2017 vol ume 1
front row Special Edition
Christopher Ruud Reflections on a Year Legacy
40
Countdown to Nutcracker 2017 Fanciful concepts to polished reality
Catching up with Costuming Calm collection is key for Heuvel
principal artists beckanne sisk and christopher ruud. photo by luke isley.
front row | 1
2 | front row
contents
soloist katlyn addison and artist of ballet west ronald tilton | photo by luke isley
featured story
cory thorell Staff Profile
14
new and renewed donors Welcome to Our Newest Supporters
A note from Adam Sklute, CEO and Artistic Director Unveiling a new production of The Nutcracker is truly an important investment in Ballet West’s future. With it, we hope to make an ongoing commitment to the upkeep and future presentation of ALL of our big beloved storybook ballets. Along with The Nutcracker, productions such as Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella and many more, need constant refurbishment to keep them fresh, vibrant, and in the best condition. Your support of our Nutcracker Campaign will allow us to continue to give you the highest quality productions possible.
4 christopher Ruud 8 Nutcracker Timeline 12
2017 vol ume 1
We are inviting our Ballet West family to make a one-time Nutcracker Campaign contribution to attribute your name with The Nutcracker for the lifetime of this new production (approximately 25 years). There are many levels in which to participate, and they start at just $25. I am personally donating to this project because Mr. C’s vision is why I am here at Ballet West. Please join me in becoming part of Nutcracker history by playing a leading role in our Nutcracker Campaign and connecting your family to this timeless holiday classic. Help us keep it and all of our great story ballets alive! You can learn more at balletwest.org/ nutcrackercampaign. I know you will enjoy this behind-thescenes look at the Company’s epic project of returning The Nutcracker to the stage later this year. And, I hope, you’ll be inspired to make a contribution to your ballet Company!
season sponsors
With Gratitude,
staff Josh Jones Writer & Editor
Alex Moya Art Direction and Graphic Design
Sara M. K. Neal Associate Director of Marketing
Amy Falls Contributing Writer
front row | 3
A Legacy of Love
From the beginning, the Ruud family has helped shape Ballet West. Front Row profiles the family and Principal Christopher Ruud on the eve of an important milestone. by josh jones
The family legacy started when Tomm Ruud, still in high school, took a trip from his home in Afton, Wyoming to see a performance by the predecessor of Ballet West, the Utah Civic Ballet. In a biography, he said from the moment he watched that production of Willam Christensen’s Coppélia, he set a goal to perform with the Company. After high school, Tomm went to the University of Wyoming for a year before transferring to the Ballet Department at the University of Utah.
4 | front row
principal artist christopher ruud | photo by luke isley
E
arly in his career at Balle t West, Christopher Ruud put on a costume and noticed the name “RUUD” fading on the inside of his garment. These poignant reminders of his family’s legacy on the Company—such as wearing a costume his father danced in years earlier—are routine for Christopher, but always savored. Together, Christopher, his late father, Tomm, and his mother, Mary Bird have collectively danced nearly 40 years at Ballet West, and their imprint is felt throughout the hallways, the choreography, and the very marrow of the Company.
featured story
“ Every day I walk through the Ballet West doors, there is an upwelling of emotion, I feel humbled to continue my family’s tradition here.” In 1966, Mary Bird was at Oberlin College, looking to transfer to a ballet program. Through some research she found the University of Utah had the first and only accredited ballet program in the country. Founded by Mr. C in 1951, Mary says, “In those early years, you couldn’t really tell the difference between the Company and the University. They were that closely aligned.” She started dancing in Mr. C’s Nutcracker her very first year. Since 1955, it had been staged at Kingsbury Hall on the University’s campus and Mary remembers the stage being a “postage stamp. We would have crew positioned to catch us from running into a brick wall after grand jetés.” To add a little room to the stage, two barn doors would open onto the back of the stage and a temporary shed was constructed, which is where Clara would be positioned during Act II. “The shed didn’t keep out much of the cold, which made the stage frigid,” Mary recalls. “For the new production of The Nutcracker by Ron Crosby, Glenn Walker Wallace donated party dresses and mine had real silver-metal trim on it which conducted the cold even more. It was like my own personal ice box on stage!” In 1963, Utah Civic Ballet was renamed Ballet West, with Mr. C as Artistic Director. The name symbolized his yearning for the Company to someday represent a region more than one city. “Mr. C was a consummate showman, and—at the time—he was in the middle of nowhere,” said Mary. “The dancers were lumpy and bumpy, but we danced with passion and heart. I don’t think many of us had an idea of his grand ambition or vision for the Company.” After dancing together on and off stage for six years, Tomm and Mary married in 1972 and Christopher came along five years later. “That time was really wonderful. The Company was young and we felt like a family. For the most part, dancers were local so we spent much of our time together. Mr. C told these great stories from his years with Vaudeville or the glory days of San Francisco Ballet.” Mary says he would wander the studio, cane in one hand and cigarette in the other, telling stories that filled the dancers with anticipation of how grand and beautiful a ballet was going to be. In 1970, the anticipation for a new sets and costumes for The Nutcracker had Mr. C telling a lot of stories. Much like today, the community was excited, but had a bit of anxiety about what would be changing. Mary recalls Mr. C making minor tweaks to the Spanish Variation and other small details, “but for the most part, he just wanted something new and modern,” she says. “We were all so excited for bright new costumes and sets. When we finally saw it, we absolutely loved it. It was just on the edge of over-the-top.”
