NOBA Alumna Violette Stonebreaker (20) performs Con Brazos Abiertos by Michelle Manzanales of Ballet Hispánico on the NORD/NOBA Center for Dance (CFD) Summer Concert, July 26, 2024. She worked with NOBA in the dance creative industry through the Mayor’s Summer Youth Employment Program. Violette began studying with NOBA at age 6 at the Annunciation Rec Center and rose quickly through the Pre-Professional Program, where she trained with master artists and traveled to New York with the CFD to perform with Complexions Contemporary Ballet and Ballet Hispánico on their galas. She is currently a junior at Muhlenberg College (Allentown, Pennsylvania) pursuing a double major in dance and anthropology. PHOTO BY JEFF STROUT.
16 Houston
18 Giordano
20 Ballet
22 Alvin
24 Bringing
In order of appearance (left to right): Ballet Hispánico PHOTO BY PAULA LOBO, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's Chalvar Monteiro PHOTO BY DARIO CALMESE, Giordano Dance Chicago PHOTO BY TODD ROSENBERG, Houston Ballet Soloist Danbi Kim in Stanton Welch’s Velocity. PHOTO BY AMITAVA SARKAR COURTESY OF HOUSTON BALLET. 26 Dance &
EDITOR
Ashley McLellan
ART DIRECTOR Ali Sullivan
DIGITAL DIRECTOR
Rosa Balaguer
PRODUCTION DESIGNERS
Ashley Pemberton, Czarlyn Ria Trinidad
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE
Brooke LeBlanc Brooke@MyNewOrleans.com
CEO Todd Matherne
The 2024-25 New Orleans Ballet Association program is produced for the New Orleans Ballet Association by Renaissance Publishing, LLC
New Orleans Ballet Association 935 Gravier St., Suite 800
Welcome to NOBA’s 52nd Season of Bringing Dance to Life!
Welcome to the 2024-25 season of dance! It is with heartfelt appreciation and excitement that we invite you to experience not only extraordinary performances, but also NOBA’s life-changing community programs. We are deeply committed to making dance accessible to all, fostering creativity and growth for individuals of all ages. This season promises to enchant, surprise and entertain you with dazzling artistry while continuing to inspire through programs that uplift and transform lives.
In October, we are thrilled to welcome Houston Ballet back to our stage for the first time in 15 years with a breathtaking program, followed by the debut of America’s original jazz dance company, Giordano Dance Chicago, in November. We are also deeply honored to once again partner with Ballet Hispánico for their brilliant production of CARMEN.maquia, and to bring the world-renowned Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater to Louisiana.
Our mission to serve the community through dance has been the cornerstone of NOBA for 33 years. With partnerships rooted in trust and collaboration, we have proudly provided programs for ages 4 to 80+, continually evolving to meet the needs of our families. Through our long-standing partnership with NORD and other community organizations, we have offered since 1992 over $9.5 million in tuition-free programming to more than 33,000 people through 83,000+ classes and activities in three parishes. Each week, children as young as four walk through the doors of a neighborhood center
and gain access to professional training, mentoring and life skills that last a lifetime—all tuition-free. Programs like the Oscar J. Tolmas Charitable Trust Dance for Parkinson’s and the Senior Dance Fitness Program continue to demonstrate the power of dance to enhance lives across all ages.
None of this would be possible without the tireless effort, compassion and dedication of so many in our community. Last year, we had the privilege of celebrating the 35th anniversary of BRAVO, the Ballet Resource And Volunteer Organization, with a special luncheon honoring past presidents. Founded in 1989 by Phylis Taylor, the selfless contributions of these leaders and their members have provided critical resources to further NOBA’s mission. Through countless hours of volunteer service and unwavering dedication, BRAVO has raised over $5 million that has been vital to NOBA’s ability to thrive and grow. We extend our deepest gratitude to BRAVO, as well as to NOBA’s Board of Directors, Men and Women of Fashion, and our staff, for their exceptional leadership and belief in our mission.
Finally, to each of you—our audience members, subscribers, volunteers, and partners—we humbly thank you. Your belief in our vision and your continued support inspire us daily. Together, let’s celebrate the beauty, joy and transformative power of dance!
With warmest regards,
Gregory Curtis, Board Chair Jenny Hamilton, Executive Director
Young,
West
Wilson
BRAVO 35th Anniversary Presidents' Luncheon hosted by Gregory Curtis at the Windsor Court Hotel
Back (l to r): Sandra Chaisson, Sonda Stacey, Ralph Mahana, Laurie Guimont, Gregory Curtis, Kathleen Mix, Jon Teeuwissen, Sandra Herman, Deborah Alciatore, Jenny Hamilton, Front (l to r): Suzanne Parker, Louana DeMatteo, Constance Cowart
Phyllis Taylor, Gail
Moore, Virginia Eckholdt, Joann Wisdom
Former BRAVO Presidents not pictured: Stephanie Burks, Jacquee Carvin, Teresa Guzzetta, Barbara Hymowitz, Barbara Louviere, Leslie Stokes, Sandra T.
A Message from New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell
“The
dedication, generosity, and vision of the staff are a testament to their level of support for our people and their families through the power of dance and movement.”
–Mayor LaToya Cantrell
As Mayor of New Orleans, I extend my heartfelt congratulations to the New Orleans Ballet Association (NOBA) on an outstanding season and 33 years of partnership with the New Orleans Recreation Development (NORD) Commission and the City. Together, NOBA and NORD have built an internationally recognized program that creates exceptional opportunities for our residents by serving families in neighborhood centers across the city.
Since its inception in 1992, the NORD/NOBA Center for Dance has transformed our community, providing tuition-free programs to over 33,000 participants and investing nearly $9.5 million into our neighborhoods. From age four, children can receive top-tier dance training at NORD facilities, while seniors benefit from the Senior Dance Fitness Program and adults enjoy weekly master classes.
My administration remains dedicated to supporting this innovative program, fostering growth through partnerships with the Office of Workforce Development and other entities, and ensuring classes are offered citywide.
The dedication, generosity, and vision of the NOBA staff reflect their deep commitment to uplifting our community through the power of dance. I thank each of you for your tireless work and acknowledge the generous funders whose support makes this partnership possible.
Sincerely,
LaToya Cantrell Mayor, City of New Orleans
Board of Directors
CHAIR
Gregory Curtis
VICE CHAIRS
Chad Berg
Sandra Stage Chaisson
Monique Gougisha Doucette
Cynthia LeBreton
SECRETARY
Steven A. Friedman
TREASURER
Cathy M. Green
IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR
Dottie Belletto
LIFETIME MEMBERS
Jacquelyn B. Clarkson*
M. Cécile Gibson
Henrietta Ramirez Hall
Dr. Bernard M. Jaffe
Dr. E. Ralph Lupin*
Nancy O’Connell*
Phyllis M. Taylor
Janée M. Tucker
Betty Wisdom*
*deceased
MEMBERS
Mark R. Beebe
Charlotte Bollinger
Tiffa Boutté
Guy P. Brierre
Taiwan Brown
Stephanie Burks
Jacquee Carvin
Karen Coaxum
Rosalyn Ditta
John M. Duck
Terry A. DuFrene
Ann Duplessis
Krystle Duplessis
Elizabeth Ellison-Frost
Marian Gibbs
Laurie Guimont
Teresa Guzzetta
Mary Lakey
Henry M. Lambert
Sunni LeBeouf
Willis A. Lovell
Max Moreno
Camille Patti
Holly S. Popham
James Schoen
Marilyn Smith
Toni Van Zandt
Constance Willems
Pamela M. Williams
1. Front (l to r): Cathy Green, Conny Willems, Monique Doucette, Cynthia LeBreton
Back (l to r): Marian Gibbs, Gregory Curtis, Sunni LeBeouf, Steve Friedman
2. Front (l to r): Marilyn Smith, Laurie Guimont, James Schoen, Tiffa Boutté
Back (l to r): Mary Lakey, Camille Patti, Pamela Williams, Chad Berg
3. Front (l to r): Charlotte Bollinger, Max Moreno, Dottie Belletto, Karen Coaxum
Back (l to r): Rosalyn Ditta, Krystle Duplessis, Willis (Andy) Lovell, Taiwan Brown
4. Front (l to r): Stephanie Burks, Terry DuFrene, Toni Van Zandt
Back (l to r): Guy Brierre, Elizabeth Ellison-Frost, Sandra Chaisson
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Jenny R. Hamilton
BOX OFFICE/AUDIENCE SERVICES
Wanda W. Fulton
CENTER FOR DANCE/EDUCATION
Millette White-Lin
Jaelyn Robinson
DEVELOPMENT/EVENTS
Francesca Martin
Chris Frerichs
TECHNICAL/WARDROBE
Joan Long
MARKETING/PUBLIC RELATIONS
Carol Fox & Associates
PETERMAYER
Lucy Vanderbrook
Hymel & Ready
GRAPHIC DESIGN
Lauren Faustermann PHOTOGRAPHY Jeff Strout
PHOTOS BY JEFF STROUT
BY JEFF
In Dedication...
The 2024-25 season is dedicated in honor of the extraordinary lives of two remarkable women whose leadership, strength and generosity left an indelible mark on NOBA. The legacy of Jackie and Gail will forever be woven into the fabric of our organization. Their passion for the arts will live on through every breathtaking performance on the Main Stage and in the joyful hearts of children who discover the transformative power of dance every day.
We are grateful for their profound impact, and their memories will continue to inspire us all.
Jackie, a visionary and one of the founders of the NORD/NOBA Center for Dance, was instrumental in reintroducing dance to NORD centers throughout our community and devotedly attended performances and classes to support her “baby ballerinas.” Her passion ensured that the arts not only survived but thrived postKatrina with her efforts in reopening the Mahalia Jackson Theater in 2009. Her dedication was a beacon of hope when we needed it most.
Gail, as president of BRAVO (Ballet Resource And Volunteer Organization), was a tireless advocate for NOBA. With steely resolve, she led the charge to expand fundraising efforts and stabilize the organization during a critical period in NOBA’s history. Her countless volunteer hours, whether as an event chair, committee member or NOBA Board Member, reflected her deep commitment to dance and to ensuring NOBA’s future.
Jacquelyn Sophie Brechtel Clarkson 1936 – 2024
Patricia Gail West Moore 1939 – 2024
New Orleans Ballet Association
Founded in 1969, the New Orleans Ballet Association (NOBA) cultivates understanding, appreciation and enjoyment of dance through performance, education and community service. NOBA’s dynamic programs position it as a leading dance and service organization throughout the region and a unique, national model dedicated solely to dance.
IN 2024–25, NOBA WILL... PRODUCE
50+ extraordinary concerts featuring over 2,000 artists
8 dance companies/choreographers as artists in residence
80+ pre-professional students in performance on local and national stages during the school year & summer
2 arts healing programs at 5 locations – Oscar J. Tolmas Charitable Trust Dance for Parkinson’s Program and the Senior Dance Fitness Program
TRAIN
2,000 students ages 4–80+
PROVIDE
100+ weekly tuition-free classes and activities at up to 20 neighborhood sites
5,500+ tuition-free dance classes and activities annually
75,000+ contact hours with participants of education programs
40+ local artists’ employment and professional development
ENRICH
33,000 dance enthusiasts through more than 5,500 services
2. NOBA Pre-Professional dancers Alina Garcia and Sif Boldissar at the Lyons Rec Center PHOTO BY JEFF STROUT
3. NOBA Early Childhood ballet students at Gernon Brown Rec Center PHOTO BY MILLETTE LIN
Season of Dance 2024-25
Houston Ballet
SAT | OCT 19, 2024 | 7:30PM
“Technically precise, emotionally compelling, it was so well done that the audience stood and cheered for several rounds of bows at the end.”
– Houston Press
Houston Ballet makes its highly anticipated return with a stunning program that showcases the artistic depth and technical virtuosity of one of America’s premier ballet companies. The stunning program ranges from the bravura of George Balanchine’s Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux to Artistic Director Stanton Welch’s Velocity , “a headlong gallop of virtuosic dance” ( The Sydney Morning Herald ).
Giordano Dance Chicago
SAT | NOV 16, 2024 | 7:30PM
America’s original jazz dance company celebrates over 60 years with a profound impact through performances in over 1,300 cities worldwide. The evening of quintessentially American works will feature the premiere of Gershwin in B by Emmy-Award winning and So You Think You Can Dance choreographer Al Blackstone in a glorious tribute to the music of George Gershwin.
“From the first moment that Giordano Dance Chicago steps on stage, the audience knows that this evening will be electric.”
– Chicago Tonight
Ballet Hispánico
SAT | FEB 1, 2025 | 7:30PM
“Emotionally fierce, intensely sensual, brilliantly danced and stunningly designed...riveting from start to finish.”
