Houston ballet nutcracker market 1 nrg park, houston, texas 77054 rated 4. While with houston ballet, he performed in john neumeiers yondering, and in ben stevensons sleeping beauty and the nutcracker. Karina gonzalez and simon ball, principal dancers of the houston ballet, will appear as guest artists in the shreveport metropolitan ballets. Houston actress cast in matilda the musical national tour. Houston ballet will give 34 performances of ben stevensons version of the nutcracker, to a live orchestra, in the brown theater at wortham theater center in. I know that some houston ballet academy students who started out as children in the original frederic franklin nutcracker went on to perform as adults in the two ben stevenson productions. The nutcraker, played by simon wexler, battles king rat, played by thomas kilps, in texas ballet theaters the nutcracker during dress rehearsal at bass hall in fort worth. Queensland ballets nutcracker and cinderella are from the hand of ben stevenson, who was lis artistic director and father figure in houston.
Ballet theatre and the reno philharmonic orchestra will host almost 6,000 people for the nutcracker at the pioneer. Dallas ballet fort worth ballet texas ballet theater. Stevenson was appointed artistic director of houston ballet. Texas ballet presents ben stevensons nutcracker huliq. Coppelia franz the nutcracker prince the sleeping beauty prince florimund and bluebird twyla tharp. In 1963, they briefly exchanged their original lovett blvd.
Since its premiere in 1987, ben stevenson s version of the nutcracker performed by the houston ballet has become a constant for the city of houston during the holiday season. Scores of ballerinas have made their act ii appearance as the sugar plum fairy. Sara webb, who has been a shimmering presence at houston ballet for 21 years, did not want to make a fuss about retiring. Houston ballets 28th year performing ben stevensons. Houston ballet unveiled ben stevensons production of the nutcracker over 20 years ago. Houston ballet, operated by houston ballet foundation, is the fourthlargest professional ballet. Jul 05, 2018 sara webb, who has been a shimmering presence at houston ballet for 21 years, did not want to make a fuss about retiring. She has performed soloist and leading roles in ben stevensons cinderella. When nina popova began selecting and training dancers for a professional company in the spring of 1968, houston ballet and its academy were occupying their third rented quarters. The ballets previous production, choreographed by former artistic director ben stevenson, was beloved by houston audiences for 29 years. Cinderella, the nutcracker, the sleeping beauty, coppelia, don quixote, and. A native of fairfax, virginia, walsh trained at the houston ballets ben stevenson academy and the kirov academy of ballet.
Hisd students performing in the nutcracker news blog. During this holiday season, houston ballet will honor ben stevensons beloved version of the nutcracker with 37 final performances. Dec 16, 2016 discovering stanton welchs the nutcracker part 2 of 3 our treasured and talented company dancers, hailing from dozens of countries with unique backgrounds, are the backbone of houston ballet. Ballethub is an online education, news, event, and discussion resource for the art of ballet. Since its premiere in 1987, ben stevensons version of the nutcracker performed by the houston ballet has become a constant for. Dec 24, 2015 i went to houston ballet s tuesday night performance of the nutcracker on a nostalgic whim, to pay last respects to ben stevenson s version of the tchaikovsky chestnut.
The houston ballet first presented the family classic in 1987, with choreography by ben stevenson. In november there was a nutcracker fashion show here, and a recent local tradition places particular emphasis on how children at the ballet are attired. From a dance company as renowned as the houston ballet, one could expect no less than a splendid nutcracker for the christmas season. This year, current artistic director stanton welch is. Houston ballet took a chance by stepping away from the tried and true to say, this was wonderful and treasured, but lets try something else. Discovering stanton welchs the nutcracker part 2 of 3 our treasured and talented company dancers, hailing from dozens of countries with unique backgrounds, are the backbone of houston ballet. The strength of the production lies with the dancing from the snowflakes onwards. The ben stevenson setting has been in the estonian national ballet repertory for a few years. Jennifer enjoyed a 12year career with dayton ballet, louisville ballet and ballet west, specializing in soloist roles in many contemporary ballets, such as val caniparolis lambarena, antony tudors echoing of trumpets, leaves are fading and continuo, ben stevensons cinderella and alice in wonderland, john butlers carmina burana. Houston ballet performs the nutcracker once again houston press. The 20182019 season leaves houston much to look forward to. Saying goodbye to sara webb, houston ballets prima ballerina.