Janice James and Tomm Ruud. By 1975, Tomm had made a name for himself beyond Utah. His mesmerizing choreography, highlighted in his work MOBILE, had received national attention, and his sublime partnering and characterization had other ballet companies taking notice. Late in his life he told a biographer, “Within five years of seeing Coppélia, I was onstage dancing. I’m sure I was a little on the raw side as far as a dancer, but the partnering was good. I’ve always enjoyed it; it just came very natural to me to be a partner.” It was Mr. C’s own brother, Lew Christensen, who eventually lured Tomm out of Utah. Lew was the Co-Director of San Francisco Ballet, and offered him a Principal contract. Mary says leaving Salt Lake City was emotional and difficult, “Tomm was the apple of Mr. C’s eye. He had become one of his successes in Utah, and we enjoyed a very close relationship with him,” said Mary. “I think both sides were sad to part.” With San Francisco came many opportunities. Mary worked for the San Francisco Ballet School and Tomm was a resident choreographer and also performed many note-worthy roles, including a stand-out performance as Romeo in Michael Smuin’s Romeo and Juliet. When Christopher was born, so was a ballet dynasty. At the age of two and a half years, the pediatrician was astonished by his ability to skip. Gymnastics followed at age four, and on his eighth birthday he asked his parents when he would start ballet classes. While it seemed out of the blue, they couldn’t be surprised. “It isn’t hyperbole to say I grew up backstage.” Christopher remembers, “I was babysat by students and trainees of the School, and if I wasn’t backstage, I was watching my father teach, or create, or dance on stage. It felt like a natural progression to begin ballet classes.” (continues on next page)
front row | 5
featured story
To this day, one of Christopher’s most memorable moments on stage was also one of his first. “As a child, I was cast as Nephew and my father played Drosselmeyer, and the two share quite a bit of time on stage together. I had watched him in this role from backstage since I could remember, and now I was there with him, in front of thousands.” For Christopher, while the moments in the spotlight was rewarding, the time spent with his father is a treasured memory. “He was there during hundreds of hours of rehearsal, for the pre-show jitters, and for the walks home. All I can say is that those memories are magical, and now that he is gone, I hold them very, very close.” At 14, the need to be a typical high school student struck Christopher, and even though the San Francisco Chronicle had noticed him in The Nutcracker, he quit ballet. “Ballet is a sport with no finish line,” Christopher says. “At that time, I just didn’t see an end-point. It is funny that now, I enjoy living in that modus. But, for a while I needed to be a teenager, and in some ways I think it rounded me off in life. I played volleyball, rollerbladed around San Francisco, and was basically a delinquent with my friends—you know, I was a kid.”