– Chicago Sun-Times
Returning after Doña Perón ’s triumphant reception in 2022, Ballet Hispánico brings CARMEN.maquia , a Picasso inspired contemporary take on Bizet’s beloved classic by choreographer Gustavo Ramírez Sansano. The physically charged choreography fuses contemporary dance with nods to the Spanish paso doble and flamenco. “Ballet Hispánico shows what it is to be Latino in the modern world” (Financial Times) .
PHOTO BY TODD ROSENBERG
PHOTO BY PAULA LOBO
PHOTO BY Houston Ballet Principals Karina González and Connor Walsh with Artists of Houston Ballet in Stanton Welch’s Velocity.
PHOTO BY AMITAVA SARKAR. COURTESY OF HOUSTON BALLET.
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
FRI | MAR 21, 2025 | 7:30PM
SAT | MAR 22, 2025 | 8:00PM
The Nutcracker Suite
SUN | DEC 8, 2024 | 3PM & 6PM
Dixon Hall, Tulane University
Experience the magic of Tchaikovsky’s classic holiday adventure in a special one-hour production perfect for the entire family. From an enchanting party, a dramatic battle and dancing dolls to a whimsical journey to the Land of Sweets, this magical tale is uniquely brought to life by over 100 participants ages 6-70+ of NOBA’s tuition-free programs for youth and senior citizens from the greater metropolitan area.
Spring Concert
SUN | MAY 16, 2025 | 7PM
Dixon Hall, Tulane University
This inspirational evening of dance features the remarkable talent and accomplishments of our young artists performing new works by renowned local and guest artists.
“Nothing prepares you for the totality of Alvin Ailey: the aural, visual, physical, spiritual beauty ..Heaven...Everywhere you looked: sensory pleasure” – The New York Times
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater celebrates 66 years as one of America’s most famous and beloved dance companies, bringing the African American experience and dance traditions to the world’s stages. These powerhouse “dancers will set the stage on fire” (Chicago SunTimes) with two different programs of new works and classics, including Ailey’s masterpiece, Revelations .
Summer Concert
FRI | AUG 1, 2025 | 7PM
Join us for a special concert of works created and set by the esteemed guest artists from companies such as Ballet Hispánico, Complexions Contemporary Ballet and more during the heralded summer intensive.
PHOTO BY JEFF STROUT
PHOTO BY JEFF STROUT
CAROLINE T. DARTEY. PHOTO BY DARIO CALMESE
PHOTO BY JEFF STROUT
PHOTO BY JEFF STROUT
“One of the nation's best ballet companies.”
– The New York Times
HOUSTON BALLET
SAT | OCT 19 | 7:30PM
With over 50 years of rich history, Houston Ballet has evolved into a company with a budget of $41.2 million and an endowment of $110.8 million (as of July 2024), making it the country’s fourth-largest ballet company. Its $46.6 million state-of-the-art performance space, the Houston Ballet Margaret Alkek Williams Center for Dance opened in April 2011. In addition, Houston Ballet's reach is global, touring theaters in Dubai, London, Paris, Moscow, Spain, Montréal, Ottawa, Melbourne, New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, Tokyo and more.
Australian choreographer Stanton Welch AM has served as artistic director of Houston Ballet since 2003. Welch has choreographed 43 new works for Houston Ballet during his tenure while ensuring the growth of the Company’s repertoire by presenting works from George Balanchine, William Forsythe, J i ř í Kylián, Sir Kenneth MacMillan, John Neumeier and Jerome Robbins. Welch continues the legacy of Houston Ballet being a choreographic Eden by commissioning over 30 works from world-renowned choreographers including Aszure Barton, Trey McIntyre, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa and Justin Peck. Julie Kent joined Welch as artistic director in 2023, after serving as artistic director of The Washington Ballet from 2016 – 2023 and following a storied career as a principal ballerina of American Ballet Theatrethe longest-tenured dancer in ABT’s 85-year history. Executive Director James Nelson serves as the administrative leader of the organization, a position he assumed in February 2012 after serving as the Company’s general manager for more than a decade.
Beyond its stage presence, Houston Ballet maintains a strong foothold in continuing to foster a love for dance in future generations. Its Education and Community Engagement program reaches more than 85,000 individuals in the Houston area annually. Houston Ballet Academy trains more than 1,000 students every year, producing more than 60 percent of the extraordinary artists that comprise Houston Ballet’s current Company.
ARTISTS OF HOUSTON BALLET IN STANTON WELCH’S VELOCITY. PHOTO BY AMITAVA SARKAR. COURTESY OF HOUSTON BALLET.
HOUSTON BALLET PRINCIPAL CONNOR WALSH IN ASZURE BARTON’S COME IN PHOTO BY AMITAVA SARKAR. COURTESY OF HOUSTON BALLET.
STANTON WELCH AM,
The Harris Masterson III Artistic Director
Stanton Welch AM was born in Melbourne to Marilyn Jones OBE and Garth Welch AM, two of Australia's most gifted dancers of the 1960s and 1970s. He joined The Australian Ballet, rising to the rank of leading soloist and performing various principal roles, before serving as resident choreographer.
During his decades long career, Welch has choreographed over 100 works including audience favorites Madame Butterfly (1995), Clear (2001), and Divergence (1994). His work can be seen in the repertoire of The Australian Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, American Ballet Theatre and Birmingham Royal Ballet, among others.
In July 2003, Welch was appointed artistic director of Houston Ballet, America's fourth-largest ballet company. Welch has choreographed more than 40 works for Houston Ballet, including Marie (2009) and spectacular
JULIE KENT, Artistic Director
Julie Kent became the artistic director of Houston Ballet in July 2023, joining Stanton Welch AM as co-artistic leadership of America’s fourth largest classical ballet company. Kent was the longest serving ballerina in American Ballet Theatre’s 85-year history, dancing a vast repertoire of classical and neo-classical roles from 1985-2015, and working closely with choreographers John Neumeier, Twyla Tharp, Lar Lubovitch, Stanton Welch AM, Alexei Ratmansky, Mark Morris, Nacho Duato, James Kudelka, Jorma Elo, Kevin McKenzie and others. Kent also danced as an international guest artist with the Mariinsky Theatre, New York City Ballet, Teatro alla Scala, Stuttgart Ballet, Berlin Staatsballett, Houston Ballet, Bayerisches Staatsballett, Teatro Colon, Ballet de Santiago, Australian Ballet, Tokyo Ballet and others.
She won the Prix de Lausanne (1986), Erik Bruhn Prize (1993) and was the first American dancer ever to win the Prix Benois de la Danse (2000). In 2012,
stagings of Swan Lake (2006), La Bayadère (2010), Romeo and Juliet (2015), Giselle (2016), The Nutcracker (2016), Sylvia (2019) and the upcoming Raymonda (2025). Developing Houston Ballet into a choreographic Eden, Welch has commissioned over 30 works from notable choreographers such as Mark Morris, Aszure Barton, Dwight Rhoden, Trey McIntyre and Justin Peck, while expanding the company’s repertoire with works from internationally acclaimed choreographers including George Balanchine, William Forsythe, Jiř í Kylián, Sir Kenneth MacMillan, John Neumeier, Twyla Tharp and Jerome Robbins.
Under Welch’s leadership, Houston Ballet has appeared across the globe including recent engagements in Tokyo, Dubai, Melbourne, New York City, and Washington, D.C. Welch continues to nurture the next generation of artists through the Houston Ballet Academy, a leading institution in dance education and training.
she received an Honorary Doctorate of Performing Arts from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts and a “Lifetime Achievement Award” from Dance Magazine and was conferred an Honorary Doctorate from American University’s College of Arts and Sciences in 2023. Kent also starred in the films Dancers (1987) and Center Stage (2000). In August of 2015, after a 30-year performing career, Kent was named artistic director of ABT’s Summer Intensive, a comprehensive summer dance program for 1,400 students at five campuses across the US. From 20162023, she was artistic director of The Washington Ballet, where she brought important classical and contemporary masterworks into the repertoire, commissioning over 26 world premieres.
Kent married former ABT Associate Artistic Director and Principal Dancer Victor Barbee in 1996, and, as a mother of two children, she has helped redefine the image of the American Ballerina.
HOUSTON BALLET SOLOIST AOI FUJIWARA AND PRINCIPAL CONNOR WALSH IN DISHA ZHANG’S ELAPSE. PHOTO BY AMITAVA SARKAR. COURTESY OF HOUSTON BALLET.
PHOTO BY JULIE SOEFER. COURTESY OF HOUSTON BALLET.
PHOTO BY JULIE SOEFER. COURTESY OF HOUSTON BALLET.
GIORDANO DANCE CHICAGO
SAT | NOV 16 | 7:30PM
America’s original jazz dance company soars into their 62nd season with energy and endless possibilities. As one of the longestrunning jazz dance companies in the world, Giordano Dance Chicago (GDC) occupies a singular position within the local, national and international dance communities. GDC is an iconic cultural institution with deep roots in Chicago and around the globe (28 countries, 47 states and more than 1,300 cities). From founder Gus Giordano’s vision, the company continues to honor the past while pushing the art form forward. Nan Giordano celebrates 40 years as an artistic leader responsible for commissioning innovative choreographic works and mentoring thousands of dancers. Alongside Nan, Associate Artistic Director Cesar G. Salinas and the magnificent dancers are an integral
part of the GDC legacy. With the appointment of Erica L. Edwards as executive director, it truly is a new day. Adding Al Blackstone as resident choreographer for the next three years is a testament that the art form of jazz dance is thriving. The company is one of the few in the world that has a foundational technique, Nan Giordano Certification Program ® with certified teachers in nine countries and 36 states. GDC is committed to youth arts education at home and on tour through mentorship, scholarship and our free Chicago Public Schools and park programs. GDC is proud to be one of the longest running dance companies in the world, continuing to enrich lives through dance. Stated simply, Giordano Dance Chicago offers to all the universal and life-affirming experience of witnessing dance that is powerful, passionate, elegant and celebratory.
GERSHWIN IN B (2024) BY AL BLACKSTONE, PHOTO BY ANDERSON PHOTOGRAPHY
NAN GIORDANO, Artistic Director
At the helm for 40 years, her leadership of Giordano Dance Chicago began in 1985 as associate director, then artistic director in 1993. She was trained by her father and mentor, Gus Giordano, who created the world-renowned Giordano Technique. Developer of the Nan Giordano Certification Program ® , she is the world’s preeminent authority on the essence, discipline, progression and continuance of the Giordano Technique; the vision of NGCP® is to provide worldwide, ongoing, and in-depth access to this ground-breaking dance form.
She had an extensive performing career in concert dance, as well as in the industrial and fashion worlds. Before taking the reins on the artistic side, her concert dance experience began with Giordano Dance Theatre, apprenticing and then joining GDC. With her father leading the company, she traveled and performed extensively around the world, including numerous WTTW dance television specials choreographed by her father such as the Emmy Award winning The Rehearsal. When an injury ended her performing career in 1985, she became associate director of the company and was instrumental in establishing a working Board of Directors, which has evolved into today’s three separate boards.
In the last 40 years under her direction, GDC has established a high-profile reputation for excellence in the Chicago dance community, as well as in the national and international dance worlds.
Giordano has guided the development of a large and diverse repertoire, which features five of her works. On the commercial side, she has choreographed several television commercials. She teaches master classes throughout the United States and abroad, including Brazil, Canada, Costa Rica, El Salvador, France, Germany, Guatemala, Mexico, and Israel. She is also the driving force behind Jazz
“From the first moment that Giordano Dance Chicago steps on stage, the audience knows that this evening will be electric.” – Chicago Tonight
Dance/Science & Health, GDC’s outreach program in three under-resourced Chicago Public Schools. Giordano received the Manford Byrd Jr. Wizard of Oz Award for Outstanding Service from Howland School of the Arts. She is artistic director of Jazz Dance World Congress (JDWC), an event that draws dancers, choreographers and teachers from more than 30 countries. She served three years on the Illinois Arts Council Dance Panel as well as on the Community Arts Assistance Program Dance Panel for the City of Chicago, Department of Cultural Affairs. She currently serves on the International Ballet Competition, National Honorary Committee and the Advisory Board for Dance Magazine. She was recognized as a cover story in Dance Teacher Magazine’s January 2018 issue. She was also honored by Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who declared June 9, 2018, Nan Giordano Day for her leadership and contributions to the Chicago community. In August 2018, Chicago Dancers United honored Giordano (along with Lou Conte) with the Dance for Life Impact Award, recognizing her contributions to the Chicago dance community and Dance for Life. In celebration of her landmark year, the Chicago Tribune released their “2018 Chicagoans of the Year,” of which she was spotlighted as the city’s “Dance” honoree. In summer of 2019, she was honored with the Grace Wakefield Lifetime Achievement Award by Star Dance Alliance at the Circle of Excellence Gala. Each summer, Giordano serves as a guest judge at The Dance Awards (Dance One). Most recently, she was graced as the cover of Fra Noi , Chicago’s Italian magazine.
