2015 / 16
SEASON
WELCOME TO OUR 2015 / 16 SEASON AND TO A COLLECTION OF LANDMARK DANCE WORKS WE’VE ASSEMBLED JUST FOR YOU! We’re showcasing some of our favorite productions— signature pieces and reimagined classics—that we’ve paired with brand new works. We’re highlighting key points of exploration, innovation and evolution that made us stretch, grow and move forward as individuals and artists. Experience these performances first-hand and understand where we’ve come from and where we’re heading as a creative family. We know you’ll love these productions as much as we do. See you in the audience!
STEPHEN MILLS
COOKIE RUIZ, C.F.R.E.
Artistic Director /
Executive Director
Choreographer
THE COMPANY
LEFT TO RIGHT
GRACE MORTON Seattle, WA
EDWARD CARR Pittsburgh, PA
IAN J. BETHANY Long Island, NY
STEPHEN MILLS, Artistic Director Morganfield, KY
JORDAN MOSER Santa Ana, CA
ORLANDO JULIUS CANOVA Laguna Niguel, CA
ANNE MARIE MELENDEZ Los Angeles, CA REBECCA JOHNSON Ann Arbor, MI
ELISE PEKAREK Crystal Lake, IL OREN PORTERFIELD Dallas, TX
JAMES FULLER Irvine, CA JAIME LYNN WITTS Bucks County, PA
OLIVER GREENECRAMER Marlboro, VT
BRITTANY STRICKLAND Winston-Salem, NC
PAUL MICHAEL BLOODGOOD Seattle, WA
CHRISTOPHER SWAIM Bryant, AR
FRANK SHOTT Vestal, NY
AARA KRUMPE Corpus Christi, TX
ASHLEY LYNN SHERMAN Chicago, IL
KEVIN MURDOCKWATERS Roseville, CA
PRESTON ANDREW PATTERSON Atlanta, GA
SEP 4 – 6 The Long Center Our season begins with a Stephen Mills original… Hamlet is a true spectacle and not to be missed! Our 2015 / 16 season begins with one of Stephen Mills’ signature works. Hamlet is a contemporary ballet, based on the classic Shakespearean story of a young man and his incredible family drama. Ballet companies around the world perform this stunning, lush and emotionally-driving dance work, set to music by American composer Philip Glass and played live for the first time by the Austin Symphony Orchestra. This season Hamlet will be performed by The Washington Ballet at The Kennedy Center in the nation’s capital and by Ballet Augsburg in Augsburg, Germany.
CHOREOGRAPHY Stephen Mills | MUSIC Philip Glass LIVE ACCOMPANIMENT Austin Symphony Orchestra
SPONSORED BY Greenberg Traurig, LLP, Marriott Courtyard & Residence Inn Downtown
HA M L E T DA N C ER S AT L EF T Ashley Lynn Sherman & Frank Shott
DEC 5 – 2 3 The Long Center Give yourself the gift of Austin’s original holiday tradition! From the scrumptious sets and costumes to all of the colorful characters and Divertissements you love, Ballet Austin’s The Nutcracker is the longestrunning production of the seasonal classic in the State of Texas. Stephen Mills’ take on this timeless tale transports you to a faraway place, where snowflakes, bon bons and Sugar Plum Fairies come to life. Celebrate the magic of the holidays by experiencing this sweet treat with your family and friends.
CHOREOGRAPHY Stephen Mills | MUSIC Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky LIVE ACCOMPANIMENT Austin Symphony Orchestra
UNDERWRITTEN BY RetailMeNot.com | SPONSORED BY Austin Energy, H-E-B, Late European, Wells Fargo, JW Marriott Austin
T H E N U TC R AC K ER DA N C ER S AT L EF T Oren Porterfield & Ian J. Bethany
FEB 12 – 14 The Long Center Valentine’s Day weekend, Artistic Director Stephen Mills introduces two extraordinary dance makers and unveils an enticing new work of his own. Soak in the lusciously flowing Stream by Swedish choreographer, dancer and filmmaker Pontus Lidberg, who has created original works for SemperOper Ballet Dresden, Le Ballet du Grand Théâtre de Genève, the Royal Swedish Ballet, the Royal Danish Ballet, Beijing Dance Theater and Norwegian National Ballet to name a few. Be first to see a new work, Early That Summer, created for Ballet Austin by New York City’s Pam Tanowitz, winner of a prestigious Guggenheim Fellowship in 2011 and a Bessie Award for choreography in 2009. Tanowitz mixes beauty with the unexpected to constantly challenge audiences’ expectations.
CHOREOGRAPHY Pontus Lidberg, Pam Tanowitz & Stephen Mills MUSIC Ryan Francis & Julia Wolfe
SPONSORED BY The Schubert Foundation, Lazy 8 Ranch
D I R EC TO R ’ S C H O IC E DA N C ER S AT L EF T Rebecca Johnson & Christopher Swaim A B OV E , L EF T TO R I G H T Pontus Lidberg, Photo by Nir Arieli & Pam Tanowitz, Photo by Brad Paris
A PR 1 – 3 The Long Center Austin composer Graham Reynolds’ music populates the world of big-time entertainment. Chances are, you’ve heard his work on countless movie soundtracks, including Before Midnight, Bernie and A Scanner Darkly. Reynolds is one of Stephen Mills’ favorite collaborators for original dance music, having just completed the hauntingly beautiful score for Belle Redux / A Tale of Beauty & the Beast in 2015. This season, Mills and Reynolds join forces again in The Graham Reynolds Project, a perfect marriage of their classically innovative styles. Savor three original works—Bounce, Though the Earth Gives Way and a new world premiere. Don’t miss this sensation for both the eyes and the ears!
