Cincinnati Ballet - King Arthur's Camelot 2021 by Cincinnati Magazine

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TA B L E O F CO N T E N T S Cincinnati Ballet

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LETTERS FROM LEADERSHIP SEASON SPONSORS PRODUCTION SPONSORS WORLD PREMIERE SPONSORS

KING ARTHUR’S CAMELOT CINCINNATI BALLET LEADERSHIP SYNOPSIS

KING ARTHUR’S CAMELOT CREATIVE TEAM CINCINNATI BALLET PRINCIPAL DANCER BIOS

29 COMPANY ROSTER 34 MODERN-DAY MERLIN 37 39 40 41 46 48

BOARD OF TRUSTEES CINCINNATI SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA CINCINNATI BALLET STAFF DONOR HONOR ROLL EXPLORE CINCINNATI BALLET FOR YOUR INFORMATION

COVER PHOTO: PHOTOGRAPHY BY AARON M. CONWAY FEATURING RAFAEL QUENEDIT AND DANIEL WAGNER PHOTOGRAPHY BY PETER MUELLER FEATURING CERVILIO MIGUEL AMADOR WITH CINCINNATI BALLET DANCERS

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

LETTERS FROM LEADERSHIP Cincinnati Ballet

DEAR LOVER OF MAGIC AND MYSTICISM,

ou are about to embark upon a journey of wonder! The Knights of the Round Table hold court, as King Arthur, Guinevere, and Sir Lancelot dance their way through a passionate love triangle for the ages. I first choreographed King Arthur’s Camelot in 2013. The idea to create a full-length ballet inspired by the Arthurian legend was born—like so many good ideas—from a casual conversation with dear friend and Cincinnati Ballet champion, Rhonda Sheakley. My imagination immediately began working overtime as I envisioned a bold, colorful, and ambitious production filled with projections, puppetry, and pyrotechnics. Thanks to the incredible generosity of longtime Cincinnati Ballet patrons Margaret and Michael Valentine, my dream to bring Camelot to Cincinnati came true. This production of Camelot is especially poignant as this is my 25th and final season as Cincinnati Ballet Artistic Director. This Season we are producing three of my full-length ballets (King Arthur’s Camelot, The Nutcracker, and Cinderella) as well as Boléro for next spring’s all-new Bold Moves Festival. I am thrilled and honored to share these personal creations with all of you this season. As Artistic Director of this beautiful Company, I have been continuously inspired by our amazing dancers, our unbelievably generous donors, and the community of Cincinnati, which welcomed me with open arms and has supported me with so much love. As artists, we are truly blessed to live and work in a community so deeply committed to the arts. When I first arrived a quarter-century ago, I could not have imagined this glorious ride! This season we are also celebrating the opening of the new Cincinnati Ballet Margaret and Michael Valentine Center for Dance in Walnut Hills. When Cincinnati Ballet first began nearly 60 years ago with an audition for dancers at the YMCA, who could have imagined the incredible space we now call home. It is truly a historic moment, and it is all thanks to you. Our patrons are our mission and the reason our dancers create. Now, let’s journey back in time to a fantastic land of wonder and wizardry. Enjoy! Your forever-curious Artistic Director,

VICTORIA MORGAN The Sue and Bill Friedlander Artistic Director

ACADEMY AND EDUCATION PROGRAMS Cincinnati Ballet’s Otto M. Budig Academy serves the greater Cincinnati area through world-class dance education programs and unparalleled performance opportunities. Whether students aspire to dance as a profession or pursue it as a personal passion, we believe dance training allows them to unleash potential that proves impactful in all aspects of their lives. Led by nationally recognized faculty, our guiding principles are to teach, challenge, and inspire the whole student to achieve their highest goals in a nurturing and positive environment.

CHILDREN’S AND YOUTH DANCE PROGRAMS Ages 2 – 17 Enrollment based on age with beginning and progressing levels Designed to inspire a lifelong love of dance, the Academy’s Children’s and Community Divisions offer entry-level and advancing classes in creative dance, ballet, and a wide array of dance styles.

PRE-PROFESSIONAL TRAINING Ages 8 – 18 Enrollment based on experience with an accelerating curriculum Our highly regarded ballet training, coupled with well-rounded versatility in other dance styles, elevates the potential of aspiring young dancers who have found their passion in dance.

PROFESSIONAL TRAINING DIVISION Ages 16 and Up Enrollment by invitation For students on the cusp of careers in dance, the Professional Training Division provides dancers with a full-day immersive training program and opportunities to perform alongside Cincinnati Ballet’s professional Company.

ADAPTIVE DANCE PROGRAMS Ages 4 – Young Adult Placement determined by student support resources Cincinnati Ballet’s CB Moves program, developed in partnership with Cincinnati Children’s Department of Physical Therapy, fosters a love of dance and creative expression for students with speciﬁc needs.

For more information or to register connect with us at: Email: cbacademy@cballet.org | Phone: 513.562.1111 | Website: cballet.org/academy Address: 1801 Gilbert Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio

LETTERS FROM LEADERSHIP Cincinnati Ballet

DEAR FRIEND OF CINCINNATI BALLET,

e are so honored to share this wonderful reunion with you in our beloved Cincinnati Music Hall. It’s hard to believe, but it’s been more than 20 months since we last met in this glorious space for a full-scale production. When the curtain fell on our last performance of Swan Lake February 16, 2020, we had no idea how our world would dramatically change in a few short weeks. We are so thankful for your unwavering support. We welcome you now to celebrate with us the 2021–2022 Season—the 25th anniversary and final season for Artistic Director Victoria Morgan. Victoria has made such incredible contributions to the success of the Company, and there is no better way to celebrate her than with King Arthur’s Camelot, one of the full-length ballets she choreographed during her tenure. We’ll continue this well-deserved recognition of Victoria all season long with more productions of her work, including The Nutcracker and Cinderella. This season we are also celebrating a truly historic moment in Cincinnati Ballet history. Our new home—the Cincinnati Ballet Margaret and Michael Valentine Center for Dance in Walnut Hills—officially opened in September. The 57,000-square-foot facility features nine state-of-the-art studios, more than doubling the size of our previous West End facility. Our new home sets the standard for excellence in dance in the region, attracting exceptional talent from around the world. The incredible studios are also the perfect space for new and expanded Otto M. Budig Academy programs. Hundreds of Summer Intensive students from across the country were the first to train in the studios, which are now filled with students of all ages for fall classes. The Center for Dance was built as a welcoming space to share our mission and love of dance with the community. We can’t wait to see you soon for a class or an outdoor performance on our Community Terrace and Performance Plaza. Sincerely,

SCOTT ALTMAN President and CEO

2021–2022 SEASON SPONSORS Cincinnati Ballet

VICTORIA MORGAN’S 25TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON PRESENTED BY

SEASON FUNDERS

OFFICIAL SPORTS MEDICINE PROVIDER

LIVE MUSIC SPONSOR

SUSTAINABILITY SPONSOR

ADDITIONAL SEASON SUPPORT

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.

STORY CHOREOGRAPHY PROJECT Focus: Fifth and Sixth Grade Available: January - April

Introduce your students to the power of storytelling through movement with the Story Choreography Project. Students connect to the language arts curriculum through a collaborative work of art highlighting their personal stories and their connections to each other and the community.

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 dance through accessible storytelling, relatable themes, fun choreography, 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.

