nutcracker dayton ballet · 2020. 12. 18. · page 18 dato ballet 2016–2017 seaso page 19 one...

SCHUSTER CENTER DECEMBER 16–23, 2016

K a r e n R u s s o B u r k e A r t i s t i c D i r e c t o r

NUTCRACKERDayton Ballet LEADERSHIP SPONSORS

The Jack W. and Sally D. Eichelberger FoundationVectren

PERFORMANCE SPONSOREmerson Climate Technologies

1617 Nutcracker PB Cover.indd 1 12/1/16 2:10 PM

DAYTON BALLET 2016–2017 SEASON Page 19

ONE GREAT PERFORMANCE DESERVES ANOTHER

Emerson is a proud supporter of the Dayton Performing Arts Alliance. Tradition. That’s what The Nutcracker is all about—a wonderful

family tradition that brings people together and grounds us in what is important, especially during the holiday time.

As the ballet begins, we see the children so eager to begin the celebration and the Silberhaus family welcoming their guests to their home for Christmas festivities. Families bring small tokens of their appreciation, such as puddings and cakes, and enjoy each other’s company.

As small children, these traditions become part of our fabric, and as adults they give us fond memories and reasons to pass them on to future generations. Who can forget their favorite dish that only Grandmom could make, or a special ornament that is always placed on the tree every year? I am so glad that you are here with us today celebrating our “family” tradition. All over the world, people come together to see The Nutcracker and experience the beautiful music, lively dancing and colorful costumes of this ballet. Here in Dayton, we are so blessed to have live music from the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra and professional dancing from Dayton Ballet’s roster of 19 dancers. We also welcome 110 student dancers, some of who are dancing in The Nutcracker for the very first time! This will become a big part of their holiday memories, and one day they may take their children or grandchildren to see The Nutcracker and tell them stories of their experience.

The Dayton Performing Arts Alliance wishes everyone the happiest of holidays. We hope that you will be able to spend some special time with your family and friends and continue your traditions for generations to come!

Message from the Artistic DirectorKaren Russo Burke, Dayton Ballet


Dayton Ballet’s mission is “…to educate, enlighten and entertain the widest audience possible…with the very best in performance, outreach and community service.”

Dayton Ballet had its beginning when Josephine Schwarz, affectionately called “Miss Jo,” along with her sister Hermene, opened The Schwarz School of Dance in 1927. “Miss Hermene” ran the school while Miss Jo left Dayton to study at the School of American Ballet. Unfortunately Miss Jo suffered a career-ending injury that forced her to return to Dayton.

In May 1938, Miss Jo and Miss Hermene gathered together the school’s finest dancers, named the troupe The Experimental Group for Young Dancers and staged a performance at the Dayton Art Institute. Renamed the Dayton Civic Ballet in 1958, the dance company was recognized as a not-for-profit, tax-exempt organization and became a charter member of the Northwest Regional Ballet Association. The ballet troupe was eventually called Dayton Ballet, and Miss Jo and Miss Hermene’s vision is now the second-oldest regional ballet company in the United States.

Known throughout the country as the “Company of Premieres,” Dayton Ballet is one of the top three dance companies in the nation that produce and present new ballets.

Dayton Ballet performs at the historic Victoria Theatre and the Benjamin and Marian Schuster Performing Arts Center. While performances are Dayton Ballet’s most high-profile events, its commitment to dance education, training and outreach remains at the core of its existence and develops future audiences. The Dayton Ballet School (including the Downtown and the S.S.K. Centerville studios), Dayton Ballet II pre-professional training and performing company and its association with the local Muse Machine provide outreach to young people in the Miami Valley community. The Non-Profit Partners Program allows Dayton Ballet to work with community agencies assisting special populations to distribute nearly 1,000 tickets to youth at risk, senior citizens, handicapped or terminally ill individuals and military families to share the joy of ballet performance. Numerous patrons enjoy The First Step presentations with the artistic staff and choreographers 45 minutes prior to most shows and Behind the Ballet, a post-performance discussion with Dayton Ballet dancers, choreographers or other artists.

Now, as Dayton Ballet moves into its 79th year, Miss Jo and Miss Hermene’s legacy thrives through Dayton Ballet’s many programs. Their devotion to artistic excellence, arts education and the love of dance is fondly incorporated into each and every performance.

1937–2016A Word About Dayton Ballet

Josephine Schwarz, Founder

COMPANYKaren Russo Burke ................................................................................................. Artistic DirectorSharon Neumeister .............................................................................................Rehearsal AssistantPaul Gilliam .......................................................................................................Rehearsal AssistantAnnalise Woller ..................................................................................................Rehearsal AssistantMegan Forney and Gabrielle Sharp ................................................. Co-Directors, Dayton Ballet IIRosanne Brown ......................................................................................................Company PianistMelanie Danford ....................................................................................................Company Pianist

DANCERSMargot AkninJoshua Beaver

Claire BergmanCase BodamerKaty Bowlby

Brittany Butler

Courtney CatalanaBrooke FabianJames FolsomPaul Gilliam

Gregory GoessnerJocelyn Green

Peter Kurta

Leonard PérezEvan Pitts

Daniel PowersNathaly PrietoHalliet Slack

Annalise Woller

TEACHERSLayla AhlersT.J. Cronley

Richard CroskeyAnne Davis

Megan ForneyPaul Gilliam

Jocelyn GreenJanet Hartsock

Carol Jean HellerParris HobbsWill Hoppe

Debra HowardAmanda Leonhard

Camille MorrisChelsea Neiss

Gabrielle SharpClaire SmallJodi Villars

Annalise Woller

Photos by Geek With a Lens and Isaac Williams

PRODUCTION CREWPat Rohrer* ..............................................................................................................Sound EngineerJestin Rice* ...........................................................................................................Master CarpenterSteven Hadley* ................................................................................................... Master Electrician

*denotes member of IATSE Stagehands Local #66

DAYTON BALLET SCHOOL STAFFCarol Jean Heller ............................................................................................. School AdministratorVicky Archibald .................................................................................................... Receptionist, SSKGayle Smith .......................................................................................................... Receptionist, SSK

2016–2017 Staff Dayton Ballet

PRODUCTION STAFFStacie R. Bigl ......................................................................................... Production Stage ManagerLyn Baudendistel .............................................................................................Wardrobe SupervisorDebra Howard .....................................................................................................Wardrobe Assistant


KAREN RUSSO BURKE,Artistic Director, Dayton BalletUnder the artistic direction of Karen Russo Burke, Dayton Ballet’s vision is one of diversity. Her emphasis on developing each dancer as an artist as well as a professional athlete challenges the dancers to new heights as well as making Dayton Ballet a company to recognize.

Karen has created more than 30 works for the company, ranging from classical to contemporary. She has an affinity for story ballets such as Cinderella, The Nutcracker and Butterfly Suite. Her contemporary pieces, such as Modus Operandi, set to music by the Blue Man Group, is a Dayton audience favorite. Her works No Strings Attached and Fate of Place have included collaborations with current musical composers, such as Dr. Stella Sung, the Dayton Performing Arts Alliance’s recent Music Alive Composer-in-Residence, and Austin Jaquith, the composer for Dracula: Bloodlines.

Karen has been involved with Dayton Ballet since 1993. Prior to becoming artistic director, she served as a teacher, director of Dayton Ballet II for 12 years, ballet master, and choreographer for the organization. She was also coordinator of Dayton Ballet’s outreach program in 1997, Dance Power, directing and teaching inner-city children the art of dance.

As a professional dancer for more than a dozen years, Karen had leading roles in ballets by dance legends such as Antony Tudor, José Limón, Gerald Arpino, Paul Taylor and current choreographers such as Septime Webre.

In 2005, Karen was honored by her prior professional company, American Repertory Ballet, for her commitment and excellence in the field of dance. She was awarded the Ohio Arts Council Excellence in Individual Creativity Award in 2006, and in 2010 the Dayton Business Journal honored her for her professionalism in the arts community.

She has taught at Wright State University, University of Dayton, Stivers School for the Arts, University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, Rutgers University and the Princeton Ballet School.

As a member of the Dayton Performing Arts Alliance, Karen is enjoying her continuing production collaboration with Dayton Opera and Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra. Her choreography and staging has been seen in many operas and Season Opening Spectaculars, such as The Book Collector and Carmina Burana in 2016. She is looking forward to being able to work with Tom and Neal on many more wonderful DPAA productions.

