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Boston Ballet | |
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General information | |
Name | Boston Ballet |
Year founded | 1963 |
Founder | E. Virginia Williams |
Principal venue | Boston Opera House |
Website | www |
Senior staff | |
Executive Director | Ming Min Hui |
Director | Mikko Nissinen |
Assistant Director | Russell Kaiser |
Company manager | Veronica Horne |
Artistic staff | |
Music Director | Mischa Santora |
Resident Choreographers | Jorma Elo Stephen Galloway Helen Pickett |
Other | |
Official school | Boston Ballet School |
The Boston Ballet is an American professional classical ballet company based in Boston, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1963 by E. Virginia Williams [1] and Sydney Leonard, and was the first professional repertory ballet company in New England. It has been led by Violette Verdy (1980–1984), Bruce Marks (1985–1997), and Anna-Marie Holmes (1997–2000). Mikko Nissinen has been Artistic Director of Boston Ballet since 2001. Nissinen leads the company in partnership with Executive Director Ming Min Hui.
In 1956, E. Virginia Williams moved the ballet school she founded from a studio in Back Bay to 186 Massachusetts Avenue, across from the Loew's State Theatre in Boston. At this point in time, the school offered classes starting at a children's level all the way to a professional division.
In 1958, out of her Boston School of Ballet (which was sometimes called The New England School of Ballet), E. Virginia Williams formed a small dance group named The New England Civic Ballet. The group primarily performed at small local festivals and venues around New England. [2]
From 1958-1962, the New England Civic Ballet performed regionally, dancing various pieces such as a three-act Nutcracker, Les Sylphides , and repertory works by E. Virginia Williams, Sydney Leonard, Lev Ianov, and Jean Paige. [2]
In August 1962, the New England Civic Ballet performed as part of the 30th year of the Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival. At this point, the New England Civic Ballet was considered a semi-professional company and began calling themselves the Boston Ballet.
In December 1963, The Boston Globe reported that a Ford Foundation grant of US$144,000 to the Boston Ballet School had given birth to Boston's first and only professional ballet company. The total Ford Grant was $7,756,000, the largest private subsidy made to a single art form at the time. In part, based on the recommendations of George Balanchine and W. McNeil Lowry, the grant provided for the formation of several professional ballet companies. This included the Boston Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet, Cincinnati Ballet, and Washington Ballet. Balanchine was a strong supporter of this initiative. He was Boston Ballet's artistic advisor for several years and gave the new company several of his works. [3]
In 1979, Boston Ballet opened the Nervi Festival in Italy, and in 1980 was the first American dance company to perform in the People's Republic of China. [4] [5] The Company made its London premiere in 1981, with a full-length production of Swan Lake. [5] In 1983, Boston Ballet presented Don Quixote on Broadway with Rudolf Nureyev as a guest artist, after touring the United States, Mexico, France, and Italy. Boston Ballet performed Mark Morris's Mort Subite at the PepsiCo Festival in Purchase, New York in 1986, [5] and performed at the BESSIE Dance and Performance award ceremony at New York City Center in 1987.
Boston Ballet made its debut at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC, in January 1990. Thay May Natalia Dudinskaya, Konstantin Sergeyev, and assistant artistic director Anna-Marie Holmes staged a new production of Swan Lake with Boston Ballet dancers performing with dancers from the Kirov Ballet and the Bolshoi Ballet.[ citation needed ] In 1991, Boston Ballet moved into their current headquarters at 19 Clarendon Street in Boston's South End, [6] after touring throughout Spain in July.
In 2005, the company added James Kudelka's Cinderella, George Balanchine's Coppélia, Jewels, Midsummer Night's Dream, the American premiere of Jirí Kylián's Black and White, John Cranko's Onegin , The Taming of the Shrew, and Romeo and Juliet to its repertoire. Boston Ballet additionally appointed Jorma Elo as its resident choreographer. Elo created at least six works for the company, including Plan to B, Brake the Eyes, and Le Sacre du Printemps. During the summer of 2007, the company completed a second tour of Spain. Boston Ballet's touring included appearances at the Guggenheim Museum's Works & Process series, the "Fall for Dance" festivals held at New York City Center and Orange County Performing Arts Center, and performances at the Spoleto Festival USA and the Kennedy Center's Ballet Across America series in the spring of 2008. Boston Ballet embarked on its first tour to Seoul, South Korea in the summer of 2008, presenting works by George Balanchine, Twyla Tharp, and Christopher Wheeldon not previously performed there.[ citation needed ] In the fall of 2009, Boston Ballet's sole performance venue became the Boston Opera House. [7]
Boston Ballet maintains a repertoire that includes classics such as Marius Petipa's The Sleeping Beauty and August Bournonville's La Sylphide, contemporary versions of classics such as Mikko Nissinen's Swan Lake and John Cranko's Romeo and Juliet, and works by contemporary choreographers including William Forsythe, Jirí Kylián, Mark Morris, David Dawson, Val Caniparoli, Christopher Wheeldon, and Helen Pickett. Over 35 performances employ the entire company and more than 250 Boston Ballet School students who join in the production every year. Boston Ballet's The Nutcracker has been performed annually since 1963. [8]
Boston Ballet has no official apprentice company. However, they have a secondary company, Boston Ballet II (BBII). For some Boston Ballet II dancers, their work in BBII is their first paid dancer experience. [9] BBII members usually practice with the main company, and perform in some of the main company productions and in some of their own productions. [10] The Boston Ballet Graduate Program dances along side the second company and is known as their eaquals.