TO LEARN MORE Email: education@cballet.org Call: 513.562.1124 Visit: cballet.org

PRODUCTION SPONSORS

LY N N A N D BRIAN GOOD

Cincinnati Ballet

PRESENTING SPONSORS

PRODUCTION SPONSORS

LORETTA MOTZ COOK AND DAVID COOK

PHOTOGRAPHY BY PETER MUELLER FEATURING MELISSA GELFIN DE-POLI

2021-2022 SEASON THE

NUTCRACKER

513.621.5282 CBALLET.ORG SINGLE TICKETS S TA R T I N G AT

DECEMBER 16-26 SPRINGER AUDITORIUM | MUSIC HALL

$29

CINDERELLA

FEBRUARY 17-27 SPRINGER AUDITORIUM | MUSIC HALL

FAMILY SERIES

SNOW WHITE

APRIL 7-10 PROCTER & GAMBLE HALL | ARONOFF CENTER

BOLD MOVES FESTIVAL MAY 12-22 PROCTER & GAMBLE HALL | ARONOFF CENTER

VICTORIA MORGAN’S 25TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON PRESENTED BY

2021-2022 SEASON SPONSORS MARGARET AND MICHAEL VALENTINE

KING ARTHUR’S CAMELOT

PRESENTING SPONSOR The Sheakley World Premiere Fund TITLE SPONSOR Margaret and Michael Valentine KING ARTHUR SPONSOR

Cincinnati Ballet

WORLD PREMIERE SPONSORS

PRODUCTION SPONSOR Rosemary and Mark Schlachter MEDIA SPONSOR

JOHN ESTACIO COMPOSER SPONSORS Vicky and Rick Reynolds and John Steele+ ORIGINAL MUSIC COMPOSITION SPONSOR The John A. Schroth Family Charitable Trust,

PNC Bank, Trustee LIGHTING & PROJECTION SPONSOR Barbara and Lorrence T. Kellar SCENIC DESIGN SPONSOR

COSTUME SPONSOR Julie and Robert E. Heidt Jr. LIBRETTO AND DRAMATURGE SPONSOR The Tenderland Foundation in honor of Barbara

and Lorrence T. Kellar CHOREOGRAPHY SPONSOR Lynn and Brian Good PROP CONSTRUCTION SPONSOR Thomas J. Emery Memorial Trust SPECIAL EFFECTS SPONSOR The Austin E. Knowlton Foundation, Mr. and Mrs. Robert A. Pitcairn GUINEVERE SPONSOR

LANCELOT SPONSOR John C. Griswold Foundation MERLIN SPONSOR

KNIGHTS OF THE ROUND TABLE SPONSOR Mary Ann and John Boorn LADIES OF THE LAKE SPONSOR The H.B., E.W., & F.R. Luther Charitable Foundation,

Fifth Third Bank and Narley L. Haley, Co-Trustees MORDRED SPONSOR

GAWAIN SPONSOR The Sutphin Family Foundation ADDITIONAL SPONSORS Donald Calvin, David Cook, James May, John Morgan, Keke

and Tony Sansalone

+ In Memoriam

BE EMPOWERED BE CONNECTED • BE INSPIRED BE ENERGIZED • BE BOLD Cincinnati Ballet’s Étoile brings together women throughout Cincinnati to connect, network, celebrate, and support each other through exclusive events and interactions with today’s outstanding female choreographers, dancers, designers, and community leaders.

ÉTOILE AFFILIATES Deborah Brant Renee Combs Lisa Damico Kristin Fishbaugh Kay Geiger Caprice Gilpin Arielle M. Goldberg Linda Greenberg

Kathryn Harsh* Becky Hogya Daphne Jurgensen* Betsy LaMacchia Renee Kreeger Jill McGruder Mindy McLaughlin

Victoria Morgan Jenny Mottier Valerie Newell Kathy O’Brien Maribeth S. Rahe Diane M. Rumpke* Rosemary Schlachter

Renee Schuler Susan Shelton Susan Tew Sue Thinnes The Velvet Cricket On-line Auctions* Robyn Wenzke

ÉTOILE ASSOCIATES Tanya Cornejo Judy Dalambakis* Jennifer Damiano

Kelly M. Dehan Melinda Gardner* Karen Maier

Marilyn Porcino Martha Ragland

Lisa M. Sampson* Tamara Weik, ASID

ÉTOILE MEMBERS Kris Attema Beth Barney Lauren Beckert* Carla Booth Sarah Brown Mary Kay Calonge Andrea Costa Connie Bergstein Dow Jodi M. Geiser Camille Healy

Jennifer Herzog Theresa Hooker Tonya Hurst* Marcy Kanter Heather Krombholz Susan Krott Lynn Langmeyer Deborah Livingston* Laura Lucas

Joselyn Michelle Pfeil Alexa Naramore Julia Poston Tracey Puthoff Yvonne Reissig Elyse Roth Judith Roth Keke Sansalone Audrey Shelton

Valarie Sheppard Jen Stein Susie Tweddell Faith C. Whittaker Kathy Wilkinson Ronna Willis Jennifer Knight Zelkind Michelle Ziegler Alexia Zigoris

Want to ﬁnd out more about Étoile? Contact Sarah Templeton Wilson at stwilson@cballet.org for information. *A Special Thank You to Our Étoile Committee Members

Join us before our next event and get a special peek at The Nutcracker through a studio rehearsal and more! 2021 - 2022 ÉTOILE SPONSORS PRESENTING SPONSOR

Maizyalet Velázquez • Photography: Aaron M. Conway

KING ARTHUR’S CAMELOT Victoria Morgan MUSIC

John Estacio SET DESIGN

Joe Tilford

Cincinnati Ballet

CHOREOGRAPHY

COSTUME DESIGN

Sandra Woodall LIGHTING DESIGN

Trad A Burns DRAMATURGE

Eda Holmes MUSIC DIRECTOR

Carmon DeLeone Conducting the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra PROJECTION DESIGN

John Boesche PUPPET CO-DESIGN AND CREATION

Eric Van Wyk FIGHT DIRECTOR

Regina Cerimele-Mechley ASSOCIATE LIGHTING DESIGN

Benjamin Gantose

PRODUCTION ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS SET AND PROP CONSTRUCTION

Scenic Solutions LLC, Michael Hagen, Inc., Scott Berkley, Kim Campbell, Blair Gibeau, Joe Hoffman, Mike Meuché, Brian Schott with IATSE Local 5 WIGS AND MAKE-UP EXECUTION

James Geier at J Geier Designs, Ltd. COSTUME EXECUTION

Virginal Clow, Laura Hofmann, Janice Kastendieck, Alfred Kohout, Mary Macy, Robert Manning, Elissa Meyers, Patricia Ann Murphy, Sally Ann Parsons, Margaret Peat, Katie F. Pippin, Carol Poe, Goran Sparrman with Parson-Meares, Ltd., Rodney Forson, Inc., Diana Vandergriff-Adams ADDITIONAL CHOREOGRAPHIC SUPPORT

Brian Isaac Phillips with Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, Bill Wade and Dominic Moore-Dunson with Inlet Dance Theatre, Derrek Burbridge MAGIC CONSULTANT

Sean Owens with Wood Herron & Evans LLP

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C I N C I N N AT I BA L L E T L E A D E R S H I P The 2021–2022 Season marks Victoria Morgan’s 25th Season as Cincinnati Ballet’s Artistic Director. Morgan took on the role of executive leader in 2008, serving as both the Artistic Director and CEO. Under her leadership, after years of growing deﬁcits, the company stabilized its ﬁnances, built a healthy and sizeable endowment fund, created an operating reserve, and presented several million-dollar capital projects. During this time, the Company also expanded the Otto M. Budig Academy, as well as education and community engagement programming. In 2017, with the arrival of Scott Altman as President + CEO, Morgan transitioned to full-time Artistic Director, giving her the opportunity to focus exclusively on artistic excellence. Morgan’s artistic contributions to Cincinnati Ballet are myriad. During her tenure, she has choreographed numerous one-act and full-length ballets, including world premieres of King Arthur’s Camelot, the new Nutcracker, and her revised choreography for Cinderella. With her deep roots in the Cincinnati communi-

ty, Morgan was instrumental in fund-raising efforts to secure support for the new 57,000-square-foot Cincinnati Ballet Margaret and Michael Valentine Center for Dance in Walnut Hills. While construction was underway for the new Dance Center, 2020 challenged Morgan’s artistic leadership in unprecedented ways. She responded to the global pandemic in a creative and science-based way, working closely the Company’s artistic and administrative teams to safely present one of the nation’s ﬁrst ballet performances to an in-person audience following the shutdown. Ballet in the Park was staged at the Procter & Gamble Pavilion in September 2020 and was lauded by The National Endowment for the Arts for its innovation. Prior to joining Cincinnati Ballet, Morgan was resident choreographer for the San Francisco Opera and a principal dancer for San Francisco Ballet and Ballet West. She has and continues to serve on numerous boards including Dance USA, Dance Magazine, the NEA evaluation panel, and was a judge for several International Ballet Competitions. Morgan graduated Magna Cum Laude with an M.F.A. from University of Utah and was honored as a YWCA Career Woman of Achievement in 2009.

Cincinnati Ballet

VICTORIA MORGAN

THE SUE AND BILL FRIEDLANDER ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

SCOTT ALTMAN

PRESIDENT AND CEO

Scott Altman joined Cincinnati Ballet as President & CEO in August 2016. Under his visionary leadership, Cincinnati Ballet has reached many noteworthy milestones, including tripling asset growth to over $60 million, implementation of its ﬁrst $10 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-ofthe-art ballet center. With the successful completion of the campaign, the 57,000-square-foot Cincinnati Ballet Margaret and Michael Valentine Center for Dance opened in September 2021. During his tenure, Altman has been honored for two 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 Dance USA and as its Executive Managers Council Chair, Trustee on the Board of Ohio Citizens for the Arts, and member of the Dean’s Advisory Council for CinPHOTOGRAPHY BY HIROMI PLATT

cinnati Conservatory of Music. Altman has been a 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.

