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Home , Abe Jacob, Ballet Memphis, Brandon Stirling Baker, Christopher Wheeldon, Joffrey Ballet, Justin Peck

Friday and Saturday, March 6–7, 2020, 8pm Sunday, March 8, 2020, 3pm Zellerbach Hall The Joffrey

Ashley Wheater MBE The Mary B. Galvin Artistic Director Greg Cameron President & CEO Founder Founder Artists of the Company Derrick Agnoletti Yoshihisa Arai Amanda Assucena Edson Barbosa Miguel Blanco Evan Boersma Anais Bueno Valeria Chaykina Nicole Ciapponi Lucia Connolly José Pable Castro Cuevas April Daly Jonathan Dole Derek Drilon Fernando Duarte Olivia Duryea Cara Marie Gary Anna Gerberich Stefan Goncalvez Dylan Gutierrez Dara Holmes Yuka Iwai Victoria Jaiani Hansol Jeong Gayeon Jung Yumi Kanazawa Hyuma Kiyosawa Brooke Linford Greig Matthews Graham Maverick Jeraldine Mendoza Xavier Núnez Princess Reid Aaron Renteria Christine Rocas Julia Rust Chloé Sherman Temur Suluashvili Miu Tanaka Olivia Tang-Mifsud Alonso Tepetzi Alberto Velazquez Joanna Wozniak Valentino Moneglia Zamora Scott Speck Ellie Cotey Music Director Costume Manager Bradley Renner Gregg Benkovich General Manager Shoe Manager Blair Baldwin Jim Walsh Company Manager Master Carpenter Nicolas Blanc, Adam Blyde, Suzanne Lopez Erin Tinsley Rehearsal Directors/Principal Coaches Master Electrician Grace Kim, Michael Moricz Gregg Moeller Company Pianists Property Master Cody Chen George Paulin Production Manager Soundperson Katherine Selig Matthew Carney Principal Stage Manager Electrician/Programmer Amanda Heuermann Matthew Black Stage Manager Flyperson

These performances are made possible, in part, by Patron Sponsors Gail and Dan Rubinfeld, and Susan Marinoff and Tom Schrag. Major support provided by The Bernard Osher Foundation. Cal Performances’ 2019–20 season is sponsored by Wells Fargo.

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Commedia Choreography © by Music by Scenic Design by Ruben Toledo Costume Design by Isabel Toledo Lighting Design by Lighting Design recreated by Jack Mehler Staged by Anastacia Holden Igor Stravinsky’s Suite: By arrangement with Boosey & Hawkes, Inc., publisher and copyright owner Scenery courtesy of PAUSE Bliss! Choreography by Stephanie Martinez Music by Igor Stravinsky Costume realization by The Wardrobe Department Lighting Design by Penny Jacobus Lighting recreated by Jack Mehler Assistants to the Choreographer: Robert Mulvey and Diana Winfree World Premiere: May 30, 2019, The Joffrey Ballet, , , IL By arrangement with G. Schirmer, Inc. publisher and copyright owner INTERMISSION Beyond the Shore (Cal Performances Co-Commission) Choreography by Nicolas Blanc Music by Mason Bates Costume Designs by Katrin Schnabl Set and Lighting Design by Mark Stanley Lighting recreated by Jack Mehler World Premiere: Wednesday, February 7, 2018, The Joffrey Ballet, , Chicago, IL Additional rehearsal support for Beyond the Shore was provided by a Commission Initiative Grant from the Choreographic Institute, an affiliate of Ballet. INTERMISSION The Times Are Racing Choreography by Music by Costume Design by Humberto Leon Lighting Design by Lighting recreated by Jack Mehler by Abe Jacob Staged by Original Beatles Compositions (SESAC) administered by 2011 Ribbon Music (SESAC) administered by Domino US Publishing Company (SESAC) Selections from Dan Deacon’s America: USA I – Is A Monster USA II – The Great American Desert USA III – Rail USA IV – Manifest World Premiere: January 26, 2017, , David H. Koch Theater, New York, NY Joffrey Premiere: February 12, 2020, Auditorium Theatre, Chicago, IL

