Cincinnati Ballet - Alice 2023

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

PRODUCTION SPONSORS ALICE (IN WONDERLAND)

CINCINNATI BALLET LEADERSHIP SYNOPSIS

CREATIVE TEAM BIOS ARTISTIC LISTING DANCER BIOS A WORLD OF WONDER BOARD OF TRUSTEES CINCINNATI SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA CINCINNATI BALLET STAFF

DONOR HONOR ROLL EXPLORE CINCINNATI BALLET FOR YOUR INFORMATION

Photography: Hiromi Platt

Photography: Angie Lipscomb

Photography: Angie Lipscomb

Photography: Aaron M. Conway

DEAR FRIENDS OF CINCINNATI BALLET,

Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is one of the great stories we all grew up with. It is magical and otherworldly. So, we are excited to present the ballet ALICE (in wonderland) as designed by my friend, choreographer Septime Webre, to tell that story like only Cincinnati Ballet can. This is whimsical and fantastical storytelling, and the show is a vibrant, visual feast for the audience. You will find yourself transported into a world of wonder. The production challenges our dancers to tell a fantasy utilizing the physical attributes inherent in each character and opportunities for entertaining each of you with wonderful movement invention. This ballet is action-packed for our talented company, including many young performers from Cincinnati Ballet’s Otto M. Budig Academy. We are certain you will love this show!

ALICE kicks off a busy 2023 for Cincinnati Ballet dancers. Next week, our company goes on tour to Laguna Beach, California, joining Hubbard Street Dance of Chicago for a series of performances and master classes as part of the Laguna Dance Festival, a festival I founded in 2005. Cincinnati Ballet will perform repertory that includes Alejandro Cerrudo’s Extremely Close; Grand Pas de Deux from Don Quixote; an excerpt from William Forsythe’s In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated; and Swivet, choreography by Andrea Schermoly.

In April, we look forward to welcoming you to our Family Series: Beauty and the Beast at the Aronoff Center. This hour-long, narrated production, performed by Cincinnati Ballet Second Company – CB2, is the perfect introduction to ballet, even for the youngest members of your family.

We will conclude our 2022–2023 season in June with the Bold Moves Festival, which includes five dynamic repertory works and our special guest artist Irene Rodríguez.

Thank you for joining us for an imaginative and charming production of ALICE (in wonderland)

JODIE GATES

Artistic

Director

Sue and Bill Friedlander Endowed Chair

Otto M. Budig Academy Artistic Director

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DEAR FRIEND OF CINCINNATI BALLET,

We welcome you to the magical world of ALICE (in wonderland)! This production of choreographer Septime Webre’s over-the-top, colorful take on the classic novel was last performed during the 2014–2015 Season and became an instant patron favorite. We are thrilled to be sharing it with all of you again this season. If this is your first time experiencing ALICE, you are in for an immersive treat—a world filled with incredible characters—Alice, of course, and the Mad Hatter and the Cheshire Cat, as well as the diabolical Queen of Hearts. This production is also infused with creative license taken by Webre, who is an expert at taking iconic stories and expanding on their genius with his own unique brand of whimsy and wonder that blends the narrative beautifully with ballet. (You may recall we performed Webre’s The Wizard of Oz in 2019.) In this production, the Red Queen is attended to by dancing playing cards; the White Rabbit and Caterpillar share the stage with a Dodo Bird, Eaglet, and adorable baby flamingos. As children, your parents may have read Alice in Wonderland to you as a bedtime story; others may have first experienced the story through the popular Disney animated film or the director Tim Burton’s more recent live-action film. What you may not know is British author Lewis Carroll, who penned Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, was a Victorian mathematician. Carroll, whose real name was Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, first created the stories for the children of a family friend in 1865. Much has been made of the meaning of the story since the literary classic was first published more than 150 years ago. While some may credit the story as nothing more than entertaining nonsense and paradox, others believe it is a metaphor for how imaginative children must navigate the more realistic adult world. There is certainly nothing realistic about this production with its super-sized sets and lavish costumes and dozens of dancers! We predict you will be smiling like the Cheshire Cat, and you might just find yourself like Alice, exclaiming, “Curiouser and curiouser!” as the performance unfolds. Enjoy!

SCOTT ALTMAN President and CEO

A proud sponsor of the musical arts

LORETTA MOTZ COOK AND DAVID COOK

The Austin E. Knowlton Foundation is a proud season partner of Cincinnati Ballet

ALICE (IN WONDERLAND)

CHOREOGRAPHY Septime Webre

MUSIC Matthew Pierce

CONDUCTOR Tara Simoncic STAGING Johanna Bernstein Wilt

CONCEPT AND COSTUME DESIGN Liz Vandal SET DESIGN James Kronzer

PUPPET DESIGN Eric Van Wyk

LIGHTING DESIGN Clifton Taylor LIGHTING RECREATION Steve O’Shea

CHILDREN’S REHEARSAL COACH Suzette Boyer Webb

ASSOCIATE SET DESIGNER Jeremy W. Foil

COSTUME PRODUCTION Jean-Francois Rochefort and Liz Vandal

HATS Lyne Beaulieu and Jean-Francois Rochefort FLYING by Foy

HIGH TECHNOLOGY FABRIC TRANSFORMATION MTI–Masking Technologies & Innovations www.mtimasking.com

FABRIC GRAPHICS DESIGN Julie Castan (Castan Design) and Achim Schuhmacher STAGE MANAGER Carissa Gandenberger

WORLD PREMIERE

April 22, 2012, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Eisenhower Theater, Washington, D.C.

CHOREOGRAPHER’S NOTE

I have always been intrigued by the circumstances surrounding the beginnings of Lewis Carroll’s creation of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1865) and his subsequent book Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There (1871). Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (who later took on the nom de plume of Lewis Carroll) was an interesting fellow; mathematician, logician, Anglican deacon, and photographer, whose love of wordplay is evidenced throughout both books. He was a great friend of real-life Alice and her family, The Liddells. One rainy day, Dodgson took Alice and her twin sisters on a picnic at Folly Bridge near Oxford, England, where they took a boat ride. It was on that ride the Dodgson began to spin the tall tale of a special girl named Alice, which he subsequently published as Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.

I have chosen to create a prologue to this adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s work by presenting a fictionalized version of the real Alice Liddell and her oddball family members, who reappear as other characters throughout her journey in Wonderland: Alice’s overbearing mother becomes the Queen of Hearts; her henpecked father, the ineffectual King of Hearts; her kooky twin sisters, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum; her narcoleptic grandmother, the always sleeping Dormouse; her befuddled grandfather, the perplexed March Hare; the nervous and rushed butler becomes the White Rabbit; and Lewis Carroll himself returns as the Mad Hatter. While I have followed the structure of the first book, some of my favorite elements from the second book such as Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee, the Jabberwock, and others, make an appearance in the ballet. On behalf of the army of passionate people who’ve created this production together, it’s an honor to share this special tale of a little girl and her amazing adventure with you.

SUE , YOU WILL BE MISSED.

In Memory of Susan S. Friedlander

In 2005, Sue with her husband Bill, saw their first Kaplan New Works at the former Cincinnati Ballet studios on Central Parkway. It was the first time they experienced professional dancers performing in such a raw and intimate setting. They left feeling inspired which sparked a long-time passion for Cincinnati Ballet. Sue and Bill’s support of the organization spanned more than 30 years. They were a part of significant projects such as establishing an endowment for the Artistic Director position and annually contributing to live music. Bill passed away in 2014 and Sue continued their commitment to supporting the arts in Cincinnati. She cared deeply for Cincinnati Ballet and named the Artistic Suite in the new Cincinnati Ballet Margaret and Michael Valentine Center for Dance.

“Sue was a truly remarkable person who had a great laugh and was continuously curious to learn more about the artists, musicians and choreographers working with Cincinnati Ballet.”

SCOTT ALTMAN

President, and CEO.

“I am truly honored to continue the Sue and Bill Friedlander Artistic Director legacy at Cincinnati Ballet; having had the pleasure to meet Sue a handful of times, she was warmly welcoming to me and clearly passionate about the joy of dance and the future of her beloved Cincinnati Ballet”

JODIE GATES

Cincinnati Ballet Sue & Bill Friedlander Endowed Chair Cincinnati Ballet Otto M. Budig Academy

Sue Friedlander and her friend Shirley Duff | PHOTOGRAPHY: Mikki Schaffner

Pictured at the Margaret & Michael Valentine Center For Dance Grand Opening Gala

The Dancers, staff, and Cincinnati Ballet family honors Sue Friedlander by dedicating the production of ALICE (in wonderland) in her memory. She will be forever in our hearts.

CINCINNATI BALLET LEADERSHIP

JODIE GATES

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR | SUE AND BILL FRIEDLANDER ENDOWED CHAIR | OTTO M. BUDIG ACADEMY ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Jodie Gates has contributed to the profession as a visionary leader, director, arts educator, choreographer, and dancer. She is a former principal ballerina with the Joffrey Ballet, Philadelphia Ballet, Frankfurt Ballet, and Complexions Contemporary Ballet, as well as an international guest artist. She is the Founding Director of the University of Southern California’s Glorya Kaufman School of Dance where she also served as Vice Dean and Professor while creating a one-of-a-kind curriculum. She is Founder and Artistic Director of the presenting organization Laguna Dance Festival based in Laguna Beach, California, establishing a sustainable organization that cultivates world-class dance performance and education. As an accomplished choreographer she has been commissioned by numerous companies such as Ballet West, Staatsballett Berlin, and the

Vail International Dance Festival. Additionally, she created content for television commercials, curated performances for singer/songwriter John Legend, and collaborated for a global ad campaign for Los Angeles Tourism. She is an artistic collaborator with choreographer William Forsythe, staging ballets internationally for Forsythe Productions and has worked at Paris Opera Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Houston Ballet, La Scala Theatre Ballet, and Zurich Ballet, among others. She was awarded the distinguished Residency Fellowship from The Center for Ballet and the Arts at New York University, a recipient of the Jerome Robbins New Essential Works Program and Altria/ABT fellowship from American Ballet Theatre. Gates received a Psychology of Leadership Certificate from Cornell University SC Johnson College of Business and studied with the Higher Education Leadership Program for Women (HERS Institute) at Bryn Mawr College.

SCOTT ALTMAN

PRESIDENT AND CEO Scott Altman joined Cincinnati Ballet as President and CEO in August 2016. Under his visionary leadership, Cincinnati Ballet has reached many noteworthy milestones, more than tripling asset growth to over $75 million, implementation of its first $11 million operating budget, a dynamic new logo and brand identity, record-breaking ticket sales, the launch of a new Family Series, as well as expanded Academy and community programs. To accommodate this incredible growth, Cincinnati Ballet launched a $31 million capital campaign to construct a new, larger, state-of-the-art ballet center; the 62,000-square-foot Cincinnati Ballet Margaret and Michael Valentine Center for Dance celebrated its grand opening in September 2021. During his tenure, Altman has been honored for four consecutive years by Cincinnati Magazine in its Cincinnati 300—a compilation of the city’s top 300 executives, and currently serves as Trustee on the Board of Ohio Citizens for the Arts, and member of the Dean’s Advisory Council for Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. Altman has been

featured guest speaker for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), Americans for the Arts, and the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. Altman brings with him nearly three decades of experience in nonprofit administration and performing arts. Prior to his roles in administration, Altman enjoyed a 20-year career as a professional opera singer and performed 40 opera roles internationally. He has held leadership positions as General Director at both Arizona Opera and Opera New Jersey, and just prior to coming to Cincinnati Ballet he was Executive Director of Ballet West. During his tenure, Ballet West experienced phenomenal expansion, including growth in ticket sales, a vastly expanded touring schedule, robust growth in donor development, and the construction of a new building. He is an alumnus of the Manhattan School of Music as well as State University College at Purchase and taught for three years at Princeton University. Altman earned a certificate from Stanford University’s Executive Program for Nonprofit Leaders, was a Utah Business 2016 CEO of the Year Honoree, and is a three-time recipient of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts Citation of Excellence Award.

DALE SHIELDS REHEARSAL DIRECTOR

Dale Shields trained at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts and Butler University before joining Indianapolis Ballet Theatre, where she rose to principal dancer under Artistic Director George Verdak. Shields performed principal roles in productions including Giselle, The Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, Romeo & Juliet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Coppelia, Night Shadow, The Moor’s Pavane, and many original works. She served as Principal Bal-

let Mistress for Ballet Internationale, assisting with the original choreography of full-length ballets by Artistic Director Eldar Aliev and worked alongside Irina Kolpakova in staging many well-known classics. Accepting Artistic Director John McFall’s invitation to join Atlanta Ballet as Ballet Mistress gave her the opportunity to assist in mounting numerous full-length productions. She assisted on works by inspiring national and international choreographers including Alexander Ekman, Helen Pickett, Twyla Tharp, Liam Scarlett, David Bentley, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, and Amy Seiwert, among others. She is now in her third season with Cincinnati Ballet.

