History of Houston Ballet On February 17, 1969 a troupe of 15 young dancers made its stage debut at Sam Houston State Teacher’s College in Huntsville, Texas. Since that time, Houston Ballet has evolved into a company of 51 dancers with a budget of $19.2 million (making it the United States’ fourth largest ballet company by number of dancers), a state-of-the-art performance space built especially for the company, Wortham Theater Center, the largest professional dance facility in America, Houston Ballet’s $46.6 million Center for Dance which opened in April 2011, and an endowment of just over $57.6 million (as of May 2011). Australian choreographer Stanton Welch has served as artistic director of Houston Ballet since 2003, raising the level of the company’s classical technique and commissioning many new works from dance makers such as Christopher Bruce, Jorma Elo, James Kudelka, Trey McIntyre, Julia Adam, Natalie Weir and Nicolo Fonte. Executive director James Nelson serves as the administrative leader of the company, a position he assumed in February 2012 after serving as the company’s general manager for over a decade. Houston Ballet has toured extensively both nationally and internationally. Over the last decade, the company has appeared in London at Sadler’s Wells, at the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow, Ottawa, in six cities in Spain, in Montréal, at The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., in New York at City Center and The Joyce Theater, and in cities large and small across the United States. Houston Ballet has emerged as a leader in the expensive, labor-intensive task of nurturing the creation and development of new full-length narrative ballets. Writing in The Financial Times on March 6, 2006, dance critic Hilary Ostlere praised Houston Ballet as "a strong, reinvigorated company whose male contingent is particularly impressive, a well-drilled corps and an enviable selection of soloists and principals." Houston Ballet Orchestra was established in the late 1970s and currently consists of 61 professional musicians who play all ballet performances at Wortham Theater Center under music director Ermanno Florio. Houston Ballet’s Education and Outreach Program has reached over 22,000 Houston area students (as of the 2010-2011 season). Houston Ballet’s Academy has 509 students and has had four academy students win prizes at the prestigious international ballet competition the Prix de Lausanne, with one student winning the overall competition in 2010. For more information on Houston Ballet visit www.houstonballet.org.

Houston Ballet Artistic Director Stanton Welch In July 2003, the acclaimed Australian choreographer Stanton Welch assumed the leadership of Houston Ballet, America's fourth largest ballet company, as artistic director. Mr. Welch has created works for such prestigious international companies as Houston Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, The Australian Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet, and Royal Danish Ballet. Mr. Welch was born in Melbourne to Marilyn Jones, O.B.E., and Garth Welch, A.M., two of Australia's most gifted dancers of the 1960s and 1970s. In 1986 he began his training at the late age of seventeen, quickly winning a scholarship to San Francisco Ballet School. In 1989 he was engaged as a dancer with The Australian Ballet, where he rose to the rank of leading soloist, performing such principal roles as Des Grieux in Sir Kenneth MacMillan's Manon, Lensky in John Cranko's Onegin, Camille in Ronald Hynd's The Merry Widow, and Alan Strang in Equus. He has also worked with internationally acclaimed choreographers such as Jiří Kylían, Nacho Duato, and Maurice Béjart. Mr. Welch’s choreographic career developed during his time with The Australian Ballet. In 1990 he received his first choreographic commission from the company, marking the beginning of a series of commissioned works over the next fourteen years and developing his diverse choreographic style. For The Australian Ballet he has created The Three of Us (1990); Of Blessed Memory (1991), for which he was voted best new choreographer in 1992 by readers of the British magazine Dance & Dancers; Divergence (1994), which has been performed at The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., and City Center in New York; full-length productions of Madame Butterfly (1995) and Cinderella (1997); Red Earth (1996); X (1999); and Velocity (2003). In 2005, Mr. Welch created a lavish new staging of The Sleeping Beauty for The Australian Ballet. Madame Butterfly has become a signature work for Mr. Welch internationally, and is in the repertoires of Houston Ballet, National Ballet of Canada, Atlanta Ballet, Singapore Dance Theatre, and Boston Ballet. In 1995, Mr. Welch was named resident choreographer of The Australian Ballet. That same year, he was commissioned to create Corroboree (Wildlife) for The Australian Ballet to perform at “United We Dance,” a dance festival in San Francisco celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of the signing of the United Nations Charter and featuring major companies from across the world premiering new works. Mr. Welch has been extremely active internationally, receiving numerous commissions from the world’s leading companies. For Houston Ballet, he has choreographed twenty works: Indigo (1999), Bruiser (2000), Tales of Texas (2004), Blindness (2004), Bolero (2004), Nosotros (2005), Brigade (2006), a spectacular new staging of Swan Lake (2006), The Four Seasons (2007), Punctilious (2007), The Core (2008), A Doll's House (2008), Mediæval Bæbes (2008), Marie (2009), Elements (2009), 40 (2009), La Bayadère (2010), The Ladies (2010), The Gentlemen (2011) and Tapestry (2012). For San Francisco Ballet: Maninyas (1996), Taiko (1999), Tu Tu (2003), Falling (2005) and Naked (2008). For American Ballet Theatre: Clear (2001), two one-act ballets as part of Within You Without You: A Tribute to George Harrison (2002); and a new version of Carmina Burana as part of the evening-length work HereAfter (2003). For BalletMet: Evolution and Don Quixote, both full-length works.

