Principal Connor Walsh Guesting in Malaysia

Rather than take time off after an intense Nutcracker season, principal dancer Connor Walsh will depart for Malaysia on Thursday for a two-performance guesting stint at DanceWorks 2010.   Mr. Walsh will perform leading roles in Paquita and Carmen, partnering with Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Lei Zhao and Ena Ballet Studio Company’s Ena Hirose, respectively.  This year’s Danceworks production will benefit Lions Lyfe-Line Leukemia Fund, SPCA, Living Hope Malaysia, and Yayasan Sin Chew.

Read more about DanceWorks 2010 here.

Chi Cao of Mao’s Last Dancer Guest Starring as Nutcracker Prince

Beginning this Friday, Chi Cao, a principal dancer with England’s Birmingham Royal Ballet and star of the internationally acclaimed film Mao’s Last Dancer, will perform the role of the prince in The Nutcracker at 7:30 pm on Friday, December 18; 2:00 pm on Sunday, December 20; 2:00 pm on Tuesday, December 22; and 2:00 pm on Wednesday, December 23.

“Chi has incredible classical and virtuoso technique. He has been very well trained by the Beijing Dance Academy, the same school that trained Li Cunxin, and we are excited to have him perform the Prince in The Nutcracker,” commented Houston Ballet Artistic Director Stanton Welch.

In Mao’s Last Dancer, Cao portrays Houston Ballet’s beloved former dancer Li Cunxin as an adult. Directed by the acclaimed film director Bruce Beresford, the cinematic version of Mao’s Last Dancer debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival in September, was released to great acclaim in Australia in October, and is slated for distribution in the U.S. in 2010.

Read more about Mr. Cao in the Houston Chronicle…

Chi Cao as Li Cunxin in Mao's Last Dancer. Photo by Simon Cardwell.

A Princely Chat with Peter Franc

Demi soloist Peter Franc will debut as the prince in this year’s production of The Nutcracker.  Peter sat down with Houston ArtsWeek’s Nancy Wozny to discuss his new role, what he’s looking forward to in Houston Ballet’s spring season, and his favorite dance partners.  Read more here.

Stage Load-In for The Nutcracker

Today is load-in day for The Nutcracker, which means costumes, backdrops, set pieces, and props are being moved into the theater from our studios on W. Gray and our warehouse in the 5th ward.  Three 18-wheelers are currently inhabiting the Wortham loading dock as each piece is carefully unloaded, moved to its proper location, and re-assembled on Brown Stage.   I was able to snap a few pictures while I was at the theater today to give you an idea of the organized chaos…let’s just say, regardless of our doing this every year for the past 22 years, it’s still not easy.  And just think: all of this will be completed and arranged just-so for the curtain to go up on November 27.  Click here to see the pictures.

Q&A with Academy Student Eleni McGee

You may recall our recent post on The Nutcracker clown auditions, which you can read here.  Houston Ballet’s Ben Stevenson Academy student Eleni McGee, age 12, is one of the lucky few who will take the stage in November to dance this role.  Here’s what she had to say about performing in The Nutcracker:

Q: Why did you audition for this role?
A: With each of the numerous performances I feel the pounding thrill of the music combined with the detailed, elaborate costumes and quick choreography. These aspects make me desire to be on the stage each year for The Nutcracker. Even with the nerve-wracking anxiety of the auditions, each year of The Nutcracker is definitely worth it. So when thousands of bodies with butterflies flapping in their stomachs crowded into Studio A to face an array of judges, I thought of the exhilarating fun that would await me if I were accepted.   Even when I attended The Nutcracker at five years old in a frilly pink dress, my favorite part would be the clowns darting out of Mother Ginger’s skirt and frolicking around happily. Each year this image causes me to want the role more and more.

Q: How long have you been dancing?
A: I have been dancing for six years.

Q: What are you most looking forward to during The Nutcracker run?
A: I most anticipate dancing the energetic steps on the stage during The Nutcracker with bright lights shining on you and colorful props popping out in the corners of your eyes. I relish the moments when friends gather into the dressing rooms and discuss the performance while re-applying make-up and hairspray.  Performing the part with friends is especially exciting, because the role of the clown certainly requires the teamwork of twisting and turning each other and delivering it with a gleaming smile.  I also admire every second of the melodic, flowing music that just seems to leak into the audience’s chairs. Gawking at the professional dancers being perfectly courageous and fearless on stage is always a highlight of The Nutcracker.

