Front Row 2018 Volume 2

2018 VOL UME 2

front row The First Ten The Adam Sklute Front Row profile

The Shakespeare Suite An Introduction

Mark Love

The Power to Transform

artistic director adam sklute | photo by beau pearson

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2 | FRONT ROW

CONTENTS

2018 VOL UME 2

BALLET WEST ACADEMY ALUMNUS NATHAN CHEN BRINGS HOME THE BRONZE FOR TEAM USA

artistic director adam Sklute and artist hadriel diniz | photo by beau pearson

Nathan Chen in The Sleeping Beauty.

Photo by Luke Isley

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In a tour-de-force display of artistry and athleticism, Nathan Chen won the national title at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in January and secured his spot for the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. At the Olympics he won Bronze for team competition and went on to break the record for highest points scored in the singles competition.

planning your legacy Ballet West’s Encore Society

Nathan trained at Ballet West Academy for six years, dancing alongside company dancers in The Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, and The Nutcracker. Taping a promotional package at the Ballet West studios for NBC News this fall, Nathan told correspondent Stephanie Gosk, “This is where it all started. My training and ballet background definitely gives me the competitive edge on the ice.”

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adam sklute’s 10th anniversary sponsors JANET QUINNEY LAWSON FOUNDATION MELDRUM FOUNDATION

GEORGE S. AND DOLORES DORÉ ECCLES FOUNDATION

BEANO SOLOMON

BARBARA LEVY KIPPER AND THE KIPPER FAMILY FOUNDATION

EMMA ECCLES JONES FOUNDATION PEGGY BERGMANN

season sponsors

staff Josh Jones Writer & Editor

Alex Moya Art Direction and Graphic Design

Sara M. K. Neal Interim Director of Marketing

Amy Falls Contributing Writer

“He had an incredible one-of-a-kind focus,” said Peter Christie, former Academy Director and current Education and Outreach Director.

“It was clear to all of us watching him that this was his destiny. He has the drive and determination to make all of his dreams come true.” His talents were even noticed by the late Ballet Master Mark Goldweber who created a variation just for Chen in The Sleeping Beauty to show off his jumping abilities. Now, five years later, Nathan is the first and currently the only skater competing with five different types of quadruple jumps: toe loop, Salchow, loop, flip, and Lutz. He also holds the record for being the first skater to land seven clean quadruple jumps in a competition.

“What Nathan has accomplished is truly remarkable,” said Artistic Director Adam Sklute. “We are proud to have played a role in his continued success!”

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In

His Own Words

2007 THE FIRST SEASON

Adam discusses his first decade at Ballet West, and what his ultimate hope is for the next ten.

PRE A.D. [ARTISTIC DIRECTOR]

I’d always known and admired Ballet West and the Christensens, and it seems I was once or twice removed from the artists and the company for most of my career.

Early on, after only one year of formal ballet training, I became an apprentice with The Oakland Ballet, where I got to perform with, and look up to dancers who went on to become stars with Ballet West—Mark Lanham, Stacey Swaner, and Erin Leedom. Val Caniparoli, who later became Resident Choreographer at Ballet West, was also working with Oakland Ballet when I was there. Later on, while at The Joffrey School, Ballet West principals Jiang Qi and Jennifer Demko were classmates and friends. Throughout my career with The Joffrey, Ballet West was always on my radar.

2006 NOVEMBER

“Would you consider submitting your resume for review for the artistic directorship of Ballet West in Salt Lake City, Utah.”

This note came to me in the fall of 2006 when I was associate director of The Joffrey Ballet in Chicago. I had been a dancer and part of their artistic leadership for 22 years, and I had little intention of leaving an organization that I had put my heart and soul into for so long. However, (and I’m a bit embarrassed say this) I wanted to know what my market rate was.

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2007 FEBRUARY 4

It was Super Bowl Sunday when I checked into the Hilton, just a stone’s throw from Capitol Theatre. I walked around the city and wondered what I had gotten myself into… the inversion was the worst it had been in years, there was an odor in the air, and no one was on the streets.

But the following morning, I opened the curtains and saw those glorious mountains. The air was clean and fresh.

I met the staff and board. I got to work with the dancers and get to know them and the next day I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, I really like it here.’ This is a place I could be happy, I could make a difference, and I could do some good. I flew home with a new thought: ‘I hope they pick me.’

2007 MARCH 11

I was offered and accepted the position. I have never regretted it or looked back.

Everyone was excited for a new direction, artistically, but there was a lot of anxiety, fear, and resistance as well, from dancers, staff, and the community. I would say Ballet West had gotten safe. They were no longer feeling truly like a world class company. Locally, I experienced two different, even warring, camps and ideas—classic full-lengths that sold versus envelope-pushing work that was “important.” With my programming, I worked to say—it must be both.

There was also a serious lack of new choreography, so I started Innovations, which became wildly popular; we have now expanded that program into the World Choreographic Festival and our Works from Within program. I wanted to put Ballet West back on the top, to show that classics like The Nutcracker were relevant, and to show that new work could be “audience friendly” as well as thoughtprovoking. I wanted ballet to be exciting, not stodgy, and for it to be an event.

