CENTERSTAGE DES MOINES CIVIC CENTER
FRIDAY, JANUARY 17, 2014
TUESDAY, MARCH 18, 2014
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0712 - 06456
Inspire
Ami M Yaro
Director/Founder
We seek to inspire our students,
BA with Honors in Dance University of Iowa
Believe
help them to believe in themselves
Achieve
and achieve their goals in life as well as dance 3890 NW Urbandale Dr Urbandale, IA 50322 (515) 334-5510 www.iowaballetacademy.com
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CEO &
From the President
CONTENTS Thanks to our Donors. . . . . . . . . . . . 4 n
Alonzo King LINES Ballet
FRIDAY, JANUARY 17, 2014 Title Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Alonzo King - Choreographer . . . . . 9 Company Profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Staff. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Dancers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 n
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
TUESDAY, MARCH 18, 2014 Title Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 All About Ailey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Directors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Who’s Who in the Company. . . . .
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Credits. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 n
Des Moines Performing Arts Board of Directors and Staff. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Dear friends, It is my pleasure to welcome you to the fourth season of the Dance Series. This season, Des Moines Performing Arts is pleased to present Alonzo King LINES Ballet, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and the Trey McIntyre Project. Celebrating its 30th anniversary, Alonzo King LINES Ballet nurtures dynamic artistry and the development of authentic, creative expression through dance. Master choreographer Alonzo King collaborates with artists of diverse cultural backgrounds to develop original new works. For example, Resin explores the possibilities of the vast and diverse field of music of the Sephardic Jews. And, King’s Scheherazade is a new take on the Persian, Sanskrit and Arabic stories of 1,001 Nights. Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is one of the most well-known dance companies in the world. Alvin Ailey choreographed the ground-breaking Revelations in 1960 as a tribute to his Southern religious roots. It tells the story of African-American faith and tenacity from slavery to freedom through a suite of dances set to spirituals and blues music. We are thrilled to bring this legendary company – and a legendary work – to the Civic Center stage. We also look forward to presenting the Trey McIntyre Project in May, and later in the season we will share with you more information about a new work being created by the company that will be performed during the Des Moines engagement. Be sure to stay after this evening’s presentation for DANCEtalk—an intimate, in-theater conversation with the artistic staff and performers. This experience is also offered prior to each dance performance in the series. We are very grateful to those of you who purchased season tickets for the Dance Series and to our Dance VIPs, as it is your support that makes this series possible.
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Guest Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . .23
Jeff Chelesvig President & CEO Des Moines Performing Arts
DANCE SERIES
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Thanks to our Donors!
Leadership support for The Dance Series has been provided by:
The National Endowment for the Arts Des Moines Performing Arts thanks those who have supported The Dance Series by purchasing a Dance VIP Season Ticket Package. The Dance VIP Package includes a donation that directly supports Des Moines Performing Arts dance programming. Dr. Jeffrey and Mary Ellen Anderson Dominique Bowmer Tom and Michele Brown Shelly Catlett Jeff Chelesvig Denise DeSchamp Elizabeth Ferreira and Valerie Williams Jeff Freude and Laurie Wolf Dr. Joel and Shayla From Jon and Faith Garnaas David and Mary Giese Roberta Gilbert and Joseph Barron Cecil Goettsch and Jackie Saunders Dr. Julia Goodin Gordon L. Greger Kevin and Sheryl Grimm Irving and Jennifer Hahn John and Sharon Hines IMT Insurance Company Dr. Darren Jirsa Stephan and Thomasine Johnson Bill and Beth Koenig Duane and Harriet Leitch
Richard W. and Kaye Lozier Randy E. McMullin Maria Montanaro and Dave Warner Debra Moore and Donn Stanley Candy Morgan Debra Moyer Kay Pauline Myers Nancy O’Connell Jonathan and Rosemary Parson James and Rita Pray Al and Sue Ravenscroft Christine Schempp Lyle and Janet Simpson Bill Stotts Matt and Jennifer Suhr Dr. Louis Veneziano Melvin and Kathryn Weatherwax Douglas and Deborah West John Wild Dr. Richard and Gail Wilker Ami Yaro and Steven Nelson David and Kimberly Zieser Dr. Mark and Heidi Zlab
Thank you to our Premier Partners:
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DES MOINES CIVIC CENTER A Des Moines Performing Arts Theater Jeff Chelesvig, President & CEO
ALONZO KING LINES BALLET AlonzoAlonzo King, Founder, Artistic Director King, Founder, Artistic Director Robert Rosenwasser, Founder, Creative Director Robert Rosenwasser, Founder, Creative Director Fernandez, Ballet Master ArturoArturo Fernandez, Ballet Master TheCompany Company The Robb Beresford
Robb Beresford David Harvey David Harvey Courtney Henry Babatunji Johnson Courtney Henry Yujin Kim Babatunji Johnson Michael Montgomery Yujin Rocher Kim Caroline Michael JeffreyMontgomery Van Sciver Meredtih Webster Caroline Rocher KaraVan Wilkes Jeffrey Sciver Meredtih Webster Janette Gitler, Exectutive Director Kara Wilkes G. Chris Griffin, Production Director and Lighting Director Cody Chen, Production Stage Manager Janette Gitler, Exectutive Director Molly Rogers, Company Administrative Assistant
Kuehl, Development G. Chris Griffin,Sheri Production DirectorDirector and Lighting Director Annette Muller, Marketing Manager Cody Chen, Production Stage Manager Rogers, Company Administrative Assistant MarinaMolly Hotchkiss, Director of LINES Ballet BFA Program at Dominican University of Callifornia Karah Abiog, Director of LINES Ballet Training Program Tammy Cheney, Director of LINES Ballet Summer Program and Discovery Project Sheri Kuehl, Development Director Robin Anderson, Katherine Nauman, Directors of LINES Dance Center
Annette Muller, Marketing Manager
Thank you to the following organizations which have provided invaluable support to Alonzo King LINES programs at and Dominican projects: Marina Hotchkiss, Director of LINES Ballet BFABallet’s Program University of Callifornia Bank of the West, BNP Paribas Foundation, California Arts Council, Columbia Foundation, Fleishhacker Foundation, Karah Abiog, Director ofFoundation, LINES Grants Ballet Program GAP Foundation, The Wallace Alexander Gerbode for Training the Arts/San Francisco Hotel Tax Fund, The Walter and Elise Haas Fund, The William and FloraSummer Hewlett Foundation, The James Irvine Foundation, Project Tammy Cheney, Director of LINES Ballet Program and Discovery Kaiser Permanente, LEF Foundation, National Dance Residency Program, National Endowment for the Arts, Robin Anderson, Katherine Nauman, Directors ofThe LINES Center New England Foundation for the Arts, The Rudolf Nureyev Dance Foundation, Bernard Dance Osher Foundation, Princess Grace Foundation – USA, Lisa and John Pritzker Family Fund, Rockefeller Foundation, The San Francisco Foundation, The Shubert Foundation, Surdna Foundation, The Wallace Foundation, Phyllis C. Wattis Foundation, Wells Fargo Foundation Thank you to the following organizations which have provided invaluable
