Just because I’m missing the dancers -
Class on stage: Aidan, Michael and Jason in the forefront.
Christiana and Chris at Kennedy Center.
Serenade from the wings.
Chris and Michael with Photos of Ballet West at Salt Lake International Airport.
Warming up for class at Kennedy Center.
Nine Sinatra Songs cast.
Thanks for the photos Chris!
-Mar
I asked our Academy Director Peter Christie who is also the head of Education and Outreach to give you the report below.
“We’re very proud of the efforts of our education department and all that we’ve been able to accomplish in the 2007-2008 school year. We had a very full year. With the injection of additional funding from the legislature, came the directive to increase the number of students and teachers served. Student and teachers numbers reported to the Utah State Office of Education have increased from 80,306 to 104,465. Including all of our services to community outreach, we’ve serviced 114,875.
We increased quite dramatically the services provided with our Ballet West for Children program. Ballet West for Children was presented by Ballet West II during September 07, January 08 and March 08 in 134 elementary schools throughout the state, covering 19 school districts as well as charter and private/parochial schools, totaling over 75,000 students and teachers.
13 Ballet West Student Presentations were offered in the Capitol Theater in Salt Lake City and the Val Browning Center in Ogden, as well as 3 First Look Preview performances at the Capitol Theater. These were presentations of each of the programs offered to the general public. 3 Special Needs Dress Rehearsals of the Nutcracker were offered which also included many school groups.
I CAN DO, our in-school dance instructional program, was very successful in 11 local elementary schools with an expansion into smaller workshops offered to schools locally and in rural districts in a program similar to what we offered in Edinburough, Scotland schools. We finished the year with a final performance featuring all of the students at West High that was packed with family, friends and teachers!
For a more in-depth look at what our programs are all about and more detailed information about who we serviced, please access our annual state report filed with the Utah State Office of Education on July 1, 2008.
You can access this report at: http://www.balletwest.org/pdf/USOEReport2007-2008.pdf -Peter Christie”
Ballet West For Children – The Sleeping Beauty
Maggie and Whitney Discuss Pointe Shoes
Ballet West For Children – The Sleeping Beauty, Mime Sequence
Reid rustles up some audience members to try out ballet steps on stage
I CAN DO
Cinderella – School Show, Children on Stage With Ballet West Dancers
For further information click “Education and Outreach” on the homepage of this website.
-Mark
Ballet West is very fortunate to have one of the finest Costume Shops in the country. Our costume shop is easily in league with those of New York City Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, American Ballet Theatre and Houston Ballet. David Heuvel – Costume Production Director is responsible for our high standards having done his training in the Opera Houses of South Africa where the British traditions of fine theatre craftsmanship are upheld. David not only handles everything having to do with Ballet West but he also designs and builds ballets (often full lengths) for other American and European ballet companies right here in the Ballet West Costume Shop.
David Heuvel has assembled a magnificent team:
Cindy Farrimond – Shop Manager/Shoe Coordinator
Barbara Arcolio – Head Stitcher/Jewler
Mary Kay Feicht – Stitcher
Katherine Fraser-Cross – Stitcher
McKell Maddox- Painter/Dyer
Jennifer Hitchcock – Wig Master
In the theatre Jacquelin Bryce is Wardrobe Supervisor and her assistant is Barbara Lambert.
The Costume Shop is an enormous building not far from the Capitol Theatre. It houses all of the Ballet West wardrobe, including building and storage of costumes, props, shoes/boots, costume building supplies. All of Ballet West’s electric supplies, scenic elements are kept there and the building even contains a scenery building scenic shop.
There are five standard industrial sewing machines plus one for overlocking (finishing edges), one merrow (for unitards), one cover stitch, and a blind hemmer.
There are dozens and dozens of crates that hold costumes, shoes, props, dancer crates, electrics and scenery.
Costumes for Ashton’s Monotones I & II
Swan Lake Act III Chandeliers
Set Piece from Balanchine’s A Midsummer Nights Dream
Ballet West is currently renting out all three of our productions of A Midsummer Nights Dream!
We own two productions of Balanchine’s A Midsummer Nights Dream (one designed by David Heuvel) and one production of Ashton’s The Dream (sets and costumes by David Walker.)
Titania’s Tutu from Ashton’s ‘The Dream” (above)
D
Above are two examples of bodice detai for Heuvel costumes
A Nutcracker party scene gown by David Heuvel.
David Heuvel is working with swatches of fabrics to send to Issac Mizrahi.
David’s Costume Shop is going to build our new production of Mark Morris’ GONG for next season.
