Houston ballet is preparing for its final performances of ben stevensons beloved holiday classic, the nutcracker. Houston ballet principal dancer karina gonzalez as the sugar plum fairy in ben stevensons version of the nutcracker. Nov 26, 2015 and the city ballet of houstons long running production of the nutcracker will be at the grand 1894 opera house in galveston on dec. Houston ballets 28th year performing ben stevensons. This page features a ballet video titled houston ballet dancers say goodbye to ben stevensons the nutcracker. His is an exquisite interpretation of the classic french fairytale by charles perrault. When ben stevenson created his lavish version for houston ballet in 1990, the company also had a hit. He has trained at the kirov academy of ballet, the harid conservatory, and houston ballets ben stevenson academy, where he was awarded the rudolf nureyev foundation scholarship and the ben stevenson scholarship award. Born in fairfax, virginia, connor walsh began his training at the age of seven under the direction of his mother constance walsh. Ben stevenson served as artistic director of houston ballet from 1976 to 2003, raising the company from a regional troupe of twentyeight dancers to an internationally acclaimed ensemble of over fifty artists. Based in houston, texas, it is the fifth largest ballet company in the united states. Dec 24, 2015 i went to houston ballet s tuesday night performance of the nutcracker on a nostalgic whim, to pay last respects to ben stevenson s version of the tchaikovsky chestnut.
Martin continued his training at houston ballets ben stevenson academy, where he performed with houston ballet in ben stevensons the nutcracker and stanton welchs cinderella during the 201112 season. Oct 11, 2015 after 34 performances of the nutcracker this holiday season, houston ballet will retire the ben stevenson staging it has presented since 1987. As a frequenter of the houston ballet and the nutcracker, i was very excited for a new rendition of the ballet that got me loving the ballet. He then danced with ballet quad cities for a season before joining oklahoma city ballet in 20. Houston ballet will give 34 performances of ben stevenson s version of the nutcracker, to a live orchestra, in the brown theater at wortham theater center in downtown houston, november 27. Ben stevenson s the sleeping beauty through the years. Stevenson has nurtured houston ballet from a small provincial ensemble to one of the nations largest dance companies that has performed to critical acclaim throughout the world. Set to tchaikovskys glorious score and amidst desmond heeleys magical designs, the nutcracker is an unforgettable experience for all ages. Bass performance hall 525 commerce st, fort worth, tx 76102. And, since 1987, ben stevenson s the nutcracker has been a houston institution. Texas ballet theater presents ben stevensons the nutcracker.
May, 2019 with music by leo delibes who houston ballet audiences will recall also composed sylvia and with a production created by former houston ballet artistic director ben stevenson, coppelia is a. While with houston ballet, he performed in john neumeiers yondering, and in ben stevensons sleeping beauty and the nutcracker. We have the houston ballet the nutcracker tickets in stock at the moment and you can buy them today if you are planning to experience its magical performance on december 5th. This production was devised by stevenson for the houston ballet in 1987, and has been danced by them, as a christmas treat, every year since, until it was replaced by a new version by stanton welch in 2016. And, since 1987, ben stevensons the nutcracker has been a houston institution. Cinderella, the nutcracker, the sleeping beauty, coppelia, don quixote, and. Houston ballets lauren anderson may have retired nearly ten years ago, but shes still staying busy at the ben stevenson academy. Fans of the nutcracker houston might also enjoy boston holiday pops and the moscow ballet. Tjc presents its 31st annual nutcracker ballet tyler. As the 20152016 ballet season got underway, the historymaking. For almost thirty years, he has been the art director of the houston ballet and under his leadership the company has grown into an internationally acknowledged ballet theatre, and from the year 2003 he is the artistic director of the texas ballet. Join us as we celebrate 50 years of creativity with classics like ben stevenson s the sleeping beauty and stanton welchs romeo and juliet and world premieres from famed choreographers such as trey mcintyre, arthur pita and zhang disha. Jan 29, 2017 in its 201718 season, houston ballet will feature the houston ballet premiere of mayerling by sir kenneth macmillan, the return of ben stevenson s don quixote and artistic director stanton welch. Its no surprise that the current season was almost completely sold out before it opened because thats been the happy state of affairs at qb since li took over the artistic directorship three.
Houston ballet, operated by houston ballet foundation, is the fourthlargest professional ballet company in the united states, based in houston, texas. The nutcracker opens friday, december 11 at bass performance hall, and runs through december 27. In celebration of former artistic director ben stevensons 80th birthday, houston ballet has remounted his. He has trained at the kirov academy of ballet, the harid conservatory, and houston ballet s ben stevenson academy, where he was awarded the rudolf nureyev foundation scholarship and the ben stevenson scholarship award. Houston ballet dancers say goodbye to ben stevensons the. Coppelius and his creation, the beautiful coppelia. Tickets may be purchased by calling 72272787 or logging on to. The ben stevenson academy supplies over 40 percent of the companys dancers.
