FIREBIRD presented by James & Mary Nelson
Yuka Oba-Muschiana in Yuri Possokhov’s Firebird; photo by Damion Van Slyke
OCT. 18-20 & 25, 2019 | PETER MARTIN WEGE THEATRE
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BE A PART OF THE ART Would you or your company like to support the arts in West Michigan? Contact Development Director Elizabeth McCarthy Musil at elizabethm@grballet.com or 616.454.4771 x11 to learn more today!
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ARTISTIC DIRECTOR MESSAGE Welcome to the opening of our 2019-20 season! I am so glad you have joined us for Firebird, the classic Russian tale with music of Stravinsky and choreography by Yuri Possokhov. Also on this program you will see three other works including the world premiere of Again by our resident choreographer, Penny Saunders. It is an exciting time at the Grand Rapids Ballet. Fresh on the heels of my first season leading this fantastic company, the summer saw us performing at the 50th anniversary of Festival of the Arts at Calder Plaza and also at Frederick Meijer Gardens amphitheater. These were great opportunities for us to take the ballet out of the theater and reach new audiences. We are growing, season subscriptions are up, and almost all of the works this season are new to Grand Rapids Ballet, Michigan’s only professional ballet company. Firebird is a ballet I performed myself at San Francisco Ballet and is one of my favorite Yuri Possokhov works—that company’s resident choreographer. It is a ballet rooted in tradition, yet Yuri has put his own twist on the steps and the interpretations of the characters. (read more about the story on page 16). The ballet is fun for kids and adults alike, and the choreography is beautiful and challenging, utilizing the dancers’ well-honed classical ballet technique. With Stravinsky’s score to carry the narrative, this is a production that appeals on every level. Again marks the eighth work created specifically for Grand Rapids Ballet by Penny Saunders, our resident choreographer. Her choice of subject matter comes from a very personal place, and she is adept at bringing out the deepest artistry in our dancers. Mozart Symphony is a pure dance work of my own, a reflection of the infectious themes of Mozart, in a neo-classical style. And Cold Virtues is a contemporary drama by Adam Hougland that uses a score of Philip Glass and explores themes of manipulation in society, danced to chilling effect. Our dancers have attacked this program with voracity. There is a great depth of style and movement in these four ballets, and the energy they have shown toward the work is impressive. I hope you are as impressed as I am! Thank you for supporting Grand Rapids Ballet and for being a part of our 2019-20 season.
James Sofranko, Artistic Director 4
PROGRAM NOTES MOZART SYMPHONY
Choreography: James Sofranko Music: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Costumes: Danielle Truss and Ronald Altman Lighting design: Matthew Taylor World premiere June 6, 2019, for Grand Rapids Ballet, Festival of the Arts, Grand Rapids, Michigan Mozart Symphony is based on an original work created for the students of San Francisco Ballet Trainee program in 2016
AGAIN
Choreography: Penny Saunders Music: Michael Wall Costumes: Brennan Smith Lighting: Matthew Taylor If only we could enjoy it over and over again. A performing career saturated with love, dedication, and shared joy is limited only by time. And so, the memory of it is what we are left with. World premiere October 10, 2019, for Grand Rapids Ballet intermission
COLD VIRTUES
Choreography: Adam Hougland Music: Philip Glass (Glass Violin Concerto) Costumes: Marion Williams Lighting: Michael T. Ford World premiere 2003 for Louisville Ballet intermission
FIREBIRD
Choreography: Yuri Possokhov Music: Igor Stravinsky Scenic and Projection Design: Yuri Zhukov Costume design: Sandra Woodall Original lighting design: David Finn Lighting recreation: Matthew Taylor World premiere (Michel Fokine, choreography), June 25, 1910, for Diaghilev’s Ballet Russe, Theater National de l’Opera de Paris; Paris, France San Francisco Ballet Premiere (Yuri Possokhov, choreography), February 1, 2007, War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco, California This production of Yuri Posskhov’s Firebird is based on a previous creation for Oregon Ballet Theater in 2004 Firebird costumes and scenery courtesy of San Francisco Ballet 5
FIREBIRD
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Learn more at grballet.com/1920season today! Yuka Oba-Muschiana photo by Ray Nard Imagemaker
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DANCERS COMPANY
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
12 Matt Wenckowski
Nathan Young
APPRENTICES
Emily Barrows
Akira Bischoff
Audra Cockrell
Yuri Rogers
Emily Sipnick
Logan Velasquez
Celeste Lopez-Keranen
Learn more about your favorite dancers at grballet.com/dancers. Dancer headshots by Isaac Aoki.