PHOTO BY TODD ROSENBERG
GERSHWIN IN B (2024) BY AL BLACKSTONE, PHOTO BY ANDERSON PHOTOGRAPHY
BALLET HISPÁNICO CARMEN.MAQUIA
SAT | FEB 1, 2025 | 7:30PM
Mahalia Jackson Theater for the Performing Arts
Ballet Hispánico was founded on the principle that everyone deserves dance, quality dance training and innovative performances. In creating the company in 1970, Tina Ramirez shattered a glass ceiling – challenging iconic representations and exposing the joy and celebration to be found in Latinidad.
Today, as the largest Latino cultural organization in the United States and one of America’s Cultural Treasures, Ballet Hispánico’s three main programs, the Company, School of Dance and Community Arts Partnerships bring together communities to celebrate the ever growing and multifaceted Hispanic diasporas. The company engages audiences with the work of Latino and Latina choreographers, opens a platform for new cultural dialogue and nurtures inspiring young dancers of all ages. Ballet Hispánico’s New York City headquarters provide the space and cultural heart for Latinx dance in the United States.
Eduardo Vilaro joined Ballet Hispánico as a company dancer in 1985 and became the organization’s second artistic director in 2009 and CEO in 2015. Vilaro is building on Ramirez’s impact: expanding and deepening a legacy of showcasing the depth of our cultures, and exposing the intersectionality found in the Hispanic diasporas by focusing on nurturing Hispanic leaders. Through programs like the Instituto Coreográfico, the Latinx Leaders Summit and Diálogos, Ballet Hispánico has become a center for artistic leadership development.
Ballet Hispánico is an ambassador for our community worldwide. The company has now performed for more than 2.5 million people in three continents. As it looks to the future, Ballet Hispánico is committed to continue nurturing artists, teachers, students, arts leaders, families and communities through the power of dance.
PHOTO BY MARIUS FISKUM, NORTHERN LIGHTS FESTIVAL
PHOTO BY PAULA LOBO
“Emotionally fierce, intensely sensual, brilliantly danced and stunningly designed... riveting from start to finish.”
– Chicago Sun-Times
EDUARDO VILARO,
Artistic Director & CEO
Eduardo Vilaro joined Ballet Hispánico as artistic director in August 2009, becoming only the second individual to lead the company since its inception in 1970. In 2015, he expanded his role to include that of chief executive officer. A member of the Ballet Hispánico family since 1985, Vilaro initially contributed as a dancer and educator before founding the Luna Negra Dance Theater in Chicago, where he served as artistic director for ten years, establishing a significant record of achievement.
Vilaro has enriched Ballet Hispánico’s legacy with a bold and eclectic brand of contemporary dance that reflects America’s evolving cultural landscape. Born in Cuba and raised in New York from the age of six, he is a prominent advocate and speaker on the merits of cultural diversity and dance education. His choreography is devoted to capturing the spiritual, sensual and historical essence of Latino cultures. Over his career, Vilaro has created more than 40 works and has received commissions from prestigious entities such as the Ravinia Festival, Chicago Sinfonietta, Grant Park Festival, Lexington
Ballet and Chicago Symphony. He was honored with the Ruth Page Award for choreography in 2001, and in 2003, he was honored for his choreographic work at Panama’s II International Festival of Ballet.
Vilaro was inducted into the Bronx Walk of Fame in 2016 and named HOMBRE Magazine ’s 2017 Arts & Culture Trailblazer of the Year. In 2019, he received the WESTY Award from West Side Spirit, was honored by WNET for his contributions to the arts, and, most recently, earned the James W. Dodge Foreign Language Advocate Award. In 2022 and 2023, he was featured in Crain’s New York lists of Notable Hispanic Leaders and Notable LGBTQ Leaders, respectively, and was celebrated as one of Forbes’ Kings of Culture, Legends of Business.
In 2024, Vilaro joined the Cultural Diplomacy Leadership Council of the Meridian International Center based in Washington, DC. Additionally, he received an honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts from his alma mater, Adelphi University, in recognition of his distinguished achievements in learning and the arts.
PHOTO BY RACHEL NEVILLE
CARMEN.MAQUIA (C) PAULA LOBO
ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER
FRI | MAR 21 | 7:30PM SAT | MAR 22 | 8:00PM
Founded by Alvin Ailey on March 30, 1958, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is one of the most acclaimed dance companies in the world. With a repertory that boasts close to 300 works by more than 100 choreographers, it has performed in more than 70 countries on six continents and has been designated a “vital American Cultural Ambassador to the World” by a US Congressional resolution. Forged during a pivotal moment in the civil rights movement, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater was established to uplift the African American experience while transcending boundaries of race, faith and nationality with its universal humanity. Mr. Ailey invited dancers of all backgrounds to be a part of his vision while reimagining his company as a “library of dance,” a home for a wide
range of choreographers’ works that might otherwise be lost.
Before his untimely death in 1989, Mr. Ailey named Judith Jamison as his successor, and for 21 years, she brought the Company to unprecedented success. In 2011, she selected Robert Battle as her successor; he stewarded the Company until 2023. Today, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater continues to bring joy to audiences around the globe, while expanding its repertory with works by new choreographers and upholding Ailey’s legacy for future generations.
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater gratefully acknowledges The Joan & Sandy Weill Global Ambassador Fund, which provides vital support for Ailey’s national and international tours.
“Nothing prepares you for the totality of Alvin Ailey: the aural, visual, physical, spiritual beauty...Heaven...Everywhere you looked: sensory pleasure...”
– The New York Times
MEMBERS OF ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER. PHOTO BY DARIO CALMESE.
ALVIN AILEY, Founder
Alvin Ailey was born on January 5, 1931, in Rogers, Texas. His experiences of life in the rural South would later inspire some of his most memorable works. He was introduced to dance in Los Angeles by performances of the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo and the Katherine Dunham Dance Company, and his formal dance training began with an introduction to Lester Horton’s classes by his friend Carmen de Lavallade.
Horton, the founder of one of the first racially integrated dance companies in the United States, became a mentor for Mr. Ailey as he embarked on his professional career. After Horton’s death in 1953, Ailey became director of the Lester Horton Dance Theater and began to choreograph his own works.
In the 1950s and 60s, Mr. Ailey performed in four Broadway shows, including House of Flowers and Jamaica . In 1958, he founded Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. He established
the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center (now The Ailey School) in 1969 and formed the Alvin Ailey Repertory Ensemble (now Ailey II) in 1974. Mr. Ailey was a pioneer of programs promoting arts in education, particularly those benefiting underserved communities. Throughout his lifetime, he was awarded numerous distinctions, including the Kennedy Center Honor in 1988 in recognition of his extraordinary contribution to American culture. In 2014, he posthumously received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the country’s highest civilian honor, in recognition of his contributions and commitment to civil rights and dance in America. Following Mr. Ailey’s death on December 1, 1989, The New York Times said of him, “you didn’t need to have known [him] personally to have been touched by his humanity, enthusiasm, and exuberance and his courageous stand for multiracial brotherhood.”
ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER'S CHALVAR MONTEIRO.
PHOTO BY DARIO CALMESE
ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER'S JACQUELIN HARRIS.
PHOTO BY DARIO CALMESE
Bringing Dance Into the Community
Center for Dance Celebrates 33 Years
In 1992, visionary leaders of multiple institutions — New Orleans City Council, Office of the Mayor, New Orleans Recreation Department (NORD) and NOBA — united in a common goal: to touch the lives of every member of our community through dance. Through the collective vision of this dedicated group, the unique and groundbreaking partnership between the New Orleans Ballet Association and the New Orleans Recreation Department — the Center for Dance — was formed to ensure children, regardless of economic means, would have access to high quality dance instruction.
Over the past 32 years, the Center for Dance has provided more than $9.5 million of tuition-free programming to over 33,000 people through over 83,000 classes and activities, many of whom would not otherwise have the opportunities to study this art form. The program has garnered national recognition and awards along the way, including the Coming Up Taller Award by the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, the National Endowment for the Arts and others.
Starting with just 30 students at one NORD site, the program has grown to now serve nearly 2,000 participants ages 4-80+ each year at up to 20 sites in partnership with NORD and other community organizations. Weekly, nearly 100 tuition-free classes and activities are offered by a professional faculty who bring a wealth of knowledge, care and experience. Participants study ballet, hip hop, modern, West African, jazz, conditioning, dance fitness and other movement forms. These classes are regularly filled to capacity on a first come, first-served basis, and if a child has a specific need, the Center for Dance provides shoes, leotards and tights. Pre-Professional students ages 7 and up receive additional intensive training and classes by worldrenowned dancers and choreographers through the Master Artist Series at Lyons Rec Center and at Tulane University; internships; advanced summer training locally; scholarships
for select students to study at prestigious national summer programs and NOBA’s summer intensives; free or reduced tickets ($5) for Main Stage performances through The Helis Foundation Ovation Program and more.
In 2008, NOBA, at the request of NORD, expanded its reach in the community by providing participants ages 55 and up with a dance fitness program. The Center for Dance proudly continues to grow, including the recent addition of the Rise Program, designed to give motivated, focused and enthusiastic students ages 10 – 18 the opportunity to expand both their technique and artistry through concentrated training in multiple dance forms, along with an expanded Early Childhood Ballet Program for ages 4 – 5, now offered at seven area NORD locations during the academic year.
In addition, this fall marks the 28th season of NOBA’s St. Bernard After-School Ballet Program. Since its inception in 1995 through a partnership between NOBA, Chalmette Refining, LLC and the St. Bernard Parish School Board, the program has fulfilled thousands of dance dreams, and this school year will again provide instruction twice a week in the beautiful dance studios of the Chalmette High School Cultural Arts Center, which also houses the program’s performances.
For a packed house of family and friends through the Neighborhood Concert Series, students ages 4–80+ take part in fully produced performances with costumes, professional stage management and lights at Tulane University’s Dixon Hall and NOCCA’s Lupin Hall as well as presentations at each partner site. The pre-professional students annually receive advanced study and guest artist residencies in addition to invitations to perform throughout the community and appear on regional and national stages and venues such as New York City’s Joyce Theater and Plaza Hotel, Kennedy Center and Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival.
“I love watching my daughter grow into a poised yet spirited person because of NOBA. This program’s impact extends beyond dancing and gives her the courage to be herself. As parents, you worry about your child wanting to fit in or peer pressure and losing their individual awesomeness...I can’t say specifically what’s giving her confidence in the studio, but I imagine it’s the support, encouragement, guidance, and possibilities NOBA provides.”
-NOBA Parent
Dance & Arts Healing Through Generations
Year after year, NOBA continues its commitment to delivering inclusive, accessible and transformative dance and arts healing activities for over 2,000 participants ages 4-80+ through more than 5,500 free classes in a variety of dance forms. Ongoing collaborations with an expanded network of partners, such as the New Orleans Recreation Development Commission (NORD), St. Bernard Parish School Board, New Orleans JCC, Jefferson Parish Parks and Recreation, Dillard University, Tulane University, Xavier University, New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA), Willow Charter School and other area K-12 schools, continue to increase NOBA’s capacity to deliver positive health outcomes and support vibrant, creative communities.
Since its inception over seven years ago, the Oscar J. Tolmas Charitable Trust Dance for Parkinson’s Program has reached a total attendance of over 7,500 people through over 5,600 free, specialized, ongoing weekly classes and special outreach activities that empower people with Parkinson’s disease to creatively explore movement and live music, all in a safe, welcoming and fun environment. Classes are modeled after the Mark Morris Dance Group’s internationally renowned Dance for PD ® program and take place twice weekly during the mornings at two locations – Mondays in Metairie at Pontiff Gym and Wednesdays in New Orleans at the JCC. With over 10 million people worldwide living with Parkinson’s, we believe that continued work and advocacy in our region are critical, and that movement truly has the power to heal!
Following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, and at the request of NORD for the development of crucial programming for seniors, NOBA’s Senior Dance Fitness Program for ages 55+ launched in 2008. Currently offered twice a week at three centers, this tuition-free program includes stretching, cardio and dance set to fun music; dance workshops with visiting Main Stage artists; performance opportunities including the intergenerational The Nutcracker Suite ; social events; discounted tickets to Main Stage performances and more! For many participants, the Senior Dance Fitness Program is more than just fun. The program equips them with the ability to combat chronic health conditions through active measures such as reducing stiffness, arthritis pain, respiratory problems, blood sugar levels, blood pressure and losing weight. Others share that involvement in the program helps break isolation and form friendships and social support networks. NOBA’s relationships and residency work with Main Stage companies and artists regularly produce unique experiences for community members to be moved in body, mind and spirit. During the year, NOBA also offers weekly, open, drop-in ballet master classes taught by renowned guest artists for adults and teens on Wednesday mornings at the Lyons Rec Center. These sessions, along with additional master classes in various dance genres at multiple levels, provide participants with the opportunities to enhance their dance skills or explore dance and movement for the very first time.
