Atlanta Ballet, La Sylphide, September 2023

ATLANTA BALLET

September 15–17, 2023

Atlanta Ballet dancers. Photo by Kim Kenney.

On the cover: Atlanta Ballet dancer Airi Igarashi.

Photo by Charlie McCullers.

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September 15–17, 2023

Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre

With the Atlanta Ballet Orchestra

Tara Simoncic, Conductor

Music by H. S. Løvenskjold

Choreography by August Bournonville

Production and Additional Choreography by Johan Kobborg

Scenic Design by Søren Frandsen

Costume Design by Henrik Bloch

Lighting Design by Ben Rawson

Costumes and Settings courtesy of Iain Webb and The Sarasota Ballet

Scan QR Code to View Casting

COMPANY BALLET REPETITEURS

Angela Agresti, Rory Hohenstein, Eduardo Permuy

CHOREOGRAPHER-IN-RESIDENCE

Claudia Schreier

DEAN OF THE CENTRE FOR DANCE EDUCATION

Sharon Story

THE COMPANY

Jessica Assef, Nadyne Bispo, Severin Brotschul, Georgie Grace Butler, Emily Carrico, Michael Caye, Anastasia Cheplyansky, Dylan Clinard, Catherine Conley, Larissa Dal’Santo, Guillermo Dominguez, Brooke Gilliam, Jessica He, Airi Igarashi, Darian Kane, Erik Kim, Saho Kumagai, Sojung Lee, Jordan Leeper, Guilherme Maciel, Sergio Masero, Juliana Missano, Miguel Angel Montoya, Marius Morawski, Denys Nedak, Carraig New, Patric Palkens, Madison Penney, Ángel Ramírez, Kaitlin Matree Roemer, Mikaela Santos, Anderson Souza, Fuki Takahashi, Munkhjin Ulziijargal, Kelsey Van Tine, Ashley Wegmann, Spencer Wetherington, Luiz Fernando Xavier, Rei Yamaguchi

ATLANTA BALLET 2

Santiago Bedoya, Claire Buchi, Gianna Horton-Sibble, Camille Jackson, Avery Jarrard, Isabella Kessler, Jacob Lainchbury, Ashley McKoy, Mayu Nakayama, Estefania Ontanilla, Ícaro Queiros, Emma Sophia Robinson, Joaquin Ruiz, Paxton Speight, Musa Sultanov, Emanuel Talongo, Rachel Zinman

Dorothy Moses Alexander - Atlanta Ballet Founder, 1929 - 1960

Robert Barnett - Artistic Director Emeritus, 1961 - 1994

John McFall – Artistic Director, 1994 - 2016

Atlanta Ballet 2 courtesy of Atlanta Ballet Centre for Dance Education

SYNOPSIS

By Johan Kobborg

ACT I

A Scottish manor-house

It is the morning of James’ marriage to Effie and he is asleep in his armchair. A winged figure, a Sylphide, is kneeling by his side. She kisses him on his forehead and he wakes up, confused. Entranced by the vision of the Sylph, he attempts to capture her, but she escapes him. As she reaches the fireplace, she vanishes up the chimney. Troubled, he wakes his companions but none of them saw the Sylph. Gurn, James’ rival, arrives and learns that James is infatuated with someone other than Effie.

The preparations for the wedding are in full swing. James hardly notices Effie; instead, she is wooed by Gurn, whom she ignores. James joins in the preparations but gradually realizes that, while Effie dreams more and more of the wedding, his own dreams go far beyond the walls of the manor-house.

An old woman, Madge, has slipped unnoticed into the hall to warm herself by the fire. James, sensing that she is a sinister presence, takes an immediate dislike to her and cannot bear to see her sitting

where he last saw the Sylph. He orders her to leave but Effie calms him and persuades him to let Madge tell the fortunes of some of the guests. Madge prophesies that Effie will marry Gurn. James, furious at this, threatens Madge, who curses him. Effie runs off to dress for the wedding leaving James alone and in turmoil.

The Sylph once again shows herself to James, declares her love for him and tells him that they belong together. Gurn enters and, believing that he may have caught James talking to another woman, attempts to reveal the situation to Effie but fails.

As the wedding festivities begin, the Sylph reappears. Unable to resist her enticements, James follows her into the forest. Effie is left broken-hearted.

ACT II A glade in the forest

Deep in the forest, shrouded in mist, Madge is planning her revenge. She makes a veil, irresistible to all, in a magic cauldron. As the fog lifts, James enters with the Sylph, who shows him her realm. She brings him berries and water but evades his embrace. To lift his spirits, she calls on her sisters and the forest fills with sylphs, who dance for James. Try as he might, he is unable to catch the Sylph in his arms.

Effie and James’ companions reach the glade looking for him. Gurn finds James’ hat, but Madge convinces him to say nothing. He proposes to Effie and, encouraged by Madge, she accepts. Everyone leaves to prepare for the wedding of Effie and Gurn.

Meanwhile, James is desperately looking for the Sylph, and Madge convinces him that the veil she has made will enable him to catch her. The Sylph appears and, seeing the veil, is totally captivated by it. She allows James to place it around her shoulders and as he does so, he kisses her. His embrace is fatal, and the Sylph’s wings fall to the ground. In despair, James sees what should have been his own wedding party in the distance. As Madge forces him to see what he has lost, he realizes that in trying to possess the unobtainable, he has lost everything.