One of the most gratifying things is when someone says, “I didn’t know I was going to like this.” And I believe my job is to take us down new paths we haven’t explored. Not everyone will like everything... that is art.

However, we must always continue to expand, test, and explore this art form.

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2009 APRIL 6

The 2008–2009 Season was the first year I programmed. In the fall I brought in Stanton Welch’s Madame Butterfly and in the early spring we did a tribute to the 100th anniversary of Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes. On April 6, New York Times Chief Dance Critic Alastair Macaulay gave a highly favorable review of the program, and the dancers: “‘Treasures of Ballets Russes’ proves the most stimulating Diaghilev anthology I have seen in more than 30 years.” He also asked why larger companies were not celebrating the famed company. All of a sudden, we were on the cover of Dance Magazine, invited to Fall for Dance, and to The Kennedy Center. People started to understand the power of what I was doing; I was actively working to honor our past but expand our future.

2009 OCTOBER

Ballet West invited to Fall for Dance Festival in New York City

2010 AUGUST

2012 MAY

The Breaking Pointe phenomenon was interesting. I’m grateful we did it. The b-roll footage made Salt Lake City look cosmopolitan and beautiful; for the Company, the good outweighed the bad: huge exposure internationally, increased ticket sales locally, and increased touring. These were major pluses. There was some negative feedback, but as I’ve said many times, we didn’t do Breaking Pointe for the 10 percent of people who know and love ballet. We did it for the 90 percent of the population who know nothing about dance.

2012 DECEMBER

Ballet West brings Willam Christensen’s The Nutcracker to The Kennedy Center for the first time.

2012 OCTOBER

Ballet West returns Ballet West premieres at Chicago to Fall for Dance Festival in NYC Dancing Festival

THE REP

In the following years I introduced Ballet West audiences to Michael Smuin’s The Tempest, Anna-Marie Holmes’ Don Quixote, Ben Stevenson’s Dracula and Sir Frederick Ashton’s Cinderella. We expanded our Balanchine repertoire and gave audiences first-time views of American and European 21st century masterpieces from Jiří Kylián, Mark Morris, and Twyla Tharp. I am proud to have engaged Nicolo Fonte as our Resident Choreographer, who has created some magnificent, challenging, and cutting-edge works, beloved by Utah and world audiences.

2013 JUNE 8

I met Christopher [Renstrom] in 1993 while volunteering at God’s Love We Deliver, a New York City nonprofit that delivered meals to home-bound people suffering from AIDS complications. We finally married in June of 2013 for our 20th Anniversary.

Frankly, there was a mixed history with spouses of previous Ballet West artistic directors and there was a lot of suspicion from the Company early on about Christopher’s joyous enthusiasm during performances.

People wondered if Christopher would be a pseudo business partner. Would he give notes? Would he try to guide artistic decisions? That speculation is gone now, and everyone loves him. Christopher is an anchor here and he just adores the dancers and what they do on stage. Those bravos, those hoots and hollers, come from a place of pure, honest delight, and I love it.

artistst of ballet west photo by ryan galbraith

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featured story 2014 DECEMBER Ballet West returns to

principal artist beckanne sisk photo by beau pearson

The Kennedy Center.

AWARDS Inducted into the Enlightened 50 by the Community Foundation of Utah.

Received the Bronze Minuteman Award for Outstanding Service to Utah and the Nation from the Utah National Guard.

artists of ballet west photo by luke isley

2015 MARCH

Ballet West premieres at The Joyce in New York City.

TODAY

I am very proud of who we are and how we dance. I always wanted Ballet West to be a company of glamour, and we are.

My dancers are gorgeous creatures. I often say we are as tall and dramatic as the Rocky Mountain region we represent.

We’ve also grown into a deeply versatile ballet company. I require an absolute adherence to stylistic details. When we do Balanchine’s work, we do it Balanchine’s way. An Ashton ballet must be done in Ashton’s style. It is not easy for dancers to switch tiny movements and adapt to different styles— sometimes in one program. But, for an audience member, it is exciting to watch that diversity on stage. This ability to rise to any choreographic challenge has become Ballet West’s hallmark, nationally and internationally.

principal artists arolyn williams & chase o’connell photo by beau pearson

2013 OCTOBER

Ballet West goes to Chicago’s famed Auditorium Theater for the first time with Sklute’s own production of The Sleeping Beauty.

2015 JANUARY

Upon arrival, I realized we needed more studio and administrative space in order to rise to the next level. We were bursting out of our home. The Jessie Eccles Quinney Ballet Center now exists thanks to the hard work and perseverance of some of our most stalwart and committed donors, who have stuck with Ballet West through thick and thin.

The building serves as a testament to the way ballet, and Ballet West, is loved in this state. Nationwide, there are so are many communities that have much bigger budgets and more resources that don’t provide the same level of support that our community does. We are truly blessed here.

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THE FUTURE

I’ve just started scratching the surface of what I can do here.

• Right now, we’re in the top 10 ballet companies in the nation, and in 10 years, I want to be more than that.

• I want people outside of Utah to think Salt Lake is a cool place to live, and I want Ballet West to be part of the reason they’re saying it.