Artistic StaffSHARON NEUMEISTER,Rehearsal Assistant Sharon was featured in many principal roles during her ten years as a dancer with the Dayton Ballet. Some of her most memorable performances include Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker, Tiger Lily in Peter Pan, Mina in Dracula, The Fairy Godmother in An American Cinderella, Odette in Swan Lake, the Mother in The Who’s Tommy, Mrs. Cratchit in A Christmas Carol, Michaela in Carmen, Black Coffee in Hot Riffs and Blue Notes, Amelia Earhart in Into the Blue, The Outfielder’s Dream in Play Ball, Sleepwalk in Shaken but Not Stirred, and Meant to Be in Five Flights Up. Sharon has also restaged many Dayton Ballet favorites, including Septime Webre’s Swan Lake and Peter Pan, Gregory Robinson’s Hot Riffs and Blue Notes and Mozartiana, Dermot Burke and Stephen Mills’ There Was a Time, Mr. Burke and Mr. Robinson’s American Robin Hood, Stuart Sebastian’s Dracula, and Christopher Fleming’s The Who’s Tommy.

MEGAN FORNEY,Co-Director, Dayton Ballet IIMegan has been a teacher at Dayton Ballet School since 2008. Originally from St. Louis, Missouri, Megan moved to Dayton to pursue a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Dance Performance from Wright State University. While at Wright State, Megan performed with the Wright State Dance Ensemble and was a member of the Dayton Ballet II Senior Company. During her summers away from WSU, she studied at Ballet Chicago and Ballet Internationale. As a member of Dayton Ballet II Senior Company, Megan performed in Dayton Ballet productions including The Nutcracker, Romeo and Juliet, An American Cinderella, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Swan Lake, America’s Robin Hood and There Was a Time. She is thrilled to be leading the pre-professional dancers of Dayton Ballet II.

GABRIELLE SHARP,Co-Director, Dayton Ballet IIGabrielle Sharp has been a teacher at Dayton Ballet School since 2010 and was in Dayton Ballet II Junior and Senior Company before dancing with the Dayton Ballet professional company at age 17. While in Dayton Ballet II Senior Company, she won the Dancer Peer Award, Walter J. McCaslin Memorial Award, and the Josephine and Hermene Schwarz Award. Gabrielle has performed in Dracula, Nutcracker, Tales from the Shadows, There Was a Time, and America’s Robin Hood. Her most memorable roles include Dracula’s wife and a Spanish dancer in The Nutcracker. She is also an American Rhythm ballroom champion. She is thrilled to be working with Dayton Ballet II.

Artistic Staff


Artistic StaffNEAL GITTLEMAN,Artistic Director and Conductor Dayton Philharmonic OrchestraThe 2016–2017 season is Neal Gittleman’s 22nd year as Conductor of the Dayton Philharmonic. Neal has led the Orchestra to new levels of artistic achievement and increasing national recognition. During his tenure, the DPO has received nine ASCAP Awards for adventurous programming, and the DPAA has joined four other U.S. orchestras as a recipient of a prestigious Music Alive grant from New Music USA, supporting Stella Sung’s three-year term as the Alliance’s Music Alive Composer-in-Residence.

Before coming to Dayton, Neal was Assistant Conductor of the Oregon Symphony, Associate Conductor of the Syracuse Symphony, and Music Director of the Marion (IN) Philharmonic. He also served ten seasons with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, first as Associate Conductor and then as Resident Conductor.

Neal has guest conducted many of the country’s leading orchestras, including the Philadelphia Orchestra; the Chicago, San Francisco, Minnesota, Phoenix, Indianapolis, San Antonio, and Omaha symphony orchestras; and the Buffalo Philharmonic. He has also conducted in Germany, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, Japan, Canada and Mexico.

Son of an English professor and a public school music teacher, Neal is a native of Brooklyn, New York. He graduated from Yale University in 1975 and then studied with Nadia Boulanger and Annette Dieudonné in Paris, with Hugh Ross at the Manhattan School of Music, and with Charles Bruck at both the Pierre Monteux School and the Hartt School of Music, where he was a Karl Böhm Fellow. He was a prize winner at the 1984 Ernest Ansermet International Conducting Competition in Geneva and the 1986 Leopold Stokowski Conducting Competition in New York. He was honored to receive the 2014 Governor’s Award for the Arts for Community Development and Participation.

At home in the pit as well as on stage, Neal has led productions for Dayton Opera, the Human Race Theatre Company, Syracuse Opera, and Milwaukee’s Skylight Opera Theatre. He has also conducted for performances of Dayton Ballet, DCDC, Rhythm in Shoes, Milwaukee Ballet, Hartford Ballet, Chicago City Ballet, Ballet Arizona, and Theatre Ballet of Canada.

Neal is nationally known for his Classical Connections programs, which provide a “behind the scenes” look at great works of the orchestra repertoire. These innovative programs, which began in Milwaukee 25 years ago, have become a vital part of Dayton’s arts scene.

Neal’s discography includes a CD of George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue and Concerto in F with Norman Krieger and the Czech National Symphony. In addition, he and the DPO have released recordings of the Piano Concertos of Tomás Svoboda and of works commissioned for the 2003 centennial of the Wright Brothers’ powered flight. More recent CDs taken from live performances include works of Wagner, Franck, Elgar, Strauss, Respighi, Stravinsky, Shostakovich, William Grant Still, and Steve Winteregg. These, and recordings of other DPO performance, are available for download from the DPAA’s web site.

When not on the podium, Neal is an avid player of golf, squash and t’ai chi ch’uan and does yoga, too. He and his wife, Lisa Fry, have been Dayton residents since 1997.

STACIE R. BIGL,Production Stage ManagerSince graduating from Clark State Community College in 1996, Stacie has been active behind the scenes of Dayton’s theatre community. She joined the production staff of the Dayton Ballet in 1997 as an Associate Production Manager, and has since moved to Production Stage Manager. Some of her favorite productions have included world premieres of There Was a Time, The Who’s Tommy and Carmina Burana, a new Nutcracker in the Schuster Performing Arts Center, as well as Stuart Sebastian’s classic Dracula.

Stacie has worked with a number of local companies including Dayton Opera, The Human Race Theatre Company, First Frontier, Inc., and Dayton Playhouse. In early 2011, Stacie had the opportunity to work with Dayton Contemporary Dance Company when they traveled to Santiago, Chile, and performed at the Nescafé Theatre. She is also the stage manager for the Muse Machine and has worked with them for the last eight years on productions of Guys and Dolls, Into the Woods, Beauty and the Beast, and Seussical.

Stacie is a member of IATSE Local #66.

LYN BAUDENDISTEL,Wardrobe SupervisorWhile Lyn has been sewing since her high school years, having made numerous dresses and costumes for herself, family and friends, her work costuming for the stage began in earnest when she volunteered for Muse Machine.

For several years, Lyn has worked as a costumer for Muse Machine. She has built and designed multiple costumes for Singing in the Rain, Into the Woods, Wizard of Oz, Crazy for You and Seussical the Musical. She also designed and built costumes for Muse Machine’s Library programs for younger children. Lyn has assisted in numerous costume builds, including Sinclair’s The Taming of the Shrew, Dayton Ballet’s Cinderella, and most recently, Dayton Ballet’s newest production of The Nutcracker.

DEBRA HOWARD,Wardrobe AssistantAfter retiring as owner of Howard School of Dance and Artistic Director of Centerville Contemporary Ballet, Debra Howard shifted gears and began her next life chapter in costume design and construction. She participated in the costume build of Dayton Ballet’s The Nutcracker, designed by Lowell Mathwich. At Wright State University she was part of a team build including Hot Mikado, Les Misérables, Peter Pan, and Chicago. Debra frequently serves as Over Hire Stitcher at BalletMet in Columbus and most recently was First Hand at Notre Dame’s Shakespeare Festival. Her favorite place to sew, however, will always be Dayton Ballet.

Production Staff


MARGOT AKNIN Margot Aknin grew up in San Jose, California, where she trained at Los Gatos Ballet under Marcie Ryken for ten years. After high school, she spent three years in the Graduate Program at Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School, where she performed roles including the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker and Nikiya in La Bayadère. Margot also performed with the company in Terrence Orr’s Swan Lake, Don Quixote, The Nutcracker, La Bayadère, Sleeping Beauty, and Beauty and the Beast. Margot was a member of BalletMet 2 for their 2015–2016 season, performing corps and soloist roles in ballets by Edwaard Liang, David Nixon, Gustavo Ramirez Sansano, Gerard Charles, and George Balanchine. Margot is thrilled to be joining Dayton Ballet for her first season.

