Houston Ballet - Vol. 6-Issue 3

HoustonBallet

HoustonBallet Vol. 6, Issue 3

The Nutcracker presented by Houston Methodist VOL. 6, ISSUE 3 2023

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CINDERELLA February 22 - March 3, 2024

Soloist Danbi Kim. Photo by Lawrence Elizabeth Knox.

TICKETS START AT $25

HOUSTONBALLET.ORG | 713.227.2787

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THE NUTCRACKER

CONTENTS

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WELCOME A warm welcome from Houston Ballet Board President Kristy Bradshaw and presenting sponsor of The Nutcracker, Houston Methodist

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FIRST POSITION The Rat King breaks his silence for a tell-all exposé to give his version of events; learn what it takes to embody the Rat King; get the scoop on the control it takes to execute the Arabian scene; and hear from presenting sponsor Houston Methodist on the importance of sports massages

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PIXEL PROBLEMS The characters of The Nutcracker are pixelated! Can you identify who is who?

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THE NUTCRACKER

Soloist Danbi Kim. Photo by Lawrence Elizabeth Knox.

Discover the artists behind Stanton Welch’s holiday masterpiece as well as a storybook synopsis by D.L. Groover

IN THIS ISSUE 28 Company Profiles 33 Board of Trustees 34 Corporate Spotlight 36 Annual Supporters 42 In the Wings HOUSTON BALLET

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Houston Ballet 601 Preston Street, Houston, TX 77002 713.523.6300 info@houstonballet.org www.houstonballet.org Julie Kent Artistic Director Stanton Welch AM Artistic Director James Nelson Executive Director

Welcome!

Dear Houston Ballet Friends, Welcome to the theater for Stanton Welch’s The Nutcracker! This larger-than-life production continues to be an annual holiday tradition for Houston Ballet, and I am so grateful to have you with us.

This season is particularly special for Houston Ballet, marking 20 years of Stanton Welch’s brilliant artistic leadership. Throughout his tenure as Artistic Director, Stanton has cultivated creativity through our spectacular productions, talented Company, and budding stars in Houston Ballet Academy. His Nutcracker serves as a prime testament of his impact throughout the years. Whether you are a Houston Ballet regular or a first-time attendee, The Nutcracker tells a timeless story that will captivate you through its vibrant scenes and endearing characters from mini mice medics to the regal Sugar Plum Fairy.

We also welcome Julie Kent to Houston Ballet as co-Artistic Director, alongside Stanton Welch.

To say Julie is a ballet icon is an understatement.

Her career spans 30 years at American Ballet Theatre, 22 of those as Principal Dancer, and seven years as Artistic Director of Washington Ballet. The future truly could not be brighter with Julie and Stanton leading the Company together.

Although The Nutcracker marks the final performances of 2023, Houston Ballet’s season is far from over. We continue this spring with an assortment of spectacular shows, starting with Stanton Welch’s Cinderella in February. Stanton brings a fresh perspective to this classic tale, drawing elements from the Brothers Grimm’s dark fairy tale and Gioachino Rossini’s 1817 opera and putting his spunky Cinderella in charge of her own destiny.

As our season progresses, we have two exhilarating mixed repertoire shows that 4

Ben Stevenson OBE Artistic Director Emeritus

highlight both the strength and versatility of our artists and Houston Ballet’s status as a choreographic Eden, which Stanton has upheld by consistently adding new ballets into the Company’s repertoire.

During our triple bill program in March, we will debut the Houston Ballet premieres of Stanton Welch’s Bespoke as well as Overgrown Path from celebrated choreographer Jiří Kylián – a prime inspiration for Stanton – alongside the return of Tim Harbour’s Filigree and Shadow. In June, we welcome an anticipated world premiere from accomplished choreographer Dwight Rhoden, Artistic Director of Complexions Contemporary Ballet, which premieres alongside Disha Zhang’s haunting Elapse, George Balanchine’s elegant Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux, and Welch’s stunning The Four Seasons.

Also waiting in the wings is Sir Kenneth MacMillan’s Mayerling, a full-length narrative ballet telling the dark tale of Crown Prince Rudolf, the sole heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire in the 1880s. Another inspiration for Stanton, MacMillan is a titan of storytelling ballet, known for bringing challenging stories to life through dance.

This season, and the ones to follow, would not be possible without your steadfast support.

Houston Ballet is honored to continue sharing the joy of ballet with you, and I look forward to seeing you back in the theater for the rest of this celebratory season.

PUBLISHED BY Houston Ballet CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER Angela Lane DIRECTOR OF MARKETING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS Angela Lee ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF PUBLICATIONS AND DEVELOPMENT COMMUNICATIONS Jasmine Fuller Cane DEVELOPMENT COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR Kharma Grimes PROJECT STAFF Lynn Chung, Jared Murphy ADVERTISING SALES Ventures Marketing Group Matt Ross

HoustonBallet Vol. 6, Issue 3

Thank You, and Happy Holidays!

KRISTY BRADSHAW Houston Ballet Board President

ON THE COVER Students of Houston Ballet Academy.

Photo by Lawrence Elizabeth Knox.

HOUSTON BALLET

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Enjoy your experience with Houston Ballet!

BEFORE THE SHOW Grab a drink, grab a snack! Dining and refreshments are available pre-show and during intermission in the Wortham Theater Center, provided by Levy Catering. You can also pre-order beverages at the wine or coffee bar in the foyer. However, please note that drinks are not allowed inside the Brown or Cullen Theater, so be sure to enjoy them before you enter to take your seat.

BE COMFORTABLE Restrooms are conveniently located on all floors, with accessible restrooms available in the Prairie lobby and the main foyer. We also have a family viewing area in the Brown Alcove, perfect for those times when you or your child need a break from the auditorium, but still want to catch the action on stage. Booster seat rentals are available for anyone who needs a little extra height while seated.

CAPTURE THE MEMORY For the most Instagrammable spots, visit the foyer with its larger-than-life banners of our dancers. You can also take a photo with the performance information boards located near the top of the escalators. During the holiday season, arrive early to snap a picture in front of the Wortham Theater Christmas tree and gingerbread house.

PICK UP THE PERFECT GIFT Don't forget to check out the Houston Ballet boutique on the foyer level. You'll find wonderful holiday gifts for friends, and family, or even a special memento for yourself. The boutique is open an hour and a half before each performance, during intermission, and for 30 minutes after the show. Many exclusive items are not available online, so take advantage of the opportunity to purchase something unique while attending the performance.

ACCESSIBILITY AND SPECIAL ASSISTANCE Houston Ballet is committed to providing access for all patrons. If you are in need of special accommodation or have questions, please contact our box office at 713.227.2787 before the performance. Wheelchair-accessible patron drop-off with assistance is available at the theater entrance on Prairie Street and reserved accessible parking is available in the Theater District parking garage on level three. Wheelchair seating

locations can be found in the Orchestra, Grand Tier, and Founders Box levels. Assisted listening devices are also available for those with hearing impairment, and they can be arranged by requesting an usher upon arrival.

LOST AND FOUND If you misplace something during your visit, please check with an usher to see if your item has been located. If you have already left the theater, please contact 832.487.7000 Monday through Friday from 9 AM to 5 PM for assistance.

IMPORTANT POLICIES To ensure a seamless experience for everyone, we kindly request that you adhere to the following policies: • Late seating is not allowed while the performance is in progress. If you arrive late, you will be asked to stand in the Brown Alcove and watch a live stream on monitors until a suitable time to be seated (usually during intermission).

• Please only occupy the seat that matches your ticket.

• Audiovisual recordings of any kind during the performance are strictly forbidden.

• Turn off and put away your mobile devices, including smartwatches, before the show starts to avoid distractions for both performers and fellow patrons.

• Children attending a performance must have their own ticket and occupy their assigned seat. The Nutcracker is recommended for children five years and older. Children under the age of three are not permitted to attend performances.

• Smoking or vaping of any kind is not permitted inside the Wortham Theater Center.

• Our management reserves the right to remove any patron causing a disturbance and as a result, a refund will not be permitted.

SAFETY AND EMERGENCY SERVICES EMT and HPD officers are on duty during all Houston Ballet performances to ensure the safety and well-being of our audience.

We hope you have a delightful experience at our performance. If you have any further questions or need assistance, please reach out to our staff. Thank you for joining us at Houston Ballet!

HOUSTON BALLET

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Leading Orthopedic Care to

At Houston Methodist Orthopedics & Sports Medicine, we are experts in helping the body do what it was designed to do — stay in motion. As trusted doctors for Houston Ballet, we keep the dancers performing in the spotlight. And, by finding innovative ways to treat their injuries, we’re better able to treat yours. Whether you’re getting back on the stage or back to work, we use the latest technology and advanced therapies to get you back on your feet — and keep you moving.

713.790.3333 | houstonmethodist.org 20 convenient locations

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Students of Houston Ballet Academy. Photo by Lawrence Elizabeth Knox.

KEEP THE BALLET MOVING

Students of Houston Ballet Academy. Photo by Lawrence Elizabeth Knox.

Welcome!

Dear Houston Ballet friends, On behalf of Houston Methodist, welcome to this performance of Houston Ballet’s The Nutcracker.

Houston Methodist is the presenting sponsor for this production, and we are proud to be part of this holiday tradition.

The production is choreographed by Houston Ballet Artistic Director Stanton Welch AM, an internationally lauded choreographer. It is exciting to have this holiday favorite return to our city this year. There are hundreds of characters who join Clara on her journey, and Tim Goodchild brings everything to life with his set and costume designs.

At Houston Methodist, we understand the importance of the arts to our community. We are proud to serve as the official health care provider for the Houston Ballet. Through our innovative program, the Center for Performing Arts Medicine, our physicians care for more than 2,000 amateur and

professional artists. Our care teams are dedicated to ensuring that performing artists in Houston have the tools at their disposal to stay healthy and feel their best so they can focus on what they love doing — sharing their gifts with audiences across the city.

As one of the nation’s leading health care systems and academic medical centers, Houston Methodist brings a spiritual environment of caring to all our patients. We have served patients in Houston for more than 100 years. Our system includes our flagship hospital located in the Texas Medical Center, six community hospitals across the Greater Houston area — with a seventh currently under construction in Cypress — and a continuing care facility. This year, Houston Methodist Hospital, our flagship hospital, was again named to U.S. News & World Report prestigious Honor Roll — a list of the best hospitals in the country.

It is an honor to care for these artists and all our patients. Thank you for coming, and please enjoy the performance.

MARC L. BOOM, MD President & CEO Houston Methodist

HOUSTON BALLET

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Soloist Eric Best. Photo by Lawrence Elizabeth Knox.

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FIRST

POSITION

Soloist Eric Best. Photo by Lawrence Elizabeth Knox.

SPOTLIGHT p. 10

Rat Tales I’m breaking my silence!

Here’s the true story

By The Rat King

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ANATOMY OF A SCENE p. 11

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EN POINTE p. 12

I WASN’T ALWAYS LIKE THIS, you know; reduced to scraggly talons, scruffy fur, and beady eyes. I used to be a regal king, a human king. That’s right, you heard me.

I presided over my kingdom as justly and righteously as I believed. As a ruler of a nation, not every decision you make will be popular. Although some of my subjects may have referred to me as “evil,” I had many adoring subjects who bestowed me with numerous medals of

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UPLIFT p. 13

excellence at my directive. Some would see me and think that I had it all, and they were partially right, but being on top gets lonely sometimes.

When I first saw the Sugar Plum Fairy, I knew she was the one. She looked so radiant adorned in soft shades of pink, bringing out the sparkle in her eyes. Her warm and inviting smile made me weak in the knees, and she floated around so elegantly with regalness that matched my own. So when she chose that HOUSTON BALLET

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FIRST POSITION

their general. Of course, the Nutcracker Prince had to boast his skills by drawing his sword first; how selfish of him to put himself out front for sacrifice. My army fought valiantly though, scaring off the cavalry and swiftly taking out the royal guards, but that pompous nut was still so selfassured he would win; he stopped midbattle to greet two bystanders!

I’d had enough of his complete and utter disregard for me, the king.

We finally had him surrounded until suddenly, I felt a yank from my head and a cool breeze tickle the top of my fur. My crown – my one semblance of humanity – was gone.

I spiraled as my gaze landed on my precious crown now in the hands of a young girl. My spell over the Nutcracker was broken, reversing him back into the Prince. Then with firmness, the young girl, Clara, banished me from my Kingdom, and I obliged, possessed by her strange authority over me.

But I am a king, and I don’t give up so easily. Knowing where they

In your own words, can you explain the Rat King’s story in The Nutcracker?

Simone Acri: The Rat King is the king of all the rats. He has an entire army behind him and makes sure to keep the rats in line. The Rat King has a boyish feel, and although he is the leader, he doesn’t always act like it. The Rat King has a very playful take on the battle.

Q&A: Behind the Mask Soloist Simone Acri gives the inside scoop on how to embody the villainous Rat King 10

HOUSTON BALLET

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By definition, a villain is “an evil character.” Do you feel the Rat King is a true villain?

Acri: I don’t think so because if you are really evil, you want to destroy everything and create armies to take things down; that isn’t the Rat

would head to reunite the Prince with Sugar Plum, I followed them up the tree into the Kingdom of Sweets. With my sword in tow, I watched as Clara broke my crown – my crown – in two, bestowing the halves to the two people responsible for my demise. I couldn’t bear this humiliation anymore; I had to fight, but my people had turned against me, instead following the will of this insolent girl.