C I N C I N N AT I BA L L E T L E A D E R S H I P Cincinnati Ballet

CARMON DELEONE

MUSIC DIRECTOR

Carmon DeLeone, Music Director of Cincinnati Ballet for over 50 years 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.

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 Ballet Master, 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.

CERVILIO MIGUEL AMADOR

BALLET MASTER

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 per-

C I N C I N N AT I BA L L E T L E A D E R S H I P 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.

Cincinnati Ballet

formed 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 Ballet Master for Cincinnati Ballet. He is currently the Ballet Master for

DALE SHIELDS

BALLET MASTER

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 Ballet 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 wellknown 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.

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SYNOPSIS Cincinnati Ballet 20

ACT I

This epic story begins in a land torn apart by the chaos of war. The only survivor is a boy named Arthur. The passionate powers of chaos embodied by the swirling Ladies of the Lake try to destroy Arthur, but the Sorcerer Merlin emerges from the stone to adopt him. Merlin teaches Arthur to lead men with honor and in the spirit of brotherhood, and when the ﬁghting begins to re-ignite, young Arthur pulls the sword Excalibur from the stone and is proclaimed king. Once Arthur is crowned king, Merlin helps him to win the affection of the young princess Guinevere. Their youthful infatuation blooms and they are married in a joyous celebration uniting all the people of the land. Even the arrival of the pompous knight Lancelot, who has come to prove he is the greatest knight in the kingdom, cannot undo the joy of the event. King Arthur and the knights perform the Dance of Honor and inaugurate the legendary peace of Camelot. The Ladies of the Lake know that deep in the souls of men lurk passions that are not so easily tamed by marriage and honor. They create an ambitious and devious mortal named Mordred

to inﬁltrate the kingdom and help them undo the peace and honor that King Arthur has brought to the land. During the picnic to celebrate the peace, Guinevere becomes frustrated that King Arthur spends the afternoon deep in conversation with his newest knight Lancelot. To attract some attention and to punish Arthur, she proposes a tournament of jousting. Lancelot and Gawain are the ﬁrst combatants. What is meant to be all in good fun turns deadly. Tragedy is averted by Merlin but not before the Ladies of the Lake, with the help of Mordred, instill a desperate seed of passion in the hearts of Guinevere and Lancelot. Before Merlin can intervene, he is captured by the Ladies of the Lake leaving King Arthur alone to deal with Mordred and his dark plans.

ACT II Alone with his thoughts, King Arthur is haunted by a nightmare in which the Ladies of the Lake torment him with his worst fears. He awakes from it troubled by the presence of Mordred in the kingdom. With faith in the bond of brotherhood, Arthur

PHOTOGRAPHY BY PETER MUELLER FEATURING CINCINNATI BALLET DANCERS

SYNOPSIS and Lancelot has not shown up. Mordred joins them to spread the rumor of Lancelot and Guinevere. Someone is heard approaching and all hide to spy. Guinevere enters—she and Lancelot plan to meet in the forest one last time before Lancelot leaves forever so that their love will not be discovered. They try to remain chaste with one another, but their passion overwhelms them. Infuriated by the betrayal, Gawain and the knights confront Lancelot. Arthur has been watching at a distance and blinded by passion, he attempts to slay Lancelot but Guinevere comes between them. The scene descends into confusion and Lancelot escapes. Guinevere is seized and Mordred insists that Arthur condemn her to death. In despair, Arthur finds Merlin, but the Ladies of the Lake have rendered him powerless and blind. A pyre is erected and Guinevere is bound to it. As it begins to burn Arthur finds it unbearable and braves the flames freeing Guinevere. Mordred, driven by the curse of chaos, is determined to destroy Arthur and everything he loves. The kingdom descends into confusion and war as Arthur and Mordred fight. Lancelot charges in to support Arthur but Mordred delivers a mortal blow to Arthur just as Lancelot, coming to Arthur’s aid, is also slain by Mordred. Barely alive, Arthur then kills Mordred. A young boy wanders among the carnage. He picks up Excalibur and wields it playfully. Arthur, with his last bit of strength, grabs it from the boy and hurls it into the stars. He wants the child to find a way without the sword. He teaches the boy the Dance of Honor and then sends him into the world to tell their story.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY PETER MUELLER FEATURING CERVILIO MIGUEL AMADOR

Cincinnati Ballet

plans to knight Mordred and prepares to initiate him in the Dance of Honor. Mordred has no interest in honor and mocks the solemnity of the ceremony angering everyone, especially King Arthur who rips the crest of Camelot from his chest. Lingering near the throne, Mordred hears people approaching and hides to spy. Drawn by their newly kindled passion, Lancelot and Guinevere ﬁnd each other in the hallway and dance together and yet without touching. Arthur enters not realizing what is happening and joins the dance. Lancelot is unable to participate and leaves as Guinevere takes her leave in the opposite direction. Mordred seizes the opportunity to plant a seed of doubt in King Arthur’s ear about Lancelot and Guinevere. Angry, Arthur sends Mordred away. The doubt haunts him, and he dances a tortured solo longing for the guidance of his mentor Merlin. In the forest, the knights are hunting game

C R E AT I V E T E A M Cincinnati Ballet

JOHN ESTACIO

COMPOSER

John Estacio ranks as one of Canada’s most frequently performed composers. His works, both symphonic and operatic, have been praised for their assured command of lyricism, depth of expression, and brilliant dynamism. His music has recently been performed in Singapore, China, Europe, the UK, and throughout the USA; several of his works appear on Frenergy, the Music of John Estacio, released by Universal Records. His ﬁrst opera, Filumena, has received several productions and was ﬁlmed for television and broadcast on CBC and PBS. In 2017, Canada Post commemorated

Filumena by issuing a stamp as part of its “Opera Series.” His orchestral writing has caught the ear of directors and choreographers; the Cincinnati Ballet commissioned his ﬁrst full-length ballet score for King Arthur’s Camelot in 2014, and his music for The Secret of the Nutcracker earned him an AMPIA Award for best original score. His Trumpet Concerto, commissioned by an unprecedented consortium of 19 Canadian orchestras, was recently recorded by Marc Geujon with the Mulhouse Symphony Orchestra in France for a release in 2021. Throughout the pandemic, he’s been busy composing music for choirs, orchestras “at home and online” as well as completing his ﬁfth opera, The Cipher Clerk, commissioned by the Calgary Opera.

JOE TILFORD

SET DESIGNER

Joe Tilford is widely known as a theatrical designer of remarkable vision and talent. His work of more than four decades includes hundreds of set and lighting designs that have earned him acknowledgement as a unique and visionary artist of the American professional theatre. Tilford’s body of work includes designs for major professional theatres throughout the United States; among them are The Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis, Arena Stage in Washington, D.C., San Diego’s

Old Globe, the Goodman Theatre in Chicago, The Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, and many others. At the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, he has designed more than 30 productions over the last 35 years. His set designs have been exhibited at the Prague Quadrennial in Czech Republic, and in a solo retrospective exhibit The Designs of Joe Tilford at the 50th Anniversary Conference of the United States Institute for Theatre Technology. A prominent ﬁgure in American higher education, he now teaches scenic design at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts.

SANDRA WOODALL

COSTUME DESIGNER

Sandra Woodall has contributed scenic and costume designs to San Francisco Ballet, Frankfurt Ballet, Stuttgart Ballet, the Bolshoi Ballet, National Ballet of Georgia, the Norwegian National Ballet, the State Opera Ballet of Austria, Dance Theatre of Harlem, the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Houston Ballet, Hubbard Street Dance Project, Singapore Dance Theatre, and other companies around the world. Woodall’s artwork and designs have been shown in solo exhibitions at the Wadsworth Atheneum in Hartford, Connecticut, and the San Francisco

Museum of Performance and Design, as well as in numerous group exhibitions, including the 2011 Wearable Art exhibit in Hong Kong. In 1999 and 2000, she was a Fulbright scholar teaching at what is now the Taiwan National University of the Arts (TNUA). She has contributed designs and visual consultation to many productions in Taiwan, including 2009’s stadium-scale opening pageant for the Deaf Olympics. In Shanghai, China, she recently created scenic and costume designs for AGO, written and directed by Stan Lai. In fall 2021, AGO was the closing show at the Wuzhen Theatre Festival. Sandra would like to extend a special thank you to Ed Breed for his consultation on King Arthur.

