Mikko Nissinen Meredith Max Hodges Artistic Director Executive Director Hart Artistic Director’S Chair
Mikko Nissinen Meredith Max Hodges Artistic Director Executive Director Hart Artistic Director’s Chair
Assistant Artistic Director Russell Kaiser
Ballet Masters Shannon Parsley Larissa Ponomarenko Anthony Randazzo
Resident Choreographer Jorma Elo
Principal Dancers PAULO ARRAIS KATHLEEN BREEN COMBES ANAÏS CHALENDARD LIA CIRIO PAUL CRAIG ASHLEY ELLIS SEO HYE HAN LASHA KHOZASHVILI MISA KURANAGA JOHN LAM ERIS NEZHA PATRICK YOCUM JUNXIONG ZHAO
Soloists ISAAC AKIBA MARIA BARANOVA RACHELE BURIASSI JI YOUNG CHAE RODDY DOBLE DEREK DUNN FLORIMOND LORIEUX DALAY PARRONDO IRLAN SILVA
Second Soloists DIANA ALBRECHT HANNAH BETTES CORINA GILL LAUREN HERFINDAHL LAWRENCE RINES ADDIE TAPP
Artists MARIA ALVAREZ DAWN ATKINS JESSICA BURROWS EKATERINE CHUBINIDZE DANIEL COOPER DANIEL DURRETT EMILY ENTINGH SAMIVEL EVANS CHYRSTYN FENTROY BRETT FUKUDA ANDRES GARCIA SAGE HUMPHRIES GRAHAM JOHNS MAMUKA KIKALISHVILI SEUNG HYUN LEE SO JUNG LEE ALEXANDER MARYIANOWSKI NINA MATIASHVILI ABIGAIL MERLIS DREW NELSON PATRIC PALKENS ALEC ROBERTS MICHAEL RYAN REINA SAWAI HALEY SCHWAN MATTHEW SLATTERY DESEAN TABER
Associate Director of Boston Ballet II Peter Stark
BOSTON BALLET II Olivia Behrmann Caroline Buckheit Tyson Clark Thomas Davidoff Derek Drilon August Generalli Thomas Harrison Catherine Livingston Christian Pforr Gabriela Schiefer
Children’s Ballet Master Miranda Weese
Principal Guest Conductor Beatrice Jona Affron
Senior Principal Company Pianist Principal Solo Pianist Freda Locker Alex Foaksman
E. VIRGINIA WILLIAMS, FOUNDER
BOSTON BALLET 19 CLARENDON STREET, BOSTON, MA 02116 TEL 617.695.6950 FAX 617.695.6995 BOSTONBALLET.ORG
Boston Ballet 2017 – 2018 Season Summary
Obsidian Tear | Nov 3–12, 2017 This program of contemporary works features the North American premiere of Wayne McGregor’s Obsidian Tear, a co-production with The Royal Ballet, and Fifth Symphony of Jean Sibelius, a world premiere by Boston Ballet Resident Choreographer Jorma Elo. Obsidian Tear features an all-male ensemble and is set to Finnish composer and conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen’s Lachen verlernt for solo violin and his symphonic poem Nyx. The program will open with an orchestral performance of Sibelius’ Finlandia.
Mikko Nissinen’s The Nutcracker | Nov 24–Dec 31, 2017 Mikko Nissinen’s The Nutcracker is one of New England’s most treasured holiday traditions. Featuring sensational sets, gorgeous costumes, and superlative dancing, this production of the timeless ballet is a must-see for all ages.
Parts In Suite | Mar 9–Apr 7, 2018 Three genius choreographers, two company premieres, and one artistic vision converge in this mixed- repertory program with the company premiere of William Forsythe’s Pas/Parts, full of brilliant detail yet airy in effect; the company premiere of Justin Peck’s dreamscape In Creases; and the return of Jorma Elo’s acclaimed Bach Cello Suites.
Romeo & Juliet | Mar 15–Apr 8, 2018 Love brings beauty and sorrow in John Cranko’s interpretation of William Shakespeare’s tragic tale of youthful passion and family rivalry. Cranko’s production is set to Sergei Prokofiev’s bold and poignant score, with sets and costumes by internationally-acclaimed German stage designer Jürgen Rose.