For Atlanta Ballet: A Dance in the Garden of Mirth (2000). For Royal Danish Ballet: Ønsket (1998) and Ander (1999). For Birmingham Royal Ballet: Powder (1998). For Moscow Dance Theatre: Green (2000) and OPUS X (2001), both created for Ms. Nina Ananiashvili's group. Mr. Welch has also staged works for Colorado Ballet; Cincinnati Ballet; Tulsa Ballet; Texas Ballet Theater; The Royal Ballet School; Singapore Dance Theatre; Royal New Zealand Ballet; and Fugate/Bahiri Ballet NY.

Repertory Available Stanton Welch’s Swan Lake (performed with live orchestra): Stanton Welch created a spectacular new version of Swan Lake, (music by Tchaikovsky) the company’s first new production of this milestone work in two decades, featuring scenery and costumes by the celebrated Australian designer Kristian Fredrikson. One of the great love stories of classical ballet. Swan Lake tells the story of Odette – a beautiful maiden transformed into a swan by an evil knight – and the Prince who swears his eternal love for her.

Ronald Hynd’s The Merry Widow (performed with live orchestra): Ronald Hynd’s enchanting ballet adaptation of Franz Lehar’s The Merry Widow is set amid the glitz and glamour of turn-of-the-century Paris, this full-length ballet tells the rich and intoxicating love story between the beautiful widow, Hanna Glawari and the dashing Count Danilo. Italian designer Roberta Guidi di Bagno’s exquisite costumes and scenery lay the backdrop for a tale of comedic intrigue, filled with elegant ladies, eligible bachelors and famed can-can dancers. The Merry Widow has become one of the 20th century’s most beloved works, with The New York Times calling it “brilliant, joyous and glamorous!”

David Bintley’s Aladdin (performed with live orchestra): David Bintley’s Aladdin tells the story of Aladdin, a young ne’er-do-well living with his mother. The story begins as he one day comes in possession of a strange lamp. Aladdin with the lamp djinni goes on an adventure to rescue the princess of Morocco, where he grows through encountering and overcoming obstacles along the way. Aladdin is a coproduction between Birmingham Royal Ballet and Houston Ballet Foundation.

Ai-Gul Gaisina’s Giselle: One of the most famous and widely performed works of the Romantic era, Giselle tells the story of a beautiful peasant girl deceived by Prince Albrecht, her transformation into a Wili (the ghosts of women betrayed on their wedding day) and her forgiveness of her errant lover which results in his salvation. The ballet was first choreographed by Jules Perrot and Jean Coralli to a commissioned score by Adolphe Adam, and it originally premiered in Paris on June 28, 1841.

Stanton Welch’s Divergence: Stanton Welch reprises his memorable, explosive Divergence, a sexy take on classical ballet set to L’Arlesienne, Suites No. 1 & 2 by Georges Bizet.