Grappled by the cat guards, I hung my head in shame ready for my retribution, but as I anxiously waited for the sword to drop, Clara pleaded to spare my life, doomed to live it as a crownless rat.

If you learn anything from my story, just know this – there are three sides to every story: your side, their side, and the truth. But in my case, there’s only my side of the story, which is the truth and the only truth!

King. The Rat King kind of wants to be friends with everyone but can’t because he still has to be King; the Samurai Rats are waiting for the Rat King’s orders.

Which of the Rat King’s scenes is your favorite to perform?

Acri: I have a few, but I would have to say the very beginning of the second act. The curtain opens, Clara and Drosselmeyer come out, and the Rat King pops up from the orchestra pit. I love being so close to the audience so that you can see their expressions and the excitement that they have. Even though it’s not dancing, the feeling of it is really fun.

In what ways is this role different than any other role you’ve performed?

Acri: Compared to other characters I’ve performed, the Rat King really tells a story. It makes me really want to convey to the audience what the story is, which is super important for the role that I have. In The Nutcracker, a lot of the story depends on me.

Soloist Simone Acri. Photo by Lawrence Elizabeth Knox.

SPOTLIGHT

How do you physically or mentally prepare for the role of the Rat King?

Acri: I do start the show with Fritz, so I am still in a child-like mindset. I smile bigger, move faster, those kinds of things. Regardless of the costume, my mind stays in a playful state, but when I become the Rat King, I become a little more evil. In the wings, I make sure to motivate myself to have more energy.

MY PAST LIFE Unfortunately there aren’t many photos of me left from my life as a human, but Drosselmeyer’s doll is a very fine representation of what I looked like, which is quite handsome. Although the dollmaker could have added more medals.

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Principal Yuriko Kajiya and Artists of Houston Ballet. Photo by Lawrence Elizabeth Knox.

brutish, bumbling Prince over me, I was baffled. Sure, some people refer to him as the “good” prince, but public opinion isn’t everything.

Each time I laid my eyes on that Prince and his silly hat and red coat with my beloved Sugar Plum, a pang of anger would consume me, so I did the only logical thing I could think of in the moment. I turned him into a Nutcracker.

Do I regret turning the Prince into a Nutcracker? Absolutely not. Although it did hurt me to see the Sugar Plum Fairy upset, it agitated me even more when her tears turned me into the monster I am today.

I was confused; I lashed out; I was a rat! And Sugar Plum showed no remorse for her actions. Her only care was returning to that oaf, so I saw red. I started to assemble my army – misunderstood creatures just like me, and I trained my army into warriors skilled in demolishing the Nutcracker and his imperious soldiers.

When we began our march down the battlefield, naturally, my army put themselves on the frontlines to defend

FIRST POSITION

Arabian Audit ANATOMY OF A SCENE

The mysterious Arabian woman makes a statement in her slow-paced movements and long balances en pointe

By Kharma Grimes

AMIDST THE SPIRITED ATMOSPHERE OF the Kingdom of Sweets, a captivating woman emerges amongst the celebrating ambassadors from around the world. With deliberate, slow-paced movements, soaring leg extensions, and poised balances, the Arabian woman entertains Clara and commands the Kingdom’s attention in Stanton Welch’s The Nutcracker.

Originating the role for Welch’s Nutcracker, Principal Yuriko Kajiya worked closely with the artistic director in the studio before its 2016 premiere.

“What’s amazing about Stanton is that

Soloist Simone Acri. Photo by Lawrence Elizabeth Knox.

Principal Yuriko Kajiya and Artists of Houston Ballet. Photo by Lawrence Elizabeth Knox.

Student of Houston Ballet Academy. Photo by Amitava Sarkar.

CALM IS KEY To achieve such an impressive task, one must have physical and mental resilience.

Kajiya shares her secret to balancing en pointe, “before the balance, you have to, what I call, ‘zen.’” She takes a deep breath to release all the thoughts in her mind so she can solely focus on her balance.

UPLIFT Kajiya explains, “there is a part of our body that has to be very grounded, but more so, you’re trying to lift your hip and your upper body.” These two opposing forces give her stability as she balances en pointe.

he molds the choreography based on the dancer he is working with and of course, their strengths,” Kajiya says of the choreographic process.

Believing one of Kajiya’s greatest strengths as balancing en pointe, Welch includes a moment for the Arabian woman to balance on one leg for an extended period. To achieve such an impressive task, Kajiya explains, “your leg has to be like a nail grounding into the floor.”

And not only does it take physical prowess, but mentality also plays a large role. She continues, “right before I

balance, I very often take a deep breath then I let go of my hands. To be calm is definitely key.”

Symbolic of the coffee that the Arabian lion ambassador offers to Clara, the music and choreography can be compared to the experience of savoring the scent of freshly brewed coffee, enticing one to follow its aromatic trail.

The Arabian section stands in stark contrast to Act II’s other dances. Kajiya notes, “all of a sudden it’s mysterious – not just the movement, but the music, the lighting, the atmosphere; everything changes when it comes to Arabian.”

MYSTERIOUS MOVEMENT “Within your slow movement, there’s never a pause. Even though it may look like we’ve stopped, there is still continuous movement. That makes it look very mysterious,” Kajiya explains.

CHARMING BACKUP Flanking the Arabian woman and her impressive partners are four small snake charmers played by Houston Ballet Academy students. Lining the side stage, they enhance the slow yet powerful piece with subtle arm movements that double as a snake.

HOUSTON BALLET 11 HOUSTON BALLET 11

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FIRST POSITION

HOME MASSAGE THERAPY Feeling tight but can’t make time for a massage? Nasrallah offers a few tips for self-release techniques you can try at home.

Massage Therapy EN POINTE

Carina Nasrallah, an athletic trainer at Houston Methodist, explains why massage is an essential tool for dancer wellness and keeping their bodies in tip-top shape for The Nutcracker

CHOOSE YOUR TOOL Using the right tool for selfrelease techniques is crucial.

Foam rollers or Yamuna balls are great for targeting superficial layers of tissue, but for particularly problematic areas, try something harder and smaller like a lacrosse or tennis ball.

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HOUSTON BALLET

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How are massages beneficial to dancer wellness?

Nasrallah: Massage is reported to increase blood flow, decrease pain, stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system – which is the relax and decompress part of your nervous system and your body’s response to the environment – and decrease tissue adhesions, when the layers of the tissue and the fascia get stuck to each other either from repetition or dysfunction.

The truth is we don’t fully understand how those things happen and to what degree because individuals respond

uniquely to massages. We do know that the psychological response to a massage is likely almost as important, if not more so, than the physical response.

Much of the physical response we see from the massage comes from the ability to stimulate that rest-andrecover part of the nervous system, which triggers the muscles to then relax and improve your blood pressure.

Houston Ballet is proud to partner with Houston Methodist as leaders in dancer care. Are there any advances when it comes to massage therapy that Houston Methodist has discovered over the years?

Nasrallah: Where we’ve really evolved in our program here at the Ballet is understanding the timing surrounding when we should offer massage therapy.

About two or three years ago, we were offering it at various times during the week and right before performances.

But we quickly realized that they weren’t producing the effects that we wanted – and a lot of this has to do with the timing of how the body responds to a massage. If you’re giving a massage that is stimulating the parasympathetic nervous system, for a short time it is going to decrease the muscle reactivity, which is necessary for power production. So by studying the science, we’ve learned that doing a full-body or a 60-to-90-minute targeted sports massage prior to a performance might have negative effects on power production and jump height. So, we’ve moved those longer massages to Mondays, the dancers’ day off. Then occasionally we’ll offer some additional massage slots during the week at heavy production times, but we keep them shorter.

Artists of Houston Ballet. Photo by Lawrence Elizabeth Knox.

TIMING MATTERS When rolling out, Nasrallah recommends spending 30 seconds to one minute per muscle group – two minutes at the most. Two to three days a week should do the trick, but if you’re highly active, fold selfrelease techniques into pre- and post-workout regimens.

To most people, massages are associated with spa days and relaxation. But for Houston Ballet dancers, massages are an essential part of their everyday wellness.

How does a sports massage differ from a spa massage?

Carina Nasrallah: If you go to a spa, you select what type of massage you want, ranging from an aromatherapy massage or Swedish massage to a deep tissue massage. What differs from the general category of those massages is that sports massage is designed for active individuals who are working certain areas of their bodies at high intensity, often repetitively. Whether the massage is for runners and their lower legs or male dancers who are doing a lot of lifting, you’re going to target the areas that are being overused and can benefit from a little extra care. When a massage therapist opts to use that approach, the massage itself is going to be focused on a body region, and the therapist will often use a variety of techniques or strokes to address the tissue dysfunction that’s happening in that area.

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Artists of Houston Ballet. Demi Soloist Yumiko Fukuda. Photos by Lawrence Elizabeth Knox.

WHERE TO START If you are new to self-release techniques, shoulders or feet are good places to start since we commonly hold tension there. Avoid rolling over bony areas and adjust your pressure as needed – it may be uncomfortable but not painful.

FIRST POSITION

Pixel Problems UPLIFT

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ANSWERS 1. Fritz - 2. French Man - 3. Snow Queen - 4. Clara - 5. Drosselmeyer - 6. Heinz

Artists of Houston Ballet. Photo by Lawrence Elizabeth Knox.

Artists of Houston Ballet. Demi Soloist Yumiko Fukuda. Photos by Lawrence Elizabeth Knox.

Help! Characters of Stanton Welch’s The Nutcracker have been pixelized!

Can you help us identified these pixel people?

HOUSTON BALLET

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For the love of home.

For the love of life.

For the love of ballet.

Martha Turner Sotheby’s International Realty proudly supports the Houston Ballet.

KELLEY AUSTIN

WALTER BERING

JUANA BERNARD

KAREL BUTZ

DEBBIE CROW

MICHELLE FELTROP

ANNE HAMILTON

MARY HENDERSON

KELLY LABANOWSKI

JUDY LEVIN

CHRISTINE LOMBARDI

SUSAN ARNOLDY PAISLEY

LEANN SALMONS

KINDI SCARTACCINI

JAMES SESSEL

LINDA SPIRTOS

LEIGH STUBBS

KATHERINE WARREN

STEPHANIE WILLIS

Artists of Houston Ballet. Photo by Lawrence Elizabeth Knox.

MARTHA ADGER

713.520.1981

s o t h e by s re a l ty.c o m

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Operated by Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc.

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SYNOPSIS p. 16

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THE ARTISTS p. 22

Artists of Houston Ballet. Photo by Lawrence Elizabeth Knox.

NOVEMBER 24 - DECEMBER 27, 2023

ACT I 45 minutes INTERMISSION 25 minutes ACT II 47 minutes Approximate Duration 2 hours

HOUSTON BALLET

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The

Nutcracker Based on Stanton Welch’s holiday ballet SYNOPSIS BY D.L. GROOVER

Choreography by Stanton Welch AM, for Mark Music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) Costume and Scenic Design by Tim Goodchild Lighting Design by Lisa J. Pinkham Projection Design by Wendall K. Harrington Houston Ballet Orchestra conducted by Ermanno Florio, Simon Thew, and Richard Bado

Sketches by Tim Goodchild

World Premiere: November 25, 2016

by Houston Ballet in the Brown Theater at Wortham Theater Center in Houston, Texas.

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HOUSTON BALLET

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SYNOPSIS

ACT I he night outside the Stahlbaum house on a German Christmas Eve, Blows and blusters, and cracks its cheeks. Yet, inside, warm within her room, Sweet Clara glows with make-believe.

Feisty Fritz with doggy Heinz bounds in to misbehave, But is stopped mid-prank by stern Housemaid, who controls with haughty wave.

“Put away those toys, and wash your hands. Prepare for the party below.”

Beloved toys are whisked away, ears all cleaned, all ready to go.

Oldest Louise, fresh as the spring, the fairest girl of all, Fusses and primps for she firmly intends to be the only belle of the ball.

Mother and father have gifts to bestow: For lovely Louise, a corsage for romance, Pointe shoes for Clara who loves to dance, Tin trumpet for Fritz, that will blurt, and screech, and blow.

What do you think then happens next, no sooner than family leaves?

The toy chest bursts open all by itself, and out tumble toys like sheaves!

For it’s Christmas tomorrow and toys must prepare For greedy small hands who don’t want to share.

The toys will be prodded and dragged on the floor, Squished in love and then squished even more.

Downstairs, the Stahlbaum party guests delight in punch and feast on ox, While Clara dances a solo dance within her Magic Theater Box. The window blows open in icy gust, but when Clara rushes to close it, Who should appear in burst of snow whose frigid swirls expose it?

Upon my snowflake, it’s Drosselmeyer! Europe’s mystery magic man, Here at the party to amaze and bewitch with his very own Magical Caravan.

His ghostly troupe relates the tale of Soldier Brave who loves Princess Fair.

But mean old King, in love himself, turns Soldier to wood with oak-like hair.

Sketches by Tim Goodchild

But so in love, the princess grieves, whose tears enchantments wring.

They fall upon the weaselly man and just like that – rat á la king.

But what’s the ending, Clara cries, for the wizard will not say.

Instead he gives the children gifts, meant for another day.

To Louise, a crown; to Fritz, a sword; To Clara, a Nutcracker she adored.

The little toy is strong and brave, and Clara laughs with glee; But jealous Fritz is not amused and breaks it on his knee.