TRAINEES
Sienna Clark
Bailee Columber
Maeve Senter
Sophia Stefanopoulos
Emily Kayser
Ingrid Lewis
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Firebird
THE ORIGINS OF
The Firebird is a magical bird who appears in a number of Russian fairy tales and legends. Even just a feather from her tail is enough to light up a whole room. This magic bird represents the passion and inspiration that is found in many exquisite and unique Russian lacquer works of art and was the inspiration for the Russian tale, The Firebird. The story was the source for one of the most famous folklore ballets composed by Igor Stravinsky under commission from Sergei Diaghilev and his Ballets Russes. Stravinsky once said that Russian legends have as their heroes men who are “simple, naive, sometimes even stupid, devoid of all malice, and it is they who are always victorious over characters that are clever, artful, complex, cruel and powerful.” The ballet centers on the journey of its hero, Prince Ivan. While hunting in the forest, he strays into the magical realm of Koschei the Immortal, whose immortality is preserved by keeping his soul in a magic egg hidden in a casket. Ivan chases and captures the Firebird and is about to kill her; she begs for her life and he spares her. As a token of thanks, she offers him an enchanted feather that he can use to summon her should he be in dire need. Prince Ivan then meets thirteen princesses who are under the spell of Koschei and falls in love with one of them. The next day, Ivan confronts the magician and eventually they begin quarreling. When Koschei sends his minions after Ivan, he summons the Firebird. She intervenes, bewitching the monsters and making them dance an elaborate, energetic dance (the “Infernal Dance”). The creatures and Koschei then fall into a deep sleep. While they sleep, the Firebird directs Ivan to a tree stump where the casket with the egg containing Koschei’s soul is hidden. Ivan destroys the egg and with the spell broken, the magical creatures that Koschei held captive are freed and the palace disappears. All of the “real” beings, including the princesses, awaken and with one final hint of the Firebird’s music, celebrate their victory. The choreographer of our production, Yuri Possokhov, took this tale from his native country and created his own version from among other variations. He changed it to include a love triangle. The Firebird loves Prince Ivan but she realizes that she should allow the Prince to be with the Princess he loves. 16
Yuka Oba-Muschiana in Possokhov’s Firebird; photo by Damion Van Slyke
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THANK YOU, SUPPORTERS! $10,000+ Wege Foundation James and Mary Nelson Beusse & Porter Family Foundation Meijer PNC Bank Spectrum Health Daniel & Pamella DeVos Foundation Rosemary & David Good Family Foundation Wes and Judy Harpold J. Lee* and Susan B. Murphy Foster Swift Forest Hills Foundation Jon and Carol Muth James H. Schindler Valerie B. Nelson Amway Dick & Betsy DeVos Foundation $5,000+ Tim and Juliet Kraal Mary Yurko and Mark Gurney Lynn and Stuart White The Baldwin Foundation Kendall College of Art & Design Marilyn Titche Norris Perne & French Patrick McConeghy A.K. Rikks Varnum Steelcase Keller Foundation Joy DeBoer John and Christine Willig $2,500+ Jim Shafer and Leah Voigt Karlis and Anda Vizulis Mary Loupee John Nienhuis and Jerry Nardin Robert Beasecker and Erika King Sally Kotani and David Armbrecht Giselle and Peter Sholler Experience Grand Rapids Grand Valley State University Honigman Wolverine Worldwide Founders Brewing Co. 20