Kajiya joined houston ballet as a first soloist in 2014 and was promoted to principal dancer in november 2014 following her performance as the sugar plum fairy in ben stevensons the nutcracker. The ballet s previous production, choreographed by former artistic director ben stevenson, was beloved by houston audiences for 29 years. Dont mess with nutcracker after flooding from hurricane harvey caused extensive damage to the wortham center, houston ballets home theater, the company was forced to reschedule and relocate two of its programs this fall. The ballet company performing in this ballet video include houston ballet.
The fabric takes on another shape above a couple in a love duet, danced strongly. This is the final season of houston ballets artistic director emeritus ben stevensons production after 29 years. The spellbinding production of the nutcracker now open at the houston ballet has the kind of magic that captivates generations old and new alike. Feb 12, 2018 4 reasons to leap into houston ballets new 201819 season. Houston ballet is throwing a little holiday gettogether, at least thats what it looks like from my seat at the front of the rehearsal room as the company enacts the famous party scene from the nutcracker. He introduces a snow queen just for that section and in this role, nanae marayuma partnered by sergei upkin as the nutcracker prince. Houston ballet is preparing for its final performances of ben stevensons beloved holiday classic, the nutcracker. His is an exquisite interpretation of the classic french fairytale by charles perrault. Uncsas nutcracker to feature dancers yuriko kajiya. Sep 23, 2009 featuring glorious scenery and costumes by tony awardwinning designer desmond heeley, ben stevenson s breathtaking production of the nutcracker is, in the words of the houston chronicle, the. Its no surprise that the current season was almost completely sold out before it opened because thats been the happy state of affairs at qb since li took over the artistic directorship three. Nov 25, 2009 houston ballet unveiled ben stevensons production of the nutcracker over 20 years ago.
Reimagined nutcracker dances into houston ballet in time for. Stevenson introduces the theme of parting and leavetakings. He has trained at the kirov academy of ballet, the harid conservatory, and houston ballets ben stevenson academy, where he was awarded the rudolf nureyev foundation scholarship and the ben stevenson scholarship award. Nutcracker rhodes elliott and artists of houston ballet photo amitava sarkar herehouston. She joined the houston ballet in 2014 and was promoted to the robert f. A final look behind the scenes of ben stevensons the. Born in fairfax, virginia, connor walsh began his training at the age of seven under the direction of his mother constance walsh. Texas ballet theater presents ben stevensons the nutcracker.
Discovering stanton welchs the nutcracker part 2 of 3 en. All included opening night photos by amitava sarkar. Ben stevenson now serves as the artistic director of texas ballet theater in fort worth, texas. The houston audience is the dressiest in ballet ive seen anywhere this year apart from galas. In 1995 she was invited by ben stevenson to teach at the internationally aclaimed houston ballet academy, where she received the distinction. Dec 02, 2014 artistic director ben stevensons version of the nutcracker performed by texas ballet theater friday night at the winspear opera house, where it continues through dec. I went to houston ballets tuesday night performance of the nutcracker on a nostalgic whim, to pay last respects to ben stevensons version of the tchaikovsky chestnut. Houston ballet is preparing for its final performances of ben stevenson s beloved holiday classic, the nutcracker. We will explore this timeless tale of good and evil from our 21 st century perspective and identify moments in the story and ballet that have significance for dancers and audiences alike the moderator for the evening is dr. Houston ballets joyful nutcracker exceeds expectations the. Nov 30, 2011 nutcracker rhodes elliott and artists of houston ballet photo amitava sarkar herehouston. The 50th anniversary season would not be complete without a signature ben stevenson production.