support to Alonzo King LINES Ballet’s programs and projects: LINES is represented in Columbia Foundation, Fleishhacker Foundation, Bank of the West, BNP Paribas Foundation, California Arts Council, North America, South America, GAP Foundation, The Wallace Alexander Gerbode Foundation, Asia, Australia, Great Britain,Grants Russia, for the Arts/San Francisco Hotel Tax Fund, The Walter and Elise Haas Fund, The William the and MiddleFlora East andHewlett Africa by Foundation, The James Irvine Foundation, CAMI SPECTRUM Kaiser Permanente, LEF Foundation, National Dance Residency Program, National Endowment for the Arts, Margaret Selby, President New England Foundation for the Arts, The Rudolf Nureyev Dance Foundation, The Bernard Osher Foundation, 1790 Broadway Princess Grace Foundation – USA, Lisa and John Pritzker Family Fund, Rockefeller Foundation, The San Francisco Foundation, New York, N.Y. 10019-1412 Tel.: Foundation, 212.841.9554 The Shubert Foundation, Surdna Foundation, The Wallace Phyllis C. Wattis Foundation, Wells Fargo Foundation Fax: 212.841.9770
MSelby@cami.com LINES is represented in North America, South America, Alonzo King LINES Ballet 26 Seventh Street, San Francisco, CaliforniaRussia, • Tel. 415.863.3040 • Fax. 415.863.1180 Asia, Australia, Great Britain, linesballet.org • facebook • twitterby the Middle East and Africa CAMI SPECTRUM Margaret Selby, President 1790 Broadway New York, N.Y. 10019-1412 Tel.: 212.841.9554 Fax: 212.841.9770 MSelby@cami.com
Alonzo King LINES Ballet 26 Seventh Street, San Francisco, California • Tel. 415.863.3040 • Fax. 415.863.1180 linesballet.org • facebook • twitter
Friday, January 17, 2014 PRESENTED BY DES MOINES PERFORMING ARTS DANCE SERIES
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lonzo King LINES Ballet n Program RESIN (2011) Choreography by ALONZO KING Lighting Design by AXEL MORGENTHALER Set and Costume Design by ROBERT ROSENWASSER Duration: 51 minutes
We would like to acknowledge the support of National Endowment for the Arts and the grant made from the Columbia Foundation. A special thanks to Francesco Spagnolo, who was invaluable in the musical contribution and research for this production, allowing us access to rare field recordings. When a tree wound penetrates through the bark and into the sapwood, the tree bleeds a resin. Myrrh gum, like frankincense, is such a resin. When people harvest resin, they wound the trees repeatedly to bleed them of the gum; slashing the bark and allowing the exuded resins to bleed out and harden. These hardened resins are called tears. -Alonzo King I. JEFFREY VAN SCIVER Instrumental Lament (Shofars) Jordi Savall Jerusalem II. YUJIN KIM, JEFFREY VAN SCIVER, ROBB BERESFORD, BABATUNJI JOHNSON, COURTNEY HENRY, MEREDITH WEBSTER AND CAROLINE ROCHER Las Estrellas de los Cielos - Musica Instrumental: Axerico de Quinze Años (Salónica?) Hespèrion XXI, Montserrat Figueras, Jordi Saval Díaspora Sefardí: Romances & Música Instrumental III. DAVID HARVEY, MICHAEL MONTGOMERY, YUJIN KIM, KARA WILKES, BABATUNJI JOHNSON, ROBB BERESFORD AND JEFFREY VAN SCIVER Las Estrellas de los Cielos - Musica Instrumental: Improvisación Sobre “Axerico” (Sarod & Percusión)Hespèrion XXI, Montserrat Figueras, Jordi Savall Díaspora Sefardí: Romances & Música Instrumental IV. BABATUNJI JOHNSON and DAVID HARVEY, COURTNEY HENRY and ROBB BERESFORD Nani, Nani Yedid Nefesh - Amant de mon âme
Photos by Franck Thibault
V. KARA WILKES, MICHAEL MONTGOMERY, YUJIN KIM and COURTNEY HENRY Song of Exile (Psalm 137, 1-6) Jordi Savall Jerusalem
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VI. YUJIN KIM Yadkha tancheni - Ledavid shir umizmor (Morocco) Moshe Alfasi & Yosef Elimelekh Jerusalem in Hebrew Prayers and Songs VII. JEFFREY VAN SCIVER AND COMPANY Shofars Call Jordi Savall Jerusalem Instrumental Dance Jordi Savall Jerusalem VIII. MICHAEL MONTGOMERY and ROBB BERESFORD IX. MEREDITH WEBSTER Nani Nani (Ninni Ninni) Hadass Pal-Yarden Yahudice X. CAROLINE ROCHER and DAVID HARVEY with ROBB BERESFORD Ya shadill el khan - Tsour Maguinenou Meirav Ben David-Harel - Yaïr Harel - Nima Ben David Michèle Claude Yedid Nefesh - Amant de mon âme XI. KARA WILKES with MICHAEL MONTGOMERY, JEFFREY VAN SCIVER and BABATUNJI JOHNSON Anon: Nani, Nani Thomas Wimmer: Accentus Ensemble Sephardic Romances - Traditional Jewish Music From Spain XII. MICHAEL MONTGOMERY and KARA WILKES Hameniah et hakkad (Hungary) Sephardic Music musical traditions in Israel XIII. YUJIN KIM Juego de siempre – Epilogue Esti Kenan-Ofri Juego de siempre: Jewish-Spanish Songs XIV. ROBB BERESFORD and BABATUNJI JOHNSON Alef-bet (Yemen) Father & son musical traditions in Israel XV. MEREDITH WEBSTER, DAVID HARVEY, JEFFREY VAN SCIVER, BABATUNJI JOHNSON and ROBB BERESFORD Joseph and Potiphar’s Wife Kol Oud Trof Trio Gazelle XVI. MEREDITH WEBSTER, DAVID HARVEY and COMPANY Beyati Taksim - Beyati Saz Semaisi Sarband Jewish Music In the Seraglio
Photos by Franck Thibault
I N TE R MI SSI ON
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lonzo King LINES Ballet n Program SCHEHERAZADE (2009) Choreography by ALONZO KING Music by ZAKIR HUSSAIN after Rimsky-Korsakov Lighting Design by AXEL MORGENTHALER Costume Design by COLLEEN QUEN and ROBERT ROSENWASSER Set Design by ROBERT ROSENWASSER, AXEL MORGENTHALER and G. CHRIS GRIFFIN Duration: 42 minutes Scheherazade was commissioned by Jean-Christophe Maillot, Artistic Director of Monaco Dance Forum, and made possible by support from the Rudolf Nureyev Dance Foundation.
Alonzo King’s Scheherazade is a re-envisioning of the ancient collection of Persian, Sanskrit, and Arabic stories of 1,001 Nights. The exquisite dancers of LINES Ballet present a vision of the intimate transformative potential these stories possess: the way that we are offered a chance to listen to a voice that can change our lives, the power of art to illuminate all the chambers of our hearts. The new score by tabla master Zakir Hussain re-interprets the original music by Rimsky-Korsakov, incorporating traditional Persian as well as Western instruments. Commissioned by the Monaco Dance Forum to inaugurate the Centenary of the Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo, Alonzo King LINES Ballet’s Scheherazade honors Diaghilev’s spirit of cutting-edge artistic collaboration, immersing audiences in a luminescent and richly textured world. Scheherazade: Kara Wilkes Shahryar: David Harvey I. KARA WILKES, with YUJIN KIM, MEREDITH WEBSTER and CAROLINE ROCHER II. KARA WILKES and DAVID HARVEY with MICHAEL MONTGOMERY, JEFFREY VAN SCIVER, BABATUNJI JOHNSON and ROBB BERESFORD III. KARA WILKES IV. KARA WILKES and DAVID HARVEY with COURTNEY HENRY V. COMPANY VI. KARA WILKES and DAVID HARVEY VII. COMPANY
Photos by RJ Muna
VIII. COMPANY
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lonzo King n Choreographer
LINES Ballet BFA at Dominican University of California, Training Program, Summer Program and Dance Center.