Opposite: Amanda Assucena and Alberto Velazquez in 25 Nicolas Blanc’s Beyond the Shore. Photo by Cheryl Mann. PROGRAM NOTES

lassically trained to the highest standards, disability status. Inclusion means a commitment Th e Joff rey Ballet expresses a unique, to making all members of the community feel inclusive perspective on dance, proudly welcome and comfortable at the Joff rey. Equity Crefl ecting the diversity of America with its com- is ensuring justice, impartiality, and fairness in pany, audiences, and repertoire, which includes procedures, processes, and opportunities. major story , reconstructions of master- Th e Joff rey Ballet is committed to honoring, pieces, and contemporary works. nurturing, and advancing dance through the lens Th e company’s commitment to accessibility of diversity, inclusion, and equity in all aspects of is met through an innovative and highly eff ec- its programming, services, and organization. tive education program that includes the much- lauded Academy of Dance, the offi cial school Ashley Wheater (MBE) is the Mary B. Galvin of Th e Joff rey Ballet; community engagement Artistic Director of Th e Joff rey Ballet. Born in programs; and collaborations with myriad other Scotland and raised in England, he trained at the visual and performing arts organizations. , began his professional career Founded by visionary teacher Robert Joff rey with , and danced at the London in 1956, and guided by celebrated choreographer Festival Ballet, , Th e Joff rey Gerald Arpino from 1988 until 2007, Th e Joff rey Ballet, and Ballet (SFB). In 1997, Ballet continues to thrive under internationally he became the at SFB, and in 2002, renowned artistic director Ashley Wheater and assistant to the artistic director. executive director Greg Cameron. In 2007, Wheater was appointed the artistic director of Th e Joff rey Ballet. New work is the Mission life blood of a company, and Wheater has intro- Th e Joff rey Ballet is a world-class, Chicago- duced numerous premieres to the repertoire. based and In 2008, the Boeing Corporation recognized organization committed to artistic excellence his commitment to community outreach and and innovation, presenting a unique repertoire diversity in the world of dance, presenting him encompassing masterpieces of the past and its “Game Changer” award. In 2010, Wheater, cutting-edge works. Th e Joff rey is committed to representing the Joff rey, was named Lincoln providing arts education and accessible dance Academy Laureate, the highest honor presented training through its Joff rey Academy of Dance by the State of Illinois. Th e se- and community engagement programs. lected Wheater as the 2013 “Chicagoan of the Year” for his contributions to dance. In 2014, he Values of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion accepted the Chicago Spirit of Innovation Award As a member of Dance/USA, the national service for Th e Joff rey Ballet. In 2015, he received the organization for professional dance, Th e Joff rey University of Chicago Rosenberger Medal for Ballet has adopted Dance/USA’s statement on Outstanding Achievement in the Creative and core values of equity and inclusion. Performing Arts. In December 2019, Wheater Dance as an art form provides expression, was appointed to be a Member of the Most celebration, exploration, and transformation for Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) by all people. Th e inclusion and equitable treatment Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. of all members of the community are core val- ues of the Joff rey and central to its mission. In achieving core values of equity and inclusion, the BALLET NOTES Joff rey is committed to diversity in every aspect of its programming and services. Diversity in this Commedia context refers to groups, communities, and indi- Christopher Wheeldon’s Commedia is a bit- viduals identifi ed by dance genre or form, race, tersweet harlequinade set to Stravinsky’s Pulci- ethnicity, national origin, gender, sexual orien- nella score. It is an elegant piece, beautifully tation, socio-economic status, religion, age, or jointed and craft ed, and while it glancingly ref-

