James Sofranko, Artistic Director
business as (un)usual Program Sponsors Mark Gurney & Dr. Mary Yurko
unconventional
NOVEMBER 13-15, 2020 | PETER MARTIN WEGE THEATRE Branden Reiners photo by Ray Nard Imagemaker
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THANK YOU, SUPPORTERS! SEASON SPONSOR James & Mary Nelson
PROGRAM SPONSOR
Mark Gurney & Dr. Mary Yurko
LIVE MUSIC SPONSOR
David Armbrecht & Sally Kotani SPONSORS Steve Frykholm | Jeff & Xuesi Li Gurney | Melissa & Mike Lojek Admir & Brooke Lugonjic | Brent & Sonia Sundberg | John & Christine Willig The John & Kathy Pleune Charitable Trust
BE A PART OF THE ART Would you or your company like to support the arts in West Michigan? Contact Executive Director Glenn Del Vecchio at glennd@grballet.com or 616.454.4771 x14 to learn more today! 2
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR MESSAGE Welcome to the beginning of our newly reimagined, all virtual season, Moving Beyond. Thank you for joining us for Business as (un)Usual, a program consisting of eight works, including three world premieres. We are determined in these unusual times to continue to do what we do best, create and present world class ballet. Not only are we working with dancers and choreographers here in Grand Rapids, but we are staying in touch with the greater dance world and taking advantage of technology by working with artists remotely. I am very excited to introduce Darrell Grand Moultrie to Grand Rapids Ballet. He is an inspiring choreographer and person, and has worked with dance companies across the country, including the Alvin Ailey Dance Company in New York City, as well as the pop artist Beyoncé. He has taken a virtual journey with our dancers to create Three Offerings, and I am so impressed with his ability to transcend the computer screen. He was amazingly still able to pull the best out of our dancers, and they rose to the occasion. This season has not come without challenges, however. Not only was it heartbreaking when we were forced to end our season prematurely last March, but we were also faced with the unprecedented reality of a whole year of performing without live audiences. This was hard to swallow, as we thrive on the thrill of live performance, and our annual ticket sales make up a large portion of our revenue. We owe a huge thank you to those individuals and organizations that have helped see us through this tough time with donations to sustain our organization. Thank you for purchasing a “ticket” to Business as (un)Usual, and if you can support in any further way, we truly appreciate it! For these virtual programs, we have organized the dancers into “pods” of no more than six dancers, and these “pods” only interact with each other. We rehearse and take class separately throughout our building, via zoom, and we have installed a bi-polar ionization system to keep the air flow in our building safe for dancers and our Grand Rapids Ballet School students (see page 19). We must be adaptable and that is clear in this virtual season. I am so proud of all the changes we’ve made in a very short time in order to keep performing, and I would like to extend a big thank you to all of the staff and dancers who have been an integral part of this process. I’d also like to recognize SALT Video Productions for their partnership to film and produce this season virtually. Please enjoy the program, and on behalf of the entire organization, I thank you for your support. I hope you will be able to join us again in December for The Nutcracker Experience, complete with musical accompaniment from the Grand Rapids Symphony. Sincerely,
James Sofranko, Artistic Director 3
PROGRAM NOTES & CASTING CALLING FORTH — world premiere — Choreography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . James Sofranko Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Johann Sebastian Bach Costumes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ronald Altman Lighting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Matthew Taylor Violinist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gene Hahn Courante: Sarah Marley, Madison Massara, Emily Reed Andante: Julia Turner, Nathan Young Gigue: Alexandra Meister-Upleger, Steven Houser Chaconne: Adriana Wagenveld, Ednis Gomez Double: Gretchen Steimle, James Cunningham, Branden Reiners
SUCH AS YOU Choreography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Matthew Wenckowski Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brambles Costumes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ronald Altman Lighting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Matthew Taylor Isaac Aoki, Nigel Tau
BE HERE NOW — excerpt — Choreography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gretchen Steimle Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Artie Shaw Costumes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ronald Altman Lighting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Matthew Taylor Nathan Young Gretchen Steimle, Branden Reiners The comforting arms of nostalgia hold us in the past, pulled away from the here and now.