HOUSTON BALLET

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SYNOPSIS

The conjurer knows just what to do and heals with surgical ease; He puts doll high, high on a shelf. Out of your reach, Fritz, if you please.

The party’s over, a great success, but Clara sneaks down when all’s asleep.

What does she find at midnight’s strike? A bunch of rats, who gnaw in a heap.

Her toys search high, her toys search low, but the Nutcracker is out of sight.

Clara knows just where he is, but is stumped on her high-climb flight.

Out of the clock, magician appears and puts Soldier under the tree.

With mighty flourish he casts his spell, and wonders of magic explode to see.

Wow-filled eyes have never seen such marvels befall such evergreen.

The tree grew and grew, and grew with a roar, then burst through the roof and grew some more.

The house did shake, roof flew apart; but still tree grew, no end to its start.

It pierced the clouds and grazed the moon. Slow down, old tree, are you a balloon?!

The magic was strong, the magic worked well; not only did tree and toys grow pell-mell.

For the spell had wakened ratty hearts, whose needle-sharp teeth did sprout like darts.

A plethora of concealed nuggets hide throughout Stanton Welch’s extravagant The Nutcracker. Here’s a few to watch out for and keep your eyes peeled for even more.

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GOOD BOY! Heinz, the Stahlbaum dog, is the first to sniff out pesky rats who play a big role in Clara’s dream. The small rodents send him flying into Dr. Stahlbaum’s arms!

MULTILEVEL MANSION As their Christmas party comes to an end, the Stahlbaums can be seen retiring to their rooms one by one on the second floor of their home.

Principal Melody Mennite and Hayden Stark with Artist of Houston Ballet.

Photo by Amitava Sarkar.

Demi Soloist Yumiko Fukuda. Photo by Lawrence Elizabeth Knox.

Sketches by Tim Goodchild.

What to Watch For

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Artists of Houston Ballet. Photo by Amitava Sarkar.

Allison Miller and First Soloist Harper Watters. Photo by Lawrence Elizabeth Knox.

The rats grew fat, they grew like a sneeze, they eyed the toys like the toys were cheese.

The rats fought the toys, their numbers depleted; rag dolls unstuffed, hobby horses unseated.

SYNOPSIS

Against the rodents the Nutcracker stood, brave Clara by his side, Then Rat King entered the fray at last, on little rat feet in little rat stride.

He stomped, he fumed, he threw a fit; an ill-mannered little boy.

“How dare mere girl and toy of wood end my reign, squeaky realm destroy.”

He led from behind, so like a rat. Let others fight, all bullies do that.

But Clara would not stand for such tantrum on display.

She snatched his crown, bopped him one, and sent him on his way.

Dispatched to his room without any dinner; minus his crown, no longer a winner.

He fussed and whined, the short mousy bruiser, complained all the way, a very sore loser.

With Rat King defeated, eeww, what a smell; but strong little Clara had broken the spell.

The wood of the doll changed into flesh, and there in all glory stood Brave Prince afresh.

The Prince was sad as he looked around for Princess Fair was not to be found.

Let us find her, said Clara so bold. So off on their trek, so into the cold.

The wind did blow, the snow did blind, but they were determined, so never mind.

Though toes were numb and fingers frozen, this was the path the trio had chosen.

But then to their rescue came a vision, a dazzle of white in icy precision.

The Queen of Snow, in diamond-white glaze, snowflake-encrusted, icicles ablaze.

Principal Melody Mennite and Hayden Stark with Artist of Houston Ballet.

Photo by Amitava Sarkar.

Artists of Houston Ballet. Photo by Amitava Sarkar.

Allison Miller and First Soloist Harper Watters. Photo by Lawrence Elizabeth Knox.

Students of Houston Ballet Academy. Photo by Amitava Sarkar.

As Clara relates the battle’s uprise, the Queen’s heart melts at Rat King’s demise.

She shows the way, inside the tree, to the Land of the Sweets where Princess will be.

GARGANTUAN GROWTH As the Stahlbaum tree grows, everything underneath grows with it. Even Clara’s two toys hit a growth spurt along with the now larger-than-life Christmas gifts.

SECRET PASSAGE As Act I closes, watch as Clara, the Nutcracker Prince, and Drosselmeyer bid the Snow Queen farewell and head up the trunk of the tree to the Kingdom of Sweets.

THE SWEETEST COSTUMES The costumes in the Kingdom of Sweets are accented with candies galore. Look closely to spot macaron hats, cupcake headdresses, and more.

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SYNOPSIS

ACT II

S

weet, indeed, was what they discovered: angels, and insects, and men, candy-covered.

Sugar is sweet, but, my, what a sight...the Princess as Sugar Plum, what a delight!

United at last with his love once thought lost, Prince and Plum are sweetly embossed.

But wait, what’s that scratching, that gnawing where at? What is that smell? I smell a rat!

King Rat has returned, not defeated at all, still stinky and mean, and still three feet tall!

He means to do menace, he means to do harm, but Clara forgives him, such is her charm.

In honor of kindness, the people rejoice, and celebrate loudly in sweet candy voice.

Ambassadors from far and wide, shower the three with gifts Yuletide.

The Spanish click in and bring their own bull, with fiery flamenco in chocolate mouthful.

Arabs with lion have coffee to serve, spicy and hot, an oasis hor d’oeuvre.

With dragon and panda the Chinese parade, presenting their hosts with tea green as jade.

Ensconced on the throne, with scepter and crown, Clara is Queen in bright-candy gown.

The Prince and his Princess are married at last. Clara waltzes with flowers, her troubles long past.

Her Nutcracker doll held tight in her arms; Clara is fearless, no cause for alarm.

She’s home once again, her voyage complete, with a family who loves her Her own Land of the Sweet.

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Sketches by Tim Goodchild

But something’s not right, what’s that in the air? The sweets fade away, but do not despair.

For where does she wake, and what does she spy? Family faces around her, it’s Christmas Day nigh.

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Principals Beckanne Sisk and Chase O’Connell. Photo by Lawrence Elizabeth Knox.

They may be big, and they may scare you, but Russians love sweets like teddy bears do.

Their candy canes are sugar and lick-able, striped in red, their color political.

Sleek as wolves, the Danes strut on. Their sweetmeats are almonds: Copenhagen chiffon.

Sailors and bull dog from England appear, with sticky apples of toffee into mouths to smear.

France leaps in on froggy strong tread, and Louie’s sweet bon bons will assure him his head.

Sketches by Tim Goodchild

Principals Beckanne Sisk and Chase O’Connell. Photo by Lawrence Elizabeth Knox.

SYNOPSIS

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The Artists STANTON WELCH AM Choreographer In July 2003, Australian Stanton Welch AM assumed leadership of Houston Ballet, America’s fifth-largest classical ballet company. Since he took the helm of the company, Mr. Welch has revitalized Houston Ballet, bringing in new dancers, commissioning new works, and attracting a top-flight artistic staff.

Mr. Welch has created works for such prestigious international companies as Houston Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, The Australian Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet, and the Royal Danish Ballet. Mr. Welch was born in Melbourne to Marilyn Jones OBE and Garth Welch AM, two of Australia’s most gifted dancers of the 1960s and 1970s. In 1989, he was engaged as a dancer with The Australian Ballet, where he rose to the rank of leading soloist, performing various principal roles. He has also worked with internationally acclaimed choreographers such as Jiří Kylián, Nacho Duato, and Maurice Bejart. In 1995, Mr. Welch was named resident choreographer of The Australian Ballet. For his contributions to the world of dance, he was awarded the Order of Australia (AM) in June 2015. For Houston Ballet, he has choreographed more than 20 works, including a new full-length narrative ballet Marie (2009), inspired by the life of the legendary Marie Antoinette, and spectacular stagings of Swan Lake (2006), La Bayadère (2010), Romeo and Juliet (2015), Giselle (2016), The Nutcracker (2016), and Sylvia (2019).

TIM GOODCHILD Costume and Scenic Designer Tim is an international award-winning designer who has designed for stage, television, film, opera and ballet. He has designed over 100 productions for London’s West End Theatre. He designed Laurence Olivier award winning productions for The Royal Shakespeare Company. Internationally, he has worked in Egypt, Canada, Vienna, Los Angeles Opera, Chicago Opera, The Marinsky Opera in St Petersburg, Sydney Opera, Houston Opera, Houston Ballet, and Broadway. In 1988, he made theatre history designing the first Anglo-Soviet production of Swan Lake for 22

Moscow’s Classical Ballet, seen in London, Japan, the United States, and Moscow. He also designed the ballet A Simple Man for BBC2, which won a BAFTA award, BBC2’s musical The Look of Love and costume designs for the film The Little Prince. Tim is opening a production of the musical based on the film Elf at London’s WEST END, The Dominion Theatre in 2022. Tim would like to dedicate his designs for this production to the late designer Desmond Heeley and his agent David Watson. In the last eighteen months Tim has returned to fine art and is concentrating on his painting and illustrating and in 2024 will be in two publications.

LISA J. PINKHAM Lighting Designer Lisa J. Pinkham has designed lighting for over 200 ballets, operas, and plays. Her lighting can be seen in the repertories of many national companies. She enjoys a successful relationship with Stanton Welch AM, and has designed the lighting for many of his ballets, including Maninyas, Taiko, Tu Tu, and Falling for San Francisco Ballet; Madame Butterfly for Boston Ballet and Houston Ballet; Clear for American Ballet Theatre; and Swan Lake, Play, Cinderella, Tapestry, Marie, The Rite of Spring, Sons de L’âme, Paquita, The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra, Romeo and Juliet, Zodiac, Giselle, The Nutcracker, and Sylvia for Houston Ballet.

WENDALL K. HARRINGTON Projection Designer Wendall Harrington designed the projections for Stanton Welch’s Sylvia (2019). She received the Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, and American Theatre Wing awards for The Who’s Tommy. Her Broadway credits include: All The Way, Grey Gardens, Putting It Together, The Capeman, Ragtime, Company, Driving Miss Daisy, The Will Rogers Follies, The Heidi Chronicles, My One and Only, and They’re Playing Our Song. Opera credits include: Werther, The Grapes of Wrath, Nixon In China, A View from the Bridge, Rusalka, The Photographer, and The Magic Flute. Ballet credits include: Firebird, Anna Karenina, Seranata Ratmansky, The Fairy’s Kiss with Alexei Ratmansky; Othello

(Lubovitch), Don Quixote with Joffrey Ballet, Ballet Mecanique (Varone), and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Balanchine).

She is the head of the projection design concentration at the Yale.

RICHARD BADO Guest Conductor A native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Richard Bado made his professional conducting debut in 1989 leading Houston Grand Opera’s production of Show Boat at the Cairo Opera House in Egypt. Since then, Mr. Bado has conducted at Teatro alla Scala, Opéra National de Paris, Houston Grand Opera, New York City Opera, the Aspen Music Festival, Tulsa Opera, the Russian National Orchestra, the Florida Philharmonic, the Montreal Symphony, Wolf Trap Opera, and has conducted the Robert Wilson production of Virgil Thomson’s Four Saints in Three Acts at the Edinburgh Festival.

This season, Maestro Bado conducts Houston Grand Opera’s production of The Sound of Music. In addition, he appears onstage in Houston Ballet’s production of Mayerling as Alfred Grünfeld, a solo pianist. An accomplished pianist, Mr. Bado has appeared regularly with Renée Fleming in recital. He has also played for Cecilia Bartoli, Frederica von Stade, Susan Graham, Denyce Graves, Marcello Giordani, Ramon Vargas, Samuel Ramey, Jamie Barton, Ryan McKinney, Nicole Heaston, Jack Swanson, and Michael Spyres. Mr. Bado holds music degrees from the Eastman School of Music, where he received the 2000 Alumni Achievement Award, and West Virginia University. Mr. Bado is the Director of Artistic Planning and Chorus Director for the Houston Grand Opera, where he received the Silver Rose Award in 2013. He has appeared on A Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor. For 12 years, he was the Director of the Opera Studies Program at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music. He has worked at the Metropolitan Opera, Seattle Opera, the Bolshoi Opera Young Artist Program, Opera Australia, Santa Fe Opera, Opera Theater of St. Louis, Utah Opera, Chautauqua Opera, and Wolf Trap Opera.

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THE ARTISTS

Houston Ballet Orchestra Conducted by Ermanno Florio, Simon Thew and Richard Bado

FIRST VIOLIN Denise Tarrant*, Concertmaster Rachel Shepard, Assistant Concertmaster Rasa Kalesnykaite* Linda Sanders* Carrie Kauk* Sylvia Ver Meulen* Mary Reed* Oleg Sulyga* Anabel Detrick* Chavdar Parashkevov* SECOND VIOLIN Natalie Gaynor, Principal Trung Trinh*, Assistant Principal Elizabeth Frederick* Karen Hall Wilkson* Chloe Kim Miriam Belyatsky Feld* Melissa Williams Erica Robinson* VIOLA Rene Salazar*, Principal Lorento Golofeev*, Assistant Principal Conor McAvinue Sarah Mason Matthew Weathers Erika Lawson

CELLO Barrett Sills*, Principal Erika Johnson Wendy Smith-Butler* David Dietz Dave Zeger* Steven Wiggs* BASS Curry Duffey*, Principal David Connor, Assistant Principal Greg Garcia* Carla Clark* FLUTE Monica Barker, Principal Tyler Martin Colleen Matheu Johnson* PICCOLO Colleen Matheu Johnson* OBOE Elizabeth Priestly Siffert*, Principal Spring Hill* Mayu Isom

ENGLISH HORN Spring Hill*

BASS TROMBONE Richard Reeves

CLARINET Eric Chi, Principal Alisha Zamore

TUBA Mark Barton*, Principal TIMPANI Alison Chang, Principal

BASS CLARINET Molly Mayfield

PERCUSSION Christina Carroll*, Principal Karen Slotter*

BASSOON Amanda Swain*, Principal Micah Doherty

HARP Laurie Meister, Principal

HORN James Wilson*, Principal Jamie Leff Sarah Cranston* Spencer Park

PIANO/CELESTA Katherine Burkwall-Ciscon* *Houston Ballet Orchestra members who have more than 10 years of service

TRUMPET Tetsuya Lawson, Principal Gerardo Mata Chris Boulais TROMBONE Thomas Hultén*, Principal Michael Warny*

Women’s Chorus Sara Brannon Shannon Crowley Elissa Edwards

Stacey Franklin Joanna Latini Kelli Lawless Allison Reeves

Hannah Roberts Lauren Ruhl Kaitlyn Stavinoha

Acknowledgements This project is generously funded by the Houston Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs and Mid-America Arts Alliance.

