Publication - Music Center
Transcription
Publication - Music Center
Gillian Murphy and Qi Huan in Royal New Zealand Ballet’s Giselle Giselle ROYAL NEW ZEALAND BALLET JANUARY 2014 Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at The Music Center presents Artistic Director Managing Director Ethan Stiefel Amanda Skoog Giselle PRODUCTION Johan Kobborg & Ethan Stiefel CHOREOGRAPHY Johan Kobborg & Ethan Stiefel (after Marius Petipa) MUSIC Adolphe Adam SCENIC DESIGN Howard C Jones COSTUME DESIGN Natalia Stewart LIGHTING DESIGN Kendall Smith CONDUCTOR Nigel Gaynor Principal Guest Artist Gillian Murphy dancers Abigail Boyle, Brendan Bradshaw, Clytie Campbell, Jacob Chown, Hayley Donnison, Rory Fairweather-Neylan, Madison Geoghegan, Lori Gilchrist, Madeleine Graham, Katherine Grange, Lucy Green, Adriana Harper, Antonia Hewitt, Oscar Hoelscher, Maclean Hopper, Qi Huan, Alexander Idaszak, Kohei Iwamoto, Jiang Peng Fei, Laura Saxon Jones, Bronte Kelly, Dimitri Kleioris, Yang Liu, Tonia Looker, Paul Mathews, Arata Miyagawa, Alayna Ng, Loughlan Prior, Kirby Selchow (Apprentice), Joseph Skelton, Harry Skinner, Mayu Tanigaito, Bryn Watkins, Maree White Ballet Master Ballet Mistress Martin Vedel Turid Revfeim Support for this engagement is provided, in part, by the Glorya Kaufman Dance Foundation, Center Dance Arts, Dorothy Buffum Chandler Program Fund, Elisabeth Katte Harris, The Music Center Foundation, and The Music Center Annual Fund Patrons are requested to turn off pagers, cellular phones, and signal watches during performances. The taking of photographs and the use of recording devices are not allowed in this auditorium. Program and Artists subject to change. 1 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINe 2013-2014 the music center BoarD of Directors officers memBers at larGe Lisa Specht Wallis Annenberg Cindy Miscikowski Peter K. Barker Colleen Bell Shelby Notkin Judith Beckmen Louise Henry Bryson Diane Paul Eli Broad Fung Der Kurt C. Peterson Ronald W. Burkle Craig A. Ellis Max Ramberg Lloyd E. Cotsen David Gindler Joseph Rice John B. Emerson* Brindell Gottlieb Richard K. Roeder Lois Erburu SECRETARY Joyce Hameetman Carla Sands Richard M. Ferry Thomas R. Weinberger Dennis Haysbert Joni J. Smith Bernard A. Greenberg Stephen F. Hinchliffe, Jr. Catherine Soros Joanne D. Hale Amb. Glen A. Holden Marc I. Stern Stuart M. Ketchum Richard Jones Cynthia A. Telles Kent Kresa Carolbeth Korn Franklin E. ulf Robert F. Maguire, III Amb. Lester B. Korn Walter F. ulloa Ginny Mancini Nigel Lythgoe Timothy S. Wahl Edward J. McAniff Martin Massman Susan M. Wegleitner Walter M. Mirisch Patrick S. McCabe Alyce Williamson Fredric M. Roberts Bowen “Buzz” H. McCoy Rosalind W. Wyman Claire L. Rothman BOARD CHAIR Robert J. Abernethy Michael A. Lawson Michael J. Pagano VICE CHAIRS Stephen D. Rountree PRESIDENT AND CHIEF ExECuTIVE OFFICER Karen Kay Platt TREASuRER Lisa Whitney ASSISTANT TREASuRER AND CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Mattie McFadden-Lawson Elizabeth Michelson Neal S. Millard Directors emeriti Stephen G. Contopulos GENERAL COuNSEL James A. Thomas Andrea L. Van de Kamp* Paul M. Watson * CHAIRMAN EMERITuS 2 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINe letter from the PresiDent & ceo Dear Friends, I am pleased to share the exciting news that the James Irvine Foundation has awarded The Music Center a significant three-year grant, which we will use to deepen our efforts to broaden engagement with younger, ethnically diverse members of the many communities in Los Angeles County. As we approach the 50th Anniversary of The Music Center it is essential that this great institution be relevant and exciting for all Angelenos. The resources this grant provides will be dedicated to the development of programming and other initiatives designed to engage and involve younger adults and families of Los Angeles today – the “New California” – who will be, in many ways, the influencers of the future of cultural, civic and commercial life in Los Angeles. Some of the projects will include the use of new technologies that will propel us in this digital age, to new types of performances, participatory events and educational programs that will launch the next level of arts engagement for current and prospective Music Center audiences. This grant comes at an exciting and pivotal moment for The Music Center. This year we celebrate our 50th anniversary, this great institution be which is a time to tell our story and relevant and exciting commemorate Dorothy Chandler’s vision to create a cultural center for everyone for all angelenos. " that would yield an “unprecedented democratization of the arts.” With the help of this grant, we will move into our next 50 years with our eye on ensuring that vision. " ...it is essential that Clearly Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at The Music Center plays a pivotal role in not only attracting new audiences, but also in supporting the creation of new work and the presentation of young, diverse artists. The Royal New Zealand Ballet’s production of Giselle is a welcome example of bringing a fresh new perspective to one of ballet’s bestloved classics. I hope you enjoy the performance, and that you will join us on our journey toward engaging audiences from all over Los Angeles in the transformative power of the performing arts. Stephen D. Rountree President & CEO PERFORMANCES MAGAZINe 3 ProGramminG note Welcome to the Royal New Zealand Ballet as we celebrate their first North American appearance under the artistic direction of America’s own Ethan Stiefel. An international ballet sensation, Ethan quickly rose to stardom as a Principal dancer with New York City Ballet, Zürich Ballet and American Ballet Theatre. His talents seem to be endless as he has been a teacher, choreographer, and lead actor in a major feature film. While he may no longer be “center stage,” he is now central to the recent success of the Ballet company. Two years ago Ethan shared with me his plan to revisit Giselle in partnership with his friend Johan Kobborg. This was immediately intriguing as they sought to delve deeper into the interpretation by reexamining every element, character and movement of the much-cherished ballet. This refreshed Giselle has cemented Ethan’s focused and refined creative leadership as the timeless themes remain relatable and compelling for a new generation. In February, we honor a seminal American legend through the West Coast premiere of James Brown: Get on The Good Foot, a Celebration in Dance. James Brown was a complex and fascinating artist whose continued global influence is undeniable. This entertaining tribute led by the Apollo Theater, features Philadanco performing the works of multiple choreographers from around the world. Also in February, as part of our acclaimed World City, a family-friendly and free program, there will be a joyful and unbridled exploration of traditional Irish sean-nós dance with Atlantic Steps. This is just another one of the many exciting happenings at The Music Center. We hope you will join us throughout the season. Enjoy the performance! Renae Williams Niles Vice President, Programming 4 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINe ProGram synopsis prologue Our tale begins with a lone man standing haunted and consumed by the images playing inside his head. We now enter into the mind of this man and see the story that has possessed his entire being for nearly a decade… act one In a remote village, Count Albrecht enters with fellow nobleman and faithful liege Wilfrid, who is assisting the Count in his pursuits. Albrecht is inspired by what the day holds as he happily disguises himself once again as a peasant under the alias Lenz. He is in the village to flirt with a beautiful and vibrant young peasant girl, Giselle, whom he has recently encountered. Giselle, who loves dancing and sewing, is taken by the dashing young Lenz and falls deeply in love. Their blossoming romance is abruptly interrupted by Hilarion, the gamekeeper of the manor. Hilarion has long been in love with Giselle and has shown up today to profess that love to her. Although flattered, Giselle does not reciprocate his feelings. The conversation escalates, and Hilarion is prompted to leave. A number of peasants return from the fields and the annual harvest, and Lenz is introduced to the village and to Giselle’s mother, Berthe. upon meeting the mysterious Lenz, Berthe’s maternal instincts make her wary. Having never seen this man before and sensing that something is amiss, she seeks to have a word with Giselle. She reminds her daughter of the local legend: women who die from a broken heart become Wilis, spirits who are eternally destined to haunt the forest at night. Giselle tells her mother not to worry and that everything will be fine. Basking in the glow of passion and the success of the day’s proceedings, Lenz is startled by a horn in the distance: the sound of nobility. Panicked, he finds a place to hide with Wilfrid’s assistance. Hilarion re-enters the village, only to be surprised by and suspicious of Wilfrid’s presence. Hilarion seeks to make sense of what has turned out to be a rather strange day thus far, but his thoughts are interrupted by the trumpeting of the horn, and he too realizes the aristocracy is on the way. The Duke and his riding party, including the glamorous Lady Bathilde, have chosen to stretch their legs, have a drink, and pick up some minor provisions before continuing their outing. During the course of their stop, Lady Bathilde becomes involved in conversation about life and love with Giselle and is taken by the peasant girl’s beauty and charm. Having reached the time for the riding party to move on, the aristocrats take their leave of the village. Soon thereafter, a lively group of peasants return celebrating a recent marriage. The entire community dances, including Giselle, Hilarion, and Lenz, in honour of the wedding couple. This is a joyous occasion for everyone involved except for Hilarion, who finds himself increasingly frustrated and isolated. The merriment reaches a fevered pitch and Hilarion, dejected, is left alone, only to make an important discovery. The peasants continue the party but the revelry comes to an abrupt halt when Hilarion shares Lenz’s secret: he is indeed not a peasant but Count Albrecht. Giselle refuses to believe this is true until the riding party is summoned and it is revealed that Lady Bathilde’s fiancé is none other than Count Albrecht. Shattered by the revelation, Giselle becomes emotionally and physically unhinged by the betrayal and deceit. She spirals into madness, dying of a broken heart in the arms of the man she loved. act two Wracked with grief, Hilarion is saying his goodbyes to Giselle when he senses a bone-chilling and ominous presence which frightens him away from her grave. That looming dread presents itself in the form of Myrtha, the icy Queen of the Wilis. She marks her territory and summons her Wilis, an army of despondent and vengeful spirits whose purpose is to seek retribution by killing any targeted man who enters their territory. This is done by forcing the man to dance to his death. Myrtha calls upon and initiates their newest recruit, Giselle. Myrtha senses Albrecht’s arrival and instructs the Wilis to hide. Albrecht enters the forest, carrying the weight of his actions. He mourns the loss of Giselle until stunned by a supernatural occurrence. He cannot believe his eyes as the aura of Giselle appears before him. He pleads forgiveness and chases her spirit. The Wilis’ attack on the men begins as Hilarion is hurled into their circle of death, and he dances until he meets his end. Myrtha sends the Wilis to collect Albrecht so that he might meet a similar fate. Giselle, not yet callous and bitter like her fellow spirits, shows pity on Albrecht and seeks to protect him from his deadly fate. Myrtha and her Wilis are persistent and push his mind, body, and soul to its limits, only to be constantly repelled by Giselle’s purity of love and forgiveness. As dawn breaks, the Wilis’ power begins to fade. Giselle has succeeded in keeping Albrecht alive and giving him the precious gift of life and her eternal love. Albrecht is left to contemplate the consequences of his actions and to know what it means to live with a broken heart. epilogue The man we first met at the start of our story has relived this nightmare in his mind for the last time. For although he was given a second chance on life, he cannot forget his lost love or accept her forgiveness. He rushes to the gravesite that he has not visited for all of these years… PERFORMANCES MAGAZINe 5 , who s who the royal new ZealanD Ballet The Royal New Zealand Ballet (RNZB) is a versatile company of 34 dancers. Bringing