$1,000+ Andrea Jeane Darling John Hunting Luis Tomatis & Gretchen Minnhaar* Leslie Dickinson Charles Behler Lynn and John O’Donnell Patti and Karl Betz Donald J. Bruggink Jeff & Theresa DeVries John Petrovich and Lorraine Miles Steve Frykholm Michael and Beth Kling Meredith Ervine Admir & Brooke Lugonjic Al and Pam McQueen Dale and Mary Schriemer Darcy J. Dye J.C. Huizenga Independent Bank Jeff Gurney and Xuesi Li Gurney Tamara Reeves Kirk and Jennifer Wiley Mary and Richard Panek Brian and Susan Lennon Meg and Greg Willit Melike Winkworth Till and Bernice Peters Win and Kyle Irwin Dickinson Wright Jonathan and Kelly Opdyke Crowe LLP Michael and Deecy Smith Charlevoix County Community Foundation Joan Dykstra Marcus & Helle Haw Michael & Tina Kanis Ian Hunter Mimi Cummings Jeff and Margaret Beusse The Korff Foundations John Varineau Don and Ellen Arlinsky Steffany Dunker and Jay Harsevoort Jack & Marcia Hall David & Nancy Field Warner Norcross + Judd Elizabeth Tinney Donley
$500+ Robert Oracz and Dave Schmidt Sean Patterson Peter and Carroll Perez John and Penelope Collins Connor Verkerke Daniel and Sabrasue Miller Frederick A. Bogaert Michael and Melissa Lojek Nicholle Costello Rob and Kelly Knecht The Brooks Family Thomas and Patricia Macholan David Leonard Elizabeth Welch & Brian Schwartz Rebecca Lemon Pat & Bill Waring $250+ Marcella Beck Kathleen and Ken Nelson James R. & Norma Jean McCormick Jo Kidd Peter M. Turner Thomas Moore and Jan Winters Tom and Melissa Aaberg Mary Appelt Urs and Martha Waldvogel Brenda S. Teegardin Catherine B. Haney Frances Hall Joan DuBois Matthew and Kara Taylor Wallson and Rebecca Knack Brewery Vivant The Mitten Brewing Company City Built Brewing Company Arend and Nancy Lubbers Cynthia Conway Denise Overbeek Douglas and Anne Poortenga Dr. Mark and Lorraine Newberry James and Bonnie Scarlett Jeff and Anita Avery Lori Reineke, Ph.D. Mike and Mary Yoak Milt and Barbara Rohwer Thomas J. and Marcia Haas Rhonda Huismann
$100+ Dana and Mary Nell Baldwin Timothy and Cynthia Schad Curtis and Constance Jones Doug Coulter and Pamela Hoppe Ghayas and Joy Uddin Henry Matthews and Timothy Chester Janice R.F. Snyder Melissa Massara Scott and Rebekah Wierenga Nancy Bailey Abby Dilley Bari Johnson Michael and Nancy Dodge Ann Houser and Nancy Field Arthur and Gail Besteman Barbara O. Fisk Christine and Peter Albertini Clarice Geels Douglas and Patricia Klein Douglas and Rachel VanStrien Frank Kwiatek and Karen Maczuga Glen and Betsy Borre Susan Wold Thomas and Alexis Boyden
Heather Monroe Thomas A. Wysocki Roy Brown Catherine Southwick Greg Carnevale and Diane Mahon Harvey and Phyllis Gendler James and Mary Kay Wemple Jean Enright Jennifer McManus and Matt Borgula Joan Wilson JoAnn Abraham Joe and Linda Kirpes John R. Martino Jerry and Cheryl Bentley Julie Otterbein Karl & Joanna Van Harn Laura Kozminski Linda Campbell Thompson Mark Chancey and Thomas Owens Nancy Yagiela and Peter Spring Revs. Maurice and Sara Fetty Robert Heidenreich Twink Frey Chris Musil & Elizabeth McCarthy Musil
Kathleen S Ponitz Adam McKeague Kevin J. Patterson Ben Tobar Jordan Hill IN MEMORIAM Rebecca Woods (Frank Woods) Cyndi Ruffer (Nancy and Carter Huffman & Camilla and Maggie Martin) Joseph Aaron Wojczynski (Jim and Sandra Wojczynski) Clare D. Snyder (Janice R. F. Snyder)
Be a part of the art! To make a gift, please contact Development Director Elizabeth McCarthy Musil at 616.454.4771 ext. 11 or elizabethm@grballet.com.
