Transforming Today's World Magazine - JAN 2014 Special Edition Vol 5 Issue 3 | Page 19

The Houston Ballet

The New York Times: “One of the nation’s best ballet companies!”

Dancer(s): Connor Walsh and Sara Webb
Photographer: Amitava Sarkar

T

he majesty of dance is a piece of culture that has inspired the hearts
and minds of people since the inception of dance itself. Houston
Ballet is one of the most revered dance companies in the world. In
1955 the founding members of Houston Ballet Foundation had a
vision for dance in Houston; to create a resident ballet company and
to start a school which would train its dancers. Formed by only 13 young dancers
in 1969, the professional company has evolved into a company of 53 dancers with
a budget of over 22 million dollars a year. Ranked the fourth largest United States
ballet company, and with its academy supplying 40% of its dancers, it was only
fitting that a “state of the art” performance center was planned and constructed to
provide the proper home for this stellar company. The Wortham Theater Center was
built expressly for Houston Ballet and is the largest professional dance facility in
America. Houston Ballet’s $46.6 Million Center For Dance opened in April 2011
and has an endowment of just over $60.7 million as of August 2013. From 1976
to 2003, Englishman Ben Stevenson, O.B.E. served as artistic director for Houston
ballet. A former dancer with Britain’s Royal Ballet and English National Ballet,
Stevenson established a corps of permanent choreographers whose works have
greatly enriched the company’s repertoire. Renowned Australian choreographer
Stanton Welch has served as artistic director of Houston Ballet since 2003, and has
raised the level of the company’s classical technique. This led to commissioning
many new works from dance-makers such as Christopher Bruce, Jorma Elo, James

Dancer: Karina Gonzalez
Photographer: Amitava Sarkar

Kudelka, Trey McIntyre, Julia Adam, Natalie Weir and Nicolo Fonte. Executive
Director James Nelson serves as the administrative leader of the company, a
position he assumed in 2012 after serving as the company’s general manager for
over a decade. This unique pairing of great talents has created a ballet company
of great esteem and honor. Houston Ballet has toured extensively both nationally
and internationally, appearing for the last decade in performance venues around the
world including: London at Sadler’s Wells Theatre, The Bolshoi Theater in Moscow,
Russia; Spain, Montreal and Ottawa, Canada, The Kennedy Center in Washington
D.C, and City Center and The Joyce Theater in New York City. Houston Ballet
has emerged as a leader in the sophisticated, labor-intensive task of nurturing the
creation and development of new full-length narrative ballets. Dance critic Margaret
Willis praised Houston Ballet for their performance acumen and technique. Writing
in Dancing Times, Ms. Willis enthusiastically praised the leadership of Stanton
Welch: “The dancers’ musicality shines through their work, dancing as one with
elegance and refinement. If ballet were an Olympic sport, I’m sure you would see
Houston Ballet well on the way to achieving gold!” Houston Ballet’s 2013-2014
season promises to thrill and excite audiences from around the world.We encourage
all TTW readers to support this extraordinarily talented company and its troupe of
brilliant dancers. Bravo Houston Ballet- Bravo!

Ticket information: www.houstonballet.org
or call: 713-227-2787
Photos courtesy of Houston Ballet Photo: Amitava Sarkar

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