The Sleeping Beauty | May 11–19, 2018 Marius Petipa’s gorgeous version of this coming-of-age fairy tale is back by popular demand for five performances only. This ballet celebrates the power of a kiss and features soaring music by Tchaikovsky, breathtaking choreography by Petipa and Sir Frederick Ashton, and sumptuous costumes and sets by Emmy Award-winning designer David Walker.
Classic Balanchine | May 17–Jun 9, 2018 Experience the master anew with the company premiere of Chaconne, his composition of transcendent beauty and lyrical dance; Prodigal Son, an early and acclaimed story ballet; and Stravinsky Violin Concerto, which offers two of his most distinctive pas de deux.
La Sylphide | May 24–Jun 10, 2018 The season concludes with Danish ballet master August Bournonville’s romantic and heartbreaking story of a young Scotsman who abandons his friends, family, and betrothed for the unattainable love of a woodland sprite. It is paired with Bournonville Divertissements, a series of excerpts from his many beloved works, including excerpts of Napoli, Flower Festival in Genzano, and Jockey Dance.
Boston Ballet History
Boston Ballet’s internationally acclaimed performances, world-class school programs, and ground-breaking community outreach programs have made the institution a leader in its field and one of the major dance companies in the world with a 54-year history of promoting excellence and access to dance.
The Company, made up of 65 dancers and 15 nationalities, performs a diverse and acclaimed repertoire ranging from full-length classical ballets, to masterworks by George Balanchine, and new works and world premieres by today’s finest contemporary choreographers.
Boston Ballet School is one of the largest ballet schools in the world, with education programs taking place throughout New England and pre-professional training of the highest caliber.
Boston Ballet is the major center for dance in New England. The Company performs its full season at the historic, 2,500-seat Boston Opera House and resides in a state-of-the-art facility in Boston’s South End designed by architect Graham Gund. Boston Ballet also has national and international touring engagements, including 2014 Lincoln Center, 2014 Kennedy Center, 2013 London, England; 2012 Helsinki, Finland; 2010 and 2007 Spain; 2010 Ottawa, Canada; and 2008 Seoul, Korea, as well as performances at the Guggenheim Museum’s Works & Process series, the Fall for Dance Festival at New York City Center, Orange County Performing Arts Center, Spoleto Festival USA, and The Kennedy Center’s “Ballet Across America” series in 2008 and 2013. In 2016, Boston Ballet announced a five-year partnership with internationally-renowned choreographer William Forsythe, and presented Forsythe’s full-length ARTIFACT in February of 2017.
Boston Ballet is committed to maintaining a repertoire that combines timeless classics such as Marius Petipa’s The Sleeping Beauty, August Bournonville’s La Sylphide, Mikko Nissinen’s Swan Lake, and John Cranko’s Romeo & Juliet, with the imaginative visions of today’s most innovative choreographers including Resident Choreographer Jorma Elo, as well as William Forsythe, Jiří Kylián, Mark Morris, David Dawson, Christopher Wheeldon, and Helen Pickett. In 2009, The New York Times hailed Boston Ballet’s repertoire as “one of the most eclectic in the country,” and in 2010 as having dancers that are “striking by national and international standards.”
Boston Ballet’s award-winning The Nutcracker, choreographed by Nissinen, is a tradition in New England. Over 40 performances employ the talents of the entire company and more than 240 Boston Ballet School students perform in the production every year.
Boston Ballet is a leading source of arts education and cultural enrichment in New England and the world through Boston Ballet School, led by Nissinen and Boston Ballet School Director Margaret Tracey. Boston Ballet School reaches more than 5,000 students at locations in Boston, Newton, and Marblehead for ages 2 through adult, at all experience levels. Boston Ballet School offers intensive and pre-professional training with internationally renowned faculty through year-round and summer dance programs.
Boston Ballet’s Department of Education and Community Initiatives (ECI) provides programming, events, and activities that connect the community to dance, make ballet relevant, and help cultivate a new generation of life-long arts advocates and participants. ECI reaches over 4,000 individuals in the community to cultivate a love of dance and the arts through our education programs, community events, workshops, and performances. ECI dance education programs include Citydance (for third graders in area public schools), ECI on Location (for individuals ages 10–adult at local schools and community sites), and Adaptive Dance (for individuals with disabilities ages 2–adult). Other offerings include Community Workshops, subsidized ticketing, and creative partnerships.