C R E AT I V E T E A M

Burns has been designing scenery and lighting professionally since 1989 for theater, dance, and amusement parks. Recent designs include the world premiere of The Wizard of Oz, choreographed by Septime Webre; scenery and lighting for the world premiere of Romeo & Juliet, choreographed by Adam Hougland for Louisville Ballet; and Peter and the Wolf, choreographed by Ma Cong for Tulsa Ballet. Burns has had the privilege of designing world premiere ballets for such notable choreographers as Trey McIntyre, Val Caniparo-

li, James Kudelka, Edwaard Liang, Adam Hougland, Garrett Smith, Jessica Lang, Alejandro Cerrudo, Donald Byrd, Jodie Gates, Gina Patterson, Amy Seiwert, Ma Cong, Andrea Schermoly, Jennifer Archibald, Penny Saunders, Septime Webre, Devon Carney, Victoria Morgan, Darrell Grand Moultrie, Robert Curran, Serkan Usta, and Sarah Slipper. Over the years his dance lighting has been seen at American Ballet Theatre, National Ballet of Canada, Atlanta Ballet, The Joffrey Ballet, Kansas City Ballet, BalletMet, Louisville, Ballet, Tulsa Ballet, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, and Hubbard Street. This is Burns’s 20th season with Cincinnati Ballet.

Cincinnati Ballet

TRAD A BURNS

LIGHTING DESIGNER

EDA HOLMES

DRAMATURGE

Eda Holmes has been the Artistic and Executive Director of Centaur Theatre in Montreal since 2017. Her productions of The 39 Steps and The Last Wife are among the many successful offerings of her tenure. Previously at the renowned Canadian theatre company, her productions include The Devil’s Disciple, Grand Hotel, Mrs. Warren’s Profession, Floyd Collins, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, and Arcadia all of which garnered critical acclaim in both Canada and the United States. Holmes was the Associate Artistic Director at

the Shaw Festival from 2010 to 2017. Most recently she directed the chamber opera As One for the Orchestre Classique de Montreal, where she will direct Carmen in the spring of 2022. She has worked as a dramaturge for several dance projects including the award winning ﬁlm Satie and Suzanne and Victoria Morgan’s production of Romeo & Juliet. She is a graduate of the National Theatre School of Canada and has taught there as well as Ryerson University and George Brown Theatre School. Prior to becoming a director, Holmes was a soloist with San Francisco Ballet, the Dutch National Ballet and William Forsythe’s Frankfurt Ballet.

JOHN BOESCHE

PROJECTION DESIGNER

John Boesche has created project images for more than 150 dance, opera, theatre, and music productions and returns to Cincinnati Ballet following the 2014 premiere of King Arthur’s Camelot. Designs for dance include: The Joffrey Ballet, Liz Lerman Dance Exchange, Lucky Plush Productions, Mordine & Company, Erica Mott Productions, and Cynthia Oliver, among others. His scenic and me-

dia designs for regional theatre include Chicago Shakespeare Theater, McCarter Theatre (Princeton), New York Shakespeare Festival (NYC), Seattle Repertory Theatre, and Steppenwolf Theatre, among others. Boesche received Joseph Jefferson Awards for his theatre designs in 1985, 2005, and 2011, as well as a Metro DC Dance Award and a Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for Video Design in 2012. He is the chair of Digital Media for Live performance at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

C R E AT I V E T E A M Cincinnati Ballet

REGINA CERIMELE-MECHLEY

FIGHT DIRECTOR

Regina Cerimele-Mechley, an actor/director/ teacher/choreographer/ movement coach, is one of the few female certified teachers with The Society of American Fight Directors in the country. Her fight choreography has been seen in other Cincinnati Ballet productions including Peter Pan, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Romeo & Juliet (in which she also plays the Nurse). Mechley has held teaching positions in the theatre departments of four area universities and at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival, where she also served as the resident dance choreographer. She founded and runs the nationally recognized Cincinnati Actor’s Studio & Academy, a unique nonprofit that helps to develop the human being via the performing arts. Mechley’s

work as a performer/fight and dance choreographer has been seen across the country in theatres including Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, Playhouse in the Park, Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati, Cincinnati Opera, Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati, Human Race Theatre in Dayton, and the Tony Award–winning regional theatre The Denver Center Theatre Company. Additionally, she was a motion-capture artist for Nintendo. Mechley was recently honored with the Presidential Scholars Award for Excellence in Teaching in the Arts, and in 2015 was the first arts teacher in Cincinnati to receive the Arts Educator Award from the Cincinnati Arts Association. She, as the Nurse, and her fight direction, can currently be seen on stage at the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company’s production of Romeo and Juliet until November 13.

ERIC VAN WYK

PUPPET CO-DESIGNER AND BUILDER

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 Washington, D.C., The

White House, The Hong Kong Ballet, and The Washington Ballet. His company WonderStruck Theatre cocreated the new work of Mop Dog, has received two Jim Henson Foundation grants including one for The Elephant Speaks Jazz world premiere. His designs for The Big Friendly Giant received a Helen Hayes Award, and he thanks his family for their inspiration and enjoying objects in motion.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY PETER MUELLER FEATURING RODRIGO ALMARALES WITH CINCINNATI BALLET DANCERS

ARTISTIC LISTING Scott Altman

PRESIDENT AND CEO

ARTISTIC STAFF Carmon DeLeone

Suzette Boyer Webb

MUSIC DIRECTOR

DIRECTOR OF SECOND COMPANY

Cervilio Miguel Amador

Dale Shields

BALLET MASTER

Cincinnati Ballet

Victoria Morgan

THE SUE AND BILL FRIEDLANDER ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

THE COMPANY PRINCIPALS Melissa Gelﬁn De-Poli

Sirui Liu

Rafael Quenedit

FIRST SOLOISTS Minori Sakita

Maizyalet Velázquez

SOLOISTS David Morse

Marcus Romeo

Joshua Stayton

CORPS DE BALLET Daniel Baldwin Taylor Carrasco Gabrielle Collins Jacqueline Damico Amador Luca De-Poli

Abbey Gonzalez Kay Matthew Griffin Samantha Griffin Christina LaForgia Morse Michael Mengden

Jace Pauly Chandler Proctor Samantha Riester Bella Ureta Daniel Wagner

NEW DANCER Nikita Boris

APPRENTICES Catherine Lasak

Jhaelin McQuay

SECOND COMPANY: CB2 Nicolas Bierwagen Erin Blair Megan Carnuche Anderson Da Silva

Sam Epstein Hailey Flanagan Julia Gundzik Thompson McNeilly

Isabelle Morgan Taylor Nichols Daniel Panameno Anthony Rhee-Reynoso

P R I N C I PA L D A N C E R B I O S Cincinnati Ballet

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.

P R I N C I PA L D A N C E R B I O S

Rafael Quenedit Castro 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 Castro 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 in Havana, Cuba, Junior division; gold medal at the International Ballet competition in Cape Town, South Africa, Junior division; 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.

Cincinnati Ballet

RAFAEL QUENEDIT

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

Save with Holiday Discounts Membership deals include exclusive FREE access to Jane Austen: Fashion and Sensibility—coming June 2022!

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Presented by Exhibits Development Group, USA, in cooperation with Cosprop Ltd., London, England. BfZ`^ \Zimbhg3 P^]]bg` =k^ll Zg] P^]]bg` FbebmZkr HnmÛm% L^gl^ Zg] L^glb[bebmr% 1995, Ang Lee, director. Worn by Kate Winslet as Marianne Dashwood and Alan Rickman as Colonel Brandon. Jenny Beavan and John Bright, costume designers

PHOTOGRAPHY BY HIROMI PLATT

Today is the day to inspire, delight and amaze.

PNC is honored to celebrate Victoria Morgan’s 25th anniversary season with the Cincinnati Ballet. Victoria serves as an inspiration to us all and her creative passion leaves an indelible impression throughout the arts and our community.

C O M PA N Y R O S T E R Cincinnati Ballet

PRINCIPALS

MELISSA GELFIN DE-POLI

SIRUI LIU

RAFAEL QUENEDIT

CHINA | 2011

PENNSYLVANIA | 2014

CUBA | 2021

FIRST SOLOISTS

MINORI SAKITA

MAIZYALET VELÁZQUEZ PUERTO RICO | 2007

MARYLAND | 2019

SOLOISTS

DAVID MORSE

NORTH CAROLINA | 2016

PHOTOGRAPHY BY HIROMI PLATT

MARCUS ROMEO PENNSYLVANIA | 2017

JOSHUA STAYTON OHIO | 2019

Thanks to the City of Cincinnati and Hamilton County for their support.