CERVILIO MIGUEL AMADOR REHEARSAL DIRECTOR

A skilled artist, entrepreneur, and change agent for the world of dance, Cervilio Miguel Amador received his education and training from the Vocational Ballet School in Camagüey, Cuba, and the National Ballet School of Cuba. He danced with the National Ballet of Cuba as a corps de ballet dancer and then as a corifeo (demi-soloist) before joining Cincinnati Ballet in 2004 as a Soloist. He was promoted to Principal Dancer in 2006 becoming one of the youngest Principals

in the history of the company. During his professional career he has performed as a guest artist in galas all over the world as well as a guest teacher for numerous schools. He has represented Cincinnati Ballet dancers as a Union delegate for over 10 years and after retiring from dance, he became the Rehearsal Director for Cincinnati Ballet. He is currently the Rehearsal Director for Cincinnati Ballet and Co-Artistic Director/Founder of Moving Arts. Amador is also a member of the Cincinnati Ballet Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Task Force leading sustainable change for dancers now and future artists.

SUZETTE BOYER WEBB DIRECTOR OF SECOND COMPANY

Suzette Boyer Webb joined Cincinnati Ballet in 1979. As a Principal Dancer, under the direction of David McClain, Frederic Franklin, and Ivan Nagy, she danced classical and contemporary roles in works by choreographers Frederic Franklin, Ivan Nagy, George Balanchine, Ruth Page, Peter Anastos, John Butler, Sir Kenneth McMillian, Ben Stevenson, James Truitte, Lester Horton, and Vincente Nebrada. Upon retirement from Cincinnati Ballet, Webb served on the Dance Division faculty at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. There, she was awarded The Outstanding Adjunct Teacher of the Year award.

As the director of the Cincinnati Ballet’s Second Company – CB2 and Young Performers Rehearsal Director, Webb has been instrumental in providing technical and artistic learning opportunities to CB2 and Academy dancers in various Cincinnati Ballet productions, including the highly successful Cincinnati Ballet Family Series Webb has choreographed numerous works for the Cincinnati Ballet Second Company. She has staged many ballets, including children’s roles for Victoria Morgan’s The Nutcracker, in Cincinnati; Anchorage, Alaska; at the Kennedy Center for the Arts in Washington, D.C.; and at the Detroit Opera House.

Webb has worked nationally as guest teacher, adjudicator, and panelist.

CINCINNATI BALLET LEADERSHIP

CARMON DELEONE

MUSIC

DIRECTOR EMERITUS

Carmon DeLeone, Music Director Emeritus of Cincinnati Ballet and Conductor Laureate of The Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra and The Middleton Symphony, has served as Conductor and Host of the Family Concert Series at New York’s Carnegie Hall and has conducted orchestras in Germany, England, Luxembourg, Canada, and Puerto Rico. Under his leadership, The Illinois Philharmonic was twice named “Illinois Orchestra of the Year.” He has composed many original scores for the ballet. His bestknown work, Peter Pan, is frequently performed nationally and overseas. As Assistant and later Resident Conductor of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, DeLeone served on its staff with Music

Directors Max Rudolf, Thomas Schippers, Walter Susskind, and Erich Kunzel. He was also selected by Maestro Erich Leinsdorf to participate in an intensive master conducting seminar at The Lincoln Center. He possesses a wide range of musical interests; he is versed in both the classics and jazz playing the French horn or leading his own “Studio Big Band” from the drum set. Maestro DeLeone made his New York conducting debut with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater at City Center, and his Carnegie Hall debut with the Orchestra of St. Luke’s. DeLeone is a recipient of the Post-Corbett Award and most recently was awarded the esteemed MacDowell Medal by the Cincinnati MacDowell Society. His very popular weekly radio show, Sunday Morning Music Hall, can be heard on WDJO-FM 99.5 & 107.9 and AM 1480.

SYNOPSIS

ACT I

PROLOGUE

Alice daydreams as her family swirls around her chaotically. She is mesmerized by the mysterious and quirky Lewis Carroll, a family friend, who takes Alice on a boat ride and picnic in the country.

DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE

During their picnic, Lewis Carroll begins telling Alice an astounding story of a little girl’s adventures in a wonderland. As Alice drifts to sleep, a White Rabbit hops by. The nervous Rabbit checks his pocket watch because he’s late. He quickly leaps into a rabbit hole; Alice follows. She falls for what seems like miles. Alice lands with a thud in a hallway filled with closed doors. She drinks a potion and grows quite tall; she fans herself and shrinks quite small. Through a keyhole, the tiny Alice catches her first glimpse of the evil Queen of Hearts. When Alice eats a bit of cake and returns to normal size, she can no longer fit through the tiny door that leads to the wondrous world.

POOL OF TEARS AND THE CAUCUS RACE

Frightened and confused, Alice cries a pool of tears. The Dormouse swims by and befriends Alice. Then, a Dodo Bird, an Eaglet, and a flock of Flamingos plop into the pool. The Dodo Bird decides the best way to get everyone dry is to dance a Caucus Race.

PIG AND PEPPER

Alice comes upon a Fish footman who is delivering an invitation to the Queen of Hearts’ croquet game to the Frog footman who works for the Duchess. Inside the Duchess’ cottage, bedlam reigns. The Duchess is agitated because the Cook has put too much pepper into the soup.

THE CHESHIRE CAT/ ADVICE FROM A CATERPILLAR/ THE MAD HATTER’S TEA PARTY

While walking along, Alice comes upon a Cheshire Cat, who appears and disappears on a whim. Later when Alice looks up to the sky, she finds he has become the moon. She then meets a peculiar Caterpillar who smokes a hookah pipe before metamorphosing into a butterfly before her eyes. Next, Alice stumbles into a puzzling tea party with the Mad Hatter, the March Hare, and the Dormouse.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY PETER MUELLER FEATURING CINCINNATI BALLET DANCERS (TOP AND MIDDLE) AND MELISSA GELFIN DE-POLI AND JAMES GILMER

SYNOPSIS

ACT II

QUEEN’S GARDEN PARTY AND CROQUET GAME

Card gardeners have accidentally planted white roses in the Queen’s garden. The Queen of Hearts only wishes to grow red roses. Fearing her wrath, they paint the roses red. The Queen’s court spills by, and Alice sees her friend the White Rabbit and the Queen’s Joker. Alice is invited by the Queen to play a very different game of croquet using Flamingo mallets and Hedgehogs as croquet balls. Blaming the Hedgehogs for losing the match, the Queen proclaims, “Off with their heads.” Alice saves the Hedgehogs, and the angry Queen chases her into the forest.

TWEEDLE DUM AND TWEEDLE DEE AND THE JABBERWOCK

In the forest, Alice happens upon a RockingHorse-Fly, a Bread-and-Butterfly, and beautiful Snap-Dragon-Flies. Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee playfully argue as they pass by. Alice reflects on her amazing journey with the Cheshire Cat, the Mad Hatter, the White Rabbit, and the Tweedle Twins. The languid group is suddenly threatened by the ultimate danger: the Queen’s Jabberwock. To protect her new friends, Alice slays the beast.

THE TRIAL AND HOME AGAIN

Back at the Queen’s palace, Alice is arrested and put on trial for her crime. Utter confusion breaks out in the court while the Queen shouts, “Off with her head.” Alice realizes the silliness of the Queen and her court and they fall like a house of cards. She awakens from her dream and finds herself at home.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY PETER MUELLER FEATURING SARAH HAIRSTON BERKLEY AND CINCINNATI BALLET DANCERS (TOP), JAMES CUNNINGHAM AND JAKE CASEY (MIDDLE), AND JANESSA TOUCHET AND CINCINNATI BALLET DANCERS

CREATIVE TEAM

SEPTIME WEBRE CHOREOGRAPHER

Septime Webre is an internationally recognized ballet director, choreographer, educator, and advocate. He joined Hong Kong Ballet as its Artistic Director in July 2017 after 17 years as Artistic Director of The Washington Ballet in Washington, D.C. Previously he served as Artistic Director of the American Repertory Ballet, based in Princeton, New Jersey, for six years. In addition, Webre has served as the Artistic Director of Halcyon, a Washington, D.C.-based foundation standing at the intersection of creativity and social impact. Webre’s tenure at The Washington Ballet ushered in a period of unprecedented growth in the quality and breadth of its work—both onstage and in its engagement and educational initiatives, with its annual budget growing over 500% during that time. In Hong Kong, Webre recently staged a pair of new

MATTHEW PIERCE COMPOSER

Composer/Violinist

Matthew Pierce is celebrated for his new classical scores commissioned and performed by major American ballet companies. Born in Brooklyn in 1968, Pierce grew up in Seattle, studied violin performance with Shirley Givens at the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, and moved to New York where he began writing music for the theater. Pierce has a special aptitude for dance; his brother Ben is a retired principal

productions for HKB: a Romeo + Juliet set in early 1960s Hong Kong, and The Nutcracker set in Hong Kong in the early 20th century. In addition, he has staged a number of additional productions for HKB, including new productions of Giselle, ALICE (in wonderland), The Great Gatsby, and Peter Pan.

As a dancer, Webre was featured in solo and principal roles from the classical repertoire as well as in contemporary works by choreographers such as Twyla Tharp, Paul Taylor, and Merce Cunningham. He has served on the juries of a number of international ballet competitions, including those in Varna, Bulgaria, Istanbul, Cape Town, New York, Seoul, and elsewhere. He has served on the board of Dance/USA and his work has received numerous honors, grants, and awards. He holds a degree in History/Pre-Law from the University of Texas at Austin, and is the seventh son in a large, boisterous Cuban-American family.

dancer for the San Francisco Ballet. ALICE (in wonderland), with choreography by Septime Webre, has been produced by 13 companies with more than 100 performances across the United States and the world, traveling to Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Australia in 2019. The Washington Post called his score for ALICE, “The cherry on top: Pierce’s visionary result, a shimmering landscape that weaves together bits of our own world—Asian, Middle Eastern, pop riffs, jazz—with a contemporary edge and a spirit of discovery. And, yes, wonder.”

TARA SIMONCIC CONDUCTOR

Tara Simoncic’s multigenre career spans from ballet to opera, classical to contemporary, and pops to educational, making her one of the most versatile conductors of her generation. Simoncic has a passion for the ballet which led her to conduct some of the world’s most prestigious ballet companies such as American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Atlanta Ballet, and Ballet West where she served as Music Director from 2015 to 2018. This season, she will make guest conducting appearances with American Ballet Theatre, Paul Taylor Dance Company with the Orchestra of St Luke’s, Ballet Estable at Teatro Colón, and the Rochester Philharmonic with Rochester City Ballet. Most recently, Simoncic conducted the Portland Symphony Orchestra, Czech National Symphony Orchestra, Bridge

Musik Chamber Orchestra, and Camerata Nova at the Manhattan School of Music. She has been a guest conductor with the Piccolo Opera Festival in Trieste, Italy and the Slovenian National Opera Ballet Theatre in Maribor. In 2018, Simoncic joined the Louisville Ballet as Music Director and has been the conductor of the Flexible Orchestra, an ensemble dedicated to performing and commissioning new works since 2003. Her enthusiasm for music education led her to conduct the Greenwich Symphony’s Young People’s Concerts from 2010 to 2020 and the William Patterson University Orchestra in 2020. Simoncic holds a bachelor of music in trumpet performance from New England Conservatory, a master of music in orchestral conducting from Northwestern University, and a professional studies certificate in conducting from Manhattan School of Music. She has had the honor of studying conducting with Victor Yampolsky, Iloh Yang, Zdenec Macal, and George Hurst.

JOHANNA BERNSTEIN WILT BALLET REPETITEUR

Johanna Bernstein Wilt joined Cincinnati Ballet in 1981 and danced for 11 seasons before becoming Ballet Mistress in 1992. Throughout her 36 years with Cincinnati Ballet, she served as an integral part of the artistic team in various roles, including Artistic Associate, Associate Artistic Director and Ballet Master. She restaged many ballets for notable choreographers such as Victoria Morgan, Septime Webre, Kirk Peterson, David Nixon, Peter Anastos, Val Caniparoli, William Whitener and Jessica Lang. She recreated the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Movements of

Léonide Massine’s Seventh Symphony in conjunction with Frederic Franklin, CBE, which has received praise in The New York Times as well as many other national and international dance publications. Wilt has choreographed for Cincinnati Ballet’s New Works, Lumenocity, Cincinnati Ballet’s second company and Cincinnati Opera, and has staged Victoria Morgan’s Cinderella for Orlando Ballet, Val Caniparoli’s The Bridge for Sacramento Ballet and Nicolo Fonte’s Carmina Burana for Nevada Ballet Theatre. She continues to stage ballets, including Septime Webre’s Peter Pan and ALICE (in wonderland). In addition, she teaches the Gyrotonic Method and Gyrokinesis at BodyMind Balance in Cincinnati.