YOUR GRAND RAPIDS BALLET STAFF COMPANY Artistic Director James Sofranko Executive Director Glenn Del Vecchio Development Director Elizabeth McCarthy Musil Marketing Director Michael Erickson Production Stage Manager Mellissa Slack Costume Shop Manager Ronald Altman Company/Facilities Manager John Ferraro Box Office Manager Kelly Herremans Artistic Coordinator/Ballet Master Dawnell Dryja Black Asst. Ballet Master Steven Houser Guest Services Manager Errol Shewman Pianists Brendan Vincent Lonnie Ostrander SCHOOL Director & Junior Company Director Attila Mosolygo Curriculum Coordinator Mindy Mosolygo Administrator SarahJean Bos
Faculty Jimmy Cunningham Lara Faucher Jillian Gasper Kate Matlack Gina McFadden Claire Millard Yuka Oba-Muschiana Taryn Ortega-Furgeson Nicole Reehorst Kara Taylor Jessica Winter-Troutwine Pianists Ryan Blok Kenneth Creager Idalmira Lopez Mark Moran Lonnie Ostrander Margi Peterson Night Receptionists Mary-Ann Carpenter Julie Lesniak PRODUCTION CREW Asst. Stage Manager Margaret Elise Petersen Production Electrician Glenn Gould Production Properties Ben Knudstrup Production Audio Randy Hoekstra Lighting Design Matt Taylor Carpenter Tyler Blackport Projectionist Marc Savage 21
TS ATION
ARTS GVSU
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GRAND VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY PRESENTS THE 17TH ANNUAL
ARTS FALL
CELEBRATION/2019
6 signature events, 17 inspiring seasons ART
Art of Today: Contemporary Collections from Chicago EXHIBITION RECEPTION THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 5–7 P.M. ALLENDALE CAMPUS EXHIBITION DATES: AUGUST 23–NOVEMBER 1
MONDAY, OCTOBER 28, 7:30 P.M. ALLENDALE CAMPUS
LECTURE
Jill Lepore: American History from Beginning to End
MUSIC
FALL
ARTS
Water on the Mind: A Baroque Musical Journey
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 7:30 P.M. ALLENDALE CAMPUS
POETRY
DANCE
Water: A Vision in Dance
CELEBRATION
An evening with Ellen Bass and Kevin Young THURSDAY, OCTOBER 3, 6 P.M. ROBERT C. PEW GRAND RAPIDS CAMPUS
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 6 P.M. ROBERT C. PEW GRAND RAPIDS CAMPUS
HOLIDAY CELEBRATION Beloved Songs of the Season
MONDAY, DECEMBER 2, 7:30 P.M. FOUNTAIN STREET CHURCH
Check gvsu.edu/fallarts for event details. Media Sponsor:
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November 1 & 2, 2019 7:30 PM St. Cecilia Music Center
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the 40th season
THEATRE AT GRAND VALLEY
201920SEASON 2019 - 2020
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM SEP 27–OCT 6
Sunday, Oct 20, 3:00pm COMMUNITY CHOIR CONCERT Fountain Street Church
Saturday, Nov 30, 7:30pm & Sunday, Dec 1, 3:00pm SOUNDS OF CHRISTMAS with EMBELLISH The Basilica of St. Adalbert
Sunday, Dec 15, 7:30pm MESSIAH SING-A-LONG Trinity Lutheran Church
Sunday, Apr 26, 3:00pm SOUNDS OF SPRING with CCGR ALUMNI
WHAT WE’RE UP AGAINST NOV 15–24
WORKING FEB 7–16
THE PLAYBOY OF THE WESTERN WORLD MAR 27–APR 5
The Basilica of St. Adalbert
Friday, Jun 5, 7:30pm VOICES OF RESURRECTION Frauenthal Theater, Muskegon
For more Information visit 26
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GVSU.EDU/THEATRE
“Old world meets ne w” i n Gr a n d R a p i d s’ n e we s t downtown loft space. Exquisite chandeliers, artisan tile, and city views all combine to evoke an unfor gettably unique experience your guests will enjoy a n d r e m e m b e r.