Alonzo King has been called a visionary choreographer, who is altering the way we look at ballet. King calls his works ‘thought structures’ created by the manipulation of energies that exist in matter through laws, which govern the shapes and movement directions of everything that exists. King has works in the repertories of the Swedish Royal Ballet, Frankfurt Ballet, Ballet Bejart, Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo, Joffrey Ballet, Alvin Ailey, Hong Kong Ballet, North Carolina Dance Theatre and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. He has worked extensively in opera, television and film. Known for collaborations, seminal works include People of the Forest (2001), choreographed with Baka artists from Central African Republic and Long River High Sky (2007), with China’s Shaolin Monks. He has collaborated with actor Danny Glover, legendary jazz saxophonist Pharaoh Sanders, Hamza al Din, Pawel Szymanski, Jason Moran and tabla master Zakir Hussain. Renowned for his skill as a teacher, King has been guest ballet master for dance companies around the globe. In 2012 King was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Corps de Ballet International Teacher Conference. King is the director of the international touring Company, Alonzo King LINES Ballet housed in San Francisco with the Alonzo King
Alonzo King is the recipient of many prestigious awards, including the Dance Masters of America, President Award and the first ever Barney Choreographic Prize from White Bird Dance, which King received in July 2013 and April 2013 respectively. In October 2012 the San Francisco Museum & Historical Society named King a “San Francisco Living Treasure” in recognition of the significant contributions he has made to the historic fabric of San Francisco over the last 30 years. San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom presented the Mayor’s Art Award to King in October 2008, calling him a “San Francisco treasure.” In June 2008, King was honored with the Jacob’s Pillow Creativity Award, in recognition of his contribution to “moving ballet in a very 21st-century direction”. In 2006, King received the U.S. Artists award, and in 2005, received New York’s Bessie Award for Choreographer/Creator. He is also the recipient of the NEA Choreographer’s Fellowship, Irvine Fellowship in Dance, National Dance Project and the National Dance Residency Program, as well as several Isadora Duncan Awards. He has received the Hero Award from Union Bank, the Los Angeles Lehman Award, and the Excellence Award from KGO, and was chosen a recipient of the San Francisco Foundation’s 2007 Community Leadership Award. In 2005, he was named a Master of Choreography by the Kennedy Center. He is a former commissioner for the city and county of San Francisco, and a writer and lecturer on the art of dance. He was awarded the Green Honors Chair Professorship from Texas Christian University, and holds an honorary Doctorate from Dominican University of California and California Institute of the Arts. “Alonzo King is one of the few, true Ballet Masters of our times. His intimacy with Ballet’s multiple histories has made his choreography rich with the complex refractions that demonstrate a full command of the art’s intricacies...” – William Forsythe, Frankfurt Ballet “The most sophisticated modernism in classical dance. The number of ballet choreographers who live - and create - solely in the present are so few that one of his distinction must be accounted the artistic equivalent of a shooting star.” – Los Angeles Times DANCE SERIES
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lonzo King LINES Ballet n Company Profile
Alonzo King LINES Ballet is a celebrated contemporary ballet company that has been guided since 1982 by the unique artistic vision of Alonzo King. Collaborating with noted composers, musicians and visual artists from around the world, Alonzo King creates works that draw on a diverse set of deeply rooted cultural traditions, imbuing classical ballet with new expressive potential. Alonzo King understands ballet as a science – founded on universal, geometric principles of energy and evolution – and continues to develop a new language of movement from its classical forms and techniques. Alonzo King’s visionary choreography, brought to life by the extraordinary LINES Ballet dancers, is renowned for connecting audiences to a profound sense of shared humanity. Now in its 31st year, LINES Ballet continues its commitment to dance education and community involvement through the joint BFA Program in Dance with Dominican University of California, the LINES Ballet Training Program, the LINES Ballet Summer Program and the LINES Dance Center, one of the largest dance facilities on the West Coast. “The term LINES alludes to all that is visible in the phenomenal world. There is nothing that is made or formed without line. Straight and Circle encompass all that we see. Whatever can be seen is formed by line. In mathematics it is a straight or curved continuous extent of length without breadth. Lines are in our fingerprints, the shapes of our bodies, constellations, geometry. It implies genealogical connection, progeny and spoken word. It marks the starting point and finish. It addresses direction, communication, and design. A line of thought. A boundary or eternity. A melodic line. The equator. From vibration or dot to dot it is the visible organization of what we see.” - Alonzo King
Photos by RJ Muna
Alonzo King LINES Ballet benefits from the support of Bank of the West for the development of its projects.
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lonzo King LINES Ballet n Staff
ROBERT ROSENWASSER (Creative Director, Designer) Robert Rosenwasser is a co-founder of Alonzo King LINES Ballet. He shapes the aesthetic and artistic direction of each project at the Company, including conceptual design and production. In addition to his work with the Company, he has designed for Ballet de Monte Carlo, Ballet Bejart, the Royal Swedish Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, Frankfurt Ballet, and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. He has also collaborated with artists and poets, including Richard Tuttle, Kiki Smith, Laurie Reid, Kate Delos, Rena Rosenwasser, Mei-mei Berssenbrugge and Barbara Guest, designing fine press books. His work is found at the New York Museum of Modern Art in the Department of Books and Illustrated Prints, at the Whitney Museum and at the Spencer Collection of the New York Public Library. ARTURO FERNANDEZ (Ballet Master) A native of Oakland, CA, Arturo began dance training at the School of Performing Arts of USIU in San Diego. After only 2 years of intensive study he joined San Diego Ballet in 1976. Other companies he’s performed with are California Ballet, Arizona Ballet, New Jersey Ballet, Ballets Trocadero de Monte Carlo and Pittsburgh Ballet Theater. After moving back to California he joined Oakland Ballet for a short time and ODC/San Francisco (11 years) and there served as the assistant to the choreographers from 1988 until Spring of 1991. Arturo has choreographed for the James Sewell Ballet, Inland Pacific Ballet, and Alonzo King LINES Ballet, among others, and has also demonstrated his work in self-produced concerts throughout the region. Since 1992 he has been the Ballet Master for Alonzo King LINES Ballet, as well as assisting Alonzo King in the creation of new work. Since 1998 he has coordinated and taught in Alonzo King’s Professional Workshop. In 2001 he directed the first ever summer Pre-Professional Program at LINES. For more than 2 decades he has been an integral part of the Alonzo King LINES Dance Center, the LINES Training Program and the LINES BFA program. He has set Alonzo King’s ballets on companies and universities throughout the US including NYU, Washington University in St. Louis and Western Michigan University. Most notably he set Alonzo King’s HANDEL on the Royal Swedish Ballet in Stockholm.
G. CHRIS GRIFFIN (Production/Lighting Director) G. Chris Griffin is in his fifth year with Alonzo King LINES Ballet. He has managed lighting and technical installation for LINES Ballet through three continents, 15 countries, and over 100 theatres including the Maison de la Danse in Lyon, France, the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco, and the Joyce Theater in New York City. He has recently designed lights for Jacoby & Pronk, inkBoat and Danse Lumière. Griffin has also designed for many San Francisco-based choreographers in conjunction with the LINES Ballet BFA Program and Summer Program. Previously, he was Technical Director of the California Theatre Center and Diablo Ballet. Griffin earned a BA in Theater and Performance Studies with High Distinction from UC Berkeley. He began his world-traveling ways with the Ragazzi Boys Chorus as both chorister and Tour Manager. DANCE SERIES
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ROBB BERESFORD Elmira, Ontario LINES Ballet member since 2013 Education: National Ballet School of Canada, The Quinte Ballet School of Canada Companies: Ballet Kelowna, Vancouver’s Joe Ink, Ballet Victoria DAVID HARVEY Bainbridge Island, WA LINES Ballet member since 2008 Education: Michael Falotico, Interlochen Arts Academy, Universal (Kirov) Ballet Academy, LINES Ballet Training Program Companies: LINES Ballet COURTNEY HENRY West Palm Beach, FL LINES Ballet member since 2011 Education: Ailey/Fordham BFA Program, A.W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts, Palm Beach Ballet Center Companies: LINES Ballet BABATUNJI JOHNSON Hilo, HI LINES Ballet member since 2013 Education: Center Stage Dance Studio (Hilo Hawaii), Alonzo King LINES Ballet Training Program Companies: Philein/ZiRu productions, Maurya Kerr’s tinypistol, Dawson|Wallace Dance Project YUJIN KIM Busan, South Korea LINES Ballet member since 2011 Education: Young Ji Kim Ballet Studio, Peniel International Arts School, Pre- Korean National University of Arts, Department Tanz de Hochschule Musik und Theater (Switzerland) Companies: Sun Hee Kim Ballet Company, National Opera Company of Korea, Covenant Journey Musical Group
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MICHAEL MONTGOMERY Long Beach, CA LINES Ballet member since 2010 Education: Orange County High School of the Arts, The Ailey School’s Certificate Program, LINES/Dominican BFA Program Companies: LINES Ballet CAROLINE ROCHER Saint-Etienne, France LINES Ballet member since 2007 Education: Conservatoire de Montpellier (France), Rudra Béjart Lausanne School (Switzerland), Alvin Ailey American Dance Center Companies: Dance Theatre of Harlem, Bayerisches Staatsballett (Germany), Lyon Opéra Ballet (France) JEFFREY VAN SCIVER Los Angeles, CA LINES Ballet member since 2013 Education: Julliard School, graduate of the Dominican University of California/LINES Ballet BFA Program, 2013 Companies: LINES Ballet MEREDITH WEBSTER Manitowoc, WI LINES Ballet member since 2005 Education: Jean Wolfmeyer, the Harid Conservatory, Pacific Northwest Ballet School, University of Washington (BS, Environmental Science) Companies: Sonia Dawkins’ Prism Dance Theater, Spectrum Dance Theater KARA WILKES Milwaukee, WI LINES Ballet member since 2011 Education: Milwaukee Ballet School, Eglevsky Ballet, St. Mary’s College of California Companies: Milwaukee Ballet, Victor Ullate Ballet (Spain), North Carolina Dance Theatre
Photos by Quinn Wharton
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lonzo King LINES Ballet n Dancers
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Des Moines Civic Center March 8-9, 2014
Tickets on Sale at Ticketmaster.com For More Information Visit www.balletdesmoines.org
DANCEtalk
Photos by Quinn Wharton
Come early and stay late to learn more about each performance from the companies’ artistic staff members and performers!