Stanton Welch’s Falling: Stanton Welch’s Falling is a classical, playful piece for five couples set to Mozart’s Salzburg Symphonies. The work was originally created for San Francisco Ballet in 2005 and features costumes by Holly Hynes.

Stanton Welch’s Nosotros: Nosotros by Stanton Welch is a large-scale, classical pure dance piece created to highlight the company set to Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini.

Christopher Bruce’s Hush: Christopher Bruce’s Hush examines life backstage with a theater family. The piece, with six dancers, is set to selected tracks from the album Hush by Bobby McFerrin and Yo-Yo Ma.

Christopher Bruce’s Rooster: Rooster, the smash hit by Houston Ballet Associate Choreographer Christopher Bruce, received its American premiere by Houston Ballet in 1995. Set to eight classic tracks by The Rolling Stones, including “Sympathy for the Devil,” “Paint it Black,” and “Ruby Tuesday,” Rooster has become a signature piece for the company. Hailed by The Dallas Morning News as “fast, furious and wild,” Houston Ballet has electrified audiences from Shanghai to South Carolina with this work.

Stanton Welch’s Velocity: A high-speed riff on traditional ballet technique for eight men and eight women, Velocity pays homage to classical conventions in a contemporary manner. Set to sharp and angular music by American composer Michael Torke, Velocity is the abstract sequel to Mr. Welch’s sensational work Divergence.

Stanton Welch’s Clear: An abstract work for seven men and one woman, Stanton Welch’s Clear is a showcase for male dancers. Set to music by Bach. Noted New York fashion designer Michael Kors created the costumes for Clear. Sleek and sexy, Mr. Kors’s flesh-toned designs focus the attention on the dancers, emphasizing the emotional impact of Mr. Welch’s choreography.

Stanton Welch’s Indigo: Mr. Welch’s critically acclaimed, athletic pure-dance piece, Indigo (1999), a signature work that Houston Ballet has performed extensively, including on the company’s tour to the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow in 2003. Set to music by Antonio Vivaldi, Indigo is a spectacular showcase for the strength, speed, and attack of Houston Ballet’s dancers. The ballet examines the vagaries of romantic relationships as four couples come together, fall in love, fight, and exchange partners.

Christopher Wheeldon’s Rush©: Hailed by The New York Times as “one of the most vividly satisfying constructions by him or any other ballet choreographer in this decade,” Christopher Wheeldon’s Rush© is anchored around a dazzling pas de deux and features two principals, four soloists, and a corps de ballet of 10 dancers. The work is set to Bohuslav Martinu’s Sinfonietta La Jolla for chamber orchestra and piano.

Jorma Elo’s ONE/end/ONE: DanceSourceHouston observed that Elo's ONE/end/ONE "turn[ed] tradition and expectation on their side, if not completely on their head." Set to Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 4 in D major with costumes by Holly Hynes.

Mark Morris’s Drink to Me Only with Thine Eyes: The New York Times (2007) called Mark Morris’s Drink to Me Only with Thine Eyes "...the witty dance cements Mr. Morris’s worth as a master choreographer in the classical form." Set to Etudes for piano by Virgil Thomson and costumes by Santo Loquasto.