THREE OFFERINGS — world premiere — Choreography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Darrell Moultrie Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Igor Levit, Ludwig van Beethoven, Shirley Horn Costumes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gretchen Steimle Lighting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Matthew Taylor Nigel Tau Josue Justiz, Sarah Marley, Yuka Oba-Muschiana, Emily Reed Adriana Wagenveld
Video Production Partner
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PROGRAM NOTES & CASTING THE HAPPY PRINCE & OTHER WILDE TALES — excerpt — Choreography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Penny Saunders Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jonthan Berger Costumes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Penny Saunders Lighting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Matthew Taylor Isaac Aoki, Matthew Wenckowski
WAVE — world premiere — Choreography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Yuka Oba-Muschiana Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Astor Piazzola Costumes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ronald Altman Lighting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Matthew Taylor Celeste Lopez-Keranen Sarah Marley, Madison Massara, Emily Reed This piece is about a strong young adult who struggles with the realities of life. Even though life is hard, she must keep believing in her own inner strength and fighting towards the future.
ONE TO THREE Choreography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Penny Saunders Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Frederick Chopin, Agathe Backer Grondahl, Christophe Beck Costumes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ronald Altman Lighting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Matthew Taylor Madison Massara, James Cunningham, Adriana Wagenveld
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM — excerpt — Choreography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Christopher Stowell Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Felix Medelssohn Costumes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sandra Woodall Lighting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Matthew Taylor Titiana: Yuka Oba-Muschiana | Oberon: Josue Justiz As the sun sets on a day of mayhem and misadventure Oberon and Titania, the king and queen of the fairies, reconcile their differences and reaffirm their love.
This program was created, performed, and recorded on the traditional territory of the Anishinaabek (Ojibwe, Odawa, Potawatomi) People of the Three Fires.
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DANCERS COMPANY
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Isaac Aoki
James Cunningham
Ednis Gomez
Yuko Horisawa
Steven Houser
Josue Justiz
Sarah Marley
Madison Massara
Alexandra Meister-Upleger
Yuka Oba-Muschiana
Emily Reed
Branden Reiners
Gretchen Steimle
Nigel Tau
Julia Turner
Adriana Wagenveld
Matt Wenckowski
Nathan Young
DANCERS APPRENTICES
Akira Bischoff
Ingrid Lewis
Celeste Lopez-Keranen
Claudia Rhett
Emily Sipnick
Logan Velasquez
Gavin Nicholson
Learn more about your favorite dancers at grballet.com/dancers. Dancer headshots by Isaac Aoki.