The Graduate Program is widely regarded as one of the most prestigious and exclusive pre-professional ballet programs in the United States. Dancers in the program don’t get paid, nor are they bound by contracts, but they do have the privilege of dancing with Boston Ballet II. A select few might even get the rare opportunity to join the main Company. This is a one-year program primarily for dancers who’ve already graduated high school, though exceptions seem to be made depending on the dancer’s circumstances.
Under the expert guidance of Kathleen Mitchell, participants train five days a week en pointe. Despite being a relatively new addition to the company, the program already boasts a 45% success rate. So, while it’s not for the faint of heart, dancers who make it through come out the other side stronger, tougher, and—hopefully—ready to tackle whatever the next year throws at them.
The Boston Ballet School (BBS) continues to operate as part of Boston Ballet. The program was officially incorporated as Boston Ballet School in 1979. The studio serves male and female ballet students starting at age 3. The BBS is the largest dance school in North America, providing professional dance education at locations in Boston, Newton, and specialized training at Walnut Hill School For Performing Arts. [11]
Clarendon Street Boston Ballet School Headquarters: The main studio location of the Boston Ballet School. The Clarendon Street Studio also acts as the Headquarters for the school and the greater company, including administrative offices and the marketing team. The Clarendon Street Studio is also home to the Pre-Professional Program. [12]
Newton Boston Ballet School: Originally based in Norwell, Massachusetts, the newer Newton studio opened its doors in August 2017.
Marblehead Boston Ballet School: Located on the second floor of the Lynch Van Otterloo YMCA in Marblehead Massachusetts, the third studio was opened in 2009. It was the smallest of the three studios and closed in 2021. [13] [14]
Pre-Professional Program at Boston Ballet School: The pre-professional program at the Boston Ballet is a steppingstone to the professional company. It is not the same as Boston Ballet II. It is competitive and accepts about 80 students a year. Students worldwide participate in this program and train directly under the head of the Boston Ballet School and the professional company members. [15] The program is delivered at and in partnership with Walnut Hill School for the Arts for students in grades 9-12. Pre-Professional students occasionally perform in Boston Ballet company performances.
Boston Ballet School and Walnut Hill School For Performing Arts: Walnut Hill Academy for the Performing Arts will utilize Boston Ballet School's teachers and students while offering access to Walnut Hill School's academic curriculum, housing, and facilities. The new partnership focused exclusively on Boston Ballet School's pre-professional division, currently made up of 81 students - the school's smallest branch. [16]
Citydance: A community program established in 1991 which introduces third-grade students from Boston Public Schools to a free introduction to dance and movement. Citydance faculty travel to Boston Public School classrooms to host an introductory dance workshop. After this introduction, select students are invited to the Clarendon Street Boston Ballet Studios for additional dance and ballet training. [17] Students who choose to continue their training at the Boston Ballet following Citydance receive free tuition for the remainder of their tenure at the Boston Ballet School. [18]
Dancer | Nationality | Training | Joined Boston Ballet | Promoted to Principal | Other Companies |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ji Young Chae | South Korea | Seoul Arts High School Korea National University of Arts | 2013 | 2018 | Washington Ballet |
Jeffrey Cirio | United States | Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet Boston Ballet School Orlando Ballet School | 2009, 2022 | 2012, N/A, Rejoined as Principal | American Ballet Theatre English National Ballet |
Lia Cirio | Swarthmore Ballet Theatre Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet | 2004 | 2010 | ||
Paul Craig | Conservatory of Dance Virginia School of the Arts Boston Ballet School | 2008 | 2017 | ||
Derek Dunn | Edna Lee Dance Studio The Rock School for Dance Education | 2017 | 2018 | Houston Ballet | |
Chyrstyn Mariah Fentroy | Joffrey Ballet School | 2017 | 2022 | Dance Theatre of Harlem | |
Seo Hye Han | South Korea | Korea National University of Arts | 2012 | 2016 | Universal Ballet Company |
Viktorina Kapitonova | Russia | Kazan Ballet School Bolshoi Academy | 2018 | N/A, Joined as Principal | Kazan Ballet Stanislavsky Theatre Ballet Ballett Zurich |
