Busy as a Bee

Guest writer: Sarah Lam, PR intern

Houston Ballet is currently preparing for its season opener of Body, Soul & Gershwin, but we’ve also been busy with a variety of activities as the summer draws to a close. Here’s a quick glimpse at what we’ve been working on the past week.

First Day of School

It was the first day of school for 13 Houston Ballet dancers as they began courses at St. Edward’s University. The University and Houston Ballet have formed a partnership to create a new degree program, which allows professional dancers to receive a Bachelor of Arts in Dance and the Humanities degree.

Collars for a Cause

Houston Ballet is participating in Collars for a Cause. The Spay-Neuter Assistance Program (SNAP) has created a fundraiser where participants decorate animal collars to be auctioned off. Dancers and staff took the time to design outrageously cute and clever collars!

Principal Photo Shoot

Finally, new principal dancer Jun Shuang Huang donned an Armani suit, courtesy of Neiman Marcus, for his principal portrait. The portrait will be set up for viewing, along with the portraits of all other Houston Ballet principal dancers and first soloists, at Wortham Theater Center on performance days.

-Sarah

Join us for the 17th Annual Theater District Open House!

Guest writer: Sarah Meals, marketing manager

If you’re looking for a fun way to spend an afternoon in downtown Houston, join us for the 17th Annual Theater District Open House on Sunday, August 29 from 12-4pm.  This event is great:  free food, free entertainment, and a great way to get to know Houston Ballet a little better!

Open House is a unique opportunity for patrons like you to go backstage in all of the theater district venues, meet the performers, watch free performances, and take advantage of some great ticket deals. Houston Ballet will be displaying costumes and props from the 2010-2011 season, and we will have costumed characters from The Nutcracker ready to take pictures with you.  There will even be a dress-up station for your little ones with real Houston Ballet costumes! 

Also, our professional training company Houston Ballet II will perform at 12:00 pm and 1:30 pm in the Cullen Theater of Wortham Theater Center. The performances are free and seating is first come, first served.

We hope to see you at this exciting event!

-Sarah

Q&A with New Houston Ballet Soloist Melissa Hough

Guest writer: Sarah Lam, public relations intern

Melissa Hough is one of Houston Ballet’s newest additions for the 2010-2011 season. She joins the company as a soloist and already feels right at home as she settles into rehearsals for George Balanchine’s Jewels.

SL: Where did you dance before joining Houston Ballet?
MH: I was with Boston Ballet for 7 seasons.

SL: What made you decide to make the move to Houston Ballet?
MH: There were lots of reasons. I knew Stanton (Welch) and enjoyed working with him at Ballet Met. So as I found out more about the company it seemed like a good option. I really like that Houston Ballet gives lots of opportunities to its dancers. Your career is so short that there’s not much time to waste. Also, I couldn’t do Boston winters anymore! I didn’t want to keep putting my icy toes into pointe shoes!

SL: How do you like Houston so far?
MH: I love how warm it is in the winter. It’s surprising how green it is. When people think of Texas they have the stereotypical vision of a flat desert but Houston has almost a tropical feel.

SL: I hear you’re doing rehearsals for Houston Ballet’s performance of Jewels. Have you danced this part before?
MH: Yes. I had the Rubies lead 2 seasons ago. I performed it on tour in Spain.

SL: This is a new piece for Houston Ballet but not for you. Do you find yourself ahead of the curve so to speak, or is it just as difficult the second time around?
MH: I do feel like I know more and don’t have to ask as many questions. However, the music for Rubies, which is by Stravinsky, is difficult to dance to.

SL: What makes dancing Jewels so challenging?
MH: Balanchine’s work sneaks up on you. It doesn’t seem that difficult until you put it all together. Fortunately, I had lots of exposure to Balanchine in Boston so I feel at home doing it but I still have miles to go.

The biggest thing is that it’s all about the ballerina. You have to play the role and be on top of your technique. There’s lots of pressure because Balanchine’s work pushes you, you’ll be at the point where you feel you’re done and then have 2 more entrances!

SL: Which ballet in Jewels is your favorite?
MH: Overall, Rubies but I like all of them. It’s a great piece of work.

“Dance with Camera” Exhibit at CAMH

The Contemporary Arts Museum in Houston, located at 5216 Montrose Boulevard, is currently displaying their “Dance with Camera” exhibition. This exhibit features film, video and photographs from 1965 onwards documenting the work of celebrated dance artists as George Balanchine (and the famous pas de deux from his landmark 1957 work Agon), modern dance legend Merce Cunningham, the hip punk ballerina Karole Armitage, and a 1960s film of singer/dancer Toni Basil (who went on to record the smash pop single “Mickey” in 1982).

In addition to the exhibited works, CAMH has also planned a series of live events along with the exhibit, including Deborah Hay’s lecture on “The Performance of Beauty” and a rare screening of Michael Clark’s notorious 1987 Hail the New Puritans.

“Dance with Camera” continues through October 17. For more information and a list of events relating to the show, visit www.camh.org.

Click here to read the Houston Press’s opening report on the exhibit.