Caldwell Fine Arts 2003-2004 Season

December 11
Thursday

$12-18 adult; $6-12 student
$18 lower level, $12 upper level ($6 less for student or child)

Music by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Choreography by Toni Pimble
Set Design by Don Carson
Costume Design by Amy Panganiban

Ballet Idaho’s The Nutcracker production captures the best of the imagination with colorful new sets, costumes and sparkling choreography. In the height of the holiday season, families and friends of all ages will be delighted with the magical The Nutcracker.

Fans of this holiday favorite will enjoy new adaptations of this magnificent show. The charming Nutcracker Prince will battle the Mouse King (in guise of Errol Flynn), who arrives in his new pirate ship, amidst the many mice and soldiers in the first act. In the second act, the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier will reign over the celebration in honor of Clara at which many surprises wait in store. Among the entertainment specialties -- sizzling Spanish dancers, an exotic Arabian duo, lots of leaping Russians, gliding Swiss skaters, clever Chinese acrobatics, and fabulous French footwork will appear.

Artistic Director, Toni Pimble gathered the talents of Set Designer Don Carson and Costume Designer Amy Panganiban to create this version. Carson, known for his talents as one of the collaborators of Disney’s Toontown, has developed a fanciful Nutcracker that features a Pirate Mouse King who takes over the Stahlbaum family living room in his pirate ship and a new traveling adventure for Clara on her way to the Kingdom of Sweets. Panganiban created the costumes to emulate Carson’s drawings.

Ballet Idaho’s The Nutcracker has elements much more grand than that of the original show, which was first performed in 1892 as half of a bill that included Iolanta, Tchaikovsky’s last opera. Since the early 1900’s, The Nutcracker is the most performed ballet and the most popular of all time. It is performed every year across the world and for audiences as small as a few hundred people to a large as several thousand.

Company Dancers

Peter Pawlyshyn, Ballet Master, is a native of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. He is a graduate of the Professional Division of the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School, where later he joined the Royal Winnipeg Ballet. His teachers included Julia Arkos and David Moroni. Mr. Pawlyshyn also holds a Graduate Certificate from the Pavlo Virsky Character Studio in Kiev, Ukraine. In his career, Mr. Pawlyshyn has danced with Louisville Ballet and Nevada Dance Theater, where he also served as assistant Ballet
Master. He also appeared as Principal Guest Artist with Boston Ballet. He has worked with such choreographers as Rudi van Danzig, Peter Wright, Robert North, Oscar Ariaz, Eddy Toussaint, Marjorie Mussman, Margo Sappington, Alun Jones and Bruce Marks. Upon retiring from dancing, Mr. Pawlyshyn was invited to join the staff of the Boston Ballet School by Anna Marie Holmes, Bruce Marks and Mrs. Nan Keating, where for seven years he spent a very successful teaching career. As a guest teacher, Mr. Pawlyshyn has taught at the International Ballet, Hartford Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, Harvard University, University of Iowa, the Cecchetti Council of America, Cecchetti Society of Canada, Dance Masters of America and the Royal Academy of Dance. Over his career, Mr. Pawlyshyn has re-staged various ballets. He has choreographed such ballets as Cinderella, La Boutique Fantasque and Tango.

Principal Artists

Hyoung Il Joung, Principal Artist, was born in Seoul South Korea. He began studying ballet at age 11, enrolled at Hanyang University in 1993 and received his Bachelor's degree in Dance in 1997. In 1999, Hyoung was accepted into the National Ballet of Korea and achieved the rank of soloist in 2000. Hyoung has also been a competitor and gold medallist in a number of national and international ballet competitions including gold medals in the 17th Seoul International Dance Festival and International Dance Concours in Korea. He was also honored as the official Korean representative at the Asia International Dance Competition in Japan. Hyoung has performed a variety of roles in classical and contemporary ballets including Swan Lake, Le Corsaire, and was featured in Don Quixote as the matador, Espada. Last season, Hyoung danced Romeo in Romeo and Juliet, the Cavalier in The Nutcracker, Prince Ivan in The Firebird and created the role of the Duke of Buckingham in Toni Pimble’s, The Three Musketeers. This is Hyoung’s third season performing with Ballet Idaho.

Hyuk-Ku Kwon, Principal Artist, studied ballet at Sejong University in Korea. He took a Silver Medal in 1991 and a Gold Medal in 1993 in the Korean Dance Association Competition, and a Gold Medal in the 1st Kirov-Universal Ballet Competition. He joined Universal Ballet in 1992 and was promoted to soloist in 1994 and principal in 1996. With the company, he danced principal roles in Coppelia, La Bayadere, The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Giselle and Don Quixote. In 2001, he participated as a guest in the World Stars at Opera International Ballet Gala in Budapest. Last season, Hyuk-Ku danced with Ballet Arizona. This is Hyuk’s first season with Ballet Idaho.

Jennifer Martin, Principal Artist, is a native of Long Beach, California and trained at the Long Beach/Los Angeles Classical Ballet and the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School. Jennifer has danced with Los Angeles Classical Ballet, the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, the Francisco Martinez Dance Theatre, Big Island Dance Council in Hawaii, and Montana Ballet. She has been featured as the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker, Odette/Odile in Swan Lake, Princess Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty, among others. "Her technical facility and dramatic powers make her a dancer to be reckoned with." Dance Magazine, July 1999. Jennifer has danced the principal role of Kitri in Don Quixote and was featured as The Chosen One in Toni Pimble's premiere of The Rite of Spring, Juliet in Romeo and Juliet and created the role of M’Lady in The Three Musketeers. This is Jennifer’s tenth season with the company.