together artists of six different nationalities and from many schools and traditions, the RNZB is proud to offer New Zealanders the opportunity to see ballet and dance of an exceptionally high standard, in their home towns. The company tours regularly to ten centres around New Zealand, and undertakes a biennial tour of small towns which takes the dancers to up to 50 communities, from the tip of New Zealand’s North Island to the bottom of the South. The company which became the Royal New Zealand Ballet was formed in 1953 by Royal Danish Ballet Principal Dancer Poul Gnatt. Early days of touring embodied the New Zealand pioneering spirit. Performing night in, night out, company members unloaded and repacked the sets, rigged the lights and ironed the costumes, with local community members providing accommodation. The spirit of those days survives, and the support of the New Zealand public remains. The RNZB is an intrinsic part of New Zealand’s national heritage, receiving a proportion of its operating income from the New Zealand government through the Ministry for Culture and Heritage and with one of the largest followings of all New Zealand arts organisations. The award of a Royal Charter in 1984, making the RNZB one of just four ballet companies in the British Commonwealth to enjoy this recognition, was further proof of the company’s leading place in New Zealand’s cultural life. Today, the RNZB has developed a reputation for strong and unique interpretations of full-length dramatic works, something which has been a hallmark of its work since the 1980s. To this base have been added many of the masterworks and major ballets of the 20th century, including works by Balanchine, Kylián, Jorma Elo and Mark Morris, and the Prokofiev and Stravinsky ballets, notably versions of Cinderella and Romeo and Juliet by British choreographer Christopher Hampson, a fine Petrouchka and an award-winning interpretation of The Rite of Spring, Milagros, by Venezuelan choreographer Javier De Frutos. The company has an enviable track record in commissioning and performing works from New Zealand and international choreographers including, in recent years, Mark Baldwin, Andrew Simmons, David Dawson, Cameron McMillan and Larry Keigwin. The RNZB undertakes an international tour most years, with recent destinations including China (2007, 6 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINe 2009 and 2013), where the company enjoyed sell-out performances in Shanghai and Guangzhou, the united Kingdom and France (2011) and Australia (2008). The RNZB’s 2014 uS performances, the first time that the company has performed there for over two decades, will be followed by a return to the uK and Ireland in 2015. International touring has led to prestigious award nominations, including two Best New Dance Production nominations at the 2005 Society of London Theatre Laurence Olivier Awards (for Romeo and Juliet and Milagros at Sadler’s Wells), and nominations at the 2011 uK Critics’ Circle National Dance Awards, for Best Classical Choreography (for Andrew Simmons’ A Song In The Dark) and as Outstanding Company. The embracing of new opportunities through the media and digital technology has brought the RNZB to an ever-widening audience, both at home and abroad. The company is the subject of The Secret Lives of Dancers, an award-winning reality television series produced by New Zealand’s TV3, a third series of which will air in 2014. The RNZB’s 2012 production of Giselle, co-produced by Ethan Stiefel and Johan Kobborg and starring Gillian Murphy as Giselle and Qi Huan as Albrecht, was developed into a feature film by New Zealand director Toa Fraser, produced by Matthew Metcalfe of General Film, with support from the New Zealand Film Commission. Following its premiere at the New Zealand International Film Festival in July 2013, Giselle was selected for both the Toronto and Vancouver International Film Festivals and is now on international release, including 100 cinemas in France. The RNZB’s education programme takes the company’s work into classrooms, school halls, dance schools and community centres around New Zealand. Special classes, including dedicated Ballet for Boys sessions, are offered for pre-vocational dance students around New Zealand alongside each tour, and the RNZB has also created a mentoring programme which pairs aspiring young dancers with company members for regular advice and encouragement. The appointment of Ethan Stiefel as Artistic Director in 2011 has raised the national and international profile of the Royal New Zealand Ballet still further. As the company begins its sixth decade it does so in good heart, proud of its place in New Zealand and on the world stage. , who s who artistic staff ETHAN STIEFEL | ARTISTIC DIRECTOR ROYAL NEW ZEALAND BALLET Ethan Stiefel, born in Pennsylvania, is the Artistic Director of the Royal New Zealand Ballet. Just prior to being appointed the RNZB’s Artistic Director, Stiefel served as Dean of the School of Dance at the university of North Carolina School of the Arts (uNCSA). Stiefel began his dance studies in Madison, Wisconsin. His early teachers included Paul Sutherland and Ted Kivitt. He continued his studies at Marcia Dale Weary’s Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet. He was awarded a full scholarship at the School of American Ballet, where he studied under Stanley Williams and then trained with Mikhail Baryshnikov at his School of Classical Ballet. Stiefel began his performing career at age 16 with the New York City Ballet where he quickly rose to the rank of Principal Dancer. He was also a Principal Dancer with the Zürich Ballet and joined American Ballet Theatre in 1997. Stiefel gave his final performance as a Principal Dancer with ABT in July 2012. His repertoire of full-length works included Florimund (The Sleeping Beauty), Siegfried (Swan Lake), Romeo (Romeo and Juliet), James (La Sylphide), Albrecht (Giselle), Lescaut (Manon), Lenski (Onegin), Jeanne (Raymonda), Colas (La Fille Mal Gardée), Solor (La Bayadère), Oberon (A Midsummer Night’s Dream), Prince (Cinderella) Cassio (Othello), Basil (Don Quixote), Franz (Coppélia), Conrad and the Slave (Le Corsaire). He appeared in a wide variety of shorter works by George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, Michel Fokine, William Forsythe, Lar Lubovitch, Jiří Kylián, August Bournonville, Bob Fosse, Antony Tudor, Christopher Wheeldon, Eugene Loring, Peter Martins, Nacho Duato, Frederick Ashton, including works created on him by Twyla Tharp, Paul Taylor, Nils Christe, Susan Stroman, Mark Morris and Christopher Wheeldon among others. He made his debut with London’s Royal Ballet in Twyla Tharp’s Junk Man pas de deux and returned frequently as a guest, dancing the roles of Franz, Solor, Colas, Albrecht, Lenski, the Prince in Natalia Makarova’s new production of The Sleeping Beauty and In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated by William Forsythe. The Mariinsky (Kirov) Ballet first invited him to dance Apollo in St. Petersburg. He later returned to perform the role of Solor. Other guest appearances included the Australian Ballet, the Zürich Ballet, the Bayerische Staatsballett, Hamburg Ballet, The National Ballet of Canada, Teatro Colon, and tours in the united States, Japan, Russia and throughout Europe. He starred in the feature film CENTER STAGE, and returned to play the role of Cooper Nielsen in CENTER STAGE 2 - TuRN IT uP. Stiefel’s television and video credits include The Dream, Le Corsaire, Die Fledermaus, Gossip Girl and the documentary, Born to be Wild. In 2004, Stiefel founded a summer training program on Martha’s Vineyard, Stiefel and Students, which took place for four years. He was the founding director of the Nantucket Dance Festival. He has been a guest teacher for many institutions including the American Ballet Theatre II, American Ballet Theatre, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School, The National Ballet of Canada and The Royal Ballet School. In 2009, Stiefel created a new staging of The Nutcracker for the uNCSA, which continues to be performed every Christmas season. Most recently, he choreographed Bier Halle and collaborated with Johan Kobborg on choreographing and producing a new production of Giselle for the RNZB. In 2013, Giselle was adapted into a feature film, directed by Toa Fraser, and was selected for screening in the NZ International Film Festival, Vancouver International Film Festival and the Toronto International Film Festival. His Royal Highness Crown Prince Albert of Monaco presented Stiefel with the Statue Award of the Princess Grace Foundation, the Foundation’s highest honour, in October 1999. He received the prestigious Dance Magazine Award in December 2008; was a juror for the Prix de Lausanne in 2001 and served on the selection committee for the 2010 International Ballet Competition held in Jackson, Mississippi. AMANDA SKOOG | MANAGING DIRECTOR ROYAL NEW ZEALAND BALLET Amanda left New Zealand as a teenager to pursue a career as a classical ballet dancer, touring Europe extensively before accepting a position with English National Ballet where she met her husband Matz: the Artistic Director of the Royal New Zealand Ballet from 1996 to 2001. Amanda has worked in arts administration for the past 20 years. She was Education Officer with English National Ballet, the Development Manager at London’s Design Museum, Assistant Director at Central School of Ballet with the late Christopher Gable and Visitor Services Manager at the Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre, where her responsibilities included the trading operations of the museum. She has a post-graduate Diploma in Arts Administration from City university, London. Amanda began her role with the RNZB in September 2006 and says the most satisfying aspect of her job is enabling talent from throughout the company to shine, be it dancers, production or any area of administration. PERFORMANCES MAGAZINe 7 , who s who NIGEL GAYNOR | CONDuCTOR AND MuSIC DIRECTOR ROYAL NEW ZEALAND BALLET MARTIN VEDEL | BALLET MASTER ROYAL NEW ZEALAND BALLET Nigel was born in Sydney, and trained at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and the Aspen Music Festival School, uSA. He has worked with The Royal Ballet, English National Ballet, Northern Ballet uK, Australian Ballet, Ballet Philippines, and numerous leading international orchestras. Born in Greenland, with Danish nationality, Martin Vedel trained at the Royal Danish Ballet School and danced with the Royal Danish Ballet from 1988-2000, rising to the rank of Soloist. In 2000 he became a Principal with the Béjart Ballet in Lausanne, Switzerland, under the directorship of Maurice Béjart and Gil Roman. As a dancer, his repertoire included works by Bournonville and Balanchine as well as classics such as Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, Don Quixote and Frederick Ashton’s Romeo and Juliet. His contemporary roles included works by William Forsythe, John Neumeier, Maurice Béjart and Jiří Kylián as well as recent creations by Kim Brandstrup and Liam Scarlett. Career highlights include working with Rudolf Nureyev, Sir Robert Helpmann and Jiří Kylián; conducting the Australian Ballet’s Red Earth by Stanton Welch on live television; collaborating on new ballets with Glen Tetley, Wayne McGregor and Christopher Wheeldon, and music directing for Northern Ballet’s China tours and English National Ballet’s tours to Taiwan and Spain. Nigel conducted Alessandra Ferri’s performances of Manon with The Australian Ballet; American Ballet Theatre’s Julie Kent and Guillaume Graffin for a gala programme in Christchurch, New Zealand, and Derek Deane’s spectacular Swan Lake ‘in the round’ at the Royal Albert Hall for English National Ballet. Nigel has composed and arranged for ballet and theatre productions and has recently completed a full length ballet score. He is actively involved in music education in dance and has produced eight volumes of Beautiful Music for Ballet Class. Nigel’s first engagement with the RNZB was in 2011 for The Sleeping Beauty; he was appointed Music Director in 2013 and to date has conducted and recorded music for Ethan Stiefel’s Bier Halle; the RNZB’s 60th anniversary production of Swan Lake, for the national tour of which he conducted the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra and the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra; and TOWER Tutus on Tour, with Orchestra Wellington. This last included excerpts from Flower Festival at Genzano and Don Quixote, as well as a new production of Peter and the Wolf, narrated by New Zealand television personality Te Radar. Nigel’s first international engagement with the Royal New Zealand Ballet was the company’s 2013 tour to China, where he directed the orchestra for the RNZB’s performances of Giselle at the National Centre for Performing Arts in Beijing. He will again conduct Giselle when the RNZB makes its debut at the LA Music Center in January/ February 2014. 