The Charleston Ballet - 2007 Program

Variations

Variety, they say, is the spice of life. And certainly this season will offer a wonderful variety of opportunities to experience dance in many ways. From the traditional performance of The Nutcracker, to a tirp back to the day of Fred and Ginger, to a taste of the Flavors of Spain, the Charleston Ballety 2008-2009 season truly offers something for everyone with more contemporary and modern works using current themes, popular music, light and entertaining creations. Whether you're a long time lover of the ballet, or you are just being introduced to the beauty, grace and delight of dance, we welcome you to our performance - in all their variations.

BALLROOM, BARRES, & BALLET BLUES

Oct. 24-25, 208 - Civic Center Theater 8pm
BALLROOM: A new creation Suite Astaire, by jazz choreographer, Ronnie De Marco, based on the legendary American dance couple, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, performed by guest Olivier Wecxsteen and artistic director Kim Pauley. BARRE: Excerpts from REPETITION, a ballet created based on the progression of a ballet class. BALLET: The traditional ballet LES SYLPHIDES, with music of Chopin, will showcase the entire company, Cincinnati Ballet guest artist, Anthony Krutzkamp, along with Rhiannon Turley and several other soloists of the company. BLUES: George Gershwin's familiar score RHAPSODY IN BLUE will also be a full company work on the program.

NUTCRACKER

Dec. 19, 2008 7:30pm - Dec. 20, 2008 2:00pm - Dec. 20, 2008 7:30pm
Maier Performance Hall at the Clay Center
A full company of dancers, local adults and children, and guest artists - including principle and frequent guests Olivier Wecxsteen, Miguel Campaneria, Jose Rodrigues, Freddie Fourie, and several additional male dancers - will be on hand to present the 6th annual collaboration of Tchaikovsky's NUTCRACKER with the WV Symphony Orchestra. These full-length performances that include local choruses and large orchestra are the only presentation of this holiday masterpiece in West Virginia with live music. The performances take place at the Maier Performance Hall at the Clay Center.

FLAVORS OF SPAIN

March 27-28, 2009 Civic Center Theater 8pm
The company will dance a collection of GYPSY DANCES, a jazz piece with contemporary Latin music CELEBRACION, choreographed by Ronnie De Marco, LISBOA, a modern work to Portugese Fado music, choreographed by Shane O'Hara, and a full-length Spanish fold dancing work, THE THREE CORNERED HAT, to music of Manuel de Falla. This ballet was originally choreographed by Massine, with sets and costumes by Picasso. It was first performed by Diaghilev's company Ballet Russe, in 1919. It is a humorouse story ballet with entertainment for the whole family!

Over 50 Years of Excellence in Dance

The Charleston Ballet, the official West Virginia State Ballet, was formed in 1956 by Andre Van Damme. Mr. Van Damme achieved great success in his native Belgium as the first star dancer with the Royal Opera. His vision was to provide state experience in a professional atmosphere for West Virginia dancers and to create a greater appreciation for the art of ballet.

The company has been a pioneer among regional ballet troupes in the United States. For five decades, the civic troupe has enriched the cultural life of West Virginia, performing hundreds of traditional and original ballets. Known for its artistic integrity and discipline, the ballet also has been one of the most socially responsible groups in the community.

Our Director

In 1989, Kim Pauley was appointed Artistic Director becoming one of the very few women and one of the youngest directors nationally of a regional ballet. She assumed the Artistic Director position following the footsteps of her mentor, the late Andre Van Damme. She has studied and performed with many guest artists from national and internationally known companies, and worked with classical and contemporary choreographers. She and Miguel Campaneria have staged most of the traditional classics for the company and she also has created many original works, both contemporary and classical. Ms. Pauley maintains a strong commitment to the community and to education.

Our Guest Artists

Miguel Campaneria trained at the National Ballet School of Cuba and was a Bronze medal winner at the prestigious International Ballet Competition at Varna. He was a principal dancer with the National Ballet of Cuba, Les Grand Ballet de Canadians, and Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre. A frequent guest of the Charleston Ballet, he is now Artistic Director of National Ballet Theatre of Puerto Rico and actively pursues an international career as a Teacher and Choreographer.

