From the Director: Welcome to the National Choreographers Initiative! A group of community leaders, the Advisory Committee, instigated this project to develop new dance works and to support the creative process. The Advisory Committee and I have partnered with Irvine Barclay Theatre, presenter of the program, and UC Irvine’s Claire Trevor School of the Arts – Dance Department, which has hosted the
Molly Lynch NCI Director
rehearsal time in its studios. Both organizations have graciously provided their state-of-the-art facilities for these choreographers to have a nurturing environment in which to create their work. It is vital for the health and advancement of the dance community for choreographers to have opportunities to create new dances. This Initiative brings together four outstanding choreographers, each developing a new work, and fifteen talented dancers from around the country.
Over the last three weeks
of rehearsal, each choreographer brought forth their ideas and concepts, music, dance styles, and developed with the dancers a new piece to be shown this evening. The audience becomes
NCI Advisory Committee Anne Nutt, chair Sophie Cripe Janet Eggers Helen Holland Joanne Keith
a part of the creative process as you view these works and respond to what the artists have created. This is a unique opportunity to engage these outstanding artists
in the creative process and
promote the development of professional dance. I hope that you enjoy the evening and participate in the creative process through the showing and discussion.
Lois Osborne Barbara Roberts Sally Anne Sheridan Pam Shue Elizabeth Stahr Barbara Kenady Tingley
Thank you for supporting dance!
“Yield” Choreography by
Graham Lustig
Music
Philip Glass’ “Saxophone Concerto”.... Hector Castillo & Eduardo Lopez “River Run” ........................................................................... Philip Glass “Aria From Act III of Satyahr” ................................................ Philip Glass “Saxophone Concerto” ....................................................... Brian Bender “Etoile Polar (North Star)” ..................................................... Philip Glass
Dancers
Brittany Fridenstine Cory Bufkin Eddie Mikrut
Stayce Camparo
Elizabeth Chasteler
Nicolas Lincoln
Dallas Blagg
Lighting Design
Monique L’Heureux Graham Lustig received his dance training at the Royal Ballet School, and in 1980, joined the Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet. During his time there, he created four works for the company’s repertoire. He has choreographed for numerous companies including the Scottish Ballet, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, Ballet West, Singapore Dance Theatre, American Ballet Theatre, Chautauqua Dance Festival, Hong Kong Ballet, North Carolina Dance Theatre, and the Sacramento Ballet. In 1993, he was chosen as Choreographer-in-Residence at Washington Ballet. During this three-year tenure, his works were performed at the Joyce Theatre in New York, the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., and on tour. In 1999, he was appointed the artistic director of American Repertory Ballet and in 2003 was named a charter member of the Artists Council for Americans for the Arts in Washington D.C. He has served as a panelist for the National Endowment for the Arts, 2003 & 2005 Dance Grants and Policy Panels and currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Choo-San Goh and H. Robert Magee Foundation.
“Broken” Choreography by
Gina Patterson
Music
“Talk to Her” soundtrack .................................................. Alberto Iglesias film by Pedro Almodóvar
Dancers
Gina McFadden Francisco Gella Valerie Tellmann Robert Gosnell
Lauren Fagone Geoffrey Kropp Catherine Russell Kristopher Wojtera Lighting Design
Monique L’Heureux followed by an INTERMISSION Gina Patterson started her dance career as an apprentice with Pittsburgh Ballet. She has danced with Ballet Florida and is currently a principal dancer with Ballet Austin. She has performed a diverse repertoire including works by Vicente Nebrada, Ben Stevenson, Peter Martins, Val Caniparoli, Lynne Taylor-Corbett, Daniel Ezralow, Sean Lavery, and Trey McIntyre. Her choreography has been commissioned by a variety of companies including Ballet Austin, Dayton Ballet, Ballet East, Montana Ballet, and Booker T. Washington High School for the Visual and Performing Arts in Dallas. Three of her works were presented at the Ballet Builder’s Showcase in New York. She was awarded the Choo-San Goh Award for Choreography in 2002, the B. Iden Payne Award for Outstanding Choreographer by Austin Circle of Theaters, and won the Hubbard Street Dance Chicago 2 National Choreography Competition in 2005.