Houston ballet academy has provided the highest quality ballet training since its opening in 1955. In 1997, houston ballet artistic director ben stevenson created the title role of dracula for tim. Ben stevenson dancer born 1936, english ballet dancer and artistic director ben stevenson footballer born 1997, english footballer ben stevenson american football 19061969, american football player. Courtesy of houston ballet now in its 24th year, this nutcracker retains a lot of its original pieces. His performing career spanned 11 years, beginning with ballet west in salt lake city. Ben stevenson is to this day considered one of the most important shapers of the american ballet art. The third version was put on by stevenson in 1987 as well with custom designs by desmond heeley.
Through various programs, the academy trains over 1,000 students a year. I have seen numerous productions of this cherished holiday. Houston ballet performs the nutcracker once again houston press. In fact, every ballet in the 20192020 season was created on houston ballet dancers. It seemed an appropriate way to celebrate bens 80th year.
Ben stevensons the nutcracker ballet video ballethub. Houston ballet presents nutcracker for final year this. Houston ballet serves as a cultural ambassador for the city of houston on its many international tours. Hoffmanns dark, early 19th century original, but it is not as pat as the ben stevenson version houston ballet performed for decades. In 2016, artistic director stanton welch will premiere a new production of the nutcracker, featuring allnew choreography and new sets and costumes by tim goodchild. Crepe paper, because of the way it looks, reflects the light and most importantly, because of the way it falls. Houston ballets 28th year performing ben stevensons vision. The story follows charismatic young lovers, franz and swanilda, as they encounter the dollmaker dr. He also danced in stanton welchs long and winding road, the young persons guide to. With music by leo delibes who houston ballet audiences will recall also composed sylvia and with a production created by former houston.
Houston ballet presents the nutcracker tickets event dates. Houston ballet presents nutcracker for final year this christmas. A lavish production that premiered in 1990, stevensons the sleeping beauty is recognized as one of the supreme achievements of classical ballet. That version lasted 29 years in a row, from 1987 to 2015, and was viewed by more than 77,000 nutcracker houston tickets buyers. After 34 performances of the nutcracker this holiday season, houston ballet will retire the ben stevenson staging it has presented since 1987. And the city ballet of houstons long running production of the nutcracker will be at the grand 1894 opera house in galveston on dec. A sketch by designer desmond heely from ben stevensons production of the nutcracker. And ever since, what falls from above in the land of snow is what designer, desmond heeley always wanted. Houston ballets joyful nutcracker exceeds expectations. Houston, texas from november 27 december 27, 2015, houston ballet bids farewell to ben stevensons beloved production of the nutcracker. From the opening scenes, the ballet promises a traditional take on the classic story. Were excited to bring back coppelia, a houston ballet treasure created by former artistic director ben stevenson obe.
Jan 02, 2016 when ben stevenson created his lavish version for houston ballet in 1990, the company also had a hit. From a dance company as renowned as the houston ballet, one could expect no less than a splendid nutcracker for the christmas season. Oct 19, 2015 houston ballet will give 34 performances of ben stevensons version of the nutcracker, to a live orchestra, in the brown theater at wortham theater center in downtown houston. While there may be no concrete answer to this question, ben stevensons choreography, as performed by houston ballet, is an excellent model of this elusive formula. Houston ballet stanton welchs the nutcracker facebook. The nutcracker november 04 14, 1999 houstons holiday favorite ben stevensons the nutcracker is the perfect way for families to ring in the holiday season. Ben stevenson obe ben stevenson served as artistic director of houston ballet from 1976 to 2003, raising the company from a regional troupe of twentyeight dancers to an internationally acclaimed ensemble of over fifty artists. Nov 28, 2016 welchs narrative doesnt totally embrace german romantic writer e.
After an absence of twentyfive years, queensland ballet returned to the canberra theatre, with their production of ben stevensons acclaimed version of the nutcracker. Houston ballet ben stevensons the sleeping beauty facebook. Since its houston premiere, stevensons nutcracker has been performed by houston ballet 916 times. Ben stevensons the sleeping beauty through the years. I went to houston ballets tuesday night performance of the nutcracker on a nostalgic whim, to pay last respects to ben stevensons version of the tchaikovsky chestnut. In its 201718 season, houston ballet will feature the houston ballet premiere of mayerling by sir kenneth macmillan, the return of ben stevensons don quixote and artistic director stanton welch. The sleeping beauty was his most famous ballet and so important for the company. The nutcracker houston tickets the nutcracker houston. During this holiday season, houston ballet will honor ben stevensons beloved version of the nutcracker with 37 final performances. Queensland ballets nutcracker and cinderella are from the hand of ben stevenson, who was lis artistic director and father figure in houston. Ben stevenson dancer born 1936, english ballet dancer and artistic director ben stevenson footballer born 1997, english footballer ben stevenson american football 19061969, american football player see also. What is the price of houston ballet nutcracker tickets for its show on december 5th.