Of course, Tomm’s impact on ballet continues to reverberate. A short documentary titled Balances was created based on his work MOBILE, a piece still performed by Ballet West. His partnering and characterization are not just the hallmarks of his career, but the barometer by which those skills are judged in the industry. Not coincidentally, they are also skills that have distinguished Christopher’s career. Christopher returned to his family’s alma mater, the University of Utah, in 1996. He was drawn to Utah to snowboard and meet-up with friends who had come before him, “Subconsciously, I think I was drawn to the echo of the footsteps of this place.” Although Christopher was excited for an acting program, one of the required classes was dance. To fulfill the requirement, he took ballet, thinking it would be the easiest route. He soon found that he couldn’t escape his destiny. Word of Tomm Ruud’s son on campus had both teachers and students watching him intently through studio windows. Many of the instructors at the University had danced with Tomm, and even trained under Mr. C in some of the same studio’s they were staring. For them, it was déjà vu. A ballet scholarship was followed by an almost unbelievable opportunity: to be taught Coppélia by the 95-year-old Mr. C. It was the same piece, directed by the same man who inspired Christopher’s father to begin
6 | front row
dancing. “I believe I was one of the last to be coached by Mr. C. I remember how focused he was on developing characterization and partnering. He wanted you to live and breathe those moments of the character, to truly understand the role I was undertaking.” Christopher stops and looks down, “I remember him saying warmly, you’ve got some of your father in you.” At 20, Christopher was dancing with Odyssey Dance Theatre and supplementing his income by working at a bagel shop in Salt Lake when Ballet West’s Ballet Master, Bruce Caldwell (also a product of Mr. C), invited him to Ballet West’s company class. “After two weeks, Artistic Director Jonas Kåge talked to me privately and said he just didn’t have room for another male dancer in the Company. And then, the very next day, I got a call from him and said he had a contract for me. Another dancer had decided not to return the following season.” That was his 21st birthday, 13 years to the day that he asked to begin taking ballet class. He called his mom immediately. Mary recalls, “I had to sort my emotions out later. I was overjoyed. There was a huge relief that this child of mine was in a place that I’ve always thought of as home. There was a sense of legacy that he was finally where he should be.” On the eve of his 20th year with Ballet West, and the verge of his 40th birthday, Christopher says his expansive passion for the art form continues and his profound emotion for the Company intensifies. “Every day I walk through the Ballet West doors, there is an upwelling of emotion,” said Christopher. “I feel humbled to continue my family’s tradition here. We have been a part of making Ballet West what it is today, and I feel a deep sense of responsibility to represent my family, and this Company. In some capacity, I hope to do it for much longer.”
principal artist christopher ruud | photo by beau pearson
Tomm and Mary separated in 1981 and he lived openly as a gay man. Mary would remarry and the two remained close friends. Christopher recalls many holidays spent together as one family, gathering for meals. After Tomm was diagnosed with HIV in 1986, his health declined and Mary became his primary care-giver, watching over him until his death in 1994. Tomm’s ashes are interred in the Columbarium of Grace Cathedral in San Francisco., where his memorial service drew a crowd of nearly 500.
community
Three Generations on the Good, the Bad, and the…
Sophia
Natalie
Connie
Ella
Best: The secret handshake the buffoons do with [Prop Master] Cory Thorell. It makes us excited to go on-stage! Worst : Sausage curls! We used to have this elaborate hair style that would take literally hours to do every day and required hundreds of bobby pins. It was awful! (Today, a hair piece is clipped into Clara’s hair.) Best: I love seeing Ella at the final bow, next to the Sugar Plum Fairy and all the beautiful dancers that she idolizes. Lessons Learned: Bené Arnold taught me that it is better to be 15 minutes early than one second late. Hardest Part: Clara has so many emotions. I have to cry a lot. And even worse, I have to pretend to be afraid of the mice, when I really want to giggle! Fears: The Nutcracker is hard to hold. It is slick and a weird shape, and I’m always afraid on stage that I’m going to drop it.
Ella, Natalie, and Sophia Whitney, and Connie Silver
Nutty for The Nutcracker When The Nutcracker ends each year, three generations of one family who have all danced in the production say they go through “Nutcracker Withdrawals.” This year was no different, as they are already eagerly anticipating next season’s production.
L
ots of people love The Nutcracker, but few love it as much as Connie Silver, her daughter Natalie Whitney, and her daughters, Ella and Sophia. They are what some might call “super fans,” and for good reason. In 1965, Connie auditioned for The Nutcracker when Bené Arnold was the Children’s Ballet Mistress, and was cast as a Party Girl. Thirty years later, Natalie auditioned and was cast as Clara, and again, Bené rehearsed the children roles. This past season, Ella Whitney donned the same costume her mother wore as Clara. Oh, and there could be another Clara in this family’s future, as Sophia, Ella’s sister, danced in the role of a little Buffoon this year. The family never bats an eye at the rehearsal hours, the driving back and forth from the studio, or the number of tickets purchased to ensure they see every performance. Natalie’s eyes light up. “It brings the spirit of Christmas into our lives. For us, it is a joy to be a part of this show.” She said that long after The Nutcracker is gently stored in the warehouse, the family can be caught rehearsing steps in their living room.