“A Rope into the Water” Choreography by
Charles Moulton Music
Solo Violin Sonatas and Partitas ........................Johann Sebastian Bach played by Itzhak Perlman Dancers
Lauren Fagone Valerie Tellmann Catherine Russell Stayce Camparo Geoffrey Kropp Eddie Mikrut Robert Gosnell Lighting Design
Monique L’Heureux
Charles Moulton has created and set works on Mikhail Baryshnikov’s White Oak Project, The Joffrey Ballet, The Lar Lubovitch Dance Company, The Ohio Ballet, Oregon Ballet Theater, and many other companies in the U.S. and abroad. A 1983 Guggenheim Award winner, he is the recipient of the first Dorothy B. Chandler Performing Arts Award in 1989, three Jerome Foundation awards and three Meet the Composer/Choreographer awards. He has received funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, New York State Arts Council, and The Zellerbach Family Fund. Moulton has choreographed and directed numerous works for television and film. His collaboration with John Sanborn and Mary Perillo, Visual Shuffle/Fractured Variations, won the 1987 Los Angeles Film Festival Blue Ribbon. One of his most widely-seen choreographies included over 1000 dancers for the film The Matrix Reloaded. He began his career in New York, dancing with the Merce Cunningham Company from 1973 to ‘76. He is a co-founding director of Performance Space 122, in lower Manhattan, and currently resides in northern California.
“No Fixed Points” Choreography by
Ron De Jesus
Music
“Shadow-Play - Cheating, Lying, Stealing” .... Owen Belton, David Lang
Dancers
Gina McFadden Francisco Gella
Brittany Fridenstine Dallas Blagg
Cory Bufkin
Kristopher Wojtera
Elizabeth Chasteler Nicolas Lincoln
Lighting Design
Monique L’Heureux
Ron De Jesus was a member of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago for 17 years. After leaving the company in 2002, he joined the original cast of Twyla Tharp and Billy Joel’s Broadway musical Movin’ Out. His choreographic works have been presented by numerous dance organizations, including HSDC and HSDC2, Gus Giordano’s Jazz Dance Theater, Momenta Dance Company, and Luna Negra Dance Theater. He has received numerous awards including the Chicago Dance Festival 2004 “Best Choreographer” and the Chicago Music and Dance Alliance Award 2004. He has worked with many well-known choreographers including Lynne Taylor-Corbett, Lou Conte, Nacho Duato, Bob Fosse, Jiri Kylian, Ohad Naharin, and Alonzo King. He has also performed in and been involved with numerous television and film projects.
Dancer Biographies Dallas Blagg was born in Dallas, Texas. He began his ballet training at the Dallas Metropolitan Ballet and continued at the Kirov Academy of Ballet in Washington, DC. After spending a year in the dance program at UC Irvine, he accepted an apprenticeship with the National Ballet of Canada. Since then, he has performed in ballets by such choreographers as James Kudelka, Eliot Feld, George Balanchine, and Matjash Mrozewski. This is his third summer with the National Choreographers Initiative, and he will be returning to Canada again this year for his 2nd year as a member of the corps. Cory Bufkin was born in Modesto, California. She began her dance training at Central West Ballet under the direction of Coleen Patterson. Cory has received training from the Joffrey Ballet School, Contra Costa Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, and Inland Pacific Ballet. She graduated with a B.F.A. in dance from University of California, Irvine in June 2006. Stayce Camparo grew up in Redondo Beach, California and started dance training in Santa Monica with the Westside Academy of Dance. She received a full scholarship to train with Pacific Northwest Ballet’s Professional Division Program from 2001 to 2003. In 2003 she joined the Kansas City Ballet, and has since enjoyed dancing roles by such choreographers as George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, Twyla Tharp, Val Caniparolli, William Whitener, and Robert Hill.