Houston ballet the nutcracker tickets the nutcracker. Dec 21, 2015 95 years after the russian debut of the nutcracker ben stevensons the nutcracker premiered in the brown theater at the wortham on december 4, 1987. In april 2000, he was presented with the dance magazine award. This season, houston ballet bids farewell to ben stevensons beloved production of the nutcracker. Houston ballet presents the final season of ben stevenson. Ben stevensons nutcracker still warms the heart houston. Hoffmanns dark, early 19th century original, but it is not as pat as the ben stevenson version houston ballet performed for. Nov 24, 2015 this season, houston ballet bids farewell to ben stevenson s beloved production of the nutcracker. Since its premiere in 1987, ben stevensons version of the nutcracker performed by the houston ballet has become a constant for. A final look behind the scenes of ben stevensons the nutcracker. Ben stevenson served as artistic director of houston ballet from 1976 to 2003.
Created by artistic director emeritus ben stevenson, with designs by acclaimed designer desmond heeley, houston ballets the nutcracker has been houstons premiere holiday tradition since 1987. Dec 03, 2010 ben stevenson is to this day considered one of the most important shapers of the american ballet art. Training more than half of their dancers in house at the houston ballet academy, they perform over 85 shows in a year. Get the best seats at the best price now for stanton welchs the nutcracker. Houston ballet about this ballet video featuring glorious scenery and costumes by tony awardwinning designer desmond heeley, ben stevensons breathtaking production of the nutcracker is, in the words of the houston chronicle, the crown jewel of holiday entertainment. Jan 18, 2016 houston ballet s lauren anderson may have retired nearly ten years ago, but shes still staying busy at the ben stevenson academy. Houston ballet will give 34 performances of ben stevensons version of the nutcracker, to a live orchestra, in the brown theater at wortham theater center in downtown houston, november 27.
All included opening night photos by amitava sarkar. Coppelia comes back to the wortham houstonia magazine. Nov 23, 2011 houston ballets current version of the nutcracker, choreographed by ben stevenson, premiered in 1987. Houston ballet bids farewell to ben stevensons the. Tickets make great gifts music by peter ilyich tchaikovsky choreography by ben stevenson.
In 2016, the company will premiere an all new version of. The nutcracker houston tickets the nutcracker houston tour. Houston ballet tickets houston ballet schedule cheaptickets. Mar 03, 2016 melody mennite carabosse, lauren anderson the queen, and artists of houston ballet. Houston ballet presents the final season of ben stevensons. Ben stevensons nutcracker still warms the heart houston chronicle. Dancers shirley sastre as clara and dominic walsh as the nutcracker. Melody mennite carabosse, lauren anderson the queen, and artists of houston ballet. Up close with houston ballets lauren anderson houston. Welchs narrative doesnt totally embrace german romantic writer e. Houston, texas from november 23 december 30, 2001, houston ballet presents ben stevensons dazzling holiday production of the nutcracker. Get your cheap houston ballet tickets here today before they are gone. A native houstonian, tim okeefe was awarded a scholarship to houston ballet academy in 1981, joined the company one year later, was promoted to soloist in 1985, and was named principal dancer in 1995.
It seemed an appropriate way to celebrate bens 80th year, says stanton welch, houston ballets artistic director. Tim has choreographed works for houston ballets cullen contemporary series and for houston ballet academy, as well as love thing and ragtime dance for texas ballet theater. Houston ballets current version of the nutcracker, choreographed by ben stevenson, premiered in 1987. It offers training designed to take students from their first introduction to movement through a full course of ballet study. Nutcracker rhodes elliott and artists of houston ballet photo amitava sarkar herehouston. In july 2003, he was appointed artistic director emeritus of houston ballet, and the companys affiliated school was renamed houston ballets ben stevenson academy in recognition of his enormous contribution to both houston ballets professional company and its school. A final look behind the scenes of ben stevensons the. The nutcracker november 04 14, 1999 houston s holiday favorite ben stevenson s the nutcracker is the perfect way for families to ring in the holiday season. Houston ballets lauren anderson on the sleeping beauty. This is the last year the houston ballet will perform ben stevensons version of the nutcracker, which has a houston holiday staple for 28 years.
Since its premiere in 1987, ben stevenson s version of the nutcracker performed by the houston ballet has become a constant for the city of houston during the holiday season. During the 199596 season, ben stevenson celebrated twenty years as the head of the houston ballet. Houston ballet is preparing for its final performances of ben stevenson s beloved holiday classic, the nutcracker. In 1994, he was invited by ben stevenson to join the world renowned houston ballet where he ended his performing career as a soloist in 2000. The foundation also maintains a ballet academy, the houston ballet academy, which trains more than half of the companys dancers.
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