Press Acclaim "Houston Ballet thrives with Stanton Welch's vision." --Dance Magazine “From there it was on to an almost giddy firestorm of bravura technique in William Forsythe's aptly titled ballet, "The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude," a fiendishly difficult work brilliantly performed by members of the Houston Ballet. The ballet's title says it all, as three women in hooplike tutus of chartreuse (Jaquel Andrews, Melody Herrera and Sara Webb) and two men (Connor Walsh and Joseph Walsh) -- shooting stars, all -- moved through choreography of exceptional difficulty and quirkiness at unimaginable speed. The five giddiness-inducing dancers were not just models of perfection, but met every challenge with that sense of sheer fun that comes with sublime skill and buoyant confidence.” --Hedy Weiss, Chicago Sun Times "....one of the nation's best ballet companies." --Sam Howe Verhovek, The New York Times "....a strong, reinvigorated company whose male contingent is particularly impressive, a well-drilled corps and an enviable selection of soloists and principals." --Hilary Ostlere, The Financial Times, London ".....one of the largest, most successful arts organizations in America....one of America's most vibrant ballet companies." --Allen Robertson, The Times, London "Houston Ballet had the grand-finale spot and made the most of it. Performing a throbbing modern score by Michael Torke, choreographer and artistic director Stanton Welch began with a striking set of dark geometric shapes and inventive lighting....The driving rhythms, sheer force of the dancers' athletic prowess and go-for-broke actions of his remarkable corps of male dancers (Where did he get them all?) built to a cumulative climax, a latter-day ‘Bolero.'" --Jean Battey Lewis, The Washington Times "One of the first things that hits you about this company is the technical strengths not just of the principals, but throughout the ranks. Watching artistic director Stanton Welch take class on a Sunday morning before a matinee, one could not help but marvel at the multiple turns tossed off by the young women in the corps....The three new works shown in this program will be followed by no fewer than four more Houston premieres. Can any other major ballet company in the world match that? I wonder..." --Emma Manning, Dance Europe "Other ballet companies just perform for you. Houston Ballet wants to take you out on a date and then make out with you in the back of the car. The company, which performed a triple bill at the National Arts Centre last night, is seductive, passionate, shamelessly flirtatious, and sexy as hell....The men are particularly dazzling, they all seem to be able to whip out five or six pirouettes on a dime." --Natasha Gauthier, The Ottawa Citizen "Houston has become one of the biggest success stories of American ballet - a company that used its generous oil dollar sponsorship to maintain a huge and unusually popular repertory of works" --The Guardian, London

"Stanton Welch's version of Swan Lake is not only more dramatically interesting than most, it is also a beautiful, contemporary version that should fly high for years, giving Houston Ballet a new full-length classic with which to dazzle audiences." -- Marene Gustin, Dance International "It (performance of Stanton Welch's Velocity at The Kennedy Center) was a show of strength for the Houston dancers, particularly for the men, to whom Welch gave some sharp, snappy sequences (and it was nice to see true choreography for men, rather than a string of jumps and turns)." --Sarah Kaufman, The Washington Post "By providing so many solo roles (even the national dances in the ballroom scene have become solos for the princesses auditioning for the prince's hand), Stanton Welch has produced a version (of Swan Lake) reflective of the wealth of talent embraced by the 52 dancers of today's Houston Ballet....with productions such as the new Swan Lake to offer, it is a company the wider world deserves to see." --William Littler, The Toronto Star "Artistic director Stanton Welch's new Swan Lake, with spectacular costumes and sets by the late Kristian Fredrikson is a fresh read on a classic story.... this is an emotionally rich, visually stunning, uplifting production." -- Wendy Perron, Dance Magazine "The stellar ensemble of Houston Ballet - America's fourth largest ballet company - concluded the evening with the intrepid Velocity (2003), a tour de force created by Stanton Welch as a sequel to his earlier work Divergence. The pace of this piece is conveyed by its title. Danced to a selection of vibrant minimalistic compositions of American composer Michael Torke, Velocity sets the cast in perpetual motion with an exhilarating speed. Here, the choreographer makes the classical ballet steps look not only ultra modern but also highly athletic. "Welch, the 38-year-old Australian choreographer who became artistic director of Houston Ballet in 2003, compares Velocity with "a butterfly mating ritual, in which only the strongest that can fly highest will mate." His rigorous choreography pushes the dancers to the limits and commands the true virtuosic performers.” --Oksana Khadarina, www.ballet.co.uk "Houston Ballet in Christopher Bruce's Ghost Dances is stunning. And Bruce's choreography is brilliant. It's rare to see the combination of innovative and challenging choreography with technically and emotionally mature dancers. Houston Ballet has the dancers, and Bruce should be a household word. The 30-minute ballet...restored my faith in the power of dance." -Kathryn Greenway, The Gazette, Montreal "First and foremost among its assets is the company's high caliber of dancing. Vitality, clarity and speed seem so prodigiously distributed among the dancers that it is difficult to pick favorites." -- George Jackson, The Washington Post

