Joffrey Ballet Dancer Jeraldine Mendoza receives $50k Grant The Joffrey Ballet is pleased to an theAnnenberg Public Policy Center at nounce that dancer Jeraldine Men the University of Pennsylvania. The doza has received an award of grants are named in honor of the late $50,000 from the prestigious national Leonore Annenherg, Chief of Proto LeonoreAnnenberg Fellowship Fund col in the administration of President in the Performing and VIsual Arts. Ronald Reagan and wife of the late TIlls marks the first time that the An Ambassador Walter H. Annenberg. nenberg Fellowship grant has been Mrs. Annenberg established the grants given to a perfonning artist in Chica. to support lifelong rommitment to go since the grant's inception in 2008. the arts, fostered by her desire to pro TheAnnenberg Fellowship makes in vide opportunities fur artistic growth vestments in a limited munber of ex and her intention to strengthenAmer ceptionally talented young artists as iGUl rulturallife. they begin their professional lives and To be eligible for the grant, estal:r the grants may be used by the artists lished artists andAmeriGU1 arts institu to meet their artistic needs as well as tiOrlS identifY and recommend GUldi the practical needs of their profession mer Session in 2009 at age 17, and dates to an Annenberg Fellowship al and personal lives. was selected by Helgi Tomasson to be Selection Council, which makes the fi "The Joffrey is honored to have one rome a trainee at San Francisco'Ballet nal decisions. Up to ten Leonore An of its dancers recognized as Chicago's that year as well. She was the first nenberg Arts Fellows are selected each first performing artist to receive the AmeriGUl female invited to graduate year. Other recipients of this year's prestigious Annenberg Fellowship,". in the Russian Course at the prestigious Leonore Annenberg Fellowships in said Joffrey Executive Director BOlshoi Ballet Acidfniy (now knOwn the Perfonningand V1SualArts, whose Christopher Ginton Conway. '''Ibis as Mosrow State Academy ofChore rombined grants total nearly $1 mil generous gift will allow our artists ec0- ography) and graduated with honors. lion, include: Tenor Paul Appleby nomic freedom as they hone and Mendoza later won first place at the (Metropolitan Opera), actor Eric grow their craft. TIlls is a gift not only Youth America. Grand Prix (yAGP) Berryman (Carnegie Mellon School to them and to our rompany, but also San Francisco Regional Semi-Finals in of Drama), actor Austin Durant (Lin to our audiences as they watch our 2011. Her lead roles include Sugar coln CenterTheater), soprano Devon dancers blossom and prospeL" Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker, Odette Guthrie (The Julliard School), pianist "To have received such recognition 'in Swan lake, The Dying Swan in Sullivan Fortner, Jr. (Oberlin CorlSer in my first year at The Joffrey Ballef is 0uniVal of the Animals, Odalisque.in vatory of Music), Baritone Alex a true honor," said Mendoza. 'There I.e Co.rsaire, and various principal roles Lawrence (Glimmerglass Opera), ac are many once-in-a-lili:time opportu in new ballets made by choreographer tor Bryce Pinkham (Yale School of nities as a JoffreydanCet and this is cer Yuri Zhukov. She joined The Jofli:ey Drama), violinist Michelle Ross (The tafulyoneofthem." Ballain 20 1L Perlman Music Program), and ballet Jeralditie Mendoza, from Sari Fran $trUaured in three separate program dancer Eric Tamrn (AmeriGUl Ballet cisCo, California, trained at the City funsis '- The LeoooreAnnenberg fel Theatre). Ballet School of San Francisco since lowship Fund in rhe Performing and For more information on the the age offive, mainly under the artis VISual Arts, the Leonqre Annenberg Leonore Annenberg Fellowship please tic direction of Galina Alexandrova. College ScholarShip Fund, and the visit www.annenbergpublicpolicycen She received full merit ScholarShip to Leonore Annenberg School Fund for ter.org and for more information on the School ofAmeriGUl Ballet's Sum- Children - the grants are a project of The Jofli:ey Ballervisit joffi-ey.org.
14 Saturday, June 2, 2012 The Chicago Crusader
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