JOSHUA BEAVER Joshua Beaver, from Thompsontown, Pennsylvania, began his early training with his mother, Cynthia Beaver, in her gymnastics studio, Movement Laboratory, and with American Ballet Theatre’s Summer Intensive. He attended Boston Conservatory on full scholarship and graduated with a BFA in dance in 2011. While at the Conservatory, Josh performed works by Limon, Tudor, Sokolow, and Nikolais. After graduation he joined Teatrul de Balet Sibiu, Romania, where he spent three seasons rising to first soloist and choreographer. He was featured as Paris in Rotaru’s Romeo and Juliet, Barbanto in Le Corsaire, and principal in Gardner’s Four Seasons. During this time, Josh toured and performed in Germany, Austria, Sicily, Hungary, and New Zealand. In the summer of 2014, he joined Prague Chamber Ballet, touring to Mexico and also winning first place in the Lila Lopez Contemporary dance competition in Saint Luis Potosi, Mexico. Josh is thrilled to start his second season at Dayton Ballet.

CLAIRE BERGMAN Born and raised in Dayton, Ohio, Claire Bergman returns to Dayton Ballet for her second season. A graduate of University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, she performed roles in Serenade, Giselle, and other contemporary works and had the opportunity to dance in China with the Beijing Dance Academy. Her professional training began at age ten with Barbara Pontecorvo at Pontecorvo Ballet Studios. In 2007, she danced with Gem City Ballet and performed in ballets such as Raymonda, Who Cares, and Sleeping Beauty. Her favorite ballet is Swan Lake.

CASE BODAMER Case Bodamer was born and raised in Blue Point, New York, where he began his ballet training with Kathleen Kairns-Scholz at the American Dance Theatre of Long Island. He spent summers training at The Juilliard School, Ballet Austin, and New York State Summer School of the Arts. During high school he also studied at The Ailey School, and he continued there in The Ailey/Fordham BFA Program until he accepted a traineeship with Ballet Austin. Professionally, Case has spent his summers dancing with Ballet Montana, The Dayton Arts Project, and Boulder Ballet. Case’s favorite role to date has been performing “R.M. Renfield” in Stuart Sebastian’s Dracula, along with being part of Septime Webre’s D-Construction and Jon Rodriguez’s Bushido. Case was also honored to have received the prestigious Josie Award. Case is thrilled to be returning to Dayton Ballet for his ninth season. He would like to thank his beautiful wife Annalise and his family for their endless love and support.

Dayton Ballet Company 2016–2017KATY BOWLBY Katy Bowlby is from Durango, Colorado. She received her training at Dance in the Rockies in Durango and worked closely with esteemed teacher/Artistic Director Valerie Madonia. Katy spent several summers training at The Jillana School and Ballet West; she also attended summers at The Joffrey Ballet in New York and Colorado Ballet on full scholarship. In 2011, Katy was a finalist in the Denver Ballet Guild competition for her performance of Odile’s variation from Swan Lake. She spent the 2011–2012 season with Colorado Ballet’s Studio Company. With Colorado Ballet she performed in Swan Lake, Michael Pink’s Peter Pan and community outreach programs. Her favorite roles include Swan Corps in Swan Lake, Gerald Arpino’s Reflections, and Amy Seiwart’s Chasing Ghosts. She is honored to be returning for her fifth year with Dayton Ballet.

BRITTANY BUTLER Brittany Butler is a native of Pennsville, New Jersey. She began her training at The Academy of the Dance under the direction of Arthur Hutchinson. Brittany attended high school at NCSA with a major in ballet. After graduation, she was chosen by Adam Sage and Robert Philander to join Missouri Ballet Theater in their premiere season. Brittany spent one year training in St. Louis and then accepted a contract with Lexington Ballet. During her two seasons there, she worked with Luis Dominguez and Nancy Cole Dominguez, learning roles in ballets such as Firebird, Giselle, Cinderella and other repertoire pieces. Brittany then moved to Cincinnati Ballet to work in the Second Company, where Devon Carney, Johanna Bernstein Wilt, Suzette Webb, and director Victoria Morgan were her mentors and instructors. Brittany is very enthusiastic to be returning for her fourth season with Dayton Ballet.

COURTNEY CATALANA Courtney Catalana received her dance training from the Timothy M. Draper Center for Dance Education in Rochester, New York. Courtney joined Rochester City Ballet in 2009 and remained with the company until the summer of 2013. Her favorite roles with the company include Snow Queen in The Nutcracker and Russian Girl in George Balanchine’s Serenade. She also had the opportunity to perform work by Artistic Director Jamey Leverett at Jacob’s Pillow. Courtney later joined BalletMet Columbus, where she danced roles such as Cygnets from Swan Lake and was a featured soloist in Edwaard Liang’s Of Heaven and Earth. She was chosen to compete in the prestigious New York International Ballet Competition in 2009 and the Boston International Ballet Competition in 2012. Courtney is thrilled to be in her third season with Dayton Ballet and thanks her family and friends for their support and love.

Dayton Ballet Company 2016–2017


BROOKE FABIAN Brooke Fabian, from Downingtown, Pennsylvania, spent her early years dancing at Lionville School of Dance. In high school, she furthered her dance education by attending Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, Philadelphia Dance Theatre, and Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School. Upon graduating, Brooke was accepted into the University of Cincinnati, where she currently double-majors in ballet and communication/public relations. As a freshman, she also danced as a trainee in Cincinnati Ballet’s Second Company. In Brooke’s sophomore year, she was invited to perform in Dayton Ballet’s The Nutcracker and was offered the opportunity to join the company for the remainder of the 2015–2016 season. Brooke is happy to be back for her first full season with Dayton Ballet.

JAMES FOLSOM James “Jimmy” Folsom, from San Marino, California, started his dance training at Pasadena Civic Ballet at the age of three. He enjoyed summer dance intensives with ABT, Miami City Ballet, and Ballet Austin. At age 15 he accepted a scholarship to study at The Kirov Academy of Ballet in Washington, DC. While at Kirov, he had an internship with The Susanne Farrell Ballet and performed in Prodigal Son and Slaughter on Tenth Avenue at the Kennedy Center. He graduated from Kirov in May of 2014 and then spent a season with Ballet Austin as a Butler Fellow from 2014 to 2015. In addition to dance and choreography, Jimmy enjoys photography and is fascinated by auto racing. He would like to thank his family for all the support they have given him. Jimmy is very excited to be starting his second season with Dayton Ballet.

PAUL GILLIAM Paul Gilliam started his ballet training in Ardmore, Oklahoma and finished it in 2002 at the Houston Ballet Academy. Paul is happy to be in his eleventh season with Dayton Ballet in the last fourteen years; while away he performed many leading roles, including “Franz” in Coppelia; Diana and Acteon; “Basilio” in Don Quixote; Esmeralda pas de deux; and roles in many contemporary works. During his seven years with the Dayton Ballet he has performed as “Escamillo” in Carmen, “Renfield” in Dracula, “Peter” in Peter Pan, “D’Artagnan” in The Three Musketeers, and an “Ugly Stepsister” in Cinderella. He was a featured artist in Trinity and has performed many featured roles in The Nutcracker.

GREGORY GOESSNER Greg Goessner is thrilled to be joining the Dayton Ballet for his first season! Originally from southeastern Wisconsin, he began dancing at Accent On Dance studios in Waukesha, WI. From there he continued his training at the MainStage Academy of Dance, Gelsey Kirkland Academy of Classical Ballet, The School at Jacob’s Pillow, and The Rock School for Dance Education. Last year he had the opportunity to be part of the inaugural year of the Professional Training Program at the Cary Ballet Conservatory. Some of his favorite roles include the Pas de trois from Paquita, the Pas de deux from Coppélia, and the Ballet Master from The Konservatoriet. He is incredibly grateful for all of the support from his friends, family, and mentors.

Dayton Ballet Company 2016–2017JOCELYN GREEN Jocelyn Green is excited to be with Dayton Ballet for her third season. Born in St. Louis, Missouri, she trained under Andrea Patzius and Donna Patzius-Hill for thirteen wonderful years. Jocelyn spent several summers studying on scholarship at Atlanta Ballet, among others. Following high school, she attended SUNY Purchase, Conservatory of Dance, where she performed classical and contemporary works by choreographers such as Jessica Lang, Nicolo Fonte, Paul Taylor, and Bettijane Sills. Jocelyn also guested with Neglia Ballet in Buffalo, New York. For the past two seasons, Jocelyn danced with Nashville Ballet’s second company. While in NB2, she performed in many outreach ballets for children across Tennessee, including the title character in Gina Patterson’s Anne Frank as well as in main company shows such as Paul Vasterling’s Nashville’s Nutcracker and George Balanchine’s Serenade. Jocelyn thanks her parents for their never-ending support and her beautiful sisters who inspired her to dance.