Houston ballets joyful nutcracker exceeds expectations. Tuts presents the secret garden, houston family musical. I know that some houston ballet academy students who started out as children in the original frederic franklin nutcracker went on to perform as adults in. The second facet well be discovering in this threepart blog series is the performance aspect from two of our company dancers. This page features a ballet video titled ben stevensons the nutcracker.
Summer training for professionals nashville ballet. The nutcracker opens friday, december 11 at bass performance hall, and runs through december 27. Oct 20, 2019 queensland ballets nutcracker and cinderella are from the hand of ben stevenson, who was lis artistic director and father figure in houston. Houston ballet presents nutcracker for final year this. Ben stevenson s production of the sleeping beauty was built after the company moved into its glorious performance space at the wortham theater center. Houston ballet will give 34 performances of ben stevenson s version of the nutcracker, to a live orchestra, in the brown theater at wortham theater center in downtown houston, november 27. Discovering stanton welchs the nutcracker part 2 of 3. Nutcracker to feature acclaimed guest dancers yuriko. Over the next twentyseven years, he choreographed for houston ballet distinguished versions of the full length works swan lake, romeo and juliet, cinderella, the nutcracker, the sleeping beauty, coppelia, don quixote, and original productions of peer gynt, dracula, the snow maiden, and cleopatra.
Saying goodbye to sara webb, houston ballets prima. Over the next twentyseven years, he choreographed for houston ballet distinguished versions of the full length works swan lake, romeo and juliet, cinderella, the nutcracker, the sleeping beauty, coppelia, don quixote, and original productions of peer gynt, dracula, the. Artistic director ben stevensons version of the nutcracker performed by texas ballet theater friday night at the winspear opera house, where it continues through dec. I went to houston ballet s tuesday night performance of the nutcracker on a nostalgic whim, to pay last respects to ben stevenson s version of the tchaikovsky chestnut. See more ideas about ballet costumes, nutcracker costumes and ballet. Houston ballet dancers say goodbye to ben stevensons the. We are honored to be the only arts organization to serve as resident company for bass. The dancers of houston ballet ii were highlighted last weekend at houston ballets ben stevenson academy spring showcase the group includes 19 dancers 18 of whom performed in the showcase from the academys preprofessional training division. As a frequenter of the houston ballet and the nutcracker, i was very excited for a new rendition of the ballet that got me loving the ballet. Ben stevensons nutcracker in tallinn criticaldance. She has performed soloist and leading roles in ben stevenson s cinderella.
Nutcracker to feature acclaimed guest dancers yuriko kajiya. Nov 27, 2016 houston ballet took a chance by stepping away from the tried and true to say, this was wonderful and treasured, but lets try something else. He joined the houston ballet in 2004 and was promoted to the fondren foundation principal dancer in 2007. Shreveport metropolitan ballet presents the nutcracker. Dec 10, 2012 the nutcraker, played by simon wexler, battles king rat, played by thomas kilps, in texas ballet theaters the nutcracker during dress rehearsal at bass hall in fort worth. The average price of the ticket for that show is currently at. Featuring glorious scenery and costumes by tony awardwinning designer desmond heeley, ben stevensons breathtaking production of the nutcracker is, in the words of the houston chronicle. Ben stevenson, artistic director of texas ballet theater, is proud to present the ballets most celebrated production of the year, the nutcracker, performed at fort worths bass performance hall and dallas music hall at fair park. Ball has also been on the teaching faculty of houston ballets ben stevenson academy, boston ballet school, pittsburgh youth ballet, pittsburgh ballet theatre school, kansas city ballet, hope stone dance, rice universitys opera studies program, vail valley dance intensive, and the saratoga summer dance intensive.