C O M PA N Y R O S T E R Cincinnati Ballet

CORPS DE BALLET

DANIEL BALDWIN

TAYLOR CARRASCO

GABRIELLE COLLINS

JACQUELINE DAMICO AMADOR

LUCA DE-POLI

ABBEY GONZALEZ KAY

MATTHEW GRIFFIN

SAMANTHA GRIFFIN

CHRISTINA LAFORGIA MORSE

SOUTH CAROLINA | 2017

PENNSYLVANIA | 2008

FLORIDA | 2017

NEW MEXICO | 2015

FLORIDA | 2014

NORTH CAROLINA | 2015

CONNECTICUT | 2020

FLORIDA | 2017

SOUTH CAROLINA | 2014

MICHAEL MENGDEN TEXAS | 2016

PHOTOGRAPHY BY HIROMI PLATT

JACE PAULY

WASHINGTON | 2020

CHANDLER PROCTER NORTH CAROLINA | 2021

C O M PA N Y R O S T E R Cincinnati Ballet

CORPS DE BALLET

SAMANTHA RIESTER INDIANA | 2015

BELLA URETA

WASHINGTON | 2017

DANIEL WAGNER CALIFORNIA | 2020

NEW DANCER

NIKITA BORIS

NEW JERSEY | 2020

APPRENTICES

CATHERINE LASAK ILLINOIS | 2018

JHAELIN MCQUAY CALIFORNIA | 2019

PHOTOGRAPHY BY HIROMI PLATT

C O M PA N Y R O S T E R Cincinnati Ballet

CB2

NICHOLAS BIERWAGEN

ERIN BLAIR

WASHINGTON | 2021

CALIFORNIA | 2021

SAM EPSTEIN

HAILEY FLANAGAN

NEW YORK | 2021

ISABELLE MORGAN KENTUCKY | 2019

GEORGIA | 2021

TAYLOR NICHOLS MICHIGAN | 2019

MEGAN CARNUCHE ANDERSON DA SILVA PENNSYLVANIA | 2021

FLORIDA | 2021

JULIA GUNDZIK

THOMPSON MCNEILLY

OHIO | 2021

DANIEL PANAMENO FLORIDA | 2021

NEW YORK | 2021

ANTHONY RHEE-REYNOSO CALIFORNIA | 2020

PROFESSIONAL TRAINING DIVISION

TRAINEE CATHLEEN BRESLIN, MICHAEL DUNCAN, KAYLA FRENCH, EDWARD KIDD, NATALIE MARSHALL, RAMSAY MILLER, SIOBHAN NICKELL, TREVOR PINTERPARSONS, SCOTT REED, LAUREN VOGEL, AVERY WARD PTD LUCY ARNOLD, HANNAH BLAIR, AVA BRADFORD, JENNA DAUGHERT, ABIGAIL EINTERZ, AMBER HARPER, MADELYN HARPOLE, NATALIE HIGLE, ANNA KINGHORN, ANNIKA OLSEN, SIERRA SEVERT, CLAIRE STURGEON, SALOMÉ TREGE, ARI YAO

M O D E R N - D AY MERLIN

Bringing Puppets ‘to life’ for King Arthur’s Camelot BY NICOLE DOLL

love and ruling with honor and valor are challenged and he finds himself a mere man, navigating a world wrought with betrayal and dishonor. The story is told through a stunning display of dance and theatrical elements such as projections and puppetry. Armor-clad knights jousting on horseback in battle is one of the quintessential elements to telling this classic story. Morgan knew horses would be necessary to create the energy of the medieval period so critical to the Arthurian legend. Thanks to the magic of modern-day puppetry, Company dancers take on these challenging and unique equine roles. “I often am struck by the sum of elements that enables a puppet to come to life,” says puppet designer Eric Van Wyk, who conceived, created, and built the horses, as well as butterfly puppets, for Morgan’s Camelot. “The way I start my process of designing and building for puppetry is that I think about the human form, and I think about how the object can become an extension of the human form, so the emotion that the dancer provides can flow into the object. I’m also thinking of the intellectual side and the storytelling side of the creation, how do we imitate life or how do we bring a horse or a butterfly to life on stage?”

King Arthur’s Camelot is a fairytale world of magic and wonder, ﬁlled with wizards, fair maidens, and knights. While many choreographers have used well-known literature for ballet, for example, The After collaborating with Morgan on the initial Sleeping Beauty or Romeo & Juliet, Artistic Direc- designs for the production’s puppets, Van Wyk spent tor Victoria Morgan’s Camelot is one of the few more than nine months creating conceptual designs ballets based on the legendary tale of King Arthur. and prototypes before the puppets debuted on stage After being pronounced king and ﬁnding true love for Cincinnati Ballet’s world premiere of Camelot with Guinevere by way of Merlin’s magic, King during the 2013–2014 Season. “Back then, I was Arthur’s idyllic life soon transforms to turmoil as he learns “How do we imitate life or how do we bring a horse of the transgressions or a butterfly to life on stage? Part of the job is of his new wife and his newest knight, helping dancers unleash that potential of what that Lancelot. A young puppet is able to do.” idealist, King ArERIC VAN WYK, PUPPET DESIGNER AND BUILDER thur’s visions of obtaining a perfect

PHOTOGRAPHY BY PETER MUELLER FEATURING CINCINNATI BALLET DANCERS

IT ALL STARTED WITH A BACKPACK

What’s the magic elixir Van Wyk conjured up to make objects come to life? “The greatest joys are the imaginative bookends of the theatrical process,” he says. “The beginning sparks with the first paper stroke to suggest a world or a character, the flash of imagination that gives legs to an idea or an exhilarating collaborative meeting. Then it culminates with a puppet coming to life for the first time, a world onstage opening before an audience and communities bonded together by live theater. The joy is also in the practical work of design coalescing imagination, story, and metaphor into one event.” The horses are made primarily of rattan, a natural fiber harvested from a family of palm trees found in Southeast Asia. “I use a torch to heat it and shape it.” Other materials including aluminum, fabric, leather, and plastic were used in creating the object. The base of the puppet starts with a familiar, everyday object—a backpack. “It’s a hiker’s backpack. I stripped it down and then I started to build from those before other materials and then mesh and fabric were added. These different materials designed to work together would be incomplete without its complement. In puppet joints there is often a stop and a pull; creating both boundaries PHOTOGRAPHY BY PETER MUELLER FEATURING PATRIC PALKENS

Cincinnati Ballet

blown away and I still am today. The dancers and and freedom of movement,” he says. How to crehow they work with the puppets truly capture the ate the movement of the puppet on stage is truly a energy and movement of the animals. There are partnership between the object and the dancers, these wonderful, beautiful heads that move just who double as puppeteers. In this case, that means like a horse. It looks amazing and is so important creating the recognizable flutter of the wings of a to telling the story,” Morgan says. “The butterflies butterfly or the gait of a proud steed. “That walk are also so whimsical and represent the joy, innocence, and “This is our third production of Camelot and for sweetness of Lady Guinevere. This is my 25th Anniversary Season, I am delighted to our third producshare these magical creations with the audience tion of Camelot and once again.” for my 25th AnniverVICTORIA MORGAN, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR AND CAMELOT CHOREOGRAPHER sary Season, I am delighted to share these magical creations with the audience connotes character, mood, and creates in the auonce again.” dience a sense of being alive,” he explains. “I have had the experience to learn about a horse not just as a picture or data, but to suggest it through rattan, aluminum, cloth, leather, and a host of other materials. The glory of creation is in all these materials with unique properties and reshaping those materials into a symbol coming to life.” In addition to creating the objects, Van Wyk also taught Company dancers how to become puppeteers. “Teaching puppetry and helping people become better puppeteers is really enjoyable for me,” he says. “It’s the other side of designing it. Part of the job is helping dancers unleash that potential of what that puppet is able to do.” Morgan says she is amazed at how well the dancers understand and can mimic a horse’s gait. “For the horse’s movement, we’ve studied the gait. The dancers and I watched videos of how these majestic animals move. It’s fascinating, getting them to break it down and really understand it.” He says as the dancers embrace their temporary transformation into these objects, they bring a depth and richness to the characters that these puppets represent. “A lot of times it’s getting them to think in a different way,” he says. “They must get into the mind of the object, and then because they do, that will make it more interesting to us as the audience.”