CHOREOGRAPHY Stephen Mills | MUSIC Graham Reynolds MUSIC Live Musical Accompaniment
SPONSORED BY Boulette, Golden & Marin, LLP, Ernst & Young, LLP
T H E G R A HA M R E Y N O L DS P R O J EC T DA N C ER S AT L EF T Aara Krumpe & Orlando Julius Canova
M AY 6 – 8 The Long Center Celebrate Mother’s Day weekend with a favorite fairy tale. If the pointe shoe fits… Stephen Mills brings this treasured fairy tale to life with a delicious score from Alexander Glazunov, compiled especially for this ballet. The enduring rags-to-princess story offers the promise of “happily ever after” with a dose of humor, mixed with the majesty of classical ballet. Spend Mother’s Day weekend with the special women in your life—and give them the gift of a Fairy Godmother, a handsome prince, a gorgeous ball gown, and the perfect dance party.
CHOREOGRAPHY Stephen Mills | MUSIC Alexander Glazunov LIVE ACCOMPANIMENT Austin Symphony Orchestra
UNDERWRITTEN BY Moreland Properties SPONSORED BY Clara & Paul Bancroft, Maxwell, Locke & Ritter, LLP
C I N D ER EL L A DA N C ER S AT L EF T Jaime Lynn Witts & Paul Michael Bloodgood
PURCHASING SEASON TICKETS IS AS EASY AS 1-2-3 STEP 1: SELECT THE SEASON PACKAGE THAT’S RIGHT FOR YOU STEP 2: SELECT YOUR PREFERRED SEATING ZONE
(See seating chart at right.)
STEP 3: CONTACT THE BALLET AUSTIN AUDIENCE SERVICES TEAM TO RESERVE YOUR SEATS
THREE WAYS TO RESERVE SEASON TICKETS
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ONLINE Visit balletaustin.org/subscribe
•
PHONE Call 512.476.2163
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I N PERSON Visit the Ballet Austin Box Office at 501 West 3 RD Street
(Mon–Fri, 10am–6pm)
2015 / 16 SEASON TICKET HOLDER PACKAGES FULL SERIES: Enjoy our full season of five productions at the Long Center. DESIGN YOUR OWN SERIES: Your choice of three productions at the Long Center. 2015 / 16 SEASON TICKET HOLDER BENEFITS: Being a Ballet Austin Season Ticket Holder comes with benefits, including being first to lock in the best seats!
• Best Seats at the Best Prices
• Special Events
• Discounts on Single Ticket Purchases
• Free Ticket Exchanges & Reprints
• Accessible Seating Available
2015 / 1 6 SEASON
TICKE T PRICES FULL SERIES
ZONES
(5 Productions)
DESIGN YOUR OWN SERIES (Select 3 Productions)
Zones 1 & 2
$418
$252
Zones 3, 4 & 5
$391
$234
Zones 6 & 7
$359
$216
Zones 8 & 9
$319
$192
Zones 10 & 11
$288
$174
Zone 12
$249
$150
Zone 13
$185
$111
MICHAEL & SUSAN DELL HALL AT THE JOE R. AND TERESA LOZANO LONG CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS BALCONY
MEZZANINE
PARTERRE
ORCHESTRA
09.18.2015 JW MARRIOT T AUSTIN
To be se e n or not to be se e n? T h at is t h e qu e s t ion…
“A U S T I N ’ S B E S T B L A C K T I E ” E V E N T OF T H E SE A SON IS NOT TO BE M ISSED!
F Ê T E 20 1 5 CO - C H A I R S Ana & Alejandro Ruelas
Join us for Ballet Austin’s annual fund-raising phenomenon, Fête, and its spirited companion party, fête *ish, which take their theme this season from Artistic Director / Choreographer Stephen Mills’ world-famous contemporary ballet and 2015 / 16 season opener, Hamlet. Dine, dance and donate to Austin’s leading performing arts organization, and support Ballet Austin’s mission to provide exceptional artistic programming, arts education and access for the Central Texas community. Mix and mingle with Austin’s A-List in one or both of these first-class events. Fête guests receive the royal treatment in the fête * ish VIP lounge with access to the luxurious SWAG Barre and much more. We promise a bloody good time for all!
FÊTE TICKETS START AT $500 | fête * ish TICKETS $150 BALLETAUSTIN.ORG/FETE2015
YOU KEEP US DANCING Our corporate, foundation and government partners make it possible for us to stage a full season of classically innovative dance works, award more than $250,000 in dance scholarships to deserving students, and bring audience engagement and community education programs to approximately 57,000 Central Texans on an annual basis. Benefits to corporate partners include both marketing/promotional (logo placement, radio/TV mentions) and business development opportunities (tickets, access to VIP events, parking and more). The Ballet Austin Development Office works with each partner individually to create a package that is valuable to you and your business. For more information on sponsorship opportunities, contact Christi Cuellar Lotz at 512.476.9151 EXT. 124 or CHRISTI.CUELLAR @ BALLETAUSTIN.ORG
BALLET AUSTIN THANKS ITS 2015 / 16 CORPORATE, FOUNDATION & GOVERNMENT PARTNERS!
SEASON UNDERWRITER
THE NUTCRACKER UNDERWRITER
CINDERELLA UNDERWRITER
#B42025 #CFC6B7
SEASON SPONSORS
CORPORATE PRODUCTION SPONSORS
ADDITIONAL FUNDING
The project is funded in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, which believes that a great nation deserves great art. This project is also funded and supported in part by a grant from the Texas Commission on the Arts and in part by the Cultural Arts Division of the City of Austin Economic Development Department.
PROGRAM ART DIRECTION & DESIGN Frank + Victor Design | PHOTOGRAPHY Michael Thad Carter COMPOSITING & RETOUCHING Wolf + C ardinal Retouching