PETER KURTA Peter Kurta was raised in the small town of Marietta, NY, and began his ballet training at age 4. In 2006, he continued in the Professional Division of Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet School, where he trained for five years. In 2011, he transferred to The Rock School for Dance Education (Philadelphia), where he performed soloist roles in Balanchine’s Symphony in C and The Nutcracker. He was a member of Tulsa Ballet II for their 2014–2015 season and BalletMet II for their 2015–2016 season. Peter has performed corps and soloist roles in ballets by Edwaard Liang, James Kudelka, Gustavo Ramirez Sansano, George Balanchine and many more. He is very excited to be joining Dayton Ballet for their 2016–2017 season.

LEONARD PÉREZ Leonard Pérez, from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, has trained in Spanish dance with the Ensemble Español Spanish Dance Theater and in ballet and modern dance at the Ruth Page School of Dance. He has studied on scholarship at Northeastern Illinois University and has been awarded full scholarships to summer intensive programs at Dance Theater of Harlem, The Ailey School, River North Dance Chicago, Thodos Dance Chicago, Deeply Rooted Dance Theater, and The Ruth Page School of Dance. He danced with Milwaukee Ballet II during the 2015–2016 season and has performed works by Ron de Jesus, Michael Pink, Septime Webre, Randy Duncan, Ruth Page, Lee Wei Chao, Ilya Kozadayev, Brian MacDonald, Victor Alexander and Spanish dance duo Angel Rojas and Carlos Rodriguez. Leonard has performed in the Chicago Dancing Festival, Jacob’s Pillow International Inside/Out Dance Festival, Dance for Life Chicago, and St. Louis Spring To Dance Festival. This is his first season with Dayton Ballet.



EVAN PITTS Evan Pitts, from Jacksonville, Florida, began his training under the direction of Christina McDonald of Fascinatin’ Rhythm Studio of Dance at age eight. Evan was a member of a performing group called The Moving Company, also based in Jacksonville. He shared his talents with the community by performing in the Community Nutcracker, where he performed many soloist roles. Evan continued his training with ballet mistress Rhonda Stampalia and Dr. Phyllis Penney at Douglas Anderson School of the Arts for three years. In 2009, after being given the opportunity to work with Adam Sage and Robert Philander of Missouri Ballet Theatre, he moved to St. Louis as a full-time company member. From Missouri, Evan moved to Kentucky, where he spent two seasons dancing under Luis Dominguez of the Lexington Ballet. Evan is excited for his fifth season with Dayton Ballet.

DANIEL POWERS Daniel Powers grew up in Alexandria, Virginia, and has trained with BalletNova, The Washington School of Ballet and Houston Ballet’s Ben Stevenson Academy. He was a member of The Orlando Ballet Second Company in the 2008–2009 season and was a Ballet Austin Trainee in the 2010–2011 season. Daniel has spent summers at The Kirov Academy of Ballet, The Rock School for Dance Education, Kaatsbaan Extreme Ballet, Boston Ballet, and Colorado Ballet. In the summer of 2013 he attended the Ballet Program at The School at Jacob’s Pillow on scholarship. Daniel danced with Cincinnati Ballet for four seasons, performing a variety of works by choreographers such as Yuri Possokhov, George Balanchine, James Kudelka, Adam Hoagland, Septime Webre, Victoria Morgan, and Devon Carney. Daniel is looking forward to a great second season with the Dayton Ballet.

NATHALY PRIETO Nathaly Prieto was born in La Habana, Cuba, where she began her training at the Provincial School Alejo Carpentier. At age 15 she danced in the production of Giselle with The Cuban Classical Ballet of Miami, directed by Pedro Pablo Peña. She joined the Thomas Armour Youth Ballet in 2007, where she performed several lead roles in Don Quixote, Paquita, La Bayadère, and Le Corsaire under the direction of Ruth Wiesen. Nathaly received her Associates in Arts from New World School of the Arts, where she performed works by Peter London, Gerald Ebitz, and Tina Santos. She attended the Dance Theatre of Harlem and Joffrey Ballet School summer intensives in New York City. Nathaly was a member of the Joffrey Ballet School Performance Company from 2011 to 2012 under the directorship of Davis Robertson. She has danced many contemporary works with choreographers such as Africa Guzman, Julie Bour, Brian McSween, Catherine Miller, Endalyn Taylor, Robert Garland, Michael Uthof, Gerald Ebitz and Davis Robertson. This is Nathaly’s fifth season with Dayton Ballet.

Dayton Ballet Company 2016–2017HALLIET SLACK Halliet Slack is originally from Louisiana and received her early training from the North Carolina School of the Arts. Her training was further strengthened by attending programs at the Boston Ballet, Houston Ballet Academy, and the Royal Winnipeg Ballet. Professionally, Halliet has danced with the Pennsylvania Ballet, Richmond Ballet, and Ballet Montana. Halliet is thrilled to be returning to the Dayton Ballet for her thirteenth season. Some of her favorite roles include the Sugar Plum Fairy, Snow Queen, and Dew Drop in Karen Russo Burke and Dermot Burke’s The Nutcracker, Blanche in Karen Russo Burke’s Streetcar Named Desire and Mina in Stuart Sebastian’s Dracula. Halliet has also enjoyed performing the works of George Balanchine, Nacho Duato, William Forsythe, and John Butler.

ANNALISE WOLLER Annalise Woller is originally from Boulder, Colorado, and began dancing at Boulder Ballet when she was six years old. She later attended the Boston Ballet Summer Dance Program and the Juilliard Summer Dance Intensive, among others. Annalise went on to study dance at Goucher College. After only three years, she graduated from Goucher College with Honors in Dance Performance and a minor in mathematics. In 2009, Annalise returned to Boulder to dance with Boulder Ballet, where she was promoted to principal and featured as Aurora in Sleeping Beauty. She also greatly enjoyed being a part of Delusions of Grandeur Productions and The Dayton Arts Project. Since joining Dayton Ballet, some of her favorite roles have been dancing Freudian Slip by Karen Russo Burke, Orchids by Gregory Robinson, and From Foreign Lands and People by Jessica Lang. Annalise is very excited to be returning to Dayton Ballet for her seventh season. She would like to thank her husband, Case Bodamer, and her family for their continual love and support.


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ChoreographyKaren Russo Burke

Music Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Artistic Director and Conductor,Dayton Philharmonic OrchestraNeal Gittleman

Costume DesignLowell Mathwich

Lighting DesignDan Feith

Scenic DesignRay Zupp

Additional Scenic DesignDan Gray

Scenery FabricatorScenic Solutions LLC

Production ManagerStacie R. Bigl

Children’s Rehearsal AssistantsMegan ForneyGabrielle Sharp

The Nutcracker

CAST(in order of appearance)

ACT IIn the Silberhaus Home

Clara Silberhaus(December 16, 17, 18) .......................................................................................... Taylor Thornburg(December 20, 21, 22, 23) ............................................................................................Katie GriffithFritz Silberhaus(December 16, 17, 18) .....................................................................................................Lauren Hill(December 20, 21, 22, 23) .................................................................................................. AJ GrossMr. Silberhaus(December 16, 18, 21, 23) ......................................................................................... Joshua Beaver(December 17, 20, 22) .................................................................................................... Peter KurtaMrs. Silberhaus(December 16, 18, 21, 23) .........................................................................................Brittany Butler(December 17, 20, 22) ..............................................................................................Annalise WollerCook(December 16, 18, 21, 23) .............................................................................................Katy Bowlby(December 17, 20, 22) ............................................................................................. Claire BergmanParlor Maids(December 16, 17, 18) ......................................................................... Savanah Koester, Ella Price(December 20, 21, 22, 23) ............................................................... Grace Hesson, Kayla WilliamsUncle Drosselmeyer .................................................................................DeMarcus Akeem SuggsMr. McGinness(December 16, 18, 21, 23) ......................................................................................... Leonard Pérez(December 17, 20, 22) ......................................................................................... Gregory GoessnerMrs. McGinness(December 16, 18, 21, 23) ....................................................................................... Claire Bergman(December 17, 20, 22) ...................................................................................................Katy Bowlby