8 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINe While at the Béjart Ballet he began to teach the company, and on his retirement from dancing in 2010 he became a guest teacher for English National Ballet, working with Wayne Eagling on his new production of The Nutcracker and assisting with principal coaching for productions of Romeo and Juliet and Manon. From 2011-12 he was Ballet Master at the Royal Ballet of Flanders, where he taught company class and coached a wide range of ballets including John Cranko’s Onegin, Marcia Haydée’s production of The Sleeping Beauty and works by William Forsythe and Christopher Wheeldon. Martin joined the Royal New Zealand Ballet as Ballet Master in January 2013. TURID REVFEIM | BALLET MISTRESS ROYAL NEW ZEALAND BALLET A New Zealander by birth, Turid Revfeim was appointed Ballet Mistress at the Royal New Zealand Ballet in 2003. Her association with the RNZB dates back to 1980 when she was a dancer in The Nutcracker. She spent four years as a soloist with the Theater der Stadt Koblenz in Germany. In Europe she danced at the prestigious Bayreuther Festspiele each summer from 1982-86. Turid re-joined the RNZB as a dancer in 1986. In 1997 she worked for the Eric Languet Dance Company as Rehearsal Assistant and Stage Manager, and later that year had her daughter Emma. In 1999 she retired from dancing and took up the position of Artistic Coordinator with the company. The RNZB has performed four of her works; Si Supieras for the 2004 Otago Festival of the Arts, subsequently restaged for the RNZB’s Tutus on Tour regional tour of New Zealand in 2005. Three over Four and Bernarda Alba’s House featured in the RNZB’s 1999 ‘Original’s season and Kleines Requiem in 2000’s Next Step season. , who s who Dancer BioGraPhies ABIGAIL BOYLE joined the RNZB in 2005 and has received widespread critical acclaim for her dancing. Notable mentions include her performance as Mercedes in 2008's Don Quixote, which the press described as 'seductive hardedged elegance, coupled with superb comic timing.' Abigail was lauded for her performances in From Here to There in 2010, and her portrayal of Carmen also received ecstatic reviews, with Theatreview saying 'her first solo drips with alluring sexuality as the choreography sits deliciously in her highly articulate body.' In 2011, the dominion post described her performance in TOWER Tutus on Tour as 'superb allegro and serene adagio, which covers all there is.' Abigail's recent roles include Aurora and the Lilac Fairy in The Sleeping Beauty, principal roles in Balanchine's Who Cares? and Myrtha, Queen of the Wilis in Giselle (2012). JACOB CHOwN graduated from the Australian Ballet School. A former Western Australia state trampoline champion, he began his career with the RNZB in 2006. Jacob has performed in numerous productions with the company. In 2008, Dominion Post critic, Jennifer Shennan, commended his performance in the triple bill RED: 'the eye was continually drawn to young Jacob Chown for his remarkable combination of control and majesty in solo passages.' Jacob performed lead roles in Silhouette and A Million Kisses to My Skin in the 2010 triple bill From Here to There. as the Prince's Friend in The Sleeping Beauty (2011), critics declared Jacob 'outstanding'. In 2012's NYC: Three Short Ballets from the Big Apple, Jacob's performance in Larry Keigwin's Final Dress was also labelled a 'standout'. Jacob performed the role of Hilarion in Giselle (2012). BRENDAN BRADSHAw began ballet lessons as a six year old in the small New South Wales town of Wauchope. He then trained at the Australian Ballet School, graduating with the Graeme Murphy Award for Excellence in Contemporary Dance. His roles since joining the RNZB in 2004 include Prince Desire in The Sleeping Beauty, Romeo in Romeo and Juliet and the Prince in Cinderella, about which the National Business Review said: 'Bradshaw showed superb athleticism and a dynamic technique which dominated the ballroom sequence.' Personal highlights include working with Javier De Frutos, Jorma Elo and Larry Keigwin. As a choreographer, Brendan has created works for Auckland's Tempo Festival, the RNZB's appearance in WOW (World Of Wearable Art) in 2011 and TOWER Tutus on Tour. He collaborated with former RNZB dancer Catherine Eddy on a new Peter and the Wolf for TOWER Tutus on Tour in 2013. RORY FAIRwEATHER-NEYLAN, from Queensland, Australia, joined the RNZB in 2007. He attended the Australian Ballet School and later enrolled at the Queensland Dance School of Excellence. He went on to further his training at the New Zealand School of Dance. In 2007 he was a finalist in the Alana Haines Australian Awards and was granted a scholarship to attend the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School's Summer Programme. Rory was also awarded the solo seal from the Royal Academy of Dance. Rory's performance as Peter Pan in the company's 2009 production met with critical acclaim, the National Business Review noting he 'gave a stunning performance as the cheeky, athletic Peter Pan.' Rory has also performed the roles of Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet and Pinocchio in TOWER Tutus on Tour in 2011. CLYTIE CAMPBELL joined the RNZB in 2005, returning from eight years dancing in Europe. Starting at the age of five, her entire ballet training was at her mother's school, the Phillipa Campbell School of Ballet in Auckland. At 17, Clytie joined the Deutsche Oper Ballet in Berlin, where she danced for more than six years, before moving to Vienna's Staatsoper Ballet. Clytie has danced many lead roles with the RNZB including Kitri in Don Quixote, The Sylph in La Sylphide, Myrtha, Queen of the Wilis in Giselle, the grand pas de deux in The Nutcracker and Carabosse and the Lilac Fairy in The Sleeping Beauty, as well as solos in Esquisses, Silhouette and A Million Kisses to My Skin. Her role as Lady Capulet in Romeo and Juliet was described as 'a knockout'. Clytie received critical acclaim for her lead roles in all three works in 2010's From Here to There, which she also performed during the RNZB's European Tour in 2011. Born in Hamilton, HAYLEY DONNISON moved to Invercargill as a toddler and started ballet when she was six. At age ten while dancing at Shelley E. Coutts Dance Academy, Hayley moved to Melbourne with her family where she continued her training with Christa Cameron School of Ballet. At 15 she was accepted into the Australian Ballet School and graduated in 2012. While at the ABS Hayley received the Level 5 Award for Excellence and was selected to visit The National Ballet School of Canada and The School of American Ballet on exchange. Hayley joined the RNZB as an apprentice in January 2013, becoming a full company member in September 2013. Performance highlights include the Pas de Trois in Russell Kerr's Swan Lake for RNZB, Clara in Leigh Rowles’ Nutcracker (Australian Ballet School), Prelude in Les Sylphides (Australian Ballet School) and the Candide fairy from The Sleeping Beauty (Australian Ballet School). PERFORMANCES MAGAZINe 9 , who s who Born in Cincinnati, uSA, MADISON GEOGHEGAN began dancing at the age of five. She trained pre-professionally at a local studio, Ballet Tech of Ohio, under the direction of Claudia Rudolf Barrett. At 16, Madison was accepted into The university of North Carolina School of the Arts. While a student, Madison was awarded the Melissa Hayden endowed scholarship. She performed leading roles including the Sugar Plum Fairy, Odette/Odile in Swan Lake and Balanchine's V. Madison graduated from uNCSA in May 2012 and joined the RNZB for Giselle in September 2012. LORI GILCHRIST is from Yorkshire in England and joined the RNZB in January 2014. She trained at Pamela Gibson’s school of dance and at the age of 16 she continued her training at the Northern Ballet School in Manchester. upon graduating Lori joined Northern Ballet in the uK under the directorship of David Nixon where she danced for 10 years. She danced many roles whist at Northern Ballet including; Sugarplum Fairy in The Nutcracker, Cleopatra in Cleopatra, Hermia in A Midsummer Night's Dream, Myrtle in The Great Gatsby, Isabella in Wuthering Heights, Belle and the Ghost of Christmas past in A Christmas Carol and Beatrice in Ondine. Lori has also performed in many other works by Hans Van Manen, Christopher Hampson, Daniel De Andrade and David Nixon. In 2012 Lori guested at the International Ballet Gala in Magdeburg where she performed the pas de deux Three Preludes from David Nixon's I Got Rhythm. Born and raised in Melbourne, MADELEINE GRAHAM began dancing at the age of seven, training at the Jane Moore Academy of Ballet and the Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School before being accepted into the Australian Ballet School in 2010, where she later graduated as vice captain in 2012. She was awarded the Royal Academy of Dance Australian Bursary in 2008 and the Graeme Murphy Contemporary Excellence Award (Australian Ballet School). Her repertoire includes works by Jiří Kylián, Michel Fokine, David Lichine, Peggy Van Praagh, Jonathan Taylor, Mark Annear and Petal Miller-Ashmole. Performance highlights include dancing the White Cat in Peggy Van Praagh's The Sleeping Beauty, Lucas Jervies' From Home Far From and Margaret Wilson's Quintet. Originally from Tauranga, KATHERINE GRANGE joined the RNZB in 2010 as the Todd Scholar. Katherine has been dancing since the age of four and trained at the Dance Education Centre in Tauranga and the New Zealand School of Dance. She first danced with the RNZB when still a student, joining the La Sylphide Tour in 2009. In 2011's The Sleeping Beauty, Katherine danced the Blue Fairy and the Orange Fairy. In 2012 she performed the role of the Short 10 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINe Step Sister in Cinderella. Katherine's other achievements include joining Singapore Dance Theatre as a guest dancer in 2009 for their production of Swan Lake. Sydney-born LUCY GREEN graduated from the Victorian College of the Arts in 2008 and joined the RNZB in 2010. In 2011 Lucy performed the role of Columbina in Pinocchio and the Green Fairy and Bluebird in The Sleeping Beauty. The NZ Listener praised Lucy's performance in Benjamin Millepied's 28 Variations on a Theme by Paganini (2012) as 'dazzlingly fluid', with the New Zealand Herald declaring 'every inch of her a stunning new star on the rise.' Lucy ended 2012 on a high, having performed the title roles in both Cinderella and Giselle as well as creating the female role in the 'wedding couple' in Act I of Ethan Stiefel and Johan Kobborg's Giselle. Born in Auckland, ADRIANA HARPER grew up in small-town Coromandel. She completed her professional training at the New Zealand School of Dance in 2004, graduating with the Todd Scholarship. Adriana joined the Royal New Zealand Ballet in 2005 and has since danced Lucy Westenra in Dracula, the Short Step Sister in Cinderella, Kitri in Don Quixote and featured roles in Esquisses, Concerto and A Million Kisses to My Skin about which us dance critic Allan ulrich said her work showed 'a spiralling exuberance that, I suspect, won't be a southern hemisphere secret much longer.' Born in Wellington, ANTONIA HEwITT moved to Canberra as a toddler and began ballet lessons at the age of four. She trained at the Kim Harvey School of Dance before returning to Wellington in 2004 to attend the New Zealand School of Dance, joining the RNZB in 2007. Her roles have included the title roles in La Sylphide (2009), Carmen (2010) and most recently, Giselle. in 2011 she performed the role of the Lilac Fairy in The Sleeping Beauty. The National Business Review remarked that Antonia's performance as The Sylph 'shone through with a lustrous richness'. in 2012's NYC: Three Short Ballets from the Big Apple, Antonia featured in both Benjamin Millepied's 28 Variations on a Theme of Paganini and Balanchine's Who Cares?, earning praise for her 'stunning delicacy'. Antonia's performances as Giselle in 2012 were universally acclaimed. Bernadette Rae of the New Zealand Herald wrote: 'Antonia Hewitt's willowy grace and long, fluid lines make for an ethereal Wili, of captivating power and other-worldly beauty.' Born in Brisbane, Australia, OSCAR HOELSCHER started dancing at the young age of 5 learning ballet, contemporary, jazz, and tap before focusing on ballet. He is a founding member of the Brisbane City Youth Ballet and danced many ballets with them including the , who s who Prince in The Nutcracker. Oscar attended and graduated the Queensland Dance School