TRAINEES
Katie Aaberg
Haley Baker
Maeve Senter
Sofia Striegl
Avery Held
Todd Lani
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THANK YOU, DONORS! ROND DE JAMBE $10,000+ Wege Foundation James & Mary Nelson Beusse & Porter Family Foundation Meijer PNC Bank Spectrum Health Daniel & Pamella DeVos Foundation Rosemary & David Good Family Foundation Wes & Judy Harpold J. Lee* & Susan B. Murphy Foster Swift Forest Hills Foundation Jon & Carol Muth James H. Schindler Valerie B. Nelson Amway Dick & Betsy DeVos Foundation The Catholic Foundation Mary Yurko & Mark Gurney DEGAGE $5,000-9,999 Joy DeBoer Tim & Juliet Kraal Sally Kotani & David Armbrecht Lynn & Stuart White The Baldwin Foundation Dean & Sheri Estes Marilyn Titche Norris Perne & French Patrick McConeghy A.K. Rikks Varnum Steelcase Keller Foundation Brent & Sonia Sundberg TENDU $2,500-4,999 Jim Shafer & Leah Voigt Karlis & Anda Vizulis Mary Loupee John Nienhuis & Jerry Nardin Robert Beasecker & Erika King Giselle & Peter Sholler Experience Grand Rapids Grand Valley State University Honigman Wolverine Worldwide Founders Brewing Co. PLIE $1,000-2,499 Andrea Jeane Darling John Hunting Twink Frey Luis Tomatis & Gretchen Minnhaar* Leslie Dickinson Charles Behler Lynn & John O’Donnell Patti & Karl Betz Donald J. Bruggink Jeff & Theresa DeVries John Petrovich & Lorraine Miles Steve Frykholm Michael & Beth Kling Meredith Ervine Admir & Brooke Lugonjic Al & Pam McQueen Dale & Mary Schriemer Darcy J. Dye J.C. Huizenga Independent Bank Jeff Gurney & Xuesi Li Gurney Tamara Reeves Kirk & Jennifer Wiley Mary & Richard Panek Brian & Susan Lennon Meg & Greg Willit Melike Winkworth Till & Bernice Peters Win & Kyle Irwin Dickinson Wright Jonathan & Kelly Opdyke Crowe LLP Michael & Deecy Smith Charlevoix County Community Foundation Joan Dykstra Marcus & Helle Haw
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Be a part of the art! To make a gift, please contact Executive Director Glenn Del Veccio at 616.454.4771 ext. 14 or glennd@grballet.com. 9
Attila Mosolygo, Director
DANCE DOES YOUR CHILD GOOD. From beginner to advanced ages 3-19, our students receive the nurturing instruction of our professional teaching faculty to develop a thorough knowledge of technique, the invaluable skill of self-discipline, and a lasting love of dance. Elements from the French, Italian, and Russian ballet techniques are incorporated into our wellrounded curriculum, giving your child a versatile and extensive dance education.
LEARN MORE > GRBSCHOOL.COM
GRAND RAPIDS BALLET STAFF COMPANY Artistic Director James Sofranko Executive Director Glenn Del Vecchio Marketing Director Michael Erickson Production Stage Manager Mellissa Slack Costume Shop Manager Ronald Altman Costumer Katie VanKlompenberg Company/Facilities Manager John Ferraro Box Office Assistant Julie Lesniak Artistic Coordinator/Ballet Master Dawnell Dryja Black Asst. Ballet Master Steven Houser Guest Services Manager Errol Shewman Pianist Lonnie Ostrander Margi Derks Peterson PRODUCTION CREW Production Electrician Glenn Gould Production Properties Ben Knudstrup Lighting Design Matthew Taylor 10
SCHOOL Director & Junior Company Director Attila Mosolygo Curriculum Coordinator Mindy Mosolygo Administrator SarahJean Bos Faculty Jimmy Cunningham Jillian Gasper Kate Matlack Claire Millard Yuka Oba-Muschiana Taryn Ortega-Furgeson Nicole Reehorst Kara Taylor Jessica Winter-Troutwine Adriana Wagenveld Pianists Ryan Blok Mark Moran Lonnie Ostrander Night Receptionist Mary-Ann Carpenter
GRAND RAPIDS BALLET SCHOOL MOVING WITH PARKINSON’S CLASS Because there is no cure for this chronic and progressive disorder, many patients turn to therapy to maintain some degree of independence—and we’re here to provide it in a less traditional, more holistic way. This doesn’t feel like a doctor’s office; even though you’re at home online (for now), it’s invigorating and restorative while providing you with a true sense of community. It’s so much more than an exercise class. LEARN MORE > GRBALLET.COM/GRBS-PARKINSONS