Balle

CREATIVE TEAM

LIZ VANDAL CONCEPT AND COSTUME DESIGN

Liz Vandal started her career as a self-taught fashion designer in 1988, bringing her originality to dance, circus, films, and mega-events. She has collaborated with choreographers and dance companies around the world like Marie Chouinard, Margie Gillis, Paris Opera, and Hong Kong Ballet. Vandal designed flamboyant costumes for Cirque du Soleil’s productions of OVO, Viaggio, Sonor, Cosmos, and Excentick. She created

JAMES KRONZER SCENIC DESIGNER

James Kronzer calls Washington, D.C., and northern Italy home. He has designed scenery for The Washington Ballet and Hong Kong Ballet. His theater credits include Broadway, Off-Broadway, and regional productions of: Sweeney Todd at the Denver Center; All The Way at St. Louis Rep, and several shows for Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park. He also designed scenery for Disney Cruise Lines’ Twice Charmed and has shows running on

3,000 costumes for the closing ceremony of the Baku 2015 European Games in Azerbaïjan. Vandal’s ongoing 20-year collaboration with artistic director Septime Webre continues to unfold with The Wizard of Oz (Kansas City Ballet), Peter Pan, and ALICE (in wonderland) (Hong Kong Ballet). Vandal won the Award of Best Costume Design at the Hong Kong Dance Awards and was also nominated at Les Benois de la Danse. Honoring winter games, she created the opening ceremony costumes for Lake Placid FISU World University Games, opening the year 2023.

12 ships on the Norwegian Cruise Line fleet. TV credits include over 300 stand up comedy specials for HBO, Comedy Central, Showtime, and Netflix. He has worked with comedians such as Louis CK, Ali Wong, Mo Amer, Marc Maron, Bo Burnham, and Jim Gaffigan. He was nominated this year for the prestigious Art Director’s Guild Award for his work on Jim Gaffi gan’s latest special, Comedy Monster. Kronzer has been nominated 32 times for the Helen Hayes Award (DC) and has received the award eight times. His work can be seen at www. JamesKronzer.com.

ERIC J. VAN WYK PUPPET DESIGN

Eric J. Van Wyk received his MFA in Scenic Design from the University of Maryland, College Park, his BA in Fine Arts from Dordt College, and studied puppetry with Sandglass Theatre. His puppetry and scenic designs have been featured at Open Eye Figure Theatre; Children’s Theatre Co.; Imagination Stage; The National Theatre in Wash-

ington, D.C.; The White House; The Hong Kong Ballet; and The Washington Ballet. His company, WonderStruck Theatre Co., created the world premieres of Mop Dog and The Elephant Speaks Jazz. He is a multiple recipient of The Jim Henson Foundation grants and his designs for The Big Friendly Giant received a Helen Hayes Award. He thanks his family for their inspiration and enjoying objects in motion.

Hannan Shafer

Melissa Gelfin De-PoliSirui LiuRafael Quenedit

Daniel Baldwin Nikita Boris Taylor Carrasco Gabrielle Collins Luca De-Poli

PRINCIPALS FIRST SOLOISTS

Minori Sakita Maizyalet Velázquez

SOLOISTS

CORPS DE BALLET

Matthew Griffin Samantha Griffin Christina Laforgia Morse Michael Mengden Jace Pauly

NEW DANCERS

SECOND COMPANY: CB2

Caroline Perry Simon Plant Samantha Riester Bella Ureta Daniel Wagner

Nicolas Bierwagen Erin Blair Nikolas Button Anderson Da Silva Sam Epstein

Hailey Flanagan Julia Gundzik Ramsay Miller Isabelle Morgan

Simone Muhammad Scott Reed Anthony Rhee-Reynoso Mia Steedle Salomé Tregre

The Artists of Cincinnati Ballet are represented by the American Guild of Musical Artists, AFL-CIO.

Katherine OchoaChandler ProctorMarcus RomeoJoshua Stayton

Llonnis del Toro CintraCatherine Lasak Jhaelin McQuay Lenai Wilkerson

MELISSA GELFIN DE-POLI PRINCIPAL DANCER | PHILADELPHIA, PA | JOINED CINCINNATI BALLET IN 2014

Melissa Gelfin De-Poli began her ballet training with Lisa Collins Vidnovic at Metropolitan Ballet Academy and continued with Barbara Sandonato and Andrea Long-Naidu at Barbara Sandonato School of Ballet. She joined the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at American Ballet Theatre in 2009, under the direction of Franco De Vita and Raymond Lukens, and was awarded a National Training Scholarship with ABT. Prior to dancing with Cincinnati Ballet, Gelfin De-Poli danced for Orlando Ballet II and Orlando Ballet Company from 2011 to 2014 and was a finalist in the 2014 Jackson International Ballet Competition. Gelfin DePoli joined Cincinnati Ballet as a New Dancer for the 2014–2015 Season and was promoted to Corps De Ballet in February of 2015. She was promoted to Senior Soloist in 2017 and Principal Dancer in 2018. As a dancer with Cincinnati Ballet, Gelfin De-Poli’s repertoire includes classical and contemporary works by Septime Webre, Yuri Possikov, Victoria Morgan, Val Caniparoli, Jerome Robbins, George Balanchine, Nicolo Fonte, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Adam Hougland, and Ma Cong. She has danced Principal roles in Septime Webre’s ALICE (in Wonderland) and The Wizard of Oz, Victoria Morgan’s The Nutcracker, King Arthur’s Camelot, and Romeo & Juliet, Kirk Peterson’s Coppélia and Swan Lake, George Balanchine’s Rubies and Serenade, Devon Carney’s The Sleeping Beauty, and originated roles in Penny Saunders’s Nannerl, Myles Thatcher’s Anamoly, Andrea Schermoly’s Swivet, and several works by Jennifer Archibald. Gelfin De-Poli debuted as a choreographer in a solo work for the inaugural 2018 Female Choreographic Initiative Festival hosted by Houston Ballet. She has since debuted two world premieres for Cincinnati Ballet’s 2019 and 2020 The Kaplan New Works Series with her works Clockwise and Ain’t I a Woman respectively. During the summer months, Gelfin De-Poli performs and tours with Moving Arts Company.

SIRUI LIU PRINCIPAL DANCER | SHANGHAI, CHINA

| JOINED CINCINNATI BALLET IN 2011

Sirui Liu trained at Shanghai Dance School affiliated to Shanghai Theater Academy from 2000 to 2007 and went on to the Shanghai Dance College of Shanghai Theater Academy for four years. The desire to expand her dance horizons upon graduation led Liu to Cincinnati Ballet, for which she left her school and family in China. Liu won a gold medal competing in senior group of ballet of the Ninth Taolibei National Dance Competition in China in 2009 and the gold medal of senior group of Beijing International Ballet Invitational in China in 2010. Liu was invited to perform in Night of Ballet Gala in Ulaanbaatar Mongolia in June 2016. Sirui competed in 2014’s USA International Ballet Competition, progressing to the third and final round. Liu was named one of the Top 25 Dancers to Watch in 2017 by Dance Magazine. She has danced several Pas de Deux including Black Swan, Don Quixote, Esmeralda, Diana and Acteon, Le Corsaire, Paquita, Coppelia. She has also performed Principal roles such as Odette and Odile in Swan Lake, Sugar Plum Fairy and Snow Queen in The Nutcracker, Lilac Fairy in The Sleeping Beauty, Waltz Girl in Balanchine’s Serenade, Tall Girl in Balanchine’s Rubies, The Chosen One in Rite of Spring, Pas couple in Minus 16, amongst other ballets. Liu has also worked with internationally acclaimed choreographers such as Val Caniparoli, Yuri Possokhov, Kirk Peterson, Trey Mcintyre, Alejandro Cerrudo, Ohad Naharin, Annabelle Lope Ochoa, Nicolo Fonte, Garrett Smith, Justin Peck, Septime Webre, Jennifer Archibald, Ma Cong, Travis Wall, and more. Liu is the co-owner of Improvedance and Active Royale. She was named a Cincinnati Ballet Soloist in 2015 and promoted to Principal Dancer in 2017.

RAFAEL QUENEDIT

PRINCIPAL DANCER | HAVANA, CUBA | JOINED CINCINNATI BALLET IN 2021

Rafael Quenedit began his training in 2006 in Cuba at Escuela Elemental de Ballet Alejo Carpentier where he trained for five years. He then spent eight years training with the National Ballet School of Cuba. He graduated in 2014 and joined the National Ballet of Cuba as a Corps de ballet dancer. Quenedit was quickly cast in Soloist and Principal roles, before being named Principal dancer at the prestigious international company. Principal roles with the National Ballet of Cuba include Swan Lake, Don Quixote, Giselle, La Fille Mal Gardée, The Nutcracker, Romeo & Juliet, Carmen, La Bayadere, Cinderella, and Theme & Variations. He made his Cincinnati Ballet debut during the 2020–2021 Season in Bold Moves Plus. He has also worked with internationally-renowned choreographers including Alicia Alonso, Alexei Ratmansky, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Giuliano Peparini, and Alberto Mendez, among others. He has performed lead roles in the United States, Italy, Spain, France, Canada, Mexico, and several others. Competition awards include the bronze medal at the International Ballet Competition, Junior Division in Havana, Cuba; gold medal at the International Ballet Competition, Junior Division in Cape Town, South Africa; and gold medal at the XX International Ballet Competition in Havana, Cuba. He was also awarded best Artistic Performance, Senior Division; and winner at Amici World Dance Competition in Italy.

MINORI SAKITA

FIRST SOLOIST

Born in Washington, D.C., Minori Sakita began her training at the Maryland Youth Ballet and continued at the Houston Ballet Academy. In 2014, she joined Tulsa Ballet and was promoted to demi-soloist in 2018. She joined Cincinnati Ballet as soloist in 2019 and was promoted to First Soloist the following year. Sakita has performed

principal roles in Victoria Morgan’s The Nutcracker, Cinderella and KingArthur’s Camelot, John Cranko’s Onegin, Andre Prokovsky’s TheThreeMusketeers, Derek Dean’s StrictlyGershwin, Balanchine’s Serenade and Who Cares?, and Septime Weber’s The Wizard of Oz. She has also performed in Classical and Contemporary works by Alexander Ekman, David Dawson, Christopher Bruce, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Ma Cong, Jorma Elo, Yuri Possokhov, Jirí Kylián, and Dwight Rhoden.

MAIZYALET VELÁZQUEZ

FIRST SOLOIST

A native of Puerto Rico, Maizyalet Velázquez began her training at Ballet Concierto de Puerto Rico, training in both the conservatory and company. She graduated from the Virginia School of the Arts in 2007, where she studied under David Keener and the late Petrus Bosman. Velázquez joined Cin-

cinnati Ballet upon graduation and was promoted to Soloist in 2012. She enjoys working with Cincinnati Ballet because it offers the opportunity to perform both classical and contemporary repertoire. She has performed the leading role, Marguerite, in Val Caniparoli’s Lady of the Camellias, as well as the title role in Amedeo Amodio’s Carmen. Velázquez was promoted to First Soloist for Cincinnati Ballet’s 2017–2018 Season.

KATHERINE OCHOA

SOLOIST

Katherine Ochoa began training in 2009 at the National School of Ballet in Cuba, where she learned a vast repertoire of variations and won both gold and silver medals in the Havana International Ballet competition. She later joined the Cuban National

Ballet and in 2019 had the opportunity to participate in the semifi nals of YAGP in Chicago and won the Grand Prix Award. Ochoa moved on to participate in the semifinals of YAGP in New York, where she placed in the top 12. As a member of the Corps de Ballet in Cuba, she performed in Giselle, SwanLake, Cinderella, DonQuixote, and Umbral and was quickly promoted to First Soloist. This is Ochoa’s second season with Cincinnati Ballet.

CHANDLER PROCTOR

SOLOIST

Chandler Proctor was born in Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina, where he studied dance until 2013 before joining Houston Ballet II. In 2015 he was off ered a company position

MARCUS ROMEO SOLOIST

Marcus Romeo began training at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet under the direction of Marcia Dale Weary. He completed his last three years of pre-professional training at The School of American Ballet, where he was awarded the Columbus Citizen Foundation Scholarship, the Linda and Arthur Collins Scholarship, and the Rudolf Nureyev Foundation Scholarship. Following his graduation, Romeo joined Boston Ballet II under Mikko Nissinen and was promoted to the corps de ballet in 2014. During his time with Boston Ballet, he appeared in works such as George Balanchine’s DonizettiVariations, Kammermusik No.

with Tulsa Ballet and was promoted to Soloist in 2019. While in Tulsa he performed in works by renowned choreographers Jiří Kylián, Nacho Duato, Derek Deane, Wayne McGregor, Ma Cong, and Edwaard Liang. This is Proctor’s second season with Cincinnati Ballet.