Reviews Houston Ballet’s Rock, Roll & Tutus Houston Chronicle By Molly Glentzer, March 2012 Houston Ballet’s “Rock, Roll & Tutus” program strikes a fun chord that’s equal parts sunshine, drama and technical viruosity. Each piece is a crowd pleaser, and Thursday night’s performances showed the company at its sleek, good-natured best. Artistic director Stanton Welch finds some fresh territory in “Tapestry,” his new work set to Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 5. Violinist Denise Tarrant and the Houston Ballet Orchetra, led by Ermanno Florio, handled the sometimes devilish score as nimbly as the dancers moved their bodies. Each movement showcases an aspect of the company’s personality. The inventive first movement, where the choreography’s weaving motif is most obvious, glimmers with playfulness, while the second movement has an airy, more romantic spirit and the third brings out the spring-loaded speedsters. Welch’s strikingly graphic set design, nicely lit, creates a “loom” that’s also a captivating canvas for entrances and exits. Sometimes, dancers weave in and out of the lines of hanging ropes as they retreat from view. At other times, dancers appear — fading or brightly lit — far upstage behind the set, adding a layer of depth. Holly Hynes’ pretty, richly-hued costumes enhance the dancers’ beautiful lines and Welch’s vision of the bodies as “threads.” Although “Tapestry” is largely an ensemble piece, Joseph Walsh, who was promoted to the rank of principal dancer last week after a performance of “Cinderella,” features prominently in solos. What a joy he is to watch, all elegant phrasing, impeccable technique and effortless style, whether he’s in liquid or quicksilver mode, grounded or airborne. Another standout in “Tapestry” is the always-engaging Karina Gonzales, who with Connor Walsh and Ian Casady elicited gasps from the audience in the first movement’s flourish-filled pas de trois — the kind of dance that makes you wish you could push the replay button. The full-throttle joy of movement continued, in a different vein, wiith Christopher Bruce’s 1991 “Rooster,” to classic Rolling Stones songs of the mid-to-late ’60s. It seems the most unlikely music for a ballet, but Bruce’s choreography packs every beat with a colorful punch. Thursday’s cast, led by Casady, brought youthful innocence, exuberance and even a little pathos to the strutting and posturing. They just made you smile to the bone. Every step from the cast of eight (including Jessica Collado, Katharine Precourt, Kelly Myernick, Melissa Hough, Katelyn May, Garrett Smith, Ilya Kozadayev, Christopher Coomer and Joseph Walsh) looked made-to-measure on them. Hough’s “Ruby Tuesday” solo, compellingly dynamic

and dreamy, is one of the best things she’s done this season. (That’s saying a lot, because she’s a gorgeous dancer with a strong onstage persona.) One of Welch’s most architecturally complex works, his 1994 “Divergence,” closes the program with high kinetic drama. Think “Road Warrior” meets Jerome Robbins’ “The Cage” with a hint of Disney: the dancers sometimes resemble predatory insects with harsh mating rituals, although quieter sections hint at more human activities, including a courtly dance that ends on a sad note. The entire cast looked sharp. Sara Webb and Casady sailed ravishingly through the acrobatic pas de deux; Danielle Rowe and Amy Fote also brought presence to their roles. The orchestra rendered Georges Bizet’s sometimes march-y “L’Arlésienne Suites No. 1 and 2,” energetically.