Boston Ballet’s rich history began in 1963, as the first professional repertory ballet company in New England, founded by E. Virginia Williams. Boston Ballet’s national and international reputation developed under the leadership of Artistic Directors Violette Verdy (1980–1984), Bruce Marks (1985–1997), and Anna-Marie Holmes (1997–2000). Artistic Director Mikko Nissinen was selected to lead Boston Ballet in September 2001. A dedicated group of Trustees is led by Board Chair Jack Meyer.
Throughout its history, Boston Ballet has been a leader in the arts. In 1979, Boston Ballet opened the Nervi Festival in Italy, and in 1980 was the first American dance company to perform in the People's Republic of China. The Company made its London premiere in 1981, with a full-length production of Swan Lake. In 1983, Boston Ballet presented Don Quixote on Broadway with Rudolf Nureyev as a special guest artist, following a tour of the United States, Mexico, France, and Italy. Boston Ballet collaborated with choreographer Mark Morris for the first time in 1986. In May 1990, Natalia Dudinskaya and Konstantin Sergeyev, along with then- Assistant Artistic Director Anna-Marie Holmes, staged a new production of Swan Lake featuring Boston Ballet dancers performing the leading roles with dancers from The Kirov Ballet and The Bolshoi Ballet. This historic production attracted international attention.
In recent years, the Company has continued to add the best classical, neo-classical, and contemporary works to its repertoire. Boston Ballet Resident Choreographer Jorma Elo has created 13 world premieres for the Company, and in 2009 Boston Ballet became the first American company to perform Jiří Kylián’s Black and White, as well as his Bella Figura in 2010.
Additionally, the Company has made great strides with the creation of Adaptive Dance, an acclaimed program for individuals with disabilities. The first of its kind, the Adaptive Dance program has been a national model for dance education with sister programs at various dance companies and schools across the U.S.
Boston Ballet’s achievements, coupled with the generous and prestigious support of local and national funding sources, have brought Boston Ballet to the forefront of the international dance scene.
BIO: MIKKO NISSINEN, Artistic Director
Hart Artistic Director’s Chair
Mikko Nissinen was appointed Artistic Director of Boston Ballet and Boston Ballet School in 2001. Nissinen began his dance training at age 10 with the Finnish National Ballet School, and launched his professional dance career at age 15 with the Finnish National Ballet. He continued his studies at The Kirov Ballet School in St. Petersburg, Russia, graduating in 1980. Nissinen danced professionally for 19 years with the Finnish National Ballet, Dutch National Ballet, Basel Ballet, and as a principal dancer with San Francisco Ballet. His vast repertoire ranged from classical to contemporary works, and he performed as a guest artist with many companies and partners for numerous international galas.
Nissinen directed the Marin Ballet in San Rafael, California from 1996 to 1998, and Alberta Ballet in Calgary, Canada from 1998 to 2001, also serving as Alberta Ballet’s Executive Director from 1999 to 2000.
As Artistic Director of Boston Ballet, Nissinen has defined the Company’s image, cultivating a dynamic collection of classical, neo-classical, and contemporary repertoire, ranging from full-length classical ballets, to masterworks by George Balanchine, to new works and world premieres by some of the finest contemporary choreographers today. In 2016, Nissinen and Boston Ballet established a long-term partnership with William Forsythe, allowing the Company to cultivate a rich collection of his work. This three-part repertoire balance has established the Company as one of the leading dance organizations in the U.S., acclaimed for its excellence, artistic innovation, and versatility. Under his direction, Boston Ballet has toured to Canada, Finland, London, New York City, South Korea, Spain, and Washington D.C. Under Nissinen’s regime, The Boston Globe called Boston Ballet’s transformation one of the “biggest arts stories of the decade.”
For Boston Ballet, Nissinen has choreographed Raymonda Act III (2006) and Swan Lake (2004), and the Company has performed his The Nutcracker since 2004. This award-winning production was re- envisioned and re-choreographed in 2012, receiving critical acclaim.