2, Theme and Variations, Stravinsky Violin Concerto, Diamonds, and Episodes, Jerome Robbins’ The Concert, John Neumeier’s ThirdSymphony of Gustav Mahler, Ivan Liska’s Le Corsaire, and William Forsythe’s Artifact2017. Romeo joined Cincinnati Ballet in 2017 and was promoted to Soloist. Since joining Cincinnati Ballet, Romeo has enjoyed dancing the works of Jiří Kylián, Justin Peck, Helen Pickett, Cathy Marston, Nicolo Fonte, Penny Saunders, David Morse, Andrea Schermoly, Myles Thatcher, Septime Webre, Ohad Naharin, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Devon Carney, Victoria Morgan, Jerome Robbins, and George Balanchine. In 2022, he earned an Associate of Applied Business degree from Eastern Gateway Community College with a finance focus.

JOSHUA STAYTON SOLOIST

A Cincinnati native, Joshua Stayton began his training at the School for Creative and Performing Arts before joining the Orlando Ballet School (Peter Stark) and Houston Ballet II (Claudio Muñoz). Prior to joining Cincinnati Ballet, Stayton was a Demi-Soloist at Sarasota Ballet and Soloist at Tulsa Ballet. His repertoire includes leading roles in The Green Table (Joos), Onegin (Cranko), Strictly Gershwin (Deane), A Million Kisses to My Skin (Dawson), Concerto (MacMillian), Mirror

DANIEL BALDWIN CORPS DE BALLET

Daniel Baldwin trained at the Governors School of Arts and Humanities from 2013-2014 under Josee Garant and Miriam González. From 2014-2015, he trained with Kirov Academy of Ballet under Adrienne Dellas and Stanislav Issaev, and in 2015 trained at the San Francisco Ballet School with Patrick Armand, Rubén Martín Cintas, and Pascal Molat. In 2017, he joined Cincinnati Ballet Second

Walkers (Sir Wright), Cinderella (Morgan), Age of Innocence (Liang), Bolero (Fonte), Midsummer (Wheeldon), One/end/One (Elo), Sleeping Beauty (Angelini), Romeo & Juliet (Liang), and Extremely Close (Cerrudo), among others. Stayton has performed internationally in Hungary, Italy, Finland, Spain and Switzerland. As a choreographer, he has had world premieres for Ballet 22, Tulsa Ballet’s second company, De La Dance Company, Azara Ballet, and SCPA’s Dance Ensemble. Beyond his love for the stage, Joshua enjoys teaching the future generation of dance.

NIKITA BORIS CORPS DE BALLET

Nikita Boris began her ballet training at the Irine Fokine School of Ballet. She continued her studies at the Valentina Kozlova Dance Conservatory of New York. In 2016, she was invited to the Vaganova Ballet Academy in St. Petersburg, Russia. She performed in the winner’s gala of the Vaganova Prix at the Mariinsky Theatre. Boris traveled internationally for competitions and was awarded several medals, as well as the Grand Prix at Concorso di Danza Internazionale “Citta di Spoleto” Italy, and at VKIBC in St. Petersburg, Russia. She has danced as a guest

Company – CB2 and was promoted to Apprentice the following year. Baldwin has performed in myriad productions such as Helgi Tomasson’s Meistens Mozart, Christopher Wheeldon’s Cinderella, Septime Webre’s The Wizard of Oz, Jennifer Archibald’s Passage and Quem Viver Vera, Adam Hougland’s Rite of Spring, Colby Damon’s I’m Still Here, Jiří Kylián’s Sechs Tänze, Mark Morris’ Silhouettes, Victoria Morgan’s Cinderella and Bolero, David Morse’s OurStory, Helen Pickett’s Petal, and Ohad Naharin’s Minus16

artist with Tanzolymp in Berlin, the Ballet Beyond Borders Gala in Los Angeles, and the International Baltic Ballet Festival in Riga. She joined Boston Ballet II in 2018, where she performed works by choreographers including George Balanchine, Sir Frederick Ashton, Mikko Nissinen, Bruce Wood, and Samuel Kirkjian. She performed with New York Dance Project in the revival of Alberto Alonso’s Carmen Suite and in works by Gerald Arpino. Boris joined Cincinnati Ballet as an Apprentice in 2020. Since joining, she has danced soloist roles in Paquita , a variation from Raymonda, Winter Fairy in Victoria Morgan’s Cinderella, and works by Amy Seiwert, Anabelle Lopez Ochoa, Ohad Naharin, and Twyla Tharp.

TAYLOR CARRASCO CORPS DE BALLET

“When I was 3, my sister was six and in ballet like every other little girl. My parents would bring me to her classes, and I would try to dance with them from the hallway. They assumed I’d like it, enrolled me in class, and I never stopped,” says Taylor Carrasco. He trained at the School of American Ballet and New Mexico Ballet Company and has attended summer intensives with Boston Ballet, Pa-

cific Northwest Ballet, and Ballet Chicago. He joined Cincinnati Ballet Second Company – CB2 in the 2014–2015 Season and was promoted to apprentice for the 2015–2016 Season and then Corps de Ballet for the 2017–2018 Season. He has had three of his ballets performed by the main company of Cincinnati Ballet, two of them created for The Kaplan New Works Series (2018 and 2019). Carrasco’s favorite dancing memories are tied to dancing with his sister. He says that “sharing the stage with family is the best experience.”

GABRIELLE COLLINS

CORPS DE BALLET

Gabrielle Collins is from West Hartford, Connecticut, and began training at the Hartt School. In 2014, she was a New York City finalist at the Youth America Grand Prix and won the gold medal at the Connecticut Classic for both the senior female and pas de deux categories. From 2014-2017, she danced with Atlanta Ballet II and performed leading roles such as Marya in John McFall’s The Nutcracker and had the opportunity to dance in The Atlanta Opera’s Romeo and Juliet. Collins is an alumnus of the 2016 Ballet Program at Jacob’s Pillow un-

LUCA DE-POLI

CORPS DE BALLET

Luca De-Poli, a native of West Palm Beach, Florida, began his training when he was 14 years old at Ballet Florida’s school under the direction of Marie Hale and at A.W Dreyfoos School of the Arts under the direction of Jan Goetz. He attended the University of Cincinnati's College-Conservatory of Music and graduated in May 2015, when he

der Anna-Marie Holmes. In 2017 she joined Tulsa Ballet II, where she appeared in a soloist role in Helen Pickett’s Meðaland performed in works by renowned choreographers Ma Cong, Jennifer Archibald, and Penny Saunders. In February 2020, she performed the title role in Septime Webre’s Carmen with Dayton Ballet. Since joining Cincinnati Ballet in 2020, Collins has performed in Helen Pickett’s Petal, Stephanie Martinez’s Kiss, David Morse’s OurStory, Twyla Tharp’s NineSinatraSongs, “Spring” and “Autumn” in Victoria Morgan’s Cinderella, Don Quixote Pas de Deux, and most recently in Cathy Marston’s Moving, Still

joined Cincinnati Ballet Second Company-CB2. In 2016, he was promoted into the company and has danced in a world premiere by Ma Cong, Minus 16 by Ohad Naharin, debuted the role of Zeus in the North American premiere of Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s ErosRedux, the title role in Nicolo Fonte’s world premiere of CarminaBurana, Justin Peck’s MurderBallads, Jiri Kylian’s SechsTänze, and works by Victoria Morgan, Devon Carney, Adam Hougland, Kate Weare, and Septime Webre.

MATTHEW GRIFFIN CORPS DE BALLET

Matthew Griffin began his ballet training in Sarasota Florida at the International Ballet of Florida under the direction of Sergiy Mykhaylov and Darya Fedotova. He attended Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana, and graduated in 2017 with a Bachelor's of Science in Dance Arts Administration. He started with Cincinnati Ballet as an Apprentice for the 2017-2018 Season. He was promoted to New Dancer for the 2018-2019 Season and then Corps de Ballet in the 2019-2020 Season. Griffin has performed featured roles in classical and con-

temporary ballets including Petal by Helen Pickett, Kiss by Stephanie Martinez, and Cinderella by Victoria Morgan (step sister). In 2020, Helen Pickett created the solo Balance for him as part of Cincinnati Ballet’s New Works program. Griffin has also danced in works by Ohad Naharin, Twyla Tharp, Jiří Kylián, George Balanchine, Jennifer Archibald, Travis Wall, Myles Thatcher, Jiří Kylián, David Morse, Taylor Carrasco, Melissa Gelfin, Nicolo Fonte, Devon Carney, Septime Webre, Heather Britt, Adam Hougland, Amy Seiwert, and others. Off the stage, he enjoys exploring the Cincinnati food scene, listening to music, and quality time with his friends, two dogs and cat.

SAMANTHA GRIFFIN

CORPS DE BALLET

Originally from Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Samantha Griffin received her preliminary training at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. After graduating, she then went on to dance with Charlotte Ballet before joining Cincinnati Ballet in 2015. She was promoted to Corps de Ballet for the 2017-2018 Season. In 2018 she was recognized in Pointe Magazine’s “Stars of the Corps.” Since being with Cincinnati Ballet, she has enjoyed performing roles in a variety of classical and contemporary works by Septime Webre,

Val Caniparoli, Georgie Balanchine, Nicolo Fonte, Ma Cong, Stephanie Martinez, Ohad Naharin, Jiří Kylián, Twyla Tharp, Helen Pickett, Cathy Marston, Travis Wall, Jennifer Archibald, and others. Some of these principal and soloist roles include Tall Girl in Balanchine’s Rubies, Dark Angel in Balanchine’s Serenade, Princess Tsarevna in Adam Hougland’s Firebird, Fairy Godmother in Victoria Morgan’s Cinderella, Tiger Lily in Septime Webre’s PeterPan, Carabosse in Devon Carney’s SleepingBeauty, and Garrett Smith’s Facades. When Griffin is not dancing, she enjoys spending time with her husband and two kitties, eating good food, having good drinks, traveling, and exploring new places.

CHRISTINA LAFORGIA MORSE CORPS DE BALLET

Christina LaForgia Morse began dancing at 11 years old in Summerville, South Carolina. She spent her high school years at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts under the direction of Ethan Steifel. While there, she was awarded the Dean's Merit Scholarship. In 2011

she was offered a second company position with the Charlotte Ballet and was quickly promoted to join the main company the subsequent season. Following her time in Charlotte, Morse joined Cincinnati Ballet as a Corps de Ballet member in 2014. Her most cherished memories on stage include performing David Morse’s As I Stare at Dust (2019) and Our Story (2022).

MICHAEL MENGDEN CORPS DE BALLET

Michael Mengden began his training at the age of 10 at Allegro West Academy of Dance with Catriona Steel. In 2012 Mengden trained in Moscow at the Bolshoi Ballet Academy under Ilya Kuznestov. Prior to his training overseashe furthered his training in the pre-professional program at the Sarasota Cuban Ballet School in Florida and had the unique opportunity to train and travel with Dr. Ramona de Saa, Director of the Cuban National Ballet School in Havana. He was then invitedto dance in Cincinnati Ballet’s Second Company program in the fall of 2016. Since joining the company in 2017 Mengden has had the opportunity to

CAROLINE PERRY CORPS DE BALLET

Caroline Perry grew up in Tustin, California, and began her professional training in 2015 at the Houston Ballet Academy, where she worked and performed alongside the company and second company until 2016, when she officially joined Houston Ballet II. In 2017, she represented the Houston Ballet Academy at the Prix de Lausanne competition, where she received an off er to join the corps de

perform with the company in various productions such as Victoria Morgan’s King Arthur’s Camelot and Cinderella, Ohad Naharin’s Minus 16, Nicolo Fonte’s Carmina Burana, Septime Weber’s Wizard of Oz, Val Caniparoli’s Isben’s House, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s Limoncello, Jerome Robins’s Fancy Free, Justin Peck’s Murder Ballads, Adam Hougland’s Rite of Spring , Devon Carney’s Sleeping Beauty, Garret Smith’s Facades, Kirk Peterson’s Coppelia and Swan Lake, George Balanchine’s Rubies and Jiří Kylián’s Sechs Tänze Mengden has also been a part of world premiere works from choreographers such Jennifer Archibald, Myles Thatcher, Penny Saunders, Andrea Schermoly, David Morse, Travis Wall, Taylor Carrasco, and Melissa Gelfin De-Poli.

