Houston Ballet 601 Preston Street, Houston, TX 77002
713.523.6300 info@houstonballet.org www.houstonballet.org
Julie Kent Artistic Director
Stanton Welch AM Artistic Director James Nelson Executive Director
Ben Stevenson OBE Artistic Director Emeritus
PUBLISHED BY Houston Ballet
Welcome! Dear Houston Ballet friends, After venturing into the depths of the sea with The Little Mermaid , it gives me great pleasure to welcome you to Velocity, our first mixed repertoire of the season. This triple bill showcases the unique strengths of our dancers, promising an exhilarating performance that captivates and inspires. We begin our program with Aszure Barton’s Come In ; its hypnotizing movements serve as a poignant reminder of our shared humanity within an ever-evolving world. Created for the opening of the Baryshnikov Arts Center in 2006, Come In originally featured the legendary Mikhail Baryshnikov, then 58, and his Hell’s Kitchen Dance, a company of mostly students assembled by Baryshnikov. Restaged as an all-male ballet since its inception, this piece offers a unique opportunity to witness our male dancers in a more intimate and vulnerable light. Accompanied by Vladimir Martynov’s reverent score, Barton’s choreography masterfully pares down movement in unison, inviting the dancers – and us – to simply be. Next, we welcome another Silas Farley original ballet into our repertoire with the world premiere of Four Loves . Taking inspiration from four facets of love, Farley’s ballet offers a vibrant and insightful journey through both expressive and classical movement, set to a commissioned score from
CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER Angela Lane DIRECTOR OF MARKETING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS Angela Lee DIRECTOR, DEVELOPMENT COMMUNICATIONS & PUBLICATIONS Jasmine Fuller Cane DEVELOPMENT COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER Kharma Grimes DEVELOPMENT COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR Amanda Coleman PROJECT STAFF Alexandra Anthony, Lynn Chung, Jared Murphy
his longtime friend Kyle Werner. An emerging talent in the dance world, Silas is dedicated to learning and passing on his knowledge of dance; his devotion to the artform is beautifully evident in this captivating new work, generously made possible by Marguerite Swartz. Finally, we conclude our performance with Velocity , a piece I created in 2003 for The Australian Ballet. When I first arrived in America, I was encouraged to incorporate more classical elements into my work – feedback that stuck with me and expanded and evolved my vocabulary. Velocity pays tribute to the grandeur of classical ballet, challenging every dancer on stage to execute with precision and grace, highlighting their exceptional abilities in the most brilliant way. I’m extremely grateful to Stephanie and Frank Tsuru for their help in bringing this work back to the stage for a new generation of dancers. It’s an honor to share this experience with you all; it’s your presence and passion for dance that keeps the artform – and Houston Ballet – thriving.
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Houston Ballet Vol. 7, Issue 2
Enjoy the performance,
ON THE COVER First Soloist Harper Watters and Charles-Louis Yoshiyama in Aszure Barton’s Come In . Photo by Amitava Sarkar.
STANTON WELCH AM Houston Ballet Artistic Director
6 HOUSTON BALLET
Houston Ballet Artistic Director Stanton Welch. Photo by Julie Soefer.
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