ADULT BALLET CLASSES Ballet classes focus on technique, core strengthening, and muscle conditioning. Studies have proven that a ballet dancer is just as strong as a football player. Why? Because in ballet, all of your muscles are actively engaged in movement, providing you with greater flexibility while also exercising the brain. Beyond that, you build self-confidence, grow artistically, and relieve stress, too. Classes for both beginner and intermediate available in-person or online. LEARN MORE > GRBALLET.COM/GRBS-ADULTCLASSES
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CHOREOGRAPHER PROFILES JAMES SOFRANKO assumed the position of Artistic Director of Grand Rapids Ballet for the 2018/2019 season after an 18-year career as a soloist with the San Francisco Ballet. He is originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, and received his dance training at The Harid Conservatory in Florida and later at The Juilliard School in New York City, where he received his BFA in dance. At San Francisco Ballet, he danced in numerous works and world premieres by choreographers such as Helgi Tomasson, Val Caniparoli, William Forsythe, Liam Scarlett, Justin Peck, Alexi Ratmansky, Edwaard Liang, Lar Lubovitch, Wayne Macgregor, Mark Morris, Julia Adam, Yuri Possokhov, Christopher Wheeldon, Paul Taylor, Arthur Pita, Stanton Welch, Jorma Elo, Hans Van Manen, Jiri Kylian, John Neumeier, James Kudelka, Lila York, Kenneth Macmillan, George Balanchine, and Jerome Robbins. Some of his favorite roles include Mercutio in Tomasson’s Romeo and Juliet, Eros in Mark Morris’ Sylvia, Bugle Boy in Taylor’s Company B, and the second sailor in Robbins’ Fancy Free. He received an Isadora Duncan award (Izzie) for best performance in 2011 in Yuri Possokhov’s Classical Symphony. James starred in the principal role of Eddie in the Broadway touring company of Movin’ Out, a musical choreographed by Twyla Tharp to the songs of Billy Joel. In 2012 he co-founded DanceFAR (Dance For A Reason), an annual benefit performance and after-party that brings the Bay Area dance community together to support the work of the Cancer Prevention Institute of California (CPIC). In 2014, he formed a new contemporary repertory company in San Francisco, SFDanceworks. The company has presented works by Alejandro Cerrudo, Lar Lubovitch, José Limón, Nacho Duato, Christopher Bruce, and world premieres by Penny Saunders, James Graham, Danielle Rowe, Dana Genshaft, and Sofranko himself. He has created many original choreographic works, including for Grand Rapids Ballet (Two Tangos, Ballade, The Sweet By and By, A Dreamer), the San Francisco Ballet School (Rendezvous, Means to an End, Mozart Symphony), SFDanceworks (Z, Homing), Long Beach Ballet (Brandenberg), and Marin Dance Theater (The Beaten Path). James has also worked as a repetiteur for Yuri Possokhov, resident choreographer for San Francisco Ballet, and has staged his ballets on Cincinnati Ballet, Colorado Ballet, and San Francisco Ballet. In the two years since assuming the directorship of Grand Rapids Ballet, the company has performed works by some of the most sought after choreographers working today, including Yuri Possokhov, Alejandro Cerrudo, Penny Saunders, Trey McIntyre, Val Caniparoli, Adam Hougland, Danielle Rowe, Nicolas Blanc, and Brian Enos. He also instituted a program entitled Jumpstart which allows new choreographic talent to emerge from within the ranks of the dancers. The company collaborates frequently with other cultural organizations in the city, including with the Grand Rapids Symphony, ArtPrize, Festival of the Arts, DisArt, and performed for the first time ever at the amphitheater at the Frederick Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park. James would like to thank his wife Cynthia Sheppard Sofranko for her ongoing support and creative input in all of his work.