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Improve health, inspire hope and save lives.TM 29
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CHOREOGRAPHER PROFILES JAMES SOFRANKO is currently in his second season as Artistic Director of Grand Rapids Ballet, following an 18-year career as a soloist with the San Francisco Ballet. Originally from Cincinnati, he received his training at The Harid Conservatory and also The Juilliard School where he received his BFA in dance. At San Francisco Ballet, he performed around the world and worked with leading choreographers including William Forsythe, Mark Morris, Christopher Wheeldon, Paul Taylor, Yuri Possokhov, and more. He also starred in the Broadway touring company of Twyla Tharp’s Movin’ Out with music by Billy Joel. In 2012 he co-founded DanceFAR (Dance For A Reason), an annual benefit performance and after-party that brings the San Francisco Bay Area dance community together to support the work of the Cancer Prevention Institute of California. In 2014, he formed a contemporary repertory company in San Francisco, SFDanceworks. The company has presented works by Alejandro Cerrudo, Nacho Duato, Lar Lubovitch, José Limón, Christopher Bruce, and world premieres by Penny Saunders, Danielle Rowe, Dana Genshaft, and James Sofranko. His first season at Grand Rapids Ballet featured numerous company premieres from choreographers such as Alejandro Cerrudo, Trey McIntyre, George Balanchine, Val Caniparoli, Penny Saunders, and Nicolas Blanc. He choreographed three works on the company, including Two Tangos and The Sweet By and By, which were recently performed at the company’s first ever appearance at Frederick Meijer Gardens amphitheater. 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 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 Cho-reographic 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. 32
ADAM HOUGLAND grew up in Dallas, Texas and began his dance training at the Dallas Conservatory of Ballet and the Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. In 1999 he graduated from The Juilliard School with a BFA in Dance and then went on to perform with The Limon Dance Company, Toronto Dance Theatre and The Lar Lubovitch Dance Company. Adam has gone on to create original works for Morphoses/The Wheeldon Company, The American Ballet Theatre Studio Company, Introdans in the Netherlands, The Limon Dance Company, Cedar Lake Ensemble, The Washington Ballet, Ballet Memphis, Ballet X, Tulsa Ballet, Amy Seiwert’s Imagery, Smuin Ballet and The New York Choreographic Institute at New York City Ballet. In 2006 he created a world premiere for Juilliard’s Centennial Celebration that was broadcast on the PBS ‘Live from Lincoln Center’ series. He has won The Princess Grace Award for Choreography, The Choo-San Goh Award for Choreography, was one of Pointe Magazines’ 10 VIP’s of 2006 and one Dance Magazine’s 25 to watch for 2011 Adam was resident choreographer for Cincinnati Ballet for ten years. While at CB he created Mozart’s Requiem, The Firebird and Hummingbird in a Box (a collaboration with Peter Frampton). Adam is Resident Choreographer for The Louisville Ballet and has created ten original works for the company including Romeo+Juilete, Petrouchka, Cold Virtues and Rite of Spring. Adam recently premiered Carmina Burana for Kansas City Ballet after a well-received staging of Rite of Spring in 2016. Adam lives in Bristol, England with his husband Ashley. YURI POSSOKHOV After training at Moscow Ballet Academy, Mr. Possokhov danced with Bolshoi Ballet for 10 years, where he was promoted to principal dancer. In 1992 he joined Royal Danish Ballet as a principal dancer; two years later he joined San Francisco Ballet, also as a principal dancer. He retired from the stage in 2006 and was named SF Ballet’s choreographer in residence that same year. In addition to the 14 ballets he has created for SF Ballet, Possokhov has choreographed works for the Bolshoi Ballet, Georgian National Ballet, and The Joffrey Ballet. In July 2015, his full-length ballet A Hero of Our Time, debuted at the Bolshoi Ballet and in 2019 he premiered a full-length Anna Karenina for the Joffrey Ballet.
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GRAND RAPIDS BALLET Legal Experience In Your Corner.