Nissinen serves as Artistic Director of Boston Ballet School, one of the largest ballet schools in North America. He served as Executive Director of Boston Ballet in 2008 for a year and a half. His broad knowledge of dance, its history, and arts organization business leadership make him a popular presenter at conferences and universities worldwide. He was a fellow at the 2002 Executive Program for Nonprofit Leaders in the Arts at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. He is a member of the New York Choreographic Institute’s Artistic Committee and an advisory board member of The Albert Schweitzer Fellowship. He is the recipient of the 2007 United Nations Association of Greater Boston Leadership Award, the Finlandia Foundation’s 2008 Arts and Letters Award, and Boston’s Guide for the Arts 2009 Ambassador for the Arts Award.
BIO: MEREDITH (MAX) HODGES, Executive Director
Max Hodges joined Boston Ballet as Executive Director in 2014, and leads the company in partnership with Artistic Director Mikko Nissinen.
Hodges has a wide range of experience that combines both the nonprofit arts and the for-profit management industries. Prior to joining Boston Ballet, Hodges served as Executive Director of Gallim Dance, a New York-based contemporary dance company that tours worldwide to venues that include Guggenheim Works & Process, the Spoleto Festival, and the Theatre National de Chaillot in Paris, France. At Gallim, she worked in partnership with Artistic Director Andrea Miller to increase performance activity and the company’s artistic profile, while significantly increasing revenue. At the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), Hodges worked in a variety of roles, most recently as a Project Director leading strategic development, membership, and technology initiatives. She has also worked as a Senior Associate Consultant with Bain & Company in Boston and New York, consulting for clients in multiple industries, including private equity and consumer products.
Hodges is a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Business School, and is an Arts Professional-in- Residence at Harvard University. She has been a panelist at the Dance/USA Annual Conference, gave a TED Talk at TEDxBroadway 2016, and lectures on arts entrepreneurship at The Juilliard School.
BIO: JORMA ELO, Resident Choreographer
Finnish-born Jorma Elo was appointed Resident Choreographer of Boston Ballet in 2005. Elo has created more than 60 works for over 30 companies worldwide, including New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, San Francisco Ballet, National Ballet of Canada, Bolshoi Ballet, Royal Danish Ballet, Royal Ballet of Flanders, Vienna State Opera Ballet, Stuttgart Ballet, Finnish National Ballet, Basel Ballet, and Norwegian National Ballet.
Elo trained with the Finnish National Ballet School and the Kirov Ballet School in Leningrad. He danced professionally with Finnish National Ballet and Cullberg Ballet, and joined Netherlands Dance Theater in 1990, where he enjoyed a 15 year career.
As Resident Choreographer of Boston Ballet, Elo has created many world premieres, including Carmen, Le Sacre du Printemps, Plan to B, Brake the Eyes, Bach Cello Suites, and the full-length Elo Experience. Elo’s From All Sides debuted in 2007 for Hubbard Street Dance Chicago to a commissioned score from Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s Mead Composer-in-Residence, Mark Anthony Turnage, conducted by Maestro Esa-Pekka Salonen. Vienna State Opera Ballet premiered his full-length A Midsummer Night’s Dream in 2010. Finnish National Ballet premiered Elo’s full-length Alice in Wonderland in 2016.
Elo was awarded the Pro Finlandia Medal of the Order of the Lion of Finland, one of Finland’s highest honors, in 2015. He was awarded Moscow’s prestigious Benois de la Danse prize for best choreography in 2011 for his production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, commissioned by Vienna State Opera Ballet, and Slice to Sharp, a new version of the ballet created for the Stanislavsky Music Theatre. The Finnish Government awarded Elo with the 2012 Dance Artist Prize. The 2005 Helsinki International Ballet Competition awarded Elo their Choreographic Prize and he is the recipient of the Prince Charitable Trust Prize and the Choo-San Goh Choreographic Award in 2006.
BIOS: Artistic Staff
RUSSELL KAISER, Assistant Artistic Director
Russell Kaiser was born in Cleveland, Ohio and raised in Seattle, Washington. He began his dance training at age 5 and entered the School of Pacific Northwest Ballet at age 13, under the direction of PNB’s Founding Artistic Directors Kent Stowell and Francia Russell. In 1984, Kaiser entered the School of American Ballet, the official school of New York City Ballet (NYCB), where he studied with Stanley Williams, Andre Kramarevsky, and Richard Rapp under full scholarship. In the fall of 1985, Kaiser began his 11-year performing career with NYCB where he danced the works of George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, August Bournonville, Peter Martins, John Taras, Twyla Tharp, and Richard Tanner, among others. Kaiser was an original cast member in Robbins’ West Side Story Suite and Ives, Songs and Martins’ Ash, Fearful Symmetries, Reliquary, and The Sleeping Beauty. Kaiser toured internationally to France, Japan, Denmark, Scotland, and Greece. He also appeared in multiple PBS broadcasts of “Dance in America” and “Live from Lincoln Center.”