• Every really major American ballet school is artistic director adam sklute | photo by kelli bramble on the coast: Boston, New York, Miami, Houston, San Francisco, and Seattle. I want Ballet West to be the destination school in the middle of the country.

For that to happen, we’ll need dormitories, academic facilities, and funding for scholarships.

Work is everything to me, and I have so much more I want to do—it’s why I don’t take formal vacations. Every path one takes, one sees another path. Every failure can lead to success, and every success is just an opportunity to make something better.

upcoming

National Choreographic Festival Returns

B

ALLET WEST WILL HOST four renowned ballet companies from across the United States for the second annual National Choreographic Festival at the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center, May 17–26. Over two weekends, and with two different programs, the Festival will celebrate new works that nurture and challenge the art form. Last year, the Deseret News “walked away inspired spiritually and emotionally.”

Dance Magazine said it was “a breath of fresh choreographic air,” and hoped it would become a “Sundance for dance.”

Artistic Director Adam Sklute has programmed the Festival to highlight female choreographers and companies that are led by women. “Well before the #MeToo movement, the ballet world was having its own conversation about women in leadership positions,” said Sklute. “That conversation is only more meaningful and poignant today. I am glad our industry, and the nation atlarge, is having a conversation about equal rights and human rights in the workplace. For years I have wanted to celebrate women in ballet leadership roles, and I hope this Festival continues the conversation about equality for women and indeed all people. I look to a day where that degree of equality is a given.”

Along with the esteemed guest companies, Ballet West will present its own World Premieres by Australian choreographer Natalie Weir the first weekend and rising star choreographer África Guzmán the second. Sklute has split the four companies and the Weir and Guzmán premieres over two weekends.

“The Ballet West National Choreographic Festival is born out of our Innovations series,” says Sklute. “It is designed to give audiences the broadest scope of fresh new choreography that is out in the world today. I am excited and honored that our friends from around the country will be joining us to showcase their wonderful companies and choreography.”

artists of ballet west| photo by beau pearson

week 1: may 17–19

week 2: may 24–26

The Washington Ballet // Led by Artistic Director Julie Kent, the company will present a budding choreographer and American Ballet Theater Corps Artist, Gemma Bond, whose work has been called detailed and structured.

Charlotte Ballet // Hope Muir and her company will bring a piece by exciting, award-winning choreographer Robyn Mineko Williams. To Clear has an original commissioned score by Robert F. Haynes and Tony Lazzara.

Richmond Ballet // Artistic Director Stoner Winslett celebrates her 38th season by staging a new creation by Katarzyna Skarpetowska, a dancer and choreographer from Poland who was named one of Dance Magazine’s “25 to Watch” last year.

Cincinnati Ballet // For the 20th anniversary of Artistic Director Victoria Morgan, the company will present Resident Choreographer Jennifer Archibald’s signature soulful movement that “investigates human behavior.”

Ballet West // Australian choreographer Natalie Weir will be doing a new reworking of her popular Jabula, uniquely retooled specifically for Ballet West. Weir’s body of work has been described as “exhilarating and stunning.”

Weir has choreographed internationally, including for American Ballet Theatre and Hong Kong Ballet.

Ballet West // The Company will stage a new work by Spanish choreographer África Guzmán, which was workshopped at The Joyce Theater in the fall of 2017 and received high praise from New York media.

Tickets to the Ballet West National Choreographic Festival start at just $50, and are available by calling 801·869·6900, or online at balletwest.org.

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the shakespeare suite

Secrets of

The Shakespeare Suite

BY AMY FALLS

The Artists of Ballet West return to the stage in April with The Shakespeare Suite. Alongside David Bintley’s contemporary reimagining of The Bard of Avon’s most famous characters, the three-ballet program will include renowned Czech choreographer Jiří Kylián’s Return to a Strange Land and American modern dance pioneer Merce Cunningham’s Summerspace.

10 things to know about The Shakespeare Suite:

1

The Shakespeare Suite choreographer David Bintley has been artistic director of the UK’s Birmingham Royal Ballet since 1995, having previously assumed the role of resident choreographer in 1985. In 2001, Bintley was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire for his services to dance.

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Bintley’s history with the Birmingham Royal Ballet is long running. He began his career as a dancer with the Sadler’s Wells Theatre Ballet in 1976, which was established as a sister company to what is now the Royal Ballet and would later become the Birmingham Royal Ballet.

3

The Shakespeare Suite, choreographed in 1999, will feature live musicians playing a jazz score by Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn. Parts of the score come from Ellington and

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Strayhorn’s Such Sweet Thunder album, which is itself inspired by the works of Shakespeare.

Both Ellington and Strayhorn were Shakespeare aficionados; Strayhorn was even nicknamed “Shakespeare” by his bandmates.

4

Bintley’s ballets live in company repertoires internationally, though they may be most familiar to British audiences. He has created fulllength adaptations of Cinderella, Aladdin, and The Tempest, among others, as well as ballets about more abstract subject matter: endangered species (Still Life at the Penguin Café, 1988) and Einstein’s theory of relativity (E=mc2, 2009).

The Shakespeare Suite, perhaps near the middle of this broad spectrum, places well-explored characters from Shakespeare’s plays, each associated with a recognizable narrative, in contemporarily costumed solos and pas de deux on a minimal stage.