SATURDAYS 6:30PM ON CET SUNDAYS 8:30PM ON CET ARTS Join Barbara Kellar as she showcases performing artists and cultural leaders from the Greater Cincinnati community.

www.CETconnect.org

Em mmy Award Win nner RegionBl - In nterrvieew/Disccussiion Program m

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

T. Quinn

Joel Stone

Kristin Fishbaugh

Sarah Frank-Fogarty

CHAIR

VICE CHAIR

TREASURER

SECRETARY

Debbie Brant Fran Carlisle Smokey Clay David Cook Andrea Costa Judy Dalambakis Jennifer Damiano Jerry Ewers Paul Frodge

Jodi Geiser Rico Grant Linda Greenberg Bruce Halpryn Ken Heldman Cynthia E. Henderson Lydia Jacobs-Horton Bruce Jeffery Daphne Jurgensen

Peter Laffoon Mark McAndrew Megan McCarthy-Wolf Jack Miner Katy Moeggenberg Emerson Moser Alex Muñoz Toilynn O’Neal Alexandra Ollinger, CFP

Jim Papakirk Alandes Powell Marty Ragland Jennifer Stein Faith Whittaker Jennifer Knight Zelkind

Cincinnati Ballet

2021–2022 GOVERNING BOARD

SUSTAINING TRUSTEES Michael Bailes Bernie Calonge Sheila Cohen Connie Bergstein Dow Sandra A. Eisele, MD, MBA Kathryn Harsh Dr. Edmond Hooker Beth Levy

Leon Loewenstein Madelynn Matlock Larry McGruder Skip Merten Cathy Nwankwo Marilyn Osborn Joselyn Pfeil Julie Richardson

Kitty Rosenthal Morleen Rouse Diane Rumpke Keke Sansalone Tom Schiff Beth Snyder Christina Sprecher Brett Stover

Mary Talbott Heather Theders Pamela F. Thompson, CFA Serena Tsuang Kelly Vanasse M. Catherine Vernon Gary West Barbara Weyand

TRUSTEES EMERITUS Kelly Brown Laura Brunner Trish Bryan Otto M. Budig, Jr. Nancy Clagett 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

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

HONORARY TRUSTEES Craig F. Maier

Rhoda Mayerson+

FOUNDATION BOARD

Scott Altman Michael Bailes Debbie Brant

Otto M. Budig, Jr.

Pamela F. Thompson, CFA

PRESIDENT

TREASURER

Kelly Brown Joe Carolin* Joseph Dehner

*Ex Officio

Robert Pitcairn T. Quinn Rhonda Sheakley

Joel Stone

+ In Memoriam

A PROUD SPONSOR OF CINCINNATI MUSICAL ARTS

C I N C I N N AT I SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA BASSES

FRENCH HORNS

LIBRARIANS

Owen Lee

Elizabeth Freimuth

Christina Eaton

CONCERTMASTER

PRINCIPAL

ACTING PRINCIPAL

Charles Morey

James Lambert

Molly Norcross

Elizabeth Dunning

ACTING ASSOCIATE CONCERTMASTER

ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL

Matthew Zory, Jr.

ACTING ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL

Lisa Conway Duane Dugger Charles Bell

Ellen Ogihara

TRUMPETS

STAGE MANAGERS

Philip Marten

ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL

FIRST ASSISTANT CONCERTMASTER

Boris Astaﬁev Ronald Bozicevich Rick Vizachero

Eric Bates SECOND ASSISTANT CONCERTMASTER

Kathryn Woolley Anna Reider Mauricio Aguiar Minyoung Baik James Braid Michelle Edgar Dugan Rebecca Kruger Fryxell Gerald Itzkoff Lois Reid Johnson Sylvia Mitchell Luo-Jia Wu

SECOND VIOLINS Gabriel Pegis

HARP Gillian Benet Sella PRINCIPAL

FLUTES

Robert Sullivan PRINCIPAL

Steven Pride Christopher Kiradjieff Douglas Lindsay ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL

Randolph Bowman PRINCIPAL

TROMBONES

Haley Bangs Henrik Heide

Cristian Ganicenco

ACTING ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL

Joseph Rodriguez

PICCOLO

PRINCIPAL SECOND/ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL

[Open]

BASS TROMBONE

ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL

OBOES

Peter Norton

Scott Mozlin

Dwight Parry

PRINCIPAL

Yang Liu

ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL

PRINCIPAL

Kun Dong Cheryl Benedict Evin Blomberg Rachel Charbel Elizabeth Furuta Chika Kinderman Hyesun Park Paul Patterson Stacey Woolley

Emily Beare Lon Bussell

VIOLAS

Christopher Pell

Christian Colberg PRINCIPAL

Paul Frankenfeld ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL

Julian Wilkison ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL

Rebecca Barnes Christopher Fischer Stephen Fryxell Caterina Longhi Denisse Rodriguez-Rivera Joanne Wojtowicz

CELLOS Ilya Finkelshteyn PRINCIPAL

Daniel Culnan

ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL

ENGLISH HORN Christopher Philpotts PRINCIPAL

CLARINETS PRINCIPAL

Ixi Chen Joseph Morris ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL AND EB CLARINET

BASS CLARINET Ronald Aufmann

BASSOONS Christopher Sales PRINCIPAL

Hugh Michie Martin Garcia ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL

ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL

CONTRABASSOON

Norman Johns

Jennifer Monroe

ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL

Matthew Lad Susan Marshall-Petersen Hiro Matsuo Theodore Nelson Alan Rafferty

ACTING ASSISTANT LIBRARIAN

Cincinnati Ballet

FIRST VIOLIN Stefani Matsuo

Ralph LaRocco, Jr. Brian P. Schott Phillip T. Sheridan

The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra is grateful to receive important annual support from The Louise Dieterle Nippert Musical Arts Fund of the Greenacres Foundation.

TUBA Christopher Olka PRINCIPAL

TIMPANI Patrick Schleker PRINCIPAL

Michael Culligan ACTING ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL

PERCUSSION David Fishlock PRINCIPAL

Michael Culligan Associate Principal

KEYBOARDS

Michael Chertock Julie Spangler

CSO/CCM DIVERSITY FELLOWS

Maalik Glover, violin Mwakudua Kuo San“Dua” WaNgure, violin Tyler McKisson, viola Javier Otalora, viola Samantha Powell, cello Max Oppeltz, cello Luis Parra, cello Luis Celis Avila, bass Amy Nickler, bass

C I N C I N N AT I BA L L E T S TA F F Cincinnati Ballet

Scott Altman

Victoria Morgan

PRESIDENT AND CEO

THE SUE AND BILL FRIEDLANDER ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

ADMINISTRATION AND FINANCE Joe Carolin VICE PRESIDENT OF FINANCE AND CFO

Tiffany Whitcomb VICE PRESIDENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES

Missie Santomo CONTROLLER

Tom Parrish DIRECTOR OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Mary French

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF GIVING

Ilona Piaskowy INDIVIDUAL GIVING MANAGER

Alexandria Wright DONOR RELATIONS MANAGER

MARKETING AND BRAND STRATEGY Nicole Doll VICE PRESIDENT OF MARKETING AND BRAND STRATEGY

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF DATA SERVICES

Blair Ruscello

Stacey Rich, CPA

Katie Daly

STAFF ACCOUNTANT

MARKETING COORDINATOR/ GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Tyler Parker EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT AND CEO

Ramsey Houston EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT TO THE ARTISTIC TEAM

ARTISTIC Carmon DeLeone MUSIC DIRECTOR

Suzette Boyer Webb

MARKETING COORDINATOR

Dan Wood VIDEOGRAPHER

OTTO M. BUDIG ACADEMY AND EDUCATION Ginger Johnson VICE PRESIDENT OF ACADEMY AND EDUCATION

DIRECTOR OF SECOND COMPANY

Sarah Hairston Berkley

Cervilio Miguel Amador

Carolyn Guido Clifford

BALLET MASTER

Dale Shields BALLET MASTER

Michael Chertock

ACADEMY DIRECTOR DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Mike Krauss DIRECTOR OF ACADEMY OPERATIONS