Lasha Khozashvili | Georgia | Vakhtang Chabukiani Tbilisi Ballet Art State School | 2010 | N/A, Joined as Principal | Tbilisi Z. Paliashvili Opera and Ballet State Theatre State Ballet of Georgia Samsun Opera and Ballet Theater |
John Lam | United States | Marin Ballet National Ballet School of Canada | 2004 | 2014 | |
Tigran Mkrtchyan | Armenia | Armenian Ballet School Zurich Dance Academy | 2019 | 2020 | Ballet Zurich |
Chisako Oga | United States | San Francisco Ballet School | 2019 | 2023 | |
Patrick Yocum | Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School | 2011 | 2017 |
Name | Nationality | Training | Jointed Boston Ballet | Promoted to Soloist |
---|---|---|---|---|
Isaac Akiba | United States | Boston Ballet School | 2009 | 2013 |
María Álvarez | Spain | Mariemma Royal Conservatory Carmina Ocean Dance School | 2012 | 2022 |
Ángel García Molinero | Real Conservatorio de Danza Mariemma | 2021 | N/A, Joined as Soloist | |
Lawrence Rines | United States | School of American Ballet The Rock School for Dance Education | 2011 | 2019 |
Haley Schwan | United States | Kirov Academy of Ballet Vaganova Ballet Academy | 2017 | 2022 |
Addie Tapp | United States | Glenwood Springs Center for the Arts Glenwood Dance Academy School of American Ballet | 2014 | 2019 |
Name | Nationality | Training | Joined Boston Ballet | Promoted to Second Soloist |
---|---|---|---|---|
Michaela DePrince | Sierra Leone | The Rock School for Dance Education Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School | 2021 | N/A, Joined as Second Soloist |
Daniel Randall Durrett | United States | Dr. Lyrica Joy Ministries Ballet School UpTown Arts Cincinnati Ballet Otto M. Budig Academy | 2017 | 2022 |
Lauren Herfindahl | Boston Ballet School | 2013 | 2017 | |
Sun Woo Lee | South Korea | Korea National Institute for the Gifted Arts Yewon School Seoul Arts High School Korea National University of Arts | 2018 | 2020 |
Soo-bin Lee | Korea National Ballet Academy Sunhwa Arts School Korea National Institute for the Gifted in Arts Korea National University of Arts | 2019 | 2020 | |
Nina Matiashvili | Georgia | V. Chabukiana Tbilisi State Ballet School | 2016 | 2022 |
The School of American Ballet (SAB) is the associate school of the New York City Ballet, a ballet company based at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City. The school trains students from the age of six, with professional vocational ballet training for students aged 11–18. Graduates of the school achieve employment with leading ballet companies worldwide, and in the United States with New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Boston Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Miami City Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet and Houston Ballet.
San Francisco Ballet is the oldest ballet company in the United States, founded in 1933 as the San Francisco Opera Ballet under the leadership of ballet master Adolph Bolm. The company is currently based in the War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco. Tamara Rojo has been its director since December of 2022.
The Cuban National Ballet is a classical ballet company based at Great Theatre of Havana in Havana, Cuba, founded by the Cuban prima ballerina assoluta, Alicia Alonso in 1948. The official school of the company is the Cuban National Ballet School.
Alberta Ballet was founded by Muriel Taylor and Dr. Ruth Carse in 1958 and became a professional company in 1966. The company is a resident company of both the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium in Edmonton, Alberta and the Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium in Calgary, Alberta and performs its full season in both venues.
Walnut Hill School for the Arts is an independent boarding school and day school for the arts located in Natick, Massachusetts, United States. It is intended for student artists in grade 9-12.
The Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre (PBT) is an American professional ballet company based in the Strip District of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1969.
The Minnesota Ballet is a ballet company and school located in Duluth, Minnesota in the St. Louis County Depot. Founded in 1965 by Donna Harkins and Jan Gibson as the Duluth Civic Ballet, the company has since expanded into a touring company with seventeen professional artists. From 1992 to 2007 the Artistic Executive Director of the Minnesota Ballet was Allen Fields, who retired to become Artistic Director Emeritus. Fields acquired rights to works by choreographers including Agnes de Mille, Antony Tudor, and George Balanchine. He was succeeded by Robert Gardner. In 2019 Karl von Rabenau was appointed Artistic Director. The Minnesota Ballet entered its 54th season in 2019/20.
