Dancers: Andrew Murphy and Barbara Bears in VOLUNTARIES. Photo courtesy of The Houston Ballet.
Houston Ballet
Stanton Welch – Artistic Director
2006 – 2007 Season
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Dancers: Andrew Murphy and Barbara Bears in VOLUNTARIES. Photo courtesy of The Houston Ballet.
SIMPLE ELEGANCE
GROSSE FUGE
Houston Ballet Premiere
Music: Ludwig van Beethoven
Choreography: Hans van Manen
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VOLUNTARIES
Houston Ballet Premiere
Music: Francis Poulenc
Choreography: Glen Tetley
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A World Premiere by
STANTON WELCH
Music: Benjamin Britten
Choreography: Stanton Welch
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SIMPLE ELEGANCE
From three of the world’s most influential choreographers come three beautifully minimal, contemporary interpretations of classical ballet. Hans van Manen’s GROSSE FUGE proves why he is Holland’s most famous choreographer. VOLUNTARIES is American choreographer Glen Tetley’s breathtakingly beautiful tribute to John Cranko. And Australian Stanton Welch creates a new work especially for Houston Ballet to the music of famed English composer Benjamin Britten.
7:30pm……………………………….September 7, 9, 15, 16, 2006
2:00pm……………………………….September 10, 17, 2006
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Dancers: Clare Miklaunus and Ian Casady in DRACULA. Photo courtesy of The Houston Ballet.
DRACULA
Music: Franz Liszt
Arrangement: John Lanchbery
Choreography: Ben Stevenson
Though Dracula’s story is as old as its Transylvanian heritage, it has never been told more dramatically than in Ben Stevenson’s blockbuster production. A ghastly coach transports the girls who feed the count’s addiction. Dracula himself is at once repelling and eerily magnetic in his 30-foot cape. His vampire brides are hauntingly beautiful as they fly magically through the air. Dance Magazine called it “a Dracula to die for.” You’ll call is spectacular.
7:30pm……………………………….September 21, 23, 29, 30, 2006
2:00pm……………………………….September 24, 30, 2006 and October 1, 2006
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Dancers: Nicholas Leschke and Barbara Bears in TU TU. Photo courtesy of The Houston Ballet.
LIFE AND LAUGHTER
TU TU
Houston Ballet Premiere
Music: Maurice Ravel
Choreography: Stanton Welch
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SERGEANT EARLY’S DREAM
Music: British, Irish, and American folk songs
Choreography: Christopher Bruce
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THE CONCERT
Houston Ballet Premiere
Music: Frederic Chopin
Choreography: Jerome Robbins
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LIFE & LAUGHTER
From instrospective drama to laughter, this is a program to be enjoyed by all. Colorful costumes influenced by Gustav Klimt and Ravel’s popular Piano Concerto in G Major set the tone for Stanton Welch’s TU TU, a witty and irreverent exploration of classical ballet technique. SERGEANT EARLY’S DREAM, choreographed by Christopher Bruce to the music of The Chieftains, traces the plight of Irish immigrants as they leave their homeland and begin life anew. THE CONCERT, by American choreographer Jerome Robbins of West Side Story fame, will have you laughing out loud.
7:30pm……………………………….February 22, 24, and March 2, 3, 2007
2:00pm……………………………….February 25, and March 3, 4, 2007
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Dancers: Nicholas Leschke and Barbara Bears in MADAME BUTTERFLY. Photo courtesy of The Houston Ballet.
MADAME BUTTERFLY / RED EARTH
MADAME BUTTERFLY
Music: Giacomo Puccini
Arrangement: John Lanchbery
Choreography: Stanton Welch
RED EARTH
Houston Ballet Premiere
Music: Peter Sculthorpe
Choreography: Stanton Welch
The moving tale of a beautiful geisha’s love and loss has never been told more eloquently than in Stanton Welch’s exquisite, two-act rendition of MADAME BUTTERFLY. Cio-Cio San gives up her faith and her family to wed the handsome but cynical Lieutenant Pinkerton. In giving so much, she risks losing everything. Also on the program is RED EARTH, Stanton Welch’s abstract exploration of settlers conquering a difficult terrain and making it their own.