1. Oscar J. Tolmas Charitable Trust Dance for Parkinson’s Program participants and instructors perform as part of the Spring Concert at Tulane’s Dixon Hall
PHOTO BY JEFF STROUT
2. Adult ballet master class with Compa ñ ia Nacional de Danza
Artistic Director Joaquin De Luz
PHOTO BY JEFF STROUT
3. Parsons Dance Interim Associate Artistic Director Natalie Lomonte leads a master class for NOCCA dance students PHOTO BY MILLETTE LIN
4. Lisa Romano joins representatives of the 610 Stompers during a special visit and “Stompers Give Back” grant presentation to NOBA’s Oscar J. Tolmas Charitable Trust Dance for Parkinson’s Program PHOTO BY FRANCESCA MARTIN
5. The party scene of The Nutcracker Suite features Senior Dance Fitness participants who rehearse throughout the fall. PHOTO BY JEFF STROUT
6. Senior Dance Fitness class led by Aline de Souza-Myers. PHOTO BY MILLETTE LIN
“Dancing is POWER for the person with Parkinson's— it’s lengthening my life and holding back the advancing symptoms of Parkinson's.
– Oscar J. Tolmas Charitable Trust Dance for Parkinson’s Program Participant
“A few years ago, I became ill with cancer for the second time. I don’t know if I would have been able to function without this program... through the exercise and the friendships that have surrounded me, I have been tremendously blessed!”
“Our mission is to help other tax-exempt organizations with their mission of helping others. Dance for Parkinson’s classes are designed specifically to help individuals that suffer from Parkinson’s disease, and we hope that this helps to give these individuals a better quality of life.”
-Vincent Giardina and Lisa Romano, Trustees of the Oscar J. Tolmas Charitable Trust
When School is Out, Dance is in!
Summer Programs for Youth
“As a single mother, it’s been wonderful to learn that this type of access exists for students. It truly shows NOBA, NORD and the city of New Orleans care for our youth. Choosing to participate in this program has unlocked so many positive experiences and has helped my child find a passion to explore.”
- NOBA Parent
NOBA’s tuition-free programs for youth extend beyond the school year into a kaleidoscope of summer dance and fitness camps in partnership with NORD and other community organizations. Led by a faculty of passionate and highly qualified local and visiting artists, these summer sessions engage body and mind through health education related activities that foster life skills such as self-confidence, teamwork, discipline, focus and commitment. Motivated students ages 7 to 18 may also audition for NOBA’s summer intensives, which provide opportunities to study and perform with top dance artists. All participants of the Adventures in Dance and Intensives perform in Neighborhood Concert Series performances.
ADVENTURES IN DANCE DAYTIME CAMP for up to 40 children ages 7–11 of all experience levels is held for three and a half weeks in the NORD/NOBA Center for Dance Studio at Lyons Rec Center in June. This comprehensive, popular camp offers:
• Daily classes in different styles of dance technique including ballet, modern, hip hop, jazz, West African dance, Brazilian dance and more
• Educational activities in nutrition, health, dance history, music, craft arts, arts integration and literacy
• A children’s dance book for each participant to add to their home library
JUNE EARLY CHILDHOOD, PREPARATORY & TEEN DANCE PROGRAMS for ages 4–18 of all experience levels offers evening technique classes in ballet, jazz and hip hop.
JUNE MASTER ARTIST SERIES INTENSIVES by audition for ages 12-18 bring master artists from all over the country for week-long technique and repertory sessions.
TWO-WEEK JULY MORNING INTENSIVE by audition for ages 7-11 features a halfday introduction to the Summer Intensive experience for the young dancer. Students are challenged and engaged through dance technique classes in ballet, jazz and modern, or other dance styles along with additional sessions exploring choreography, dance history and more.
THREE-WEEK JULY AFTERNOON INTENSIVE by audition for ages 10–18 features local and visiting guest artists and fosters an emphasis on building technical proficiency, confidence and self-expression through classes in conditioning, ballet, modern and other dance genres.
THREE-WEEK JULY DAYTIME INTENSIVE by audition for ages 12-18 is NOBA’s headlining intensive for intermediate and advanced dancers and provides rigorous training with prestigious guest faculty, culminating in a fully produced concert, during which students have the unique opportunity to share the stage with visiting professional dancers.
NOBA Master Artist Series
NOBA’s year-round Master Artist Series provides unprecedented opportunities for aspiring and talented dancers to be trained here in New Orleans by world-renowned artists and top companies in dance, including Ballet Hispánico, San Francisco Ballet, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, The Joffrey Ballet and many more. NOBA students have performed throughout the community and in major theaters with some of the most recognizable names in the industry.
In addition to a year-round Master Artist in Residence, in fall 2023, students had the unique opportunity to learn choreography by Complexions Contemporary Ballet (CCB) Artistic Director Dwight Rhoden and receive coaching by Rhoden and CCB original company member and star dancer Christina Johnson. In January 2024, NOBA welcomed Parsons Dance Rehearsal Director Elizabeth Koeppen-Kalosieh. She hand-selected a cast of sixteen NOBA PreProfessional Program dancers to learn and perform excerpts of David Parsons’ seminal work Nascimento on their May Spring Concert. As Koeppen-Kalosieh shares, “This program is one of the finest that I have ever seen for young people. They come from so many different backgrounds, and appreciate the opportunity that’s being given to them. So, when they walk into the room, everyone is on the same page, and that is a springboard for an artist! The discipline, training, and attitude of the students are such a high caliber because of the standards that NOBA has set.”
NOBA’s unique summer intensive program provides students with a concentrated period to collaborate with notable guest artists, develop professional skills and diversify their dance curriculum. During a one-week session in June 2024, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s Assistant Rehearsal Director Clifton Brown and Diversity of Dance Founder and Artistic Director Fredrick Earl Mosley immersed students in ballet, modern and repertoire sessions. Exposure
“This program is one of the finest that I’ve ever
seen for young people...the discipline, training, and attitude of the students are such a high caliber because of the standards that NOBA has set.”
– Elizabeth Koeppen-Kalosieh, Parsons Dance Rehearsal Director
to rigorous, top-rate dance instruction equips students with the versatility and knowledge required to continue with more complex technique and artistic material.
During the annual three-week July 2024 intensive, guest faculty members included former Dance Theatre of Harlem Ballet Masters Kellye Saunders and Keith Saunders and Ballet Hispánico School of Dance Director Michelle Manzanales and Associate Director Rodney Hamilton. These spectacular artists mentored and encouraged students to expand their knowledge of dance and cultures around the globe through the exploration of works such as Manzanales’ Con Brazos Abiertos , featuring iconic Mexican symbols that she was reluctant to embrace as a Mexican American child growing up in Texas. Manzanales has had a relationship with NOBA since 2002, first as a dancer and rehearsal director, and now
as a school director. “Every time I come here, I am inspired by how wonderfully dedicated these students are. It is really a testament to what a wonderful program NOBA is because they have created an environment where these students are eager and excited to learn about dance, art and self-discovery,” she shares.
To culminate the program, a talented local cast of NOBA youth and alumni, joined by guest artist Bethany Kendrick of Contemporary West Dance Theatre, took to the stage in an exciting concert at NOCCA’s Freda Lupin Memorial Hall.
Reflecting upon experiences such as this, one NOBA Pre-Professional student offers, “NOBA enriches my life because it allows me to train with extraordinary teachers and choreographers. I’ve found a community within the program too. During my time here, I have been able to be around likeminded students and build lasting friendships!”
“NOBA enriches my life because it allows me to train with extraordinary teachers and choreographers!”
– NOBA Pre-Professional Program Student
1. Dwight Rhoden (center back) with Complexions Contemporary Ballet company members following their performance with Pre-Professional students at the Lyons Center studio
2. Summer Intensive students perform an excerpt of Bury Me Standing by choreographer Ramón Oller
3. Students rehearse with guest artist Christina Johnson
4. Summer Intensive students perform Kellye Saunders’ Guene Roma
5. NOBA Alumna Kennedy Simon performs the solo from Michelle Manzanales’ Con Brazos Abiertos
6. Summer Intensive students perform Keith Saunders’ What Stands Before Us
7. Rodney Hamilton rehearses an excerpt of Con Brazos Abiertos
8. Elizabeth Koeppen-Kalosieh and Parsons Dance company members join preprofessional students at the NORD/NOBA Center for Dance studio at the Lyons Center following their performance of David Parsons’ Nascimento
9. Keith Saunders sets choreography on Summer Intensive students
10. Earl Mosley and Clifton Brown with Pre-professional students following their performance
NOBA Faculty
Madyson Barbain
began her dance training at Art in Motion Dance Academy. An alumna of Warren Easton and NOCCA with honors in academics, Barbain graduated from Tulane University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in dance and BA in kinesiology. She has danced with KM Dance Project, Artivism Dance Theatre, Goat in the Road Productions, Dancing Grounds and Boston's Commonwealth Circus Center. She has also performed in festivals such as Jazz Fest, Fried Chicken Fest and Miami Pride Festival and with musical artists Master P, Jon Batiste, Dawn Richard and more. In 2023, she was a finalist for the Gambit New Orleans Big Easy Outstanding Choreography award for her work in collaboration with Artivism Dance Theatre. Barbain joined the NOBA faculty in 2021.
Mackenzie Bell, from Prairieville, Louisiana, began training at age three at Tari’s School of Dance in ballet, jazz, tap, hip hop, lyrical and contemporary dance, followed by modern styles such as Graham and Horton at Episcopal School of Baton Rouge. She received a Bachelors of Arts in communications and dance from Tulane University, while studying Limón and Cunningham and exploring non-Western styles such as Brazilian samba and zouk. Choreography also became a passion, as she created three different works for Tulane’s Above the Oaks and Young Performers dance concerts, along with contributing choreography to the Newcomb Dance Company’s 2023 show, ODYSSEY. She is excited to share her knowledge with the young dancers training with NOBA.
Susan Bensinger
earned a Bachelor of Arts in dance education from Pennsylvania State University and a Master of Arts in Education from George Washington University in Washington, D.C. While there, she performed with the Maida Withers Dance Construction Company. She has taught dance at George Washington University, Foxcroft School, and was the Arts Team Leader at Willow Charter School. In 2007, she was voted Teacher of the Year at Willow. She began working with NOBA in 2012 and is a trained substitute teacher for NOBA’s Oscar J. Tolmas Charitable Trust Dance for Parkinson’s Program.
Carly BourgeoisSistrunk
started training at age three at Sandra Dottolo’s Dance Etc. By 11, she was taking instruction in classical ballet and competed in regional and national competitions in various genres of dance until 2011. Bourgeois began her dance teaching career in 2005 and in 2012 began assisting with the Loyola University New Orleans’ Ballet Preparatory Program. She has performed with D’Project, Inc. and Storytellers Dance Project and toured nationally and internationally with Komenka Ethnic Dance and Music Ensemble. Bourgeois joined the NOBA faculty in 2013.
Rebecca Delery
Chauvin began her ballet training in 1986 under Kathy Gamble and continued her instruction at Ballet Hysell, where she has performed for over twenty years. She has danced with the Anne Burr Dance Company since 1993 and has also performed with Monique Moss in Drama Rama, Confederacy of Dances, Tsunami Dance Company, d’Project and many others. Chauvin has been a NOBA faculty member since 2006.
Bethani Pete Collins hails from Crowley, Louisiana. Her love of dance began at the age of two under Pamalor Joseph and Pasgwa Washington at PJ’s Dance/Art School.
In 2011, she received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in dance from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, and her training continued at The Ailey School in New York City, Urban Bush Women Summer Leadership Institute and American Dance Festival. In 2015, Collins began working alongside her mentor Dollie Eaglin (Rivas) at Audubon Charter School and in that same year joined the NOBA faculty. She currently teaches dance and cheer at Alfred Bonnabel Magnet Academy High School. She is also a principal dancer and choreographer with the premier culture bearer of New Orleans' doll-masking community, Millisia White's New Orleans Baby Doll Ladies. Collins is dedicated to enthusiastic and dynamic teaching as a means of creating and nurturing a lifelong love of the arts.
“I am
extremely grateful to be a faculty member of such a great program. Each dancer is given a chance to blossom into a professional dancer from the age of 4 to 18. NOBA is a family who cares for the dancer both inside and out.”