26 PROGRAM NOTES Todd Rosenberg Todd Yumi Kanazawa, Evan Boersma, and Stefan Goncalvez in Stephanie Martinez’s Bliss! erences other commedia dell’arte ballets, its real Career highlights include directing and cho- subject is ballet itself. Stravinsky’s suite is in 13 reographing the musical version of An Amer- sections: some sections play with notions of clas- ican In Paris, which had productions in Paris, sical form while other sections are abstract. on Broadway, and in London (2014); the world —Th e Guardian premiere of Th e Joff rey Ballet’s Th e Nutcracker (2016); the gala presentation of Lerner & Leowe’s Christopher Wheeldon (OBE) trained at the at (2017); Al- Royal Ballet School and joined the Royal Bal- ice’s Adventures in Wonderland in Tokyo; the let in 1991. He joined New York City Ballet premiere for Corybantic Games; and a re-staged (NYCB) in 1993 and was promoted to Soloist in version of (2019). 1998. Wheeldon was named NYCB’s fi rst resi- Among Wheeldon’s awards are a Tony dent choreographer in July 2001. Since then, he Award for Best Choreography, an Outer Critics has created and staged productions for many of Award for Best Choreography and Direction, the world’s major ballet companies. the Martin E. Segal Award from , In 2007, Wheeldon founded Morphoses/ the American Choreography Award, the Dance Th e Wheeldon Company and was appointed Magazine Award, multiple London Critics’ Cir- an associate artist for Sadler’s Wells Th eatre in cle Awards, the Léonide Massine Prize for new London. He now serves as artistic associate of the choreography, the Benois de la Danse, and the Royal Ballet, where he has created many works Olivier Award. In 2016, he was named an OBE for the company, including Alice’s Adventures in and was made an honorary fellow of the Ameri- Wonderland and Th e Winter’s Tale. can Academy of Arts and Sciences.

27 PROGRAM NOTES

Bliss! Beyond the Shore Th e music for me is the most infl uential part of Beyond the Shore follows the score of Mason my ballet Bliss! Its contrasting sections of refl ec- Bates’ Th e B-Sides as well as an original sound- tion and exuberance make for a high-tensioned scape by Bates that serves as a prologue. Th rough ballet. Th ere are also some very quiet moments the ballet, as well as through the music, the piece in the score but they become more active and leads us to new worlds, each diff erent from the encompass speed as the music plays on. Th e fi rst previous one. Each movement inhabits a new section to me is pure bliss! environment. Th ere is also an abruptness and a melancholy I thought it would be a great concept and fl avor throughout the diff erent movements. challenge to build a piece in which I would treat I love how varied the textures are—I fi nd this the movements as six consecutive short stories, quite interesting to navigate. Th ere is a feeling each time aiming to capture the essence and the of privilege, prestige, and royalty mixed with mood of the music and the atmosphere it cre- pure grit! ates. For example, as Bates explains, the second Th is is a nonlinear ballet, neoclassical in movement, “Aerosol Melody (Hanalei),” blooms structure, and I intend to use the six men and on the North Shore of Kauai, while the third one woman as Stravinsky’s structure notes, movement, “Gemini in the Solar Wind,” is a along with a loose narrative about Mildred and re-imagination of the fi rst American spacewalk, Robert Bliss. Th ey are another part of my inspi- using actual communication samples from the ration. Th ey commissioned Stravinsky to com- 1965 Gemini IV voyage provided by NASA. pose Dumbarton Oaks for their 30th wedding Th e approach of Beyond the Shore is to treat anniversary. exploration as a metaphor for human nature. — Stephanie Martinez It means not staying set at the dock, but taking off to new horizons and discovering new land- Chicago-based choreographer and 3-Arts scapes, both literal and abstract. I explored my Award winner Stephanie Martinez creates choreographic vocabulary by looking at new environments that captivate, connect, and ways for us to think and interact with each other, move her audiences along a journey guided by expanding how we communicate in our com- the kinetic momentum of her work. Th rough plex world. Th e work doesn’t aim to be a strict original creations for , Ballet narrative, yet the atmosphere and mood of each Hispanico, Luna Negra Dance Th eater, Sacra- section appears just beneath the surface, like a mento Ballet, , Nashville Ballet, watermark. , , Dance As Balanchine said, “Storyless is not abstract. Kaleidoscope, Kansas City Dance Festival, and Two dancers on the stage are enough material Moving Arts Cincinnati, among others, she for a story; for me, they are already a story in has expanded the boundaries of contemporary themselves.” movement. Martinez’s choreography has also —Nicolas Blanc been featured in collegiate dance departments across the country, including at Point Park Nicolas Blanc started his dance training in Mon- University, Virginia Commonwealth Univer- tauban, France, continuing at the Academie de sity, and Boston Conservatory. In 2010, she Danse Classique Princesse Grace in Monte- assisted Broadway legend in Carlo. Aft er winning a scholarship in the 1994 setting the Fosse Trilogy. Martinez’s psycholog- , he completed his education ically revelatory works have the power to chal- at the School. He went on to lenge the viewer’s notions of what is possible. dance for Nice Opera Ballet, Deutsche Oper am She looks forward to upcoming commissions Rhein in Dusseldorf, Zurich Ballet, and San Fran- with North Carolina School of the Arts, Amy cisco Ballet, where he became a principal dancer Seiwert’s Imagery, Ballet Memphis, and Cin- in 2004. In 2006 and 2007, he created two works cinnati Ballet. for the trainees of School.