Ella Whitney as Clara
Of the three generations, Connie is the most fervent fan—not just because her granddaughters star in the show. She loves the deeper insights
the production gives her. In particular, hope. “At the end of the year, no matter your background, your religion, ethnicity, or your politics, everyone has hope that the next year will be better than the last,” explains Connie. “For me, The Nutcracker represents that hope.” With such a long history with this production, some may think the family would be apprehensive of the new Nutcracker coming next year. Not true. All three generations are ecstatic for new costumes, sets, and even some of the unconfirmed rumors they’ve heard, such as flying components and a change to the look of Mother Buffoon. “We’ve watched the production change throughout the years,” said Connie. “With each update it only gets better, and we’re thrilled the Company is investing in it.” It’s not surprising that this family has expressed interest in sponsoring a costume as part of Ballet West’s Nutcracker Campaign. The Company is mounting the drive to help support the production’s new sets and costumes. Even less surprising is the costume they are thinking about sponsoring: Clara.
front row | 7
backstage pass
Countdown to
Nutcracker 2017 When the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation awarded $2 million to fund a new production of The Nutcracker in January of 2016, a two-year marathon began. Immediately, CEO and Artistic Director Adam Sklute, with the artistic and administrative leaders of Ballet West, plotted a course for the monumental task of taking fanciful concepts to polished reality. Here is a summary of what has happened, and a look at the sprint to the ending.
december 2016
George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles foundation awards $2 million to fund dazzling new production of Willam Christensen’s The Nutcracker.
february 2016
august 2016
Set Designer John Wayne Cook begins sketches of preliminary look.
june 2016
Company hires awardwinning Broadway lighting designer Jennifer Tipton.
8 | front row
Nutcracker Campaign launches, to garner community support. Heuvel travels to New York and Los Angeles to begin purchasing fabric.
july 2016
Director of Costume Production David Heuvel unveils first costume designs.
september 2016
Marketing Department hires noted artist, Echo Chernik, to illustrate vignettes of The Nutcracker.
backstage pass
december 2017 Premiere
november 2017
Two Weeks of Technical Rehearsals with dancers in the Capitol Theatre, putting all the elements together.
june 2017
Paint of Act II backdrop to begin. Trip scheduled to Las Vegas to technically rehearse the Flying By Foy portion of the show in their rehearsal space.
may 2017
Props, including cannon and furniture to be built.
l-r: demi soloist joshua whitehead | photo by kelli bramble. first soloist beau pearson, principal artist rex tilton, first soloist allison debona |photos by luke isley. academy student olivia huntsman. photo by beau pearson.
january 2017
march 2017
Started sewing the six Clara costumes.
Painting of grand hall to begin.
april 2017
Begin construction of puppet stage, chandeliers, and Act II throne dais.
february 2017 november 2016
Nuremberg Set is completed.
Begin painting snow portals and testing new snow machine.
front row | 9
Calmly Costuming Among the many reasons for Ballet West to invest in a new Nutcracker production, few are more pressing than the need for new costumes—some of which have been in-service for nearly two decades.
D
avid Heuvel, Director of Costume Production, estimates that the annual maintenance cost on the more than 250 Nutcracker costumes is somewhere around $10,000. This year, his team of four in the costume shop have balanced the maintenance of the current pieces with building 268 new costumes— everything from Drosselmeyer’s cape to the Sugar Plum Fairy’s tutu. “For those nervous about a new Nutcracker, I want to assure them that while the costumes will be new and bright, they will still echo the garment’s they’re used to seeing,” said Heuvel. “The story of The Nutcracker and Mr. C’s concepts are timeless. No one wants to veer very far from those ideas and themes.” David gives an example that Mr. C liked jolly and happy mice, unlike other productions which lean towards menacing rats. “And so, our mice will continue to be fat, jolly mice.” One of the more enviable duties for David are his shopping trips to New York, Los Angeles, and elsewhere for beautiful fabric and durable netting. Hundreds of yards of fabric are being received from Asia and Europe, to be transformed into pieces of art. David points out that while the cost of a tutu—with its hand sewn jewels and 16 yards of netting—sounds expensive at around $4,000, it is almost a bargain when you compare it to other costume shops. “If we were doing the Sugar Plum Fairy costume in New York, it would easily cost around $20,000. The cost of labor and other expenses are just that expensive.”
