Michael Khadavi, Dr. JP Halloran and Dr. Fermin Santos The Orthopedic and Sports Medicine

Clinic of Kansas City

Lead physician - Dr. Kirk McCullough

Dr. Nancy L. Murdock, PhD, Psychological Consultant

Performance Rehab, Kansas City Ballet's Physical Rehabilitation Provider

(Lead Physical Therapist, Kendra Gage)

Extraordinary Machine Massage, Stephen Jacoby, LMT

Lois Kauffman, Kansas City Ballet Archivist

Providing care to people is a privilege. I never forget that.”

- Becky N. Lowry, MD Physician Internal Medicine

For me, there’s nothing more rewarding than the meaningful connections I make with my patients. Maybe it’s growing up in a small town where those personal values remain strong. Or maybe it’s the belief, shared with all of my co-workers, that people come first. Whatever it is, the opportunity to provide care is a privilege I never forget.

To schedule an appointment, call 913-588-1227 or visit KansasHealthSystem.com/Appointments.