Special thank you to Souvenir Scenic Studios for constructing the sets of this production Specialty and additional costumes for The Nutcracker created by Robert Allsopp, Carol Coates, Travis Halsey, Tom Schmitz, and Jane Smith

Projection Programmer: Paul Vershbow; Projection Engineer: Joey Moro Animators: Ruppert Bohle, Yana Biryukova, and Peter Keehn General Counsel: Vinson & Elkins, LLP Immigration Attorneys: Foster, LLP The Dancers and Stage Managers of Houston Ballet are represented by The American Guild of Musical Artists, AFL-CIO.

Houston Ballet Orchestra members are represented by Houston Professional Musicians Association, Local 65-699, A.F. of M. Stage Crew personnel are placed by I.A.T.S.E., Local 51.

Wardrobe personnel are placed by I.A.T.S.E., T.W.U. Local 896.

Houston Ballet is a member of Dance/USA Touring Representation: IMG Artists

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THE ARTISTS

Houston Ballet Academy PROFESSIONAL Christian Arroyo, Hayden Babin, Iris Bech, Ashlyn Beggs, Nadia Berrino, Kinley Brewer, Quinton Brooks, Kieryn Brophy, Madison Brown, Yu-Chia Chang, Morgan Charles, Michael Dadlez, Akeelah Duffy, Nathaniel Geis, Alessia Giordano, Eli Go, Remie Goins, Nicolas Gongora, Peyton Gue, Sara Guo, Yeva Hrytsak, Millicent Huang, Hart Isaacoff, Savannah Kammerer, Ashton Kennedy, Nili Kepets, Willow Kristich, Pavel Kulev, Keaton Linzau, Isabella Long, Jordan Long, Jory Luther, Kaito Matsuoka, Kotone Matsuzaki, Olivia McBain, Amelia McGravey, Zachary Mench, Cora Metzfield, Isabella Morales, Aoi Morohashi, Roberto Nicolau Manzo, Aphiwhe November, Aaron Orton, Layla Porter, Ava Ramirez, Macy Richter, Saela Rivera-Martinez, Vivienne Robillard, Brett Rule, Gabriel Ryan-Kern, Natalia Scheinson, Sam Stampleman, Kanon Tanaka, Lexi Utz, Olivia Vega, Owen Watson, Alex Westerman, McKinley White, Benjamin Workman, Edouard Wormser, Raiga Yamazaki, Nagiri Yoshimoto, Garrett Yut PRE-PROFESSIONAL Sofia Agudelo Tovar, Laura Alejos, Arya Almonte, Lara Alp, Lizbeth Alvarado, Natalia Alvarez-Malo, Mariana Alvarez-Malo, Colin Aycox, Percy Baker, John Baldauff, Ariana Barrientos Poveda, Natalia Barrientos Poveda, Mariana Bedoya, Carmen Berumen, Mallory Blumenschein, Sydney Blumenschein, Vivian Boatman, Alexis Bonilla, Garrett Booher, Gala Booher, Gwyneth Booher, Bella Brannan, Isla Brock, Luna Brooks de Arteaga, Nia Brown, Harper Burton, Elizabeth Camp, Tylia Cannings, Kyla Cannings, Melisa Ceyhan, Beatrix Chancellor, Harper Chavis, Stefanie Chen, Shentel Collette, Arianna Colvin, Franciska Crkvenjakov, Anne Dai, Charlotte Davenport, Brooklyn Davis, Talia de la Garza, Andrew DeLaGarza, Jesse Dibello, Leah Ding, Sophia Edwards, Astrid Ellzey, Lucy Erickson, Lucia Espinoza Blunda, Grecia Esponda Villalobos, Jordan Evangelista, Sicily Farris, Natalia Ferrufino, Dagny Finn, Jimena Flores, Kinley Foley, Carmelita Ford, Giselle Ford, Abby Frankel, Zahra Frost, Maggie Fuori, Alize Furtun, Dara Gallardo Boyler, Nara Gallardo Boyler, Tessa Garcia, Jocelyn Garcia, Sadie Garner, Frederick Geekie, Amy Gomez, Celeste Gomez, Charlotte Gorney, Elliana Gospin, Katherine Graybeal, Josephine Greer, Adelina Grillo, Emery Guerrero, Elle Haining, Caroline Hall, Alanna Harris, Victoria Hart, Mayuka Hauschildt, Elisabeth Henry, Lindynn Henson, Judith Hidalgo, Ellen Hilliard, Charlotte Holland, Astrid Hsu, Phoebe Hutchison, Sara Huvaz, Shirley Hwang, Celina Hwang, Sadie Jackson, Sutton Jackson, Liyana Jaffer, Sofia Jamea, Olivia James, Riley Janish, Évangéline Jeuch, Valentina Jeuch, Ella Johnston, Edith Jones, Adrienne Kan, Alejandra Kanady, Eleanor Kane, Olive Kaziny, Jordan Kilgore, Chloe Kim, Julia Kitai, Annabelle Law, Gentry Lawson, Lucia Laya Barroso, Clara Lehman, Luiza Leibholz, Julia Leibholz, Klara Licon Mieczkowska, Qingru Anita Liu, Katherine Liu, Eleanor Loayza, Alexis Lu, Edward Mannington, Grace Mao, Uziel Maradiaga, Galilea Marquez, Quinn Martinez, Natalia Martinez, Danae McGlothen, Bradleigh Meeks, Melody Mendez, Constanza Mendoza-Rivera, Megan Merricks, Madison Merrill, Camryn Moore, Victoria Mosher, Kirsten Nguyen, Lucy Nguyen, Luke Nguyen, Stella Obvintseva, Karla Ortiz, Angelina Ortiz, Amaia Ortiz, Karlin Ozturk, Claire Parker, Gavin Paul, Aurelia Nikka, Pavlou Rosalyn Perez, Alannys Perez Flores, Elizabeth Peterson, Ayli Piñon, Amanda Pope, Camila Poppelaars, Paulette Ramirez, Yona Reeves, Caroline Regan, Raina Rice, Adelyn Rice, Lilly Rodgers, Eleanor Romeo, Marcela Rosales Portillo, Hemaanshi Sabbisetti, Mateo Sanchez, Lyla Santos, Posy Sayers, Elizabeth Schneider, Emily Schneider, Samantha Scoggins, Zoey Scott, Leonard See Toh, Barbara Seidel, Alyssa Shannon, Catherine Shih, Ella Silva, Siena Singer, Rossie Skea, John Paul Snow, Alexandra Snyder, Jackson Sohl, Adelaide Sorensen, Nora Steele, Tiana Stevens, Evelyn Stewart, Clara Straub, Eden Sturman, Amelia Sullivan, Lorelai Sun, Saya Takahashi, Sophie Tancreti, Eva Tavera, Joshner Taylor, Josephine Teaff, Lydia Thompson, Elise Tilton, Ava Vadala, Zoe Valega, Isabella Ventura, Fiona Wang, Eliana Wang, Aubree White, Jamison Whitley, Layla Williams, Emma Wilson, Frances Wycliff, Katherine York, Audrey Yuen, Elyse Yuen, Maricruz Zamarripa, Vivian Zamora, Ayelet Zeidman GUEST Maria Luisa Almeida, Braden Bodiford, Salvador Donat, Tatum Farmer, Mackenzie Gouguet, Hallie Guerrini, Ayden Heraly, Kenadi Hughes, Emma Ibarra, Naara Liu, Catherine Mary Maggio, Lyonesse Marais, Grace Miller, Caley Nowitz, Mamie Thompson, Madeline Zuniga

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Artistic Staff Profiles

Julie Kent Artistic Director

Stanton Welch AM The Harris Masterson II Artistic Director

Ermanno Florio Music Director and Principal Conductor

Simon Thew Associate Conductor and Music Director Designate

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Julie Kent Artistic Director Julie Kent joined Houston Ballet as Artistic Director in July of 2023. The longest serving Ballerina in American Ballet Theatre’s 84-year history, she danced a vast repertoire of classical and neo-classical roles from 1985-2015, working closely with choreographers John Neumeier, Twyla Tharp, Lar Lubovitch, Stanton Welch AM, Alexei Ratmansky, Mark Morris, Nacho Duato, James Kudelka, Jorma Elo, Kevin McKenzie and others. Ms. Kent also danced as an international Guest Artist with the Mariinsky Theatre, New York City Ballet, Teatro alla Scala, Stuttgart Ballet, Berlin Staatsballett, Australian Ballet, Houston Ballet, Bayerisches Staatsballett, Teatro Colon, Ballet de Santiago and Tokyo Ballet. She won the Prix de Lausanne (1986), Erik Bruhn Prize (1993) and was the first American dancer ever to win the Prix Benois de la Danse (2000). In 2012, she received an Honorary Doctorate of Performing Arts from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts and a “Lifetime Achievement Award” from Dance Magazine and was conferred an Honorary Doctorate from American University’s College of Arts and Sciences in 2023.

Ms. Kent also starred in the films Dancers (1987) and Center Stage (2000). From 2016-2023, she was Artistic Director of The Washington Ballet where she brought important classical and contemporary masterworks into the repertoire, commissioning over 26 world premieres. She married Victor Barbee, former Associate Artistic Director and Principal Dancer at ABT and former Associate Artistic Director of The Washington Ballet, in 1993 and they have two children.

Stanton Welch AM The Harris Masterson II Artistic Director In July 2003, Australian Stanton Welch AM assumed leadership of Houston Ballet, America’s fifth-largest classical ballet company. Since he took the helm of the Company, Mr. Welch has revitalized Houston Ballet, bringing in new dancers, commissioning new works, and attracting a top-flight artistic staff.

Mr. Welch has created works for such prestigious international companies as Houston Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, The Australian Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet, and the Royal Danish Ballet. Mr. Welch was born in Melbourne to Marilyn Jones OBE and Garth Welch AM, two of Australia’s most gifted dancers of the 1960s and 1970s. In 1989, he was engaged as a dancer with The Australian Ballet, where he rose to the rank of leading soloist, performing various principal roles.

He has also worked with internationally acclaimed choreographers such as Jiří Kylián, Nacho Duato, and Maurice Bejart. In 1995, Mr. Welch was named resident choreographer of The Australian Ballet. For his contributions to the world of dance, he was awarded the Order of Australia (AM) in June 2015. For Houston Ballet, he has choreographed more than 20 works, including a full-length narrative ballet Marie (2009), inspired by the life of the legendary Marie Antoinette, and spectacular stagings of Swan Lake (2006), La Bayadère (2010), Romeo and Juliet (2015), Giselle (2016), The Nutcracker (2016), and Sylvia (2019).

Ermanno Florio Music Director and Principal Conductor Ermanno Florio has impressed both audiences and critics in the major centers of Europe, North America, and Asia. The extremely versatile Mr. Florio has well distinguished himself in genres of symphonic, operatic, and balletic repertoire. Mr. Florio maintains an active conducting schedule that has included extensive engagements with the world’s major ballet companies. In 1985, Mr. Florio was appointed Principal Conductor and Music Administrator of The National Ballet of Canada by Erik Bruhn and since 1992 has held the position of Music Director of Houston Ballet.

From 1998 to 2001, Mr. Florio held the position of Music Director of American Ballet Theatre. In March 2004, Mr. Florio was appointed Music Director of Het Nationale Ballet in Amsterdam and currently continues his relationship with the company as Principal Guest Conductor. Mr. Florio’s extensive discography includes DVD releases of critically acclaimed performances of The Sleeping Beauty, La Sylphide, Onegin, Cinderella, The Merry Widow, Alice, The Nutcracker, La Ronde, and Le Corsaire with ABT, which won an Emmy for Outstanding Classical Program in the Performing Arts. Mr. Florio’s DVD recording of Don Quichotte with L’Orchestre de L’Opera National de Paris also won the Cannes Classical Music Award for Best DVD in the category of Concert and Ballet Recordings. Mr. Florio’s music arrangements include scores for Patrice Bart’s Tchaikovsky, Das Flammende Hertz, and Gustaf III; Stanton Welch’s Marie and La Bayadère; and Asami Maki’s La Dame aux Camelias.