The NutcrackerMcGinness Children(December 16, 17, 18) ...... Jacqueline Bouchard, Bethany Crank, Ella Gould, Madelyn Manning(December 20, 21, 22, 23) .......... Sarah Bevelhymer, Shannon Hyde, Emma Lowell, Emma RubinMr. Grunwald(December 16, 18, 21, 23) .................................................................................................Evan Pitts(December 17, 20, 22) ............................................................................................... Daniel PowersMrs. Grunwald(December 16, 18, 21, 23) ..................................................................................Courtney Catalana(December 17, 20, 22) ............................................................................................... Nathaly PrietoGrunwald Children(December 16, 17, 18) ..................................................Lucy Arnold, Rebecca Elliott, Janie Woods(December 20, 21, 22, 23) ....................................... Trudie Arling, Mira Soin, Mckenna StenemanMs. DuBois(December 16, 18, 21, 23) ......................................................................................... Brooke Fabian(December 17, 20, 22) .................................................................................................Margot AkninDuBois Children(December 16, 17, 18) .............................................................Jamie Gabrielson, Claire Takazawa(December 20, 21, 22, 23) ......................................................................... Jenin Halabi, Lila SauerBallerina Doll(December 16, 18, 21, 23) ...........................................................................................Margot Aknin(December 17, 20, 22) ...............................................................................................Brittany ButlerSoldier Doll(December 16, 18, 21, 23) ......................................................................................... Daniel Powers(December 17, 20, 22) ............................................................................................... Leonard Pérez

Dream SceneNutcracker(December 16, 18, 21, 23) .............................................................................................. Peter Kurta(December 17, 20, 22) ...................................................................................................Paul GilliamSoldiers(December 16, 17, 18) ....................Matthew Coty, Molly Dunn, Megan Gabrielson, Ella Hedges,

Lauren Jones, Yetta Krummel-Adkins, Ellie Savage, Karson Stubbs-Hartlage, Scarlett Studebaker, Jordan Thornburg, Matthew Warren, Alexandra West

(December 20, 21, 22, 23) .............Sophia Barrett, Izabella Bell, Carissa Buehler, Sophie Caton, Sarah Connell, Adele Davis, Elliana Hurst, Mollie Juniewicz,

Nora Sableski, Mary Schade, Sarah Scott, Allison UngerRat King(December 16, 18, 21, 23) ................................................................................... Gregory Goessner(December 17, 20, 22) ................................................................................................ James FolsomRats(December 16, 17, 18) .............................. Andi Ashby, Sasha Casada, Eliana Egbert, Elina Espy,

Audrey Henry, Isabella Lacey, Annabelle May, Madison Peters, Claudia Schnell, Annie Steckel, Mira Soin, Eliana Tipton

(December 20, 21, 22, 23) ...................Grace Bauer, Amanda Bass, Cailyn Buehler, Marina Bell, Lia Betz, Isabella Cantrell, Allie DeLong, Alivia Hardman,

Sophia Koewler, Maeve Lynch, Athena Rosengarten, Bailee Waltersheide


The NutcrackerSnow Forest

Snow King(December 16, 18, 21, 23) ......................................................................................... Case Bodamer(December 17, 20, 22) .......................................................................................................Evan PittsSnow Queen(December 16, 18, 21, 23) ........................................................................................Annalise Woller(December 17, 20, 22) ........................................................................................Courtney CatalanaSnowflakes(December 16, 18, 21, 23) ............................Brenna Sweeny, Nathaly Prieto, Courtney Catalana,

Dominique Neff, Abigail Roberts, Christa Knipes, Erin Moody, Sarah Wissel, Vanessa Wolf, Claire Bergman, Kate DeLon, Katy Bowlby

(December 17, 20, 22) ....................................... Hannah Burneka, Brooke Fabian, Margot Aknin, Dominique Neff, Abigail Roberts, Jocelyn Green, Erin Moody,

Siobhan Nickell, Vanessa Wolf, Annalise Woller, Kate DeLon, Brittany Butler

Intermission – 20 minutes

ACT IILand of Sweets

Sugar Plum Fairy(December 16, 18, 21, 23) ......................................................................................... Nathaly Prieto(December 17, 20, 22) ................................................................................................Jocelyn GreenCavalier(December 16, 18, 21, 23) .............................................................................................Paul Gilliam(December 17, 20, 22) ............................................................................................... Joshua BeaverAttendants(December 16, 17, 18) ...................... Lauren Aiken, Bethany Crank, Ellen Greene, Jadden Hahn,

Alexandra Holtgrave, Cheyenne Maher, Ava Markoff, Shanelle Price, Elizabeth Roelle, Ellie Rozier, Charlotte Schnell,

Natalie Stansberry, Claire Takazawa, Elana Twarek(December 20, 21, 22, 23) ...............Trudie Arling, Izabella Ataman, Grace Bauer, Melisse Bretz,

Lillian Connelly, Adele Davis, Shannon Hyde, Bella Japs, Mollie Juniewicz, Deirdre Lynch, Nora Sableski,

Brooke Santo, Lila Sauer, Mary SchadeBlood Orange Chocolates(December 16, 18, 21, 23) .................. Margot Aknin, Joshua Beaver, Annalise Waller, Evan Pitts(December 17, 20, 22) .............Courtney Catalana, Daniel Powers, Katy Bowlby, Leonard PérezChinese Conjurer(December 16, 18, 21, 23) ......................................................................................... Daniel Powers(December 17, 20, 22) ............................................................................................... Case BodamerChinese Tea(December 16, 18, 21, 23) .................................... Laura Gaines, Christa Knipes, Siobhan Nickell(December 17, 20, 22) .............................................Hannah Burneka, Emily Ritchie, Mandi WeitzTurkish Delight(December 16, 18, 21, 23) .............................Claire Bergman, Case Bodamer, Gregory Goessner(December 17, 20, 22) .................................................. Margot Aknin, Peter Kurta, James Folsom

The NutcrackerRibbon Candy(December 16, 18, 21, 23) ..........................................................James Folsom with Katie Connell,

Kate Gothburg, Emily Ritchie, Mandi Weitz(December 17, 20, 22) ............................................. Evan Pitts with Katie Connell, Laura Gaines,

Siobhan Nickell, Mikaela SobolikMarzipan Shepherdess(December 16, 18, 21, 23) ..................................................................................Courtney Catalana(December 17, 20, 22) ............................................................................................... Brooke FabianMarzipan Candy(December 16, 18, 21, 23) ........ Dominique Neff, Jocelyn Green, Brooke Fabian, Brenna Sweeny(December 17, 20, 22) .................... Dominique Neff, Vanessa Wolf, Claire Bergman, Erin MoodyLambs(December 16, 17, 18) .................................Maggie Duvic, Layla Espy, Sophia Krapf, Nesta May(December 20, 21, 22, 23) ...........Ella Birt, Sarah Dean, Lani O’Shaughnessy, Caitlin SteineckerMother Ginger ............................................................................................................Halliet SlackGingerbread Cookies(December 16, 17, 18) ...........................Lucy Arnold, Ally Blatter, Hannah Coty, Rebecca Elliott,

Ella Gould, Katie Griffith, Audrey Henry, Madeline Stiehl(December 20, 21, 22, 23) ............Amea Bretz, Grace Hesson, Emma Lowell, Hannah McGuffey,

Mckenna Steneman, Taylor Thornburg, Caitlyn Wehner, Caroline WoessnerDew Drop Fairy(December 16, 18, 21, 23) .............................................................................................Katy Bowlby(December 17, 20, 22) ...............................................................................................Brittany ButlerSugar Candied Flowers(December 16, 18, 21, 23) ................................. Hannah Burneka, Brooke Fabian, Margot Aknin,

Dominique Neff, Abigail Roberts, Jocelyn Green, Erin Moody, Sarah Wissel, Vanessa Wolf, Kate DeLon, Annalise Woller, Brittany Butler

(December 17, 20, 22) ..................................Brenna Sweeny, Courtney Catalana, Nathaly Prieto, Dominique Neff, Abigail Roberts, Christa Knipes, Erin Moody,

Sarah Wissel, Vanessa Wolf, Kate DeLon, Katy Bowlby, Claire Bergman


The NutcrackerAct I

The story opens in the foyer of the Silberhaus home. Clara and Fritz are anxiously waiting to begin the holiday festivities. Their cook has prepared many beautiful desserts from all over the world, and friends will be arriving soon.

One of their guests is a relative they haven’t met yet. He is their wonderfully charming and magical Uncle Drosselmeyer.