Each Chinese Hat takes up to 10 hours to mold and build.
Each Sugar Plum Fairy tutu is worth $4,000 and is decorated with more than 200 heat-set and hand sewn jewels. It takes 40 hours to make each tutu.
It takes more than 16 yards of net to make one tutu, and all of the net in The Nutcracker’s tutus would stretch the length of six football fields.
The Wardrobe department does eight loads of laundry after each Nutcracker performance. Costumes are swabbed with vodka, it works better than dry cleaning.
10 | front row
First and Second Regiment Costumes of the new Nutcracker
Sponsor a Costume Hundreds of Ballet West supporters are playing their part by donating to The Nutcracker Campaign. This fundraiser not only contributes to the new Nutcracker, but advances other artistic endeavors. Anyone can call themselves a philanthropist, with benefits starting at just $25. Read a few testimonials below and consider a donation to help continue the longest-running Nutcracker in the United States.
Griffin Horne Age 12
The Ballet West Nutcracker has been part of my family’s holiday tradition since I can remember. I performed in my first Nutcracker in 2014, when I was 10 years old, and this year marked my third year in a row. I convinced my grandparents, aunts, and cousin to collectively sponsor a military boy costume from the party scene because that was the first role I performed in The Nutcracker and I have great memories of it.
We sponsored a Mouse costume to support Ballet West and to honor our son Gibson. He has a passion for and dedication to ballet.
Cindy Hochhauser We chose to sponsor The Nutcracker as it showcases the entire company so well and it’s the pre-eminent performance of the holiday season in Salt Lake City.
Kent Difiore
Be part of the next 25 years of The Nutcracker, visit balletwest.org/nutcrackercampaign
Ballet West Donor Tour to
San Francisco with Adam Sklute Before Ballet West, there was San Francisco Ballet, the oldest classical ballet company in America, founded by our very own Willam Christensen and his brothers, Lew and Harold. Experience that history first hand during a fabulous weekend getaway with Ballet West CEO and Artistic Director, Adam Sklute. Packages include:
• 2 nights at the Hotel W San Francisco (Friday, March 31 and Saturday, April 1) • Dinner at the Lazy Bear, Michelin 2-Star (Friday, March 31) • Tour of the San Francisco Ballet with boxed lunch from The Slanted Door (Saturday, April 1) • Pre-Ballet dinner at Jardinière (Saturday, April 1) • Tickets to the San Francisco Ballet’s Swan Lake (Saturday, April 1) * Please note this package does not include airfare or ground transportation.
Total travel cost:
• $2,600 - double occupancy ($500 tax deductible) • $1,600 - single occupancy ($250 tax deductible) Limited to 40 guests. For more information or to RSVP contact events@balletwest.org or (801) 869-6917
Props to the Grandfather Clock Properties Master Cory Thorell is a storyteller: both on stage, through his fabulous props, and off, sharing the tales of his props featured in Ballet West’s The Nutcracker. Thorell offers a behind-the-scenes glimpse at the unwritten stories of the chestnut cart and grandfather clock, among other beloved props. by amy falls
E
ach destination to which Clara travels in The Nutcracker is inventively designed and carefully built by Ballet West’s several Production Departments. Among these, the Props Department oversees the ballet’s many magical objects, including the party girls’ dolls, and even Mother Buffoon. The mastermind behind the hundreds of props in The Nutcracker is Ballet West’s Properties Master, Cory Thorell.
artists of ballet west | photo by luke isley
Thorell caught the “theatre bug” in high school, when he spent a summer working in the Prop Shop at the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts. He went on to graduate from the University of Utah’s Design and Stage Management program, and worked at Utah Opera before being hired at Ballet West in 1998. Since then, Thorell has worked tirelessly to replace, find, and build almost all the props now seen in The Nutcracker.
12 | front row
staff profile
Thorell stays busy throughout the year, but Nutcracker season is perhaps the busiest time. “Generally, Nutcracker starts waking up from her summer nap around September,” says Thorell, and it is a race to Opening Night from there. However long and hard the work may be, Thorell mentions that it is also difficult not to be happy during Nutcracker season. “It is the young dancers that make it so magical, as their dreams are coming true right there, right then.” He works closely with the children’s cast to ensure their safety backstage, and that they handle the dolls and other props with care. (To this day, adults in the grocery store who appeared in Nutcracker as children approach Thorell with a “secret handshake” of sorts, passed down between generations of little Buffoons.)