of Excellence in 2010 gaining the 'Dance Student of the Year' award. He then started his training at the New Zealand School of Dance in 2011. In July 2013, Oscar danced in RNZB's Swan Lake tour on secondment and has now joined the company. MACLEAN HOPPER was born in Richmond, Virginia. He started dancing when he was nine years old, and went on to train at the university of North Carolina School of the Arts and San Francisco Ballet School, with summers spent at Washington Ballet and Boston Ballet. He joined the RNZB for Giselle in 2012. Highlights while a student include dancing Act II of Swan Lake and Antony Tudor's Little Improvisations with RNZB colleague Sara Havener, a fellow uNCSA alumna. Maclean's favourite ballets are Romeo and Juliet and Giselle, and he loves the work of William Forsythe and David Dawson. In his spare time he likes to cook and surf. QI HUAN began his ballet studies in Shengyang, in China's Liaoning province. He went on to the Beijing Dance Academy and from 2003-4 was a teacher at the academy, with former RNZB principal dancer Ou Lu. Since joining the RNZB in 2005, Qi has performed many principal roles, including the title role in Dracula, the Prince in Cinderella, Siegfried in Swan Lake, Romeo in Romeo and Juliet, Basilio in Don Quixote, Prince Desire in The Sleeping Beauty, the grand pas de deux in The Nutcracker and Hook in Peter Pan. He has also taken leading roles in shorter works, including A Million Kisses to My Skin, A Song in the Dark and 28 Variations on a Theme of Paganini. In 2012, Qi partnered Gillian Murphy in the Da:ns Festival Gala in Singapore, performing 'The Man I Love' from Balanchine's Who Cares? and the 'Black Swan' pas de deux. He ended the year with acclaimed performances as Albrecht in Giselle, with the uK's DanceTabs online magazine saying 'his dance to death is breathtaking and he convinces you that he has given every scrap of energy just as dawn arrives. Technically he is on fire.' Born in Sydney, ALExANDER IDASzAK began his dance training at J and L Productions and was offered a place at The McDonald College of Performing Arts School, taught by Josephine Jason and Alan Cross. In 2010, Alexander accepted a place at The Australian Ballet School in Melbourne, where he completed a Diploma in Dance and a Vocational Graduate Certificate in Classical Ballet. After graduating in 2012, Alexander was offered a position by Artistic Director Li Cunxin as a company dancer with Queensland Ballet, and performed leading roles such as Prince Albrecht in Ai-gul Gaisina’s Giselle, also the Prince in Ben Stevenson’s The Nutcracker. Alexander joined the Royal New Zealand Ballet in 2014. KOHEI IwAMOTO began ballet lessons in his native Japan at the age of 11. His talent was rewarded with a scholarship to the Australian Ballet School, and he joined the RNZB at the beginning of 2010. Kohei has a passion for comic roles and an early highlight for him was performing the role of a tourist in Carmen. In 2011 he performed both the title role and the adventurous puppet Arlequino in Pinocchio, as part of TOWER Tutus on Tour, as well as Bluebird and the Prince's Friend in The Sleeping Beauty. 'Bluebirds (…Kohei Iwamoto) shimmered like flutes', according to the dominion post. During 2012, Kohei made two significant debuts, as the Prince in Cinderella and as Albrecht in Giselle. JIANG PENG FEI was born in Anhui province, People’s Republic of China. He started dancing at the age of four and undertook his formative training at the Secondary School of the Beijing Dance Academy. In 2012, at the prestigious Youth America Grand Prix ballet competition in New York City, Peng Fei was placed amongst the top 12 men. In the same year, he participated in the Beijing International Ballet Competition and was awarded 3rd place in the Tao Li Cup. As a consequence of his success at YAGP, Peng Fei was granted an international scholarship to study full-time at the New Zealand School of Dance, in 2013. Peng Fei is thrilled to be joining the Royal New Zealand Ballet in 2014. Australian born, LAURA SAxON JONES began dancing at the age of 6 with Christine Atkinson - the Ballet Class, Sydney. With dual nationality, Laura came to New Zealand in 2011 to further her training at the New Zealand School of Dance. In the NZSD's graduation programme, Laura was chosen to dance Violette Verdy's role in Balanchine's Emeralds (staged by Diana White). Capital Times wrote – 'excerpts of Balanchine's sparkling Emeralds was fluidly danced by all, but especially Laura Jones. This elegant dancer has a lovely, unforced technique and personality that should take her far.' In her second year of training at the school, Laura toured with the RNZB in Ethan Stiefel and Johan Kobborg's new production of Giselle. Laura was awarded the 2012 Todd Scholarship and joined the Royal New Zealand Ballet in 2013. From Queensland, Australia, BRONTE KELLY started dancing at the age of four and went on to train at the Australian Ballet School. She joined the RNZB at the beginning of 2011, performing in TOWER Tutus on Tour, Stravinsky Selection PERFORMANCES MAGAZINe 11 , who s who and The Sleeping Beauty, in which she performed the role of the Yellow Fairy. Recent highlights include appearing in Balanchine's Who Cares?, performing the title role in the RNZB's Cinderella and being a part of Ethan Stiefel and Johan Kobborg's Giselle. An Australian of Greek and Maltese heritage, DIMITRI KLEIORIS took his first dance lessons in jazz and tap at the age of six, later taking up classical ballet at the McDonald College under the direction of Nigel Burley. He graduated from the Australian Ballet School in 2009 and joined the RNZB the following year. 'A piece that requires from its dancers soul and raw physicality as well as technique, and for an embodiment of this...one can't go past Dimitri Kleioris.' - Australian stage. In 2012 Dimitri danced the lead couple in Larry Keigwin's Final Dress and the role of Hilarion in Giselle; he also choreographed the piece 4+1 for leaps & sounds. He has recently been coached by and thanks Irina Brecher Hamilton and the team at Soul Motion in Los Angeles. Dmitri's favourite production is Graeme Murphy's Swan Lake. He has played the role of a sailor in Murphy's The Nutcracker and Jaschiu in Opera Australia's production of Death in Venice choreographed by Meryl Tankard. Chinese-born YANG LIU started dancing at the age of five and went on to train at the Beijing Dance Academy from 1996 – 2003, before joining the National Ballet of China. Yang joined the RNZB in 2010. Her audition and first season dancing in the triple bill season of From Here to There were featured in the first series of TV3's The Secret Lives of Dancers. She went on to become a fan favourite in the second series of Secret Lives. Yang's favourite ballets are Giselle, The Sleeping Beauty and Don Quixote. In 2011 she danced the role of the Green Fairy in The Sleeping Beauty, with the Otago Daily Times praising her 'certain lightness [which] made the technically demanding choreography seem effortless.' Originally from Australia, TONIA LOOKER trained at the Australian Ballet School. In 2007 she was awarded a scholarship to train with the School of American Ballet in New York and Toronto's National Ballet School. Tonia joined the Royal New Zealand Ballet in 2008 and in her debut in RED she was described by one critic as a dancer to watch, noting 'her exuberance and dynamic line is noticeable amongst the ranks.' She performed Tinkerbell in Peter Pan at the end of 2009 to critical acclaim; 'a tempestuous wonder as Tinkerbell,' said the Dominion Post. Career highlights for Tonia include performing the title role in the RNZB's 2009 production of La Sylphide and appearing as Juliet to a home crowd during the 2010 Australian tour of Romeo and Juliet. 12 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINe In 2011, Tonia performed as Columbina in Pinocchio, the Doll in Petrouchka and Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty, and in 2012 she performed the title roles in both Cinderella and Giselle. Born and raised in Auckland, PAUL MATHEwS joined the RNZB from the New Zealand School of Dance in 2006, as the Todd Scholar. He has performed a wide variety of roles, including Gamache in Don Quixote, Hook in Peter Pan, Tybalt in Romeo and Juliet, the Blackamoor in Petrouchka and most recently, Hilarion in Giselle. He took a lead role in A Million Kisses to My Skin, performed as part of From Here to There (2010) and on the RNZB's 2011 European tour. In 2012's NYC: Three Short Ballets from the Big Apple, Paul achieved a career highlight as leading man opposite Gillian Murphy in Balanchine's Who Cares?, with the Listener praising his performance as 'stylish and casually sexy. ARATA MIYAGAwA was born in Japan and trained there and at the prestigious John Cranko School in Stuttgart, Germany and studied with Petr Pestov. Arata made his RNZB debut in 2013 with Made to Move. He has danced with the Stanislavski and Nemirovich-Dancenko Academic Music Theatre in Moscow (2010/11) and in 2012 won the silver medal at the International Ballet Competition in Varna, Bulgaria, one of the world's most highly regarded competitions for young professional dancers. Other awards include a bronze medal at the 2010 Youth America Grand Prix in New York, the gold medal at the all Japan Ballet Competition, also in 2010, and medals at the Tanzolymp ('Dance Olympics') Competitions in Berlin in 2005 and 2009. GILLIAN MURPHY (Principal Guest Artist). Gillian is a Principal Ballerina with American Ballet Theatre, and in 2012 she also became Principal Guest Artist with the Royal New Zealand Ballet. Gillian was raised in Florence, South Carolina, uSA and received her high school education and advanced dance training at the university of North Carolina School of the Arts. Gillian's repertoire includes leading roles in all of ABT's current full-length classics and in shorter works by George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, Jiří Kylián, Antony Tudor, William Forsythe, Martha Graham, Lar Lubovitch, Paul Taylor, Frederick Ashton and Agnes de Mille. She starred as Odette/Odile in ABT's PBS television production of Swan Lake, and she has appeared in world premieres of new creations by Benjamin Millepied, Stanton Welch, Jorma Elo, Peter Quanz, Natalie Weir, John Neumeier, Alexei Ratmansky, Christopher Wheeldon and Twyla Tharp. Gillian has danced with The Mariinsky Ballet (Kirov), the Royal Swedish Ballet, the Staatsballett Berlin, the Kiev Ballet, and in numerous other international engagements , who s who and galas. In 2009, Gillian was the recipient of a Princess Grace Statue Award, the organisation's highest honour. Wellington-born ALAYNA NG has been dancing since the age of four, graduating from the New Zealand School of Dance in 2006. Her performance in the school's graduation season was described by Maggie Foyer of Dance Europe as 'feminine charm in a crowd-pleasing display of one-upmanship. While still a student, Alayna performed with the RNZB in The Wedding and Giselle, before joining the company in 2007. In 2009, her performance in Dances from Napoli drew praise from Dance Informa: 'in the pas de six, Alayna Ng shone. her technique was faultless and her performance warm and generous.' In addition to performing with the RNZB, in 2010 Alayna qualified as a Pilates instructor. For 2013's Made to Move, Alayna was excited to have worked alongside Ethan Stiefel during the creation of Bier Halle. LOUGHLAN PRIOR was born in Melbourne and began his early training at Parkwood Dance Academy and then later at the Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School. He first performed with the Royal New Zealand Ballet in the company's 2009 season of TOWER Tutus on Tour. upon graduating from the New Zealand School of Dance at the end of that year, he was offered a full time place with the company. His career highlights include dancing in Cameron McMillan's Satisfied with Great Success and Javier De Frutos' Milagros. Loughlan has a keen interest in choreography, having created work for RNZB's recent leaps & sounds season and the NZSD graduation season in 2012. He also teaches dance and is involved in modelling projects and visual design. Born in Gisborne and raised in Pukekohe, JOSEPH SKELTON started dancing at the age of four. He trained in the uK at the Elmhurst School for Dance and the Royal Ballet School. He returned to New Zealand to join the Royal New Zealand Ballet in 2011 and toured the South Island in TOWER Tutus on Tour. Inspired by his mum and dad, Joseph aims to be the best dancer he can be and finds his career both challenging and incredibly rewarding. In his spare time he enjoys surfing, playing guitar and piano and listening to music. Born in Invercargill, HARRY SKINNER trained under Paula Hunt in Wellington and at the Australian Ballet School. He performed in the Australian Ballet's productions of Don Quixote and Destiny. Harry joined the RNZB in 2008 and his early roles included Peter's Shadow in Peter Pan (2009) and Fritz in The Nutcracker (2010). 