Atlanta Ballet dancers. Photo by Kim Kenney.

GENNADI NEDVIGIN (Artistic Director), in February 2016, was named Atlanta Ballet’s fourth artistic director in the Company’s then 87-year history. Nedvigin, born in Rostov, Russia, began his training at age 5. At 10, he was accepted into the Bolshoi Ballet Academy. Upon graduating, he joined Moscow Renaissance Ballet as a soloist before he was invited to dance with Le Jeune Ballet de France in Paris. In 1997, while on tour in the U.S., San Francisco Ballet (SFB) Artistic Director Helgi Tomasson offered Nedvigin a soloist contract. After three years, he was promoted to principal dancer. While at SFB, Nedvigin won the International Competition’s Erik Bruhn Prize (1999). He has also received three Isadora Duncan Dance Awards (2001, 2010 and 2017). Along the way, Nedvigin was fortunate to work with many world-renowned choreographers. In addition to his dancing career, Nedvigin also taught master classes and staged ballets in the U.S. and abroad before becoming an artistic director. Recently, Nedvigin sat on juried panels at the World Ballet Competition in Orlando, the International Ballet Competition held in Jackson, Mississippi, and the Youth America Grand Prix. Under Nedvigin’s guidance, Atlanta Ballet has established the Academy training program, which includes a top-tier performance ensemble, Atlanta Ballet 2, representing his commitment to training for the next generation of professional dancers.

TOM WEST (Executive Director) assumed his role as Atlanta Ballet’s Executive Director at the top of the 2021 | 2022 Season. West’s career in arts management spans more than 20 years, including leadership roles at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Segerstrom Center for the Arts and American Film Institute. An actor and theatre director by training, West received a Master of Arts in arts administration from American University and began his career in arts management at the Kennedy Center in 1997, where he rose to serve as Vice President of Development, overseeing all fundraising programs for the National Symphony Orchestra and the Suzanne Farrell Ballet, and leading the effort to fund a remount of Balanchine’s Don Quixote. In 2007, West served as Vice President of Development for the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa, California. From 2010-2021, West served as the Chief Advancement Officer for the American Film Institute in Los Angeles, where he championed the development of new programs to provide bridges to the film industry for under-represented storytellers in Hollywood. West also served on AFI’s senior leadership team, shaping organizational strategy for the Institute’s filmmaker training programs and working with major studios developing targeted diversity initiatives, as well as its strategy for weathering the COVID-19 pandemic. West established the AFI National Council in 2011, a community of philanthropists from across the United States who serve as champions for excellence in the art of film and opportunities for the next generation of great storytellers.

SHARON STORY (Dean of the Centre for Dance Education) joined Atlanta Ballet after a professional dance career that spanned more than 20 years and included tenures with Joffrey Ballet, the School of American Ballet, Stars of New York City Ballet, Atlanta Ballet and 10 years with Boston Ballet. Her Boston Ballet tenure included international tours with Rudolf Nureyev. In 1996, along with her role as ballet mistress, Story became dean of Atlanta Ballet Centre for Dance Education (Centre), which has grown to become one of the largest dance schools in the nation. The Centre is nationally recognized for its programs and community initiatives. Under Story’s direction, the Centre achieved accreditation with the National Association of Schools of Dance (NASD). She serves on the board of directors for NASD. In 2021, Story received Atlanta Ballet’s Dorothy Alexander Award. She received the 2015 Women Making a Mark Award from Atlanta Magazine and was featured in the Arts ATL Legacy Series 2018. Story is committed to providing a noncompetitive atmosphere and access to dance education that is shaped by the community’s needs, is innovative and inspires the commitment and excellence that are the trademarks of Atlanta Ballet.

Atlanta history. he joined dance U.S., Nedvigin dancer.

Atlanta history. he joined dance U.S., Nedvigin dancer.

TOM

Executive arts at the Center director from Kennedy Development, Symphony to fund Vice Costa ment championed film served the developing weathering Council States opportunities

Bruhn Awards work career, and juried Ballet Grand Academy ensemble, next S H Atlanta years Stars Her 1996, Centre largest programs accreditation serves Dorothy from Story dance inspires

TOM

Executive arts at Center director from Kennedy Development, Symphony to Vice Costa ment championed film served the developing weathering Council States opportunities

Bruhn Awards work career, and juried Ballet Grand Academy ensemble, next S H Atlanta years Stars Her 1996, Centre largest programs accreditation serves Dorothy from Story dance inspires