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CHOREOGRAPHER PROFILES MATTHEW WENCKOWSKI is from St. Charles, Illinois, where he received his early training at Moves Dance Studio in North Aurora. As a competitive dancer with Excel Dance Productions, he was awarded the national title Senior Mr. Adrenaline at the age of 17. Matt joined the Joffrey Academy of Dance’s pre-professional and trainee programs under the direction of Alexei Kremnev and Anna Reznik, performing with the Joffrey in The Nutcracker as well as in pieces created for the Joffrey Academy by Alexei Kremnev and Ray Mercer. He has studied on scholarship at Lou Conte Dance Studio under the guidance of Claire Bataille. Matt then joined DanceWorks Chicago under the direction of Julie Nakagawa. It was there he had the privilege touring nationally and internationally performing works choreographed by Francisco Aviña, James Gregg, Christian Denice, Autumn Eckman, Thom Dancy, Harrison McEldowney, and many more. He has been a Company dancer with Grand Rapids Ballet since 2015. GRETCHEN STEIMLE was raised in Austin, Texas, and began her dance education under the umbrella of Tapestry Dance Company where she first pursued a multiform dance education. While there, she received training from Grace Holmes and David Justin. At 15, she moved from home to train with Boston Ballet School’s Pre- Professional Program under the direction of Margaret Tracey. After attending a summer course at Pacific Northwest Ballet, she joined its Professional Division under the direction of Peter Boal. While in Seattle, Gretchen received training from diverse and talented faculty, performed in numerous company productions, and originated new roles through PNB Next Step choreographic program. During her first year at PNB, she was offered the opportunity to work with Dresden Semperoper Ballet and spent two months performing La Bayadére in Germany. Gretchen has attended summer programs with American Ballet Theatre, Boston Ballet School, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Kansas City Ballet School, Ballet Austin, and Suzanne Farrell. She started with Grand Rapids Ballet as an apprentice in the 2017-18 season and has been a Company dancer since 2019. DARRELL GRAND MOULTRIE is one of America’s most diverse and sought-after choreographers and master teachers. A recipient of a Princess Grace Choreography Fellowship Award, he is one of the few choreographers working in the Theater, Modern, Ballet, and Commercial Dance genres simultaneously. Darrell has created and staged multiple works for The Juilliard School, Colorado Ballet, Cincinnati Ballet, BalletMet Columbus, Ailey 2, Sacramento Ballet, Milwaukee Ballet, North Carolina Dance Theatre, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble, Tulsa Ballet, Richmond Ballet, and Smuin Ballet. He has taught and choreographed at many universities, such as The Ailey School B.F.A at. Fordham, Point Park University, CalArts, New York University, Stanford University, Dartmouth College, and Boston Conservatory This season he will set new works 13
CHOREOGRAPHER PROFILES for Washington Ballet and NBA Ballet in Japan, as well as choreographKiss Me Kate for NYU Tisch. Grammy Award-winning recording artist Beyoncé selected Darrell as one of her choreographers for her Mrs. Carter Show world tour. He also has collaborated with Tony Award-winners, hoofer Savion Gloverand director Diane Paulus, who tapped Moultrie to choreograph the original musical Witness Uganda at American Repertory Theater. Most recently Darrell choreographed the new Opera El Publico by Federico Lorca at the world famous Teatro Real in Madrid, Spain. He also co-choreographed the new Off Broadway musical Invisible Thread. As a performer, Moultrie was seen in West Side Story in Milan, Italy, at the world famous La Scala Opera House. He has also appeared on Broadway in the smash hit musical Hairspray, and was an original cast member of the Tony Award-winning musical Billy Elliot. Moultrie is a proud New Yorker, born and raised in Harlem, and a proud graduate of P.S. 144, Laguardia High School, and The Juilliard School. YUKA OBA-MUSCHIANA was born in Japan where she received her training from Hitomi Takeuchi Ballet School. In 2006, she attended English National Ballet School in the UK where she also danced many soloist roles. Upon graduating, Mario Radacovsky invited her to join the Slovak National Ballet where she danced a variety of roles. Yuka was then invited to join Grand Rapids Ballet in 2011 where she has since danced principal roles in ballets by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Olivier