Thorell has also updated the party boys’ horns from tin tree ornaments to replicas of World War I trumpets. Clara’s seat during the Arabian dance is no longer a corduroycovered stool but a carved, bejeweled elephant. The mechanical Doll in the party scene now has a key made of real metal on her back rather than one of painted cardboard. Thorell has also reimagined the Stahlbaum’s grandfather clock, as seen in the First Act. A Salt Lake native, Thorell remembers seeing the grandfather clock in Ballet West’s production since he was a child. Originally made by Dr. Merrill Lessley (whose name is now painted on it), the clock is the oldest Nutcracker prop still in rotation. The clock has been in use since Founder Willam Christensen was the Company’s Artistic Director. The grandfather clock was at first just a two-dimensional face. Thorell has since added carved, painted sides to match, making the clock three-dimensional.
“ It is the young dancers that make it so magical, as their dreams are coming true right there, right then.” In late November, The Nutcracker props are packed into the front half of a semitruck and transported from the Ballet West warehouse to the Janet Quinney Lawson Capitol Theatre. Thorell was once tasked by Artistic Director Adam Sklute to build a wheeled chestnut cart, now seen in the first act, but there was even
The grandfather’s clock. more to the challenge: the cart needed to be both functional and contribute to the story, but also needed to fit in the one remaining space in the Tetris-packed Nutcracker truck! Thorell rose to the challenge, and now the chestnut cart fits like a puzzle piece into that last compartment.
The grandfather clock is one of the few props that will be moving into the newly designed Nutcracker production that premieres in 2017. As you watch The Nutcracker next year, remember, as Thorell says: “Every prop has a story!”
Other Props Cory has Developed
Cory Thorell Properties Master
Horns
Clara’s Seat
Key
Chestnut Cart
front row | 13
Donors
Each issue of the Front Row will feature a listing of current Heritage Club and Founder’s Circle patrons, corporate sponsors, foundation and government supporters, and new members ($350+ level) who have joined since our last publication. For a full listing of our generous donors, please visit BalletWest.org/donor-acknowledgments.
Founder’s Circle
Carole Wood and Darrell Hensleigh
Gideon and Jennifer Malherbe
Rebecca Marriott Champion
Ballet West thanks our Founder Circle donors, each of whom has given more than $500,000 to the Company throughout its history, either though collective annual giving or one-time gifts.
Barbara Barrington Jones
Thomas and Mary McCarthey
Tony and Roxanne Christensen Lazzara
Sheryl and Bruce Lefavi
Willis McCree and John Fromer
Amalia Cochran
Angela Martindale and Michael Snow
Peter and Catherine Meldrum
William and Joan Coles
Dan P. Miller
Glen and Rayna Mintz
William and Melissa Connelly
John and Andrea Miller
Marilyn Neilson
Charles and Susan Critchlow
B. W. Bastian Foundation
Anthony and Jessica Mirabile
Ray Pickup
Peter Dejonge and Susan Johnson
Barbara Barrington Jones
Richard and Lois Peterson
Jason and Anne Marie Portnoy
Thomas and Lisa Dunlap
Beano Solomon
Brian and Janae Powell
Lee Quinney
John Eckert
Emma Eccles Jones Foundation
Keith and Nancy Rattie
Helle and Jon Le Rette
Sissy Eichwald
Frederick Q. Lawson Foundation
Janet and Pete Richardson
Jerry and Linda Rowley
Patti Eylar and Charlie Gardner
George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation
Erin and Bryan Riggsbee
Dr. Pamela Parkinson and Joshua Scoby
Inger Fenech
Janet Q. Lawson Foundation
Liz and Jonathan Slager
Joanne L. Shrontz Family Foundation
Karen L. Freed
Barbara L. Tanner
Adam Sklute and Christoper Renstrom
David Keith Garside and Audrey Miner
Sue and Walker Wallace
Todd Smith
Marla M. Gault
Julia S. Watkins
Audra Sorensen
Dee Gauss
George H. and Tamie P. Speciale
Ann and Rick Gold
Sue and Jack Stahl
Mary Gootjes and John Davis
Stanford and Dixie Stoddard
David and Sandylee Griswold
Jennifer Strachan
Sandy Haughey
Cindy and Blake Strong
Wyatt and Samantha Hepworth
Bill and Stacey Sweet-Tabar
Cindy and Howard Hochhauser
Rick and Chris Veit
Connie Holbrook
Roy Vincent