JACE PAULY CORPS DE BALLET

Jace Pauly hails from the foothills of the Cascade Mountains, where he began dancing under Melissa Miller-Port in Wenatchee, Washington. In 2015, he graduated with honors from the Walnut Hill School for the Arts, where he trained under Michael Owen, Denise Lewis, and Russell Clarke. As a dancer for Cincinnati Ballet, Pauly’s most recognized performances are the Act III Pas de Deux from Don Quixote, Ohad Naharin’s Mi-

ballet. Perry continued dancing in Houston until 2022, performing various works including George Balanchine’s Jewels and Siegfried’s Sisters in Stanton Welch’s Swan Lake and new works created by company members Connor Walsh and Melody Mennite. Before joining Cincinnati Ballet for the 2022–2023 Season, she expanded her contemporary repertoire performing with Ishida Dance Company in creations by Bret Ishida and Doma choreographed by Jeremy Galdeano and Vera Kvarčáková.

nus16, and Nine Sinatra Songs by Twyla Tharp, among others. He loves performing for Cincinnati audiences and takes pride in the mental and physical challenges that dance brings every day. Among his biggest supporters are his parents, Katie and Doug, and his sisters, Skye and Chelan, who inspire him inside the studio and beyond. His other passions in life include music, cooking, and the great outdoors. He enjoys exploring the eclectic neighborhoods of Cincinnati and can often be found in a hammock on sunny afternoons.

THE COMPANY

SIMON PLANT CORPS DE BALLET

Simon Plant was born in Sydney, Australia, and started dancing at the age of 7. After graduating from The Australian Ballet School in 2013, he joined the Australian Ballet, where he performed works by choreographers Wayne McGregor, Graeme Murphy, Kenneth MacMillian, Simon Dow, Peter Wright, Stanton Welch, Jiří Kylián, Tim Harbour, and others. After moving to New York City with his husband in 2017, he became a company dancer with Complexions Contemporary Ballet

SAMANTHA RIESTER CORPS DE BALLET

Samantha Riester trained at the School of American Ballet from 2012-2015. She attended summer courses at the School of American Ballet and Miami City Ballet and, after graduating SAB, joined Cincinnati Ballet’s Second Company and was promoted to the main company in 2017. She has danced soloist roles in repertoire such Jiří Kylián’s SechsTänze, Pas de Trois in Kirk Peterson’s SwanLake, Duet Mabul in Ohad Naharin’s Minus 16, Curly Q in Septime Weber’s TheWizard of Oz, Beauty Fairy in Devon Carney’s Sleeping Beauty, Summer Fairy in Victoria Morgan’s Cinderella, and

and danced five seasons there, premiering multiple world premieres under co-artistic director and choreographer Dwight Rhoden and co-artistic director/co-founder Desmond Richardson. Plant came on as faculty for the 2022 Complexions Academy Summer Intensives, teaching company repertoire and NIQUE, Rhoden and Richardson’s proprietary contemporary ballet technique, to students around the country. He is also a published author; when he’s not dancing, he’s writing or spending quality time with his husband. He is thrilled to have joined Cincinnati Ballet for the 2022–2023 Season.

BELLA URETA CORPS DE BALLET

Bella Ureta, a native of Seattle, began her training at the Pacific Northwest Ballet School in 2004 and attended the elite summer programs at the School of American Ballet, Pacifi c Northwest Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Boston Ballet, and the National Ballet of Canada until 2016, when she joined Boston Ballet II. She has performed in repertoire by world renowned choreographers including Jean Christophe Maillot’s Roméo et Juliette, Crystal Pite’s Emergence, William Forsythe’s Artifact 2017, Jiří Kylián’s SechsTänze, Duet Mabul in Ohad Naharin’s Minus16, Snow Queen in Victoria Morgan’s The

in Andrea Schermoly’s Swivet. She has performed numerous ballets choreographed by George Balanchine, Twyla Tharp, Henkel Pickett, Ma Cong, Septime Weber, Nicole Fonte, Stephanie Martinez, Adam Hougland, Jennifer Archibald, Garett Smith, Victoria Morgan, Myles Thatcher, David Morse, and fellow company members Taylor Carrasco and Daniel Baldwin. Riester has enjoyed dancing with outside organizations such as Cincinnati Opera for its 100th anniversary celebration and production of Aida, as well as guesting for her home studio in Indiana, where she performed principal roles in George Balanchine’s Emeralds and ConcertoBarocco.

Nutcracker, Charm Fairy in Devon Carney’s The SleepingBeauty, Pas de Trois in Kirk Peterson’s SwanLake, and originated a leading role in Emmy Award-winner Travis Wall’s Then...Now. Ureta has performed in ballets choreographed by George Balanchine, Kent Stowell, Victoria Morgan, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Twyla Tharp, Christopher Wheeldon, Mikko Nissinen, Jill Johnson, Marius Petipa, Devon Carney, Septime Webre, Garret Smith, Jennifer Archibald, and Nicolo Fonte. She has enjoyed dancing with Cincinnati Opera in its productions of LaTraviata and Aida. She joined Cincinnati Ballet’s Corps de Ballet in 2017 and in 2020 was named one of Pointe Magazine’s “Star of the Corps.”

DANIEL WAGNER

CORPS DE BALLET

Daniel Wagner was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, where he began his dance training at Pasadena Civic Ballet under the tutelage of Craig Williams. After attending summer intensives at ABT and the Kirov Academy, he moved to finish high school at the University of North Carolina

School of the Arts. He then finished his training at Houston Ballet under Claudio Muñoz and Andrew Murphy. He has danced professionally with Tulsa Ballet and Cincinnati Ballet, where he performed principal roles in classical and contemporary works such as George Balanchine’s Serenade, Val Caniparoli’s Lady of the Camellias, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s ErosRedux, Penny Saunders’ Nannerl, and Ohad Naharin’s Minus 16

CATHERINE LASAK

NEW DANCER

Catherine Lasak began dancing at the Judith Svalander School of Ballet in Crystal Lake, Illinois when she was just 9 years old. Throughout high school, she trained at Ballet Chicago and spent two summers at the School of American Ballet. She received a full scholarship

to join the Professional Division at Pacific Northwest Ballet School and later accepted an Apprentice position at Grand Rapids Ballet. In 2018, she joined Cincinnati Ballet’s Second Company – CB2 and in 2021 was invited into the Company. Notable roles include Ohad Naharin’s Minus 16, Twyla Tharp’s Nine Sinatra Songs, Septime Webre’s Peter Pan and The Wizard of Oz, Juliet in Kenneth MacMillan’s Balcony Scene in Romeo and

JHAELIN MCQUAY NEW DANCER

Jhaelin McQuay began dancing at the age of 11 at the Marina Del Rey Magnet School for the Performing Arts. He soon expanded his dance training at the Debbie Allen’s Dance Academy, where he found a love and appreciation for numerous styles, including hip hop, modern, tap, flamenco, contemporary, ballroom, and African. In his teens, he spent his summers on scholarship at The Rock School, Bolshoi Ballet, Ballet West, and San Francis-

northern

co Ballet. He performed with Ballet West’s Academy for three years before joining Cincinnati Ballet II in the 2019–2020 Season. McQuay has danced for the Oscars and has appeared on stage with Mariah Carey, Chris Brown, Raven Symone, and Debbie Allen. He has also performed works choreographed by George Balanchine, Fredrick Aston, Bruce Marks, Jennifer Archibald, Martha Graham, Lester Horton, Dwight Rhoden, Desmond Richardson, and William Christiansen. In early 2021, his choreography placed top five in the YAGP finals. He is celebrating his second season at Cincinnati Ballet.

Margaret & Michael Valentine, 55”

on linen canvas Collection of Cincinnati Ballet Margaret and Michael Valentine Center for Dance

LENAI WILKERSON NEW DANCER

Lenai Alexis Wilkerson hails from Washington, D.C., where she attended the Baltimore School for the Arts under the direction of Norma Pera. She graduated from the inaugural class at the University of Southern California as a Glorya Kaufman scholar with a BFA in Dance and a minor in Political Science. Upon graduation, she became a company artist with Ballet Hispánico, where she toured internationally for three seasons and had the pleasure of delving deeper into community engagement opportunities and teaching youth at institutions around the world. Addition-

ally, she has assisted Patrick Corbin in setting a Paul Taylor work for Miami City Ballet. Wilkerson has performed works by choreographers including George Balanchine, William Forsythe, Jiří Kylián, Martha Graham, Barak Marshall, Azure Barton, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Gustavo Ramirez Sansano, d.Sabela Grimes, and Dwight Rhoden. Additionally, she has trained seasonally with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Bolshoi Ballet, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Miami City Ballet, Jacob’s Pillow and with legendary ballerina Suzanne Farrell. She is a YAGP Top 12 finalist and was one of the seven 2016-17 dance scholars to be awarded a scholarship from Nigel Lythgoe’s DizzyFeet Foundation.

LLONNIS DEL TORO CINTRA NEW DANCER

Llonnis Del Toro Cintra was born in 1999 in Havana, Cuba, and began his ballet career at the Fernando Alonso National Ballet School under the direction of Ramona De Saa Bello. He has participated in several national and international ballet competitions, winning two silver medals and a special mention. He was part of the National Bal-

let of Cuba under the direction of Alicia Alonso. Del Toro’s repertoire includes La Bayadere, Flames ofParis, Carnival of Venice, Giselle, DonQuixote, LeCorsaire, Napoli, TheTalisman, Coppelia, La Fille mal Gardée, Theme and Variations, Carmen, In the Shadows of a Waltz,Cinderella, TheMagicFlute, EarthandMoon, and SleepingBeauty, among others. He has participated in festivals in Peru, Mexico, and China and is very excited to join the company of Cincinnati Ballet.

SIMONE MUHAMMAD MISSOURI | 2022

SCOTT REED GEORGIA | 2019

NICOLAS BIERWAGEN WASHINGTON | 2021

ANDERSON DA SILVA FLORIDA | 2021

JULIA GUNDZIK OHIO | 2021

ERIN BLAIR CALIFORNIA | 2021

SAM EPSTEIN NEW YORK | 2021

RAMSAY MILLER OHIO | 2020

NIKOLAS BUTTON SOCHI | 2022 HAILEY FLANAGAN GEORGIA | 2021

ISABELLE MORGAN KENTUCKY | 2019

PROFESSIONAL TRAINING DIVISION

TRAINEES

CIARÁN BARLOW, CAMILLE BOGGS, CATHLEEN BRESLIN, AMBER HARPER, MADELYN HARPOLE, DIETRICH KLAWONN, TREVOR PINTERPARSONS, SIERRA SEVERT, CLAIRE STURGEON, LAUREN VOGEL, AVERY WARD, ANNELIESE WELSH

PTDS

FIONA ALLEN, HANNAH BLAIR, AVA BRADFORD, ANNA DOGGETT, CARMEN DOLL, BRIANNE FALANGA, CHARLOTTE GULARSON, NATALIE HIGLE, ELIZABETH JACOBSON, HELEN JARDON, ANNA KINGHORN, CAROLINE LOVE, FIONA MURPHY, ANNIKA OLSEN, TAYLOR PETROWSKI, JENNA RENFIELD, ELIZABETH SWISHER

Balle

A WORLD OF WONDER

Cincinnati Ballet is about to transport you to another world.

BY SCOTT SEWARD

Down the proverbial rabbit hole, you will be immersed in an engaging production of ALICE (in wonderland), a zany adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s beloved 1865 novel, Alice in Wonderland. Brilliant chorography, a wildly eclectic score, spectacular sets, and extravagant costumes tell a classic story in a riotously modern way.

The ballet, created by Septime Webre, an internationally recognized choreographer and Artistic Director of Hong Kong Ballet, tells the story of Alice, a young girl who falls through a rabbit hole into a fantasy world. The ballet debuted in 2012 at the

Washington Ballet in Washington, D.C. Cincinnati Ballet has performed the work twice, the last time in 2015.

“I had been thinking about Alice for many, many years and had resisted because I couldn’t figure out exactly how I would tackle it,” Webre told The Oklahoman. “I think any choreographer who wants to tackle a great work of art—in this case, a great work of literature— doesn’t want to take a free ride on the existing work of genius but should come to the project looking to illuminate some facet of the story that isn’t already illuminated through the source material itself.”

“I think Septime Webre is a storytelling genius,” Cincinnati Ballet Academy Director Sarah Hairston Berkley says. “There’s so much energy to him. He reminds me of Willy Wonka in that he has this magical quality. He’s always going to the extreme.”

Hairston Berkley, former principal dancer of the Cincinnati Ballet, performed the role of the Queen of Hearts in prior productions. “It’s one of my favorite

“I think Septime Webre is a storytelling genius.”