Simon Thew Associate Conductor and Music Director Designate Australian Conductor Simon Thew was a regular guest conductor with The Australian Ballet between 2013 and 2016, conducting performances in most of the company’s seasons during that time. In 2017

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Artistic Staff Profiles he accepted an invitation to become The Australian Ballet’s assistant conductor, a position he held until mid 2022. He has also worked as a guest conductor for English National Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet and Houston Ballet. Mr. Thew was The Australian Ballet’s Conducting Fellow in 2011 and was awarded a Churchill Fellowship. The Churchill Fellowship enabled him to undertake further professional development opportunities with ballet companies, opera houses and orchestras in London, Birmingham, Vienna, Berlin, and New York across 2012. In 2007, Mr. Thew was awarded the Dame Joan Sutherland/Richard Bonynge Travel Scholarship, which enabled further study in Europe, culminating in his position as musical intern at the Bayreuth Festival in 2008. Mr. Thew was an assistant conductor with Opera Australia from 2007-2010. In 2010, he held the Hephzibah Tintner Fellowship, which gave him performance and mentoring opportunities with The Australian Ballet, Opera Australia, and the Sydney Symphony. Mr. Thew undertook studies in Sydney, Vienna, Berlin, and Barcelona with mentors including Sebastian Weigle, Nicolette Fraillon AM, Harry Spence Lyth, Richard Bonynge AC CBE, and John Hopkins AM OBE. Mr. Thew also has an active concert and recording conducting career and is committed to the education of young conductors and instrumentalists. Mr. Thew joined Houston Ballet as Associate Conductor in August 2022. As of October 2023, Thew is Associate Conductor and Music Director Designate.

Ian Casady Ballet Master Ian Casady was born in Fairfax, California, and received his dance training there from David Roxander, Jody White, and Georgia Ortega. In 1998, Mr. Casady studied at Houston Ballet’s Ben Stevenson Academy before joining the Company as a member of the Corps de Ballet. He was promoted to Soloist in 2002, to First Soloist in 2006, and to Principal in 2007. Over the course of his career, Mr. Casady has danced a wide range of roles in works by some of the most celebrated choreographers, both past and present. Mr. Casady has been fortunate enough to have danced on some of the most historic and famous stages around the world including Lincoln Center and the Kennedy Center in New York, the Bolshoi in Moscow, the Champs Elysee in Paris, the Sydney Opera House, Sadler’s Wells in London, and theaters in Hong Kong, Spain, Germany, and Canada. Mr. Casady was a finalist at the 2002 International Ballet Competition in Jackson, Mississippi. Upon his retirement after a 22-year professional career onstage, he joined the artistic staff of Houston Ballet as ballet master in 2020.

Amy Fote Ballet Master Amy Fote began dancing at the age of four in her hometown of Manitowoc, Wisconsin, under the direction of Jean Wolfmeyer. She continued her studies on scholarship at the National Academy of Arts, Interlochen Arts Academy, and at the Harid Conservatory, where she graduated with honors. Ms. Fote then accepted a position with the Milwaukee Ballet and rose through the ranks to become a principal dancer. During her 14 years with the company, she regularly performed at the Chautauqua Institution in New York and was subsequently invited to dance the title role in Stanton Welch’s Madame Butterfly with the Royal New Zealand Ballet. In 2005, she joined Houston Ballet, where she danced for eight seasons. In 2003, she was featured in a PBS documentary entitled Dancing Anna Karenina, focusing on her portrayal of one of the great heroines of Russian literature. She was also featured on PBS, performing Alonzo King’s Map, in a moving 9/11 performance. Following retirement, Ms. Fote accepted the position of Ballet Master with Ballet San Antonio.

Upon returning to Houston, she began teaching for Houston Ballet II and Houston Ballet before joining the artistic staff in 2018.

Steven Woodgate Ballet Master Australian Steven Woodgate graduated from The Australian Ballet School in 1985. He performed with The Australian Ballet, progressing through the ranks to senior artist in 1996. In 2000, he was awarded The Churchill Fellowship, which enabled him to observe many ballet masters from around the world and study their various teaching methods. Mr. Woodgate joined the artistic staff of Houston Ballet in January 2004. Mr. Woodgate has taught both student and professional classes around the world. Mr. Woodgate reproduced Stanton Welch’s Madame Butterfly for the Singapore Dance Theater, The Royal New Zealand Ballet, The National Ballet of Canada, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, Atlanta Ballet, Ballet West Utah, and The Australian Ballet. In 2009, Mr. Woodgate staged Clear for Angel Corella’s company in Spain and in 2011 re-staged Ronald Hynd’s The Merry Widow for Texas Ballet Theatre, Tulsa Ballet, National Ballet of Canada, Teatro Colon Argentina and Houston Ballet.

Woodgate also represented Australia in the Moscow Ballet Competition in 1989. Woodgate danced principal roles in Ashton’s La Fille Mal Gardee, Van Praggh’s Coppélia, Bejart’s Le Concours and Gaite Parisienne, works by Tudor and Balanchine, Welch, and many other choreographers.

Ian Casady Ballet Master

Amy Fote Ballet Master

Steven Woodgate Ballet Master

HOUSTON BALLET

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11/2/2023 3:49:40 PM

Company Profiles Principals

Skylar Campbell

Soo Youn Cho

Jessica Collado*

Karina González

Yuriko Kajiya

Birthplace Laguna Beach, California

Birthplace Incheon, South Korea

Birthplace Coral Springs, Florida

Birthplace Caracas, Venezuela

Birthplace Aichi, Japan

Dance Training Victor and Tatiana Kasatsky Classical Ballet Academy, mentored and coached

by David Allan

Dance Training Hye Young Kim Ballet School, Sun Hwa Arts School, Canada National Ballet School, John Cranko Schule Ballet School

Dance Training Gwinnett Ballet Theatre, Houston Ballet Academy, Ballet Nova of South Florida

Dance Training Gustavo Franklin Ballet School, Caracas, Venezuela

Dance Training Shanghai Dance School, National Ballet School of Canada

Joined the Company as Principal 2022

Joined the Company 2012

Joined the Company 2004

Joined the Company 2010

Joined the Company 2014

Promoted to Principal 2018

Promoted to Principal 2017

Promoted to Principal 2013

Promoted to Principal 2014

The Robert F. Parker Principal Dancer

HOUSTON BALLET

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The Houston Ballet Guild Principal Dancer

Beckanne Sisk

The Albert and Margaret Alkek Foundation Principal Dancer

Melody Mennite*

Chase O’Connell

The Melza M. Barr Principal Dancer

The Anita B. Stude Principal Dancer

Birthplace Santa Cruz, California

Birthplace Fredericksburg, Virginia

Birthplace Longview, Texas

Birthplace Fairfax, Virginia

Dance Training Santa Cruz Ballet Theatre, Houston Ballet Academy

Dance Training Kirov Academy of Ballet, Royal Ballet School

Dance Training Longview Ballet Theatre, The Rock School for Dance

Dance Training Kirov Academy of Ballet, Harid Conservatory, Houston Ballet Academy

Joined the Company 2001

Joined the Company as Principal 2022

Joined the Company as Principal 2022

Joined the Company 2004

Promoted to Principal 2008

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The Cullen Trust for the Performing Arts Principal Dancer

Connor Walsh* The Fondren Foundation Principal Dancer

Promoted to Principal 2007

* denotes dancers who have trained in the Houston Ballet Academy

11/2/2023 3:49:59 PM

COMPANY PROFILES

First Soloists

Tyler Donatelli*

Mónica Gómez

Gian Carlo Perez

Harper Watters*

Birthplace Huntington Beach, California

Birthplace Havana, Cuba

Birthplace Havana, Cuba

Birthplace Dover, New Hampshire

Dance Training Southland Ballet Academy, Houston Ballet Academy

Dance Training National Ballet School of Cuba

Dance Training Escuela de ballet Alejo Carpentier, Escuela Nacional de ballet Fernando Alonso

Dance Training Houston Ballet Academy, Walnut Hill School for the Arts, Portsmouth School of Ballet

Joined the Company 2014

Joined the Company 2015

Joined the Company 2011

Promoted to First Soloist 2022

Promoted to First Soloist 2019

Joined the Company as First Soloist 2023

The Houston Ballet Guild First Soloist

Promoted to First Soloist 2021

Soloists

Simone Acri

Bridget Allinson-Kuhns*

Eric Best*

Aoi Fujiwara*

Ryo Kato

Generously underwritten by James Stafford and Deborah Keyser

Birthplace Saitama, Japan

Birthplace Columbus, Ohio

Birthplace Indianapolis, Indiana

Birthplace Osaka, Japan

Birthplace Saitama, Japan

Danbi Kim*

Jacquelyn Long*

Naazir Muhammad*

Aaron Daniel Sharratt*

Alyssa Springer*

Birthplace Suwon, Republic of Korea

Birthplace Cleveland, Ohio

Birthplace Brooklyn, New York

Birthplace Tuscon, Arizona

Birthplace Orange County, California

* denotes dancers who have trained in the Houston Ballet Academy

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HOUSTON BALLET

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11/2/2023 3:50:11 PM

COMPANY PROFILES

Demi Soloists

Adelaide Clauss

Yumiko Fukuda

Syvert Lorenz Garcia*

Kellen Hornbuckle*

Birthplace Buffalo, New York

Birthplace Saitama, Japan

Birthplace Oslo, Norway

Birthplace Ann Arbor, Michigan

Estheysis Menendez

Rench Soriano

Masanori Takiguchi

Elivelton Tomazi

Birthplace Havana, Cuba

Birthplace Bacolod, Philippines

Birthplace Tokyo, Japan

Birthplace Joinville, Santa Catarina, Brazil

Natalie Varnum*

Jack Wolff*

Chae Eun Yang

Birthplace Ashford, Alabama

Birthplace Houston, Texas

Birthplace Seoul, Republic of Korea

Corps de Ballet

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Henrique Barbosa*

Gretel Batista

Magnoly Batista*

Jindallae Bernard*

Neal Burks*

Birthplace Maracanaú, CE, Brazil

Birthplace Havana, Cuba

Birthplace Santiago, Dominican Republic

Birthplace New Orleans, Louisiana

Birthplace Jacksonville, Florida

HOUSTON BALLET

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* denotes dancers who have trained in the Houston Ballet Academy

11/2/2023 3:50:25 PM

COMPANY PROFILES

Jaci Doty*

Emma Forrester*

Rafaela Henrique*

Griffin Koehl*

Augustin Lehner*

Birthplace Shenandoah, Iowa

Birthplace Houston, Texas

Birthplace Jundiai, SP, Brazil

Birthplace Harford, Maryland

Birthplace Ľubotín, Slovakia

Zoe Lucich

Riley McMurray*

Saul Newport*

Jaclyn Oakley

Samuel Rodriguez

Birthplace Marin County, California

Birthplace Chicago, Illinois

Birthplace London, England

Birthplace Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Birthplace Atlanta, Georgia

Madison Russo*

Song Teng*

Sayako Toku

Matthew West*

Ryan Williams*

Birthplace West Palm Beach, Florida

Birthplace Hunan, China

Birthplace Hyogo, Japan

Birthplace Ibaraki, Japan

Birthplace Phoenix, Arizona

Apprentices

Nikita Baryshnikov*

Rylan Doty*

Taela Graff

Alejandro Molina Leon

Allison Whitley*

Birthplace Madison, Wisconsin

Birthplace San Diego, California

Birthplace Miami, Florida

Birthplace Barcelona, Spain

Birthplace Norfolk, Virginia

* denotes dancers who have trained in the Houston Ballet Academy

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HOUSTON BALLET

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Houston Ballet Staff ARTISTIC Julie Kent †Stanton Welch AM* Artistic Directors Ian Casady* Amy Fote* Steven Woodgate* Ballet Masters Makenzi Kalsch Artistic Administrative Coordinator Brittany Broussard Artistic Planning Coordinator ADMINISTRATION †James Nelson* Executive Director †Kelli Gilson* General Manager Rachael Cierniakoski Company Manager Paige Kutschall Board and Executive Relations Manager FINANCE †Kristi Roberts Chief Financial Officer †Rachel Koenig Director of Human Resources Thelma Hearren Controller Denise Guevara Senior Accountant Kay Ross Senior Accountant II Kenneth Knight II Payroll Manager Diamantina Peña* Accounts Payable Coordinator Yeriel Zaragoza Human Resources Coordinator Garth Luther* Associate Director, Facilities Laura Salcedo Human Resources Assistant Patricia Barnes, Natalie Hernandez, Kaitlynn Berrones Receptionists TECHNOLOGY †MJ Bavaret* Director of IT Alejandro Rivas Associate Director of Networking Joshua Jemio Help Desk Manager Erik Orbe Help Desk Associate I Gevais Jefferson IT Project Coordinator Daniel Skinner Network Administrator DEVELOPMENT †Angie Lane Chief Development Officer Haley Calvert Development Manager and Guild Liason Chyna Clark Development Coordinator Sydney Cooke Institutional Giving Coordinator Sofia Del Villar Nutcracker Market Coordinator