Wevers, and Penny Saunders. Yuka has won many competitions in Japan including NBA All Japan Ballet Competition, Saitama All Japan Dance Competition, UB All Japan Ballet Union Competition, International Ballet Competition in Yokohama, and others. In 2013, Yuka had the honor of performing Olivier Wever’s The Sofa at the Joyce Theatre in New York and reprised her role in Seattle. Yuka performed Le Corsaire Pas de Deux in the gala at The National Theatre in Tokyo and the Pas de Deux from Le Carnaval de Venise in Fukushima. In 2014, Val Caniparoli choreographed Clara on Yuka for the world premiere of The Nutcracker. She also choreographed Tomorrow Never Comes for MOVEMEDIA in 2015. She has been a Company dancer with Grand Rapids Ballet since 2011. PENNY SAUNDERS, originally from West Palm Beach, Florida, graduated from the Harid Conservatory in 1995, and began her professional career with The American Repertory Ballet under the direction of Septime Webre. She went on to dance with Ballet Arizona, MOMIX Dance Theater, Cedar Lake Ensemble and in 2004 she joined Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. In 2011, Saunders won the International Commissioning Project which launched her choreographic career, creating pieces for Hubbard Streets’ main and second company, Cincinnati Ballet, Whim W’Him, BalletX, Tulsa Ballet 2, SFDanceworks, Neos Dance Theater, Missouri Contemporary Ballet, Owen Cox Dance Group, among others. Saunders is honored to be the Resident Choreographer at The 14
CHOREOGRAPHER PROFILES Grand Rapids Ballet where she recently completed her first full length work, The Happy Prince and Other Wilde Tales, that focused on the life and fairy tales of Oscar Wilde. Saunders has received support from The New York City Ballet Choreographic Commissions Initiative, participated in The National Choreographers Initiative and was the recipient of the 2016 Princess Grace Choreographic Fellowship. In the 2018-2019 season, she is excited to be collaborating with The Royal New Zealand Ballet, Sacramento Ballet, Ballet Idaho, Seattle Dance Collective, The Grand Rapids Ballet, and SALT Contemporary Dance in residency at The University of Utah. CHRISTOPHER STOWELL was born in New York City and received his training at Pacific Northwest Ballet School and the School of American Ballet. In 1985, he joined San Francisco Ballet where he danced for 16 years, appearing in theatres throughout the world including the Paris Opéra Ballet, New York’s Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. and Moscow’s Bolshoi Theatre. As a Principal Dancer, Mr. Stowell performed leading roles in the full-length classics Romeo and Juliet, The Sleeping Beauty, La Fille mal Gardee and Othello, and had roles created for him by Artistic Director Helgi Tomasson, as well as contemporary choreographers including Mark Morris, William Forsythe and James Kudelka. An established interpreter of the George Balanchine repertoire, Mr. Stowell appeared in almost every Balanchine ballet performed by San Francisco Ballet. In 2003, Mr. Stowell was named the Artistic Director of Oregon Ballet Theatre (OBT), a position he held until 2012. During his tenure Mr. Stowell made significant additions to OBT’s repertoire, bringing to Portland works from some of the world’s most celebrated choreographers, including Fredrick Ashton, George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, William Forsythe, Paul Taylor, Helgi Tomasson, James Kudelka, Christopher Wheeldon and Lar Lubovitch. Mr. Stowell has taught and coached in San Francisco, New York, Japan, China and across Europe. He has created works for San Francisco Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet, Diablo Ballet and Pacific Northwest Ballet as well as the New York City Ballet Choreographic Institute. He has also staged the works of George Balanchine, Mark Morris and Christopher Wheeldon. In addition to serving as Ballet Master and Assistant to the Artistic Director at San Francisco Ballet for the 2014/15 season, he recently worked in Amsterdam, Antwerp, Beijing and Copenhagen, and created his first work for Los Angeles Ballet and his first film for the San Francisco Dance Film Festival. In 2017, Mr. Stowell joined The National Ballet of Canada as Associate Artistic Director. In this role, he oversees the Artistic staff, teaches, coaches and stages works for the company and works closely with Karen Kain in realizing her vision for the National Ballet. Mr. Stowell is a member of the creative team for Ms. Kain’s new production of Swan Lake which premiered in June 2020.