CINCINNATI BALLET ACADEMY DIRECTOR, SARAH HAIRSTON BERKLEY

roles I’ve ever danced; it’s kind of an epic role. She’s naughty, mean, and yet funny. You cannot hold anything back. I love dancing, but I also love bringing these characters to life. There’s a humor that might go over kids’ heads, but never in a way where they are left behind. Queen of Hearts is there for the adults.”

Webre’s demanding work requires dancers to perform many different styles. Carroll’s iconic characters are vividly depicted through classical ballet, hip-hop, modern, and ballroom dance. “Septime will pull that out of you—dancers must adapt and do it all. It can be challenging but also inspiring and fun,” says Hairston Berkley.

“It starts with a great pure classical technique,” Webre told the Washington Post regarding the versatility his work demands. “That’s the basis of all of it. Classical technique is a very pliable, fluid language—a really-good, classically-trained dancer can dance anything . . . and dancers become more versatile if more is expected of them.”

One unique aspect of ALICE is the intense involvement of young dancers, all of whom are students of Cincinnati Ballet’s Otto M. Budig Academy. “There are great parts for kids,” says Hairston Berkley. “Their involvement is one of the best aspects of the ballet. And what’s great fun is that there’s so much interaction between the kids and the Company. You create this camaraderie.”

To create an immersive and stunning score, Webre collab -

orated with composer/violinist Matthew Pierce, with whom he worked on The Wizard of Oz. Audiences will be dazzled by music influenced by Asian and Middle Eastern traditions, jazz, and pop music, all with a contemporary edge and curious spirit. Scored for strings and percussion, a variety of music styles and genres are used to craft the perfect sound for each character. From Alice’s vulnerable but strong folk-song theme to the Cheshire Cat’s blues, and a disco-like theme reminiscent of the 1970s TV show Starsky and Hutch as Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum prance, be ready for anything and everything!

“Music is everything. Music fuels the steps,” Webre said in a Washington Post interview. “Matthew Pierce’s music was picture-perfect. He approached the music from a character’s perspective. He wrote the score for a small chamber group, so the orchestration was quite refined; but at the same time his music had a lot of wit and humor and perfectly conveyed the outlandish characters of the story.”

A 2012 Washington Post review called ALICE “trippy and

dazzling…in every aspect—tart, adorable and everything in between—this is a work of rich and impressive creativity. It is a tour de force for Webre, who choreographed dances in all manner of styles for a spree of personages and scenes.”

Audiences are in for a spirited and fun ride down the rabbit hole!

PROGRAMS FOR SCHOOLS

IN-SCHOOL RESIDENCIES

Cincinnati Ballet is delighted to provide elementary schools in the greater Cincinnati area with FREE residency experiences sure to inspire your students to move and to develop an appreciation for the art of dance.

Focus: Second Grade Available: September - December

The CincyDance! program starts in the classroom using a combination of physical education curriculum and dance training to activate a student’s desire to express themselves through movement. Following the residency, students are invited to audition for scholarships to continue their training at Cincinnati Ballet.

Focus: Pre-K Available: January - April

The CincyDance! Pre-K program activates a student’s imagination while introducing them to the joy of creative movement and ballet. Students will explore locomotor movement, balance and other key coordination skills with highly skilled Cincinnati Ballet teaching artists.

PERFORMANCES FOR SCHOOLS

Cincinnati Ballet makes the beauty of live performance available to students across the greater Cincinnati area through in-school touring productions and student matinees for all grade levels.

TOURING COMMUNITY PERFORMANCES

Bring Cincinnati Ballet directly to your school or community center! Each production is designed with a specific age group in mind and creates an experience that welcomes new audiences to dancethrough accessible storytelling, relatable themes, funchoreography,and interactive content.

STUDENT MATINEES

Cincinnati Ballet’s student matinees connect students to live dance at the Aronoff Center, Music Hall, and the Valentine Center for Dance. These special performances are offered at an accessible price and time, making for an extraordinary student experience and a unique connection to the region’s largest professional ballet company.

Photography: Hiromi Platt

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

2022–2023 GOVERNING BOARD

Stone CHAIR Emerson Moser VICE CHAIR Kristin Fishbaugh TREASURER

Sergio Arreola Fran Carlisle

Smokey Clay David Cook Andrea Costa Judy Dalambakis Jennifer Damiano Zahki Davis Sarah Frank-Fogarty

Michael Bailes

Bernie Calonge

Sheila Cohen

Connie Dow Sandra Eisele Jerry Ewers Kathryn Harsh Edmond Hooker Beth Levy

Paul Frodge Jodi Geiser Rico Grant Linda Greenberg Bruce Halpryn Kateri Haskett Cynthia E. Henderson Lydia Jacobs-Horton

Bruce Jeffery Daphne Jurgensen Marcene Kinney Peter Laffoon Megan McCarthy-Wolf Jack Miner Katy Moeggenberg Alexandra Ollinger

2022–2023 SUSTAINERS

Leon Loewenstein

Madelynn Matlock Larry McGruder Skip Merten Alex Munoz Cathy Nwankwo Marilyn Osborn Joselyn Pfeil Julie Richardson

Debbie Brant Kelly Brown Laura Brunner Trish Bryan Otto M. Budig Nancy Clagett

Robert Pitcairn CHAIR

Scott Altman Michael Bailes

Kitty Rosenthal Morleen Rouse Diane Rumpke Keke Sansalone Tom Schiff Beth Snyder Chris Sprecher Brett Stover Mary Talbott

2022–2023 EMERITUS

William Cordes Lynn Good Lorrence Kellar Charles MacDonnell Richardson McKinney Tom Neyer

Carol Duane Olson Paul Ose Melody Sawyer Richardson Michael Rozow James Sammarco Kathleen Selker

2022–2023 FOUNDATION BOARD

Debbie Brant VICE CHAIR

Joe Carolin* Joe Dehner

Madelynn Matlock TREASURER

Kristin Fishbaugh Rhonda Sheakley

HONORARY TRUSTEES

Craig F. Maier

Rhoda Mayerson+

Jennifer Knight Zelkind SECRETARY

Jim Papakirk Alandes Powell

Thomas Quinn Lisa Riccardi Jennifer Stein Toilynn O’Neal Turner Faith Whittaker Brenden Zenni

Heather Theders

Pamela Thompson Serena Tsuang Kelly Vanasse

Catherine Vernon Gary West Barbara Weyand

Rhonda Sheakley Russell Shelton Shelly Sherman Julie Shifman Linda Smith Ronna Willis

Jen Stein Joel Stone

Joel

Kelly Brown SECRETARY

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LOUIS LANGRÉE, Music Director

Louise Dieterle Nippert & Louis Nippert Chair

JOHN MORRIS RUSSELL, Cincinnati Pops Conductor

Louise Dieterle Nippert & Louis Nippert Chair

Matthias Pintscher, CSO Creative Partner

Damon Gupton, Pops Principal Guest Conductor

Samuel Lee, Assistant Conductor Ashley and Barbara Ford Chair

Daniel Wiley, Assistant Conductor Ashley and Barbara Ford Chair

FIRST VIOLINS

Stefani Matsuo

CONCERTMASTER, ANNA SINTON TAFT CHAIR

Felicity James

ASSOCIATE CONCERTMASTER, TOM & DEE STEGMAN CHAIR

Philip Marten

FIRST ASSISTANT CONCERTMASTER, JAMES M. EWELL CHAIR++

Eric Bates

SECOND ASSISTANT CONCERTMASTER, SERGE SHABABIAN CHAIR

Kathryn Woolley

NICHOLAS TSIMARAS–PETER G. COURLAS CHAIR++

Anna Reider

DIANNE & J. DAVID ROSENBERG CHAIR

Mauricio Aguiar§

ANNE G. & ROBERT W. DORSEY CHAIR

Minyoung Baik

James Braid

MARC BOHLKE CHAIR GIVEN BY KATRIN & MANFRED BOHLKE

Michelle Edgar Dugan

DONALD & MARGARET ROBINSON CHAIR

Rebecca Kruger Fryxell

CLIFFORD J. GOOSMANN & ANDREA M. WILSON CHAIR

Gerald Itzkoff

JEAN TEN HAVE CHAIR

Sylvia Mitchell

JO ANN & PAUL WARD CHAIR

Charles Morey†

Luo-Jia Wu

SECOND VIOLINS

Gabriel Pegis

PRINCIPAL, AL LEVINSON CHAIR

Yang Liu*

HAROLD B. & BETTY JUSTICE CHAIR

Scott Mozlin**

HENRY MEYER CHAIR

Kun Dong

Cheryl Benedict

Evin Blomberg§

Rachel Charbel

IDA RINGLING NORTH CHAIR

Chika Kinderman Hyesun Park

Paul Patterson

CHARLES GAUSMANN CHAIR++

Stacey Woolley

BRENDA & RALPH TAYLOR CHAIR++

VIOLAS

Christian Colberg

PRINCIPAL, LOUISE D. & LOUIS NIPPERT CHAIR

Christopher Fischer ACTING ASSOCIATE

PRINCIPAL, GRACE M. ALLEN CHAIR

Julian Wilkison**

Rebecca Barnes§

Emilio Carlo†

Stephen Fryxell

MELINDA & IRWIN SIMON CHAIR

Caterina Longhi

Gabriel Napoli

Denisse Rodriguez-Rivera Dan Wang Joanne Wojtowicz

CELLOS

Ilya Finkelshteyn PRINCIPAL, IRENE & JOHN J. EMERY CHAIR

Daniel Culnan*

ONA HIXSON DATER CHAIR

Norman Johns**

KARL & ROBERTA SCHLACHTER FAMILY CHAIR

Daniel Kaler§ MARVIN KOLODZIK CHAIR

Isabel Kwon†

Hiro Matsuo

LAURA KIMBLE MCLELLAN CHAIR++

Theodore Nelson

PETER G. COURLAS–NICHOLAS TSIMARAS CHAIR++

Alan Rafferty RUTH F. ROSEVEAR CHAIR

BASSES

Owen Lee

PRINCIPAL, MARY ALICE HEEKIN BURKE CHAIR++

James Lambert*

THOMAS VANDEN EYNDEN CHAIR

Stephen Jones** TRISH & RICK BRYAN CHAIR

Boris Astafiev§

Luis Arturo Celis Avila Rick Vizachero

HARP

Gillian Benet Sella

PRINCIPAL, CYNTHIA & FRANK STEWART CHAIR

FLUTES

Randolph Bowman PRINCIPAL, CHARLES FREDERIC GOSS CHAIR

Henrik Heide*†

Haley Bangs JANE & DAVID ELLIS CHAIR

PICCOLO

Rebecca Tutunick PATRICIA GROSS LINNEMANN CHAIR

OBOES

Dwight Parry PRINCIPAL, JOSEPHINE I. & DAVID J. JOSEPH, JR. CHAIR

Lon Bussell* STEPHEN P. MCKEAN CHAIR Emily Beare

ENGLISH HORN

Christopher Philpotts PRINCIPAL, ALBERTA & DR. MAURICE MARSH CHAIR++

CLARINETS

Christopher Pell PRINCIPAL, EMMA MARGARET & IRVING D. GOLDMAN CHAIR

Joseph Morris*

ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL AND E-FLAT CLARINET, ROBERT E. & FAY BOEH CHAIR++ Ixi Chen VICKY & RICK REYNOLDS CHAIR IN HONOR OF WILLIAM A. FRIEDLANDER

BASS CLARINET

Ronald Aufmann

BASSOONS

Christopher Sales PRINCIPAL, EMALEE SCHAVEL CHAIR++ Martin Garcia* Hugh Michie

CONTRABASSOON Jennifer Monroe

FRENCH HORNS

Elizabeth Freimuth PRINCIPAL, MARY M. & CHARLES F. YEISER CHAIR [OPEN]* ELLEN A. & RICHARD C. BERGHAMER CHAIR Molly Norcross** ACTING ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL, SWEENEY FAMILY CHAIR IN MEMORY OF DONALD C. SWEENEY Lisa Conway

SUSANNE & PHILIP O. GEIER, JR. CHAIR Duane Dugger MARY & JOSEPH S. STERN, JR. CHAIR Charles Bell

TRUMPETS

Robert Sullivan PRINCIPAL, RAWSON CHAIR Douglas Lindsay* JACKIE & ROY SWEENEY FAMILY CHAIR Steven Pride OTTO M. BUDIG FAMILY FOUNDATION CHAIR++ Christopher Kiradjieff

TROMBONES

Cristian Ganicenco PRINCIPAL, DOROTHY & JOHN HERMANIES CHAIR Joseph Rodriguez** SECOND/ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL TROMBONE

BASS TROMBONE Peter Norton

TUBA Christopher Olka PRINCIPAL, ASHLEY & BARBARA FORD CHAIR

TIMPANI Patrick Schleker PRINCIPAL, MATTHEW & PEG WOODSIDE CHAIR Joseph Bricker* MORLEEN & JACK ROUSE CHAIR

PERCUSSION David Fishlock PRINCIPAL, SUSAN S. & WILLIAM A. FRIEDLANDER CHAIR Michael Culligan* Joseph Bricker * MORLEEN & JACK ROUSE CHAIR Marc Wolfley+

KEYBOARDS

Michael Chertock James P. Thornton Chair Julie Spangler+ James P. Thornton Chair

CSO/CCM DIVERSITY FELLOWS~ Mwakudua waNgure, violin Tyler McKisson, viola Luis Parra, cello Samantha Powell, cello

LIBRARIANS Christina Eaton PRINCIPAL LIBRARIAN, LOIS KLEIN JOLSON CHAIR Elizabeth Dunning ACTING ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL LIBRARIAN [Open]

INTERIM ASSISTANT LIBRARIAN

STAGE MANAGERS

Brian P. Schott Phillip T. Sheridan Daniel Schultz Andrew Sheridan

§ Begins the alphabetical listing of players who participate in a system of rotated seating within the string section.