The party finally gets under way with dancing for both parents and children. Uncle Drosselmeyer brings very special gifts to the party, such as beautiful large dolls that he magically commands to dance. However, the most enchanting gift he brings is a doll called the Nutcracker. Clara immediately falls in love with it. Fritz becomes a tad jealous and tries to snatch the Nutcracker from Clara but instead accidentally drops it.

Drosselmeyer is there to quickly mend the broken doll, to Clara’s surprise.

After the guests depart, it is time for the Silberhaus family to retire. Clara would desperately love to take her Nutcracker to bed with her, but Mother and Father suggest that she keep it under the tree.

During the night, Clara sneaks out of bed to retrieve her Nutcracker, but while she is near the tree the grandfather clock strikes 12, scaring her. All of a sudden the living room is filled with rats. She is frightened and jumps onto a chair for refuge. Magically, Drosselmeyer appears and dismisses the rats. The house suddenly begins to grow and change shape. Clara is in awe of the new surroundings. To her amazement, Fritz’s toy soldiers appear from the giant tree and take up battle with the rats, which are now being led by a Rat King. To come to her defense, her beloved Nutcracker, who has become lifelike, battles the Rat King. Just when it looks as though the Nutcracker is about to be defeated, Clara throws her slipper, striking the Rat King dead. As he is being dragged away, Clara turns to see that the Nutcracker has transformed and Drosselmeyer is there to lead them on an adventurous journey.

Through the large doors and into the snow forest, Clara, the Nutcracker and Uncle Drosselmeyer are met by the Snow King and Queen. There they experience the wonders of the winter snow. The Snow King and Queen present them with a beautiful sled, and Drosselmeyer sends them off to continue their exciting journey to the Land of Sweets.

Act IIAs Clara and the Nutcracker arrive in the Land of Sweets, they are met by the beautiful Sugar Plum Fairy, her Cavalier and their Attendants. Each Attendant holds a f lag that represents all the delicious desserts of the kingdom.

After hearing about Clara and the Nutcracker’s adventures with the Rat King, the Sugar Plum Fairy and Cavalier ask them to be their guests. Each of the spectacular divertissements awards them with a beautiful dessert and a dance.

Clara and the Nutcracker meet so many wonderful people. As the evening draws to an end, Drosselmeyer appears.

This magical journey is like a dream—when she opens her eyes, she finds herself back at home.

She wonders about her unusual Uncle Drosselmeyer. Was his magic a part of this fantasy, or was it all a dream?

The Nutcracker Featured ArtistsKaren Russo Burke, ChoreographerSee Biography, Page 20

Neal Gittleman, Music ConductorSee Biography, Page 22

Ray Zupp,Costume Design and Scenic DesignA two-time Kennedy Center Award–winning designer, Ray Zupp has design credits to his name from both stage and television. He has been working closely with the Dayton Ballet for the past four years, having designed their premiere productions of Cinderella, The Nutcracker, Romeo and Juliet, and Dracula: Bloodlines. A longtime scenic artist for The Human Race Theatre Company, Zupp has designed for numerous theatre companies across the United States. Television credits include work on various reality shows for FOX, CMT, OWN, the HUB, and MNET America, as well as ABC’s Brothers&Sisters, HBO’s GIRLS, NBC’s Deception, and the premiere season of the Netflix series Orange Is the New Black.

Lowell Mathwich, Costume DesignerCalled “one of the most innovative costumers in ballet today,” Lowell A. Mathwich’s costume designs have run the gamut from classical tutus to baseball uniforms; from Victorian period eveningwear in Christmas Carol: The Ballet to wrestling uniforms and unitards resembling corsets and turn of the century bathing suits. The costume designs for the 1996 premiere of An American Cinderella were, according to critics, “Breathtaking,” “Stunning,” and “Nearly leapt off the Victoria stage themselves.” Lowell’s costumes for his first full-length ballet, Stuart Sebastian’s Dracula, have been seen and appreciated by audiences worldwide, while costumes for Dayton Ballet’s first production of The Nutcracker have been called “beautiful to behold, illuminating the emotion and character of each dance.” In the spring of 2001, Mr. Lowell was the costume designer for a cast of 37 in the American classic West Side Story, a joint production between The Human Race Theatre Company, Victoria Theatre Association and Dayton Ballet. In April of 2003, Dayton Ballet premiered America’s Robin Hood, with over 70 of Lowell’s costume designs representing Colonial America and the Mohawk Indians. In December of 2003, Dayton Ballet audiences were treated to an entirely new production of The Nutcracker with over 70 costume designs created by Lowell. Lowell’s designs for There Was a Time, premiered by Dayton Ballet in 2006, portrayed over two decades of contemporary American history. In 2007, Dayton Ballet premiered The Who’s Tommy, based on the original 1969 recording and featuring an amazing array of costumes designed by Lowell.

Lowell’s extensive body of design work encompasses costumes for over 95 ballet productions including works for such choreographers as Dermot Burke, Christopher Fleming, Luis Fuente, Alan Hineline, Christian Holder, Bebe Miller, Gregory Robinson, and for several of George Balanchine’s works in the Dayton Ballet repertoire. In addition, Lowell has worked as Costume Designer for Dayton Opera, and Dayton Contemporary Dance Company and has designed numerous productions for the Human Race Theatre Company including Brother Wolf, Twelfth Night, Right Next To Me and Ethel Waters: His Eye Is on the Sparrow, for which he was presented with a DayTony Awards Committee Award of Merit for Costume Design. In 2004, Lowell was awarded a Master Performing Artist Fellowship in costume design for dance, funded by the Montgomery County Arts and Cultural District.


The Nutcracker Featured ArtistsIn the summer of 2014, Lowell took to the road as the star dresser for the Barry Gordy character in the Broadway hit Motown: The Musical. He continues to tour the United States and Canada and is loving every minute of it.

Prior to his career in costume design, Lowell enjoyed a 15-year career as a dancer. Ten of those years he performed with Dayton Ballet, where he was featured in many principal roles. In recent seasons, he has been invited to make guest appearances on the Dayton Ballet stage in The Nutcracker as Herr Drosselmeyer, Kate’s father in The Taming Of The Shrew, Lord Capulet in Romeo and Juliet and as Cardinal Richelieu in The Three Musketeers. Lowell is a proud member of IATSE, Theatrical Wardrobe Union, Local #886.

Dan Feith,Lighting DesignerDan Feith was born in Dayton, Ohio, and raised in Cincinnati. After high school and one year of college at the University of Cincinnati he wandered the country as an itinerant actor. He finally tired of acting and touring and went back to college. After completing a Bachelor of Science in Music and a Masters of Art in Theatre, he found himself drawn toward production work, specifically in the field of dance.

Dan has worked full time in this f ield for the past 23 years as a lighting designer, production manager, and technical director. He began his career working for Dermot Burke at The Princeton Ballet (now American Repertory Theatre). He moved on from there and spent many years with Pilobolus Dance Theatre.

During the past several years, he has worked for Momix Dance Theatre, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Tulsa Ballet, The Joyce Theatre (NYC), and Cincinnati Ballet. His current projects include tours with Buglisi Dance Theatre and Doug Varone and Dancers.

DeMarcus Akeem Suggs,Guest ArtistA Twin Cities, MN native, DeMarcus Akeem Suggs began his professional training under the tutelage of the late Marcus Sherman. He continued his studies at Dance Central (Charlotte, NC), Masterworks Festival and the USA International Ballet Competition & School. In 2011, he received his B.F.A. in dance from Belhaven University (Jackson, MS), where he was a full-tuition scholarship recipient. While at Belhaven, DeMarcus was selected for the 2009 Bezalel Award for Outstanding Artistic Achievement and was also a member of TALK Dance Company, with which he toured internationally. DeMarcus joined Dayton Contemporary Dance Company (DCDC) in 2011, where he danced for three consecutive seasons. During his tenure, he was honored by his colleagues with the Josephine (JOSIE) Schwartz Award for his pursuit of artistic excellence both on and off the stage. Currently a freelance artist, DeMarcus has had the pleasure of performing with Brown Dance Project, Crystal Michelle, and Masterworks Festival, and he is excited to dance in his fourth production with Dayton Ballet.

Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra Personnel1ST VIOLINSJessica Hung, Concertmaster

Aurelian OpreaElizabeth Hofeldt Karlton Taylor Mikhail Baranovsky Louis Proske Katherine Ballester John Lardinois Philip Enzweiler Dona Nouné-Wiedmann

2ND VIOLINS Kirstin Greenlaw, Principal

Kara ManteufelAnn Lin Gloria Fiore Scott MooreTom Fetherston Lynn Rohr Yoshiko Kunimitsu

VIOLAS Sheridan Currie, Principal

Colleen BraidKaren JohnsonScott Schilling Lori LaMattina Mark Reis Leslie Dragan

CELLOS Andra Lunde Padrichelli, Principal

Christina ColettaJonathan Lee Ellen NettletonMark Hofeldt Nadine Monchecourt

BASSES Deborah Taylor, Principal

Jon PascoliniDonald Compton Stephen Ullery

FLUTES Rebecca Tryon Andres, Principal

Jennifer Northcut Janet van Graas

OBOES Eileen Whalen, Principal

Connie Ignatiou Robyn Dixon Costa

CLARINETS John Kurokawa, Principal

Robert Gray Wallis Vore

BASSOONS Rachael Young, Principal

Kristen Smith

FRENCH HORNS Aaron Brant, Principal

Amy Lassiter Todd Fitter Sean Vore Jonas Thoms

TRUMPETS Charles Pagnard, Principal

Alan Siebert

TROMBONES Alan KellerRichard Begel Joseph Murrell

TUBA Timothy Northcut, Principal

TIMPANI Donald Donnett, Principal

PERCUSSION Michael LaMattina, Principal

Jeffrey Luft

KEYBOARD Joshua Nemith, Principal

HARP Leslie Stratton, Principal

Neal Gittleman Artistic Director and Conductor

Patrick Reynolds Associate Conductor and Conductor, DPYO

Hank Dahlman Chorus Director

Jane Varella Personnel Manager

Eric Knorr Orchestra Librarian

Elizabeth Hofeldt Youth Strings Orchestra Director

Kara Manteufel Junior Strings Orchestra Director


In 1908, women did not have the right to vote, did not typically attend college, and did not regularly work outside the home. It was also the year a visionary man turned love for his daughter into the United States’ first foundation dedicated solely to addressing issues facing women and girls.

A noted philanthropist and former Fifth Third Bank president, Jacob Schmidlapp had already lost his wife, his mother-in-law and his daughter Emma in a train wreck when, in 1906, he and his remaining daughter, Charlotte, were touring France to celebrate Charlotte’s graduation. In a freak accident, Charlotte was killed. Mr. Schmidlapp channeled his grief by establishing the Charlotte R. Schmidlapp Fund. Its mission was “to enable, uplift and strengthen the lives of young women who

are compelled to be self supporting.” The intention of this fund was to support programs and projects that allow other young women, unlike Mr. Schmidlapp’s daughters, to realize their lives’ dreams.

Through a generous gift from the Charlotte R. Schmidlapp Fund, Dayton Ballet has established a scholarship in honor of Charlotte Schmidlapp. Annual scholarships awarded to female dancers of Dayton Ballet’s pre-professional company, Dayton Ballet II (DBII), will assist talented young women pursuing their dream to dance.

For more information about The Charlotte Schmidlapp Scholarship, contactDayton Ballet at 937-449-5060.

The Charlotte R. Schmidlapp ScholarshipSarah Elizabeth Fiorita fell in love with ballet when, on her first birthday, she received a shiny leotard and pink tutu, along with a book about “Angelina Ballerina.” She loved to dance every chance she had and, at age three, enrolled in ballet lessons. The lessons didn’t go so well since Sarah was more of a leader than a follower. Her dance teacher suggested that maybe she should wait another year before she took classes. Unfortunately, just about a year later, Sarah became very ill and was ultimately diagnosed with leukemia at the age of four.

For more that two years Sarah battled this disease through chemo, two bone marrow transplants, and an extreme amount of courage and spunk. She continued to dance in her favorite tutu whenever she was well enough. Ballet made her happy—even in the toughest times.

Sarah lost her fight with leukemia on November 17, 2006, at the young age of six.

In Sarah’s last months, Dayton Ballet invited her to come to the Victoria Theatre to practice with the dancers, tour the inner sanctum of the building and above all, dance on the stage with the dancers of Dayton Ballet. It was a magical day for her and those who had the opportunity to observe. The family will be forever grateful to everyone at Dayton Ballet for those precious moments and memories.

We can think of no better way to honor Sarah’s memory, and the one thing that brought her the greatest joy in her short life, than by providing dance scholarships for other children through the creation of The Sarah Fiorita Memorial Scholarship Fund. Annual scholarships will grant financial assistance to girls and boys between the ages of six and eight who have the same interest, drive and desire as did Sarah, to do what they love—dance.

Joe and Kathryn Fiorita

Dayton Ballet is pleased to announce that, because of the generosity of the Fiorita family and other donors to The Sarah Fiorita Memorial Scholarship Fund, two young dancers will have the opportunity to study ballet at the Dayton Ballet School.

For more information about The Sarah Fiorita Memorial Scholarship Fund, or to contribute, please contact Dayton Ballet at 937-224-3521.

The Sarah Fiorita Memorial Scholarship Fund

Donors (July 1, 2015‒November 14, 2016)Mr. and Mrs. Philip C. DreetyMr. and Mrs. Donald A. Meyer


A great deal has recently been written about how, if the arts are to survive in this new century, unique and mutually beneficial new partnerships will have to be created. Dayton Ballet is indeed fortunate in that one of its most important and enduring partnerships was formed over 25 years ago.

In 1985, a working relationship was created between the Wright State University Dance Program and Dayton Ballet’s pre-professional company, DB II. Over the years, Dayton Ballet has been able to perform large-scale ballet productions by using the talents of Wright State dance majors. In turn, Wright State dance majors have had the unique experience of rehearsing and performing with a professional ballet company. For many years, the WSU and DBA artistic faculties have collaborated on a number of successful dance projects.

If the Wright State-Dayton Ballet collaboration only provided for the future of young dancers, it would be a partnership having far-reaching and enduring rewards. But this unique alliance has also provided Dayton Ballet with the talents of gifted Wright State musical students and has allowed Dayton Ballet to take advantage of Wright State University’s administrative resources and marketing analysis skills. These services have provided the Ballet with a wealth of valuable information that would otherwise have been beyond reach.

Wright State has preserved the history and heritage of Dayton Ballet. As the second-oldest professional dance company in the country, Dayton Ballet Association has accumulated, in its 79-year history, vast amounts of information on the Dayton Ballet, the life of Miss Josephine Schwarz and the history of dance in our country. These valuable dance archives reside in, and are cared for by, the Wright State University library.

Dayton Ballet salutes the devoted faculty and talented students of Wright State University.

Dayton Ballet in Partnership with Wright State University

Dayton Ballet’s most gifted dancers have come up through the ranks of Dayton Ballet II (DB II), Dayton Ballet’s pre-professional training and performing company. Selected by audition, DB II dancers receive their first taste of performing behind the footlights along with an opportunity to sharpen technique and gain maturity and discipline that is not available offstage.

Throughout its history, members of DB II have performed both in their own programs and with

Dayton Ballet. This year, Wright State University students and members of DB II will have the opportunity to participate with Dayton Ballet in Dracula: Bloodlines and The Nutcracker. In the past they have had the opportunity to perform with Dayton Opera and the Dayton Philharmonic, which they will join on the Magic Carpet Concerts program (April 25–27, 2017). They also perform at various locations and festivals throughout the year, as well as in their own spring concert featuring ballet, modern and contemporary works.

In 1985, a working relationship was formed with Wright State University’s Department of Dance, headed by former Associate Director and Dancer Jon Rodriquez and former Dayton Ballet Resident Choreographer and dancer Suzanne Walker. This alliance allows selected Wright State dance majors to become members of Dayton Ballet II, furthering the quality and diversity of the DB II program and giving the WSU dance majors an opportunity to gain firsthand experience of a professional career in dance.

On behalf of the DB II dancers and artistic staff, a special thanks is extended to Dayton Ballet and all those caring individuals for donating their time and support throughout the season.

Dayton Ballet II

DB II Junior Company

DB II Senior Company


The Dermot Burke Premiere FundThe creation of The Dermot Burke Premiere Fund was announced during the final performance of Dayton Ballet’s 2010–2011 season. The fund’s purpose is to honor Dermot’s 19-year career at Dayton Ballet and continue the tradition, started by founder Josephine Schwarz 79 years ago, of creating and presenting new choreography. During his time at Dayton Ballet, Dermot was the driving force in the creation of new works such as An American Cinderella and There Was a Time. Not only did Dermot leave his own choreography as a part of Dayton Ballet’s repertoire, but he also mentored other choreographers such as Septime Webre, Artistic Director of Washington Ballet, and Stephen Mills, Artistic Director at Ballet Austin. A ballet

company’s repertoire is its “bricks and mortar,” and in order to remain relevant to our audience and attract new audiences, Dayton Ballet must continue to introduce new and innovative works.