5

The Stuttgart Ballet debuted Jiří Kylián’s Return to a Strange Land in 1975, taking it on tour to the Met several years later for an enthusiastically received U.S. premiere.

the shakespeare suite

6

Kylián created Return to a Strange Land as a tribute to the late John Cranko, who was Kylián’s colleague as well as artistic director of the Stuttgart Ballet until his sudden passing in 1973. Within this context, there is much to be said for subtext lingering just beneath the ballet’s haunting surface.

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The assortment of pieces for solo piano that accompany Return to a Strange Land are by Czech composer Leoš Janáček. Kylián has chosen Janáček’s music for several of his ballets, often taking the titles of Janáček’s compositions as inspiration for his own. If you saw Ballet West perform Kylián’s Overgrown Path in 2015 or his Sinfonietta in 2011, you have heard Janáček’s ethereal melodies.

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First unveiled in 1958, Merce Cunningham’s Summerspace may be the program’s oldest work but is far from its least surprising.

Cunningham, until his death in 2009, was a pioneer of the avant-garde movement. He began his career performing with the Martha Graham Dance Company, later founding a company in the 1950s to begin exploring his own choreography. His work is now distinguished by its focus on the

mechanics of movement without the use of an obvious narrative (notably in stark contrast to the narrative-driven works of Graham).

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Cunningham’s legacy is also rooted in his collaborations with artists of other disciplines.

Summerspace is a prime example of this model, with a score by composer Morton Feldman and costumes and scenery by artist Robert Rauschenberg (and created with the assistance of Jasper Johns for their original execution).

The multiplicative pattern of pointillist dots that appear on both the costumes and scenery of Summerspace allude to the broad sweep and, at times, cacophony, of nature.

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Cunningham’s “collaborative” model was not what we may think of as collaboration in the contemporary sense; choreography, music, and costumes were often created separately and then brought together only at the very end, sometimes not until they were seen onstage—thus emphasizing the magic of performance!

Join Ballet West April 13–21, 2018 for The Shakespeare Suite at the Janet Quinney Lawson Capitol Theatre. first soloist allison debona & principal artist rex tilton photo by beau pearson

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community

“ If I can do it,

you can do it”

BY JOSH JONES

I

“

T STARTED AROUND Journeys and Reflections,” recalls Mark Love. “Specifically The Green Table. It moved me and it was the start of something—a feeling. I thought ‘I want to express myself in that way.’”

You probably know Mark. He swiftly strolls the Capitol Theatre lobby in his wheelchair as either a patron or a volunteer during every production. His trademark bowtie and snappy smile can light up the room; this has not always been the case.

Fifteen years ago, an undiagnosed nervous system disorder gave Mark years of awful, unfathomable pain. “When I’m in a hospital and hear someone say their pain is at a 9 or 10, I think to myself, they have no idea what a pain level of 9 is like… and I hope they never do.” For years, doctors shuffled him back and forth to diagnose the problem and, when every neurological expert threw in the towel, they referred him to psychologists and psychiatrists. As if the pain was not excruciating enough, doctors not believing him was unbearable. His patience was depleted, his hope evaporated.

Mark had been a brilliant coder and programmer for Union Pacific, bringing the railroad into the 21st century. He has a beautiful, supportive wife and family. His life had been good… until it wasn’t. “There were days that I was in so much pain that getting to the couch was an epic journey.” This lasted four years.

One night, in an experiment to destroy the agony, or perhaps just to find a moment of relief, he purchased several pounds of dry ice and soaked his legs in the -109 degrees Fahrenheit caldron. After a few hours his wife took him to the hospital where doctors finally started to take him seriously. His legs were frostbitten and would have to be removed from calf down.

“I’m not upset, I don’t have regrets. This was actually a turning point for me and I finally had hope that things would be better.” It was a bit of a moonshot, but what Mark did began the healing process.

Last spring First Soloist Allison DeBona and Principal Rex Tilton offered an Adult Summer Intensive for beginners, “they both asked me to join, ignoring the fact I was in a wheelchair.”

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community

ple in the class with their own challenges, and fear of their abilities.”

But slowly, through 8-hour a day classes, “we became better people, we supported each other, and we connected on a genuine level. It would not have been possible, but each of us allowed our vulnerabilities to melt away.”

PHOTOGRAPHY BY LOGAN SORENSON. COURTESY OF ARTÉMOTION

What was a crazy idea became unshakable. “It’s funny because just the thought of actually taking ballet again took me back to my childhood. My mom would scoot me off to ballet class and we would secretly go to performances in Los Angeles. I loved it, but my Dad didn’t like the idea too much.”

Mark paid the money and registered for Allison and Rex’s artÉmotion Summer Intensive Adult Class at the Jessie Eccles Quinney Ballet Centre.

Then he digested what he had done.

“I had a lot of anxiety. Even the name was intimidating: ‘Intensive!’” Mark reflects, “One thing that is difficult about having a disability is that you always stand out in a crowd. So, in a ballet class it is super apparent and— in my mind—it’s easy for both myself and other participants to say, I don’t belong here.”