Elizabeth Chasteler was born in Santa Ana, California. She is currently attending the University of California, Irvine, majoring in dance and mathematics. She is on full dance scholarship funded by Mr. William Gillespie. Elizabeth has trained with Salwa Rizkalla since 1989 and has been a principal dancer with Festival Ballet Theatre since 2000. She has had the opportunity to perform works by William Forsythe, George Balanchine, David Allan, Douglas Becker, and Jodie Gates. Lauren Fagone, originally from Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, trained at the School of American Ballet, Chautauqua Ballet, and the Rock School of Pennsylvania Ballet. After apprenticing with North Carolina Dance Theatre in Charlotte, NC, she attended Indiana University for two years, where she studied with Leslie Peck and Violette Verdy. Lauren joined Richmond Ballet as an apprentice in 2001, and will return for her fourth season as a company member this fall. Brittany Fridenstine was born in Boise, Idaho, and raised in Seattle, Washington. She trained in the professional division program at Pacific Northwest Ballet. Currently a member of the James Sewell Ballet in Minneapolis, MN, she has previously danced with Pacific Northwest Ballet, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, Ballet Memphis, and Minnesota Dance Theatre. She has performed work by George Balanchine, Lila York, Trey McIntyre, Mark Godden, and Paul Taylor. Brittany originated roles in ballets by Mark Godden, James Sewell, Kent Stowell, Val Caniparoli, Christian Burns, and Luca Veggetti.
Francisco Gella was born in Bacolod City, Philippines. He began dancing in college and graduated with a B.A. in dance from the University of Washington. He studied ballet with Hannah Wiley and Adriano Welch and modern techniques with Jim Lepore, Patricia Thomas, and Milton Myers. He has worked with many prominent ballet and modern choreographers, including David Parson, Shaun Hounsell, Bill Evans, Barak Marshall, Bebe Miller, Milton Myers, Ronald K. Brown, and Dominic Walsh. Francisco has danced for the Philadelphia Dance Company/Philadanco; Repertory Dance Theater of Salt Lake City, UT; Spectrum Dance Theater of Seattle, WA; the Chamber Dance Company; Leaving Ground/ Dance; California Ballet; and Ballet Pacifica. He danced at the Closing Ceremonies in the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics in Japan. This is his second year participating in NCI. Robert Gosnell was born in Lexington, North Carolina. He began his training with the High Point Ballet and went on to study at the North Carolina School of the Arts, School of American Ballet, The Rock School of Pennsylvania Ballet, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, and Atlanta Ballet. He joined Nashville Ballet as an apprentice in 1999 and has been featured in ballets by David Allan, Sir Frederick Ashton, and Paul Vasterling. He is also the Youth Cast Rehearsal Master for The Nutcracker. In the winters of 2002 and 2004, Mr. Gosnell was invited to teach at the North Carolina School of the Arts for the annual North Carolina Dance Festival. In spring 2004, he taught at the Southeastern Regional Ballet Association. This is his third year with the National Choreographers Initiative.. Geoffrey Kropp was born in Bakersfield, California. He trained for two years at Pacific Northwest Ballet School and is currently dancing with Kansas City Ballet, where he has performed in The Nutcracker (Todd Bolender), Stravinsky Violin Concerto (George Balanchine), and Sentinel (David Berke), among others. Nicolas Lincoln is a native of Grand Rapids, Michigan. He has attended the Interlochen Arts Academy. Nicolas studied on scholarship
with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago and has attended summer dance programs of the Joffrey Ballet and the Boston Ballet. He performed corps and soloist roles as a member of the Grand Rapids Ballet, Dayton Ballet, and Cleveland San Jose Ballet. He has also performed as a guest artist with Malaika Kuzumi Ballet Theatre Frankfurt, Graz Ballet, and Madrid’s La Compania de Juan Carlos Santa Maria. He is currently dancing for James Sewell Ballet in Minneapolis and is very excited to be a part of the National Choreographers Initiative. Gina McFadden was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She was a student of Prima Ballerina Sherry Moray, at the Academy of Dance Arts, near Chicago. She went on to dance with The Joffrey Ballet of Chicago, and has performed works by Robert Joffrey, Gerald Arpino, John Cranko, and Leonide Massine. She danced with Ballet Pacifica for three seasons and had the privilege of performing in pieces by ChooSan Goh, George Balanchine, Antony Tudor, Molly Lynch, and Jodie Gates. Performing with State Street Ballet in Santa Barbara, Ms. McFadden danced roles created by William Soleau and Robert Sund. The choreographic projects organized by Molly Lynch have always been a favorite for Ms. McFadden to participate in; she is delighted to share in this year’s National Choreographers Initiative. Edward Mikrut was born in Fountain Valley, California. He returns for his seventh season with Nashville Ballet. Mr. Mikrut has been featured as John Bell in Ann Marie DeAngelo’s The Bell Witch, Prince Desire in Sleeping Beauty, and Mercutio in Paul Vasterling’s Romeo and Juliet, as well as performing leading roles in Raymonda Variations and The Nutcracker. He has also danced leading roles in Paul Vasterling’s Dracula and Robin Hood, and Albrecht in Giselle. Mr. Mikrut received his B.A. from the University of California, Irvine. His film and television credits include Austin Powers, Mrs. Santa Claus with Angela Lansbury, Fame L.A., and numerous television commercials. This is his third year with the National Choreographers Initiative.