REHEARSAL PIANIST/ ASSISTANT CONDUCTOR

Zack Grubbs

Youngwon French

ACADEMY PRINCIPAL

BALLET ACCOMPANIST AND COORDINATOR

Maura Korn

Angelika Bonyhati-Kovacs James Hart Phillip Roberts

Kara Louis

STUDENT SERVICES MANAGER

Caitlin Ackerman Donna Anderle Oliver Arana Ja’Nay Brown Rosa Compostella Jacqueline Damico Amador Emily Egner Isabele Elefson Kerry Enders Jeri Gatch Melissa Gelﬁn Donna Grisez Julia Gundzik Sasha Hart Mary Kamp Dawn Kelly Christina LaForgia Morse Julie Locker Jhaelin McQuay Mae Miller David Morse Patty Pille Emily Reinhart Samantha Riester Rowan Salem Kate Stark Joshua Stayton Shauna Steele Claire Wyatt

PRODUCTION AND OPERATIONS DJ Haugen VICE PRESIDENT OF PRODUCTION AND OPERATIONS

Rachel Hinger DIRECTOR OF EVENTS AND FACILITIES

Melinda Dobson PRODUCTION STAGE MANAGER

Dena D’Andrea COMPANY MANAGER

Carissa Gandenberger STAGE MANAGER

Norma Caldwell Horace Crawford Lawayne Shack SAFETY AND SECURITY OFFICERS

Noelle Wedig-Johnston WARDROBE SUPERVISOR

Daniel Townsend WIG AND MAKE-UP EXECUTION

Laura Hofmann FIRST WARDROBE ASSISTANT

ACADEMY AND EDUCATION INSTRUCTORS

Cherl Beyersdoerfer

Iliana Rich Sierra Severt

SECOND WARDROBE ASSISTANT

STUDENT EXPERIENCE REPRESENTATIVE

Scott Berkley

PATRON EXPERIENCE AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Michael Meuché

Tom McLaughlin VICE PRESIDENT OF PATRON EXPERIENCE AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Carolyn Guido Clifford

MASTER CARPENTER MASTER ELECTRICIAN

Kevin Barth PROPERTY MASTER

Jonathan Chevalier ASSISTANT CARPENTER

Emily Hetzer ASSISTANT ELECTRICIAN

Marley Giggey Emma Heath CCM STAGE MANAGEMENT INTERNS

BALLET ACCOMPANIST

YOUTH PROGRAMS MANAGER

DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Wynn White

Elizabeth Metz

Louanna Wyatt

CCM LIGHTING INTERN

LEAD PARENT COORDINATOR

ACADEMY REGISTRAR

PATRON EXPERIENCE MANAGER

ATHLETIC TRAINERS

Sam Epstein Julia Gundzik YOUNG PERFORMERS REHEARSAL ASSISTANTS

DEVELOPMENT Sara Pomeroy VICE PRESIDENT OF PHILANTHROPY

Sarah Templeton Wilson

Ihaiah Miller PRINCIPAL FACULTY, CONTEMPORARY AND CHOREOGRAPHY

Jennifer Rutherford PRINCIPAL FACULTY, PROFESSIONAL TRAINING DIVISION COORDINATOR

Eline Bauwens Ja’Nay Brown Julianna Eidle Carolyn Gaddis Butch Hamm Rebekah Lorenz Jenna Mays Pam Taylor PATRON EXPERIENCE ASSOCIATES

Paige Baumann

Kelly Jo Rodrigo Carolyn Meder COURTESY OF MERCY HEALTH ORTHOPEDICS AND SPORTS MEDICINE

DONOR HONOR ROLL Judy and Chris Dalambakis Ms. Susan Domonkos Peter Laffoon and John Fowler Sue and Bill Friedlander Lynn and Brian Good Anne R. Ilyinsky Barbara and Larry Kellar

Deborah and Jody Brant Connie and Buzz Dow Dianne Dunkelman and Peter Schwartz

Donald Beck and Dr. Lawrence Eynon Sarah Frank Fogarty and Timothy Fogarty

Betsy and John LaMacchia Halle and T. Quinn Martha and Nick Ragland Bruce M. Halpryn and Chase W. Riebe Dianne and J.David Rosenberg Kitty and Dick Rosenthal Larry A. and Rhonda Sheakley

Julie and Steven Shifman Karen F. Maier and Delane Starliper Keke and Tony Sansalone Jerry Ewers and Brian L. Tiffany Margaret and Michael Valentine

Cincinnati Ballet

FOUNDER Anonymous in Memory of Blanche Frisch Maier Trish and Rick Bryan Loretta Motz Cook and David Cook Paula Ilyinsky Comisar Lois Cohen Jennifer Conklin

DIRECTOR Linda and Gary Greenberg Cynthia E. Henderson Moe and Jack Rouse

Jen and John Stein Lauren Hannan Shafer Tom and Jenny Williams

PRINCIPAL Anonymous Amy and Michael Bailes Sarah and Christopher Brown Andrea Costa Fran and Wayne Carlisle Alison and Brett Caller Jennifer and M. Vito Damiano Karen Petrosky and Brad Dunn

Kristin and Chris Fishbaugh Paul and Michelle Frodge Suzanne and Frank Hall Daphne and Jason Jurgensen Lynn and Daniel Langmeyer Debby and Jim Mason Madelynn and Raymond Matlock

Christa and Mark McAndrew Jodi M. Geiser and James Miller III Emerson and Mitzie Moser Barbara K. Myers Reick-Mitrisin Family Smokey Clay and Mr. Chris Southard Susan and John Tew

Gary and DeeDee West Faith C. Whittaker, Partner with Dinsmore & Shohl Christine and John Willig Megan McCarthy and Steve Wolf Jennifer Knight Zelkind and Mike Zelkind

SOLOIST Amy Barhorst Chris Bergman and Stacey Devlin Elaine and David Billmire Sue and Ben Blaney Otto M. Budig Daniel Cifuentes Renee Combs Noel Julnes-Dehner and Joe Dehner Martha Mehl Dornette

Karen Petrosky and Brad Dunn Michele Finch Kay Geiger Carole Giuliani Arielle M. Goldberg Kathryn and Keith Harsh Mrs. Robert Hasl Anne Heldman Margaret and Edmund Hess

Anonymous Michael and Hazel Airhart Marianna Bettman Amy Bixel Dr. Robert and Jane Bohinski Jacklyn and Gary Bryson Lanthan and Louise Camblin Kristin and David Coppage Lisa and Richard Damico Maureen and John Doellman

Joyce Elkus Bill and Christy Griesser Valerie and Dr. Martin Haskell Mary and Howard Helms Kathleen and Doug Jenkins Carole and Brad Kindem* Joanie and Lou Lauch Becky and Thomas Long Susan Murray John Pape

Becky Hogya Theresa and Eddie Hooker Michael and Renee Kreeger Mary Lutz In Honor of Michael Mackzum by Jace Stadler and Anthony Mackzum Larry and Jill McGruder Karen and William McKim Sara and Alex Muñoz Kathy O’Brien

Joselyn Michelle Pfeil Maribeth and Martin Rahe Gayle and Bill Sherman Dr. Michael and Mrs. Debbie Snyder John U. Tan Jo Ann Wieghaus

CORPS Marilyn and Paul Porcino Carole and Edwin Rigaud Diane and William J. Rumpke, Jr. Lisa M. Sampson Rosemary and Mark Schlachter Justin and Lisa Shafer John And Ruth Sikorski

Valerie L. Newell and Timothy Smith Katrina Trimble Susie Tweddell Christopher and Nancy Virgulak George Watkins Robyn and David Wenzke Jennifer Young Dr. Karen Zaugg, Ph.D.