ANGELA AGRESTI (Company Repetiteur) grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana, where she began her training at the Jordon College Academy of Dance. In high school, she transferred to North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA) for ballet where she worked closely with mentor Anna-Marie Holmes. After UNCSA, Agresti went on to dance with Cincinnati Ballet for one season before moving to Amsterdam to be in Het Nationale Ballet (Dutch National Ballet) where she danced for eight years. While at Het Nationale Ballet, she danced a mix of classical ballets, Balanchine works, Hans van Manen repertoire, contemporary and neoclassical works, along with new creations. Agresti has been featured in William Forsythe’s Second Detail, Alexei Ratmansky’s Don Quichot, Shen Wei’s Sacre du Printemps, and other notable ballets, such as The Dream, Paquita and Swan Lake During her time dancing in Amsterdam, Agresti gained experience as a choreographic assistant for multiple choreographers’ stage, film and festival works. She traveled to Riom, Switzerland, assisting works by Juanjo Arques and Peter Leung for the Origen Cultural Festival. She also worked with Peter Leung on the first-ever virtual reality ballet titled Nightfall. Since returning to the U.S. in 2018, Agresti has been teaching, coaching and rehearsing dancers at the collegiate, preprofessional and professional levels. She held positions at Butler University and Anderson University, and as a company ballet teacher and rehearsal assistant at Gregory Hancock Dance Theatre. In 2018, she assisted Annabelle Lopez Ochoa in the making of Tulips and Lobster for Kansas City Ballet and re-staged the work for the company the following season. She holds certifications in the ABT National Training Curriculum for levels

Pre-Primary through Level 5 and has received Basi Pilates teacher training for mat Pilates and reformer. She is certified as an integrative nutrition health coach and holds a Nonprofit Management Certificate from the University of California Irvine. Agresti is looking forward to her second season with Atlanta Ballet.

RORY HOHENSTEIN (Company Repetiteur) was born in Washington D.C., where he began dancing at the age of 6. Hohenstein furthered his training from the age of 12 at the Kirov Academy of Ballet. At 17, he joined Le Jeune Ballet de France in Paris. In 2000, he joined San Francisco Ballet as a member of the corps, being promoted to soloist in 2006. In 2008, he moved to New York, joining Christopher Wheeldon’s company, Morphoses, performing in its home seasons at New York City Center and at Sadler’s Wells in London. He spent a season dancing with the Lar Lubovitch Dance Company before joining the Joffrey Ballet in 2011, where he continued to be a leading artist with the company through the 2018/19 season. Some personal highlights include dancing the roles of Romeo in Krzysztof Pastor’s Romeo & Juliet, Riff in Jerome Robbins’ West Side Story Suite, Levin in Yuri Possokhov’s Anna Karenina and in Wayne McGregor’s Eden/Eden. This is Hohenstein’s fourth season as company repetiteur at Atlanta Ballet.

EDUARDO PERMUY (Company Repetiteur) was born in Cuba, where he began his training at the age of 7 at Laura Alonso’s ballet school Pro-Danza, later joining the National Ballet School of Cuba and finishing at Miami City Ballet School under the tutelage of Nancy Raffa. At the age of 17, Permuy started his professional career with Miami City Ballet as an apprentice and he went on to enjoy a career of 18 years also dancing for American Ballet Theatre Studio Company, Joffrey Ballet, Ballet West, Smuin Contemporary Ballet, Cincinnati Ballet, and appearing as guest artist with a few others. During this time, his repertoire included most of the classics and a vast number of ballets from the Balanchine repertoire, ranging from corps to principal roles. He also had the opportunity to perform ballets from Gerald Arpino, Robert Joffrey, Jiří Kylián, Kurt Joss, John Cranko, Frederick Ashton, Kenneth MacMillan, Twyla Tharp, Helen Picket, Nicolo Fonte, Antony Tudor, Ulysses Dove, Michael Smuin, Val Caniparoli, Alberto Alonso, Benjamin Millepied, Leonide Massine,

and Amy Seiwert. Throughout his career, Permuy feels blessed to have learned from figures like Nancy Raffa, Fernanado Bujones, Martha Bosh, Sir Anthony Dowell, Christopher Carr, Eddie Villella and Clinton Luckett. In 2021, he joined Cleveland Ballet as a director of repertoire, where he had the opportunity not only to perform ballet master duties but also was able to return to the stage as a character dancer, performing the roles of Don Quijote in the ballet by the same name and Drosselmeyer in The Nutcracker This is Permuy’s second season with Atlanta Ballet.

CLAUDIA SCHREIER (Choreographer-in-Residence) has choreographed, directed and produced for dance, opera and film across the U.S. and internationally. She has been commissioned by Boston Ballet, Miami City Ballet, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Vail Dance Festival, Juilliard Opera, ABT Studio Company and New York Choreographic Institute and premiered new works for San Francisco Ballet and Richmond Ballet in 2023. Schreier has created four works for Atlanta Ballet: First Impulse, named a 2019 Standout Performance by Pointe Magazine; Pleiades Dances (2021); Fauna (2022); and Carnivale (2023) and will present a new World Premiere for the company in May 2024. In October 2022, in collaboration with the Cathedral Choir Society, Atlanta Ballet performed excerpts of Berlioz’s Roméo et Juliette at the Washington National Cathedral, choreographed by Schreier. In 2021, she released Force of Habit, a film commissioned by Guggenheim Works & Process and co-presented by Atlanta Ballet. She has contributed to programs at the White House, Jazz at Lincoln Center and the Kennedy Center, including the Kennedy Center Honors. Her work is the subject of two documentaries, including PBS’s Emmy Award-winning “Dancing on the Shoulders of Giants” (Capital Region). She is a recipient of the Princess Grace Award, Toulmin Fellowship at the Center for Ballet and the Arts at NYU, Lotos Prize, and Suzanne Farrell Dance Prize.