Houston Ballet Brings Cutting-Edge Repertoire to NYC’s Joyce Theater Dance Informa By Stephanie Wolf, October 14, 2011 Joyce Theater, New York City It was a packed house for the Friday evening performance of Houston Ballet at the Joyce Theater. The Texan company brought their ‘A-game’ with an impressive array of repertoire from some of the world’s most sought after choreographers: Jorma Elo, Jiri Kylian, and Christopher Bruce. New Yorkers lusting for great dancing were not disappointed. With simple costumes of short black unitards and dramatic stage lighting, the performance opened with Kylian’s all-female ballet Falling Angels, featuring an ensemble of eight dancers and the pulsating rhythm of Steve Reich’s Drumming. Kylian created Falling Angels over ten years ago, but the ballet still feels fresh and innovative. No particular dancer stood out because the group as a whole was the ‘star’ of the piece. All of them danced the frenetic, quick movement in excellent unison. Each dancer engaged every muscle of her body; fully committed to the choreography and driving beat. Kylian included moments for each performer to break from the unison work and dance a brief solo, which kept the piece from being too repetitive. The dancing was aerobic and incorporated the use of exaggerated facial expressions. Sometimes, the dancers tugged back and forth on their unitards to further enhance the movement. Their endurance was impressive, as they maintained the high energy from the moment the curtain went up until the end of the ballet. The second ballet on the program was Jorma Elo’s One/end/One, a display piece for the technical virtuosity of eight Houston Ballet dancers. It contrasted classical attire (the ladies wore tutus and the men were in tunics) with contemporary movement. Elo contorted a leg extended in tendu to an unballetic posture with the swerve of a hip and bend of a knee. Dancers’ arms took a classical form, and then rippled into a more gestural position (if position is even the correct word because it appeared as if the dancers never stopped moving). His choreography was relentless, but the dancing was brilliant. In the opening section, Elo played with the idea of tableaux; creating a picture with the dancers in space and then allowing it to quickly dissolve into a series of fast turns or footwork. Despite the speed of the choreography, the dancers executed the movement fully and the men covered the entire length of the stage in just a few jumps. Dancers entered and exited the stage throughout the section, resolving in several different variations of solos, pairings, trios, quartets, etc. A particular stand out in both the first and final section of the ballet was Melissa Hough, who joined the company in 2010 after dancing with Boston Ballet. She attacked every intricate step with an uncanny amount of speed, poise, and confidence. There were many moments of creativity and beauty in One/end/One. In the adagio, danced by Soloist Karina Gonzalez and Principal Connor Walsh, Elo produced an unusual yet stunning interpretation of a typical pas de deux. Several lifts had Walsh not only suspending Gonzalez in extended positions, but also required him to lift a leg to arabesque and maintain the ballerina’s

placement simultaneously. Another interesting moment in the pas de duex had Walsh lying on his back with his legs stretched up to the ceiling, swaying back and forth like windshield wiper blades at Gonzalez’s command. The two made the difficult partnering work look smooth and delicate. It was interesting and intriguing, but asked the question, “What is the point?” This is not to say that a choreographer should ever have to explain his or her work, but the intent behind the ballet was curious. Was Elo mocking ballet with the choreographed quirks and unusual angles or simply further exploring both the formality and litheness of classical form? The final ballet of the night was Christopher Bruce’s Hush, a clever vignette of dances for three men and three women. Hush brought to life the unique musical partnership of violinist Yo-Yo Ma and vocalist Bobby McFerrin. The dancers resembled mimes with the ladies dressed in pompom adorned muslin dresses, the gentlemen sporting suspenders or old-fashioned suits, and all with white faces. It had the feeling of a 1930s circus. From playful, to sentimental, frenzied, and joyous, the ballet ran a gauntlet of emotions. Bruce hoped to tie in the element of everyone’s inner child and did so successfully. It’s a relatable piece, which sparked several bursts of laughter or sighs of pleasure from the audience. The opening section had series of twists, turns, and lifts with the dancers often linked by their limbs. From there, each section highlighted a different dancer with original and creative choreography. Jessica Collado danced a fluid, carefree solo exceptionally well. There were several tender moments from Kelly Myernick and James Gotesky, who brought a maternal and paternal aspect to the ballet. And a trio between Melody Mennite, Rhodes Elliott, and Ilya Kozadayev to McFerrin and Ma’s interpretation of “Flight of the Bumble Bee” was particularly fun. The ballet ended with a ‘hoedown’, eventually winding down to a final picture of all six dancers heading upstage, linked arm and arm. Running a little under two hours, it was a well-balanced program. The evening showed the technical proficiency of the company, as well as original and interesting repertoire. Thank you Houston Ballet for reminding New York how much exciting dance exists outside of the city’s perimeter.