When classes started in June, Mark never felt out of place. “It was the first time in ten years that I didn’t feel ‘special,’ Rex didn’t adapt the choreography and Allison wanted my back as straight as everyone else’s—no one said, ‘you don’t have to do this.’”

He learned that his anxieties were not his own, “There were other peo-

As his anxieties slid away, the physical work revved-up. “Allison wouldn’t let my spine touch the back of the chair and I found out that I actually had a core! None of the instructors let me off the hook for a second.”

From Jazz instructor Justin Bass to Allison DeBona, instructors came away impressed. “There wasn’t a time that Mark wasn’t first in line to try something new,” said Allison. “He

“A friend told me, you can’t change the amount of pain you’re in. But, you can change the amount of suffering you do.” was kind of a perfect student. Because not only did he learn a lot, so did everyone else from his example.”

both a physical and emotional cure.”

Now, Mark is taking the Beginner’s Adult Class, offered at Trolley Square, and all the Academy campuses. He said that Nikki Bybee, Academy Faculty, has helped him to be integrated in class. “Art isn’t about competition, and neither are these classes. They allow for an amount of expression and, in a world of artistry, I’m not disabled, I’m expressing myself in a new way.”

In part, thanks to ballet, Mark is completely off opioids and he hopes to become even more involved with Ballet West and Academy classes.

“People are afraid of risk, the new, the unseen—but the risk is always worth it. Once you’re out there swimming, you wondered why it took so long to jump in.”

Frederick Quinney Lawson Ballet West Academy Beginner’s Adult Classes are: 9:45am or 6:45pm every Wednesday at Trolley Square; Tuesday at 11am in Park City; and Monday at 11am at Thanksgiving Point. Cost is $15 per class.

For more advanced dancers, intermediate classes are also offered Monday through Saturday. Schedules are available at balletwestacademy.org/adult-classes.

The artÉmotion Summer Intensive Adult Program is June 4–9.

For more information, visit: artemotion-summerintensive.com/ adult-program.

When the class was over, “I became an evangelist,” Mark says. “I’ve had chronic pain. I’d been on opioids for 10 years. I’d tried every remedy possible. With ballet class I’ve found

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donor profile

Planning Your Legacy

BY AMY FALLS

Ballet West’s Encore Society is comprised of those who have designated a planned gift to the Company—through bequests, life insurance, IRAs, trusts, or other planned-giving arrangements.

This group of loyal supporters ensures a bright future for the Company, both for our Main Company artists and Academy students alike.

There are several avenues to consider for a planned gift, depending on personal philanthropic and financial goals: RETIREMENT PL ANS Name Ballet West as a beneficiary on your retirement account, or make a qualified charitable distribution (tax-free) directly from an IRA. LIFE INSURANCE Name Ballet West as a beneficiary on your life insurance policy, or on a part of a policy.

BEQUESTS Make a provision in your will for a donation to Ballet West, either as a specific amount or as a percentage of your estate.

CHARITABLE GIF T ANNUITIES Receive a fixed annual income for life in exchange for donations or assets transferred to Ballet West.

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CHARITABLE REMAINDER TRUSTS After identifying the terms and conditions for fulfillment, remaining assets in such a trust will be gifts to Ballet West.

REAL ESTATE Deed your home, condominium, co-op apartment, farm, or other property to Ballet West while retaining the right to live on the property for as long as you determine.

Ballet West does not intend this information to represent legal or tax advice or to substitute for such advice. We urge you to consult your professional advisors when considering your charitable gift planning options.

principal artists beckanne sisk & chase o’connell photo by kelli bramble

The following donors are among the many generous members of Ballet West’s Encore Society who have designated a planned gift to the Company. They have kindly allowed us to share their stories and inspirations with you.

Cynthia (Cindy) Lampropoulos

If you’ve flown to or from the Salt Lake City International Airport, you may have seen the photographs of Ballet West Artists in Utah’s natural landscapes hanging in Terminal 2.

You have Cynthia Lampropoulos to thank for those. Cynthia, or Cindy, as her friends know her, worked with a former Ballet West Development Director and the airport manager at the time to have the photos of the Company permanently displayed.

Cindy’s first introduction to Ballet West was through a member of the Ballet West Ambassadors in the 1990s. She soon found her stride with the group, becoming President a few years later, and since then has also served on Ballet West’s Board of Directors and the Nutcracker Campaign committee.

Cindy attributes many meaningful friendships over the years to her connection with Ballet West, and she cites a deep sense of ownership and pride in the Company. She once travelled to Edinburgh, Scotland to see the Company perform, and when the dancers came out on stage, she recalls thinking to herself amidst goosebumps, “Those are my kids.”

Keen to impart Ballet West’s legacy upon future generations, Cindy has brought her children, and now grandchildren, to performances for many years. Her grandchildren are already taking this to heart: last year, they helped to decide which Nutcracker costume Cindy’s family would sponsor.