LARISSA DAL’SANTO Chapecó, Brazil

SEVERIN BROTSCHUL Glen Arbor, Michigan

JESSICA ASSEF São Carlos, Brazil

NADYNE BISPO Santos Coast of São Paulo, Brazil

EMILY CARRICO Lexington, Kentucky

MICHAEL CAYE Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania ANASTASIA CHEPLYANSKY Saratoga, California

DYLAN CLINARD High Point, North Carolina

CATHERINE CONLEY Chicago, Illinois

GEORGIE GRACE BUTLER Roswell, Georgia

BROOKE GILLIAM Boulder, Colorado

JESSICA HE Rancho Cucamonga, California

AIRI IGARASHI Gunma, Japan

DARIAN KANE Lincoln, California

ERIK KIM Little Rock, Arkansas

GUILLERMO DOMINGUEZ Burgos, Spain

SAHO KUMAGAI Sapporo, Japan SOJUNG LEE Chungju, South Korea

JORDAN LEEPER Jamestown, New York

Atlanta Ballet photos courtesy of Charlie McCullers and Kim Kenney.

LUIZ FERNANDO XAVIER São Paulo, Brazil

PATRIC PALKENS Boston, Massachusetts

MARIUS MORAWSKI Łódź, Poland

MADISON PENNEY Mesa, Arizona

REI YAMAGUCHI Hokkaido, Japan

KAITLIN MATREE ROEMER Highland, Michigan

GUILHERME MACIEL São Paulo, Brazil

SERGIO MASERO Madrid, Spain

JULIANA MISSANO Lloyd Harbor, New York

MIGUEL ANGEL MONTOYA Cali, Colombia

DENYS NEDAK Odessa, Ukraine

CARRAIG NEW Juneau, Alaska

ÁNGEL RAMÍREZ Trinidad, Cuba

MIKAELA SANTOS Manila, Philippines

ANDERSON SOUZA Santo Angelo, RS, Brazil

FUKI TAKAHASHI Yokohama, Japan

KELSEY VAN TINE Naples, Florida

ASHLEY WEGMANN Shamong, New Jersey SPENCER WETHERINGTON Bridgeton, New Jersey

MUNKHJIN ULZIIJARGAL Mongolia

artistic & production team

JOHAN KOBBORG (Choreographer) was born in Copenhagen and trained at The Royal Danish Ballet School before joining The Royal Danish Ballet as an apprentice in 1989. He immediately took on soloist and leading roles within the repertoire and was promoted to principal dancer following his debut as James in La Sylphide in 1995. Kobborg has enjoyed a distinguished career as a principal dancer with The Royal Danish Ballet and The Royal Ballet, and as a guest with most major companies around the world; and more recently, as a choreographer with leading companies, creating work for The Royal Ballet, Bolshoi Ballet, Royal Danish Ballet, Zürich Ballet, National Ballet of Canada, San Francisco Ballet, Lithuanian National Ballet, Leonid Yakobson Ballet, NBA Ballet Tokyo, Royal New Zealand Ballet, The Sarasota Ballet, Atlanta Ballet, and The Czech National Ballet, among others. Kobborg’s La Sylphide first premiered at The Royal Ballet in 2005. The production has received several awards and nominations, including three Golden Masks in 2009 (for Best Production and Best Choreographer), Performance of the Year in Romania 2014, and a 2006 Lawrence Olivier Award nomination for Best Ballet/Dance Production. The 2008 Bolshoi production was streamed to cinemas worldwide in 2013 and 2018. Kobborg’s creations include both original works and re-worked traditional ballet productions. These include Les Lutins, which, since its premiere at The Royal Opera House in 2009, has been performed regularly at galas and festivals globally and is today in the repertoire of some of the world’s foremost dancers. Other works include Kobborg’s re-imagined Cinderella, which premiered in 2021 at the Bunka Kaikan Theatre in Tokyo; his One-Act version of Romeo & Juliet created for Alina Cojocaru and Sergei Polunin; Don Quixote which premiered in St. Petersburg in 2017 and has since been streamed worldwide as part of the 2019 Golden Mask Awards; and Giselle, created and co-choreographed in 2013 with Ethan Stiefel for the Royal New Zealand Ballet. Kobborg was the ballet advisor and lead choreographer on the 2018 feature film The White Crow, about the early life of Rudolf Nureyev, directed by Ralph Fiennes. From 2013 to 2016, he was the Artistic Director of The National Ballet of Bucharest (ONB), Romania, and in 2015, the Company was nominated for Performance of the Year by Dance Europe and Company of the Year by both Dance Europe and Tanz Magazine. Kobborg was the recipient of the Critics’ Circle National Dance Award for Best Male Dancer in 2001 and received the Knight Order of Dannebrog from Queen Margrethe II of Denmark in 2013.

Sources: My Theatre Life by August Bournonville, translated by Patricia McAndrew, Wesleyan University Press, 1979.

Bournonville and the Royal Danish Ballet by Erik Aschengreen. Pamphlet prepared for the 1979 Bournonville Festival by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Copenhagen.