We hope that you will consider making a gift to this fund, which will allow Dayton Ballet not only to remain true to its mission of educating, enlightening and entertaining the Dayton community but also to continue to inspire new works that will grace the stage for years to come, inspiring new audiences, dancers and choreographers.

The Dermot Burke Premiere Fund DonorsAnonymous (5)Judy B. and Robert E. Airhart IIRebecca H. Appenzeller and Craig J. BrownShirley ArkSue Ellen AterMary C. Combs and Michael R. BachmannDr. Gary C. BarlowJohn and Shirley BerryDermot and Karen BurkeKevin and Dante ConnellJoan and Dick DeLonGloria Drake-NorwoodJane A. DunwoodieMr. and Mrs. Daniel W. Duval, Sr.Melvin and Sondra ElliottDeborah and Thomas FerrattLaura and Al FikeAdele D. GoodMr. and Mrs. Michael HaganRoberta HarbachCarol Jean HellerJim and Polly HudsonClaudia Kropas-Hughes and Michael HughesMarianna HuntBess ImberMacy P. JanneyMr. and Mrs. C. David Leach

Cynthia LevyEloween and Arthur LewisLeslie and Judy NeffGwendolyn NugentFrederic and Cheryl OhmerGary Pacernick and Peggy WellerJoyce P. PannellRonald D. PatrickJeanette and Jim PattonDr. Juan and Mrs. Debra PauletKathy and Matt ReedPatricia A. RileySusan Rodabaugh Dr. Jose Rodriguez and Mrs. Amber RodriguezMike Rousculp and Debra StraussMike and Heather RuetschlePatti Russell-CampbellMatthew J. ScarrDale Schmidt and Harold PoppeCatherine W. ShepherdDavid M. TriwushReta WagnerRichard WeidnerGary Wescott and Robin AustinRobert M. and Joli S. WilsonMr. and Mrs. Benjamin WiltMary and Perry Yaney

Annual FundDayton Performing Arts Alliance

The Dayton Performing Arts Alliance (DPAA) was formed in July 2012 as the result of a groundbreaking merger between the Dayton Ballet, Opera and Philharmonic, creating the largest performing arts organization in the community. The DPAA offers a tremendous variety of performance and education programs and sets a new standard for artistic excellence. Unrestricted contributions to the DPAA provide essential operating support for Ballet, Opera and Philharmonic performances and the general operations of the Alliance. We thank the following supporters for their annual fund gifts made from July 1, 2015 to November 22, 2016.

For more information, please contact Laura Letton, Director of Individual Giving, at (937) 224-3521, ext. 1137.

AnonymousJohn and Kathy BeranCharles D. BerryTom and Babs BettcherWendy B. CampbellDr. Charles and Patricia Demirjian

Dr. Grace L. DeVelbissJanet and Vernon FernandesNeal Gittleman and Lisa FryMary H. Kittredge Fund of

The Dayton FoundationGene Kurtz and Jan Culver

Bill and Jackie LockwoodSteve and Lou MasonBill and Dianne SchneiderDr. and Mrs. Gil TempletonLee and Betsy WhitneyWalt and Marcia Wood

Encore $10,000+Alliance Leadership Giving

Anonymous (2)Mary Arnett SparksAlbert and Susan AsebrookCharlotte and John BrownJoan and Dick DeLonDrs. Bruce and Janice DukeRobert and Leta FairbankPete GilstrapCharles HardwickThe Harlamert Charitable Foundation

Laura Nyquist and Max HeintzAnn and Stan HerrRichard and Sylvia HolleyMr. Michael A. HouserJim and Polly Hudson J. Colby and Nancy KingBarbara and Leib LurieCynthia C. MasonKen and Darrell MayConstance McKaleDale and Karen Medford

Barbara N. O’HaraKen and Nancy QuinterMartha Ann and Jerry ReaperMilt and Dawn RossAnnette and Monte SalsmanLinda and Miles SchmidtMrs. Robert TannenbaumPeter and Patricia TorvikIngrid Brown and Troy TynerMr. and Mrs. William R. WingerFrank Winslow and Carol Warner

Overture $5,000–$9,999

Anonymous (6)Judith E. AdamsJudy B. and Robert E. Airhart IIDr. Ron Anderson and Mr. Robb Sloan-AndersonPaul and Dolores AndersonRebecca H. Appenzeller and Craig J. BrownDan and Vicky ArchibaldPeg and Dave AtwaterKarl and Sandy AyersTom and Frances BankstonChristopher and Susan BardeMichael and Dixie BarnhartDave and Maria BerryMr. and Mrs. Clarence J. BittnerMary R. BowmanVicki and Ray BraunDrs. Giselle and William BretzProf. William Henry CaldwellBarbara J. Campbell The Honorable William A. and Catherine C. ClarkKaren and Gary CrimPatrick and Suzanne CrippenMarty and John CulpMyrna and Richard CunninghamDr. and Mrs. Robert M. CusterBetty J. DarstMrs. Martha DeBoldDaniel and Linda DeitzDr. Joseph and Elizabeth DonovanJane A. DunwoodieRichard and Marsha EarlySarah Enterline RochDr. and Mrs. Edward EwingJim and Sue FalterDr. Joann Findlay and Dr. James H. SabiersRobert and Kathrine Fritschie Dr. Sharon Davis Gratto and Mr. Thomas P. GrattoMr. and Mrs. John C. GrayDavid J. and Lois Ann GriblerDr. David and Mrs. Pamela GriffithJonas and Susan GruenbergMr. and Mrs. John S. Haddick

John Halpin and Dorothy DickBetsy and Bob HarrisBond R. and Jane B. HattershirePaul and Geanie HelfrichDrs. Kirby and Rita HeritageMr. and Mrs. Franz J. HogeBruce and Ellen HolroydBetty and Earl HoltonDr. and Mrs. David HopkinsJim and Polly HudsonJeff and Ellen IrelandSteven and Priya JainCraig and Margarete JenningsNita A. JenningsMrs. Wallace E. JohnsonDiane Buchanan Johnson and Robert E. JohnsonMr. and Mrs. Edward F. JonesBernard Jump, Jr.Bruce JumpMary and Dick KarrR. Alan KimbroughDr. Bruce E. and Leora K. KlineRudolph J. and Margaret M. Kline FundJames and Carol KnappPaul and Carol LambergerRay and Cathy LaneDr. Peter K. Lauf and Dr. Norma C. Adragna-LaufStephen B. Levitt, M.D.Cynthia LevyCheryl and Franklin LewisDr. William C. and Kathleen LindahlJohn and Doris LindowerDennis and Carol LorangerBill and Wanda LukensMike and Christy ManchesterJudy D. McCormickMary and Kevin McDonaldDavid A. McElweePeggie and Mike McQuistonJim and Carol NathansonDr. and Mrs. Gary L. NicholsonGary Pacernick and Peggy Weller

Charlotte M. PaughDr. and Mrs. Jason and Emily PierceDavid and Doris PonitzRobert L. and Helen C. PotterC. Daniel and Kathy RaischDr. and Mrs. Robert E. RankinKathy and Matt ReedDominick and Peg RinaldiGreg and Kimberly RobinsonDr. Mojgan Samardar and Dr. David E. Zelmon Donald J. SchadeWilliam and Diane SchaffClifford R. and Peter R. ScholesTom and Althea SchumannRick and Jane SchwartzViolet G. SharpeJanet S. ShermanMr. and Mrs. Heber L. ShortHaley–Sibbing FamilyJune and Richard SmytheBob and Toni SprinkelLois and Roger SutherlandEverett TelljohannLois and Jay ThomasMolly K. TomcisinDianne and Dave TrentmanCynthia and Bill UhlDr. and Mrs. James H. Van TasselGeorge and Helen VawterPhilip and Jean Wagner Family FundMarshall and Karen WarehamTeri WarwickPaul and Susanne Weaver,

Mousaian Oriental RugsJim and Tami WhalenPenny and Bill WolffJudith Woll, M.D. Philanthropic Fund of the Jewish

Federation of Greater Dayton FoundationTim and Miriam WoodRaymond WylamJoyce C. Young

Bravo $1,500–$4,999

nutcracker dayton ballet · 2020. 12. 18. · page 18 dato ballet 2016–2017 seaso page 19 one...

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