28 PLAYBILL PROGRAM NOTES

Blanc was awarded a special prize in the per- Justin Peck is the resident choreographer and forming arts by the city of Dusseldorf in 1998, a artistic advisor, and a former soloist with the special hometown recognition prize in 2004 and New York City Ballet (NYCB). He began cho- 2013, and was named one of the “25 to Watch” reographing in 2009 at the New York Choreo- by Dance Magazine in 2004. In 2010, he was graphic Institute. In 2014, aft er the creation of nominated with Tina LeBlanc for an Isadora his acclaimed ballet Everywhere We Go, he was Duncan Dance Award. appointed as resident choreographer of NYCB, Blanc joined as Ballet Master where he is the second person in the institution’s in 2009 and has held the same position with Th e history to hold this title. Peck joined NYCB as a Joff rey Ballet since 2011. Since then, he has cre- dancer in 2006. As a performer, he has danced a ated several pieces for Embarc Chicago’s annu- vast repertoire of works by , al fundraiser, as well as a dance for the Chicago , , Benjamin Shakespeare Th eatre. In July 2014, Blanc received Millepied, Christopher Wheeldon, and many the choreography award at IBC for his duet others. In 2013, Peck was promoted to the rank Rendez-vous. He created L’espace d’un chapitre of Soloist. He has created over 30 ballets— for a French dance festival in July 2013. It made 14 of those for NYCB. His works have been its US debut under the title Evenfall w i t h Th e performed by Paris Opera Ballet, San Francisco Joff rey Ballet during the company’s 2015 spring Ballet, Miami City Ballet, Pacifi c Northwest Bal- program. Blanc was selected to participate to the let, LA Dance Project, , 2015 National Choreographers Initiative (NCI) Joff rey Ballet, , and Pennsylva- and created Orphée in 2015. In the fall of 2015, nia Ballet, to name a few. Peck’s collaborators he was chosen to participate in New York City include composers Sufj an Stevens, Bryce Dess- Ballet’s (NYCB) New York Choreographic In- ner (Th e National), Dan Deacon; visual artists stitute, where he created the work Mothership, Shepard Fairey, Marcel Dzama, John Baldessari, which premiered at NYCB’s 2016 Spring Gala. and Jules de Balincourt; and fashion designers Blanc also created two works for Barak Ballet — Mary Katrantzou, Humberto Leon (Kenzo, Tableaux Vivants (2016) and Desert Transport ), Tsumori Chisato, and (2018). Dries Van Noten. In 2014, Peck was the subject of the docu- Th e Times Are Racing mentary Ballet 422, which followed him for two One of the most talked-about premieres for the months as he created NYCB’s 422nd original New York City Ballet (NYCB) of 2017, Justin dance, Paz de la Jolla. In 2015, his ballet Rodeo: Peck’s Th e Times Are Racing is a sneaker ballet Four Dance won the Bessie Award that sees its dancers in street-wear designed by for Outstanding Production. In 2017, Peck Opening Ceremony, drawing inspiration from a choreographed the feature fi lm Red Sparrow, variety of dance styles while matching Dan Dea- starring Jennifer Lawrence, directed by Francis con’s electronic score with youthful impulse and Lawrence, and produced by 20th Century Fox vigor. Th e work is set to the last four tracks of Studios. In 2018, Peck presented his fi rst cho- Deacon’s expansive 2012 album, America. Th e reographic foray into Broadway, with a major ballet for 20 dancers was the NYCB resident revival of the musical . For this produc- choreographer and artistic advisor’s second tion, he received the 2018 Tony Award for Best collaboration with fashion designer Humberto Choreography. Leon of Opening Ceremony. Th e lighting is by Peck is the choreographer of the upcom- Peck’s frequent collaborator, Brandon Stirling ing motion picture, directed by Baker. Th e Joff rey Ballet is the only company Steven Spielberg. Th e fi lm comes to theaters in outside of NYCB to perform this work. December 2020.

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