Lithograph by Em. Baerentzen, 1841

AUGUST BOURNONVILLE (Choreographer, 1805-1879) was born in Copenhagen on August 21, 1805 to Antoine Bournonville, a dancer and choreographer who led the Royal Danish Ballet from 1816 to 1823. His son would go on to hold the same position for almost fifty years. In 1820, Bournonville left for Paris, where he performed as a soloist at the Paris Opera and studied under Auguste Vestris, among other great instructors. He returned home to Copenhagen and in 1830, took on the role of ballet master for the Royal Theatre. Elevating the image and stature of ballet and displaying it as an art form were essential to Bournonville. He strived to accentuate the regal and refined qualities of ballet, which demanded delicate and dramatically nuanced performances from the company’s artists. To address what he saw as decline in opportunities for male dancers, Bournonville focused on creating significant roles that would highlight their virtuosity on the stage. In 1836, he choreographed La Sylphide and the principal role on his student Lucile Grahn, who was only seventeen at the time. Bournonville expressed much of his worldly travels in his ballets by integrating some of the essences of different countries he visited into his creations. Though Bournonville retired from dancing in 1848, he continued directing the Royal Theatre until 1877, except for two brief work opportunities that took him to Vienna (1855-1856) and Stockholm (18611864). Before his death, Bournonville did not imagine the impact his career would make on Danish ballet or that his contributions to ballet would be recognized worldwide. Americans took notice in 1956 when the Royal Danish Ballet performed Bournonville’s choreography for the first time in New York, which contributed to building the choreographer’s artistic legacy that continues today. Prominent ballet companies around the world still include La Sylphide in their present-day repertory.

artistic & production team 20

SØREN FRANDSEN (Scenic Designer) was born in 1918 to parents who were keen theatre-goers, and his father built several toy theatres based on the Danish Royal Theatre. He trained at art school in Copenhagen and, while still a student, worked there as a scenic artist at The People’s and The New theatres. In 1941 Frandsen created his first set design, Les Misérables for The School Stage. From 1949 to 1988 he was a scenic artist at the Royal Theatre, Copenhagen, becoming Head of Department in 1966. During this time, he created numerous designs, including costumes, for ballet, opera and drama, as well as designing for other theatres. He created the set designs for La Sylphide in 1967, while other career highlights include designing the sets for Flemming Flindt’s production of Die Fledermaus for the centenary of its first performance in Vienna in 1973. He died in 1996.

HENRIK BLOCH (Costume Designer) was born in Copenhagen and studied there at the Royal Academy. His first exhibition of paintings was in 1950, while a student. From 1956 to 1968 Bloch exhibited jointly with a colleague and ever since has had regular solo exhibitions. His work is also represented in Copenhagen’s Theatre Museum. He has created designs for nearly one hundred productions, including, for the Royal Theatre, Copenhagen, such ballets as La Sylphide, Far From Denmark, La Ventana, Flower Festival in Genzano, and Petrushka and the operas Maskarade, La serva padrona, and Der Wildschütz. He has also designed for various plays, including, In Odense, Hamlet, Mary Stuart, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream for the Tivoli Pantomime Theatre.

BEN RAWSON (Lighting Designer) is an Atlanta-based Lighting Designer for Theatre, Opera, and Dance, member USA 829. Theatrical/Opera design work can be seen at The Alliance Theatre (GA), Detroit Opera (MI), Florida Studio Theatre (FL), Glimmerglass Opera (NY), Utah Opera (UT), Atlanta Opera (GA), Theatrical Outfit (GA), Center Rep (CA), Aurora Theatre (GA), Actors Express (GA), and others. Dance design work includes choreographers Ana Maria Lucaciu, Troy Schumacher, Claudia Schreier, Remi Wörtmeyer, Bruce Wells, Danielle Agami, and Omar Roman De Jesus, as well as with Atlanta Ballet (GA), BalletCollective (NY), Terminus Modern Ballet Theatre (GA), Fly On A Wall (GA), and others. Ben has also worked across the country as an Associate & Assistant Lighting Designer for San Diego Opera (CA), The Alliance Theatre (GA), Berkshire Theatre Festival (MA), Atlanta Opera (GA), Utah Opera (UT), Glimmerglass Festival (NY), Playmakers Repertory Company (NC), and Atlanta Ballet (GA). benrawsondesign.com

TARA SIMONCIC (Conductor) is excited to return as a guest conductor with Atlanta Ballet. Simoncic frequently works with symphony orchestras as well as opera and ballet companies in America and abroad. She is currently the music director of Louisville Ballet, the Flexible Orchestra in New York City, the Greenwich Symphony Young People’s Concerts, and was the music director of Ballet West from 2015-2018. This season, Simoncic makes her debut at San Francisco Ballet with performances of The Nutcracker and Don Quixote, as well as the Orquesta Sinfónica Provincial de Santa Fe. She will return this season as a guest conductor with the ballet at Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires and the New York City Ballet. Simoncic recently conducted performances of Don Giovanni in Trieste, Italy and The Barber of Seville with the Slovenian National Opera Ballet Theatre. She holds a Bachelor of Music in trumpet performance from the New England Conservatory, a Master of Music in orchestral conducting from Northwestern University, and a Professional Studies Diploma in conducting from Manhattan School of Music.