– Bethani Pete Collins
Vince E. Collins
(Master Artist in Residence), a California native, began his formal dance training at the age of fifteen in Pasadena, California, under Philip and Charles Fuller, former principal dancers with San Francisco Ballet and Ballet West. At 18, he continued his training on a merit scholarship with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. A year later, Collins received a scholarship to the Dance Theatre of Harlem (DTH) pre-professional certificate program under the co-founders Karl Shook and Arthur Mitchell and trained under renowned faculty members, such as Sir Frederick Franklin, Nancy Schaffenburg-Cross, Rosella Hightower, Homer Bryant and Istvan Rabovsky. After graduating, he joined the DTH company and ended a 17-year career with the company as a soloist, dancing ballets created by George Balanchine, John Taras, Alvin Ailey, Agnes de Mille, Alonzo King, Arthur Mitchell and many others. He also danced with the Metropolitan Opera Ballet, Ballet Hispánico and Ballet New England, and he finished his career as a principal dancer with the Oakland Ballet. Collins’ performance experience also includes stage, film and television, and he is a choreographer and dance educator with over 30 years of experience ranging from working with companies and institutions such as the Royal Caribbean cruise line to The University of the West Indies (Kingston, Jamaica). He received a proclamation from the city of Flint, Michigan, for creating “The Elegance of Ellington” in recognition of Black History Month. As a dance educator and coach, Collins uses the arts as an agent for change for young people all over the world. He has worked in arts exposure programs in South Africa, Israel, Jamaica, Bermuda and England, and created dance programming in Washington, D.C., Oakland, Miami, Las Vegas and Atlanta. He has also worked with organizations such as New World School of the Arts, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Ballethnic Academy of Dance and company and Flint Youth Ballet, as well as domestically and internationally with the DTH School and Company community outreach programs. In addition, Collins had a 15-year career working in Health and Human services. More recently, he served as director of operations, as well as other managerial roles in public health facilities and community-based organizations in Las Vegas. His
“Returning to NOBA has reinvigorated my creative spirit and reinforced my respect for the organization’s tireless efforts and achievements. Observing students’ daily progress and commitment to dance is a constant source of joy and motivation.”
–Vince Collins
commitment to championing health equity and community wellness led to serving as an advisory board member for the Nevada Minority Health Coalition (School of Public Health/ University of Las Vegas, Nevada) and health equity advisory teams throughout the state of Nevada to promote expanding access to health care in underserved communities. Collins currently resides in Maryland and teaches throughout the country and internationally. Collins has been a Master Artist-in-Residence with the Center for Dance Pre-Professional Program since 2023.
April Dayok
earned a Bachelor of Arts in dance from Point Park University. After relocating to New York, she danced with Becky Radway Dance Project, Counter Tides Dance, Mark Dendy Dance and Theater Projects, and worked with the Mark Morris Dance Group's Dance for PD ® program and for Pamela Quinn (dancer, Parkinson's patient and movement specialist for Parkinson's Disease patients). Dayok has toured nationally and internationally with Lightwire Theater and has performed locally with Mélange Dance Company and ELLEvate Dance. She began working with NOBA in 2017 and is an instructor for NOBA’s Oscar J. Tolmas Charitable Trust Dance for Parkinson’s Program.
Aline Neves de Souza-Myers , a native of Brazil, holds a degree in physical education from the Universidade Castelo Branco and is a graduate from Escola Estadual de Danças Maria Olenewa of the Municipal Theatre of Rio de Janeiro. She performed and toured with the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus as a dancer and an aerialist. De Souza-Myers has danced and choreographed for Komenka Ethnic Music and Dance Ensemble, performing nationally and internationally. She has served as the local rehearsal director for Center for Dance student projects with Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Ballet Hispánico, Parsons Dance and Limón Dance Company and is the founding and lead instructor for the Senior Dance Fitness Program. De Souza-Myers completed the prestigious School of American Ballet’s National Visiting Fellows Program in 2019-20 and is a member of the national Latinx Dance Educators Alliance. She serves as the director for The Nutcracker Suite and Spring Concert productions and joined the NOBA faculty in 2007.
NOBA Faculty
Caleb Dowden
is a choreographer, educator and researcher from New Orleans. She is a 2021 graduate of the State University of New York at Purchase with a Bachelor of Fine Art degree in dance. As a 2021 recipient of a Fulbright Independent research award from the U.S. Department of State/ J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board and a Fulbright Hay’s Fellowship with SUNY Purchase (July 2023), her choreographic work and research has been presented and supported locally and internationally by the French Alliance of New Orleans, Le Centre (Benin Republic), Borna Soglo Gallery (Benin Republic), University of New Orleans, Ogden Museum of Southern Art, International Dance Festival of New Orleans, The New Ohio Theatre and the Maggie Allesee National Center for Choreography at Florida State University. As the director of Dow-Dance Company, Dowden produces choreographic work at the intersection of African history and culture with a unique vision of (re)connecting the African Diaspora with the African continent.
Alice Pascal Escher is an associate professor of dance in the Newcomb Dance Program, Tulane Department of Theatre and Dance, and was the founder and artistic director of the Newcomb Dance Company for 35 years. Escher is a native of Baton Rouge, where she studied ballet with Elisa Minet Fuchs. She earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in dance from Florida State University and a Master of Fine Arts in dance from Temple University and is a Certified Movement Analyst (CMA). Escher has been instrumental in the development of the dance major program at Tulane. She enjoys teaching in the Center for Dance Pre-Professional Program and is constantly inspired by the energy, enthusiasm and dedication of the students and staff.
Kelly HaberHarpbegan
dancing in Monroe, Louisiana, with Twin City Ballet. Haber studied modern dance at Louisiana Tech University while earning her degree in elementary education and later received a Master of Education at Vanderbilt University. She danced with Encore Ballet Company in Madison, Mississippi. Haber taught all levels with Ballet Mississippi while serving as director of the lower school. For many years, she brought dance and movement regularly to The Blake, a senior living home. Haber joined the NOBA faculty in 2016 and is an instructor for NOBA’s Oscar J. Tolmas Charitable Trust Dance for Parkinson’s Program. Her additional education includes workshops and advanced training in Dance for PD ® at the Mark Morris Dance Center in Brooklyn, New York, as well as with Donna Newman-Bluestein to bring dance to people with Dementia and Alzheimer’s.
Simone Haley, a dance educator and graduate from the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, furthered her studies at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and Dance Theatre of Harlem Summer Intensives. For the past four years, Haley has been teaching ballet throughout New Orleans. Recently, she became an International Sports Science Association certified trainer. She joins the NOBA faculty this year and is excited to share her experiences and love of dance.
“I am happy to be part of NOBA’s team for so long and experience the commitment to deliver great programs for all ages and abilities. I have had a chance to serve as rehearsal director for incredible student projects with Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Limón Dance Company and more. The opportunities that our Pre-Professional dancers receive are really extraordinary.”
– Aline de Souza-Myers with Complexions Contemporary Ballet Artistic Director Dwight Rhoden
Millette White Lin acquired a Bachelor of Arts in anthropology from the University of New Orleans. She formerly danced with Sandra Organ Dance Company, Michele
Brangwen Dance Ensemble, Ballet Hysell and Ballet Apetrei. Lin received training from the Atlanta Ballet Center for Dance Education, Joffrey Ballet School, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School, NOCCA and Apetrei Dancenter and has taught at the New Orleans Dance Academy, Body Expressions Center of Performing Arts, the Conservatory of Ballet Aviv, Main Street Dance and Activity Center and Apetrei Dancenter. She began working with NOBA as a teaching artist in 2010 and now serves as education manager. Under Lin’s leadership, NOBA’s Oscar J. Tolmas Charitable Trust Dance for Parkinson’s Program was established.
Jaelyn Robinson began her formal dance training with NORD/NOBA Center for Dance at the age of 11. During this time, she was selected by top artistic directors for performances projects both locally and abroad with acclaimed dance companies, such as Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Parsons Dance, Limón Dance Company, Ronald K. Brown/EVIDENCE and Dance Theatre of Harlem. Robinson acquired her Bachelor of Arts in public policy at Louisiana State University in 2021 and has since devoted her time to community projects and teaching. She began working with NOBA in 2022 and, during the 2022-23 season, she served as outreach coordinator for NOBA’s “Championing Movement” Dance for Parkinson’s project, developing and implementing a series of community-building and outreach activities for under-resourced and rural areas in Southeast Louisiana.
Claire
Spenard
was born and raised in Rochester, New York, where she trained at the Garth Fagan School of Dance, School of the Arts, and participated in local dance collaborations. She studied dance performance and pedagogy at Muhlenberg College under Karen Dearborn's direction and Randall Anthony Smith's mentorship. Spenard has performed works by Frederick Earl Mosley, Megan Flynn, Heidi Cruz-Austin and Melanie George. Post-graduation, she moved to New Orleans, where she continued training in ballet and contemporary dance forms alongside cultivating her new love for swing and solo jazz. Spenard is passionate about cultivating community through dance and is a strong advocate for dance education and arts access.
“I have seen the incredible power of NOBA’s programs to positively impact the physical, mental, and social health of the youth of our city.”
–
Alice Pascal Escher, pictured with students receiving pointe shoes from Les Ballets de Monte Carlo
Chelsea Syal, originally from Houston, Texas, began her ballet training with Houston Repertoire Ballet. She also trained with Tulsa Ballet. She is a Tulane University graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in dance and a Bachelor of Science in psychology. Syal was awarded the Jill Karp Prize in Dance Performance from Tulane University. She began working with NOBA in 2018, and this season leads ballet classes as part of NOBA’s Early Childhood and Preparatory Programs.
Tai Ashley Teamer began dancing at the age of two and has studied with the NORD/ NOBA Center for Dance, Willow Charter School, NOCCA and New Orleans Dance Academy. She has trained with artists from Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Ballet Hispánico, Paul Taylor Dance Company and Complexions Contemporary Ballet. Teamer received a Bachelor of business administration from Loyola University New Orleans and a Master of arts administration from the University of New Orleans. She has received local and national training in movement programs for aging populations of all mobility levels and joined the NOBA faculty in 2013.
Lucy Vanderbrook , a lifelong dancer from Covington, Louisiana, recently graduated from Tulane University with degrees in dance and communications. During her time at Tulane, she trained under an exceptional faculty, performed with the Newcomb Dance Company, and choreographed several original works showcased in the Young Performers series. In addition to her academic and
NOBA Faculty
performance achievements, Vanderbrook works for the International Dance Festival of New Orleans. She is excited to be teaching for NOBA this year and to share her love of dance with the next generation of dancers.
Donald Williams (Master Artist in Residence), a Chicago native, became a member of Dance Theatre of Harlem in 1977 and ended a 27-year career with the company as premier danseur in 2004. Known for his versatility, Williams’ repertoire encompasses ballet, jazz, African and contemporary idioms. As a principal guest artist, Williams has performed with London’s Royal Ballet at Covent Garden and International Ballet Festival in Cuba and has starred in many other international galas. He has worked with Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Dances Patrelle and Fugate/Bahiri Ballet NY, creating critically acclaimed, original roles with them. Williams made his film debut in The Cotton Club , starred in numerous award-winning films, and has made television appearances and commercials. In 1998, Williams made his Broadway debut in the Tony Award winning musical Ragtime . In 2000, he was guest artist in the New York City Ballet/ Dance Theatre of Harlem collaboration for the Diamond Project, dancing the principal roles in Robert Garland and Robert LaFosse’s Tributary and Balanchine’s Agon . He was featured in the national tour of The Phantom
“I began my dance training with NOBA when I was 11 years old and was able to accomplish more than I could ever imagine. As an alumna, I am proud to share my passion and experiences with the next generation of aspiring dancers.”
– Jaelyn Robinson
of the Opera and with Phantom: The Las Vegas Spectacular at the Venetian Resort and Casino. Williams’ teaching credits include company teacher for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Celine Dion: A New Day, Nevada Ballet Theater and Contemporary West Dance Theater, among others; school instructor for Dance Theatre of Harlem, The Ailey School, Ballet Academy East (NYC) and The Rock Center for Dance (Las Vegas); and guest teacher for Marymount College, Florida State University and Tulane University, among others. He was also personal trainer for Keanu Reeves for the film Devil’s Advocate . Williams began working as a Master Artist-in-Residence with the Center for Dance Pre-Professional Program in 2013.
“NOBA prepares us for a future in dance and gives us the foundation and knowledge. Through participation in the programs, we also develop relationships with top artists around the globe, which is essential to our training and future!”