Catherine Russell was born on an Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland. She received ballet training at the Rock School of Pennsylvania Ballet, often performing with the company. At 17 she moved on to Ballet Workshop of New England and the Massachusetts Youth Ballet outside Boston, where she performed Balanchine works under Sandra Jennings. Catherine has just finished her sixth season with the Kansas City Ballet, dancing a variety of works, including La Fille Mal Gardee (Lisette), Nine Sinatra Songs (Somethin’ Stupid), The Catherine Wheel Suite, Paquita, Cunningham’s Duets, Square Dance, Agon, The Stillpoint, Napoli, Stepping Stones, and Lamberena, among many others. Valerie Tellmann, a native of Tulsa, Oklahoma, began her dance training with the Tulsa Ballet, Lexington Ballet, and the Richmond Ballet before joining Richmond Ballet’s professional company in 2000. She thrives on the opportunity to perform and to be exposed to a variety of dance styles. Some of her notable neo-classical roles have included Mauricio Wainrot’s Now and Then, Colin Connor’s Street and Legends, and Val Caniparoli’s Djangology. Her favorite classical roles range from George Balanchine’s Who Cares and Serenade to John Butler’s Carmina Burana. Her favorite full-length ballet roles have been Myrtha in Giselle and Snow Queen in The Nutcracker. Kristopher Wojtera, a native of Poland, graduated from the National Ballet School of Gdansk, Poland. He has danced for the National Theatre of Warsaw, Poland; was a soloist in the Columbia City Ballet, South Carolina; and is currently a first soloist with the Louisville Ballet in Kentucky. Kristopher has performed the works of George Balanchine (Serenade, Theme and Variations, Who Cares), Choo-San Goh (Variations Serieuses), Robert North (Troy Game), and Antony Tudor (Echoing of Trumpets), among others.
Monique L’Heureux (Lighting Designer) is delighted to be a part of NCI, her sixth collaboration with Molly Lynch. Monique has designed for a variety of companies including Ballet Pacifica, Jazz Spectrum, Los Angeles Chamber Ballet, Loretta Livingston and Dancers, Rhapsody in Taps, Tongue, Anjani Ambegaokar, Danza Floricanto, and O.C. Regional Ballet, among others. She has created lighting for dance festivals, including Dance Kaleidoscope, Regional Dance America, a special performance at the International Ballet Competition, and the SOLA Contemporary Dance Festival. Her work has been seen at the Hollywood Bowl, the Pasadena Playhouse, the Mark Taper Forum, the Laguna Playhouse, and the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center. Monique is also a working artist and photographer and a member of United Scenic Artists.