Cindy knew she wanted to earmark a planned gift for Ballet West’s Youth Education and Outreach programs. Now, as a member of the Encore Society, she brims with joy knowing that she may aid in a child’s first, or even only, ballet experience through her support of Student In-Theatre Presentations and the I CAN DO program.

donor profile

Kent and Martha DiFiore

Kent and Martha DiFiore have been loyal members of the Ballet West family for more than twenty years. With two daughters interested in dance from a young age, ballet drew the DiFiores in with its dynamic combination of artistry and athleticism. As Kent, a doctor of medical oncology, describes, for him, dance “is both an auditory and visual experience.”

Kent’s time sitting on Ballet West’s Board of Directors opened his eyes to the inner workings of a nonprofit, and to the specific challenges an arts organization may face. As long-time season ticket holders and Heritage Club patrons, the DiFiores have had the opportunity to establish connections with Company Artists—such as a conversation sparked at an annual gala that evolved into an enduring friendship. Kent and Martha have sponsored First Soloist Beau Pearson for the 2017– 18 Season, a culmination of their commitment not only to the Company as a whole but also to its many extraordinary individuals.

Influenced by years of stellar performances, singular experiences, and special relationships with Ballet West, the DiFiores have committed to supporting the Company, even after they are no longer present to do so, by joining the Encore Society. They have included Ballet West in their estate planning via a family foundation that the DiFiores’ children will steward after their passing.

“We believe this Company has given us a better quality of life here in Utah and will do the same for future generations,” says Kent. “Our daughters have now agreed to continue this legacy.”

Judy Brady and Drew W. Browning

Before Drew W. Browning met Judy Brady, he had only attended one ballet: a traveling, Parisian production of The Nutcracker in Germany, where he was stationed as an officer in the U.S. Air Force.

Following their marriage in 1986, Judy, whose love of ballet was sparked by lessons she took as a young girl, began inviting Drew to attend Ballet West performances. Before long, the couple had a season subscription and became donors to the Company soon after that. They now find continuous joy in the beauty and professionalism that Ballet West brings to the stage; the couple has even sponsored Principal Artist Rex Tilton for the 2017–18 Season.

Judy and Drew knew Ballet West would be a nonprofit they chose to support in their estate planning. Now, as members of the Company’s Encore Society, the couple is happy to have found a concrete expression of gratitude for the delight Ballet West has brought them over the years.

They have also found liberation in the assurance that their wishes for Ballet West will be fulfilled even after their lifetimes.

Drew concludes, “It is wonderful to know that our legacy gift to Ballet West will result in the continuation of the Company’s great work, due, at least in part, to Judy’s and my support at the end of our lives.”

These donors, alongside the many other loyal members of the Encore Society, ensure a bright future for the Company. We invite you to join them—choose your legacy and play a leading role with Ballet West for a lifetime.

As a member of the Encore Society, Ballet West can acknowledge your planned gift in the following ways: • Your name listed on the Encore Society page of each Ballet West production playbill; • Your name listed on the Encore Society page on the Ballet West website; • Each year, Ballet West will honor those who have chosen to give a planned gift by dedicating a performance to the Encore Society. For that performance, Ballet West will offer each living Encore Society member two complimentary tickets.

If you have any questions regarding Ballet West’s Encore Society, please contact Sarah West, Vice President of Development, at 801·869·6936 or by email at swest@balletwest.org.

All inquiries are confidential.

ENCORE SOCIE T Y Bené Arnold Berenice J. Bradshaw* Judy Brady and Drew Browning Val A. Browning* Kenneth P. Burbidge, Jr.* Dr. Robert H.* and Marianne Harding Burgoyne Mary Elizabeth Colton* Kent and Martha DiFiore The Zorka D. Divich Trust* Richard and Pamela Dropek Dolores Doré Eccles* Virginia Fackrell Estate* Sid W. Foulger* DeGauss Dr. Esther S. Gross* and Dr. George D. Gross* Merribeth Habegger-Anderson* Stephanie and Timothy Harpst Melissa A. Herbst* Geoffrey C. Hughes* Johann Jacobs and David Heuvel Grace Jackson* Flemming and Lana Jensen Sara Kaplan Dennis L. Kay Trust* Barry L. Keller* Cynthia Lampropoulos Family Trust Gaye Herman Marrash* Willis McCree and John Fromer Glenn H. and Karen Fugal Peterson Margot Shott* Norman C. Tanner* and Barbara L. Tanner Oma W. Wagstaff* Mrs. Glen Walker Wallace* Nancy Rapoport and Jeff Van Niel Gladys Walz* Susan Warshaw Afton B. Whitbeck* Carole M. Wood and Darrell Hensleigh Marelynn and Edward Zipser *Indicates donor has passed away.

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Donors founder’s circle We thank our Founder’s Circle donors, each of whom have given significantly to the Company throughout its history, either through collective annual giving or one-time gifts.