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HOUSTON BALLET

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Victoria Deleon Development Process Coordinator Jennifer Estrada* Associate Director, Nutcracker Market Jackie Forrester Donor Relations Manager Jasmine Fuller Cane Assistant Director, Development Communications and Publications Joey Gaona Assistant Director, Institutional Giving Ana Gonzalez* Assistant Director, Tessitura Operations Lucy Graham Assistant Director, Donor Relations Allison Gray Assistant Director, Special Events Kharma Grimes Development Communications Coordinator Colleen Hargraves Annual Fund Manager Lindsey Hurst* Director of Institutional Giving Erika Jordan Director of Individual Giving Susan Lehmann Nutcracker Market Associate Alex Martinez Development Coordinator Katie Waller Special Events Coordinator Alexandra Yates Senior Director, Special Events Baylee Zeringue Nutcracker Market Communications Manager MARKETING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS †Angela Lee* Director of Marketing and Public Relations Elizabeth Sosa Bailey Public Relations Manager Jared Murphy Graphic Designer Lynn Chung* Marketing Coordinator Emily Averitt-Cleveland Education Marketing & PR Manager Leslie Goodrum Retail Merchandise & Display Manager Anne Wheeler Archivist Project Manager David Rivera* Associate Director of Audio & Video Services Lauren Gayden* Head of Ticketing Services Christina Martinez, Carlyn Scott* Box Office Managers Brittany Restrepo Ticketing Services Manager Rachel Walrath Ticketing Services Coordinator

Mike Miles Audience Services Coordinator Soledad Lara, Diamond Rector Box Office Shift Leads Verity Butler, Jordan Daniel, Nicole Levy, Hannah McMurray, Craig Perez, Eloisa Perez, Ryan Perez, Aaron Thomas, Ronnie Turner, Mary Wemple Wortham Theater Center Box Office Customer Service Representatives Madeline Carr, Caroline Carreon, Morgan Drouin, Luci Fuller, Jahaziel Gutierrez, Catherine Taraviras Part-Time Seasonal Sales Associates PRODUCTION †Michelle de los Reyes* Head of Production †Sandra Fox Head of Costumes †Lisa J. Pinkham* Resident Lighting Designer Grey Starbird Technical Director Jonathan Moore Stage Manager Eli Walker Assistant Stage Manager Julia Ridenhour Production Operations Manager Morgan Brochu Production Coordinator Barry Thomas* Master Electrician Paul Gibson Assistant Electrician/ Light Board Operator Jason Mathis* Assistant Electrician Gregory Stewart Head Carpenter Lafayette Andrews Assistant Carpenter Cait Dean Property Master Alexa Carlson, Michael Lavin Costume Shop Manager Crystal Breihan, Drieux Dismukes, Freddy Reymundo Wardrobe Supervisors Meghann Mason Wig and Makeup Supervisor Ashly Martinez, Dylan Sulak, Darcie Teasley, William Ross Wig and Makeup Technicians Kendall Sarro Wardrobe Admin Assistant Glinda Anderson, Laura Arey, Alyssa Cantu, Samira Craig, Allison Duke, Megan Essenmacher, Janelle Flanagan, Michael Farris, Samantha Gardecki, Alfredo Gonzalez, Monica Guerra, Ashley Jones, Theresa Rose Loebl, Serge Ovechko, Marcus Pontello, Arabella Reyna, Lisa Sacaris, Geri Turner Costume Technicians

Sarah DeLeon Laundry Technican MUSIC †Ermanno Florio* Music Director and Principal Conductor Simon Thew Associate Conductor & Music Director Designate Emma Wine Orchestra Manager/Music Administrator Theresa Hanebury* Music Librarian/ Pianists’ Manager Katherine Burkwall-Ciscon* Principal Pianist/Music Coordinator William Patterson Academy Pianist Manager Tyrone Boyle, Jennifer Edmondson, Benjamin Kaplan, Grecia Lavenderos,* Kuanyi Lu, William Marsden,* William Patterson, April Zhi Li-Thompson Pianists Krume Andreeveski, Benjamin Chavez, Marshall Davies, Krystel Grauvogl, Adeline Gingell, Tomoe Hayashi, Ning-Chih Hsu, Nara Jeffus, Elizabeth Mendez, Alex Navarro, Pelayo Parlade, Michele Vesceri Part-Time Pianists Terrence Karn, Ilya Kolosz, Kirk Suddreath Academy Part-Time Percussionists ACADEMY †Jennifer Sommers* Academy Director Claudio Muñoz* HBII Ballet Master Cheryne Busch* Upper School Principal Beth Everitt* Lower School Principal & Children’s Ballet Master Orlando Molina Boys’ Program Manager Susan Bryant* Christopher Coomer* Kelly Myernick Kubin* Academy Principal Instructors Katie Wesche Associate Director of Academy Administration Yahudi Castañeda* Academy Associate Director of Artistic Operations Carla Cortez Academy Registrar Dustin Shaw Academy Programs Manager Bryana Bordelon Manager, Student Life Tempest McLendon Academy Administrative Coordinator Reagan Lynch Academy Artistic Operations Coordinator Angela Galvez Academy Student Support Coordinator

Akihiro Kawasaki Head Academy Strength & Conditioning Coach Lauren Anderson* Associate Director, Education and Community Engagement Alexandra Garza Coordinator, Education & Community Engagement Jamie L. Cegelski Education & Community Engagement Coordinator Carol Anglin, Victoria Arizpe, Brittany Bass, Melanie Boettcher, Lauren Burke, Ashley Clos, Dwayne Cook, Lucia De Valle, Dawn Dippel, Rupert Edwards, Heidi Erickson, Carla Flores Keniston, LaRodney Freeman, Allison Gonzalez, Valerie Handy, Spencer Hering, Laura Hilley, Aimee Kilgore, Patricia King, Nao Kusuzaki, Paige Kutschall, Gabrielle Luna, Elizabeth McMillan, Lindsey McGill, Mallory Mehaffey, Paola Murga, Patricia Obey, Krissy Richmond, Lucinda Rohrer, Kamryn Spell, Holda Torres, Dalirys Valladares, Luciadel Valle, Victoria Vittum, Jane Weiner, Brenden Winkfield Education & Community Instructors & Teaching Artists Arin Alston, Christopher Amaro, Jamela Brown, Anna Gould, Lara Hannaford, Jamela Johns, Destiny Miller, Guadalupe Medina Torres, Chloe Normand, Torriante Richardson, Katherine Wicks Part-Time Academy Class Monitors Kimberly Campos, Monica Bondi, Pam Blangy, Brittany Deveau, Danielle Farzenegen, Keith Gacrama, Hilary Gibson, Michelle Gregovic, Nadia Khan, Patricia King, Mallory Littell, Katrina Olson, Lisa Petrozzi, Michelle Phillips, Jennifer Trimmer Wellness Team Kelsey Fyffe Academy Counselor Judy Spong Academy ESL Teacher Emily Hahn Academy Nutritionist Jocelyn Sierra Academy Resident Dorm Supervisor Amy Pearl Resident Advisor Connie Ball Part-Time Dorm Chaperone Amber Cox, Rebecca Morales, Nathanial Nakadate* Academic Advisors HOUSTON METHODIST STAFF Carina M. Nasrallah, MS, LAT, ATC, CISSN Head Athletic Trainer Dawn Stuckey Academy Athletic Trainer

*Houston Ballet staff who have more than 10 years of service †Senior leadership

11/2/2023 3:50:55 PM

2023-2024 Board of Trustees EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OFFICERS Mrs. Leigh M. Smith*, Chairman Mrs. Kristy J. Bradshaw, President Ms. Hallie Vanderhider, Secretary Mrs. Amy Pincu, Treasurer & Vice President – Finance Mr. Jesse H. Jones II*, Vice President – Development Mrs. Elizabeth Leykum, Vice President – Education & Community Engagement Mrs. Kelley S. Lubanko, Vice President – Trustee Development Mr. Daniel M. McClure, Vice President – Investment Mrs. Elizabeth R. Zdeblick, Vice President – Academy

MEMBERS-AT-LARGE Mrs. Melza Barr – Mr. Sean Becker – Mr. James Cowan – Mrs. Renee Humphrey – Chad Libertus Ms. Leticia Loya – Mrs. Carroll Robertson Ray – Ms. S. Shawn Stephens*– Mrs. Allison Thacker* Stephanie Tsuru – Mrs. Phoebe Tudor* – Mrs. Christine M. Underwood – Mr. Marcus A. Watts Mrs. Margaret Alkek Williams (L) – Mrs. Lynn Wyatt

TRUSTEES Mr. W. Cameron Alguire Mrs. Leslie Alston Dr. Julia D. Andrieni Mr. Bill Baldwin Mrs. Diane Bazelides Ms. Ann C. Bean Mr. Gary V. Beauchamp Mrs. Gina Bhatia Mrs. Susan Binney Mrs. Leslie Blanton Ms. Lindsey Brown Mrs. Lenni Burke Ms. Zoe Cadore Ms. Kim Cagle Mr. Erich Canseco Mrs. Anne S. Chao Ms. Keiko Chevray Mr. Mike Chou Mr. and Mrs. James W. Crownover Mrs. Rosanette S. Cullen Ms. Sasha Davis Ms. Jane DiPaolo Mrs. Carter Dugan Mrs. Pamela D. Earthman Sharon F. Erskine Mrs. Martha Finger Richard W. Flowers Hon. Charles C. Foster Mrs. Kate Dearing Fowler Mrs. Jo Furr (L) Life Trustee * Former Board President

The Nutcracker - Master.indd 33

Mrs. Marianne Geagea Mrs. Mignon Gill Sandra S. Godfrey Mrs. Ann Graham Anne Graubart Ms. Victoria Gutierrez Mr. Joseph A. Hafner, Jr. Mr. Herschel Hamner Dr. Joshua D. Harris Mrs. Nancy Ferguson Haywood Mr. Michael Heckman Mrs. Winell Herron Mrs. Jayne Johnston Mr. James M. Jordan* Mrs. Russell C. Joseph Ms. Melissa Juneau Natasha Khan Mr. Ed Koehler Mr. Phil Lane Ms. Melanie Lawson Ms. Amy LeBlanc Dr. Bridgitte Shen Lee Mr. Mark Loveland Mr. Joseph A. Matula Mrs. Jean E. May Mrs. J. Luke McConn III Mrs. Kris McGee Richard K. McGee* Mrs. Martha Rocks McMurrey Mrs. Michael Mithoff

Marsha L. Montemayor Ms. Nancy Powell Moore Ms. Desrye Morgan Ms. Beth Muecke Mrs. Patti Murphy Dr. Duyen Huynh Nguyen Tammy Tran Nguyen Mrs. Cabrina Owsley Mr. James Parr Mrs. Elisa S. Pye Monica Radoff Mr. Ron Rand Macey Reasoner Laura M. Robertson Mrs. Akemi Saitoh Ms. Samira A. Salman Mrs. Louisa Stude Sarofim* (L) Mr. Kent Schaffer Ms. Jordan Seff Mrs. James Shaffer Ms. Sunday Shepherd Dannika E. Simpson Mrs. Alicia Smith Mrs. Heidi Smith Dr. Liliana Soltero Becca Cason Thrash Mrs. Erika Toussaint Mrs. Ileana Treviño Mrs. Rini Ziegler

HOUSTON BALLET

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Corporate Spotlight

Special thanks to our generous corporate sponsors that help make Houston Ballet’s 2023 performances of The Nutcracker possible.

NATASHA KHAN Partner, Baker Botts L.L.P.

On behalf of Baker Botts, welcome to Houston Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker. We are proud to be a sponsor of these performances.

Baker Botts is an international law firm whose lawyers practice throughout a network of offices around the globe. Based on our experience and knowledge of our clients’ industries, we are recognized as a leading firm in the energy, technology and life sciences sectors.

Throughout our history, we have provided creative and effective legal solutions for our clients while demonstrating an unrelenting commitment to excellence. We have been an integral part of the Houston business and arts community since we opened our doors more than 180 years ago. Baker Botts is committed to giving back to the communities in which we serve, and supporting the arts is an important part of that tradition.

We are excited to support Houston Ballet and appreciate your attendance. Enjoy the show!

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HONG OGLE

RYAN M. LANCE

President, Bank of America Houston

Chairman and CEO, ConocoPhillips

Culture is at the heart of the City of Houston, and the arts are its lifeblood. At Bank of America, we believe in the power of the arts, and celebrate how they have shaped our community. Houston Ballet is a shining example of how the arts provide a respite from our busy day-to-day lives, tell breathtaking stories, and help promote cultural understanding. As a leader in helping the arts flourish across the globe, we support Houston Ballet and their work to educate and empower people of all ages. During this holiday season, we hope you enjoy the magic of The Nutcracker.

ConocoPhillips has been a proud sponsor of Houston Ballet for over three decades. We commend the ballet on its leadership in inspiring an appreciation for dance through its artistic excellence, exhilarating performances, innovative choreography, and superb educational programs.

As one of the world’s leading exploration and production companies, ConocoPhillips is proud to support our hometown’s cultural arts. We are pleased to sponsor Houston Ballet’s magical holiday production of The Nutcracker and hope you enjoy the performance!

WINELL HERRON Houston Ballet Trustee & Group Vice President of Public Affairs, Diversity & Environmental Affairs, H-E-B For more than 115 years, our commitment and involvement in the community has been an important part of the way we do business.

We are proud to support Houston Ballet’s Education and Community Engagement initiatives such as the Student Matinee performances of The Nutcracker. It is said teaching is a calling, and we could not agree more. That is why we proudly support the outstanding educators who have dedicated themselves to making a difference in the lives of our children. From the classroom to the community, we proudly answer the call by giving back over $10 million annually to Texas educational initiatives. It is our way of saying thank you for allowing us to be your neighbor. We call it H-E-B’s Spirit of Giving. In this spirit, we have contributed over five percent of pretax earnings to public and charitable programs since the 1930s.