2011 saw him feature in Verdi Variations and The Sleeping Beauty. Favourite roles in 2012 included 28 Variations on a Theme of Paganini and Balanchine's Who Cares? and he caught critics' eyes in Giselle at the end of 2012, with Theatreview reporting that 'Maree White and Harry Skinner establish wonderful characters during the female and male ensembles.' Harry is studying extramurally for a degree in political science at Massey university. MAYU TANIGAITO was born in Tochigi, Japan, and made her first trip to New Zealand in 2011 to audition for the RNZB. Mayu started her dance training at the age of 6 at the Takahashi Wakako Ballet Studio, and continued her studies at Antwerp Royal Ballet School in Belgium, and the Rock School for Dance Education in the uSA. In 2007 she was a finalist in the Youth America Grand Prix, the world's largest student ballet scholarship competition. Her professional career began in 2008 at North Carolina Dance Theatre II where she danced roles in Snow White, Othello and The Nutcracker. Mayu's first season with the RNZB was 2012's NYC: Three Short Ballets from the Big Apple, creating a memorable first impression with a well-received performance in Larry Keigwin's Final Dress. She ended the year with performances as Myrtha, Queen of the Wilis in Giselle. BRYN wATKINS grew up in Orange, California, in the united States. She began her ballet training at the West Coast Conservatory of Ballet at age five. At age eleven she began training at Ballet Pacifica with noted teachers Amanda McKerrow and John Gardner. In 2008, Watkins enrolled at the Maple Conservatory of Dance where she trained for five years under the direction of Charles Maple and others. She has attended summer intensives at Ballet West, Houston Ballet, and American Ballet Theatre, all on scholarship. Watkins was a Finalist in the Music Center Spotlight Awards, a Gold Level YoungArts Winner, and a Presidential Scholar in the Arts nominee. She joined American Ballet Theatre as an apprentice in September 2012 and was promoted to the corps de ballet in May 2013. She joined the Royal New Zealand Ballet at the end of 2013. MAREE wHITE joined the Royal New Zealand Ballet at the end of 2006 for the TOWER Season of Giselle, dancing the role of Queen of the Wilis. At 16, after being awarded her RAD Solo Seal, the Cairns native received a scholarship to study at the Wiener Staatsoper Ballet School and danced with the Wiener Staatsoper Ballet. Maree was also a soloist at the Deutsche Oper am Rhein in Dusseldorf for six years. Since joining the RNZB she has danced the role of Mercedes in the Meridian season of Don Quixote, Queen Sylph in the Meridian Season of La Sylphide and Carabosse in the Meridian season of The Sleeping Beauty. Her performance in Saltarello in 2009's TOWER Tutus on Tour was described as 'heartstoppingly exquisite'. 'Maree White's portrayal of the Black Fairy as an almost sultry temptress produced a beautiful contrast' — Otago Daily Times. PERFORMANCES MAGAZINe 13 It's not too late to guarantee your seats. Become a flex subscriber today! Select 3 or more from these upcoming performances: JAMES BROWN: GET ON THE GOOD FOOT, A CELEBRATION IN DANCE PAuL TAYLOR DANCE COMPANY BALLET PRELJOCAJ – THE NIGHTS Heather ogden and Guillaume côté in Romeo and Juliet. Photo by Johan Persson. THE NATIONAL BALLET OF CANADA – ROMEO AND JULIET MEDIA PARTNER To order visit musiccenter.org/subscribe or call (213) 972-0711. , who s who the royal new Zealand Ballet would like to acknowledge the generous support of those individuals and organisations supporting the 2014 usa tour. Genevieve and Lew Geyser Steve and Michèle Pesner Fred and Irene Shen Alex and Sheila Ewing NEw zEALAND SUPPORTERS GROUP CORPORATE SUPPORTERS GOVERNMENT SUPPORT Larry Carne and Ros Machon Steven and Catherine Fyfe Isaac Hikaka and Jessica Miles Vodafone Tamsin Cooper NZ Van Lines New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage royal new ZealanD Ballet orchestra VIOLINS I VIOLAS FLUTES TROMBONES Roberto Cani Yi Zhou Heather Clark William Booth concertmaster PrinciPal PrinciPal PrinciPal Armen Anassian Andrew Picken Angela Wiegand associate concertmaster associate PrinciPal Lisa Sutton Karie Prescott Dmitri Bovaird Kazi Pitelka Kate Vincent Alma Fernandez Josephine Moerschel OBOES Alvin Veeh Terry Cravens Leslie Reed TUBA PrinciPal Doug Tornquist assistant concertmaster Margaret Wooten Olivia Tsui Tamsen Beseke James Stark Tina Chang Qu Marina Manukian Radu Pieptea Loránd Lokuszta Yelena Yegoryan VIOLINS II Ana Landauer PrinciPal Steve Scharf associate PrinciPal Florence Titmus Leslie Katz Michele Kikuchi Cynthia Moussas Jayme Miller Susan Rishik Elizabeth Hedman Irina Voloshina Jennifer Johnson PrinciPal CLARINETS HARP Stuart Clark JoAnn Turovsky PrinciPal PrinciPal CELLI Donald Foster Rowena Hammill TIMPANI BASSOONS Gregory Goodall William May PrinciPal PrinciPal PERCUSSION PrinciPal Kim Scholes associate PrinciPal xiao-Dan Zheng Trevor Handy Roger Lebow Ginger Murphy BASSES David Young PrinciPal Judith Farmer HORNS Steven Becknell PrinciPal Daniel Kelley Jenny Kim James Atkinson Ann Atkinson TRUMPETS associate PrinciPal David Washburn Frances Liu Wu Don Ferrone Tim Eckert Theresa Dimond PrinciPal Timm Boatman ORCHESTRA PERSONNEL MANAGER Brady Steel LIBRARIAN Mark Fabulich PrinciPal Marissa Benedict Andy ulyate Kevin Brown PERFORMANCES MAGAZINe 15 about giselle By elizabeth Kaye Romantic ballets are studies in enchantment. They transport us to mystical realms where forests abound with entrancing sylphs and maidens arise from their graves to dance from dark to dawn. 16 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINe Giselle is a romantic ballet in two distinct ways: it is romantic in the classic sense and it is also a ballet of the Romantic era which flourished in the first half of the 19th century. These ballets owed their existence to the advent of the pointe shoe which came into use in the early 1800’s. Made of satin, secured with ribbons, pointe shoes allowed a ballerina to float and soar across the stage, seemingly propelled by some otherworldly magic. Such ethereal and gossamer creatures were the ideal heroines of Romantic ballets which were founded in the era’s preoccupation with the supernatural. Giselle was created in 1841 for Carlotta Grisi, a beguiling and surpassingly delicate ballerina who had been trained by her lover, the dancer and choreographer Jules Perrot. Grisi’s most besotted admirer was the romantic poet, Theophile Gautier. Determined to get her attention, he resolved to present her with a ballet story perfectly suited to her gifts. Wisely, he chose a plot based on Heinrich Heine's popular tale Giselle ou Les Wilis for Grisi was the rare ballerina who possessed Giselle’s elusive mix of fragility and fire. Royal New Zealand Ballet Giselle, Act II: Wilis with Myrtha and Hilarion. Photo by Maarten Holl. more aBout this ProGram more aBout this ProGram Working with the librettist Vernoy de Saint-Georges, Gautier conceived a story of such magic and power that it inspired the composer Adolphe Adam to set it to music in a single week. The sublime dances of the corps de ballet were created by the ballet master Jean Corelli; Perrot choreographed the leading roles of Giselle and Albrecht. From its first performance in Paris, Giselle was a sensation. It gave Carlotta Grisi the role with which she would always be associated, and secured her place among the most revered and stellar Romantic ballerina’s. She expressed her gratitude to Gautier by leaving Perrot for him. Grisi had many fine qualities; loyalty was not one of them. Eventually, craving a more aristocratic partner, she ran off and married Prince Leon Radziwell. Gautier was devastated. unable to sever his tie to her, he married her sister; years later, on his deathbed, his final words were, “Carlotta…Carlotta.” The ballet Gautier conjured for Grisi is a parable about forgiveness and selfless love and the way in which these elevated virtues can save a soul, and redeem a life. Giselle is a shy and delicate peasant girl who falls in love with a young man lately come to her rural village. He appears to be a peasant, but is a nobleman, Count Albrecht. Smitten with Giselle and, seeking to woo her despite impassable class barriers, Albrecht attires himself in peasant garb to obscure his true identity. Albrecht is charming but he is also a careless and pampered youth who has never had to suffer the consequences of his cavalier behavior. He vows his love to Giselle though he is betrothed to a woman of noble birth. When Giselle discovers his willful duplicity, she goes mad and dies. Albrecht, stunned by guilt and grief, makes his way to her grave in a moonlit glade at the edge of the forest. Giselle has been initiated into the Wilis, (pronounced Willies) a cadre of supernatural maidens who died of heartbreak after being left at the altar by feckless fiancés. Vengeful yet lovely, the Wilis roam the forest at night, ensnaring young men and compelling them to dance themselves to death. They capture Albrecht but Giselle protects him from this gruesome fate by dancing with him, rousing him, urging him to go on until dawn breaks at which time the Wilis lose their power. When morning bells chime at last, Albrecht understands that Giselle has forgiven him; her forgiveness is an act of grace, for grace is an unearned gift and he knows he does not deserve to be saved. Finally, Giselle returns to her grave leaving Albrecht alone in the forest, awed and humbled and forever changed. "from its first performance in paris, giselle was a sensation." Dancing these roles is especially challenging because Giselle and Albrecht are transformed as they proceed from act one to act two: the flesh and blood Giselle becomes a diaphanous spirit; Albrecht, the callow youth, becomes a repentant man who has learned the meaning of love. All this has a singular power over audiences, who know too well what it means to be the forgiver and the forgiven, the betrayer and the betrayed. In this way, the audience sees itself in both Albrecht and Giselle, who together represent the eternal duality that comprises the human condition. PERFORMANCES MAGAZINe 17 the music center staff eXecutiVe staff Stephen D. Rountree Jim Bell Gyasi Parker-Ross PRESIDENT & CHIEF ExECUTIVE OFFICER BOx OFFICE TREASURER ADVANCEMENT COORDINATOR Howard Sherman Cheryl Brown Karen Pogoda ExECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT & CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER MAJOR GIFTS OFFICER ASSISTANT MANAGER, MEMBERSHIP Lisa Whitney Tom Bucher Laura Recchi FIRST ASSISTANT, BOx OFFICE TREASURER DIRECTOR, ANNUAL PROGRAMS Gary Cannone ADVANCEMENT wRITER SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, FINANCE & CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Elizabeth Kennedy wEB MANAGER SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, ADVANCEMENT Joan Cumming VICE PRESIDENT, PUBLIC RELATIONS & COMMUNICATIONS Renae Williams Niles VICE PRESIDENT, PROGRAMMING Mark Slavkin VICE PRESIDENT, EDUCATION Carolyn Van Brunt VICE PRESIDENT, GUEST RELATIONS the music center enGaGement staff Abegail Baguio SENIOR COORDINATOR, ANNUAL PROGRAMS Rebecca Baillie PROGRAM MANAGER Ellen Cheney ASSISTANT VICE PRESIDENT, ADVANCEMENT Chris Christel Michael Solomon DIRECTOR OF PRODUCTION ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT, PROGRAMMING Amanda Hallman ASSISTANT MANAGER, DONOR EVENTS & STEwARDSHIP Sharon Stewart Abigail Hollingshead Melissa Tan COORDINATOR, INSTITUTIONAL GIVING MANAGER, MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS Melissa Joseph PROGRAM MANAGER Veronica Meza ASSISTANT MANAGER, MEMBERSHIP & ANNUAL PROGRAMS Shane Morton SECOND ASSISTANT, BOx OFFICE TREASURER Dorothy chanDler PaVilion staff HOUSE MANAGER Demetra Willis Steven Lee HEAD USHERS Jeff Des Enfants DIRECTOR, SCHEDULING & EVENTS Patrice Thomas PRODUCTION MANAGER Heather Toner MANAGER, SOCIAL MEDIA & PROMOTIONS Lusine Vardanyan ASSISTANT, MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR, MEMBERSHIP & STEwARDSHIP CONTROLLER Jim Payne Jennifer Samsel DIRECTOR, INSTITUTIONAL GIVING Cassandra Nwokah Benjamin Bank Eveleen Samayoa James Draper MASTER OF PROPERTIES Gary Earl MASTER ELECTRICIAN Lee Smilek MASTER wARDROBE MASTER AUDIO Tim Conroy MASTER CARPENTER 18 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINe consultants to Dance Presentations The stage crew, wardrobe crew and box office staff are represented by