Officers

Nancy Field, J.D., Chair

Barbara S. Joiner, Vice Chair

Juan Carlos Urdaneta, Treasurer

Jan Beaves, Secretary

Lynda B. Courts, Chair Emeritus

Trustees

Elizabeth Adams

Emily C. Baker

Ron Breakstone

Ginny Brewer

Chris Carlos

Dr. Meria Carstarphen

Lynn Cochran-Schroder

Cynthia Crain, Ed.D.

Vanessa Delmer

Yelena Epova, CPA

Nigel Ferguson

Jacqueline Flake

Amy Gerome

Matthew Hartnett

Mona Heyer

Lindsay R. Hill

Joyce Houser, Ph.D.

Tharon Johnson

Kathleen Knous

Kristin Manion Taylor

Araya Mesfin, CFP

Taylor Meyer, CFA

Linda Morris

Gennadi Nedvigin*

Rachel Lee Phipps

Katherine Scott

Pam Wakefield

Tom West*

Advisory Council

David M. Barnett

Mark Bell, Ph.D.

Harvey Coleman

Elaine E. Davis

Erroll B. Davis

Anne-Laure Desjonquères

Lovely Dhillon

F. Javier Diaz

Raoul “Ray” Donato

Jake Evans

Linda Nau Givens

Mark Goldman

Robert L. Green

Susan S. Kettering

Allegra Lawrence-Hardy

Allen Maines

Santiago Marquez

Juan Mejia

Allen W. Nelson

Eric Robbins

Arden Hess Rowland

Laura Turner Seydel

Sharon Silvermintz

Rebecca Christian Smith

Anat Sultan-Dadon

Dov Wilker

Allen W. Yee

Sonjia Waller Young

Honorary Board

Margaret Carton

David Crosland

Kenneth R. Hey

Wade Hooper

J. David Hopkins

Bill Huber, CPA

Michael Jones

Sloan Kennedy-Smith

Edward B. Krugman

Amanda Shailendra

Michelle Sullivan

Trustees Emeriti

Lynda B. Courts, Chair Emeritus

Lavona S. Currie †

Karen Vereb

Patti Wallace †

Lifetime Board

Jane Dean

Carole Goldberg

Joseph Prendergast

Deen Day Sanders

Corps de Ballet Board

Sharon Silvermintz, Chair

Jacqueline Flake, Vice-Chair & Secretary

Joanne Chesler Gross, Treasurer

Doug Weiss, Immediate Past Chair

Jennifer Alewine

Kimberlyn Daniel

Jane Dean

Jessica DeHart

Nancy Flaherty

Caroline Jeffords

Corrie Johnson

Lara Mitchelson

Amy Nelson

Melissa Nowak

Gailen Rosenberg

Arden Hess Rowland

Dottie Smith

Marsha Taylor

Preston Wilson, Jr.

board of trustees

VIOLIN

Lisa Morrison

Concertmaster

Sally Gardner-Wilson Assoc. Concertmaster

Linda Pinner Principal Second

Pete Ciaschini*

Nina Fronjian**

Patti Gouvas

Eva Hsu**

Alison James

Kathryn Koch*

Elena Kolbrek

Patrick Ryan

Angèle Sherwood -Lawless+

Elonia Varfi

Rafael Veytsblum+

Ying Zhuo

VIOLA

Joli Wu Principal

Shadwa Mussad

Patrick Shelc**

Kristeen Sorrells

Meghan Yost**

CELLO

Guang Wang** Acting Principal

Harrison Cook**

Sarah Kapps*

Alexis Lee

CONTRABASS

Adam Bernstein Principal

Sam Dugo

ATLANTA BALLET ORCHESTRA

Tara Simoncic, Guest Conductor

FLUTE

Jeanne Carere Principal

Kelly Bryant*

OBOE

Alexandra Shatalova Prior Principal

Natalie Beckenbaugh**

CLARINET

Katherine White Principal

Greg Collins+

Miranda Dohrman*

BASSOON

Amy Pollard Principal

Dan Worley

HORN

Jason Eklund Principal

Anne-Marie Cherry**

Julie Gerhardt**

Eric Hawkins

TRUMPET

Kevin Lyons Principal

John Morrison Co-Principal

Greg Holland

TROMBONE

Mark Spradley

Acting Principal

Richard Brady

Don Strand

PERCUSSION

Karen Hunt

Acting Principal

Jeff Kershner

William Wilder**

TIMPANI

Scott Douglas Principal

HARP

Nella Rigell Principal

* 1-Year Appointment

** Substitute + Leave of Absence

ANNUAL FUND DONORS

Atlanta Ballet gratefully acknowledges the following individuals whose generous annual contributions were received during the period of August 1, 2022 – July 15, 2023. If you find that we did not recognize you appropriately, we apologize. For corrections, please contact us at advancement@atlantaballet.com

THE CHOREOGRAPHER’S CIRCLE

Recognizes exceptional gifts of $10,000 and above

DIAMOND $100,000+

Anonymous

Chris Carlos & Family

Katherine Scott

Carol & Ramon Tomé

SAPPHIRE $50,000+

Anonymous

EMERALD $25,000+

Elaine & Erroll Davis

The Elster Foundation

PEARL $20,000+

Ms. Jan P. Beaves

Heather & Bill Preston

The Rogers Family Foundation

OPAL $15,000+

Mr. William F. Snyder

AMETHYST $10,000+

Anonymous (3)

Elizabeth & Howell Adams III

Emily C. Baker and Christopher Bly

Ginny & Charles Brewer

Dr. Meria J. Carstarphen & Mr. David Heleniak

Mrs. Lynn Cochran-Schroder & Mr. Bill Schroder

Cynthia Crain, Ed. D. & Dwight Lee, Ph.D.