PRE-SHOW: 30-minute discussion begins at 6:30 p.m. POST-SHOW: At the front of the theater after the performance.
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DES MOINES CIVIC CENTER A Des Moines Performing Arts Theater Jeff Chelesvig, President & CEO
Alvin Ailey, Founder Judith Jamison, Artistic Director Emerita
Robert Battle, Artistic Director Masazumi Chaya, Associate Artistic Director COMPANY MEMBERS Hope Boykin Jeroboam Bozeman Sean A. Carmon Elisa Clark Sarah Daley Ghrai DeVore Antonio Douthit-Boyd Kirven Douthit-Boyd Renaldo Gardner Vernard J. Gilmore
Jacqueline Green Daniel Harder Demetia Hopkins Megan Jakel Yannick Lebrun Alicia Graf Mack Michael Francis McBride Rachael McLaren Akua Noni Parker Belen Pereyra
Briana Reed Jamar Roberts Samuel Lee Roberts Kelly Robotham Kanji Segawa Glenn Allen Sims Linda Celeste Sims Jermaine Terry Fana Tesfagiorgis Marcus Jarrell Willis
Matthew Rushing, Rehearsal Director & Guest Artist
Bennett Rink, Executive Director Major funding for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York State Council on the Arts, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, American Express, Bank of America, BET Networks, Bloomberg, BNY Mellon, FedEx Corporation, Ford Foundation, The Prudential Foundation, The Shubert Foundation, Southern Company, Target and Wells Fargo. Tuesday, March 18, 2014 PRESENTED BY DES MOINES PERFORMING ARTS
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ll About Ailey created 79 ballets over his lifetime, Mr. Ailey maintained that his company was not exclusively a repository for his own work. Today, the Company continues Mr. Ailey’s mission by presenting important works of the past and commissioning new ones. In all, more than 235 works by more than 90 choreographers have been part of the Ailey company’s repertory. Before his untimely death in 1989, Alvin Ailey named Judith Jamison as his successor, and over the next 21 years she brought the Company to unprecedented success. Ms. Jamison, in turn, personally selected Robert Battle to succeed her in 2011, and The New York Times declared he “has injected the company with new life.” Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater gratefully acknowledges The Joan & Sandy Weill Global Ambassador Fund, which provides vital support for Ailey’s national and international tours.
Antonio Douthit-Boyd. Photo by Andrew Eccles.
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater grew from a now-fabled performance in March 1958 at the 92nd Street Y in New York City. Led by Alvin Ailey and a group of young African-American modern dancers, that performance changed forever the perception of American dance. The Ailey company has gone on to perform for an estimated 25 million people at theaters in 48 states and 71 countries on six continents—as well as millions more through television broadcasts. In 2008 a U.S. Congressional resolution designated the Company as “a vital American cultural ambassador to the world” that celebrates the uniqueness of the African-American cultural experience and the preservation and enrichment of the American modern dance heritage. When Mr. Ailey began creating dances, he drew upon his “blood memories” of Texas, the blues, spirituals, and gospel as inspiration, which resulted in the creation of his most popular and critically acclaimed work, Revelations. Although he
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ROBERT BATTLE Artistic Director Robert Battle became artistic director of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in July 2011 after being personally selected by Judith Jamison, making him only the third person to head the Company since it was founded in 1958. Mr. Battle has a longstanding association with the Ailey organization. A frequent choreographer and artist-in-residence at Ailey since 1999, he has set many of his works on Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and Ailey II, and at The Ailey School. The Company’s current repertory includes his ballets In/Side and Strange Humors. In addition to expanding the Ailey repertory with works by artists as diverse as Kyle Abraham, Aszure Barton, Ronald K. Brown, Garth Fagan, Bill T. Jones, Jiří Kylián, Wayne McGregor, Ohad Naharin and Paul Taylor, Mr. Battle has also instituted the New Directions Choreography Lab to help develop the next generation of choreographers. Mr. Battle’s journey to the top of the modern dance world began in the Liberty City neighborhood of Miami, Florida. He showed artistic talent early and studied dance at a high school arts magnet program before moving on to Miami’s New World School of the Arts, under the direction of Daniel Lewis and Gerri Houlihan, and finally to the dance program at The Juilliard School, under the direction of Benjamin Harkarvy, where he met his mentor, Carolyn Adams. He danced with the Parsons Dance Company from 1994 to 2001, and also set his choreography on that company starting in 1998. Mr. Battle then founded his own Battleworks Dance Company, which made its debut in 2002 in Düsseldorf, Germany, as the U.S. representative to the World Dance Alliance’s Global Assembly. Battleworks subsequently performed extensively at venues, including The Joyce Theater, Dance Theater Workshop, American Dance Festival and Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival. Mr. Battle was honored as one of the “Masters of African-American Choreography” by the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in 2005, and he received the prestigious Statue Award from the Princess Grace Foundation-USA in 2007. He is a sought-after keynote speaker and has addressed a number of high-profile organizations, including the United Nations Leaders Programme and the UNICEF Senior Leadership Development Programme.