the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts of the united States of America and Canada, AFL-CIO, CKC, Local Numbers 33, 768, and 857, respectively. The House Managers employed by The Music Center are represented by the Association of Theatrical Press Agents and Managers. GRAPHIC DESIGN Studio Fuse PUBLICITY Davidson & Choy Publicity Profile COMMITTED SUPPORTIVE RESPONSIVE These are but a few of the words that describe The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation’s partnership with The Music Center. For 25 years The Parsons Foundation has supported The Music Center and its mission to be a leader in the performing arts and in the community, providing opportunities for people of all ages to experience the best in the performing arts as audiences, as participants and as creators. Families enjoy a World City performance. The Parsons Foundation has been a steadfast supporter of a wide range of Music Center programs, from arts education programs that help students learn important analytical, communication and collaborative skills to Active Arts programs that invite community members to express their “inner artists.” The Foundation has, without reservation, supported new initiatives—giving The Music Center the flexibility to adapt to the changing needs of Los Angeles—and at the same time sustained vital programs for the community. Community members participate in Active Arts' Drum Downtown. The Foundation also gave significantly to the construction of the Walt Disney Concert Hall. Parsons made the first grant commitment to the building fund after Lillian Disney’s initial gift and followed that pledge with a second grant that doubled their investment in the project. The Music Center’s impact and reach are possible only through committed, supportive and responsive partners such as Parsons. The Music Center thanks The Parsons Foundation for its investment in The Music Center and its unwavering commitment to Los Angeles. About Ralph M. Parsons Ralph M. Parsons evolved from being a fisherman’s son on Long Island to founder and leader of one of the world’s largest and most influential engineering and construction companies. By the time Mr. Parsons died in 1974 at age 78, the firm he founded near the end of world war II had completed a list of projects that reads like a history of industrial and urban development in the 20th century. It built scores of major projects in more than 30 countries. In 1961, he founded The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation as the charitable giving arm of his company that is today one of the philanthropic leaders of Southern California. PERFORMANCES MAGAZINe 19 Get inVolVeD ways to Get inVolVeD at the music center Families participate in an art-making workshop following a World City performance. Photo by Ryan Miller Artists from Matthew Bourne’s Sleeping Beauty speak with students attending a special matinee performance for Los Angeles schools. the music center annual fund music center leadership council (mclc) Support The Music Center today and contribute to our vision of ensuring that everyone in our community has the opportunity to experience first-hand the transformative power of the arts. Your unrestricted annual gift allows us to annually bring arts education programs to more than 150 schools each year including over 400 school assemblies. It also brings children and families to The Music Center campus for student performances and free family programming, and helps produce world-class dance productions through Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at The Music Center. Membership opportunities begin at $75. The Music Center Leadership Council is a support group with monthly networking and social events. Composed of business and community leaders who believe the arts can promote future success in young people’s lives, MCLC exclusively supports The Music Center’s arts education programs, including its signature program—Spotlight. Membership is by invitation and giving begins at $2,500. Benefits include (depending on gift level) but are not limited to: • invitations to exclusive rehearsals of dance engagements • Passes to Spotlight master classes and semifinal auditions • special seating and meet and greet with artists backstage at a World City performance • access to member/subscriber pre-performance lounges • concierge ticket services for Dance at the music center engagements • invitations to attend opening night post-performance receptions with artists from Dance at the music center engagements Board of ambassadors Our premiere leadership giving program, the Board of Ambassadors plays a leading role in supporting The Music Center's education, dance and interactive community programs. Benefits include exclusive receptions and salons, concierge ticket service for all Dance at The Music Center engagements, and backstage tours at select performances. Membership opportunities begin at $10,000. center Dance arts (cDa) Center Dance Arts members support Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at The Music Center and inspire thousands of children through education outreach, school lectures and demonstrations, community classes with Music Center artists, open rehearsals and low cost ticket offers. Members also attend exclusive events and interact with celebrated dancers and other luminaries from the dance world. Membership opportunities begin at $1,000. spotlight The Music Center’s Spotlight program is a nationally acclaimed scholarship program for high school students in the performing and visual arts. Each year, approximately 2,500 teens attend workshops, master classes and auditions, with 16 selected to perform at the final Spotlight Awards Performance at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. Members can attend the Spotlight Awards Finale Performance and receive special invitations to master classes. Giving opportunities begin at $1,000. For more information about getting involved, please call (213) 972-3333. 20 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINe Profile REMEMbERINg ThE PaST aND ENSURINg ThE FUTURE Roberta Turkat Honors Her Husband with a Legacy Gift The Music Center has had thousands of supporters over the years and as we approach our 50th Anniversary, we are tremendously grateful for those who have been with us since the beginning. Roberta Turkat is one such person. When the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion opened its doors in 1964, Roberta and her husband, Dr. Teviah “Terry” Turkat, were there. But attending performances was only the beginning. They also began supporting The Music Center as often as possible. Roberta remembers the first gift they made. “When my husband finished at Yale Medical School, we were going to make his last student loan payment to the school and noticed the amount was the same as what The Music Center was asking to become a Founder. So we sent that last payment to The Music Center instead,” she says. Their involvement didn’t stop there, however. They became Founders in the truest sense of the word, joining that illustrious group from day one. Terry also became a member of the Fraternity of Friends and Roberta joined The Blue Ribbon, actively helping these groups raise funds for The Music Center. In addition, the Turkats supported The Music Center’s signature program for talented teens, Spotlight, even going as far as to provide scholarships for the award winners to attend the Aspen Music Festival in Colorado, where the family has a second home. Roberta says. And now she is continuing that tradition by bringing her grandchildren as well. She wants them to know how much their grandfather did for The Music Center and to have the same kinds of arts experiences their parents had. Executive Vice President Howard Sherman says he became fast friends with Roberta after meeting her at a Blue Ribbon luncheon. “We just hit it off immediately. She has many stories about the early days of The Music Center, and she and Terry have been so generous since the beginning. Their lives have truly been entwined with the life of The Music Center,” Howard says. “That’s why we’re so grateful for this wonderful legacy gift to honor Terry.” Roberta and Terry Turkat were there at the beginning of a wonderful cultural journey fifty years ago. The Music Center is honored to have Roberta’s friendship and generous support as it approaches its golden anniversary and begins its next fifty years. Sadly, Terry passed away two years ago, but thanks to Roberta’s generous legacy gift, he will always be a part of The Music Center’s ongoing story. Not only did she want to honor his memory, she also wanted to ensure that the place they loved to go together would always be here to present the best of the performing arts in Los Angeles. For Roberta, a legacy gift also has another meaning. When her now grown daughters, Jennifer and Megan, were young, she and Terry brought them to The Music Center to see dance performances, classical concerts, operas and plays. “We felt it was important to expose our children to the arts at a young age so they would get a cultural education you can’t find anywhere else in LA,” Roberta Turkat, daughter Jennifer, and grandson Phillip at a special Music Center celebration to honor Terry. PERFORMANCES MAGAZINe 21 aBout center Dance arts 2013-2014 cDa BoarD of Directors Catharine Soros • suPPort world class dance engagements • insPire thousands of children through our education outreach— PRESIDENT school lectures/demonstrations, community classes with artists, open rehearsals, and free or low-cost ticket offers Mattie McFadden-Lawson CHAIR Jane Arnault-Factor Susan Baumgarten Samantha Davies Hany Haddad Joan Herman Liz Levitt Hirsch Patrick Kinsella Be inspired, enriched and fascinated through one-of-a-kind dance experiences. center Dance arts offers members the opportunity to: Dominique Shelton Bradley Tabach-Bank Alyce Williamson Jane Jelenko FOUNDING PRESIDENT Liane Weintraub FOUNDING CHAIR • access exclusive events that enrich your passion for dance • interact with celebrated dancers and distinguished dance luminaries Become a member at the $1,000, $2,500, $5,000 or $10,000 level and enjoy such benefits as priority seating and concierge ticket services for all dance engagements, exclusive post performance receptions with artists and dancers, salons in private homes with dance luminaries and the opportunity to travel internationally with this dynamic group of dance aficionados! For more information, call (213) 972-3359 or visit musiccenter.org/centerdancearts. center Dance arts memBers (as of Dec 10, 2013) $10,000 AND MORE Susan Baumgarten Joan A. Friedman, PhD and Robert N. Braun, MD Walter Chameides Samantha Davies / City National Bank Hany Haddad / u.S. Bank Joan Herman and Richard Rasiej *Liz Levitt Hirsch Sydney Holland *Jane Jelenko and Bill Norris Carol and Patrick Kinsella Anita Mann Kohl Mattie McFadden-Lawson and Michael Lawson Valeria Rico-Nikolov and Nicholas Nikolav Thibault and Sutton Stracke Bradley Tabach-Bank Sue Tsao *Alyce and Warren Williamson $5,000 - $9,999 Mary Agran Jane Arnault-Factor 22 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINe JoAnn and Wayland Bourne Linda Maddocks Brown Sharon Darnov *Jennifer and Royce Diener Lawrence N. Field Lisa Field Susan Friedman Janice and Bernard Howroyd Tatiana and Todd James Joyce and Kent Kresa Racquel and Bert Lewitt Olivia and Anthony Neece Fran and Ray Stark Foundation Wendy Stark Morrissey Ron Watson $2,500 - $4,999 Fred Abdelnour / Enterprise Rent-A-Car Foundation Martin and Linda Blank Karla and Richard Chernick David Conney Catherine Cristall Milena Dostanich Frederick and Leslie Gaylord Anita Lorber Shelley and Paul Miller Nan Norwood Jerry Rosenstock Dominique Shelton Laurie Vender and Stephen Halper Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert $1,000 - $2,499 Shirley Ashkenas Karen and Bruce Ballenger Leslie Castanuela Barnes Susan Cherney Anonymous Helen and Steven Clarke Theodore Cordes Nancy Cotton Tama and Paul Deitch Bert and Leslie Deixler Martin Freedman Lewis and Genevieve Geyser Marcy and Edgar Gross Thea, Seaf and Clabe Hartley Katinka and Eugene Holt Ruby Hori Jaycie Ingersoll Franklin and Susanne Konigsberg Jamie Bishton and Christian Kraus Harry and Ellen Levitt Rey Lozano Carla Malden Carolyn and David Mandel Kathy and Michael Moray Wendy Moss The Muriel Pollia Foundation Ellen Pansky David Richard Pullman Michael Raedeke Hadley and Lee Rierson Helene Rosenzweig, M.D. Thomas Safran Maxine Savitz Alan and Sherie Schneider Phillip Sotel ◊ Carol Stein-Sterling and James Sterling *Allan and Roslyn Holt Swartz Betty Weiner William and Kim. Wardlaw * Center Dance Arts charter member Get inVolVeD FlaSh baCk: opening night Photo by