Annual Report 2014 - 2015 BOARD OF TRUSTEES CHAIRMAN Mr. James M. Jordan PRESIDENT Mrs. Phoebe Tudor SECRETARY Mission Statement Mrs. Margaret Alkek Williams OFFICERS Ms. Leticia Loya, VP – Academy Mr. James M. Nicklos, VP – Finance To inspire a lasting love and appreciation for dance through artistic excellence, Mr. Joseph A. Hafner, Jr., VP – Institutional Giving Mr. Daniel M. McClure, VP – Investments exhilarating performances, innovative choreography and Mrs. Becca Cason Thrash, VP – Special Events Mrs. Donald M. Graubart, VP – Trustee Development superb educational programs MEMBERS-AT-LARGE In furtherance of our mission, we are committed to maintaining and enhancing our status as: Ms. Michelle Baden Mrs. F. T. Barr Mrs. Kristy Junco Bradshaw • A classically trained company with a diverse repertory whose range Mrs. J. Patrick Burk Mrs. Lenore K. Burke includes the classics as well as contemporary works. Mrs. Albert Y. Chao Mr. Jesse H. Jones II Mrs. Henry S. May, Jr. • A company that attracts the world’s best dancers and choreographers Mr. Richard K. McGee and provides them with an environment where they can thrive and Mrs. Michael Mithoff Mr. Michael S. Parmet further develop the art form. Mrs. Carroll Robertson Ray Mr. Karl S. Stern Mr. Nicholas L. Swyka • An international company that is accessible to broad and growing local, Mrs. Allison Thacker national, and international audiences. Mrs. Oscar S. Wyatt, Jr. TRUSTEES • A company with a world-class Academy that provides first rate Mrs. Kristen Andreasen Mrs. Richard E. Fant Hon. Mica Mosbacher Mr. Cecil H. Arnim III Mrs. Claire S. Farley Ms. Beth Muecke instruction for professional dancers and meaningful programs for non- Mrs. Isaac Arnold, Jr. Dr. Kelli Cohen Fein Mrs. Patti A. Murphy professional dancers. Mr. Philip A. Bahr Hon. Charles C. Foster Dr. Dana Ondrias Mrs. Lorne Bain Mrs. James E. Furr Mrs. Dee S. Osborne Ms. Brenda Bazan Sandra S. Godfrey Mr. Gene J. Oshman • A company with state-of-the-art facilities for performances, rehearsals Mrs. Diane Bazelides Ms. Patricia B. Green Mrs. Steven A. Owsley Mr. Gary V. Beauchamp Ms. Kristen Habich Mr. Colin Parfitt and ongoing operations. Mrs. Gina Bhatia Mrs. Henry R. Hamman Mr. Robert F. Parker Mr. John A. Blaisdell Mrs. Theodore J. Haywood Mr. James J. Parr Mrs. Leslie D. Blanton Mr. William James Hill Mrs. Sara Wright Parr Mrs. Daniel A. Breen Mrs. Gillian A. Hobson Mrs. Amy Pincu Mr. and Mrs. Ira B. Brown Mr. Brian B. Hughes Mr. David M. Pincus Mrs. Wendy Wilkins Burks Mrs. Matthew L. Johnson Mrs. Harry M. Reasoner Mr. Richard L. Burleson Mrs. Russell C. Joseph Ms. Martha E. Rocks Mrs. Cecilia Campbell Ms. Melanie Lawson Mrs. Akemi Saitoh Mr. Tripp Carter Mr. E. Daniel Leightman Ms. Louisa Stude Sarofim (L) Mrs. John Clemmons Mr. Mark Loveland Mrs. Thomas H. Scott Ms. Janet Coy Mrs. Kelley S. Lubanko Mrs. Lance Smith Mr. and Mrs. James W. Crownover Mrs. Harry E. Mach Mrs. Reginald R. Smith Mrs. Heidi Cruz Mrs. Steve P. Mach Ms. S. Shawn Stephens Mrs. Harry H. Cullen Mr. Bradley H. Marks Ms. Ann Trammell Mrs. J. Luke McConn III Dr. Kevin E. Varner On the cover: Ms. Sasha Davis Mr. Bastiaan de Zeeuw Mrs. Joseph D. McCord Mr. Marcus A. Watts Karina Gonzalez and Connor Walsh Ms. Jane DiPaolo Mrs. Ginni Mithoff Mrs. Lora Jean Kilroy Wilson Photography by Amitava Sarkar Ms. Marsha L. Montemayor Mrs. Nicholas J. Zdeblick Mrs. Pamela D. Earthman ROMEO & JULIET Mrs. Donald L. Erskine Ms. Nancy Powell Moore Choreography by Stanton Welch Music by Sergi Prokofiev Scenery and Costumes by Roberta Guidi di Bagno 2 3 Table of Contents Table 2 Mission Statement 7 Letter from Board President 9 Letter from Executive Director 10 Company 12 2014-2015 Season At A Glance 14 Performance Impact 16 Houston Ballet Premieres 22 2014-2015 Tour Highlights 26 Academy Highlights 32 Education and Outreach Highlights 36 Special Events 42 Nutcracker Market 44 Financials 52 Staff 54 Donors ONE/end/ONE Dancers: Karina Gonzalez and Connor Walsh Choregraphy: Jorma Elo Music: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Photography by Amitava Sarkar 4 5 BALLO DELLA REGINA Dancer: Allison Miller Choreography: George Balanchine Letter from Board President Songs: Giuseppe Verdi Photography by Amitava Sarkar Dear Houston Ballet Family and Friends, As I look back at the 2014-15 season, I could not be more pleased at having such a remarkable season mark my first year as President of Houston Ballet’s Board of Trustees. I want to first express what an honor it is to serve as Board President, and the gratitude I feel for having been given the opportunity to work on behalf of such an institution that continues to grow in prestige and distinction, nationally and internationaly. The season began last fall with the huge success of the glorious Midsummer Night’s Dream, by John Neumeier. Mr. Neumeier was so impressed with our company that he invited them