– NOBA Student
Brittney Williams-Reese
, a native New Orleanian, began her formal dance training at the NORD/NOBA Center for Dance. She has also studied at New Orleans Dance Academy, NOCCA, Dance Theatre of Harlem and The Ailey School. WilliamsReese has worked with choreographers including Daniel Catanach, Monique Moss, Nanette Ledet, Joya Powell, Rebecca Stenn and Eduardo Vilaro. In 2009, she received her Bachelor of Arts in natural science from Fordham University and received her Master of Arts Administration from the University of New Orleans in 2024. As an educator, Williams-Reese focuses on the connection between the art of dance and the science of movement. She joined the NOBA faculty in 2012.
BRAVO Ballet Resource and Volunteer Organization
Welcome to BRAVO, the Ballet Resource and Volunteer Organization! We invite you to join our nearly 200 driven community leaders united in a shared purpose and passion for the incredible work of the New Orleans Ballet Association.
While we certainly work hard, we guarantee an unforgettable, fun-filled experience no matter how you choose to participate. Attend events and meetings year-round in beautiful locations and work with us behind-the-scenes, from decorating gala ballrooms or ushering The Nutcracker Suite to providing hot meals for Main Stage companies or, new this year, selling special BRAVO Marketplace gifts in the lobby at our October and November Main Stage performances. BRAVO members also serve on committees and are invited to attend BRAVO’s celebrated fundraising events, such as last year’s debut event package, The Triple Crown, and the glamorous Men and Women of Fashion’s Prix d’Elegance Luncheon and Fashion Show benefiting BRAVO. We truly recognize and value the gift of each members’ time, energy and skills in all the ways they are shared with us.
This year, we kicked off the BRAVO season with an exclusive members-only event at the Four Seasons’ Private Residences, featuring dance lessons by Ballet Hispánico’s Eduardo Vilaro and Spanish wine and small bites in honor of the company’s debut of CARMEN.maquia on our season. Open to non-members, step out in your winning Halloween costume at the BRAVO Boo Bash luncheon event on October 29 at Metairie Country Club, a wonderful way to catch a glimpse of the BRAVO magic before signing up full-time. Members also receive the BRAVO Holiday Social at the beautiful Gallier Hall in December, including a delicious meal, festive holiday photo-ops, and a chance to start marking off your holiday gift list with our grandest BRAVO Marketplace display, and a celebratory culminating spring meeting at Briquette in April.
We hope you enjoy the artistry on the stage tonight and consider joining our fantastic group that helps keep NOBA moving.
Please email bravo@nobadance.com or call the office at (504) 522-0996 x208 for more information.
Marian Gibbs
BRAVO President
BRAVO Officers
BRAVO extends its deep appreciation to the 2024-2025 Sustaining Members.
Deborah Alciatore
Lisa Alexis
Laura M. Badeaux
Lou Bartolo
Penny Baumer
Susan Benedetto
Donna Kay Berger
Ernest and Lila Beyer
Lisa Beyer
C. J. Blanda
Charlotte Bollinger
Tiffa and Kerry Boutté
Elizabeth Broekman
Stephanie and Ryan Burks
Jacquee J. Carvin
Sandra Stage Chaisson
Cindy Ory Dance Studio
Jane Clayton, MD
Tony Currera
Gregory Curtis
Henson P. Davis
Gayle B. Dellinger
Rosalyn Ditta
Yolanda Doucette
Lynette and Terry DuFrene
Marlene Duronslet
Pal Dybel
Kat Edmundson
Marguerite Knight Erwin
Steve and Bethany Friedman
Marian and Larry Gibbs
Leon L. Giorgio, Jr.
Joanna Giorlando
Valerie Grubb
Laurie Guimont
Teresa Guzzetta
Gwendolyn C. Hager
Jenny R. Hamilton and Ewell Smith
Deborah D. Harkins
Alana Harris
Valarie Hart
Kathy R. Hebert
Sandra Herman
Donna Howland
Blanca and Ross Johnson
Beverly Katz
Robert and Millie Kohn
Lana W. Konrad
Cynthia L. LeBreton
Jamie M. Manders, DDS and
James M. Riopelle, MD
Beverly Matheney
Dr. Warren and Mrs. Gail McKenna
Sue McNabb
Kathleen N. Mix
Dr. Lynne Neitzschman
Rebecca Nordgren
Dr. Jared and Mrs. Raven Palmer
Suzanne L. Parker
Chanttell M. Patin
Dr. Byron and Mrs. Suzanne Scott
Marilyn Smith
Olga G. Smoak
Sonda Stacey
Dr. Larry and Mrs. Julie Stokes
Phyllis M. Taylor
Darlene and Reginald Thomas
Janée (Gee) Tucker
Anna and Anthony Tusa, Jr.
Toni Van Zandt
Sunae Villavaso
Erica J. Washington
Cathie Choppin Weinstein
Vanessa G. Whipple
Pamela Williams
Dr. Lawrence and Mrs. Joan Zaslow
*as of Sept. 20, 2024
BRAVO Officers. Front row (l to r): Erica Washington, Natasha Alveshire, Marian Gibbs, Deborah Alciatore, Laurie Guimont. Back row (l to r): Sandra Stage Chaisson, Gail Barnes McKenna, Sandra Herman, Katelyn
Denty, Raven Palmer, Kat Edmundson
Not pictured: Charlotte Bollinger, Tiffa Boutté, Elizabeth Broekman, Stephanie Burks, Valerie Grubb, Marilyn Smith, Gerri Valene, Kathy Weidner PHOTO BY JEFF STROUT
BRAVO Puts the FUN in FUNdraising!
BRAVO’s members party with purpose!
1: Host Marilyn Smith and President Marian Gibbs with Ballet Hispánico’s Artistic Director Eduardo Vilaro at the 2024-25 BRAVO Season Kickoff Event in the Four Seasons’ Private Residence building. Vilaro led Latin dance style classes for members.
2: Our 2023 BRAVO Boo Bash Co-Chairs Liz Broekman and Gerri Valene with 2022-2024 BRAVO President Laurie Guimont (center). Broekman is wearing one of the custom Halloween headpieces created for BRAVO by Ousier and Clairee Millinery to help raise funds for the Nutcracker Legacy Fund. Broekman and Valene are reprising their role as chairs of the 2024 Boo Bash event.
3: NOBA Center for Dance alumna Celeste Jupiter with Phyllis Taylor, BRAVO’s founding president, at the 2023 BRAVO Holiday Social, which celebrated BRAVO’s 35th anniversary with a special tribute to past presidents and members who have participated for decades.
4: Triness Kuhn, Faith Peperone and Barbara Ballard showing off their fabulous costumes at the 2023 BRAVO Boo Bash. Along with Co-Chair Gerri Valene and Marshall Harris, Triness Kuhn is lending her incredible creativity, as shown here, to the centerpieces that will be auctioned at the 2024 BRAVO Boo Bash.
More photos of the BRAVO Holiday Social are featured on the Nutcracker Legacy Fund Donors acknowledgment page 54.
BRAVO Annual Fundraising Event
NOBA extends its sincere gratitude to BRAVO, the Ballet Resource and Volunteer Organization, and its dedicated members who, for over 35 years, have offered countless hours of hard work, creativity and boundless support to organize some of the community’s most anticipated and noteworthy fundraising events. This past year, 2022-24 President Laurie Guimont and a committee of past presidents and longtime members spearheaded a new fundraiser: The Triple Crown.
Coined by Gerri Valene, the first-ever Triple Crown event package intertwined NOBA’s Main Stage with BRAVO’s signature fundraising elegance and style. The first ‘Crown’ event on January 19 welcomed Compañia Nacional de Danza from Spain. Chair Marilyn Smith and her husband Glen offered a rare experience to sponsors with a special pre-reception at their Pontalba apartment. Musicians Julio y Cesar, accompanied by the Baroness Pontalba and other period characters, second lined guests over to the Cabildo for a vibrant evening, featuring remarks by local dignitaries, Spanish inspired hors d’oeuvres and an open bar with Goldring spirits and Gramona Spanish wines.
The next royal event was befitting of a queen—Charlotte Bollinger, the honoree at the annual Benefactor Dinner on February 20. Hosted by The
Windsor Court Hotel and chaired by Gregory Curtis and Chad Berg, the evening commemorated Bollinger’s 2009 “Mais oui...C’est Marie!” ball, with guests encouraged to don their best themed and ‘royalty inspired’ evening wear. A glamorous cocktail reception in Le Salon with Minuty wines was followed by a decadent three-course meal with pairings by Estates & Wines—the Moët Hennessy Wine Division in the Chinoiserie Ballroom, which was set abloom with stunning Dunn and Sonnier centerpieces. The evening closed with an exciting live auction of gifts by the Windsor Court, Lee Michaels Fine Jewelry and Gallery Rinard.
Concluding the Crown was a reception and exclusive performance of LAC, a contemporary retelling of Swan Lake by Les Ballets de Monte Carlo, chaired by Val Grubb. The curtain remained open during the performance and intermission for a unique backstage experience—a first for NOBA and the company. 1718 Catering by Hyatt Regency New Orleans served delicious fare through the evening. A jazz trio provided by Sandra Herman kept the energy high as guests—decked out in their feathered finery—toasted to the stunning artists following the performance.
We look forward to another year of fun, innovative and enticing event experiences. We are continually amazed by BRAVO’s dedication to a standard of excellence and uniqueness in all that they do, which is critical to NOBA’s programs.
3. Elizabeth Ellison-Frost, Cathy
4. Joel and Sandra Chaisson, Joaquin De Luz, Marilyn and Glen Smith
5. Charlotte Bollinger, Gayle Benson
6. Lisa Alexis, Alana Harris, Joaquin De Luz, Rosine Pema Sanga, María Isabel Page
7. Camille Patti, Cynthia LeBreton, Gregor Fox
8. Sandra Herman, Natasha Alveshire, Stephanie Burks, Val Grubb
9. Larry and Marian Gibbs, Stephen Sonnier
10. Margarita Bergen, Dr. Emmett Zimmerman, Dr. Marcia Davila, Dr. Blanca Rosa Maldonado, Tony Currera
11. A surprise birthday presentation for Warner Williams!
12. Monique Doucette, Liz Broekman
13. Deborah Harkins, Gayle Dellinger
14. Councilmember Freddie King with his daughters, Gregory Curtis, Joaquin De Luz
15. Sylvia Vellino, Martine Linares, Sara Lewis
1. Chad Berg, Laurie Guimont, Tiffany Taffaro, Pamela Williams, Steve Friedman
2. Ralph Mahana, Andree Bahan, Gregory Curtis, John Mitchell
Green, Henrietta Hall, Gerri Valene
PHOTOS BY JEFF STROUT
Prix d’Elegance Awards Luncheon
On April 3, 2025, one of the year’s most prestigious giving events takes its choice cause to the catwalk for the annual Men and Women of Fashion Prix d’Elegance Luncheon and Fashion Show in the Grand Ballroom of the Hilton New Orleans Riverside Hotel. Each year, the Men and Women of Fashion organizations honor 20 individuals in our community who exemplify unique personal style as well as excellence and generosity through business, civic and charitable endeavors. Additionally, two honorees — one man and one woman from the memberships of both organizations — are inducted into the Hall of Fame for their sustained contributions to Men and Women of Fashion and upholding the groups’ mission.
This year’s event will again be chaired by Sandra Chaisson and Gerri Valene. On their behalf, Valene remarks, “On April 3, we will celebrate and recognize those individuals who are not only fashionable influencers, but who are also leaders and supporters who provide time , commitment and service to our community. It is through their generous dedication, work ethics and donations that programs like those provided by NOBA are able to succeed...’BRAVO’ to all of our honorees!”
From 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., over 700 top business and community leaders, will mix-and-mingle at a champagne reception sponsored by Lee Michaels followed by an upscale silent auction, a raffle by Lee Michaels and Rubensteins, a three-course lunch and a performance by students of the Center for Dance. Women of Fashion Board Chair Tiffa Boutté shares, “Our event showcases our Men and Women of Fashion recipients and a fantastic fashion show generously produced by Rebecca Nordgren of Chatta Box and Jeff Chouest of Jeff’s Haberdashery. While I always look forward to the fashion show, it’s also incredible to see past honorees of this award, spanning so many years, still supporting this event and stepping out in their finest.” Men of Fashion Board Chair Lee Giorgio adds, “As Emerson said, ‘Never lose an opportunity to see anything beautiful, for beauty is God’s handwriting.’ The Men and Women of Fashion believe in embracing this richness of spirit. We must create opportunities because they don’t just happen. ‘Generosity is giving more than we can and pride is taking less than we need,’ said Khalil Gibran. We thank our supporters who help the talented create beauty around us, for we are ‘restoring our souls’ while assisting NOBA in making a positive difference.”