The National Choreographers Initiative would like to thank the following individuals for their support: Producer ($25,000) Mr. and Mrs. William Roberts Director ($10,000) Frank W. Lynch Choreographer ($5,000) Bobbi Cox William Gillespie Anne B. Nutt Mr and Mrs John Stahr Dancer ($2,500) Mr and Mrs Henry Eggers Mrs. Richard Steele Designer ($1,000) Mrs. Alan V. Andrews Alan Andrews and Molly Lynch Fran Bass and Mark Ishimaru M.D. Paul Blank and Francois Leclair Jane and Charlie Birmingham Mr. and Mrs. Kris Elftmann Dennis and Joanne Keith Ed Moen and Janek Schergen Mr. & Mrs. J. Matthew Osborne Mr. Andrew Rose George H. Russell Sally Anne and Don Sheridan Mr. and Mrs. Nick A. Shubin Ms. Diana Sunshine Dance Contributor ($500 and less) Beverly and David Carmichael Mr. and Mrs. Larry Cripe Mr. and Mrs. Robert Ehrlich Colonel James Hinkle Mr. and Mrs. Van Holland Kathryn Lynch and Robert McDonnell Mr. and Mrs. Steve McDowell Christina Sumpter Ms. Barbara Kenady Tingley Paula Tomei and David Emmes Gretchen Valentine Partner ($250 and below) Diane and Dennis Baker Victoria Barrett Stacie Brandt Bronny Daniels
Dawidoff Family Douglas Dowell Paul and Kay Faranda Cliff Faulkner and Shigeru Yaji Gillian Finley and Roert Labaree Mary Franklin Judi Gorski amd Rod Harron Glenn Highland James and Carol Hollas Chris Johnson Chuck Johnston Peg Jordan Dr. Burton Karson Lorenzo and Karen Knapp Maurice Mandel Debra Maxwell Christopher Miller Mrs. Michael McNalley Margi and John Murray Marshall Parker Suzy and Jack Peltason James Penrod Robert Petel Jane and Pat Phelan Jody and Jack Pike Janice Gudde Plastino Dolly Platt Marjorie Reday Louise Ringwalt Cyndi ad David Runstrom Bruce and Jan Scherer Mr. and Mrs. William Shue Richard Sneed Mr. and Mrs. Keith Swayne Gary and Karen Thorne John Warndahl
Special Thanks David Allan Diane Diefenderfer Donald McKayle Janek Schergen Alan Terricciano Dr. Jack Giangiulio UCI Claire Trevor School of the Arts - Dance Department Irvine Barclay Theatre – Board of Directors Theodore Robbins Ford Enterprise Car Rental
Kenneth S. Rohl, Chairman Donna Brownell Arlene Cheng Mark Coyle Rosemary Cumming Tony Ellis Morgan Evans Robert Farnsworth Nohema FernĂĄndez Mary Ann Gaido Sam Goldstein Kurt Hagel Skip Johnson Sean Joyce Jerry Mandel Patricia L. Murphy Rick Paikoff William H. Parker Leason Pomeroy Ryan Rieches Mickie L. Shapiro Robert E. Tarlton Cheryl Trosky Lisa Bhathal Vogel Judy White Ex OfďŹ cio Beth Krom Mayor, City of Irvine
Michael V. Drake, M.D. Chancellor, UCI
Administration Douglas C. Rankin, President Domenick Ietto, Vice President Christopher Burrill, General Manager Karen Drews Hanlon, Director of Communications Gary Payne, Director of Finance Beth Bradley, Advancement Specialist Luanne Bauer, Box Office Manager Helena Danovich, Marketing Assistant Ginny Hayward, Assistant to the President Jim Laird, Production Manager Peggy Magee, Patron Services Manager Jeff Stamper, Assistant Production Manager Kathy Vickers, Development Assistant David Walker, Assistant Box Office Manager
2005 NCI photos by Robert Salas
Irvine Barclay Theatre Board of Directors
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Richard Alston Dance Mixed Repertory January 22, 2007
Les Grands Ballets Canadiens Ohad Naharin’s Minus One April 13, 2007
Intensely musical, a Richard Alston piece is said to unfold, with as much abandon, at first, as structure. Each movement builds upon the last, until the dancers move as one body and the dance motifs converge into a single, splendid force. The style of his movement and look of his productions are described as lush, soft and melodic – without dulling the edge essential to this form of dance.
French Canada’s leading ballet company will perform Israeli choreographer Ohad Naharin’s epic Minus One for the first time in California. Free-wheeling in all respects – movement, music and emotional impact – this work requires a company of the scale and sophistication of Les Grands Ballets Canadiens to achieve all of Minus One’s humor, pathos and exhilaration.
Joe Goode Performance Group Stay Together and Deeply There February 16, 2007
Nacho Duato’s Compania Nacional de Danza 2 Mixed Repertory May 12, 2007
Stay Together is a dance-theatre collaboration between choreographer Joe Goode and composer Michael Tilson Thomas, celebrated conductor of the San Francisco Symphony. Characteristic of Joe Goode’s body of work, Stay Together is a fusion of text, song, movement and media in a poetic exploration of the challenges imposed by personal relationships. The evening conclude’s with Joe’s Bessie Award-winning solo Deeply There.
One of the world’s most in-demand choreographers will have his work performed here by his own superb dancers. Known as CND2, this is the international touring company drawn from Nacho Duato’s Madrid-based Compania Nacional de Danza. Duato has transformed Spain’s national dance company into a prestigious international institution – changing the face of ballet and giving it a distinctly modern and Mediterranean look.