Q: What does landing this role mean to you as a dancer?
A: When I opened the acceptance letter for The Nutcracker, I overflowed with joy. Each year I have enjoyed the dancing and choreography. Especially with this being my last year to be able to be a clown, I feel fortunate to perform the steps on stage along with my peers.  As a dancer, I am happy to experience as much as I can on stage with the professional company. Every step seems to be filled with honor, and I am glad to have exposure to know what it is like to have your part on stage make a difference in what the audience thought or the newspaper review.  I love the energetic steps, and the fact that I get to show the work from rehearsals and classes on stage is fabulous.

For more information about The Nutcracker, you may visit Houston Ballet’s website.

Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion Performance Cancelled

Due to inclement weather, the October 9 performance of Houston Ballet’s Swan Lake + Two program was cancelled.  If you purchased tickets to this performance, please visit the Pavilion’s website for more information about refunds.  Thank you, and very sorry for any inconvenience!

Don’t Miss Houston Ballet at The Woodlands Pavilion

Houston Ballet will be performing a mixed repertory program titled Swan Lake + Two at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion on Friday, October 9 at 8 PM.  The program will be comprised of Act II from Stanton Welch’s Swan Lake, Nacho Duato’s Jardi Tancat, and Jiří Kylián’s Falling Angels.

Pre-concert activities will begin at 7 PM.  Orchestra seating is $15, and free mezzanine and general admission lawn seating is available. To purchase tickets or for more details, visit the Pavilion’s website.

Grab a blanket and come out to support Houston Ballet in The Woodlands!

Free Performance by HBII This Weekend at Miller Outdoor Theatre

Join us for the 15th Annual Weekend of Texas Contemporary Dance, September 25-26.  Presented by Dance Source Houston, this is a free dance festival that will take place at Miller Outdoor Theatre and will showcase Houston’s finest range of choreographic styles set to a variety of music, including Amy Ell’s gravity-defying aerial dance skills in Thread; Freneticore’s dance-on-film, Tetjusin; and Polly Motley’s Charmed Romantics, performed by the Atlanta/Houston company CORE Performance Company. Other works include those by Houston Metropolitan Dance Company, Hope Stone, Urban Souls Dance Company, and many more.  For more information about the festival, please visit Dance Source Houston’s website.

HBII, Houston Ballet’s pre-professional training company, will perform “Dance Around the World” on September 26 at 11 AM.  This special family matinee is a free event at Miller Outdoor Theatre which will showcase the many talents of our second company.

Come help us celebrate the great dance talent that Houston offers!

Behind the scenes at Houston Ballet’s commercial shoots

Here is a great blog entry by Locke Bryan Productions about the making of our television commercials.  We’ve been working with Locke Bryan for many years, and the results are always fantastic.  With their help we’ve won 3 Gold Addy Awards and 1 Silver.  Enjoy!

A Very Special Audition Opportunity

Guest writer: Melissa Seuffert, public relations intern for Houston Ballet

Growing up as the granddaughter of a European ballerina who came to the U.S. and founded her own ballet company, I’ve had my fair share of Nutcracker experiences.  My most vivid memory was watching dress rehearsals with my grandmother.  It was always so magical seeing visions come to life, and every performance I see to this day captures me in a way that takes me back to my childhood.  I’ll admit it; dreams of being the Sugar Plum Fairy still manage to find their way into my head.

Imagine how excited I was to find out that this year, for the first time EVER, Houston Ballet is opening up auditions so young ballerinas can have the opportunity I missed – to dance in this year’s production of The Nutcracker as Mother Ginger’s clowns!  Head over to Houston Ballet’s studios (1921 W. Bell in River Oaks) on Saturday, September 26 at 3 PM ready to dance.  The audition is open to girls aged 10-12 who are no more than 4’10” in height and have had at least four years of ballet training.

Mother Ginger Clowns from Houston Ballet’s The Nutcracker. Photo by Jim Caldwell.

If you’d like more information about the auditions, contact Houston Ballet’s Ben Stevenson Academy at 713.535.3210.  If I were you – or your daughter, niece, granddaughter, you name it – I wouldn’t miss this chance to shine!  If only I’d had the chance to dance with the big wigs like these girls will, maybe this Houston Ballet intern wouldn’t be sitting at the computer, but dancing in the studios instead.

-Melissa