HOUSTON BALLET

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11/8/2023 10:24:35 AM

Corporate Spotlight

Special thanks to our generous corporate sponsors that help make Houston Ballet’s 2023 performances of The Nutcracker possible.

JIM COWAN

HERSCHEL HAMNER

Houston Ballet Trustee & Associate General Counsel Global Litigation – Americas, Shell Oil Company

Houston Ballet Trustee & Partner, Sidley Austin LLP

Houston Ballet Inspires a lasting love and appreciation for dance. As a proud sponsor, Shell USA salutes Houston Ballet and the cast of The Nutcracker for dazzling us all during the holidays, and cultivating a thriving performing arts scene in the city we call home.

Sidley is proud to sponsor the Houston Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker. We applaud Houston Ballet for its enduring creativity and impact, from outstanding performances to high-quality education and community engagement programs.

Sidley is a diversified global law firm with over 2,300 lawyers in 21 offices around the world. With 80+ lawyers, we have grown into one of the larger corporate practices in Houston by providing top-notch services to the energy industry, financial institutions, private equity funds, and other regional, national, and international clients. Our office also draws upon the strength of the broader firm, aligning with many of Sidley’s core practice areas to achieve results for clients on their most complex transactional, regulatory, and litigation matters.

LAURINDA RAINEY Managing Director and General Manager, United Airlines Cobrand at Chase United Card Events from Chase is a proud sponsor of Houston Ballet, and we applaud their immeasurable artistic, educational, and inspirational contributions to our local community.

Our United Card Events from Chase program aims to create unforgettable experiences exclusively for United MileagePlus® cardmembers, making it possible to explore your passions, discover new ones, and make memories of a lifetime, such as experiencing this special performance this evening. Thank you for your attendance and we hope you enjoy Houston Ballet’s 2023 production of The Nutcracker!

HOUSTON BALLET

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Production Underwriters Houston Ballet gratefully acknowledges the extraordinary commitment of all those who provided generous production underwriting support of The Nutcracker.

$500,000 OR MORE

$250,000-$499,999

$100,000-$249,999

$25,000-$99,999

Ting Tsung and Wei Fong Chao Foundation The Cullen Trust for the Performing Arts

A Friend of Houston Ballet Beauchamp Foundation The Cullen Foundation The Elkins Foundation The Fondren Foundation Texas Commission on the Arts

ConocoPhillips Allison and Troy Thacker Ms. Ann G. Trammell Phoebe and Bobby Tudor

The Brown Foundation, Inc. H-E-B Houston Ballet Guild S. Shawn Stephens and James M. Jordan Yasuhiko and Akemi Saitoh

Étoile

Étoile honors the visionary leaders who make extraordinary annual commitments of $100,000 or more to Houston Ballet and whose generosity substantially underwrites Houston Ballet’s world-class performances, renowned dance training, and extensive community programs.

Friend of Houston Ballet Melza and Ted Barr Gary V. Beauchamp and Marian Wilfert Beauchamp The Brown Foundation, Inc. Anne and Albert Chao ConocoPhillips The Cullen Foundation The Cullen Trust for the Performing Arts The Jerry C. Dearing Family Foundation The Events Company Houston Ballet Guild Houston Methodist Mr. Jesse H. Jones II 36

Deborah and Edward Koehler KPRC Ms. Leticia Loya Cabrina and Steven Owsley Isla and T.R. Reckling Yasuhiko and Akemi Saitoh Allison and Troy Thacker Ann Trammell Stephanie and Frank Tsuru Phoebe and Bobby Tudor Hallie Vanderhider Margaret Alkek Williams The Wortham Foundation, Inc.

HOUSTON BALLET

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Annual Support

Houston Ballet is grateful to our generous individual supporters who ensure we remain a world-class ballet company, bringing high-caliber, exhilarating performances and educational programming to audiences of all ages.

Directors Circle $50,000-$99,999

Friend of Houston Ballet Myra Brown Mrs. Jerry Ann Woodfin-Costa and Mr. Victor Costa Lori Gallagher and Curtis Huff Mrs. Norah Orphanides

Kent and Shara Schaffer Mr. and Mrs. Reginald R. Smith Mr. Mike S. Stude Lynn Wyatt Syma and Walter Zerkow

Artists Circle $25,000-$49,999

Friend of Houston Ballet Mignon and Stephen Gill Macey and Harry Reasoner Dr. Julia Andrieni and Dr. Robert Phillips Dr. Michael Hawkins and Dr. Liliana Soltero James Stafford and Deborah Keyser Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Bradshaw Mr. and Mrs. Henry S. May, Jr. S. Shawn Stephens and James M. Jordan Marianne and Joe Geagea Marvin and Martha McMurrey Mary and Greg Whalley Mr. Dee S. Osborne

Presidents Circle $15,000-$24,999

Dr. and Mrs. Devinder Bhatia Sasha Davis and Joseph Matulevich Marsha and Sam Dodson Twana and Kelly Faykus Mr. and Mrs. Joseph A. Hafner, Jr. Claudia and David Hatcher Mrs. Nancy Ferguson Haywood

Mr. and Mrs. Russell C. Joseph D. M. Marcinek Kris and Richard McGee Marsha L. Montemayor Ms. Nancy Powell Moore James Nelson and Richard Lapin Kevin S. Potter

Elisa and Cris Pye Carroll and Hugh Ray Mike Rydin Ms. Elizabeth Schwarze Dylan and Jordan Seff Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas L. Swyka J. Michael and Ileana Treviño

Impresario $10,000-$14,999

Friends of Houston Ballet Mr. Cameron Alguire & Mrs. Ashley Hughey Dr. Saul and Ursula Balagura Mr. and Mrs. Phil Bazelides Ms. Ann Bean Mr. Sean Becker Dr. Patrick Benge Gary and Susan Binney Mr. and Mrs. Jack S. Blanton, Jr. C. Robert Bunch and Lilia D. Khakimova Lenni and Bill Burke Carol Butler Keiko Chevray Mr. and Mrs. James W. Crownover Mrs. Rosanette S. Cullen Ms. Jane DiPaolo Bruce and Pamela Earthman Sharon F. Erskine

Mr. and Mrs. Richard Finger The Friedkin Group/Marc and Brenda Watts Mr. and Mrs. James E. Furr Sandy and Lee Godfrey Mr. and Mrs. Murphy Graham Anne Graubart Victoria Gutierrez and Nick Pierce Hope Huber Jayne and Garrett Johnston Ms. Melissa Holman Juneau Ms. Melanie Lawson and Mr. John F. Guess, Jr. Dr. Bridgitte Shen Lee and Mr. Eugene E. Lee Evelyn Leightman Elizabeth and Charlie Leykum Eugene F. Loveland Mr. and Mrs. Mark Loveland Stephen and Kelley Lubanko Marilyn G. Lummis

Joseph and Jenifer Matula Judy and Dan McClure Mr. and Mrs. Michael Mithoff Ms. Beth Muecke Mrs. Patti A. Murphy Drs. Duyen and Marc Nguyen Tammy and Wayne Nguyen Sara and James Parr Bradley and Monica Radoff Ms. Samira A. Salman Helen and Jim Shaffer Dannika E. Simpson Heidi and Marcus Smith Erika and John Toussaint Mr. and Mrs. David M. Underwood, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas J. Zdeblick Rini and Edward Ziegler

HOUSTON BALLET

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ANNUAL SUPPORT

Corporations, Foundations, and Public Agencies Houston Ballet gratefully acknowledges the support of the following corporations, foundations, and public agencies.

$750,000 OR MORE The Brown Foundation, Inc. Houston Methodist $500,000-$749,999 City of Houston through Houston Arts Alliance $100,000-$249,999 Melza M. and Frank Theodore Barr Foundation, Inc. Ting Tsung and Wei Fong Chao Foundation City of Houston through Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs ConocoPhillips The Cullen Foundation The Cullen Trust for the Performing Arts The Jerry C. Dearing Family Foundation Houston Ballet Guild KPRC Mid-America Arts Alliance The Sarofim Foundation The Shubert Foundation, Inc. Texas Commission on the Arts $50,000-$99,999 Bank of America Beauchamp Foundation Chevron City of Houston through the Miller Theatre Advisory Board, Inc. The Freebird Foundation H-E-B Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo The Humphreys Foundation KPMG LLP KRBE NÜTRL Vodka The Powell Foundation Shell USA, Inc. United Card Events from Chase Vivian L. Smith Foundation Wells Fargo

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$25,000-$49,999 Baker Botts LLP De Beers Jewellers William S. and Lora Jean Kilroy Foundation M. D. Anderson Foundation Norton Rose Fulbright Rand Group Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women Truist Bank Van Cleef & Arpels Vinson & Elkins LLP $10,000-$24,999 Bora The Friedkin Group George and Mary Josephine Hamman Foundation William E. & Natoma Pyle Harvey Charitable Trust Albert and Ethel Herzstein Charitable Foundation Houston Area BMW Centers Junior League of Houston, Inc. KNOWAutism Foundation Robert & Pearl Knox Charitable Foundation John P. McGovern Foundation Mitsubishi Corporation (Americas) Mitsubishi Heavy Industries America Nan and Company Properties Northern Trust Scurlock Foundation Sidley Austin LLP Sterling-Turner Foundation Sumitomo Corporation of Americas Truluck’s Willow Hill Soap Company $2,500-$9,999 The Gordon A. Cain Foundation DICK’S Sporting Goods The Joan and Marvin Kaplan Foundation Longhorn Charter Bus Nippon Steel North America, Inc. Samsville Gallery Strake Foundation The Sartain and Tamez Family Trust Fund

VIRTUOSO $7,500-$9,999 Friend of Houston Ballet Anne Morgan Barrett Zachary and Karen Bell Mr. Erich Canseco C.C. Conner, Jr. and David Groover Sylvie and Gary Crum Dr. and Mrs. Thomas Doneker Marcia and Tom Faschingbauer Perry and Cinda Forrester Marion and Caroline Freeman Marion and Gary Glober Mr. Samuel F. Gorman Dr. Raymond and Leora Kahn Kathleen Moore and Steven Homer Geri Noel Dr. David W. Reininger and Laura Lee Jones Susan and Ed Septimus AMBASSADOR $4,000-$7,499 Friends of Houston Ballet Dr. and Mrs. George J. Abdo Mr. W. Kendall Adam Ms. Jacqueline S. Akins Mrs. Joan G. Alexander Nancy C. Allen Leslie Alston and Michael Zenker Maida and Paul Asofsky Walter Bering Muffet Blake Anne Orton Boss Ms. Michaela Botha Mr. and Mrs. David A. Bristol, Jr. Katherine Brooker and Thomas Stenack Mr. and Mrs. Mark Brookner Lindsey Brown Judy Gray Brunk Reagan and Claudia Burch Kim Cagle and Tim Mullin Maria Claudia Caldas Jess and Patricia Carnes Beth and Michael Chambers Mrs. Jeannie Rich Chandler Nada Chandler Mr. Robert Chanon Donna Collins Mr. Michael Collins and Dr. Michael Evans Mr. Robert and Dr. Carol Collins Ramon Creixell Rochelle Cyprus David and Lynne Devine Mary Rebecca and Cody Dick Sandra Didlake Dr. and Mrs. Donohue Mrs. Carol Drawe Burl and Jenny Wang Drews Danielle Ellis C.C. and Duke Ensell The Honorable Catherine and Mr. James Evans Mary Ann and Larry Faulkner Vicki Faulkner Sidney Faust Marla and Stewart Feldman Joe and Laura Freudenberger Prince and Princess Piotr and Maria-Anna Galitzine David & Anita Garten

HOUSTON BALLET

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ANNUAL SUPPORT Cynthia and Ty Geiger Dr. Eugenia George Mitchell B. George and Stanley Curtis, Jr. Beth and Wayne Gibbens Dr. and Mrs. George S. Glass Mr. and Mrs. Joel Grossman William and Jane Guest Mr. Brent Hallmark Lauren and Herschel Hamner Linda Lloyd Hart Susan and Michael Hawes Mr. and Mrs. Jim Hibbert Tami Hiraoka Gillian Hobson Gary Hollingsworth and Ken Hyde Lonnie Hoogeboom and Betsy Strauch Mrs. James E. Hooks Swagelok Texas Mid-Coast Mr. and Mrs. Stephen M. Kaufman Mrs. Neale W. Kempner John Atterbury Kendall Susan and Michael Klaveness Ms. Ann Koster Mrs. Warren W. Kreft Jake and Jennifer Kushner Angie Lane and Nick Eoff Dr. Claire Langston Susan Lapin Stephanie Larsen and Bryn Kristen Larsen Ms. Amy LeBlanc Ms. Tracy N. LeRoy Chad Libertus Bob and Sharon Lietzow Ms. Judy Liu Stephen and Chris Lukin Dr. and Mrs. Michael Mann Mr. and Mrs. Alexander Matiuk Tom Mays Bill, Julie, and Jason McClung Warren and Yana McFatter Mimi Reed McGehee Vickie Milazzo and Thomas Ziemba Miller Theatre Advisory Board Mr. and Mrs. Jordan H. Mintz Ginni and Richard Mithoff David and Mary Montague Brad and Lauren Morgan Mr. and Mrs. James M. Nicklos Peggy Pennington O’Connor Mr. Michael and Mrs. Catherine Oestmann Martha Farish Oti Robert and Mireille Patman Mr. and Mrs. Jordan Alexander Pincu Mr. and Mrs. Frederick J. Plaeger II Mr. Vsevolod Popov Ms. Lori Fultz Priess Joan and Lou Pucher Fay and George A. Rizzo Sharon Roark Joseph Henry Rose Michele and Robert Ryan Ms. Jaleh Sallee The Sartain and Tamez Family Trust Bob Scott and Susan Bickley Sarah and Tom Scott Linda and Charles Shearouse Mr. and Mrs. Thomas M. Simmons Tricia and Mark Singer Michael B. Smith