Miami City Ballet is an American ballet company based in Miami Beach, Florida, led by artistic director Lourdes Lopez.
Leonid Kozlov is a former principal dancer of the Bolshoi and New York City Ballet. He is also a choreographer, the founder and owner of Kozlov Dance International (KDI) and Youth Dance Festival of New Jersey.
Colorado Ballet encompasses a 31-member professional performing ballet company, a studio company for advanced dance students, an academy, and an education and outreach department. Based in downtown Denver, Colorado, Colorado Ballet serves more than 125,000 patrons each year.
Lorna Feijóo is a Cuban former ballet dancer. Her career started at the Cuban National Ballet, where she rose through the ranks. She left Cuba in 2001, then spent two years with the Cincinnati Ballet, before joining the Boston Ballet in 2003, where she remained as a principal dancer until she retired. Her sister, Lorena Feijóo, was also a ballet dancer.
The Alexandra Ballet is a pre-professional ballet company in St. Louis, Missouri, founded in 1949, that cultivates top dance talent. The company regularly performs classical ballets including A Midsummer Night's Dream, Pas de Quatre, Les Sylphides, and an annual performance of The Nutcracker. Many guest choreographers have worked with Alexandra Ballet including Marek Cholewa, Petrus Bosman, and Kennet Oberly.
Valentina Kozlova is a Soviet-born Russian American ballerina and founder of Valentina Kozlova International Ballet Competition. In 1979, while on tour as a young principal dancer with the Bolshoi Ballet, Kozlova defected to the United States, where she became a principal dancer with New York City Ballet and later, opened her own ballet school. Perhaps best known as a lyrical and expressive ballerina, Kozlova is also renowned as a private coach, producing students who have gone on to garner prestigious prizes and positions in companies such as Boston Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Washington Ballet, Stuttgart Ballet, Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, Universal Ballet, and the Cuban National Ballet.
The Kansas City Ballet (KCB) is a professional ballet company based in Kansas City, Missouri. The company was founded in 1957 by Russian expatriate Tatiana Dokoudovska. The KCB presents five major performances each season to include an annual production of The Nutcracker. The KCB, its school, and its staff are all housed in, operate from, and rehearse at the Todd Bolender Center for Dance and Creativity, a renovated, seven-studio, office, and rehearsal facility in Kansas City, Missouri, that opened in August 2011. The company performs at and is the resident ballet company at the nearby Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, a performance venue in downtown Kansas City that opened in September 2011.
The Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at American Ballet Theatre is the associate school of American Ballet Theatre located at 890 Broadway, within the Flatiron District of Manhattan, New York City. The school comprises a children's division for ages 4 to 12, a pre-professional division for ages 12 to 18, and the preparatory program "Studio Company" for ages 16 to 20. It was established in 2004 and named in honor of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis who served on ABT's Board of Trustees as honorary chairman emerita for many years prior to her death. Besides its parent company, graduates of JKO have found employment in various companies, such as National Ballet of Canada, The Royal Ballet, Joffrey Ballet and Dutch National Ballet. Stella Abrera became the school's interim artistic director for a year, starting in August 2022, following Cynthia Harvey's departure in May.
Petra Conti is an Italian prima ballerina. She is a former principal dancer with Los Angeles Ballet, the Boston Ballet and La Scala Theatre Ballet. She is now the artistic director of her own ballet company, Hollywood Ballet.
Margaret Tracey is an American ballet dancer and educator. She joined the New York City Ballet in 1986, was promoted principal dancer in 1991, and retired in 2002. She served as the director of the Boston Ballet School between 2007 and 2021, dean of the Colburn School's Trudl Zipper Dance Institute since 2023, and slated to become the artistic director of Canada's National Ballet School in 2024.
Ashley Ellis is an American ballet dancer. She joined the American Ballet Theatre in 2002. She danced at Corella Ballet from 2007 to 2010 and then Sarasota Ballet for a year. In 2011, she joined the Boston Ballet, and was promoted to principal dancer in 2013. Ellis retired from performing in 2021.
E. Virginia Williams was an American professional ballet choreographer, teacher, and founder of the New England Civic Ballet which became the Boston Ballet, the first professional ballet company in New England.
SarahAnne Perel is an American ballerina. Since 2024, she has danced with the Miami City Ballet as a member of the corps de ballet. Perel was formerly a dancer with Carolina Ballet and Los Angeles Ballet.