-Mark
I thought it would be interesting for you to hear from Ballet West Artist, Christopher Anderson, about working with Susan Shields on the creation of her new piece GRAND SYNTHESIS for Ballet West’s INNOVATIONS program. Susan Shields told the company that Christopher looked exactly like her young son Theo. She called Christopher Theo throughout the whole process and many of us are still doing it to this day! -Mark
From Theo, a.k.a. Christopher Anderson:
“It had been a very long time since Ballet West had a choreographer come and set a World Premiere on our company. We had this great opportunity at the close of our season when Susan Shields came to create Grand Synthesis. This was a whirlwind experience for all of Ballet West. Susan came out in the winter to spend some time with the company and to try out a few ideas and then did not return until three weeks before our first ever Innovations series. In those three weeks, Susan created Grand Synthesis. For those who did not see Grand Synthesis at The Rose Wagner, it is a twenty minute ballet with one of the most complicated scores {Graham Fitkin} I have ever danced to. The piece showcases a counter point between two groups of people. One group stoic and picturesque, the other feverishly energetic and bright. This piece is truly a physical and mental challenge to perform. It was a pleasure to work on the this piece, and from the response we received from the audience it seems everyone enjoyed and appreciated the hard work. I especially enjoyed having this opportunity to meet and work with Susan. She is an amazing artist and inspirational person. I look forward to the next time our paths cross. It was a special way to end our Season in Salt Lake before traveling to D.C. for Ballet Across America at The Kennedy Center. Ballet West will be performing Grand Synthesis in this Season’s Gala on November 1st.
Theo:)”
Silver Barkes
Aaron Orlowski & Josey Silva / Kate Crews & Beau Pearson
Hua Zhuang & Christiana Bennett
Christiana Bennett & Hua Zhuang / Josey Silva & Beau Pearson
Katherine Lawrence
Susan Sheilds in a Dress Rehearsal Bow
Performance Photos by Ryan Galbraith, Chrisopther Anderson Headshot by Quinn Farley
Costumes by David Heuvel
- Mark
Marketing and Public Relations generously gave me some shots from our 07 Gala to share with you! Thanks Melanie and John!
Ballet West Academy and Ballet West II in “Tarantella from Napoli”.
Kate Crews in a sneak preview of next seasons “Red Angels”.
Christopher Ruud in “Red Angels”.
Hua Zhuang in “Red Angels”.
Jacqueline Straughan in “Red Angels”.
Christiana Bennett and Michael Bearden in “Black Swan Pas de Deux”.
Christiana Bennett and Michael Bearden in “Black Swan Pas de Deux”.
-Mark
In addition to Ballet West Principals Christiana Bennett and Christpher Ruud more Ballet West Artists were in class last week. Next week Artistic Director Adam Sklute will teach the advanced class.
Ballet West Artist Stephanie Fenz
Ballet West Soloist Kate Crews
Ballet West Artist Christopher Anderson
Ballet West Artist Emily Adams
Ballet West Artist Nathaniel King
Ballet West Soloist Jason Linsley
Ballet West Artist Arolyn Williams
Ballet West Artist Beau Pearson
Ballet West II Artist Jenna Herrera
Ballet West Demi Soloist Christopher Sellars
-Mark
Tudor’s OFFENBACH IN THE UNDERWORLD.
Ben Stevenson’s CINDERELLA.
Tudor’s THE LEAVES ARE FADING.
Tudor’s LILAC GARDEN.
-Mark
I found two performance pictures of SERENADE on the internet They’re small but still very beautiful.
Enjoy!
Hua and Christiana
Christiana and Kate
At Tuesday evening’s opening, the program began grandly with Mr. Balanchine’s enthralling “Serenade,” given an ardent performance by Ballet West, which hails from Salt Lake City. The ballet demands vivid dancing by a large energetic corps (it has the most exciting corps work I know) and a rich, understated understanding of its haunting subtext. Ballet West met these challenges with zest, a tribute to Victoria Simon’s staging. – Jean Battey Lewis, The Washington Times
This isn’t a company of sylphs. The dancers are tall — quite tall — and healthily proportioned (and no, that’s not a euphemism for fat; it just means they looked like women and not like underfed preteens). They had a broad-shouldered, highly physical presence that lent “Serenade” a hint of glamour. And then there was the Hair Moment: There comes a time in the ballet when the three leading dancers unwind their tightly coiffed hair so it hangs loose, and inevitably it’s a bunchy, stringy mess from being in a bun. But on Tuesday, two of the three let down deep-red Rita Hayworth locks that you couldn’t ignore. These two — Christiana Bennett and Kate Crews — were also lovely and musical dancers, as was Katherine Lawrence, in the waltz role. By the end of the ballet, you felt you knew these women; there was something approachable and warmly feminine about them. Hence the cheers. – Sarah Kaufman, The Washington Post
The level of Ballet West’s dancing is much higher than it was the last time the company danced in Washington. It is now a VERY tall company, and the dancers’ long, lean lines were beautiful; they looked groomed. In “Serenade” (led by Christiane Bennett, Kate Crews, Katherine Lawrence, Michael Bearden and Hua Zhuang) the dancing was strong and free. If at times the women’s arm positions were too uniform, too drilled, everyone was musical, and no one tried to act. This was a subtle and sophisticated performance. – Alexandra Tomalonis, Danceviewtimes.
-Mark
Ballet West Principal Artists Christiana Bennett and Christopher Ruud took Ballet West Academy’s Summer Intensive advanced class this morning.
Talk about inspiration!
Christiana Bennett as Odile in Act III of Ballet West’s Production of Swan Lake.
Christopher Ruud as Romeo in Ballet West’s Production of Romeo and Juliet.
-Mark