At the invitation of Peter Martins, Ballet Master in Chief of New York City Ballet, Kaiser became a Ballet Master for NYCB from 1995 to 2009 where he worked with Mr. Martins on the creation of over 30 works. Kaiser was also responsible for maintaining works by Balanchine, Robbins, Martins, Christopher Wheeldon, and Eliot Feld, among others. He also assisted with the programming of performances and taught company class. Kaiser has staged the works of Balanchine, Robbins, Martins, and Tanner on companies around the world, including Boston Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, the Royal Danish Ballet, The Royal Ballet, Ballet du Capitole de Toulouse, Pennsylvania Ballet, Carolina Ballet, and Atlanta Ballet. Kaiser joined Boston Ballet in 2009 as Assistant Artistic Director.
SHANNON PARSLEY, Ballet Master and Artistic Coordinator
Shannon Parsley, a native of Fort Worth, Texas, joined the artistic staff in 2006 in her third role with Boston Ballet. Parsley previously performed as a dancer in the Company and then went on to teach as a full-time faculty member and Children’s Ballet Mistress in Boston Ballet School.
She began her dancing career with Fort Worth Ballet, followed by Miami City Ballet where she was promoted to soloist in 2001. Parsley joined Boston Ballet in 2002 while continuing to dance as a soloist with the Suzanne Farrell Ballet. Some of her many principal and soloist roles include George Balanchine’s Emeralds, Who Cares?, Agon, Duo Concertant, La Source, Divertimento No. 15, Apollo, and the revival of Divertimento Brillante. In addition to her vast Balanchine repertoire, she has also performed works by Sir Frederick Ashton, Paul Taylor, Mark Morris, Marius Petipa, and Rudolf Nureyev. In 2005, she danced at the Kennedy Center Honors in recognition of Suzanne Farrell.
In 2006, Parsley traveled to Edinburgh, Scotland with the Suzanne Farrell Ballet to dance leading roles in Balanchine’s Don Quixote, as well as to stage the children in the production. In 2006, she was invited by The Balanchine Trust to stage Balanchine’s Serenade for the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. Parsley began her career as a ballet mistress working with the Suzanne Farrell Ballet.
Parsley also serves as the Artistic Coordinator for Boston Ballet communicating with each department and creating the daily schedules for the Company.
LARISSA PONOMARENKO, Ballet Master
Larissa Ponomarenko joined Boston Ballet’s artistic staff as Ballet Master in 2011, and is a graduate of Vaganova Ballet Academy in St. Petersburg. After working with Donetsk Ballet in Ukraine, she danced with Mississippi Ballet and Tulsa Ballet before joining Boston Ballet as a principal dancer in 1993.
Ponomarenko danced with Boston Ballet for 18 years. Her versatile repertoire includes Odette and Odile in Swan Lake, Kitri in Don Quixote, Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty, Juliet in Romeo & Juliet, Tatiana in Onegin, Kate in The Taming of the Shrew, the title roles in Giselle and Cinderella, Medora in Le Corsaire, Swanhilda in Coppélia, Nikiya in La Bayadère, and countless others. Ponomarenko has also performed a wide repertoire of Balanchine works including Symphony in C, Who Cares?, The Four Temperaments, Diamonds, Emeralds, Mozartiana, La Valse, Divertimento No. 15, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Serenade. She has danced works by John Cranko, Jiří Kylián, Nacho Duato, Sir Kenneth MacMillan, Antony Tudor, Paul Taylor, Mark Morris, Christopher Wheeldon, and Twyla Tharp, among others. Over the years, Ponomarenko has worked closely with Boston Ballet Resident Choreographer Jorma Elo and has served as a muse for many of his ballets. She has also created roles in original works including Rhyme, choreographed for her by her husband, Viktor Plotnikov.