Vanessa & Robin Delmer

Nigel Ferguson

Ms. Nancy Field & Mr. Michael Schulder

Jacqueline Flake & David Dase

Adrienne & Scott Hardesty

Matthew & Brittany Hartnett

Joyce Houser, Ph.D.

Barbara & Eric Joiner

Kelin Foundation

Kathleen & Kirk Knous

Taylor & Brad Meyer

Stephanie & Austin Stephens

Greer & Alex Taylor

Kristen Manion Taylor & Jason Taylor

Pam & Paul Whitacre

Special thanks and deepest gratitude to the entire Atlanta Ballet Board of Trustees for special contributions totaling more than $1.2M to Atlanta Ballet’s Operating Reserve Fund.

THE DANCER’S CIRCLE

Recognizes generous gifts up to $10,000

TOUR JETÉ $5,000+

Anonymous

Mr. Daniel E. Gaylord & Ms. Marilyn Altman

James J. Andrews, in honor of Jill M. Voznick

Mr. Robert J. Barnett

Dr. & Mrs. Lawrence W. Davis

Mr. Richard Delay & Ms. Francine Dykes

Joanne & Alex Gross

Bonnie & Terry Herron

Kenneth & Colleen Hey

Mariana Laufer

Carole & Nelson Marchioli

Linda & Don Morris

Ginger Brill Pisik

Mr. & Mrs. Mark Silberman

Karen Vereb & Bud Blanton

ASSEMBLÉ $2,500+

Anonymous

Diana & Miguel Arteche

Lucy & Henry Bush

Mr. & Mrs. Jerome M. Cooper

Mr. Mark du Mas

Laura Grabeman

Steve, Susan & Grace Hauser, in memory of Armantine Groshong

Frank Holt

James Honkisz & Catherine Binns

Laurie & John Hopkins

Dr. Leslie & Mrs. Marilyn Kelman, in honor of Darcy & Rachel Denneen

Gino & Belinda Massafra

Mr. & Mrs. Larry Pelletier

Stuart Pliner & Barbara Bing Pliner

Wade Rakes & Nicholas Miller

Mr. & Mrs. Robert Ratonyi

Debby & Baker Smith

Sharon Story, Julien & Kim Kenney

The Mortimer Family

Dr. Peter & Mrs. Beverly Thomas

Dr. John Trimble & Ms. Marianne Stribling

Jeff & Catherine Tucker

Irma J. Turnipseed

Sonia P. Witkowski

Allen W. Yee

GLISSADE $1,000+

Anonymous (3)

Overton & Kay Anderson

Hope Barrett

Mr. & Mrs. Martin P. Bennett

Xavier Bignon

Peter Boucher

Mr. & Mrs. Sean Bowen

Michael Bracken, in memory of Louis Molino

James A. Brennan, M.D.

Dr. & Mrs. William Brinkman

Dr. Harold J. Brody & Mr. Donald E. Smith

Sara & Alex Brown

Mr. Michael E. Carroll & Mr. Paul Alberto

David Cofrin & Christine Tryba-Cofrin

Lawrence M. Cohen

John Condo

Consilium Partner Group

Ann & Frank Critz

Dr. & Mrs. O. Anderson Currie, Jr., in honor of Sharon Story

Mrs. Jane S. Dean

Robert Paul Dean & Robert Epstein

Kevin & Demi Doyle

Doug & Florida Ellis

Dr. Marvin Goldstein

Richard Goodjoin & Kelvin Davis

Mrs. Carol Lanier Goodman

Ms. Marguerite Hallman

Lisa & Forrest Hibbard

Dorothea & Robert Jeffrey

Holland & Ceci Johnson

Mrs. Peter G. Kessenich, Sr.