For Women of Fashion President Rhonda Eckholdt, the organization and its recipients’ five decade plus legacies speak to their worthy partnership. She shares, “Like Men and Women of Fashion, NOBA has dedicated over 50 years to serving our city’s families. On behalf of all past honorees and our dedicated and gracious committee members, I am proud to contribute to their longstanding legacy of impactful community service through the arts. We have fun at this luncheon, and we are pleased to share that joy and build the next generation of community leaders through
Front row (l to r)
McKenna, Kathy Pastorek, Debbie Buchler
Second row (l to r) Marian Gibbs, Deborah Alciatore, Kat Edmundson, Nicole Ferrier, Jennifer Amedee, Holley Haag, Shelley Hoddinott Richardson
Not pictured: Stephanie Burks, Melanie Cannatella, Jacquee Carvin, Millie Davis Kohn, Jamie Moreau, Faith Peperone, LaVerne Toombs, Gerri Valene
Front row (l to r) Todd Murphy, Lee Giorgio, Bobby Asaro, Joey DiFatta
Back row (l to r) Murray Valene, Kenny Rubenstein, R.K. Hoddinott, III, Roger Javier, Steve Friedman
Not pictured: Chad Berg, Jeff Chouest, Jr., Jeff Chouest, III, John Duck, Michael Hecht, Robert Lupo, Leo Palazzo, Carl Panebiango, Kenneth Pickering, Henry Sullivan, Desi Vega, Mike Winters, Joe Young
our support of NOBA’s accessible, free youth dance and wellness classes and advanced study opportunities.”
With signature New Orleans style and generosity, this year’s Prix d’Elegance Awards Luncheon will again showcase the Men and Women of Fashion’s fashion-forward brand of giving back. For more information about attending or donating to this event, please contact the NOBA office at 504-522-0996 x208 or fmartin@nobadance.com.
BY JEFF STROUT
PHOTOS
Men of Fashion Officers and Board
Women of Fashion Officers and Board
Tiffa Boutté, Suzanne Parker, Virginia Eckholdt, Rhonda Eckholdt, Gail Barnes
Murray and Gerri Valene, Sandra Chaisson, Lee Giorgio
Leo Palazzo, Jamie Moreau, Kathy Singleton, Matt Rinard
Steve Friedman, Chad Berg, Carl Panebiango
Gregory Curtis, Sunae Villavaso
Jennifer Amedee, Nicole Ferrier, Laurie Guimont, Toni Becnel
Jeff Chouest, Jr., Gail Barnes McKenna, Rebecca Nordgren, Ryan Berger
Stephen Sonnier, Suzanne Parker, Stephanie Burks, LaVerne Toombs
Deborah Alciatore, Val Grubb, Virginia Eckholdt
Institutional Investors
The New Orleans Ballet Association gratefully acknowledges the following contributions received between September 20, 2023, and September 20, 2024. Due to the limitations of space, we unfortunately are not able to acknowledge all supporters. Please know that each and every gift is equally appreciated. We make every effort to ensure an accurate listing. Should you find an error, please contact the Development Office at 504-522-0996 x 208 or fmartin@nobadance.com. Thank you!
*Contributions include the value of both cash and in-kind gifts.
PREMIERE CIRCLE ($100,000+)
Ballet Resource And Volunteer Organization (BRAVO)
Foxmor, LLC
Friends of NORD, Inc.
Hyatt Regency New Orleans & 1718 Catering
Lois & Lloyd Hawkins, Jr. Foundation
Louisiana Economic Development
Men of Fashion
Office of Workforce Development
Women of Fashion
PRINCIPALS ($50,000-$99,999)
National Endowment for the Arts
New Orleans Tourism and Cultural Fund
Oscar J. Tolmas Charitable Trust
Windsor Court Hotel
UNDERWRITERS ($25,000-$49,999)
Adams & Reese, LLP
Chalmette Refining
The Helis Foundation
Louisiana Division of the Arts
MaggieGeorge Foundation
BENEFACTORS ($10,000-$24,999)
Arts New Orleans
Bank of America Charitable Foundation, Inc.
Capital One
Chatta Box Boutique—Rebecca Nordgren Gallery Rinard—Matt and Cam Rinard
The Gayle and Tom Benson Charitable Foundation
The Greater New Orleans Foundation/GiveNOLA Day
Jeff’s Haberdashery—Jeff Chouest, Jr. & The Chouest Family
Laureus Sport for Good Foundation USA
Lee Michaels Fine Jewelry
Newcomb Dance Program, Tulane University
Department of Theatre and Dance
New Orleans Theatre Association
Ogletree Deakins
Omega Production Resource, LLC
Pan-American Life Insurance Group
Patrick F. Taylor Foundation
Renaissance Publishing, LLC
RosaMary Foundation
The Selley Foundation Fund of the Greater New Orleans Foundation
LEADERS ($5,000-$9,999)
Charlotte Bollinger through the Catholic Foundation of South Louisiana
Clayton-Royer Family Fund of the Baton Rouge Area Foundation
Entergy Charitable Foundation
Exxon-Mobil Fund of Greater New Orleans Foundation
Goldring Family Foundation | Woldenberg Foundation
Henrietta and Terence Hall through the Morgan Stanley Gift Fund
Henry Lambert and Carey Bond through the Greater New Orleans Foundation
New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and Foundation, Inc.
New Orleans Pelicans & New Orleans Saints
Palazzo Law Firm—Dana and Leo Palazzo
St. Charles Avenue Magazine
Tree Masters & JL Studio Designs
PARTNERS ($2,500-$4,999)
Angel Wings Foundation
Carl E. Panebiango Family Foundation
Chalmette High School & The St. Bernard Parish School Board
Coleman Dermatology
Cynthia LeBreton through the Greater New Orleans Foundation
Dunn & Sonnier Antiques and Flowers
El Tiempo
Elms Mansion—Jessica Serrano
European Cellars—Gramona
First Horizon Bank
Hilton Riverside New Orleans
HYATT House New Orleans/ Downtown
Integrated Logistical Support, Inc
—Iam and Janée M. Tucker
Jefferson Parish Department of Parks and Recreation
New Orleans Center for Creative Arts
New Orleans Hispanic Heritage Foundation
Rubensteins
Sodexo Live!
Strout Photography
Tamarack Dental Services, LLC
—Jared and Raven Palmer
ASSOCIATES ($1,000-$2,499)
Bank of America Matching Gift Program—R.K. Hoddinott, III and Shelley Hoddinott Richardson
Belle Chasse Marine Transportation, LLC
—Lana Konrad and Rob Konrad
Betty & Ira Kohn Foundation—Robert and Millie Kohn
Blessings and Hope Fund managed by The Pinebelt Foundation
Briquette
Caesar’s New Orleans Casino--City Council/ Caesar’s Community Support Grants Program, Councilmember Freddie King, III
Centerbridge Foundation—Sylvia Vellino
Downtown Development District New Orleans
—Davon Barbour
Terry & Lynette DuFrene through Schwab Charitable
Faustermann Designs
FELLOW - Menswear
Fidelity Bank
Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Louisiana
Hispanic Heritage Foundation of New Orleans
IMG Artists, LLC
J. Edgar Monroe Foundation
LA Society of Hearing Aid Specialists
M. Martinez & Associates
David Parsons, Scott and Elizabeth Frost, Cynthia LeBreton
Joycelyn Reynolds, Lori Defils
PHOTO S BY JEFF STROUT
Patty Riddlebarger, Brent Wood, Betsie Gambel
Michael and Megan Manning through Schwab Charitable
Moët & Hennessy Portfolio: Estates & Wines
—Minuty & Moët
New Orleans Entertainment Coalition
—Sandra Herman
Republic National Distributing Company
Royal Street Arts District DBA Dirty Linen
SAZERAC / Goldring Family Foundation
United Way of Southeast Louisiana—Chad Berg
Van der Linden Family Foundation
WWLTV
SUSTAINERS ($500-$999)
Bevolo Gas & Electric Lights
Elliott Gallery
Fleur de Lis Event Designs
Harlon’s LA Fish & Seafood
The Hotel Monteleone
Keesler Federal Credit Union
Louisiana Seafood
Lynne Uhalt Interiors
Munholland Methodist Church
New Orleans Flying Dress Experience
OnPathFCU
The Reily Companies, LLC
CONTRIBUTORS ($100-$499)
Aucoin Hart Jewelers
Avenue Art and Framing
Breaux Mart
The Carlisle Collection—Bebe Marchal
Chateau Golf and Country Club
Chevron Matching Employee Fund—Lauren Buggs
Cypress Lakes Country Club
Desi Vega’s Steakhouse
English Turn Golf and Country Club
Exterior Designs, Inc.—Beverly Katz
Friends of City Park
Happy Raptor Distillery
Historic New Orleans Collection
Jim and Betty Karam Donor Advised Fund through the Raymond James Charitable
Endowment Fund
Kendra Scott
Le Marais & West London Boutique
Le Petit Theatre de Vieux Carre
Lieschen
LOFT18 Metairie
Metairie Small Animal Clinic
Mikimoto Japanese Restaurant
Latter Hospitality—Tujague’s Restaurant - The Bower - Birdy’s
National WWII Museum
Neat Wines
New Orleans Opera Association
Peaces—Theon Wilson
Pelican Club Restaurant
Premium Parking New Orleans
Ralph Brennan Restaurant Group
Ramsey’s Diamond Jewelers
Reagan Charleston Jewelry
Rock ‘n’ Bowl/Ye Olde College Inn
Roosevelt Hotel
Tsunami Sushi New Orleans
Urban South Brewery New Orleans
Weinstein’s
2024-25 MAJOR SEASON SPONSORS
Goldring Family Foundation Woldenberg Foundation
Charlotte Bollinger
Henrietta and Terence Hall
Pamela and Warner Williams
Men of Fashion MOF Lois and Lloyd Hawkins Jr. Foundation
Jeffrey Pounds
Gerri and Murray Valene
Gayle and Tom Benson Charitable Foundation
Henry Lambert and Carey Bond
Marilyn and Glen Smith
Joel T. and Sandra Chaisson, II
NOBA receives a proclamation at a special meeting of the New Orleans City Council PHOTO S BY JEFF STROUT
Individual Donors
NOBA extends its gratitude to its generous donors. The following contributions were received between September 22, 2023, and September 20, 2024. Due to the limitations of space, we unfortunately are not able to acknowledge all supporters. Please know that each and every gift is equally appreciated. We make every effort to ensure an accurate listing. Should you find an error, please contact the Development Office at 504-522-0996 x 208 or fmartin@nobadance.com. Thank you!
*Contributions include the value of both cash and in-kind gifts.
ETOILES
($10,000+)
Joel T. and Sandra Chaisson, II
Gregory Curtis
John (Gregor) M. Fox and Camille Patti
Henrietta and Terence E. Hall
Jenny R. Hamilton and Ewell Smith
Jeffrey Pounds
Glen and Marilyn Smith
Murray and Gerri Valene
Pamela and Warner Williams
PLATINUM CIRCLE
($5,000-$9,999)
Ryan and Amanda Berger
Nancy D’Amico
Rosalyn Ditta and Rusty Gaudé
Marian and Larry Gibbs
Cathy Green
Susan L. Krinsky
Dr. Warren and Mrs. Gail McKenna
Leo and Dana Palazzo
Carl and Julie Panebiango
Karl and Bridget Senner
Conny and Casey Willems
Dr. Lawrence and Mrs. Joan Zaslow
CHOREOGRAPHERS ($2,500-$4,999)
Mindy Nunez Airhart
Deborah Alciatore
Natasha Alveshire
Gayle M. Benson
Charlotte Bollinger
Donald T. “Boysie” and Joy Bollinger
Tiffa and Kerry Boutté
Elizabeth Broekman
Stephanie and Ryan Burks
Jacquee Carvin
Tony Currera
Dr. Marcia Davila
Gayle Dellinger
Joseph DiFatta, Jr.
Monique Gougisha Doucette
John and Renea Duck
Terry and Lynette DuFrene
Scott and Elizabeth Frost
Steve and Bethany Friedman
Leon L. Giorgio, Jr.