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Improve health, inspire hope and save lives.TM 34
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COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT By Danielle Nelson for Grand Rapids Business Journal
Residents at a senior living nonprofit will be putting on their dancing shoes. Holland Home is partnering with the Grand Rapids Ballet School to offer ballet classes at its Raybrook campus starting in October, once per week, over the course of the next year. The 45-minute “Moving with Parkinson’s” dance class is geared toward residents with Parkinson’s disease, a neurodegenerative disorder that affects predominately dopamine-producing neurons in a specific area of the brain called substantia nigra, according to the Parkinson’s Foundation. The foundation stated the symptoms include tremors, bradykinesia, limb rigidity, gait and balance problems. Alisha Van Epps, fitness manager and personal trainer at Holland Home, said although the classes are geared toward residents with Parkinson’s, any resident can join. The classes will be conducted by Attila Mosolygo, the school’s director. He became the director of Grand Rapids Ballet School Junior Company in 2011 and was later named the school director in 2017. He has choreographed Snow White, Peter Pan, Beauty and the Beast, among other performances. “The participants will start the class sitting in chairs,” he said. “They will start with basic warmup exercises based on basic ballet vocabulary and movements. This will progress to stretches and rhythmical movements and improvisation to the music they hear. The class will end with center work without the chairs. (Our goal is) to increase their quality of life on a day-to-day basis, develop a closer sense of community for them and introduce them to freedom of movement.” Although the scheduled classes have not started, residents will get a chance to experience what it will be like this week, when Holland Home celebrates Active Aging Week. “The benefits of the class are dance, movement, flexibility, balance, strength,” Van Epps said. “All of those are things that people with Parkinson’s can really benefit from increasing. What is really nice about the dance piece of it is that not only they can incorporate the physical activity, like exercise, but there are also cognitive aspects. There is live music and the instructor does a nice job incorporating emotional expression and then there is a social interaction piece, as well. So, it is not just an exercise class.” Marenta Klinger, director of resident life of Holland Home, said the Moving with Parkinson’s dance class falls under Holland Home’s Vibrant Living program. The program has five components, which are spiritual fulfillment, social engagement, physical wellness, intellectual discovery and emotional well-being. “This opportunity, this collaboration falls right in line with Vibrant Living,” Klinger said. “It ticks off the five components, and it provides the highest quality of life for the residents that we serve, which is our ultimate goal. We are really excited that this will be a fun class, a positive class, a positive environment. We thought it was neat that the instructor refers to the participants as dancers. It is just something that is totally new and unique for our residents.” 38 Learn more about our Moving with Parkinson’s classes at grbschool.com today!
BALLET BY THE NUMBERS Can you match the number to the fact?
1
Grand Rapids Public Schools (GRPS) Dance Immersion visits every season
5
feet of tulle required to create a long tutu
7
Grand Rapids Ballet School (GRBS) classes every week
20
GRBS Moving with Parkinson’s classes per week
31
professional ballet companies in Michigan
50
different states and countries from which the dancers originate
55
dollars we award in GRBS scholarships every year
80
GRPS students who attend our free performances of The Nutcracker
112
GRBS students who perform in The Nutcracker
175
dancers in the Company
436
GRPS students who participate in Dance Immersion every season
2000
dancers who attend GRBS’s summer intensive every year
3500
pairs of pointe shoes and slippers required every season
68000
students in GRBS Junior Company
1 professional ballet company in Michigan, 5 Grand Rapids Public Schools (GRPS) Dance Immersion visits every season, 7 GRBS Moving with Parkinson’s classes per week, 20 different states from which the dancers originate, 31 dancers in the Company, 50 students in GRBS Junior Company , 55 Grand Rapids Ballet School (GRBS) classes every week, 80 GRBS students who perform in The Nutcracker, 112 feet of tulle required to create a long tutu, 175 dancers who attend GRBS’s summer intensive every year, 436 pairs of pointe shoes and slippers required every season, 2000 GRPS students who participate in Dance Immersion every season, 3500 GRPS students who attend our free performances of The Nutcracker, 68000 dollars we award in GRBS scholarships every year
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NOW O N S ALE!
NOV 20 – DEC 1 DeVos Performance Hall
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Engagement is locally sponsored by MEIJER
©Disney
BroadwayGrandRapids.com | 616-235-6285
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616.608.3052 616.608.3052 mayanbuzzcafe.com
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#loveGR #grballet @GRapidsBallet #steelcase
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FRIDAYS AT 9:00PM ON WGVU PBS 35.1 / 52.1
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