B.W. Bastian Foundation Peggy Bergmann Val A. Browning Foundation George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation Marriner S. Eccles Foundation The Huntsman Foundation Barbara Barrington Jones Emma Eccles Jones Foundation Frederick Q. Lawson Foundation Janet Quinney Lawson Foundation Meldrum Foundation John and Marcia Price Family Foundation Shari and David Quinney S.J. and Jessie E. Quinney Foundation Rocky Mountain Power Beano Solomon heritage club Mr. C & Mrs. Wallace Peggy Bergmann Judy Brady and Drew W. Browning John and Kristi Cumming Paul and Cheryl Huntsman Barbara Barrington Jones Barbara Levy Kipper John and Marcia Price Shari and David Quinney Beano Solomon Krista and Jim Sorenson Principal and First Soloist Vilija Avizonis and Greg McComas Convergence Planning DiFiore Family Sue J. Ellis Alan and Jeanne Hall Foundation Stephanie and Tim Harpst Cindy and Howard Hochhauser Katharine W. Lamb Dan P. Miller John and Andrea Miller Jeanne Potucek Keith and Nancy Rattie Erin and Bryan Riggsbee

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Each issue of the Front Row features a listing of current Heritage Club and Founder’s Circle patrons, corporate sponsors, foundation and government supporters, and new members ($75+ level) who have joined since our last publication. For a full listing of our generous donors, please visit BalletWest.org/donor-acknowledgments.

Theodore Schmidt Jonathan and Liz Slager Barbara L. Tanner The Varvel Family Charitable Fund Brad and Linda Walton Julia S. Watkins Carole Wood and Darrell Hensleigh Soloist and Demi-Soloist Anonymous Stephany Alexander and David West Margaret Anderson Kim Strand and Mike Black Kathleen and Andy Blank Brown Family Foundation Carol Browning, Céline Browning, and Rete and Rikki Browning Judy and Larry Brownstein Alexis Carr Carol Carter Carol Christ Kay Christiansen Jim and Barbara Clark Meredith and Stephen Drechsel Spencer F. and Cleone P. Eccles Family Foundation Erik and Uzo Erlingsson John and Joan Firmage Jeff and Donna Gordon John and Ilauna Gurr Ron and Shelley Hansen Marc and Mary Carole Harrison Jennifer S. Horne Scott Huntsman Tina Jensen—Moreton and Company Conrad and Anne Jenson Jeanne M. Kimball Cynthia Lampropoulos David and Naja Lockwood Hank and Diane Louis Paul and Melanie Lyon Jennifer and Gideon Malherbe Angela Martindale and Michael Snow Rachèle McCarthey and Brock VandeKamp Thomas and Mary McCarthey Willis McCree and John Fromer Anthony and Jessica Mirabile Dr. Pamela Dee Parkinson Richard and Lois Peterson Madeleine and Harvey Plonsker Brian and Janae Powell Mark and Melanie Robbins Ellen and Chris Rossi

Margaret P. Sargent Teresa Silcox Adam Sklute and Christopher Renstrom John Sklute George H. Speciale Sue and Jack Stahl Stanford and Dixie Stoddard Jennifer Strachan and Tom Biersbach Rick and Chris Veit Roy Vincent Sue and Walker Wallace Susan Warshaw Marelynn and Edward Zipser

Corps de Ballet Anonymous (4) John and Marilyn Alleman Jeffrey Bronson Anderson Stephen Anderson Bené Arnold Petras and Liuda Avizonis Carol Baer Zlate Balulovski Govert Bassett Frances and Jerome Battle Clisto and Suzanne Beaty Gary Beers Trina and Jerome Bellendir Alene Bentley Sharon and Michael Bertelsen Ginny Bostrom Rich Broggi Marie and Kevin Brown Meredith Cameron Cecile and Harold Christiansen Amalia Cochran William and Joan Coles William and Melissa Connelly Pascale De Rozario and Jonathan Crossett John Eckert Sissy Eichwald Deborah B. and Edward Felt Tracy Frankel Karen L. Freed Cammy and Marc Fuller Patti Eylar and Charlie Gardner David Keith Garside and Audrey Miner Marla M. Gault DeGauss Global Travel Network Ann and Rick Gold David and Sandylee Griswold Kenneth and Kate Handley Sandy Haughey David P. Heuvel and Johann Jacobs

Connie C. Holbrook Mark and Wendi Holland Julie Hopkins Daniel Horns and Renee Zollinger Larry and Tina Howard Robert and Dixie Huefner David and Linda Irvine Gordon Irving G. Frank and Pamela Joklik Howard A. and Lou Ann B. Jorgensen Adriane Herrick Juarez John Karls The Keefers Brenda Kees The Kohlburn/Lecointre Family Carol and Guy Kroesche James R. Kruse and Mary Jo Smith Katherine Probert Labrum Katherine Lauer Roxanne Christensen and Tony Lazzara Richard Mandahl and Franci Leary David E. and Helane B. Leta Dustin Lipson Carrie and Doug Madsen Rebecca Marriott Champion Nancy Melich and Lex Hemphill David and Colleen Merrill Jennifer Moldre Edward B. and Barbara C. Moreton Sheri P. and Ted Morgan Scott and JoAnn Narus Anne Neeley Oren and Liz Nelson Peggy A. Norton and Scott W. Hansen Chris and Courtney Opdyke Linda S. Pembroke Andrea Peterson Jeanie Pollack Lee Quinney Suzanne and David Razor Barbara Reid The Rickman Family Gary and Joann Rieben Benjamin and Jade Romney Mark and Linda Scholl Aharon Shulimson and Julie Terry Robert and Nancy Schumacker Katherine Scott Laura Scott and Rodney Mena Ben and Lael Selznick Nancy and Robert Sparrer Lou Ann Stevens Maarten and Annette Terry Stephen and Vanice Thomson Jennifer Vanderwilt