Valerie M. Grubb
Teresa Guzzetta
Sandra Herman
Hon. Henry Lambert and Mr. Carey Bond
Mamta Melwani
Max Moreno
Tammy O’Shea
Dr. Jared and Mrs. Raven Palmer
Suzanne L. Parker
Iggie and Christine Perrin, III
Paula Polito
Hon. Janis van Meerveld
Toni Van Zandt
PATRONS ($1,000-$2,499)
Roderick Alvendia
Jennifer Amedee
Chef Andrea Apuzzo
Bobby Asaro
Lisa Baynham
Chad and Vanessa Berg
Margarita Bergen
Donna Kay Berger
Walda Besthoff
Lisa Beyer
Hon. Robert Chaisson
Henry Bernstein
Liam Bouchier
David Boudreaux, MD and Richard Nesbitt
Denise G. Clark
Melody Clark
Ryan Daul
Richard DiCarlo
Yolanda Doucette
Dr. Gregory and Mrs. Rhonda Eckholdt
Kat Edmundson
Bonnie Eubanks
Raymond and Marja Falk
Joanna Giorlando
James Guilbeau
Laurie Guimont
Dr. Byron Hammer
Deborah Harkins
Kim Hasney
Kathleen Hebert
R.K. Hoddinott, III and Shelley Hoddinott Richardson
Carlos Hornbrook
Nancy Iovino
Bernard M. Jaffe, MD
Morris Kahn
PHOTOS BY JEFF STROUT
Cathy Green, Monique Doucette, Max Moreno, Mary Lakey
Conny and Casey Willems
Lele Wood, Henri Hall, Gee Tucker, Brent Wood
Pam and Warner Williams, Sandra Chaisson
Terry and Lynette DuFrene, Kat Edmundson
Betty and Jim Karam
Bill Kenny
Dr. Blanca Rosa Maldonado
Stephen and Ellen Manshel
Dr. Robert and Mrs. Beverly Matheney
Charles and Tricia McDaniel
Mike Palamone
Michael Phillips
Hon. Kern and Mrs. Dottie Reese
Dr. Stephanie Repasky
Rodolfo and Elizabeth Revuelta
Ryan and Lizzie Rodrigue
Dr. Carlos Rodriguez-Fierro
Kenny Rubenstein
Gregory and Suzanne Rusovich
Dr. Byron and Mrs. Suzanne Scott
Dr. Tammuella Singleton and Mr. Damon Singleton
Gregory and Betty Speyrer
Alfred and Sonda Stacey, IV
Carol Stone
Sunae Villavaso
Erica J. Washington
Alan and Cathie Weinstein
Catherine Whitney
Jeanne Williams
Karen Kraak Wood
BENEFACTORS ($500-$999)
Debbie Buchler
Carol and Jeff Chouest, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. Francisco Concepcion
Ana M. Eller
Ellen English
Stephanie Fitzpatrick
Gwendolyn C. Hager
Carol V. Hall
Blanca and Ross Johnson
Jane Kahn
William S. Kass and Christine Lowe
Lauren Lamulle
Sara Lewis
Tricia Lincoln
Rebecca Nordgren
Troy Scroggins
David R. Silvers, MD
Melissa Simeon
A.J. and Anna Tusa
Raymond and Lisa Washington
SUSTAINERS ($250-$499)
Gene Alario
Alvin R. Albe, Jr. and Virginia Boulet
Cynthia Aucoin
Barbara Ballard
Roberta Bartee
Penny Baumer
Hon. Roland Belsome
Norma Bordelon
Jan Breaux
Dr. Georgia Bryant
Lauren Buggs
Anne Burr
Mark Caldwell
Roy Carubba
Dr. Gerald Cohen
John and Lilli Colby
Bruce Creighton
Dr. Chuck and Mrs. Lorraine Cucchiara
Mrs. Judith Darensbourg
Dr. George Daul, Jr.
Marilyn V. Dittmann
Ann Duplessis
Marlene Duronslet
Mary Dwyer
Marguerite Knight Erwin
Winston Foster
Daniel A. Glaser
Cathy Green
Elinor Gregory
Elaine Grundmeyer
Kelly Haber
Valarie Hart
Barney Hegwood
Rick Henderson and James Bruce
Diane Hollis
Annie Juttner
Beverly Katz
Jane Stockmeyer Lane
Saundra Lane
Joyce W. Laporte
Cynthia L. LeBreton
Letizia LeCocq
LeeAnne Leopold
Sidney Levin
Tony Lipp
Thomas Loehn
Alice Lowry
Dr. Paul and Mrs. Leslie Lux
Josh and Jill Mayer
Kay McArdle
Sue McNabb
Carlos and Jan Mickan
Stan and Laurie Miller
Ronald and Cynthia Mistrot
Kathleen N. Mix
Jamie Moreau
Christopher Noyes
Kay Oplinger
Kathy and Paul Pastorek
Kimberleigh Robert
Mark Romig
Mark Schneider and Michelle Charvet
Mary Sigrist
Gee Tucker with Compañia Nacional de Danza (CNdD) artists
Jacqueline Simon, Gregory Curtis, Maria Bonilla, Elsie Bouchette
Janis van Meerveld, Patrice Senac, Leslie Lanusse, Laurie Briggs Young
Kathy Singleton as the Baroness Pontalba, Gayle Dellinger, Compañia Nacional de Danza artists, Natasha Alveshire
PHOTOS BY JEFF STROUT
Lizzie Lovell, Virgina F. Lovell, Sara Lovell, Mary Lovell, Virginia R. Lovell, Simmons Dupuy
Women’s Council of REALTORS New Orleans (Jahnah Fields, Treasurer)
In Memory of Andrew Fank
Cynthia LeBreton
Jenny Hamilton and Ewell Smith
Dr. and Mrs. Kenneth Sakauye (Beverly)
In Memory of Gail West Moore
Lisa Beyer
Cynthia LeBreton
Jenny Hamilton and Ewell Smith
Mr. and Mrs. Charles McDaniel (Tricia)
Dr. and Mrs. Kenneth Sakauye (Beverly)
In Honor of Lylah Templeton
John Templeton
*Donations received between October 5, 2023, and September 15, 2024
Sunae Villavaso, Nicole Ferrier, Sara Lewis, Erica Washington
Tiffa Boutté, Karen Wood, Rebecca Nordgren, Joan Zaslow
Deborah Alciatore, Joann Wisdom
Teresa Guzzetta, Jacquee Carvin
Taryn Brown, Laurie Guimont, Beverly Matheney
Aimee Eikel at the BRAVO Boo Bash
Nutcracker Legacy Fund Donors
The Nutcracker Legacy Fund is dedicated to the acquisition and maintenance of the professional costumes, sets and props used free of cost annually by the over 100 participants of NOBA’s The Nutcracker Suite production. With our patrons’ support, NOBA ensures participants receive any needed supplies, such as hair pins, tights, and more and that the production pieces continue to transform our dancers into their legendary roles like Clara, the Rat King (or Queen!), and the Sugarplum Fair for years to come.
Land of Sweets— $500-$999
Stephanie and Ryan Burks in memory of Louise E. McLendon
Gayle Dellinger
Marian & Larry Gibbs
Le Marais Boutique & West London Boutique—Mariah Walton Bencik
Sugarplum— $250-$499
Tiffa and Kerry Boutté
Tony Currera
Joanna Giorlando
Henrietta and Terence Hall
Toni Van Zandt in memory of Jacquelyn B. Clarkson
Snowflake Donors— $100-$249
Natasha Alveshire
Lisa Baudot
Ernest and Lila Beyer
Jacquee Carvin
Sandra Stage Chaisson
Kathy M. Christian
Lorraine Cucchiara
Lynette and Terry DuFrene
Cynthia L. LeBreton
Dr. Warren and Mrs. Gail McKenna, Jr.
Larry and Pam Pickett
Dr. Byron and Mrs. Suzanne Scott
Sonda Stacey
Janée M. Tucker
Erica J. Washington
Holiday Tree Donors— $75-$99
Jo Ann Bohm
Valerie Grubb
Marilyn Smith
Candy Cane Donors—$50-$74
Cynthia Aucoin
Barbara Ballard
Susan Benedetto
Lisa Beyer
Charlotte Bollinger
Elizabeth Broekman in memory of Mrs. Gina Glaser
John Duck
Monique Gauthier
Laurie Guimont
Gwendolyn C. Hager
Jane Kahn
Charmaine Lewis
Lauren MacDonald
Suzanne L. Parker
Chanttell M. Patin
Holly Popham
Melisa Rey
Darlene and Reginald Thomas
Gerri and Murray Valene
Cathie Choppin Weinstein
Constance Willems
Holiday Bow Donors—$25-$49
Kate Andrus
Barbara Beckman
Debbie Buchler
Vince Collins
Colette Delacroix
Virginia Eckholdt
Kat Edmundson
Bradley Feichter
Nicole Ferrier
Blanca and Ross Johnson
Annie Juttner
Beverly Matheney
Dr. Warren and Mrs. Gail McKenna, Jr. in honor of Nicole Williams
Your investment in NOBA’s programs directly touches the lives of all those whom we serve. With your support, we will continue (1) to fulfill our vital role in the international dance community by presenting, producing and commissioning dance and providing resources to artists and (2) to sustain our over 5,500 annual tuition-free, nationally awarded and internationally recognized education, health and wellness programs and activities by a phenomenal faculty of local and guest artists.
GIFTS OF ANY AMOUNT TRULY MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
$20 will supply a pair of ballet or jazz shoes to a child
$50 will provide a student’s full uniform of leotard, tights and shoes
$200 underwrites the cost of a new costume for The Nutcracker Suite
SUSTAINING GIFTS
Become a NOBA Monthly Sustainer and join the growing number of supporters who have generously decided to make easy, convenient and automatic monthly gifts of any amount that provide a sound foundation for each season and for NOBA’s future.
PRESENTERS CIRCLE CLUB GIFTS
Join the Presenters Circle Club and help us keep world-class dance on New Orleans’ stages. Presenters Circle Club includes those donors who contribute a minimum of $1,000 toward the annual campaign, separate from other designated funds or campaigns. Members receive VIP parking and invitations to exclusive events as well as the VIP Wine Intermission Receptions at Main Stage performances at the Mahalia Jackson Theater.
MEMORIAL/IN HONOR OF GIFTS
Whether a gift in memory of a friend or a loved one or a commemoration of a birthday, anniversary, graduation or an important milestone, these gifts are a wonderful way to pay tribute to those whom we hold dear. NOBA will send a beautiful card to the honored person or family notifying them of your thoughtfulness.
BRAVO
The Ballet Resource and Volunteer Organization is a powerful force of nearly 200 who “FUN-raise” for NOBA. Find out how you can become involved on pages 38-41.
GIFTS IN-KIND
Help us reduce our costs through the donation of non-cash gifts delivered in the forms of goods, services or expertise. Some examples include office supplies; bottled water and healthy snacks for students; art, jewelry and accessories, or restaurant gift certificates for silent auctions or raffles at BRAVO’s fundraising events and pro bono services such as catering, photography or graphic design.
CORPORATE MEMBERSHIP
Demonstrate your company’s commitment to the community and boost your marketing efforts with a winning sponsorship. NOBA offers a variety of special benefits for our corporate partners, and opportunities are available at many levels.
MATCHING GIFTS
The impact of your gift to NOBA may be doubled or possibly tripled! Many companies sponsor matching gift programs that will match any charitable contributions made by their employees, retirees and/or spouses.
“At Pan-American Life Insurance Group, we are proud to support the New Orleans Ballet Association (NOBA) and its incredible work in uplifting the amazing communities in our city. The arts have the power to transform lives, and through our partnership with NOBA, we are honored to help bring the beauty and discipline of dance to all. Ballet Hispánico’s celebration of Latin culture through dance resonates deeply with our own roots, and we are excited to see how this fusion of tradition and art continues to inspire our community.”
PLANNED GIFTS
A planned gift represents the ultimate gift from one’s estate, including simple bequests in one’s will, charitable remainder trusts, unitrusts, charitable lead trusts and gifts of insurance. These gift vehicles offer attractive benefits that might include an income for life for the donor or a designated beneficiary, a significant charitable tax-deduction or the ability to reduce the taxable portion of one’s estate while having the satisfaction of making a charitable gift. NOBA recommends you speak with your financial advisor to develop the best method that will complement your estate’s needs.
NAMING OPPORTUNITIES AND ENDOWMENT
Your gift can keep giving through major gifts in your name to a capital campaign for bricks and mortar, commissions of new artistic works, dedicated scholarships for youth programs, and investments in NOBA’s endowment held at the Greater New Orleans Foundation.
GIFTS OF STOCK
NOBA gratefully accepts gifts of stock valued at any amount. Often times, a gift of appreciated stock may significantly reduce your capital gains tax while creating a larger charitable deduction.
FACEBOOK
Facebook makes it easy to support NOBA anytime you browse. Simply visit facebook.com/nobadance and click “Donate.” You can also create your own Fundraiser for Friends or start a giving campaign on your own page for NOBA.
Please help us continue our work and efforts to make sure that dance remains a vital part of the cultural fabric of this great city. For more information or to make your donation, contact us today at 504-5220996x208 or fmartin@nobadance.com.
—Steve Friedman, Pan American Life Insurance Group
Pictured with Bethany Friedman and Lisa and Jay Baudot