Ponomarenko has appeared internationally in galas and as a guest artist with English National Ballet in London, NBA Ballet Company in Tokyo, Opera Theatre of Rome, and Teatro Comunale of Florence in Italy. She was nominated for the Benois de la Danse award in 2005 and is a recipient of the E. Virginia Williams Inspiration Award.
ANTHONY RANDAZZO, Ballet Master
Anthony Randazzo first trained in Michigan with his mother, Marjorie. He continued his training at The National Ballet School of Canada under the direction of Betty Oliphant. When invited by Alexander Grant, he joined the National Ballet of Canada and worked with esteemed artists such as Celia Franca, Erik Bruhn, Peter Schaufuss, Glen Tetley, Robert Desrosiers, Danny Grossman, and Constantin Patsalas.
In 1987, Helgi Tomasson invited Randazzo to join San Francisco Ballet. He became a principal dancer in 1988. He was featured in a wide range of repertoire, and his partnership with Evelyn Cisneros is highly acclaimed. Randazzo was named “San Francisco Ballet’s premiere danseur noble” by the San Francisco Chronicle. In 1997 Randazzo returned to the National Ballet of Canada to work as Artist-in-Residence, retiring 18 months later.
Randazzo performed leading roles in ballets by George Balanchine, Sir Frederick Ashton, William Forsythe, Jiří Kylián, Paul Taylor, Jerome Robbins, Rudolf Nureyev, John Cranko, Sir Kenneth MacMillan, and Harald Lander. He originated roles in creations by Helgi Tomasson, James Kudelka, David Bintley, Mark Morris, and Val Caniparoli. He was well known for principal roles in Swan Lake, The Sleeping
Beauty, Romeo & Juliet, and La Sylphide.
Mikko Nissinen invited Randazzo to join the artistic staff at Boston Ballet in 2002. He staged Jorma Elo’s Plan to B and Brake the Eyes for Cincinnati Ballet and Opera Nova, and James Kudelka’s The Four Seasons for Slovak National Theatre. Randazzo is an Honorary Member of Cecchetti International.
PETER STARK, Associate Director of Boston Ballet II
Peter Stark has been teaching for two decades and has trained many dancers with the world’s best dance companies. With students dancing in every major American ballet company and in several European companies, Peter Stark has developed a legacy as a renowned ballet teacher and coach. He has coached multiple gold medal winners for International Ballet Competitions (IBC). Stark’s students have also gone on to win Princess Grace Awards, the Prix de Lausanne, and the New York finals of Youth America Grand Prix, where Stark was honored as outstanding teacher in 2014. Stark’s mentor, Fernando Bujones, hired him as assistant to the artistic director at Ballet Mississippi and later as school director at Orlando Ballet. Stark is the founding artistic director of Next Generation Ballet (NGB) in Tampa, a pre- professional company for serious young dancers that has garnered an international reputation. He joined Boston Ballet in 2015.
After beginning his performing career with New York City Ballet and Boston Ballet, Stark went on to become a leading dancer with The Washington Ballet. He was featured in a PBS telecast of Washington Opera's La Rondine starring José Carreras. Stark trained at the School of American Ballet. He danced principal roles in ballets by George Balanchine, Marius Petipa, Choo San Goh, among others. In addition to his dance training, Stark studied business administration at Strayer University in Washington, D.C. Stark continues to judge dance internationally and has served on grant panels for the National Endowment for the Arts. Stark has received many prestigious honors throughout his teaching career, including Florida Arts Educator of the Year, "Peter Stark Day" in the city of Orlando, Florida, and a feature on the cover of Dance Teacher magazine.
Boston Ballet II
Boston Ballet II (BBII) is the second company program-in-residence at Boston Ballet, under the direction of Artistic Director Mikko Nissinen and Peter Stark, Associate Director of Boston Ballet II. Members of BBII are young dancers of outstanding ability, ages 16–21, who are challenged to improve artistically and technically so they may reach their full potential. The two-year program bridges the divide between the final year of schooling and professional careers with major dance companies and offers dancers a full range of performance opportunities to further skill development as artists.
BBII members gain professional experience and train with Stark, Nissinen, and artistic staff, as well as with guest choreographers, stagers, and directors from distinguished American and international companies. A major part of their performance education is understudying and appearing regularly on stage with Boston Ballet. BBII also performs its own repertoire throughout the Greater Boston community.