* Associate Principal ** Assistant Principal † One-year appointment

+ Cincinnati Pops rhythm section ++ CSO endowment only ~ Funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation

for almost 90 years. Unparalleled food & beverage from the city’s most creative culinary team. Newly renovated guestrooms and amenities for your out-of-town guests.

With ballrooms from 4,000 sq. ft. to 11,000 sq. ft., socially distanced events are achievable in beautiful spaces. For more intimate weddings, parties of 20-50 may be accommodated in the Palm Court.

Experience the landmark by calling a wedding specialist to schedule your tour.

CINCINNATI BALLET STAFF

Scott Altman

PRESIDENT

AND CEO

Jodie Gates

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

SUE AND BILL FRIEDLANDER ENDOWED CHAIR OTTO M. BUDIG ACADEMY ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

ADMINISTRATION AND FINANCE

Joe Carolin

VICE PRESIDENT OF FINANCE AND CFO

Melissa Santomo CONTROLLER

Tiffany Whitcomb

VICE PRESIDENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES

Tyler Parker

SENIOR EXECUTIVE AND BOARD LIAISON

Laura Linneman EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT

Mary French ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF DATA SERVICES

Stacey Rich, CPA STAFF ACCOUNTANT

Thomas E. Johnston, CCI, CHI™ INTERPRETER

ARTISTIC

Carmon DeLeone

MUSIC DIRECTOR EMERITUS

Cervilio Miguel Amador REHEARSAL DIRECTOR

Dale Shields REHEARSAL DIRECTOR

Suzette Boyer Webb DIRECTOR OF SECOND COMPANY AND YOUNG PERFORMERS

Dena D’Andrea COMPANY MANAGER

Angelika Bonyhati-Kovacs

Brian Cashwell

Janet Langhorst

Ted Seaman

BALLET ACCOMPANISTS

Wynn White

LEAD YOUNG PERFORMERS COORDINATOR

Kelly Daley

YOUNG PERFORMERS COORDINATOR

Gina Cerimele-Mechley

INTIMACY COORDINATOR

Elizabeth Robinson ARTISTIC COORDINATOR

PHILANTHROPY

Sara Pomeroy

VICE PRESIDENT OF PHILANTHROPY

Katharine Nemeth MAJOR GIFTS OFFICER

Ilona Piaskowy

INDIVIDUAL GIVING MANAGER

Alexandria Wright INSTITUTIONAL GIVING MANAGER

MARKETING AND BRAND STRATEGY

Nicole Doll

VICE PRESIDENT OF MARKETING AND BRAND STRATEGY

Scott Seward

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF MARKETING

Nicholas Peltz

SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER AND CONTENT MANAGER

Katie Daly GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Dan Wood VIDEOGRAPHER

Eli Francis

SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER

Louanna Wyatt PATRON EXPERIENCE MANAGER

Eline Bauwens

Shannon Brake

Ja’Nay Brown

Julianna Eidle Butch Hamm

Rebekah Lorenz

Jenna Mays

Christine Richtsfeld

Pam Taylor

PATRON EXPERIENCE ASSOCIATES

OTTO M. BUDIG ACADEMY AND EDUCATION

Ginger Johnson

VICE PRESIDENT OF ACADEMY AND EDUCATION

Sarah Hairston Berkley

ACADEMY DIRECTOR

Carolyn Guido Clifford

DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION

Mike Krauss

DIRECTOR OF ACADEMY OPERATIONS

Maura Korn

STUDENT SERVICES MANAGER

Elizabeth Metz REGISTRATION SERVICES MANAGER

Ihaiah Miller

PRINCIPAL FACULTY, CONTEMPORARY AND CHOREOGRAPHY

David Morse RESIDENT FACULTY

Kara Louis YOUTH PROGRAMS COORDINATOR

Kate Stark

CB MOVES COORDINATOR

Donna Anderle

Oliver Arana

Jamie Berkley Ja’Nay Brown Rosa Compostella

Emily Egner Isabele Elefson

Kerry Enders

Sam Epstein Nancy Fountain Jeri Gatch

Melissa Gelfin De-Poli

Donna Grisez

Julia Gundzik

Sasha Hart

Nicole Hershey Helen Jardon

Julius Jenkins Mary Kamp

Christina LaForgia Morse Sirui Liu

Julie Locker Mae Miller

Victoria Morgan Chrissy Pan Patty Pille

Emily Reinhart

Samantha Riester Jennifer Rutherford Rowan Salem

Grace Shivers

Maggie Silverstein Joshua Stayton Cassidy Steele Shauna Steele Rose Sunila

Rebecca Walther Michelle Ziegler

ACADEMY AND EDUCATION INSTRUCTORS

Elizabeth Reyna Iliana Rich Sierra Severt

STUDENT EXPERIENCE REPRESENTATIVES

PRODUCTION AND OPERATIONS

Rachel Hinger

DIRECTOR OF EVENTS

Carissa Gandenberger STAGE MANAGER Noelle Wedig-Johnston

WARDROBE SUPERVISOR Laura Hofmann

FIRST WARDROBE ASSISTANT Cherl Beyersdoerfer SECOND WARDROBE ASSISTANT Scott Berkley MASTER CARPENTER Kevin Barth PROPERTY MASTER Emily Hetzer ASSISTANT ELECTRICIAN James Geier

WIG AND MAKE-UP CONSULTANT Natalie Hratko STAGE MANAGEMENT CONSULTANT

Quinn Nicole Morgan Morgan Piper Shelby Scaffidi Sage Shepard ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGERS

Marcia Fortner

NKU STAGE MANAGEMENT INTERN Andrew Gange CCM LIGHTING INTERN

ATHLETIC TRAINERS

Carolyn Crampton

Kelly Jo Rodrigo COURTESY OF MERCY HEALTH ORTHOPEDICS AND SPORTS MEDICINE

Donald Beck and Dr. Lawrence Eynon Trish and Rick Bryan Dianne Dunkelman and Peter Schwartz Helen Dupree Harry J. and Linda Fath

Anonymous in Honor of Victoria Morgan

Deborah and Jody Brant Susan Brenner and Steven Mombach Susan Domonkos

Anonymous

Eileen and John Barrett

Cheryl A. Bierwagen

Fran and Wayne Carlisle Jennifer and Robert Conklin

Jennifer and M. Vito Damiano

Sally D. Hernandez Daphne and Jason Jurgensen

FOUNDER

Sue and Bill Friedlander+ Lauren Hannan Shafer Debby and Jim Mason Karen F. Maier and Delane Starliper

Loretta Motz Cook and David Cook Marilyn and Jack Osborn Halle and T. Quinn Dianne and J. David Rosenberg* Tom Schiff

DIRECTOR

Arna and Bobby Fisher Sarah Frank Fogarty and Timothy Fogarty Linda and Gary Greenberg

Fred and Patti Heldman* Christy and Terry Horan Betsy and John LaMacchia Madelynn and Raymond Matlock

PRINCIPAL

Peter and John Laffoon

Jeffrey and Jody Lazarow and Janie and Peter Schwartz Family Fund*

Anne and Craig F. Maier Lane and Skip Merten Stacey and Mark Miller Jack Miner and Brian Dozer

Emerson and Mitzie Moser

Susan Murray Alexandra H. and Cole Ollinger Maria and Jim Papakirk Anne Pierce Jack Rouse Morleen Rouse Diane and William J. Rumpke, Jr.

Larry A. and Rhonda Sheakley

Jen and John Stein Margaret and Michael Valentine

Barbara M. Weyand Nancy and David Wolf

Barbara K. Myers

Martha and Nick Ragland Justin and Lisa Shafer Christine and John Willig

Keke and Tony Sansalone

Alice Schneider

Julie and Steven Shifman

Lisa and Joel Stone Susan and John Tew Kelly and Guy Vanasse Gary and DeeDee West

Faith C. Whittaker, Partner with Dinsmore and Shohl Dr. Karen Zaugg, Ph.D.

DONOR HONOR ROLL

SOLOIST

Anonymous

Amy and Michael Bailes

Charles and Bonnie Bensonhaver

Elaine and David Billmire

Sue and Ben Blaney

Bob and Jane Bohinski

Daniel Cifuentes

Paula and William Cordes

Andrea Costa

Judy and Chris Dalambakis

Martha and Stuart Dornette

Anonymous

Janet Baker

Carolyn Barham

Ruth Bley

William Borek and Evelyn Joseph

Robert and Pamela Bosley

Jacklyn Bryson

Kristin and David Coppage

Tanya Cornejo and Aaron Kellenberger

Lisa and Richard Damico

Valerie Folger

Andrea GeorgopoulosStraus

Ralph P. Ginocchio

Suzanne and Frank Hall Kenneth Heldman and Felicia Zakem

Cynthia E. Henderson Theresa and Eddie Hooker

Jane Hopson

Noel Julnes-Dehner and Joe Dehner

Marcy and Mark Kanter Barbara and Larry Kellar

Cynthia and Stephen DeHoff

Maureen and John Doellman

Shirley Duff

Marcus and Amy Eddy

Greta Elenbaas

Jason Faulkner and Theresa Tran Barry and Sandy Feist

Michele Finch

Ashley and Bobbie Ford Arielle M. Goldberg Alison Greiwe

Marcene Kinney

Lynn and Daniel Langmeyer

David Martin

Amy and Gary Mitchell Carol and Bob Olson

Kristen and Scott Oyler Joseph A. and Susan E. Pichler*

Kathryn J. Pratt

Lori Rappold

Lorraine and Jerry Schlagheck Gayle and Bill Sherman

CORPS

Lindsey R. Gutierrez

Kateri Haskett

Mrs. Robert Hasl Rob and Genita Heidenreich

The Heis Family

Margaret Hess Karlee Hilliard

Christy and Terry Horan Katherine Oliver Jarnigo Steven and Esther Johnson

Michelle D. Jones

The Kereiakes Family

Dr. Michael and Mrs. Debbie Snyder

Nydia C. Tranter

Jo Ann Wieghaus George and Kathy Wilkinson

Ronna and Dr. James B. Willis David and Sarah Wise Jennifer Knight Zelkind

Zofeen Khan

Jean Knuth

Susan and Andrew Krott

Joanie and Lou Lauch

Rick and Christine Lefever

Alan Margulies and Gale Snoddy

The Sophia C. McAllister Fund of Vanguard Charitable

Stephanie and Arthur McMahon

David and Nina Meranus Jodi M. Geiser

Balle

Mary Lou Motl

Jack and Alexa Oliver

Joselyn Michelle Pfeil

Andrea Pomeranz

Sid and Sara Pomeroy Marilyn and Paul Porcino

Anonymous

Sarah Alkire

Lisa and Scott Altman

Alison Belew

Chris Bergman and Stacey Devlin Marianna Bettman

Sandra and Robert Blanchard

Neil Bortz

Edwin Brott

Debbie Campbell Lois and Philip Cohen Dr. Thomas S. Cook Dr. Sarah Corathers and Mr. James Anthony Aaron and Bobbi Crary Dr. Michael Curran and Dr. Manisha Patel Barbara Doviak Merry Ewing

CORPS

R. Cutler Quinllin, III and Lindsey R. Gutierrez Mandy Rassi

The Relthford Family Bradley and Amy Resch David and Priya Rolfes

Kitty and Dick Rosenthal Rosemary and Mark Schlachter Huiqing and Scott Stanley Amy Thomas