Edward Krugman & Jill Pryor

Leigh Anna & Steven Lang

Allegra Lawrence-Hardy & Timothy Hardy

Ms. Doreen M. Lewis

Linda L. Lively & James E. Hugh III

Dr. & Mrs. Ellis L. Malone

Melissa & Austin Merritt

Audrey & Danny Meyer

Walter & Arden Rowland, in honor of Elliott Rowland

Ashley & Drew Scott

Manda & Jeremy Shankel

Toreya Shea

Beverly & Dianne Shlapak

Dr. & Mrs. Mark Silverstein

Matt Simon

Mr. & Mrs. James E. Stueve

Mr. & Mrs. Perry Taylor

Dr. Kirsten Travers-UyHam & Mr. John J. UyHam

Annie York Trujillo & Karen Trujillo

Mrs. Julie Turner-Davis & Mr. John Davis

Mr. & Mrs. Juan Carlos Urdaneta

Joseph Vivona

Eric & Chan Voiles

Harriet H. Warren

Betsy Wash

Norman Zapien

RELEVÉ $500+

Anonymous

Judith & Aaron Alembik

Ms. Tracie Arnold

Ann Barrett

Susan Bass & Thomas Bradford, in honor of Marsha Taylor

Herb & Lisa Bastin

Richard Bohrer

Cynthia Brant

Kerry Bryan

Mrs. Carolyn Champion

Carol Comstock & Jim Davis

Mr. & Mrs. Richard W. Courts II

James Datka & Nora DePalma

Mr. Joseph Dawsey III

Dr. Catherine Dekle & Dr. Keith Mannes, in memory of Vielka Del Carmen Sheppard

Ashleigh Dobrin, in loving memory of Mel Dobrin

Amanda Dove

Antoinette J. Earley & William L. Green

Elaine Eaton

Tricia & Chris Ekholm

Kathryn & Patrick Gaul

Christine A. Gilliam

Helen & Jeff Herbert

Vicki Hooten

Mr. Douglas Hopkins

Mr. J. David Hopkins

Mr. & Mrs. Tharon Johnson

Allan & Vaneesa Little

Jean & Robert McColl

Terri & Stephen Nagler

Miho & Gennadi Nedvigin

Mrs. Debby Overstreet

Margaret Painter

Mr. & Ms. Patel

Judith Powell

Grace Pownall & Ron Harris

Dr. Robert & Gail Riesenberg

Dr. & Mrs. William M. Scaljon

Jennie & Stephen Schuermann

Anne M. Spratlin

Teena Stern

Judith Story

Mr. Tarek Takieddini

Roberta Taylor & James Hill

Aisha Walth

Alan & Marcia Watt

Tom West

Dr. & Mrs. Wetherington

INSTITUTIONAL GIVING

Atlanta Ballet gratefully acknowledges the following corporations, foundations, and government agencies whose generous annual contributions were received during the period of August 1, 2022 – July 15, 2023.

$100,000+

Bobbie Bailey Foundation

The Home Depot Foundation

The Thalia & Michael C. Carlos Foundation

The Thalia N. Carlos & Chris M. Carlos Foundation

$75,000+

PNC

The Shubert Foundation

$50,000+

City of Atlanta Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs

Fulton County Arts & Culture

Mark & Evelyn Trammell Foundation

The Zeist Foundation

$25,000+

Cox Enterprises

Southern Company Gas Foundation

The Kettering Family Foundation

The Ray M. & Mary Elizabeth Lee Foundation

$20,000+

Arrow Exterminators  JBS Foundation

The Sartain Lanier Family Foundation

$15,000+

FLOWER Magazine

Georgia Council for the Arts

Google

$10,000+

Aprio  Chick-fil-A

National Endowment for the Arts   Publix Super Markets Charities

$5,000+

Hellen Ingram Plummer Charitable Foundation

Massey Charitable Trust

Price Gilbert, Jr. Charitable Fund

$2,500+ Anonymous

$1,000+

Dana Foundation

ETRO

Jamestown, L.P.

Lindsey Treadaway, Realtor, Berkshire Hathaway Homeservices

South Fulton Institute

$500+

Sweet Tea Murals

Atlanta Ballet is supported in part by the Georgia Council for the Arts (GCA) through the appropriations of the Georgia General Assembly. GCA also received support from its partner agency, the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional support is provided by the Fulton County Commission under the guidance of the Fulton County Arts Council and the City of Atlanta Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs.

GIFTS MADE IN LOVING MEMORY OF LAVONA S. CURRIE

Anonymous

Overton & Kay Anderson

Dr. & Mrs. W. Perry Ballard III

Ms. Eleanor F. Banister

Robert J. Barnett

Ruthanna & Bill Bost

Mary Burns

Lucy & Henry Bush

Consilium Partner Group, Seth Abrams & Hunter Sapp

Linda Copeland

Mr. & Mrs. Richard W. Courts II

Betsy Akers Crawford

Susan Currie

Peter Howard

Barbara Johnson

Judy Lampert

Audrey & Danny Meyer

Mr. & Mrs. Frederick L. Neely, Jr.

Carol Osner

Ginger Brill Pisik

Judith Powell

Mitch Purvis

Patty & Doug Reid

Mr. & Mrs. Schear

Mr. & Mrs. Slick

Judith Story

Sharon Story, Julien & Kim Kenney

The Office of Institutional Advancement at the Westminster Schools

THE DOROTHY ALEXANDER LEGACY SOCIETY

Individuals who have included Atlanta Ballet in their long-term estate plans through bequests and other deferred-giving arrangements.

Madeline & Howell Adams, Jr.

C.D. Belcher

Cynthia Crain

Mrs. Lynn Cochran-Schroder

Patty & Marc Dash

Mrs. Daphne Moore Eitel

Melodi Ford

Brad Foresythe

Joyce Houser, Ph.D.

Mrs. Audrey B. Morgan

Mrs. Elizabeth Ann Morgan

Elizabeth Morgan Spiegel

John K. Palmisano & Stephen A. Williams, III

Katherine Scott

Marianne Stribling