Giselle Garcia meet the artists with nederlands Dans theater 1 Artists from Nederlands Dans Theater 1 with Renae Williams Niles and Glorya Kaufman Center Dance Arts members and Music Center Annual Fund members joined the company of Nederlands Dans Theater 1 for Meet the Artists following their opening night performance on Friday, October 18, 2013. The reception featured a discussion with Paul Lightfoot, Artistic Director and Sol Leon, Choreographer, and was moderated by Renae Williams Niles, Vice President of Programming at The Music Center. FlaSh FORwaRD: meet the artists with Paul taylor Dance company Photo by Paul B. Goode. saturday, april 12, 2014 Founders’ Room – Dorothy Chandler Pavilion As an exclusive benefit of your Center Dance Arts membership, join dancers and Artistic Leadership of Paul Taylor Dance Company and other CDA and Annual Fund members for an exclusive post-performance reception. center Dance arts and the music center gratefully acknowledge city national Bank for their generous support of the city national bank salon series highlighting our dance and education programs. Eran Bugge and Robert Kleinendorst of Paul Taylor Dance Company in Esplanade. The Music Center gratefully acknowledges The Blue Ribbon for their support of the Royal New zealand Ballet's Giselle. PERFORMANCES MAGAZINe 23 Profile SUPERIOR gROCERS INSPIRES ChIlDREN ThROUgh ThE aRT OF FlaMENCO If you were to visit Belvedere Middle School this fall, you would see something a bit out of the ordinary—classes of sixth, seventh, and eighth graders Flamenco dancing and having a great time doing it. Thanks to a generous gift to The Music Center from Superior Grocers and its president and CEO, Mimi Song, the students at Belvedere are learning an art form that dates back 1,000 years and has traveled the globe. A longtime patron of the arts, Mimi decided to make the gift when she learned about The Music Center’s arts education program. “I knew that a lot of inner city children didn’t have exposure to the arts, so when I found out that The Music Center had an arts education program I felt it was something we should support, especially in the areas of Los Angeles that Superior Grocers serves,” Mimi says. Mimi Song, president and CEO of Superior Grocers, with students from Belvedere Middle School Belvedere’s faculty chose the Flamenco program for their 10-week residency because they felt it was an art form that their students would not normally be exposed to. What makes this program so unique is the way it ties into the existing curriculum. “The students get a geography and history lesson by tracing the roots of Flamenco, following the gypsies as they took it from east India and Asia to Spain,” says Music Center teaching artist Linda Andrade. “They use mathematics as they add beats and sounds while they learn footwork, clapping, posture, and hand and arm movements. And they also write poetry using such elements as fire, wind, earth and color to create a narrative that tells the story of the dance, both happy and tragic.” Linda says that Flamenco transmits emotion and energy and gives students a safe way to express their creativity. “Students are normally very reluctant at the beginning to show emotion and express themselves,” she says. “By the third or fourth class it’s amazing to see them open up like flowers.” Sixth grade teacher Diana Martinez, whose class is one of four in the program, says that students benefit in numerous ways. “They learn presentation skills, how to speak in public with confidence, and how to be better listeners and analyze what they’ve learned. And they respond enthusiastically because Linda is so patient and compassionate with them.” The residency culminated in December with the students performing in a gypsy style fiesta for their parents and peers. The finale involved a lively community dance as students pulled audience members onstage to teach them Flamenco. During one of their rehearsals, Mimi attended the class and was delighted by the students’ enthusiasm and even joined in as they showed her their moves. “I was so touched by these children and what they were doing. Growing up in Korea I didn’t have many opportunities to experience the arts, which is why I love The Music Center. I’m so happy to be able to play a part in giving children an arts education they might not get otherwise.” The Music Center is grateful to Superior Grocers and Mimi Song for their support of arts education. Annual donor contributions enable The Music Center to bring the visual and performing arts to more than 60,000 students throughout Los Angeles. To learn more about supporting arts education, please contact Cheryl Brown at (213) 972-3316. 24 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINe Blue riBBon blUE RIbbON: In her remarks at the opening ceremonies of The Music Center in 1964, Dorothy Buffum Chandler said “The Music Center buildings are completed. But the most challenging, the most exciting, perhaps the most difficult tasks – that of forging them into a truly great center of performing arts – has only now begun.” And so, in 1968, she gathered the most outstanding women leaders in Los Angeles to form “The Amazing Blue Ribbon” with the goal of filling the halls of The Music Center with world-class performances. Since then, through intelligent and determined leadership, The Blue Ribbon has continued Mrs. Chandler’s dream by raising over $71 million for The Music Center and its resident companies. Blue Ribbon’s impact goes beyond just what Dorothy Chandler on the opening night of The Music Center. it gives collectively as a group. Members passionately commit their finances, time, and energy to supporting the performing arts and arts education. Many Blue Ribbon members actively participate with the resident companies as season ticket holders, board members and gala chairs. Photo by Harry Chandler Collection aMazINg wOMEN, POwERFUl gIVINg Blue Ribbon members hold a deep conviction that the joy of the arts has a powerful impact on the lives of all Angelenos. Since 1970, the annual Blue Ribbon Children’s Festival has brought over 800,000 Los Angeles County 5th graders to The Music Center - many to view a live performance for the first time. On November 21st, The Blue Ribbon celebrated 45 years of friendship through philanthropy by honoring its eighteen active founding members during a triumphant reception and luncheon at the historic California Club. The day was also marked by the release of “Blue Ribbon: Amazing Women, Powerful Giving,” a book by author Betty Goodwin chronicling the group’s history and accomplishments. Chairman Connie Gavin, President Carla Sands and former Presidents Judy Krantz, Joan Hotchkis, and Phyllis Hennigan. PERFORMANCES MAGAZINe 25 Photo by Donato Sardella City Councilman Tom LaBonge, Carla Sands, and County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky. Photo by Donato Sardella City Councilman Tom LaBonge and County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky presented City and County proclamations to president Carla Sands, with the County proudly declaring November 21st “Blue Ribbon Day” – an honor befitting a deserving organization! spotlight CONgRaTUlaTIONS TO OUR SPOTlIghT DaNCERS TakINg FlIghT all OVER ThE wORlD! ThEN Toshiro Abbley, Koninklijk Ballet Vlaanderen (Belgium) Aria Alexzander, Houston Ballet Charlie Anderson, The Royal Danish Ballet Gregory Arakelian, Nevada Ballet Stacey Aung, Norrdans Dans in Sweden Jon Bond, Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet Skylar Campbell, The National Ballet of Canada Norbert de la Cruz, Aspen Santa Fe Ballet and Alvin Ailey New Directions Choreography Lab Tyler Donatelli, Houston Ballet Ashley Ellis, Principal, Boston Ballet Heather McGreevey (Toner), Walter Grauman, and Misty Copeland at the Spotlight Awards in 1997 Emily Entingh, Boston Ballet Jennifer Grace, Tulsa Ballet NOw Dylan Gutierrez, The Joffrey Ballet Nicole Haskins, Smuin Ballet Quenby Hersh, The Scottish Ballet Anila Mazary, The Metropolitan Opera Scott Myrick, on tour with Katy Perry Kris Nobles, Complexions Contemporary Ballet Hannah Schiller, Nevada Ballet Michael Tyus, Pilobolus Dance Theater Bryn Watkins, the Royal New Zealand Ballet Jennifer Whalen, American Ballet Theatre Joseph Wiggan, Cirque Du Soleil 26 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINe Photo: Gene Schiavone Jennifer Stahl, San Francisco Ballet Misty Copeland in Le Corsaire with American Ballet Theatre Get inVolVeD hElP US TURN bIg DREaMS INTO bRIghTER FUTURES Spotlight is a nationally acclaimed scholarship and arts training program for high school students in the performing and visual arts. The program provides workshops, live audition and interview opportunities with detailed written feedback, master classes by professional artists, and a culminating showcase of the finalists on the stage of the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. “Spotlight is one of the most important and beneficial experiences for young artists. The program changed my life and opened up a new career path that I never could have imagined taking.” Be sure to save the date for this year’s finale performance on April 26, 2014. Spotlight events for donors take place throughout the year, and include master classes, intimate showcase performances, and semifinal auditions. If you would like to get involved, please contact us at SpotlightSupport@ musiccenter.org or (213) 972-4344. Spotlight Non-classical Dance 2013 Winner Donovan Okimura Photo: Alex Pitt --Thang Dao, Choreographer the music center leadership council is a social and networking group of southern california's professional, business, and community leaders who share a passion for the performing arts. the leadership council supports the music center’s nationally-recognized arts education programs, with a special interest in spotlight. members and their guests enjoy exclusive events that take place all over los angeles. individual memberships are available by invitation. The Music Center Leadership Council was founded by leading philanthropists in 1978 as Fraternity of Friends of The Music Center. For more information about The Music Center Leadership Council, call Laura Recchi at (213) 972-3346 or email MCLC@musiccenter.org. Leadership Council members Rob Cerny, Chuck Block, Bennett Pozil and Pat McCabe PERFORMANCES MAGAZINe 27 Photo: Giselle Garcia CONNECT. INVEST. lEaD. GranD Patrons CElEbRaTINg OUR NEwEST gRaND PaTRONS OF ThE MUSIC CENTER This month The Music Center honors its most distinguished group of supporters, our Grand Patrons of The Music Center. Our most recent Grand Patrons will be recognized at an intimate dinner and viewing of the new Grand Patron panel located on the front of the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. The Grand Patrons of The Music Center are performing arts supporters who have donated $1 million or more to The Music Center and its four resident companies - Center Theatre Group, LA Opera, LA Phil and Los Angeles Master Chorale. More than 190 individuals, corporations and foundations have stepped forward in this way to further the journey begun by Dorothy Chandler almost fifty years ago. Kiki and David Gindler are one such couple. Both grew up in Los Angeles and their love for The Music Center began when they were children. David remembers when he was in high school and playing bass in the school orchestra (“I wasn’t very good,” he concedes), he got his first Music Center subscription—a student subscription to the LA Phil in 1976. “I would drive my car, a used, gas-guzzling 1973 Monte Carlo, downtown to the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, where I had seats in the very top tier. I was sure that I was the coolest kid in the place.” From then on, David was hooked. Kiki, too, remembers an early Music Center experience that affected her deeply. “In 1977 I saw Zoot Suit at the Mark Taper Forum. I’m of Mexican descent and a first-generation American so that show really spoke to my heritage. And the Dorothy Chandler is so special to me because my mother was a Canadian citizen and was sworn in as a u.S. citizen there.” The Gindlers said they became philanthropists because of their love of the performing arts. “If you benefit from the arts in ways that are transcendent, you want to share that with others,” David says. “If we want to ensure that LA has a vibrant performing arts community, then we all need to recognize the importance of The Music Center. It touched our lives as kids and we can’t imagine life without it now. And it’s not just about performance, it’s also about education and community outreach.” The Music Center is fortunate to have so many Grand Patrons who believe in the importance of the performing arts to our community. We are honored to