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MASAZUMI CHAYA Associate Artistic Director Masazumi Chaya was born in Fukuoka, Japan, where he began his classical ballet training. Upon moving to New York in December 1970, he studied modern dance and performed with the Richard Englund Rep¬ertory Company. Mr. Chaya joined Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 1972 and performed with the Company for 15 years. In 1988, he became the Company’s rehearsal director after serving as assistant rehearsal director for two years. A master teacher both on tour with the Company and in his native Japan, he served as choreographic assistant to Alvin Ailey and John Butler. In 1991, Mr. Chaya was named associate artistic director of the Company. He continues to provide invaluable creative assistance in all facets of its operations. Mr. Chaya has restaged numerous ballets by Alvin Ailey, including Flowers for the State Ballet of Missouri (1990) and The River for the Royal Swedish Ballet (1993), Ballet Florida (1995), National Ballet of Prague (1995), Pennsylvania Ballet (1996) and Colorado Ballet (1998). He has also restaged The Mooche, The Stack-Up, Episodes, Bad Blood, Hidden Rites and Witness for the Company. At the beginning of his tenure as associate artistic director, Mr. Chaya restaged Ailey’s For ‘Bird’ - With Love for a Dance in America program entitled Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater: Steps Ahead. In 2000, he restaged Ailey’s Night Creature for the Rome Opera House and The River for La Scala Ballet. In 2002, Mr. Chaya coordinated the Company’s appearance at the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree-lighting ceremony, broadcast on NBC. In 2003, he restaged The River for North Carolina Dance Theatre and for Julio Bocca’s Ballet Argentina. Most recently, Mr. Chaya restaged Pas de Duke, The River, Streams, Urban Folk Dance and Vespers for the Company. As a performer, Mr. Chaya appeared on Japanese television in both dramatic and musical productions. He wishes to recognize the artistic contribution and spirit of his late friend and fellow artist, Michihiko Oka. ALVIN AILEY Founder Alvin Ailey was born on January 5, 1931, in Rogers, Texas. His experiences of life in the rural South would later inspire some of his most memorable works. He was introduced to dance in
Photos by Andrew Eccles and Eric N. Hong
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Los Angeles by performances of the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo and the Katherine Dunham Dance Company, and his formal dance training began with an introduction to Lester Horton’s classes by his friend Carmen de Lavallade. Horton, the founder of one of the first racially-integrated dance companies in the United States, became a mentor for Mr. Ailey as he embarked on his professional career. After Horton’s death in 1953, Mr. Ailey became director of the Lester Horton Dance Theater and began to choreograph his own works. In the 1950s and 60s, Mr. Ailey performed in four Broadway shows, including House of Flowers and Jamaica. In 1958 he founded Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater to carry out his vision of a company dedicated to enriching the American modern dance heritage and preserving the uniqueness of the AfricanAmerican cultural experience. He established the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center (now The Ailey School) in 1969 and formed the Alvin Ailey Repertory Ensemble (now Ailey II) in 1974. Mr. Ailey was a pioneer of programs promoting arts in education, particularly those benefiting underserved communities. Throughout his lifetime he was awarded numerous distinctions, including the Kennedy Center Honor in 1988 in recognition of his extraordinary contribution to American culture. When Mr. Ailey died on December 1, 1989, The New York Times said of him, “you didn’t need to have known [him] personally to have been touched by his humanity, enthusiasm and exuberance and his courageous stand for multi-racial brotherhood.” JUDITH JAMISON Artistic Director Emerita Judith Jamison joined Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 1965 and quickly became an international star. Over the next 15 years, Mr. Ailey created some of his most enduring roles for her, most notably the tour-de-force solo Cry. During the 1970s and 80s, she appeared as a guest artist with ballet companies all over the world, starred in the hit Broadway musical Sophisticated Ladies, and formed her own company, The Jamison Project. She returned to Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 1989 when Mr. Ailey asked her to succeed him as artistic director. In the 21 years that followed, she brought the Company to unprecedented heights— including two historic engagements in South Africa and a 50-city global tour to celebrate the Company’s 50th anniversary. Ms. Jamison is the recipient of numerous awards and honors, among them a prime time Emmy Award, an American Choreography Award,
the Kennedy Center Honor, a National Medal of Arts, a Bessie Award, the Phoenix Award and the Handel Medallion. She was also listed in “The TIME 100: The World’s Most Influential People” and honored by First Lady Michelle Obama at the first White House Dance Series event. This year she became the 50th inductee into the Hall of Fame at the National Museum of Dance. As a highly regarded choreographer, Ms. Jamison has created many celebrated works, including Divining (1984), Forgotten Time (1989), Hymn (1993), HERE…NOW. (commissioned for the 2002 Cultural Olympiad), Love Stories (with additional choreography by Robert Battle and Rennie Harris, 2004) and Among Us (Private Spaces: Public Places) (2009). Ms. Jamison’s autobiography, Dancing Spirit, was edited by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and published in 1993. In 2004, under Ms. Jamison’s artistic directorship, her idea of a permanent home for the Ailey company was realized and named after beloved Chairman Joan Weill. Ms. Jamison continues to dedicate herself to asserting the prominence of the arts in our culture and she remains committed to promoting the significance of the Ailey legacy—using dance as a medium for honoring the past, celebrating the present and fearlessly reaching into the future. MATTHEW RUSHING Rehearsal Director and Guest Artist Matthew Rushing was born in Los Angeles, California. He began his dance training with Kashmir Blake in Inglewood, California, and later continued his training at the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts. He is the recipient of a Spotlight Award and Dance Magazine Award and was named a Presidential Scholar in the Arts. He was a scholarship student at The Ailey School and later became a member of Ailey II, where he danced for a year. During his career, Mr. Rushing has performed as a guest artist for galas in Vail, Colorado, as well as in Austria, Canada, France, Italy and Russia. He has performed for Presidents George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama, as well as at the 2010 White House Dance Series. During his time with the Company, he has choreographed two ballets: Acceptance In Surrender (2005), a collaboration with Hope Boykin and Abdur-Rahim Jackson, and Uptown (2009), a tribute to the Harlem Renaissance. In 2012 he created Moan, which was set on Philadanco and premiered at The Joyce Theater. Mr. Rushing joined the Company in 1992 and became rehearsal director in June 2010.
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HOPE BOYKIN (Durham, NC) is a three-time recipient of the American Dance Festival’s Young Tuition Scholarship. She attended Howard University and, while in Washington, D.C., she performed with Lloyd Whitmore’s New World Dance Company. Ms. Boykin was a student and intern at The Ailey School. She was assistant to the late Talley Beatty and an original member of Complexions. Ms. Boykin was a member of Philadanco and received a New York Dance and Performance Award (Bessie). In 2005, Ms. Boykin choreographed Acceptance in Surrender in collaboration with AbdurRahim Jackson and Matthew Rushing for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Most recently she choreographed Go in Grace with awardwinning singing group Sweet Honey in the Rock for the Company’s 50th anniversary season. Ms. Boykin joined the Company in 2000. JEROBOAM BOZEMAN (Brooklyn, NY) began his dance training under Ruth Sistaire at the Ronald Edmonds Learning Center. He later joined Creative Outlet, under Jamel Gaines, and was granted full scholarships at the Joffrey Ballet School and Dance Theatre of Harlem. Mr. Bozeman is a gold-medal recipient of the NAACP ACT-SO Competition in Dance. He performed in Elton John and Tim Rice’s Broadway musical Aida (international tour in China) and was a part of Philadanco, Donald Byrd’s Spectrum Dance Theater, and Ailey II. This is Mr. Bozeman’s first year with the Company. SEAN A. CARMON (Beaumont, TX) attended New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts and later graduated from the Ailey/Fordham B.F.A. Program in Dance in 2010. As a college senior he was a member of Elisa Monte Dance and subsequently originated the role of Phaedra in the 2010 Tony Award–winning revival of La Cage Aux Folles. Mr. Carmon also performed in the longest-running musical on Broadway, The Phantom of the Opera. He has appeared as a guest artist with the International Dance Association in Italy and with the Cape Dance Company in South Africa. Mr. Carmon joined the Company in 2011. ELISA CLARK (Brandywine, MD) received her early training from the Maryland Youth Ballet and earned her B.F.A. from The Juilliard School, under the direction of Benjamin Harkarvy. She was a founding member of Robert Battle’s Battleworks Dance Company from 2001 to 2006, where she also served as company manager. In addition, Ms. Clark was a member of the Mark Morris Dance Group and the Lar Lubovitch Dance Company, as well as a dancer at the Metropolitan Opera, where she worked with Crystal Pite, among others. She has assisted Mr. Battle on several commissions, including Juba and Love Stories. As a teacher, Ms. Clark has been on faculty at the American Dance Festival, taught numerous master classes throughout the nation and abroad, and worked closely alongside Carolyn Adams. She is a 2008 Princess Grace Award winner. This is Ms. Clark’s first year with the Company. SARAH DALEY (South Elgin, IL) began her training at the Faubourg School of Ballet in Illinois under the direction of Watmora Casey and Tatyana Mazur. She is a 2009 graduate of the Ailey/Fordham B.F.A. Program in Dance. Ms. Daley has trained at institutions such as the Kirov Academy, National Ballet School of Canada, The San Francisco Conservatory of Dance, and intensives at Ballet Camp Illinois and Ballet Adriatico in Italy. She is a recipient of a Youth America Grand Prix Award and an ARTS Foundation Award. She was a member of Ailey II and joined the Company in 2011.