Danielle Rowe makes magic in Giselle Houston Chronicle By Molly Glentzer, September 2011 Giselle's Wilis may be trapped in a gray, forested netherworld, but a visit with them can be a sublime escape from the mundane realities of life. Houston Ballet's new staging of Jules Perrot and Jean Coralli's 1840 classic, by Ai-Gul Gaisina, brought the experience about as close to pure Romanticism as it gets at Thursday's opening night performance. Peter Farmer's wispy long tutus float in the air around ballerinas who seem to have absorbed that visual magic into their bodies. Especially Danielle Rowe, whose gossamer-spirited Giselle was a dream. As the happy peasant girl who loves to dance, she was infectious in the early part of Act I. Then, crestfallen as she learned her lover was already betrothed and out of her social league, she tugged your heart down with her, holding you enthralled as her eyes went blank and her movements filled with graceful lethargy. That is a trick to pull off. I've seen plenty of Giselles whose confusion swells from more human desperation as they spiral into madness before transforming into a Wili, a ghostly jilted bride, in Act 2. This one seemed already in another world, and it amplified the effect without a hint of melodrama. And then there was Rowe's form - her generous, open épaulement; hands as delicate as butterfly wings and feet that seemed spring-loaded one moment, firmly grounded the next. It's not often that a ballerina can make you gasp simply by raising a foot ever-so-slowly into a long, steady arabesque. In Act 2, when Jun Shuang Huang tilted her gently in his arms, Rowe's body seemed like tissue in a breeze. Huang's Prince Albrecht, too, was a revelation; finally, this gorgeous dancer seems to have found his element. He had it all: lightness, energy, elegance and sensitivity - both as a partner and in solos that held the air, as they say. What a gazelle he is, and what a wizard - with needlesharp entrechats that made him seem as enchanted as the Wilis trying to dance him to death. Kelly Myernick opened Act 2 with a solo that made Myrtha, Queen of the Wilis more complex than I remembered. Evolving from soft to sharp, this Myrtha seemed to be explaining her own transformation, also reflecting Giselle's. Few scenes in all of ballet thrill lovers of the art form like the one in which the Wilis waft across the stage en masse, hopping in arabesque. Houston Ballet's corps, looking magnificent, did it justice. Act 1's sunny peasant scenes were a delight as well. Conductor Ermanno Florio and the Houston Ballet Orchestra rendered the Adolph Adam score compellingly. The program opened on athletic overdrive with Stanton Welch's speedy Indigo, showing off every muscle and rib of its eight dancers' talents. Cellist Barrett Sills brought brilliant precision to the Vivaldi score.

Soaring Swan Houston Press By Marene Gustin, June 2009 Stanton Welch's production of Swan Lake at the Houston Ballet is easily one of the best around. Houston Ballet's Swan Lake reminds us just why we love this ballet of love, betrayal and death. It will make balletomanes swoon and novices sit up in their theater seats and gape. What thrills isn't really the story about the cursed Odette, swan by day and princess by night who can only be saved by true love, nor the choreography, although many of the classic dances, usually modeled in some fashion after the Petipa/Ivanov version, are stunners. In truth, it's Artistic Director Stanton Welch's production, first seen here in 2006. It's easily one of the best around, and to date his best full-length work. Welch cuts the old-fashioned mime stuff, streamlines the ballet from four acts to three, and recombines the incredible Tchaikovsky score, cutting and adding from the original music. Performed by the Houston Ballet Orchestra and conducted opening night by Martin West, the music was a surge of soaring feeling emanating from the stage. Add to that the pre-Raphaelite look of the sets and costumes, inspired by John William Waterhouse's painting The Lady of Shalott and designed by the late, great Kristian Fredrikson, along with the glorious mood lighting of Lisa J. Pinkham, and you've got a modern classic. It's one to add to the list of Ten Ballets You Must See Before You Die. Opening night, the guys in the forest in Act I were virile and athletic in their dancing, a tribute to the depth of the corps. The ensemble numbers were fast-paced, and opening night's Prince Siegfried, Connor Walsh, displayed a princely demeanor and some damn showy turns. But it's the female lead who was remarkable. Longtime company member Sara Webb took on the role of good-swan-bad-swan Odette/Odile with the added task of portraying the roles of both human and swan. A brilliant technician and extremely gifted actor, she embodied a delicate maiden, a fluttering white bird and a decidedly evil decoy, whipping out those fouetté rond de jambe en tournants like a spinning machine. But the ah-ha moment was still when the 24 swans took the stage and moved in glistening white unison, arms arched for flight and feet beating like bird's hearts, dancing and dancing and dancing. These birds will take your breath away.