THIRD POSITION

Risa and Stephen Feagins

Melissa Frederiksen

Lynn and Brian Good

Mr. Clifford Goosmann and Ms. Andrea Wilson

Ham and Ellie Hamilton

Scott and Sue Harrington

Kathryn and Keith Harsh Maureen Heekin

Howard D. and Mary W. Helms

Linda Holthaus

Tom and Terry Honebrink

Laura Hurley

Heidi Jark and Steven Kenat

Brenda Jones Moya M. Jones Kara and Michael Kennedy

Carole and Brad Kindem* Cheri King

Mary Ann and Jeff Knoop Michael and Renee Kreeger

Carol Louise Kruse Susan and Richard Lauf Becky and Thomas Long Lynn and Robert Macrae

Cynthia C. Mason Larry and Jill McGruder Cassie and Lachlan McLean

Raymond McNeil and Kathleen Compton

Valerie L. Newell and Timothy Smith Larry and Leslie Newman Betsy and Peter Niehoff Benjamin and Katherine Ohlander

Christopher and Nancy Virgulak

Tamara Weik

Robyn and David Wenzke Whitcomb Family Friends Angela White and Amahle White-Dragon

Tim O’Toole

Alice Palmer

John Pape

Bronwyn Park

Julia W. and Daniel Poston

Alandes Powell

Alexandra and Andrew Quinn

Irene and Daniel Randolph Family Brandon and Margo Rapp Ellen Rieveschl Rachel and Luke Robinson Stephen Rogers Judith L. Roth

Anne Mitchell Ruiz and Robert Ruiz Janet and Bill Sarran Nicole Schneider

ipiaskowy@cballet.org

DONOR HONOR ROLL

THIRD POSITION

Janet Schultz and Russell Lascelles

Marianne Schwab and George Stricker

Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Schwartz

Barbara Seiver Sonia Sharma

Anonymous (2)

John Back

William Banks

Henrietta Barlag

Mr. and Mrs. Michael Barron

Bernard Berk Tanu M. Bhati Dr. Onassis A. Caneris

Phil and Katharine Clayton Curtis Coonrod

Kate Costlow and John D’Amore

Regina and Dan Daily Tina and Michael Disanto M. Patricia and T. Patrick Donnelly

Kathy Eby Joyce Elkus Nancy Finke

Margaret Fiora Betsy and Peter Frame Kenneth Frey Julie Gabriel Sandra Gans Mary and James R. Gardner

Susan and Russell Shelton Susan and David Smith Debra W. Smith

Elizabeth A. Snyder Linda and Nicholas Spadaccini

Paul H. Spitz Dee and Tom Stegman

Amy and Bill Thaman Tom and Torey Torre Katrina Trimble Susie Tweddell

Barbara Wagner and William Partin Mary and Jim Wahl Chad and Betsy Warwick

SECOND POSITION

Ellen Gentry

Judith and Samuel Gilardi

Zac Greenberg

Bill and Christy Griesser

Brooke Guigui

Jessica Hall

Larry and Maggie Herms Jennifer and Thomas Herzog

Ms. Minette Hoffheimer Bridget and Brian Hoffman

Ez and Lynn Housh Amy Ruschulte

Mary and Bill Ivers

Patricia Joseph Katherine E. Keough-Jurs

Amber Kincaid Linda Kollar

Heather and Pete Kopf Heather and H. Lee Krombholz Mary and John Kuempel Kim Lauch

Caroline A. Love Tanzy Love and Zach Dietz

Anne Lovell Phil and Laura Lucas

Larry A. Lutz Dr. James L. Mahon Amy Marmer JoAnn Martin Bruce McIntosh Michael Miller Leah and Joe Miramonti Steven I. Monder Amy D. Moon Regine Moulton Kathy O’Brien M. Richmond and W. Watterson RUGiving2?* Gabriella Scacchetti Martha and Lee Schimberg Susanna and Seth Schwartz

Kathy Selker Anne Sesler

Aparna and Shimul Shah Keven E. Shell and Sandra L. Wittman-Shell Shelly Sherman-Greene

Anne Warrington Wilson Kathleen Venter and Glen Wright*

John Yacher

Jennifer Young Jaclyn and Brenden Zenni Nick and Michelle Ziegler

Jay and Joanne Smale

Philip Smith

Emily Stahl Mary M. Stein

Mr. and Mrs. Michael J. Stoll

Allison Thornton Roxann Tillinghast and Roberto Molina Marcia and Robert Togneri Bridgette Tucker Jennifer Tullo Susan B. Warren Debbie and Dick Westheimer Jeff and Tonya Yetter Jody Yetzer and Alexander Kayne Col. Joseph E. Zeis Jr. Marcy and Bob Ziek Mr. and Mrs. Robert L. Zierolf Tamela and Tim Zimmerman

*Funds held at the Greater Cincinnati Foundation Thank you to the donors whose gifts we received by December 2, 2022. The above donor pages represent the information available at the time of print. If you find that you are listed incorrectly or we did not recognize you appropriately, we apologize and want to include you. Please contact our Institutional Giving Manager, Alexandria Wright, at awright@cballet.org or (513) 873-5812.

Your Health Care Should Always Revolve Around You

A t Me r c y He a l t h , w e ’ r e c r e a t i n g t h e p e r s o n a l i z e d s o l u t io n s yo u n e e d , At Mercy Health, we’re creating the personalized solutions you need, t o m e e t yo u w h e r e yo u n e e d u s w i t h t h e r ig h t c a r e fo r yo u . B e c a u s e to meet you where you need us with the right care for you. Because w h e t h e r s a f e l y i n o u r c le a n f a c i l i t ie s , o r v i r t u a l l y f r o m t h e c o m fo r t o f whether safely in our clean facilities, or virtually from the comfort of yo u r o w n h o m e , w e b e l ie ve yo u r h e a l t h c a r e s h o u l d a l w a y s r e vo l ve your own home, we believe your health care should always revolve a r o u n d yo u V i s i t around you. Visit m e r c y c o m/p r i m a r y c a r e mercy.com/primarycare t o c o n n e c t w i t h a p r i m a r y to connect with a primary c a r e p r o v id e r t o d a y. care provider today.

$50,000–$99,999

$ 100,000+ $5,000–$9,999

$25,000–$49,999 $10,000–$24,999 $2,500–$4,999 $1,000—$2,499

Thank you to our Business Circle, Foundation, Government, and Institutional donors who supported us through cash and in-kind contributions received by December 2, 2022. The above donor pages represent the information available at the time of print. If you find that you are listed incorrectly or we did not recognize you appropriately, we apologize and want to include you. Please contact our Institutional Giving Manager, Alexandria Wright, at awright@cballet.org or (513) 873-5812.

FOUNDATION, GOVERNMENT, AND INSTITUTIONAL DONORS

$100,000 + $50,000–$99,999

THE KAPLAN FOUNDATION

$15,000–$49,999

LINNEMANN FAMILY FOUNDATION

PETER T. JOSEPH FOUNDATION

WOHLGEMUTH HERSCHEDE FOUNDATION

Crosset Family Foundation Joni Herschede Fund of The Greater Cincinnati Fdtn

Lewis & Marjorie Daniel Foundation Ez & Lynn Housh Family Foundation

P&G

Fifth Third Bank and the Fifth Third Foundation GE Aviation alta fiber

Western & Southern Financial Group

Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center

Morgan Judd Memorial Fund Mueller Family Foundation Oliver Family Foundation

$5,000–$14,999 $1,000–$4,999

Andrew Howe Scholarship Foundation Innovating Worthy Projects Foundation

ARTSWAVE PARTNERS

Parkinson Support & Wellness Charles Scott Riley III Foundation

Cincinnati Ballet acknowledges the following partner companies, foundations, and their employees who generously participate in the annual ArtsWave Campaign at the $100,000+ level.

The Cincinnati Insurance Companies City of Cincinnati Enquirer Media Great American Insurance Group Ohio National Financial Services U.S. Bank

The H.B., E.W. and F.R. Luther Charitable Foundation, Fifth Third Bank and Narley L. Haley, Co-Trustees Macy’s Cincinnati Business Courier The Kroger Co. PNC

The E.W. Scripps Company and Scripps Howard Foundation Duke Energy HORAN Cincinnati Reds

EXPLORE CINCINNATI BALLET

MEET THE ARTISTS

Cincinnati Ballet is pleased to offer Meet the Artists, a pre-performance discussion series connecting audiences to select dancers, choreographers, and members of the creative team who bring our performances to life. Admission to Meet the Artists is included in your ticket to the current production.

ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES

Throughout the year Cincinnati Ballet offers dynamic and interactive experiences to deepen your love of the art form. These programs are designed for everyone and include studio rehearsals, workshops, community and educational performances, pre-and post-performance discussions, and more.

BALLET AND BEER

Ballet & Beer is an event series providing an insider’s view into Cincinnati Ballet while enjoying drinks, light bites, and socializing. This season we will host these happy hour–style events at the new Margaret and Michael Valentine Center for Dance in Walnut Hills. These events are free to attend, but due to space limitations for the rehearsals, advanced reservations are encouraged. Events include a cash bar.

COMMUNITY PERFORMANCE SERIES

Cincinnati Ballet is excited to open the Margaret and Michael Valentine Center for Dance to the community for an inviting introduction to ballet and dance performance. These performances are designed to welcome new audiences to dance through accessible storytelling, relatable themes, fun choreography, and community partnerships. Join us at the new Center for Dance on select Sunday afternoons with your family and friends for these hour-long performances.

VOLUNTEER

Cincinnati Ballet offers a variety of volunteer opportunities. Get involved and support Cincinnati Ballet while meeting new people and learning more about ballet. Volunteering for Cincinnati Ballet is fun, educational, and a great way to support the arts. Volunteers are vital in supporting the mission of Cincinnati Ballet.

FOR YOUR INFORMATION

AT MUSIC HALL

FOOD AND BEVERAGES are available at various lobby locations throughout Music Hall. All concessions and drinks sold at Music Hall should be consumed in designated areas throughout the hall. Only bottled water can be taken into Springer Auditorium.

RESTROOMS can be found on every level of Music Hall. Companion care restrooms can be found in these locations:

• Western & Southern Lobby

• North side of the Orchestra level of Springer Auditorium

• South side of the Balcony level of Springer Auditorium

• West side of the Ballroom

GUEST SERVICES is located in the northeast corner of the Lindner Grand Foyer. Services include assistive listening devices, coat check, courtesy phone, taxi service, and lost and found.

IF YOU LOSE AN ITEM while attending an event at Music Hall, check with the Guest Services attendant before leaving. If they are unable to locate the item, call the Administrative Office at (513) 744-3344, 9 am–5 pm, Monday to Friday.

YOUR PARTICIPATION IN OUR RECYCLING effort is appreciated! A digital version of the program is available at cballet.org. Recycling containers are located near every concession stand. If you don’t want to keep your program you may simply leave it on your seat or hand it to an usher when you leave.

PLEASE NOTE

THE FOYER AT MUSIC HALL opens 60 minutes prior to curtain—admission to the auditorium (and late seating) may vary, depending on the policies and requirements of the production. Ushers will be available to assist with any seating questions.

LATE SEATING is at the discretion of the house manager. Due to the demands of the production, late seating might occur as late as intermission or may be accommodated in the Gallery. Should you need to leave the auditorium during the performance, re-admittance and seating will also be at the discretion of the house manager.

PHOTOGRAPHY AND VIDEO of Cincinnati Ballet performances is strictly prohibited.

SMOKING IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED at Music Hall.

TO SCHEDULE A TOUR OF MUSIC HALL, contact the Administrative Office at (513) 7443344. Tours last approximately one hour, and guides are available through the Friends of Music Hall for a nominal charge.

ACCESSIBILITY

All event spaces in Music Hall are fully accessible, and many services are available for guests with mobility challenges. Our patron experience team and staff strive to provide everyone with a quality experience when they visit, and accommodations are available for persons with specific needs. All guests are encouraged to contact us for additional information.

WHEELCHAIRS are available upon request for guests needing assistance from the curb or lobby to their seats. Access Ambassadors are available at the southeast entrance on Elm Street. All levels of the theater have elevator service and offer wheelchair accommodations.

ASSISTIVE LISTENING DEVICES designed to enhance sound are available at Guest Services.

SPECIAL SEATING is available for guests unable to transfer out of their mobility devices or with other special seating needs. When possible, contact our Patron Experience Office in advance. On the day of a performance, we will make every effort to meet the needs of the guests.

FIRST AID services are available in the North Concourse on the Orchestra Level. For assistance, speak with a Music Hall staff member.

SERVICE ANIMALS are always welcome at Music Hall.

For more information about Cincinnati Ballet please visit our website www.cballet.org, call (513) 621-5282, or visit us at 1801 Gilbert Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45202.