THIRD POSITION Anonymous (2) Lois and Ken Allen Lisa Allgood Lisa and Scott Altman Mr. Robert Amott and Ms. Janice Flanagan Peter and Christie Armstrong Alyce Bailey-Thomas Carolyn Barham Dana Beck Lauren Beckert Bonnie and Charles Bensonhaver Dorothy Blatt Ruth Bley

Rick Boydston Edwin Brott Bernie and Mary Kay Calonge Cynthia Chua Nancy R. Clagett Jay Colville and Marvin Collins Thomas Cook Susan Cranley Aaron and Bobbi Crary Dr. Michael Curran and Dr. Manisha Patel Brian and Kelly Daley Mark and Louis Dauner Kelly M. Dehan

Cynthia and Stephen DeHoff Margaret DeMichelis Shirley Duff Pamela and Robert Edmiston Greta Elenbaas Arna and Bobby Fisher Alan Fleischer Ashley and Bobbie Ford Melissa Frederiksen Mary and Christopher French Melinda Gardner Andrea Georgopoulos-Straus Sharon Giddings Ralph P. Ginocchio

Mr. Clifford Goosmann and Ms. Andrea Wilson William J. Gracie and Daniel Fairbanks Molly L. Grogan Barbara and Dr. Jack Hahn Hansen Family Charitable Fund Ms. Camille Healy Maureen Heekin Rob and Genita Heidenreich Jennifer Herzog Reinilde Heyrman Ms. Minette Hoffheimer Jane Hopson

DONOR HONOR ROLL Cincinnati Ballet

Ez and Lynn Housh Tonya Hurst Steven and Esther Johnson Brenda Jones Gayle and Donald Jones Moya M. Jones Linda Jurgensen Amy and David Kahn in Memory of Peggy Kahn Marcy and Mark Kanter Tanya Cornejo and Aaron Kellenberger Heidi Jark and Steven Kenat Mary Ann and Jeff Knoop Heather and H. Lee Krombholz Susan Krott Carol L. Kruse Lynn and Daniel Langmeyer Anne Lawrence

Patrick Lee Drs. Lynn and Lizbie Lin Catherine Linnemann Deborah Livingston Phil and Laura Lucas David Martin Cynthia C. Mason The Sophia C. McAllister Fund of Vanguard Charitable Karen McLaughlin Raymond McNeil and Kathleen Compton Jeff and Lori Miller Stacey and Mark Miller Jack Miner and Brian Dozier Susan Brenner and Steven Mombach Victoria Morgan John and Lorna Mulhauser

Benjamin and Katherine Ohlander Randall and Marianne Olson Charitable Fund Dr. Nan L. Oscherwitz Julia W. and Daniel Poston Tracey and William Puthoff Bradley and Amy Resch Brian Rhame Ellen Rieveschl Joan Ritchie Elyse M. Roth Judith Roth Alexandra Santomo Lorraine and Jerry Schlagheck Barbara Seiver Dee Shaffer Susan and Russell Shelton Valarie Sheppard

Linda Siekmann Chip and Susan Skidmore Susan and David Smith J. Shane Starkey Cindy Starr Dee and Tom Stegman Mary Stein Katie and Tony Strike Jeremy and Louise Vaughan Roger and Jennie Wade Ginger and Ron Warner Avril and Galen Warren George and Kathy Wilkinson Ronna and Dr. James B. Willis Charlie Wright and Lora Zinoviev Glen Wright* Nick and Michelle Ziegler

SECOND POSITION Anonymous (2) Sarah Alkire Romola N. Allen Bettye Beaumont Gregory Bell Phyllis Bossin and Robert Strauss James Brown and Judith Masset-Brown

Dawn and Douglas Bruestle Onassis A. Caneris MD Dr. Robin Cotton and Cynthia Fitton Nancy Crace Barbara Doviak Sandra A. Eisele, MD, MBA Kari and David Ellis Risa and Stephen Feagins

Amy and Daniel Ferguson Thomas Fey Janice Forte Nan Franks Mary and James R. Gardner Judith and Samuel Gilardi Paulette Gillig Scott Goodfellow Adrian Griffin Jill Grisco

Daniel Gruber Guy Guckenberger Sue and Scott Harrington Deb Heidt Karlee Hilliard Florette Hoffheimer Dr. Nelson D. Horseman Nancy Horwitz Gordan Hullar and Doris Holzheimer

ADULT DANCE AND FITNESS AT CINCINNATI BALLET

DANCE WITH US! Cincinnati Ballet’s new Margaret and Michael Valentine Center for Dance offers a wide variety of dance and dance-inspired workouts for adults ages 16 and up. Join us for classes in Ballet, Pilates, Contemporary, Modern and more! Classes are available on a drop-in basis so there’s no advance commitment required. Ages: 16 and up Classes Include: Ballet Basics, Contemporary, Intermediate Ballet, Modern, Pilates Mat

For program information, class schedules, or to reserve your spot visit: cballet.org/academy/adult-division

DONOR HONOR ROLL Leslie Mcintosh Candice and David McKeen Diane Meyer Kerry Miller Mary Miller Michael Miller Steven I. Monder Mark and Susan Moskowitz Alice Palmer Bronwyn Park Barbara and Jeff Persons Nancy Phelan Edward and Barbara Rider

RUGiving2? Fund of The Greater Cincinnati Foundation Burton Roehr Stephen Rogers Janet Sarran Gretchen Serota Philip Smith Elizabeth A. Snyder Paul H. Spitz James Stapleton and Elizabeth Shaughnessy Elizabeth Stone Lisa and Joel Stone

Gretlyn Thomas Tom and Torey Torre James and Susan Troutt Susan and Randy Wade Murphy Chad and Betsy Warwick Thomas and Carol Wick Andrew Wise and Elizabeth Barone Wise Jeff and Tonya Yetter Marcy and Bob Ziek

Cincinnati Ballet

Susan Jackson Jody Yetzer and Alexander Kayne Amanda Kluener Tammy and Joe Kremer Mary and John Kuempel Janet Schultz and Russell Lascelles Susan and Richard Lauf Rick and Christine Lefever Linnea Lose Timothy Luebbert and Joy O’Dell

*Funds held at the Greater Cincinnati Foundation Thank you to the donors whose gifts we received by September 1, 2021. 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 Donor Relations Manager, Alexandria Wright, at awright@cballet.org or (513) 873-5812.

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CARLSAMSON.COM 2152 Alpine Place Cincinnati, OH 45206 513-751-9953

BUSINESS CIRCLE Cincinnati Ballet

$100,000 +

$50,000–$99,999

$25,000–$49,999

$10,000–$24,999

$5,000–$9,999

$2,500–$4,999 HUNTINGTON BANK

$1,000–$1,499

$500–$999 Hixon Architecture Engineering Interiors

Thank you to our Business Circle, Foundation, Government, and Institutional donors who supported us through cash and in-kind contributions received by September 1, 2021. 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 Donor Relations Manager, Alexandria Wright, at awright@cballet.org or (513) 873-5812.

F O U N DAT I O N , G OV E R N M E N T, AND INSTITUTIONAL DONORS Cincinnati Ballet

$100,000 +

$50,000–$99,999 Hearst Foundation The Kaplan Foundation

$15,000–$49,999 Peter T. Joseph Foundation Linnemann Family Foundation

Wohlgemuth Herschede Foundation

$5,000–$14,999 Crosset Family Foundation

Mueller Family Foundation

Duke Energy Foundation

Oliver Family Foundation

U.S. Bank Foundation Warrington Foundation

$500–$4,999 Charles Scott Riley III Foundation

Lewis & Marjorie Daniel Foundation

Saenger Family Foundation

ARTSWAVE PARTNERS Cincinnati Ballet acknowledges the following Partner Companies, Foundations, and their employees who generously participate in the Annual ArtsWave Community Campaign at the $100,000+ level. Your support helps make our community vibrant and connects people across the region through the arts. Thank you!

P&G Fifth Third Bank and the Fifth Third Foundation GE Aviation Cincinnati Bell Western & Southern Financial Group Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center

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

*Funds held at the Greater Cincinnati Foundation

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

E X P LO R E C I N C I N N AT I BA L L E T Cincinnati Ballet

MEET THE ARTISTS Cincinnati Ballet is pleased to offer Meet the Artists, a pre-performance discussion series where you will have the opportunity to meet 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 connection to dance. 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 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 audience 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.

ÉTOILE EMPOWERED, CONNECTED, INSPIRED, ENERGIZED, BOLD!

Cincinnati Ballet’s Étoile group continues to bring together remarkable women from throughout the region to connect and celebrate through exclusive events supporting female leadership in ballet. This season every performance will feature work by female choreographers. For more information, please contact Sarah Templeton Wilson at (513) 562-1103 or etoile@cballet.org.

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F O R YO U R I N F O R M AT I O N AT MUSIC HALL MASKS ARE REQUIRED at all times (except when actively consuming food/beverage in designated areas), even when seated for the performance, regardless of vaccination or testing status until further notice. FOOD AND BEVERAGES are available at various lobby locations throughout Music Hall. All consessions and drinks sold at Music Hall should be consumed in designated areas throughout the hall. Due to our mask requirement, 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 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 during business hours, 9 am–5 pm, Monday–Friday. YOUR PARTICIPATION IN OUR RECYCLING effort is appreciated! Recycling containers are located near every concession stand. If you don’t wat 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 90 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 perfor-

mance, 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.

ASSISTIVE LISTENING DEVICES designed to impaired are available at Guest Services.

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.

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

SPECIAL SEATING is available for guests unable to transfer out of their wheelchairs or with other special sating 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.

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.

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