Mark and Wendi Holland
Brad and Linda Walton
Julie Hopkins
Mike and Debra Washburn
Larry and Tina Howard
Mark Weisbender
Robert and Dixie Huefner
Jacquelyn Wentz
David and Linda Irvine
Marelynn and Edward Zipser
Gordon Irving
Anonymous
Wendy Jackson
John and Marcia Price Family Foundation Marriner S. Eccles Foundation Peggy Bergmann Rocky Mountain Power
Choreographer and Ballet Mistress
S.J. and Jessie E. Quinney Foundation
Bradley Allen
The Huntsman Foundation
Scott and Lisa Altman
Meldrum Foundation
Margaret Anderson
Shari and David Quinney
Bonnie Jean Beesley
Val A. Browning Foundation
Kathleen and Andy Blank Marie and Kevin Brown
heritage club Mr. C Peggy Bergmann John and Kristi Cumming Paul and Cheryl Huntsman Barbara Levy Kipper Frederick Q. Lawson Shari and David Quinney Richard A. Ross Family Jim and Krista Sorenson
Carol Browning, Céline Browning, and Rete and Rikki Browning Alexis Carr Carol Carter and George Nitse William and Patricia W. Child Carol Christ Cecile and Harold Christiansen Jim and Barbara Clark Pascale De Rozario and Jonathan Crossett Spencer F. and Cleone P. Eccles
Mrs. Wallace
The Rickman Family
Judy Brady and Drew W. Browning
Deborah B. and Edward Felt
John and Marcia Price
John and Joan Firmage
Theodore Schmidt
John and Ilauna Gurr
Archivist and Director Vilija Avizonis and Greg McComas Marie and Kevin Brown DiFiore Family Sue J. Ellis Alan and Jeanne Hall Ron and Shelley Hansen
14 | front row
Stephanie and Tim Harpst Jennifer S. Horne and Bart Johnson Scott Huntsman Tina Jensen Conrad and Anne Jenson Katharine Lamb Cynthia Lampropoulos David and Naja Lockwood
Ballet Master John and Marilyn Alleman Jeffrey Bronson Anderson Stephen Anderson Béne Arnold Petras and Liuda Avizonis Carol Baer Govert Bassett Frances and Jerome Battle Clisto and Suzanne Beaty Gary Beers Alene E. Bentley Sharon and Michael Bertelsen Annie Binger Ginny Bostrom and Ralph Ashton Kristel B. Carter
Marilyn and Chester Johnson G. Frank and Pamela Joklik Howard A. and Lou Ann B. Jorgensen John Karls Heather Keller Shelley Kendrick Carol and Guy Kroesche Katherine Probert Labrum Tony and Roxanne Christensen Lazzara David E. and Helane B. Leta Marjorie and Thomas Mclaughlin Laura Scott and Rodney Mena Stephen Moga Sheri P. and Ted Morgan Leslie Murdock Scott and JoAnn Narus
Oren and Liz Nelson Scott Nichols Joanne Parrish Linda S. Pembroke Andrea Peterson Diana and Robert Joel Peterson Jeanie Pollack Jeanne Potucek Jeff Van Niel and Nancy Rapoport Suzanne and David Razor Amy Wadsworth and David Richardson Gary and Joann Rieben Karen Horne and Michael Rowley Mark and Linda Scholl Robert and Nancy Schumacker Katherine Scott Claudia and David Seiter Ben and Lael Selznick Teresa Silcox John Sklute Cassandra Suite-Smith James R. Kruse and Mary Jo Smith Nancy and Robert Sparrer Jennifer Speers John and Diana Major Spencer Aharon Shulimson and Julie Terry Rachele McCarthey and Brock VandeKamp Susan Warshaw Cynthia Washington Bill and Betty Weldon Mary Bird and Lance Wood Scott Rosenbush and Cindy Zimmerman Anonymous new and renewed members Christine Allred Nancy L. Anselmi Nancy and Lewis Baker Monica Buesser John Bohnsack and Rebecca Day Eric and Shellie Eide Elizabeth Frank Barbara Horwitz Beth McComas Dongngan Truong Jane Wallace
foundations, corporate, and government support
$5,000–9,999
Nicholas & Company Inc.*
$100,000+
Bambara Restaurant*
Nordstrom
Discovery Gateway*
Savoury Kitchen*
Meldrum Foundation
Henry W. & Leslie M. Eskuche Charitable Foundation
Snow, Christensen & Martineau
Utah State Legislature
High West Distillery & Saloon*
Swire Coca-Cola, Usa*
James Lee Sorenson Family Foundation
$25,000–99,999 Emma Eccles Jones Foundation Jerome Robbins Foundation Marriner S. Eccles Foundation National Endowment for the Arts Nuvestack* Dominion Questar Salt Lake Regional Medical Center* Sorenson Legacy Foundation State Of Utah
Jones Waldo Kutv Media One Mountain America Credit Union Myriad Genetics Partnering For Performance Promontory Foundation R. Harold Burton Foundation Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse* Salt Lake City Arts Council
The Huntsman Foundation
The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints Foundation
The Shubert Foundation, Inc.