to participate in Hamburg’s summer dance festival, quite a coup. The highlight of this season was undoubtedly Artistic Director’s Stanton Welch gorgeous new staging of Romeo and Juliet. With designs from Rome, this gem truly captured the essence of Renaissance Italy and gave us a new classic showcasing the beautiful dancing of our amazing company. Stanton’s creativity continued with another brilliant new piece entitled Zodiac, which explored the different astrological signs and their characteristics. We were more than fortunate to have a new piece presented on the same mixed bill with Zodiac this spring, , The Letter V, created for our company by one of America’s best-known choreographers, Mark Morris. We finished our celebration of the 450th year of Shakespeare’s death by staging the ever-popular Taming of the Shrew in June, which never fails to entertain and delight. I would like to thank our more than one hundred trustees as well as the artistic and administrative staff of the Houston Ballet. Without all of your continued dedication and tireless work, we would be unable to achieve our goal of not only producing world premieres but also attracting some of the world’s finest artists. Each year we strive to increase the breadth of our programming, in hopes of reaching new audiences while offering exciting new works to those devoted fans who continue to see Houston Ballet performances year after year. Importantly, we continue to make an impact here in our community. Our summer and year-round Academy programs are among the best in the nation. This year was no exception, with over 1,000 enrollments from enthusiastic and talented young dancers from many different states and countries. Our outreach efforts continue to grow, and bring the art of dance to many young people who might not otherwise have access, as our Education and Community Engagement team reached approximately 40,000 students in Houston’s community this year alone. We are deeply grateful to all the foundations, corporations, individuals, and everyone who has been so generous with their support of Houston Ballet. Thanks to our donors we exceeded our fundraising goals in every category this year, bringing in nearly $1.5 million over our goal, making the total well over $11 million. As I continue my term as President of the Houston Ballet, I am proud once again to find myself at the helm of such an incredible organization of the highest talent and stellar reputation. I look forward to a continued collaboration with the board members and patrons with whom I share the same vision of greatness for our company. On behalf of all of the Trustees of the Houston Ballet Foundation, I present to you the 2014-15 Annual Report. Phoebe Tudor Board President 6 7 ETUDES Dancers: Jared Matthews and Artists of Houston Ballet Letter from Executive Director Choreography: Harald Lander Music: Giuseppe Verdi Photography by Amitava Sarkar Dear Friends of Houston Ballet, Celebrating the Bard, Houston Ballet performed three choreographic masterworks inspired by the writings of William Shakespeare this past season. With the generous underwriting support of Phoebe and Bobby Tudor, we opened the season with John Neumeier’s sensational A Midsummer Night’s Dream—making the ballet the first Neumeier work to enter our repertory and Houston Ballet the only American company to dance the ballet. Another milestone was reached in February when 28 years after the opening of the Wortham Theater and the premiere of Ben Stevenson’s Romeo and Juliet, we raised the curtain on a new, lavish production of Romeo and Juliet with choreography by Stanton Welch and designs by Roberta Guidi di Bagno. This magnificent production was generously underwritten by Melza and Ted Barr, farsighted and steadfast supporters of the company. Kate and Petruchio’s stormy relationship seemed to echo the Houston weather as we closed the 2014-15 season with John Cranko’s masterpiece, The Taming of the Shrew. Beyond the Bard, two significant world premieres highlighted the season: Stanton’s new Zodiac, generously underwritten by Leticia Loya, and created to the brilliant, commissioned score by Ross Edwards, and Mark Morris’ The Letter V. These works made our May mixed repertory one of the most anticipated and well-received programs of the year. Beyond our Houston season, we presented two beautiful performances of Giselle at the historic Detroit Opera House and six nearly sold out performances of Stanton’s stunning La Bayadere in Calgary and Edmonton. We gave a total of 85 performances this season, including 74 at Wortham Theater Center, three at Miller Outdoor Theater and eight on tour. Our education and community engagement programs had another impressive year of increased impact. Houston Ballet’s 12 signature programs reached nearly 40,000 students in over 200 area schools, representing an 18% increase from the previous year.