7:30pm……………………………….March 8, 10, 16, 17, 2007
2:00pm……………………………….March 11, 18 2007
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Dancers: Amy Fote and Connor Walsh in CLEAR. Photo courtesy of The Houston Ballet.
ANIMAL MAGNETISM
CLEAR
Houston Ballet Premiere
Music: Johann Sebastian Bach
Choreography: Stanton Welch
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SVADEBKA
Houston Ballet Premiere
Music: Igor Stravinsky
Choreography: Jiri Kylian
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CARNIVAL OF THE ANIMALS
Houston Ballet Premiere
Music: Camille Saint-Saens
Arrangement: Andrea Quinn
Choreography: Christopher Wheeldon
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ANIMAL MAGNETISM
Three Houston premieres. Three tales of discovery. CLEAR is a sensual and abstract study of life’s connections by Stanton Welch. Set to Stravinsky’s powerful Les Noces, SVADEBKA explores the range of emotions experienced by a Russian peasant couple on their wedding day. And Christopher Wheeldon’s CARNIVAL OF THE ANIMALS provides a fantastic voyage into the mind of a child who falls asleep in New York’s Museum of Natural History. This wonderfully colorful ballet is sure to become a family favorite.
7:30pm……………………………….May 24, 26, and June 1, 2, 2007
2:00pm……………………………….May 27 and June 2, 3, 2007
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Laura Richards in COPPELIA. Photo courtesy of The Houston Ballet.
Music: Leo Delibes
Choreography: Ben Stevenson, after Arthur Saint-Leon
A real girl? Or a doll? In the fanciful toy workshop of eccentric Dr. Coppelius, it’s hard to know. With its dancing toys, delightful score and breathtaking sets by the renowned Desmond Heeley, COPPELIA is a ballet to delight audiences of all ages. Set in a picturesque Bavarian village, this whimsical love story is touched by magic and dappled with light-hearted comedy.
7:30pm……………………………….June 7, 9, 15, 16, 2007
2:00pm……………………………….June 10, 16, 17, 2007
Interview with Amy Fote who stars as Swanilda in COPPELIA
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THE NUTCRACKER
Music: Peter I. Tchaikovsky
Choreography: Ben Stevenson
Dancers: Simon Ball and Mireille Hassenboehler in the Waltz of the Flowers. Photo by Jim Caldwell.
Flying cooks. Dancing dolls. A Christmas tree that grows to spectacular heights. From the moment the curtain rise, THE NUTCRACKER dazzles and delights audiences for all ages. Join Clara on her magical journey to the Land of Snow and the Kingdom of Sweets. You’ll marvel at the crystalline beauty of Desmond Heeley’s sets. You’ll swoon to the Tchaikovsky score. THE NUTCRACKER is a family tradition you don’t want to miss.
November 24 – December 26, 2006
Call the Houston Ballet at ph. 713-522-5538 for the special event calendar, subscription information and discounted performances.
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JUBILEE OF DANCE: A CELEBRATION OF MOVEMENT
Carmina Burana
Houston Ballet Premiere
Music: Carl Orff
Choreography: Stanton Welch
Fate and Fortune push and pull man through various stages of life in Stanton Welch’s Carmina Burana. The spectacular program – with a live chorus – is a vibrantly theatrical staging of Carl Orff’s epic, much beloved score. Carmina Burana is the centerpiece of this year’s Jubilee of Dance, a kaleidoscope of works showcasing the current and future stars of Houston Ballet.
7:30pm – Friday, December 1, 2006
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Houston Ballet’s Ben Stevenson Academy
SPRING SHOWCASE
The gifted young artists of Houston Ballet’s Ben Stevenson Academy, the company’s professional training wing, cap their studies with two performances of a program featuring works tailor-made to show them at their best.
7:00pm……………………………….Friday – April 20, 2007
2:30pm……………………………….Saturday – April 21, 2007