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GHRAI DeVORE (Washington, D.C.) began her formal dance training at the Chicago Multicultural Dance Center and was a scholarship student at The Ailey School. She has completed summer programs at the Kirov Academy, Ballet Chicago, Deeply Rooted Dance Theater, American Ballet Theatre and Alonzo King LINES Ballet. Ms. DeVore was a member of Deeply Rooted Dance Theater, Deeply Rooted Dance Theater 2, Hubbard Street 2, Dance Works Chicago and Ailey II. She is a recipient of the Danish Queen Ingrid Scholarship of Honor and the Dizzy Feet Foundation Scholarship, and she was a 2010 nominee for the first annual Clive Barnes Award. Ms. DeVore joined the Company in 2010. ANTONIO DOUTHIT-BOYD (St. Louis, MO) began his dance training at age 16 at the Center of Contemporary Arts under the direction of Lee Nolting and at the Alexandra School of Ballet. He also trained at North Carolina School of the Arts, the Joffrey Ballet School, San Francisco Ballet and the Dance Theatre of Harlem School. Mr. Douthit-Boyd became a member of Dance Theatre of Harlem in 1999 and appeared in featured roles in the ballets South African Suite, Dougla, Concerto in F, Return and Dwight Rhoden’s Twist. He was promoted to soloist in 2003. He also performed with Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal. Mr. Douthit-Boyd joined the Company in 2004. KIRVEN DOUTHIT-BOYD (Boston, MA) began his formal dance training at the Boston Arts Academy and joined Boston Youth Moves in 1999, under the direction of Jim Viera and Jeannette Neill. He also trained on scholarship at the Boston Conservatory and as a scholarship student at The Ailey School. Mr. Douthit-Boyd has danced with Battleworks Dance Company, Parsons Dance Company and Ailey II. He performed at the White House Dance Series in 2010. Mr. Douthit-Boyd joined the Company in 2004. RENALDO GARDNER (Gary, IN) began his dance training with Tony Simpson and is a graduate of Talent Unlimited High School. He attended the Emerson School for Visual and Performing Arts and studied with Larry Brewer and Michael Davis. Mr. Gardner was a scholarship student at The Ailey School, has trained on scholarship at Ballet Chicago and Deeply Rooted Dance Theater, and had an internship at the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance. In 2008, he received second place in modern dance from the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts and received the Dizzy Feet Foundation Scholarship in 2009. In February 2012, Mr. Gardner was honored with the key to the city of Gary, Indiana, his hometown. He was a member of Ailey II and joined the Company in 2011. VERNARD J. GILMORE (Chicago, IL) began dancing at Curie Performing and Creative Arts High School in Chicago and later studied at the Joseph Holmes Chicago Dance Theatre with Harriet Ross, Marquita Levy, and Emily Stein. He attended Barat College as a dance scholarship recipient and received first place in the all-city NAACP ACT-SO Competition in Dance in 1993. He studied as a scholarship student at The Ailey School and was a member of Ailey II. In 2010, he performed at the White House Dance Series. Mr. Gilmore is an active choreographer for the Ailey Dancers Resource Fund and has choreographed for Fire Island Dance Festival 2008 and Jazz Foundation of America Gala 2010; he also produced the Dance of Light Project in January 2010. Mr. Gilmore is a certified Zena Rommett
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y Floor-Barre® instructor. He continues to teach workshops and master classes around the world. Mr. Gilmore joined the Company in 1997. JACQUELINE GREEN (Baltimore, MD) began her dance training at the Baltimore School for the Arts under the direction of Norma Pera, Deborah Robinson and Anton Wilson. She is a graduate of the Ailey/Fordham B.F.A. Program in Dance. Ms. Green has attended summer programs at Pennsylvania Regional Ballet, Chautauqua Institution, Earl Mosley’s Institute of the Arts and Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival. She has performed works by a variety of choreographers, including Elisa Monte, Helen Pickett, Francesca Harper, Aszure Barton, Earl Mosley and Michael Vernon. Ms. Green was the recipient of the Martha Hill Fund’s Young Professional Award in 2009 and the Dizzy Feet Foundation Scholarship in 2010. She was a member of Ailey II and joined the Company in 2011. DANIEL HARDER (Bowie, MD) began dancing at Suitland High School’s Center for the Visual and Performing Arts in Maryland. He is a graduate of the Ailey/Fordham B.F.A. Program in Dance, where he was awarded the Jerome Robbins/Layton Foundation Scholarship. He participated in the Holland Dance Festival with The Ailey School and as a member of the Francesca Harper Project. After dancing in the European tour of West Side Story, Mr. Harder became a member of Ailey II. He joined the Company in 2010. DEMETIA HOPKINS (Orange, VA) began her dance training at the Orange School of Performing Arts under the direction of her uncle Ricardo Porter and Heather Powell. She has studied at the National Youth Ballet of Virginia, Virginia School of the Arts, the Summer Dance International Course in Burgos, Spain, The Rock School and Dance Theatre of Harlem School. Ms. Hopkins graduated with honors from the Ailey/Fordham B.F.A. Program in Dance in 2009, and she was a recipient of a Leonore Annenberg Fellowship in the Arts in 2011. Ms. Hopkins was a member of Ailey II and joined the Company in 2010. MEGAN JAKEL (Waterford, MI) trained in ballet and jazz in her hometown. As a senior in high school she spent a year dancing with the City Ballet of San Diego. In 2005, Ms. Jakel was an apprentice and rehearsal director for the Francesca Harper Project. She graduated with honors in May 2007 from the Ailey/Fordham B.F.A. Program in Dance. Ms. Jakel has performed works by choreographers David Parsons, Debbie Allen, Thaddeus Davis, Hans van Manen and Dwight Rhoden. She was a member of Ailey II and joined the Company in 2009. YANNICK LEBRUN (Cayenne, French Guiana) began training in his native country at the Adaclam School, under the guidance of Jeanine Verin. After graduating high school in 2004, he moved to New York City to study at The Ailey School as a scholarship student. Mr. Lebrun has performed works by choreographers Troy Powell, Debbie Allen, Scott Rink, Thaddeus Davis, Nilas Martins, Dwight Rhoden and Francesca Harper. He was named one of Dance Magazine’s “25 to Watch” in 2011, and, in 2013, France-Amérique magazine highlighted him as one of the 50 most talented French in the United States. Mr. Lebrun was a member of Ailey II and joined the Company in 2008.
ALICIA GRAF MACK (Columbia, MD) trained at Ballet Royale Institute of Maryland under Donna Pidel. Prior to dancing with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater from 2005 to 2008, Mrs. Mack was a principal dancer with Dance Theatre of Harlem and a member of Complexions. In addition to performing at several galas and festivals, she has been a guest performer with Alonzo King LINES Ballet, Andre 3000, Beyonce and Alicia Keys. Mrs. Mack is the recipient of the Columbia University Medal of Excellence and Smithsonian magazine’s Young Innovator Award. She graduated magna cum laude with honors in history from Columbia University and received an M.A. in nonprofit management from Washington University in St. Louis. Mrs. Mack is the co-founder of Daisha and Alicia Graf Arts Collective, an initiative dedicated to enriching lives through the arts. She rejoined the Company in 2011. MICHAEL FRANCIS McBRIDE (Johnson City, NY) began his training at the Danek School of Performing Arts and later trained at Amber Perkins School of the Arts in Norwich, New York. Mr. McBride attended Earl Mosley’s Institute of the Arts for two consecutive summers and was also assistant to Mr. Mosley when he set the piece Saddle UP! on the Company in 2007. In January 2012, Mr. McBride performed and taught as a guest artist with the JUNTOS Collective in Guatemala. Mr. McBride graduated magna cum laude from the Ailey/Fordham B.F.A. Program in Dance in 2010 after he joined the Company in 2009. RACHAEL McLAREN (Manitoba, Canada) began her formal dance training at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School. After graduating from high school she joined the Toronto cast of Mamma Mia! Ms. McLaren moved to New York City to study at The Ailey School as a scholarship student and later joined Ailey II. She has performed works by Karole Armitage, Dwight Rhoden, Francesca Harper and Nilas Martins. Ms. McLaren joined the Company in 2008. AKUA NONI PARKER (Kinston, NC) began her ballet training at the age of three and moved to Wilmington, Delaware, at age 12 to continue her professional training at the Academy of the Dance. In 2000, she joined Dance Theatre of Harlem, where she danced lead roles in Agon, Giselle and The Four Temperaments. Thereafter, she danced with Cincinnati Ballet and Ballet San Jose. Ms. Parker joined the Company in 2008. BELEN PEREYRA (Lawrence, MA) began her formal dance training at the Boston Arts Academy, where she graduated as valedictorian. She was also a member of Origination Cultural Arts Center in Boston. Upon moving to New York City, Ms. Pereyra was closely mentored by Earl Mosley and danced with Camille A. Brown & Dancers for three years, during which time she performed at The Joyce Theater, Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival and Dancers Responding to AIDS’ annual events, Dance from the Heart and The Fire Island Dance Festival. Ms. Pereyra was an apprentice for Ronald K. Brown/Evidence, A Dance Company, and has performed with Lula Washington Dance Theater, Nathan Trice, and Roger C. Jeffrey. She assisted Matthew Rushing with his ballet Uptown for the Ailey company in 2009. Ms. Pereyra joined the Company in 2011.