Mrs. Christine Sofka Ann and Robert Stephens Summit Dental Center-Dr. Essa A. Kawaja Dr. Jeffrey Sweterlitsch Dr. Jeff and Erin Thompson Drs. Peter and Pamela Triolo Paul and Sherry Vaughan Mr. Timothy Wampler Mrs. Sara E. White Susan Whitfield Mrs. Andrew Wilkomirski Loretta and Lawrence Williams Helen B. Wils and Leonard A. Goldstein Doug & Kay Wilson Gaddis and Susan Wittjen Steve and Patricia Yatauro Dow and Meredith Zabolio Mr. John L. Zipprich II YOUNG AMBASSADOR $2,000 Friend of Houston Ballet Renee Anderson Nicholas Baran Sara Carbo, River Oaks Dance Andrew and Mary Allen Cope Devon and Jim Furl Amy Goodpasture Stuart and Meghan Humphries Ms. Mariya Idenova Karen Kwok Mrs. Jordan Macha and Mr. Kent Hemphill David Moyer II R. Trevor Myers Melissa L. Nance P.E. Elizabeth Price Melissa Reihle Mr. and Mrs. Michael Ritchie Cristina M. Romeu Kristiann Rushton Dr. Addy Satija Dr. Lana Rabinovich and Mr. Leo Slootsky Lauren Walstad Hardy BRAVO $2,000-$3,999 Friends of Houston Ballet Mrs. Elaine Adams Norah G. Adams Ken Alston Anthony and Gina Bahr Mr. and Mrs. Paul Balmert Mr. and Mrs. Stephen J. Banks Christopher Barr and Patricia Shanley Drs. Robert and Nancy Benjamin Stephen and Linda Bickel George and Evette Blumenschein Pauline Bolton Ms. Barbara Brooks Mr. and Mrs. R. Lawrence Brown III Lynn Churay Drs. Steven Craig and Janet Kohlhase Shannon Crain Design Mr. and Mrs. Michael A. Denham Mrs. Jenny Elkins Mrs. Madeleine Ferris Pearl and Israel Fogiel Ms. Leslie Gassner Mary and Tony Gracely

Lisa Gray Dave and Bodil Guenther Mr. and Mrs. Ross K. Hill Sandra and Richard Jackson Mr. and Mrs. William H. Knull III Kelly & Tracy Finn Brenda Landry Philip Livingston Mr. and Mrs. Peter MacGregor Ms. Patricia McMahon Katie and Kurt Meissner Colonel Michael Mergens and Mrs. Mergens Ms. Desrye Morgan Patti Mullendore Paula and Geoff Newton Mr. and Mrs. Eric Reed Wanda A. Reynolds Jewel Sims and Thomas Springer Mr. Sam L. Stolbun and Dr. Alana R. Spiwak Ann Wales Dr Joan and Mike Weltzien Betsy Winn Qval Property Advisors Mr. and Mrs.† Richard Wright ENCORE $1,000-$1,999 Friends of Houston Ballet Dr. Linda H. Alexander Nick and Jo Allen Kenneth Anderson and Jean-Marie Simon Dr. and Mrs. Robert E. Anderson Deborah Bautch Victor and Anna Mae Beghini Fund Ed A. and Valerie Blair Mona Bostwick Dick and Claire Brooks Dr. Fred J. Buckwold Kyle Burks Rochelle and Jordan Buff Marilyn Caplovitz Stephanie and Ted Carpenter Drs. David A. Cech and Mary R. Schwartz Steve and Lynne Clark Mr. Wayne Clark Brenda J. and Richard Clem Mike and Linda Condit Elena DeLaunay Jeanne Doornbos and Michael Maher Suzi Feickert Myrna Fisch Mike and Lindsay Fiuzat Mr. and Mrs. Harvey Fleisher Mr. and Mrs. Harris Forbes Christopher and Ann Frautschi Ms. Lucy Gebhart Anne Marit Ghazi Char Gollogly Cheyenne Nicole Management Russell Handy Karen R. and Franklin J. Harberg, Jr. Rosario Spinoso-Harter Nancy L. Harwell Diana and Russell Hawkins Cynthia Herzog and Rocky High Ms. Kathryn de Sousa Gabriel and Agnes Hortobagyi Caroline and Bruce Hurley Mr. Francisco J. Izaguirre HOUSTON BALLET

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ANNUAL SUPPORT

In-Kind Donors A special thank you to the following businesses and individuals for their in-kind support.

$100,000 OR MORE Audacy KHMX Mix 96.5, KILT FM 100.3 The Bull, KKHH The Spot 95.7, KLOL Mega 101 and KILT AM Sports 610 KRBE FM PaperCity Magazine The Events Company $50,000-$99,999 iHeart Radio KODA FM Sunny 99.1, KTRH AM 740 News Radio, KTBZ FM 94.5 The Buzz KHOU TV KPMG LLP KPRC TV NRG Park $25,000-$49,999 Chef Chris Shepherd City Kitchen Catering Saks Fifth Avenue Allison and Troy Thacker $10,000-$24,999 Houston Public Media Kirksey Gregg Productions, LLC Macy’s Saks Fifth Avenue SilverStone Events Swoon Magazine Texas Monthly $5,000-$9,999 Kristy and Chris Bradshaw H-E-B Houston Astros Houston Public Media Jada Loveless Key Magazine

Kid’s Directory Lavandula Design McClain Gallery Leigh and Reggie Smith Shepard Exposition Services Tootsies Zang Toi Couture $2,500-$4,999 Alaska Fur Gallery Bludorn/Chef Aaron Bludorn Chef Hugo Ortega Elizabeth Anthony Fady Armanious and Bill Baldwin Fluff Bake Bar/Chef Rebecca Masson Fresi Travels Gregory Henry Landscape Design Jimmy Choo LH Media Design Neiman Marcus Nice Winery Roger Vivier $1,000-$2,499 Al’s Handmade Boots Bach Mai Bergner and Johnson Buz Marvins Photography Diamonds Direct Dr. Roth Plastic Surgery Fulshear/Katy Chamber of Commerce Relocation Guide Gittings Portraiture Haley Bowen Jackson and Company Kelli Kouri Pura Medical Aesthetics Sealy News/Katy News, Granite Media Partners The Club at Carlton Woods The Post Oak Hotel

Jill and Dunham Jewett Ms. Emily Kao Molly Ann Kaplan Ara Karian Doug and Karen Kenaley Stephen and Patricia King Mrs. Jennifer Lambert Paul and Nancy LeGros Mrs. Sylvia Lohkamp Dr. Brian Malechuk and Mr. Kevin Melgaard Renee Margolin Michael and Onalee McEwen April and Wells McGee Julie Miles Kerry & Steve Morby Terrylin G. Neale Martha and Richard Owen Mrs. Peg Palisin and Mr. Gary C. Gardner Mrs. Jo Papadakis Pauli&Pets Richard A. and Thelma A. Percoco Ann and Lou Raden Mr. and Mrs. Cameron Ray Kent and Sandy Reynolds Dr. and Mrs. Mark S. Rigo Elena Lexina and Brian Rishikof Maura and Walter Ritchie Ana Rodriguez Josh and Ann Rowland Gregory and Dina Rozenfeld Brenda and Mansel Rubenstein Mr. and Mrs. Russell D. Sellen Mrs. Randal Smith Becky and Wayne Sneed Ms. Judy Spinella Christen and Amy Springs Carol Todd Stamatedes Marty and Bob Stein Paula Sutton and Bill Gross Kay and Bert Tabor Amir Taghi Marty Thomas Dr. and Mrs. Giles Leslie Vick Dean Walker Suzanne Walstad Dr. and Mrs. J. Anthony Walter III Barbara and Howard Weiner Mr. Gary Whitney Barbara Rassmann Wilhite Mary Anne Wilkinson and Bill Samelson Jim and Nancy Winget The Wolens Family Mrs. Cyvia Wolff Dr. and Mrs. Bruce Wright

† In Memoriam These generous donations were received before October 11, 2023.

For more information about supporting Houston Ballet through annual membership, please contact Lucy Graham, Assistant Director of Donor Relations, at 713.535.3226 or lgraham@houstonballet.org

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Houston Ballet Endowment Endowed funds assist Houston Ballet in attracting talented artists.

The Harris Masterson III Artistic Director – Stanton Welch AM The Albert and Margaret Alkek Foundation Principal Dancer – Yuriko Kajiya The Melza M. Barr Principal Dancer – Melody Mennite The Cullen Trust for the Performing Arts Principal Dancer – Jessica Collado The Fondren Foundation Principal Dancer – Connor Walsh The Houston Ballet Guild Principal Dancer – Karina González The Houston Ballet Guild First Soloist – Tyler Donatelli The Anita B. Stude Principal Dancer – Chase O’Connell The Robert F. Parker Principal Dancer – Soo Youn Cho The Carolyn Lee and Frederick Adrian Lee Production Fund supports the creation of new productions and the restoration of existing works.

The Albert and Margaret Alkek Foundation endows the Margaret Alkek Williams Jubilee of Dance, Houston Ballet’s annual gala performance.

The Lauren Anderson Dance Residency at Ucross funds an artist residency for a promising choreographer or dancer.

The Lauren Anderson Young Dancer Scholarship Fund underwrites training for traditionally underrepresented Academy students annually.

The Joe Anne Berwick Endowed Merit Scholarship supports students of dance.

The Ira and Myra Brown Young Dancer Scholarship Fund underwrites training for Academy dancers annually.

The Fayez Sarofim & Co. Touring Fund supports Houston Ballet’s domestic and international tours.

The C. C. Conner Scholarship Fund, The Roy M. Huffington Scholarship Fund, The Billie Bath Perlman Scholarship Fund, and The Winifred Wallace Scholarship Fund each underwrite training for one HBII dancer annually.

The Margaret Wiess Elkins Young Artist Fund, The Ben Stevenson Scholarship Fund and The Anita Borges Stude Scholarship Fund each underwrite training for one Academy dancer annually.

The AIG American General/AIG VALIC Education and Community Engagement Programs Fund helps Houston Ballet reach a broad population of all ages and economic levels.

With deep gratitude, we salute the following donors for their contributions to the Endowment.

$5,000,000 OR MORE The Brown Foundation, Inc. Estate of Frederic Adrian Lee Margaret Alkek Williams/The Albert and Margaret Alkek Foundation

$500,000-$999,999 Ira† and Myra Brown Estate of Joe Anne Berwick National Endowment for the Arts Mr. Fayez Sarofim†

$3,000,000-$4,999,999 Estate of George W. Ernst, Jr. The Wortham Foundation, Inc.

$100,000-$499,999 Friends of Houston Ballet AIG American General/AIG VALIC Mr. and Mrs. Isaac Arnold, Jr. Lee and Ramona Bass Foundation Estate of Audrey Jones Beck Estate of Suzanne S. Braden Mrs. Laurie Champion The Cockrell Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Peter R. Coneway Charles Engelhard Foundation Mr. James A. Elkins, Jr.† The Elkins Foundation The Fondren Foundation

$1,000,000-$2,999,999 Melza M. and Frank Theodore Barr Foundation, Inc. The Cullen Foundation The Cullen Trust for the Performing Arts Houston Endowment, Inc. Mr. and Mrs. Harris Masterson III†

Mr. and Mrs. William J. Gillingham† Hearst Foundations Mr. William J. Hill† Barbara F. and Gerald D. Hines† Hobby Family Foundation Houston Ballet Guild Deborah and Edward Koehler Mr. and Mrs. Meredith J. Long Mary Ralph Lowe Estate of William McAnear Estate of Dr. Matilda Melnick Mr. and Mrs. George P. Mitchell† Mitchell Energy & Development Corp.

Mr. and Mrs. Roy S. O’Connor Mr. and Mrs. Robert F. Parker Mr. Henry Salvatori Scurlock Foundation Tarrant Hancock Trust Estate of Dorothy B. Thomas

†in memoriam HOUSTON BALLET

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In the Wings Stanton Welch’s highly anticipated Cinderella returns to the Wortham Theater stage for the first time since 2017. Set to Prokofiev’s classic score with spectacular set and costume design by Kristian Fredrikson, Welch’s Cinderella is far from the traditional tale of a damsel in distress. The main character is a spunky young woman who embraces her independence and fights off the ill intentions of her evil stepmother and falls in love with her prince charming.

Houston Ballet will present Cinderella February 22 - March 3, 2024 at the Wortham Theater Center.

For tickets, please visit houstonballet.org or call the box office at 713.227.2787.

Join us for the Cinderella Dance Talks on February 13, 2024 at 7:15 PM at the Margaret Alkek Williams Center for Dance to learn more about the production from our panel of artists.

Principal Melody Mennite and Oliver Halkowich. Photo by Amitava Sarkar.

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Principal Melody Mennite and Oliver Halkowich. Photo by Amitava Sarkar.

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HoustonBallet

The Nutcracker presented by Houston Methodist

VOL. 6, ISSUE 3 2023

11/2/2023 3:51:28 PM

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