Review: Houston Ballet’s The Merry Widow Culturevulture By Nancy Wozny, September 2007 The Houston Ballet waltzed (literally) into their 39th season with most bubbly of ballets, The Merry Widow. How better to celebrate the eve of 40 than with a whole lot of on stage drinking. Franz Lehár's charming 1905 operetta nicely transfers to ballet. The operetta made Lehár rich and famous, and it certainly boosted the career of British choreographer Ronald Hynd. He first set his Widow on the Australian Ballet back in 1975. If ballets could giggle this one would win the prize. It has gone on to be one of the most beloved romantic comedic ballets of all time, and currently graces the repertoire of American Ballet Theater, The National Ballet of Canada, and Pacific Northwest Ballet. And for good reason; it's a gem of a ballet. Hynd keeps the action flowing in a seamless storytelling technique that flows as easily as a fine, dry, French champagne. There's no tiresome variations to slow things down. The story is perfectly preposterous. Pontevedro, a fictional Balkan country whose national color is hot pink, the national dance is the waltz (except on peasant dress-up days, then it's some kind of Slavic concoction), and the national drink is, without a doubt, champagne. Unfortunately, our tender little hamlet is out of cash. They place their future on keeping the fortunes of Hanna Glawari, the country's richest widow, inside their borders, and hastily scheme to find a suitor for her. Trouble ensues when the selected gentleman, Count Danilo, has a past with our wellmonied widow, never mind a touch of drinking problem. There's some wonderful subplots going on as well, all too complicated to mention. Barbara Bears made her entrance—decked in diamonds—on the grand stairway with all the panache of a Hollywood siren. Bears' regal elegance and convincing wit proved a perfect match for Hanna's mischievous escapades. Her maturity moved into full bloom in this role and showed off her remarkably dexterous acting skills. The way Bear's plays it, one gets the feeling that she is in control of this high spending country's future at all times. She carries off several dubious fashion choices with great panache, including a white feather boa that could very well have a pulse. Simon Ball danced the dreamy drunkard, Count Danilo, with suitable aplomb and strong comic flair. Ball is positively dashing as Danilo, even when he can barely stand up. You want to cheer for him, to get the girl, keep the money, and remember his AA meetings. Melody Herrera is a charmer as Valencienne, the philandering Baron's wife. Connor Walsh's debonair Camille managed to woo Valencienne right out of the Baron's hands with little resistance. Herrera takes girlishness to a new high with her delicate portrayal of the loosely moraled wife. Herrera and Walsh's undeniable chemistry at the end of Act 2 makes for some of the most moving moments of the ballet. (Walsh was deservedly promoted to principal later that night.) The corps, strong with several new members, handles the invented Pontevedrain folk dances with considerable confidence and clean ensemble work. Imagine Arabic and Slavic dances with a touch of flamenco for good measure in a blender and you get an idea of Hynd's creativity. Of course, they are wearing blazing pink. The ballet is a veritable feast for the eyes thanks to the stunning sets and costumes of Italian designer Roberta Guidi de Bagno. No amount of sparkle is spared, simply everything in view twinkles. Judging from the looks of their Paris embassy and the glittery gowns of the

townspeople, it's no wonder Pondevedro went broke. Guidi de Bagna holds back nothing in her extravagant decors and captures a kind of film industry make believe glamor. Lighting designer Randall G. Chiarelli baths the Parisian locales in a warm candlelight glow and added to the shimmer of an altogether enchanting evening. I predict that champagne sales and waltz lessons will be on the upswing for those in attendance. The morale of the story: keep your rich widows inside your country, everyone looks good in pink, and keep a good supply of the bubbly on hand should your finances go south. And when all is lost, there's nothing like a good can-can to soothe your troubles. Without a doubt Houston Ballet launches its season with wink and a smile in this rosy production.