Houston ballet presents nutcracker for final year this christmas. Stevensons invitation, sir kenneth macmillan and christopher bruce joined the houston ballet in 1989 as artistic associate and resident choreographer. Ben stevenson served as artistic director of houston ballet from 1976 to 2003. That same year, houston ballet performed frederic franklin s nutcracker for six postchristmas performances in jones hall. Nov 24, 2015 strictly ballet s2 e1 one ballet students sacrifice for her dreams strictly ballet season 2, episode 1 duration. This is the last year the houston ballet will perform ben stevensons version of the nutcracker, which has a houston holiday staple for 28 years. Houston ballet presents the nutcracker tickets event dates. She did not want to feel pressured about making her final performance or. Houston ballet bids farewell to ben stevensons the. Ben stevensons nutcracker still warms the heart houston. Houston, tx she really dances like a fairy, i heard a small girl whisper behind me. In 2016, the company will premiere an all new version of. In 1997, houston ballet artistic director ben stevenson created the title role of dracula for tim.
Houston ballets 28th year performing ben stevensons vision. A native houstonian, tim okeefe was awarded a scholarship to houston ballet academy in 1981, joined the company one year later, was promoted to soloist in 1985, and was named principal dancer in 1995. Despite hurricane harvey, houston ballets nutcracker is. May 07, 2020 she joined the houston ballet in 2014 and was promoted to the robert f. Sep 17, 20 mireille mimi hassenboehler is ben s last ballerina, in that she is the last remaining principal appointed by former houston ballet artistic director ben stevenson. Mireille mimi hassenboehler is bens last ballerina, in that she is the last remaining principal appointed by former houston ballet artistic director ben stevenson. Visitors can enjoy many educational tutorials and tips for ballet technique, create and join discussions in the forums, and see nearby or search for dance schools, summer programs auditions and performances. Oct 14, 2016 houston ballet artistic director stanton welch and melody mennite as clara rehearsing welchs new nutcracker with the young artists of the ben stevenson academy. Strictly ballet s2 e1 one ballet students sacrifice for her dreams strictly ballet season 2, episode 1 duration. Ben stevenson dancer born 1936, english ballet dancer and artistic director ben stevenson footballer born 1997, english footballer ben stevenson american football 19061969, american football player see also.
A worldclass production for a worldclass city, ben stevenson s beautiful choreography set before a live orchestra unfolds like the collision of a worlds fair and a christmas parade. A lavish production that premiered in 1990, stevenson s the sleeping beauty is recognized as one of the supreme achievements of classical ballet. A worldclass production for a worldclass city, ben stevensons beautiful choreography set before a live orchestra unfolds like the collision of a. Its a holiday tradition for thousands of houstonians. But when the wortham announced last month that it would be closed for repairs. We have the houston ballet the nutcracker tickets in stock at the moment and you can buy them today if you are planning to experience its magical performance on december 5th. Reimagined nutcracker dances into houston ballet in time. The mission of texas ballet theater is to create, present and tour worldclass ballet, from classical to cuttingedge, and promote its appreciation, accessibility, and technical mastery among students, preprofessionals, and audiences of all ages. More than one million people have seen the houston ballet s performances over 26 seasons. Sweet exchange with a sugar plum fairy dance advantage.
Houston ballet the nutcracker tickets the nutcracker. More than one million people have seen the houston ballets performances over 26 seasons. Its rich with the kind of dense storytelling that stanton welch is known for, with all kinds of complicated family dynamics going on. Ben stevenson dancer born 1936, english ballet dancer and artistic director ben stevenson footballer born 1997, english footballer ben stevenson american football 19061969, american football player. The nutcracker did not make it to america until 1944, when it was first presented at the san francisco ballet. This season, houston ballet bids farewell to ben stevensons beloved production of the nutcracker. Uncsas nutcracker to feature dancers yuriko kajiya, connor.