The Front Climbing Club
Utah Arts And Museums
U.S. Bank
Utah Audio*
Union Pacific Foundation
Utah Toyota Dealers
University Of Utah Health Care Services*
Zions Bank
William H. & Mattie Wattis Harris Foundation
$10,000–24,999
Workers Compensation Fund
Beaver Creek Foundation City Creek Center*
$1,000–4,999
Dr. Jeremy Wimmer With Elite Chiropractic Center*
A&Z Produce* Blank Family Foundation
Eleve Dancewear
Blue Lemon Restaurant & Bistro*
Every Blooming Thing*
Caitland Photography
Florence J. Gillmor Foundation
Cannella’s Restaurant And Lounge*
Janet Q. Lawson Foundation
Cigna Matching Gifts Program, Cigna
JP Morgan Chase Bank
City Weekly
Lawrence T. & Janet T. Dee Foundation
Epic Brewing Company*
Lux Events*
Goldman Sachs
New Yorker*
Holiday Inn Express*
O.C. Tanner
Holland & Hart
Orient Overseas Container Line
Industrial Supply Company*
Reagan Outdoor Advertising
John and Dora Lang Foundation
Richard K. & Shirley S. Hemingway Foundation
Katherine & Ezekiel Dumke Foundation
Rocky Mountain Power
KPCW*
Simmons Family Foundation Summit County RAP Tax Wells Fargo Wheeler Foundation
Southern Wine/Spirits West* Tanner LLC The Boeing Company The Rose Shop* T-Mobile Usa, Inc Utah Digital Services Utah Media Group Whole Foods Market Williams Company *in-kind donation
KB2N* KUER* Merrick Bank Mills Publishing* Molina Healthcare, Inc. As of December 31, 2016
front row | 15
52 west 200 south salt lake city, utah 84101
ARCHIVIST BREAKFAST
AT
TIFFANY & CO.
Please join us for a special breakfast at Tiffany & Co. as we unveil a series of archival images and brand new costumes that will debut in December, 2017 as part of our dazzling new Nutcracker production.
Upcoming Performances � Events: Enjoy a champagne breakfast with Ballet West Company Dancers and Artistic Director and CEO Adam Sklute, along with the exclusive opportunity to shop in the stunning boutique while the doors are closed to the public.
Saturday March 4, 2017 8:30 a.m.
the
ARTISTS OF BALLET WEST | PHOTO BY BEAU PEARSON
sleeping beauty sat feb 25
Tiffany & Co. City Creek Center 50 Main Street | Salt Lake City, UT 84101
YAGP Night of Shining Stars
Please RSVP by Wednesday, March 1 events@balletwest.org | (801) 869-6938 Capacity is limited, an early reply is greatly appreciated.
february 10–26
Beer and Ballet
thu apr
6
The magical This event is generously underwritten by Tiffanyaudience and Co. Cityfavorite Creek. is back by popular demand!
The Sleeping Beauty feb
10–26
TICKETS ON SALE NOW 801•869•6900 | BALLETWEST.ORG
Breakfast at Tiffany’s (Archivist Breakfast)
sat mar
tickets 801·869·6900 | donations 801·869·6963
16 | front row
4
Mr. C’s Dinner
fri apr
21