applaud our recent Grand Patrons and celebrate their support and the significant roles they play in the life of The Music Center. we are pleased to honor our newest Grand Patrons of The Music Center Margaret and David Barry Betty and Fred Hayman Linda and Maynard Brittan / Traub-Brittan Family Foundation David and Kay Duke Ingalls Mary Levin Cutler Mark Houston Dalzell Doris Duke Charitable Foundation Kiki and David Gindler Max H. Gluck Foundation 28 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINe The Marcia Israel Foundation Dan Murphy Foundation Cecille and Michael Pulitzer Ronus Foundation The Shubert Foundation Southern California Jaguar Dealerships Marilyn and Eugene Stein Barbara Augusta Teichert Carol Vernon and Robert Turbin Christopher V. Walker Lenore and Richard Wayne our thanKs hONORINg aNDREa VaN DE kaMP The Music Center is honored to recognize Andrea Van de Kamp and her years of leadership with the dedication of the Andrea L. Van de Kamp Artists Entrance at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. Diane Van de Kamp, Andrea Van de Kamp and the Honorable John Van de Kamp County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, Brindell Gottlieb, Andrea Van de Kamp, Music Center Board Chair Lisa Specht and Music Center President & CEO Stephen Rountree In addition to her decades of service to The Music Center - as Chairman of The Music Center Board of Directors, as the champion of the campaign to raise funds for the building of Walt Disney Concert Hall, and as a force in the life of Los Angeles’ cultural community - Andrea has had a profound effect on not only The Music Center but on the entire Los Angeles community. On behalf of everyone who has greatly benefited from her leadership and generosity, The Music Center offers deepest thanks to Andrea Van de Kamp. In MeMorIaM The Music Center mourns the loss of our dear friend and patron Diane Disney Miller 1933-2013 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINe 29 the music center’s suPPorters the music center thanks its supporters who gave $1,000 or more from Dec 1, 2012, to Dec 1, 2013. $250,000 AND UP The Ahmanson Foundation The Annenberg Foundation The James Irvine Foundation Glorya Kaufman Dance Foundation $100,000 - $249,999 Bank of America / Fung Der Helen and Peter Bing The Blue Ribbon Geri Brawerman Dorothy Chandler New Program Fund Weingart Foundation Wells Fargo / Joseph Rice $50,000 - $99,999 Robert Abernethy Adele and Gordon Binder The Boeing Company The Capital Group Companies Charitable Foundation / Darcie Denkert Notkin and Shelby Notkin City National Bank / Rose and Michael Pagano Ruth and Charles I. Gold Sydney Holland Marcia Israel Foundation The Los Angeles Fund for Public Education Cindy Miscikowski National Endowment for the Arts The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation Thomas Weinberger and Leslie Vermut Alyce and Warren Williamson Max H. Gluck Foundation Nancy and Patrick McCabe Moss Foundation Max Ramberg Allison and Richard Roeder Lois Rosen Thomas Safran The Schow Foundation Joni and W. Clark Smith Marc and Eva Stern Foundation Thibault and Sutton Stracke Julia Strickland and Timothy Wahl Superior Grocers Toyota Motor Sales uSA, Inc. u.S. Bank / Hany Haddad union Bank I.N. and Susanna H. Van Nuys Foundation Walter Lantz Foundation $10,000 - $24,999 The Albert Parvin Foundation / Phyllis Parvin Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation Wallis Annenberg Beverly and Frank Arnstein Cecile and Fred Bartman Foundation Susan Baumgarten Pamela and Dennis Beck Bernard Beiser David C. Bohnett Selina and Brian Boxer Wachler Joan A. Friedman, PhD and Robert N. Braun, MD Carsey Family Foundation Walter Chameides Ted and Beth Chanock ◊ City National Bank / $25,000 - $49,999 Samantha Davies Louise and John Bryson The Coca-Cola Company California Community Foundation / Laurie and Mark Cohen Preparing Achievers for City of LA Department Tomorrow Fund of Cultural Affairs The Walt Disney Company Gina DiBona Louise and Bradford Edgerton Maude and Richard Ferry Edison International Gladys Turk Foundation Entravision Communications Lenore and Bernard Greenberg Corporation / Walter ulloa Joan Herman and Richard Rasiej and Alexandra Seros Ann and Stephen Hinchliffe Jr. Helen Funai Erickson Liz Levitt Hirsch Kiki and David Gindler Gloria and Glen Holden Joyce and Fred Hameetman James A. Doolittle Foundation HuB International / Kagan-Kozberg Jane Jelenko and Bill Norris Dona Kendall Randi and Richard Jones Carolbeth and Morton Kay Ambassador Lester Korn The Kenneth T. and Eileen L. Norris KPMG LLP / MegAnn and Craig Ellis Foundation Mattie McFadden-Lawson Carol and Patrick Kinsella and Michael Lawson Anita Mann Kohl Lee Graff Foundation Sandra Krause Los Angeles County Arts Commission and William Fitzgerald Nigel Lythgoe Joyce and Kent Kresa 30 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINe The Louis and Harold Price Foundation The Lucille Ellis Simon Foundation Macy's Gary Malouf Manatt Phelps & Phillips, LLP / Lisa Specht and Ron Rogers Maria V. Altmann Foundation Martin Massman Barbara and Buzz McCoy Beth and Leslie Michelson The Morrison & Foerster Foundation Musick Peeler & Garrett / Neal Millard New England Foundation for the Arts Valeria Rico-Nikolov and Nicholas Nikolav Occidental Petroleum Corporation Robert Olsen ◊ Pacific Foundation Inc. The Jay & Rose Phillips Family Foundation of California Karen Kay Platt and Lawrence B. Platt Reed Smith LLP / Kurt Peterson The Rosalinde & Arthur Gilbert Foundation The Rose Hills Foundation Sidley Austin LLP Bradley Tabach-Bank Cynthia Telles Sally and James Thomas Sue Tsao Franklin and Betsy ulf Janis and William Wetsman Misty Widelitz $5,000 - $9,999 Act 1 Personnel Services / Janice and Bernard Howroyd Mary Agran Jane Arnault-Factor Barry Baker Avery and Andrew Barth Ambassador Frank and Kathy Baxter Lynn A. Booth JoAnn and Wayland Bourne Stacey and Jeryl Bowers Linda Maddocks Brown Joan and Allan Burns Debbie and Jim Burrows California Arts Council Bridget Baker and Robert Cerny Chevron Corporation Chubb Custom Market, Inc. Colburn Foundation Alison Bryan Crowell and Richard Crowell Sharon Darnov Suzanne and Robert Davidow Patricia Devin Jennifer and Royce Diener Maxine Dunitz Judith and Jerrold Felsenthal Lawrence N. Field Lisa Field Bobbi and Henry Fields Susan Friedman Louis Goren Mary Beth and Russ Hagey Kevin Hanley Mary Ann Hunt-Jacobsen Frederic and Ingrid Ingram Tatiana and Todd James Susan and Michael Jeffries Gerald Katell Jo Ellen and Stephen Lee Racquel and Bert Lewitt Cathy and Mark Louchheim Claude and Alfred Mann Claudia and Michael Margolis Isidore and Penny Myers Estate Olivia and Anthony Neece Carey Pearlman and Tracy Albert Marni and Bennett Pozil Phyllis and Henry Present Jill and Dennis Roach Fredric Roberts Larraine and Clive Segil Joan and Arnold Seidel Jeneane Shield Randy and Susan Snyder Wendy Stark Morrissey Transamerica Insurance and Investment Group Elinor and Rubin Turner Kay and Richard Van Horn Ron Watson WHH Foundation Courtney and David Zifkin $1,000 - $4,999 Fred Abdelnour Gay and Harry Abrams Marc Ackerman Alice and Julius Kantor Charitable Trust Alphonse Burnand & Charles Partridge Scholarship Trust Charles and Donna Altmann Dean V. Ambrose Margot and Mark Armbruster Shirley Ashkenas Christine Adams and James Asperger Association of Performing Arts Presenters Ricki and Zane Averbach Karen and Bruce Ballenger Jackie and Howard Banchik Jeffrey and Janice Beckmen Paul Beigelman David Bender Marjorie Bender Miles and Joanne Benickes Lanie Bernhard Marlene and Brian Billington Jamie Bishton and Christian Kraus Martin and Linda Blank Charles Block Rosanna Hirshon Bogart Jean Bonini Deborah and Gabriel Brener Andrea and Henry Burroughs Capezio Ballet Makers Dance Foundation Inc. Judy Carroll Casey & Sayre Inc. Leslie Castanuela Barnes Susan Cherney Karla and Richard Chernick Arthur and Katheryn Chinski Chubb & Son, Inc. Helen and Steven Clarke Janice Clifford Daniel Clivner and Steven Cochran Jane and Lawrence Cohen Ann and Philip Colburn David M. Conlon David Conney Barry Cooper Stephen Corday Theodore Cordes Nancy Cotton Leah Coulter Catherine Cristall Morris Darnov Eunice David Harold and Nadine Davidson Nancy and Donald de Brier Tama and Paul Deitch Bert and Leslie Deixler Milena Dostanich Robin and Michael Dreyer Margaret and Jerrold Eberhardt Marcel and Doris Einhorn Kimberly and John Emerson Enterprise Rent-A-Car Foundation Robert and Vana Farina Joy and Jerome Fein Joan and William Feldman Brian and Cindy Flame Nanette and Burton Forester Martin Freedman Julie Waxman and Seth Freeman Gerald Friedman Diane Futterman Susan and Franklin Garfield Frederick and Leslie Gaylord Herbert and Beverly Gelfand General Electric Foundation Lewis and Genevieve Geyser Elaine & David Gill Jeffrey and Cecilia Glassman Doris Gold Stanley and Ilene Gold Elaine and Bram Goldsmith Julie and Bruce Goldsmith Roslyn and Abner Goldstine Marjorie Goodson Marcy and Edgar Gross Renee and Paul Haas Roberta and Bruce Hammer Philip and Kyoko Handler William and Ann Harmsen D. Alan Harris Thea, Seaf and Clabe Hartley Hathaway Dinwiddie Construction Co. Betty and Fred Hayman Mary Ann and John Heidt Drs. Vikki and Sidney Helperin Ronald Holliman Katinka and Eugene Holt Katie and Philip Holthouse Ruby Hori Joan and John F. Hotchkis Jaycie Ingersoll Larry and Cindy Iser Len and Nancy Jacoby Linda and Jerome Janger Moira Johnson Sydney and Peter Julien Julie and Richard Kagan Cheryl and David Karton Don Kates Cari and Marty Kavinoky Suzanne and Richard Kayne Anita and Fred Kemmerling Paul and Susanne Kester Jeanie J. Kim Nadine and Robert Kirkpatrick Gai Klass and Michael Stern Franklin and Susanne Konigsberg Kathleen McCarthy Kostlan Joanne Kozberg Judith Krantz Rini and Arthur Kraus Suzanne and Michael Kraus Samuel and Carly Landis Steven and Anita Layton Ali and Anu Leemann CC Pulitzer-Lemann and Monte Lemann II Harry and Ellen Levitt Jody and David Lippman Anita Lorber Marlene and Sandy Louchheim Rey Lozano Carla Malden Carol and Douglas Mancino Carolyn & David Mandel Barbara and Joel Marcus Pauline Marks Ilene and J. Howard Marshal III Pauline and Roger Mayer McColl Partners Kathleen and Peter McCoy McMaster-Carr Supply Company Irene Mecchi Linda and Sheldon Mehr Metropolitan Associates Carolyn Miller Barbara and Fred Miller Shelley and Paul Miller Haydee and Carlos Mollura Bob and Val Montgomery Kathy and Michael Moray Wendy Moss Merle and Peter Mullin The Muriel Pollia Foundation Ann and Greg Myer Abby and Alan Myerson Harry and Cheryl Nadjarian Monica Nelsen Richard Neu Richard and Chris Newman Sean and Davina O'Donnell Ronald Olson Alan Oppenheimer Marti and H. Tony Oppenheimer Nancy Rahnasto and Alfred Osborne Miao Pan Ellen Pansky Jeffrey and Nancy Paul Rosalyn Laudati and James Pick Nina and Leo Pircher Anne and Arnold Porath Pamela Powell Probity International Corp. / Robert Zarnegin David Richard Pullman Michael Raedeke Simon Ramo Vicki Reynolds and Murray Pepper Hadley and Lee Rierson Ricki and Marvin Ring Sharon and Nelson Rising Rodriguez, Horii, Choi & Cafferata LLP Nancy and Brad Rosenberg Jerry Rosenstock Alison and Larry Rosenthal James and Laura Rosenwald Helene Rosenzweig, M.D. Deane and Joyce Ross Carol and Steve Rountree Suzanne and Paul Rubenstein Maggie Russell Patricia and Daniel Ryan Peggy and Harvey Saferstein Maralee Beck and Andrew Safir Desiree and Joel Samuels Carla and Fred Sands Maxine Savitz Fred Schiffman Alan and Sherie Schneider Janet and Michael Schwartz See's Candy Shops, Inc. Dr. and Mrs. P.K. Shah Dominique Shelton Traci Shelton Shannon Shih Barry and Dorris Silverman Ruth and David Simon Grazyna and William Simon Lucerne Snipes Phillip Sotel ◊ Sprinkles Cupcakes Inc. Carol Stein-Sterling and James Sterling Amanda and Nicholas Stonnington Stratton-Petit Foundation Lynda Lamberti Stubblefield Allan and Roslyn Holt Swartz Thornton Foundation Karen Todman Reva and William Tooley Sorrell and Linda Trope Catherine and Leonard unger Joanne and Johannes Van Tilburg Laurie Vender and Stephen Halper John and Gillian Wagner Wallis Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Wardlaw Hope Landis Warner Hope Warschaw Ronald and Lisa Weckbacher Betty Weiner Brian Weinstock Daniel and Vinnet Weintraub Eleanor Weintraub David Weiss Geoffrey and Susan Wharton Patty and Richard Wilson Rosalind Wyman Gillian Wynn James Zapp and Beth McGlynn Howard and Marcie Zelikow Arnold and Ellen Zetcher Ruth Ziegler Craig and Jennifer Zobelein Arline Zuckerman … and all of our supporters who choose to remain anonymous. ◊ Deceased we strive to acknowledge all of our supporters appropriately. should you see an error or have questions, please call (213) 972-3374. PERFORMANCES MAGAZINe 31