Olivier Wecxsteen trained in France and participated in the Prix de Lausanne at the age of 15. He has performed the major principal roles in ballets such as Swan Lake, Giselle, Sleeping Beauty, Coppelia, and Nutcracker with Les Ballet de Monte Carlo, Boston Ballet and Les Grand Ballet de Canadians. As a freelance artist, he now performs extensively with national and international companies. Recent guestings include San Francisco Ballet's Nutcracker.

Ronnie De Marco’s extensive career has embraced every aspect of the professional experience, from performing on and off Broadway, on television and with summer stock companies, to choreographing for television specials, night club extravaganzas and Disney’s theme parks in the United State and the Orient. His classes for major dance organizations such as Dance Educators, Dance Masters and Dance Olympus are in great demand. For many years he was a special associate to jazz great, Luigi at the Luigi Jazz Center in New York City. In addition to currently teaching jazz classes at both the University of South Florida and the University of Tampa, twice a year he works at IAC studios in Tokyo, Japan. He also teaches at the School of the Performing Arts, Disney World, Epcot and MGM, all in Orlando, Florida. Recently, he has choreographed for Lotte World Theme Park in Seoul, South Korea and for the 1994 World Expo in Tae Jon, South Korea. DeMarco’s varied expertise in the dance field has made him one of the most influential dance figures in the world today.

A native of Alexandria, Kentucky, Anthony Paul Krutzkamp returns to Cincinnati Ballet for his seventh season. Since joining the Company in 2001 as a new dancer, he has been promoted every season. Mr. Krutzkamp is a proud graduate of The Virginia School of the Arts where he studied on full scholarship under the direction of Petrus Bosman and David Keener. He furthered his training during summers at Houston Ballet and Boston Ballet. Before coming to Cincinnati Ballet, Mr. Krutzkamp danced with Kansas City Ballet for one season. During that season, he was an intricate part of the reconstruction of Balanchine's Renard, restaged by Todd Bolender, as The Cat. His favorite roles at Cincinnati Ballet include Romeo in Romeo and Juliet, Oberon in A Midsummer Night's Dream, the Tchaikovsky pas de deux, The God in Léonide Massine's Seventh Symphony, the pas de deux in Balanchine's Concerto Barocco, and the Prince in Cinderella. He has also performed in contemporary works, including Adam Hougland's Beyond, and Trey McIntyre's Blue until June and Chasing Squirrel. He would like to thank his family for always being there for him through thick and thin.

Shane O’Hara has worked throughout the United States and Europe including concerts in Lisbon, Athens, Krakow, New York, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. Mr. O’Hara has worked with the thompson & trammell dance company in residencies in Poland, Denmark, Portugal and Germany. He also was a guest instructor with Kate Trammell at the Pro Danza Italia Summer Workshop in Tuscany in 1998 and at the White Mountain Summer Dance Festival in 2005. Mr. O’Hara has received grants from the USIS/American Embassy, Pennsylvania Council for the Arts and Virginia Commission for the Arts as well as a Fulbright Fellowship to Portugal. Presently he is a professor of dance and coordinator of the dance program at James Madison University and works professionally setting commissioned dances throughout the U.S., and performing a concert of Daniel Nagrin’s solo works entitled The Nagrin Project, and touring as Shane O’Hara* Solo Dance. Mr. O’Hara’s schedule for 2005-06 included performances in the New Dance Festival in Virginia, Dance Place in Washington, D.C., Tribute to Daniel Nagrin Festival at Arizona State University, and the Dancing Rebels National Conference in Saratoga Springs. He also will be co-directing the JMU London Institute on Contemporary Theatre and Dance in June and performing in a concert tour with dance artists from Virginia and West Virginia. He recently was selected to assume the position of future Artistic Director of the Nagrin Foundation.

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