BBII members have gone on to professional dance careers in numerous American and international companies, including The Royal Ballet of London, Nederlands Dans Theater, Royal Ballet of Flanders, Alberta Ballet, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, Cincinnati Ballet, Tulsa Ballet, Houston Ballet, and American Ballet Theatre. Additionally, BBII alumni fill Boston Ballet’s ranks; in the current season, 35% of the Company dancers are former BBII members.
COMPANY REPERTOIRE, 2002–2017
CHOREOGRAPHY TITLE MUSIC Pino Alosa Paquita (after Petipa) Minkus
Karole Armitage Bitches Brew* Davis
Frederick Ashton La Fille mal gardée Hérold-Lanchbery Cinderella Prokofiev
George Balanchine Apollo Stravinsky Ballo della Regina Verdi Concerto Barocco J.S. Bach Coppélia Delibes Diamonds Tchaikovsky Divertimento No. 15 Mozart Donizetti Variations Donizetti Duo Concertant Stravinsky Emeralds Fauré Episodes von Webern The Four Temperaments Hindemith Jewels Faure, Stravinsky, Tchaikovsky Kammermusik No. 2 Hindemith A Midsummer Night’s Dream Mendelssohn Monumentum pro Gesualdo Stravinsky Movements for Piano and Orchestra Stravinsky Mozartiana Tchaikovsky Prodigal Son Prokofiev Rubies Stravinsky Serenade Tchaikovsky Stars and Stripes Sousa Stravinsky Violin Concerto Stravinsky Symphony in C Bizet Symphony in Three Movements Stravinsky Theme and Variations Tchaikovsky La Valse Ravel
Christopher Bruce Rooster The Rolling Stones *Indicates world premiere Val Caniparoli Lady of the Camellias Chopin Lambarena J.S. Bach, Traditional African music Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion* Bartók
Jeffrey Cirio fremd* Chopin, Field, Bender, Twin Lucinda Childs Ten Part Suite* Corelli
Florence Clerc La Bayadère (after Petipa) Minkus Les Sylphides (after Fokine) Chopin
John Cranko Onegin Tchaikovsky Romeo & Juliet Prokofiev The Taming of the Shrew Stolze after Scarlatti
David Dawson The Grey Area Lanz, J.S. Bach
Alexander Ekman Cacti Haydn, Beethoven, Schubert, Stein, Mahler
Jorma Elo Awake Only* J.S. Bach Bach Cello Suites* J.S. Bach Brake the Eyes * Mozart, Euverink Carmen* Bizet Carmen/Illusions* Bizet C. to C. (Close to Chuck) Reborn* Philip Glass Creatures of Egmont* J.S. Bach, Beethoven, Schumann Elo Experience* von Biber, Glass, Herrmann, Martynov, Tchaikovsky, Vivaldi, Ysaÿe In On Blue* Ysaÿe, Herrman Le Sacre du Printemps* Stravinsky Plan to B* Biber Sharp Side of Dark* J.S. Bach Sharper Side of Dark* J.S. Bach
Sorella Englund La Sylphide (after Bournonville) Løvenskiold
Michel Fokine Le Spectre de la rose von Weber
William Forsythe Artifact 2017 Crossman-Hecht, J.S. Bach In the middle, somewhat elevated Willems The Second Detail Willems The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude Schubert
Maina Gielgud Giselle (after Corelli and Perrot) Adam
James Kudelka Cinderella Prokofiev
*Indicates world premiere Jiří Kylián Bella Figura Foss, Pergolesi, Marcello, Vivaldi, Torelli Falling Angels Reich No More Play Webern Petite Mort Mozart Sarabande J.S. Bach Sechs Tänze Mozart Symphony of Psalms Stravinsky Tar and Feathers Mozart Wings of Wax J.S. Bach, Biber, Cage Glass
Harald Lander Études Czerny
Ivan Liška Le Corsaire Adam, Delibes
José Martinez Resonance Liszt
Peter Martins Barber Violin Concerto Barber Distant Light* Vasks
Léonid Massine Gaîté Parisienne Offenbach
Sabrina Matthews ein von viel Bach
Wayne McGregor Chroma Joby Talbot Obsidian Tear Salonen
Mark Morris Drink to Me Only with Thine Eyes Thomson Maelstrom Beethoven Up and Down* Glazunov
Heather Myers Gone Again* Schubert
John Neumeier Third Symphony of Gustav Mahler Mahler