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BRIANA REED (St. Petersburg, FL) began her dance training at the Academy of Ballet Arts and The Pinellas County Center for Arts. She then studied at The Ailey School as a scholarship student. In 1997, Ms. Reed graduated from The Juilliard School and became a member of Ailey II. In 2010, she performed at the White House Dance Series. She is a licensed GYROTONIC ® trainer. Ms. Reed joined the Company in 1998. JAMAR ROBERTS (Miami, FL) graduated from the New World School of the Arts. He trained at the Dance Empire of Miami and as a scholarship student at The Ailey School. Mr. Roberts was a member of Ailey II and Complexions. He first joined the Company in 2002. SAMUEL LEE ROBERTS (Quakertown, PA) began his dance training under the direction of Kathleen Johnston and attended The Juilliard School. He performed in the first international show of Radio City Christmas Spectacular in Mexico City and danced with the New York cast from 1999–2004. Mr. Roberts performed during the award ceremony at the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics, worked with Corbin Dances and Keigwin + Company and was a founding member of Battleworks Dance Company. In May 2006, Mr. Roberts was named Dance Magazine’s “On the Rise” dancer. He performed several roles in Julie Taymor’s film Across the Universe and the original opera Grendel. Mr. Roberts joined the Company in 2009. KELLY ROBOTHAM (New York, NY) is a graduate of New World School of the Arts and trained as a scholarship student at The Ailey School and the Dance Theatre of Harlem School. She is also a graduate of The Juilliard School, where she studied under the direction of Lawrence Rhodes and worked with Robert Battle. Ms. Robotham has also performed works by José Limón, Martha Graham, Mark Morris and Jerome Robbins. In 2009, she was selected from The Juilliard Dance Division to participate in a cultural exchange tour to Costa Rica and soon after became an apprentice with River North Chicago Dance Company. Ms. Robotham was a member of Ailey II and joined the Company in 2011. KANJI SEGAWA (Kanagawa, Japan) began his modern dance training with his mother, Erika Akoh, and studied ballet with Kan and Ju Horiuchi at Unique Ballet Theatre in Tokyo. In 1997, Mr. Segawa came to the United States under the Japanese Government Artist Fellowship to train at The Ailey School. Mr. Segawa was a member of Ailey II from 2000–02 and Robert Battle’s Battleworks Dance Company from 2002–10. He worked extensively with choreographer Mark Morris from 2004–11, repeatedly appearing in Mr. Morris’ various productions, including as a principal dancer in John Adams’ Nixon in China at The Metropolitan Opera. He has also worked with Aszure Barton’s Aszure and Artists, Jessica Lang Dance, Earl Mosley, Jennifer Muller/The Works and Igal Perry. Mr. Segawa joined the Company in 2011. GLENN ALLEN SIMS (Long Branch, NJ) began his classical dance training at the Academy of Dance Arts in Red Bank, New Jersey. He attended The Juilliard School under the artistic guidance of Benjamin Harkarvy. In 2004, Mr. Sims was the youngest person to be inducted into the Long Branch High School’s
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Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame. He has been seen in several network television programs, including BET Honors, Dancing with the Stars, The Today Show and So You Think You Can Dance. In 2010, Mr. Sims taught as a master teacher in Ravenna, Italy, for Dance Up Ravenna, sponsored by the International Dance Association, and performed in the White House Dance Series. He has performed for the king of Morocco and is a certified Zena Rommett Floor-Barre ® instructor. In 2011, Mr. Sims wrote a featured guest blog for Dance Magazine. Recently, he became a certified pilates mat trainer. Mr. Sims joined the Company in 1997. LINDA CELESTE SIMS (Bronx, NY) began her dance training at Ballet Hispanico School of Dance and is a graduate of LaGuardia High School of the Performing Arts. In 1994, Ms. Sims was granted an award by the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts. She was highlighted in the “Best of 2009” list in Dance Magazine and has performed as a guest star on So You Think You Can Dance, Dancing with the Stars and The Today Show. She has also made guest appearances at the White House Dance Series, Youth America Grand Prix, Vail International Dance Festival, and galas in Budapest and Vienna. Ms. Sims joined the Company in 1996. JERMAINE TERRY (Washington, D.C.) began his dance training in Kissimmee at James Dance Center. He graduated cum laude with a B.F.A. in dance performance from the University of South Florida, where he received scholarships for excellence in performance and choreography. Mr. Terry was a scholarship student at The Ailey School and a member of Ailey II, and he has performed with Buglisi Dance Theatre, Arch Dance, Dance Iquail and Philadanco. Mr. Terry joined the Company in 2010. FANA TESFAGIORGIS (Madison, WI) is a graduate of the Ailey/Fordham B.F.A. Program in Dance, with a minor in journalism. She began training at Ballet Madison and Inter-lochen Arts Academy High School. Ms. Tesfagiorgis also trained at summer and winter intensives at Earl Mosley’s Institute of the Arts, Alonzo King LINES Ballet and Lar Lubovitch Dance Company. Professionally, she has danced with Ailey II, Brian Harlan Brooks’ Continuum, Alenka Cizmesja’s Art DeConstructed, Dance Iquail, Freddie Moore’s Footprints and Samuel Pott’s Nimbus Dance Works. Ms. Tesfagiorgis has been a rehearsal assistant for Hope Boykin, Earl Mosley, Pedro Ruiz, Matthew Rushing and Sylvia Waters. This is her first year with the Company. MARCUS JARRELL WILLIS (Houston, TX) began his formal training at the Johnston Performing Arts Middle School, the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, and Discovery Dance Group in Houston, Texas. At age 16, he moved to New York City and studied at The Ailey School as a scholarship student. Mr. Willis is a recipient of a Level 1 ARTS Award given by the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts and has received scholarships to many schools, including The Juilliard School. He was a member of Ailey II and also worked with Pascal Rioult Dance Theater, Dominic Walsh Dance Theater and Tania Pérez-Salas Compañía de Danza. Mr. Willis joined the Company in 2008. The Ailey dancers are supported, in part, by: The Judith McDonough Kaminski Dancer Endowment Fund.