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BRING BALLET HOME In lieu of our postponed 2020|21 season gala, we were excited to bring the joy of dance to ten generous donors and their friends and famililes with our new Backyard Ballet series. For a tax-deductible donation, they were able to gather in fellowship on their lawns on a warm summer evening—following all proper social-distancing guidelines, of course—to enjoy an intimate 30-minute performance, Q&A session with the dancers and Artistic Director James Sofranko, and delicious bites and wine courtesy of Mertens Prime.
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A VIRTUAL HUG FROM US TO YOU We were thrilled to give virtual hugs to health care workers and other frontline workers through a performance video that was posted online earlier this year. “My wife had been finding articles about messages of support having a positive impact on the mental state of workers in the health care industry, so we started brainstorming about how we, as ballet dancers, could use our talents to send a special message of our own,” said Artistic Director James Sofranko. “It is heartbreaking to me that the very people tasked with solving this pandemic may end up suffering from PTSD. I am very proud of our dancers who volunteered to participate in this one-of-a-kind video message to offer our moral support. The volunteered dancers, dressed in blue to support health care workers, performed to the prelude of Johann Sebastian Bach’s Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major, which is played by cellist Jeremy Crosmer of Grand Rapids’ ESME (Eclectic String Music Ensemble). “It is our desire this video offered them strength and encouragement during the difficult times,” continued Sofranko. We hope this message was shared with health care workers across the state of Michigan and the entire country. We will not get through this without them, and we must do everything we can to show our gratitude. We are behind them, we are inspired by them, and we stay safe for them.” The participating dancers were James Cunningham, Steven Houser, Ingrid Lewis, Celeste Lopez-Keranen, Madison Massara, Alexandra Meister-Upleger, Yuka Oba-Muschiana, Emily Reed, Gretchen Steimle, Nigel Tau, Julia Turner, Adriana Wagenveld, Matt Wenckowski and Nathan Young. The piece was produced by Sofranko and Cindy Sheppard Sofranko. It was edited by Joe Sofranko and Lili Fuller.
WATCH IT > GRBALLET.COM/GRB-AT-HOME 17
STILL STANDING by John Kissane Revue West Michigan October 2020
Sarah Marley, Nathan Young, Josue Justiz, and Yuka Oba-Muschiana in James Sofranko’s Romeo & Juliet Pas de Deux; photo by Scott Rasmussen
COVID-19, far from disappearing, has lately taken stronger root; as of this writing, local cases have recently surged. New cases in Kent County hit their highest daily numbers since the beginning of the pandemic and hospitalizations at Spectrum Health doubled in the past week. If the present is grim, the future may be grimmer. Experts have sounded the alarm, warning that things will get worse before they get better. In the midst of that reality, cultural institutions, even (or especially) long-standing ones, have needed to get creative. Grand Rapids Ballet, now in its 49th year, has announced Moving Beyond, its virtual 2020|21 season. Romeo & Juliet, cast live from Van Andel Arena on September 25 and 26, allowed a trial run. The show was staged by Grand Rapids Symphony and featured in some segments Grand Rapids Ballet dancers. The sight of masked dancers was both eerie and beautiful: a tribute to the importance of art in fraught times. Artistic director James Sofranko found joy in the process of creating the show. “It was lovely to be able to be creative again. And it’s really wonderful to see art. I know audiences were happy to see that resilience.” Sofranko learned from the experience. “It gave me a better sense of how I’d want to frame shots and choreograph my own ballets. I found myself thinking about the camera when planning.” The realities of the pandemic meant the traditional ways of teaching choreography had to change. He could no longer lead a dancer by the hand; instead, he had to verbalize everything. “I’ve never used my mouth this much in my life. The impact of our current realities weren’t limited to choreography. 18