Jeff Van Niel and Nancy Rapoport Amy Wadsworth and David Richardson Mark Weisbender Bill and Betty Weldon Sue Wilkerson Elaine Wolbrom Mary Bird and Lance Wood new and renewed members Anonymous (4) Carolyn Abravanel Frances M. Akita Ronald and Kathy Aoki Amanda Baer Lisa Bailey Ingrid Bornschein Marianne Harding Burgoyne John and Grace Cogan Ashby and Anne Cullimore Decker Eric and Shellie Eide Blair Felton and Stuart Asahina Elizabeth Frank and Steve Achelis James Gallegos Robert and Marcia Harris William K. and Janeal P. Hodges Virginia Huber Dr. Siegfried G. and Mrs. Ellen G. Karsten Arden Kearl Bonne Kelly Frederick Klass Diane Leikam Katherine and Harold Liddle Drs. Daniel and Noémi Mattis Timothy B. McBride Beth McComas Beth and Randy McComas Pat and Edward Mencimer Keith and Donna Mercer Holly Nagie Carolyn Nebeker Sara Lee Neill Marilyn Neilson Michael and Cindy Palumbo Lewis R. Boynton and Sonja G. Penttila Brent Rammell Barbara Ray John and Cynthia Richards Elena Rosellen Paul and Carol Sonntag Kevin and Alice Steiner Torey Swink Hiroaki Takamatsu Martha and John Veranth

Opening Night of the “New” Nutcracker

photos by tom bear

spencer eccles and family members gather before the performance

sue ellis, ted schmidt & soloist alexander macfarlan

foundations, corporate, and government support $100,000+ Ancestry George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation The Huntsman Foundation Janet Quinney Lawson Foundation Meldrum Foundation James Lee Sorenson Family Foundation Salt Lake County Zoo, Arts & Parks (ZAP) Utah State Board of Education— Professional Outreach Programs in the Schools $25,000–99,999 B.W. Bastian Foundation Comcast* Dominion Energy Marriner S. Eccles Foundation David Kelby Johnson Memorial Foundation

Emma Eccles Jones Foundation The Kahlert Foundation Frederick Q. Lawson Foundation Nuvestack* Orient Overseas Container Line* Rea Charitable Trust The Shubert Foundation Sorenson Legacy Foundation Utah Division of Arts and Museums $10,000–24,999 Artisan Bloom* Bank of American Fork Beaver Creek Foundation R. Harold Burton Foundation C. Comstock Clayton Foundation Lawrence T. and Janet T. Dee Foundation Florence J. Gillmor Foundation The Richard K. and Shirley S. Hemingway Foundation Jones, Waldo, Holbrook & McDonough, PC*

artistic director adam sklute, carole mikita & neil york

National Endowment for the Arts The New Yorker* O.C. Tanner Company Park City Community Foundation - The Solomon Fund S.J. and Jessie E. Quinney Foundation Rocky Mountain Power Foundation Salt Lake Power Yoga* Simmons Family Foundation Summit County Cultural RAP Tax Wells Fargo Wheeler Foundation Dr. Jeremy Wimmer with Elite Chiropractic Center* $5,000–9,999 America First Credit Union Bambara Restaurant* Blue Iguana* Chase Bank The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Foundation

bené arnold & principal artist beckanne sisk

artistic director adam sklute and executive director michael scolamiero honor spencer eccles on stage

Discovery Gateway* Henry W. and Leslie M. Eskuche Foundation Gaye Marrash Arts Foundation— a Donor Advised Fund of The U.S. Charitable Gift Trust Goldman Sachs In The Event* Promontory Foundation Ruth’s Chris Steak House* Union Pacific Foundation Workers Compensation Fund $1,000–4,999 3M Health Information Systems Beesley Family Foundation Mallory Berge Acupuncture* Caitland Photography Nicole Detling - HeadStrong Consulting* Eleve Dancewear* Industrial Supply Company* J. Wong’s Bistro* Merrick Bank

Salt Lake City Arts Council Semnani Family Foundation Silver Summit Event Design* Snow, Christensen & Martineau Foundation Allen Tran, U.S. Ski & Snowboard Team* U.S. Bank Foundation Utah Hispanic Chamber of Commerce* Kawika Ventura-Smith—Living Through Movement* The Williams Companies Foundation

As of February 14, 2018 *Indicates donations made in kind

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52 west 200 south salt lake city, utah 84101

2017/18 Season Events EVENTS FOR HERITAGE CLUB PATRONS. Beer & Ballet at the Capitol Theatre

Mr. C’s Appreciation Dinner (by invitation only)

APR

APR

12

26

In-studio rehearsal with África Guzmán

THU MAR

The Shakespeare Suite with Return to a Strange Land and Summerspace

National Choreographic Festival

APR

MAY

13–21

To join the Heritage Club, call 801·869·6963

17–26

22

In-studio rehearsal with David Bintley

THU APR

5

tickets 801·869·6900 | donations 801·869·6963 16 | FRONT ROW