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ALVIN AILEY DANCE FOUNDATION BOARD OF TRUSTEES Joan H. Weill, Chairman Daria L. Wallach, President Simin N. Allison, Debra L. Lee, Linda M. Lindenbaum, Arthur J. Mirante II, John H. Schaefer, Vice-Chairmen James G. Abruzzo, Gina F. Adams, Frank R. Ahimaz, Eleanor S. Applewhaite, Robert Battle, Nicole A. Bernard, Anthony M. Carvette, Kathryn C. Chenault, Anita-Agnes O. Hassell, Jenny Ireland, Anthony S. Kendall, Robert Kissane, Michelle Y. Lee, Natasha Leibel Levine, M.D., Anthony A. Lewis, Leslie L. Maheras, Henry McGee, David E. Monn, Gabriella E. Morris, Marylin L. Prince, Robin C. Royals, Richard Speciale, Lemar Swinney Philip Laskawy, Harold Levine, Stanley Plesent, Esq., Chairmen Emeriti
ALVIN AILEY DANCE FOUNDATION Recipient of the National Medal of Arts Bennett Rink – Executive Director Calvin Hunt – Senior Director of Performance and Production Pamela Robinson – Chief Financial Officer Thomas Cott – Senior Director of Marketing and Creative Content Kimberly Watson – Senior Director of Development
ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER
Matthew Rushing............................................. Rehearsal Director Linda Celeste Sims................. Assistant to the Rehearsal Director
Dacquiri T’Shaun Smittick...............................Company Manager E.J. Corrigan...................................................... Technical Director Isabelle Quattlebaum.......................................Business Manager Kristin Colvin Young........................... Production Stage Manager Al Crawford.......................................................... Lighting Director Jon Taylor.....................................................Wardrobe Supervisor Joe Gaito........................................................... Master Carpenter David Kerr..........................................................Master Electrician Russell J. Cowans IV............................................ Sound Engineer Karl-Gosta Larsson..............................................Property Master Mychael G. Chinn............................ Assistant Company Manager
Nicole A. Walters................................... Assistant Stage Manager Roya Abab........................................... Assistant Lighting Director Dante Baylor, Erika Kuehn............................ Wardrobe Assistants Andrew Blacks................................................................... Flyman Curtis Reik..................................................... Assistant Electrician Christina Collura................................................. Performance and Production Project Manager
Donald J. Rose, M.D...................Director of the Harkness Center for Dance Injuries, Hospital for Joint Disease Shaw Bronner................................... Director of Physical Therapy Sheyi Ojofeitimi................................................ Physical Therapist Sarah Rakov..................................................... Physical Therapist
TOURING CONTACTS North American Agent OPUS 3 ARTISTS 470 Park Avenue South, 9th Fl North New York, NY 10016 Telephone: 212 584 7500 www.opus3artists.com
International Agent ASKONAS HOLT LTD Lincoln House, 300 High Holborn, London WC1V 7JH, United Kingdom Telephone: +44 20 7400 1700 Jonathan Fleming, Senior Project Manager jonathan.fleming@askonasholt.co.uk
PRODUCTION CREDITS Domestic trucking services provided by Stage Call Corporation. Lighting system provided by 4Wall Entertainment. Touring sound system provided by Gibson Entertainment Services. Cover photo: Antonio Douthit-Boyd. Photo by Andrew Eccles. Headshots by Andrew Eccles; Photo of Mr. Ailey by Jack Mitchell Alvin Ailey is a proud member of Dance/USA, the national service organization for professional dance. AILEY TOUR MERCHANDISE Ailey Tour Merchandise and AileyShop.com are managed by The Araca Group • www.AileyShop.com Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater • The Joan Weill Center for Dance 405 West 55th Street • New York, NY 10019-4402 • Tel: (212) 405-9000 www.AlvinAiley.org www.facebook.com/AlvinAileyAmericanDanceTheater
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Staff &
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
es Moines Performing Arts Board of Directors OFFICERS Thomas Brown * Chair Brown NationaLease Mary Kramer * Vice-Chair/Assets Chair Ambassador, Ret. Thomas E. Press * Treasurer Midland’s Choice
Eric T. Crowell UnityPoint Health – Des Moines
STAFF
Chris Browning Office Manager Julie Houghton Executive Assistant
Sheryl Grimm Community Leader Laure Guisinger Holmes Murphy & Associates
Frank Cownie City of Des Moines
Karen J. Lynn * Audit Chair Athene USA
Barbara Hanson Accountant
Travis Gjoraas Deloitte
Rick Clark City of Des Moines
John Craig Sammons Financial Group
Bill McElrath Business Director
Jon Garnaas G3 Development
DIRECTORS Robert Brownell Polk County Board of Supervisors
Mary Stier * Past Chair/ Compensation Chair The Brilliance Group
Laura Sweet Vice President & COO
Michael Eberle, DVM Eberle Animal Hospital
Dr. Andy McGuire Nom/Gov Chair Meridian Heatlh Plan
Rosemary Parson * Secretary EquiTrust Life Insurance Company
ADMINISTRATION Jeff Chelesvig President & CEO
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Patrick Mack * Finance Chair John Deere Financial
Cindy Hughes Anliker Communications Manager
Brett Smith Research Specialist
Matt Spangler Marketing Manager
Rachel Woodhouse Donor Relations Coordinator
Summer Evans Marketing Manager Leslie Jasper Group Sales Manager
Judith McKay Community Leader Bob O’Hollearn Allied Insurance Thomas E. Stanberry * Davis Brown Law Firm Angela Williams The Great Frame Up
Terry Johnson Wells Fargo Wealth Management
* Indicates member of the Executive Committee
Monica Kirgan The Principal Financial Group
LEGAL COUNSEL Mike Kulik Davis Brown Law Firm
Michelle McDonald School Programs Coordinator
TICKET OFFICE Misty Enderson Ticket Office Database Manager
Sarah Bannon Community Programs Coordinator
Jeff Waldschmitt Ticket Office Manager
MARKETING DEVELOPMENT Barb Preuss Todd Fogdall Director of Development Director of Marketing Tiffany Spinner Annual Fund Manager
Christine Lauridsen Sand Lauridsen Group
BUILDING SERVICES GUEST SERVICES Joel Cox Earl Smith Building Services Manager Guest Services Manager Greg Votava Digital Marketing Ly Ung Manager Assistant Building Manager House Services Manager Managers: Building Services Kerry George PROGRAMMING & Associates: Shirley Kleywegt EDUCATION Danny Glover Doug Kouba Eric B. Olmscheid Francisco Hernandez Evonne Kouba Director of Programming Khom Mao Sharon Montgomery & Education Francisco Mora Cynde Pool Irene Perez Shirley Ramirez Hank Teav Karoline Myers Sandra Sapp Dominick Ung Education Manager Marion Singleton
TECHNICAL OPERATIONS Brian Anstedt Production Director Greg Tracy Production Manager/ Head Audio Alan Dyer Technical Operations Manager/Head Electrician Nicholas Romano Stage Operations Manager/Head Carpenter Jamie L. Stepp Production Supervisor
Jessica Peters Ticket Office Staff Manager Laura Arenson Customer Service Team Member Margo Jones Customer Service Team Member Candace Bell Customer Service Team Member Chontel Berthelsen Group Sales Coordinator The backstage employees of Des Moines Performing Arts are represented by the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Local 67.
DANCE SERIES
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G uest Information ATM An ATM is located in the Ticket Office Lobby. BINOCULARS Binoculars are available for rent at the Nollen and Prairie Meadows Lobby Guest Services Counters for $5. CAMERAS The use of cameras or any type of recording devices in the Main Hall is prohibited at all times. CELL PHONES Please turn your cell phone off or set it to the silent mode. Please also refrain from text messaging and using your phone as a light source during the performance. ELEVATORS Elevators to the second level of the lobby are located in the Nollen Lobby and near the Stoner Theater.
LATE SEATING Late seating will be accommodated by House Staff at the earliest appropriate time. Pay attention to lobby chimes, which are sounded five minutes before the show begins, as well as after intermission. LISTENING DEVICES Infrared listening devices are available at the Guest Services Counters in the Nollen and Prairie Meadows Lobbies. LOST ITEMS Lost items may be reported or claimed at the Nollen Lobby Guest Services Counter area during an event. After an event, please contact our Ticket Office at (515) 246-2300 or stop by Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Items are kept for 30 days. MEDICAL ASSISTANCE If you have a medical need,
please notify the House Staff. Medical services are provided by UnityPoint Health – Des Moines in the Prairie Meadows Lobby. SPECIAL SEATING NEEDS Seating is available for all performances for a variety of accessibility requirements (including wheelchair, motorized cart, difficulty with stairs and sight impairment). Please call the Ticket Office at (515) 246-2300. TOBACCO USE The use of tobacco products is not allowed in the Des Moines Civic Center or within 15 feet of any entrance. WHEELCHAIRS Des Moines Performing Arts has wheelchairs available to assist guests with mobility concerns. Guest Services staff may be contacted to assist.
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JOIN OUR EMAIL CLUB!
Des Moines Performing Arts
@DSMPerforming DesMoinesPerformingArts.org Des Moines Performing Arts 221 Walnut Des Moines, IA 50309-2104 (515) 246-2300
Dancers: Travis Walker, Ashley Werhun, John Michael Schert Photography: Lois Greenfield
Thursday, May 1 · 2014
Support for The Dance Series has been provided by the National Endowment for the Arts.
DesMoinesPerformingArts.org · 800-745-3000 · Ticketmaster Locations · Des Moines Civic Center Ticket Office DANCE SERIES
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We recognize
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Member FDIC
At Bankers Trust, we strive to make it easy to do business with us. We’re intuitive, responsive and fully engaged in meeting the banking needs of all of our customers and their specific financial circumstances and goals.
(515) 245-2863 BankersTrust.com
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Iowa’s largest locally-owned bank with 12 locations in central Iowa to serve you. Please come see us.
1/11/14 9:31 AM