Bronislava Nijinska Les Noces Stravinsky
Vaslav Nijinsky Afternoon of a Faun Debussy
Mikko Nissinen The Nutcracker* Tchaikovsky Raymonda (Act III) Glazunov Swan Lake* Tchaikovsky
Rudolf Nureyev Don Quixote Minkus
Marius Petipa The Sleeping Beauty Tchaikovsky Paquita Deldevez, Minkus
Helen Pickett Etesian* Bach, Beethoven Eventide* Nyman, Garbarek, Glass LAYLI O MAJNUN* Pärt Tabula Rasa* Pärt
月夜 Tsukiyo* Pärt *Indicates world premiere
Viktor Plotnikov Rhyme* Chopin Swan* Saint-Saëns
Jerome Robbins Afternoon of a Faun Debussy Antique Epigraphs Debussy The Concert Chopin Fancy Free Bernstein
Twyla Tharp In the Upper Room Glass
Antony Tudor Dark Elegies Mahler
Rudi van Dantzig Romeo and Juliet Prokofiev
Hans van Manen Black Cake Tchaikovsky, Janáček, Stravinsky, Mascagni, Massenet
Christopher Wheeldon Polyphonia Ligeti
Norbert Vesak Belong Syrinx
Yury Yanowsky Smoke and Mirrors* Vidal
Leonid Yakobson Pas de Quatre Bellini Rodin Debussy, Prokofiev, Berg
Lila York Celts Ruyle, Whelan, Celtic Thunder, Dan Ar Braz
Petr Zuska D.M.J. (1953-1977) Dvořák, Martinů, Janáček
*Indicates world premiere
BOSTON BALLET, Press Quotes
“We should be seeing just about everything that the consistently superb Boston Ballet does now.” (Jared Bowen, WGBH, Mar 30, 2017)
“There is a strong case to be made that Boston Ballet, under the direction of Mikko Nissinen, has not so stealthily ascended to the supreme position of American ballet companies.” (Michael Levin, The Huffington Post, May 20, 2016)
“Between its equally complementary productions, Boston Ballet spins something to charm most any dance fan this month – and that extends to one extreme or the other for adventurous neophytes as well as aficionados.” (Paul Robicheau, The Improper Bostonian, May 10, 2016)
“…Boston Ballet company performs with tremendous precision and strength, holding up the material of the late 20th century programs with their skill especially.” (Caitlin Malcuit, The Backstage Beat, May 16, 2015)
“Artistic director Mikko Nissinen and the entire Boston Ballet are to be congratulated for fostering a company that is dancing so well, and for the continual search for works that offer challenging roles, not to mention educating as well as entertaining the home-town audiences.” (Iris Fanger, The Patriot Ledger, May 16, 2015)
“Boston Ballet is flawless.” (Kathryn Maus, Bachtrack, May 11, 2014)
“Masterful technique and expression.“ (Turun Sanomat, Finland, Sep 9, 2012)
“The company is unified, with great artistic talent and an international reputation.” (Danza Ballet, Spain, Jun 14, 2010)
“[Boston Ballet] dancers are striking by national and international standards. The company’s repertory is at least as diverse as any other American troupe’s. It is a rare dancer who can serve idioms so opposed with equal skill.” (Alastair Macaulay, The New York Times, May 10, 2010)
“[This is] a company in the very first rank. We are accustomed to Boston having one of the great symphonies of the world. The town has now gotten itself a ballet company that meets that standard.” (Dance Magazine, 2009)
Boston Ballet’s transformation is one of the “biggest arts stories of the decade.” (Geoff Edgers, The Boston Globe, Dec 22, 2009)
“Boston Ballet’s repertory is one of the most eclectic in the country.” (Alastair Macaulay, The New York Times, Mar 2, 2009)
“Under Mikko’s direction Boston Ballet has flourished. He’s doing it right: the company is once again a serious, viable and high-quality organization; real dancing by real people. Boston is a lucky town.” (Mark Morris, The Boston Globe, Sep 29, 2008)