“We were scheduled to perform Balanchine’s Serenade in April, but that’s out the window.” The piece requires 20 dancers or more onstage together. It’s too risky. Instead, they’ve chosen pieces needing fewer dancers together, rehearsing in masks and staying sensitive to the dancers’ comfort. There will be four shows in the upcoming season: Business As (Un)usual, which includes among other pieces a world premiere by Darrell Grand Moultrie, who has won a Princess Grace Award and has done work for Beyonce; Collective Force, featuring work by resident choreographer Penny Saunders, also a recipient of a Princess Grace Award, and more; and Jumpstart: On Film, which will be choreographed by the ballet’s own dancers. And, of course, there will be The Nutcracker. As a ballet company, a large amount of the revenue needed to function comes from the annual Nutcracker performances. How can it be put on during a pandemic? “With a little bit of movie magic,” Sofranko said. “We’ll film different ‘pods’ of dancers and cut it together to create the illusion of a larger group.” It’s a solution, although not an ideal one. “It’s been tough. I won’t lie. This won’t bring in the same amount of revenue as usual. We can’t be virtual forever. That said, we’re strong. Artists are creative. We aren’t calling it quits.” There may be silver linings. “We can reach people who can’t travel to Grand Rapids. There’ve been people out of state buying subscriptions. We’ve got an opportunity to bring live theater performance to those who can’t come to live events for whatever reason.” On the Grand Rapids Ballet website, Sofranko writes the following: “Our mission is to uplift the human spirit through the art of dance.” That mission continues, pandemic or no.
CLEAN IS IN THE AIR As part of our continued dedication to keeping our students, dancers, guests, and staff safe, we have installed Plasma Air International bipolar ionization equipment in the HVAC systems in Meijer-Royce Center for Dance, Grand Rapids Ballet School, and Peter Martin Wege Theatre.
Bipolar ionization has proven to be an extremely effective pathogen mitigation strategy in the fight against COVID-19 and is in wide use in hospitals such as Boston Children’s Hospital and Johns Hopkins. It is also widely used in public gathering spaces such as airports and casinos.
LEARN MORE > PLASMA-AIR.COM/HOW-IT-WORKS 19
OUR UNSTOPPABLE SEASON IS JUST GETTING STARTED
DECEMBER 18-27, 2020
the nutcracker experience The beloved holiday classic, with choreography by Val Caniparoli, as you’ve never seen it before! Enjoy many of your favorite on-stage moments, behind-the-scenes interviews and rehearsals, and more.
unstoppable
And the story wouldn’t be complete without the musical accompaniment of
Matthew Wenckowski photo by Ray Nard Imagemaker
MARCH 26-28, 2021
unparalleled
collective force The world’s most celebrated and in-demand choreographers come together to stage their ballets and create new works, contributing to a performance that will truly be an immersive tour de force. In addition, Artistic Director James Sofranko will present an exciting new work featuring the music of Michigan-based cellist Jordan Hamilton.
Penny Saunders Danielle Rowe Adam Hougland Jennifer Archibald
Amy Seiwert Edwaard Liang Katarzyna Skarpetowska Trey McIntyre
Yuka Oba-Muschiana photo by Ray Nard Imagemaker
APRIL 30-MAY 2, 2021
jumpstart: on film Sponsored by Rosemary & David Good Family Foundation
Choreographed by the dancers of Grand Rapids Ballet, this innovative program will also provide them the unique opportunity to explore a completely new layer of creativity and expression: filmmaking. We sincerely thank our season video partner, Salt Creative Production Studio, for their mentorship and guidance.
undeniable
Video Production Partner
Matthew Wenckowski photo by Ray Nard Imagemaker
Single program “tickets” now on sale for only $15! 20
grballet.com/2021season