Brett Mills, Principal Artist, was born in Chicago, Illinois. Brett trained at the Chicago City Ballet, the Ruth Page Foundation, and attended programs at the Joffrey Ballet School, the Washington School of Ballet, and the Cleveland School of Ballet. Before joining the company, she performed professionally with BalletMet and Ballet Iowa. Brett has danced many leading roles with Ballet Idaho including Titania in A Midsummer Night's Dream, Beauty in Beauty & The Beast, Odette in Swan Lake, Alice in Alice in Wonderland and Clara and The Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker, Constance in The Three Musketeers and the role of the firebird in Stravinsky’s, The Firebird along with a broad range of contemporary works. Brett is known for her classic lines, effortless technique, and extraordinary grace.

2003-2004 Company Artists

Frank Affrunti is returning to the Ballet Idaho after a hiatus of three years working with Charleston Ballet Theatre in South Carolina. He has danced many roles with Ballet Idaho including the cavalier in The Nutcracker, Prince Albrecht in Giselle and Jonathan in Charles Bennett’s, Dracula. He was featured in Toni Pimble’s Silk and Steel and Slipstream, Lynn Taylor Corbett’s In a Word and appeared as both the Knave of Hearts and the King of Hearts in Toni Pimble’s Alice in Wonderland.

Daniel Alsedek received his early training at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet. He has trained at the San Francisco Ballet School and the School of America Ballet and apprenticed with the Richmond Ballet. Most recently, Daniel danced with Ballet Austin for two seasons, performing in such works as Steven Mills’, Hamlet and The Rite of Spring, David Nixon's, Madame Butterfly and Septime Webber's, Peter Pan. Daniel has a great sense of comic timing and created the comic character role of the innkeeper in Toni Pimble’s The Thee Musketeers last season and was featured in the Russian dance in The Nutcracker. This is Daniel’s second season with Ballet Idaho.

Juan Carlos Amy-Cordero grew up in Boston, Massachusetts. He trained at the Boston Ballet School where he performed in many Boston Ballet productions including The Nutcracker, Anna Marie Holmes’ The Sleeping Beauty and Ben Stevenson's Cleopatra. Juan Carlos also attended San Francisco Ballet School's summer session. Some of the notable teachers he has trained with include: Luis Fuente, Jorge Esquivel, Pablo Aharonian, Laura Young, Devon Carney, Bruce Wells and Peter Pawlyshyn. Last season, Juan Carlos danced the principal role of Hans in The Nutcracker and Athos in Toni Pimble’s The Three Musketeers and was featured in Eloy Barragan’s Encuentros. This is Juan Carlos’ second season with Ballet Idaho.

Dubraskha Arrivillaga has worked professionally in Venezuela with Ballet Contemporaneo de Caracas, Ballet Nuevo Mundo de Caracas under the direction of Zhandra Rodriguez and Ballet Nacional de Caracas with Vicente Nebrada. Dubraskha has danced solo roles in Coppelia, Swan Lake and Don Quixote. She has worked with noted choreographers such as Vicente Nebrada, Hans Van Manen, Mauricio Wainrot and Mauro Galindo. This is Dubraskha’s first season with Ballet Idaho.

Diego Fernando Castro was born in Columbia and studied at the Ballet de Havana, Cuba under the direction of Alicia Alonzo. Diego has danced with the Joffrey Ensemble Dancers touring throughout the United States dancing the principal role of the Cavalier in The Nutcracker, appeared with New Jersey Ballet and danced with Repertory Dance Theatre dancing in ballets choreographed by Trinette Singleton Anger and Lynne Patrick Mariani. Most recently he has danced with Berks Ballet Theatre. This is his first season with Ballet Idaho.

Gilmer Duran is joining the company from Tulsa Ballet Theatre. He grew up in Venezuela where he danced with Ballet Nuevo Mundo de Caracas under the directorship of Zhandra Rodriguez. In 1999 Gilmer joined Ballet National de Caracas and worked with Vicente Nebrada, performing solo roles in Romeo & Juliet, The Nutcracker and Zona Desconocida. Gilmer has worked with choreographers such as Mauricio Wainrot, Vicente Nebrada and Maria Barrios and has toured internationally. This is Gilmer’s first season with Ballet Idaho.

Neysa Fulsome received her ballet training at Ballet Etudes in Mesa, Arizona. She began her professional career at Ballet Arizona and has since danced with Celtic Dance Theatre and Pacific Festival Ballet. Neysa has danced many roles with Ballet Idaho including Harlequinade in The Nutcracker and Bridesmaid in Don Quixote. Last season, Neysa was featured in Eloy Barragan’s, Encuentros and danced the Chinese in The Nutcracker as well as being an integral part of American Dance, an education program. This is Neysa’s fifth season with the company.

John Funk will be joining the company this season in character roles as the wicked fairy, Carabosse in Sleeping Beauty and one of the ugly step-sisters in Cinderella. John’s dramatic powers were featured in the title role of the Don in Anna-Marie Homles’ Don Quixote and last season he danced the role of Lord Capulet in Romeo and Juliet and created the role of Cardinal Richelieu in Toni Pimble’s The Three Musketeers.

Jonathan Guise graduated from Harid Conservatory in Boca Raton, FL in 1995, then performed with The Demetrius Klein Dance Company in Lake Worth, FL. In 1996, he signed with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, where he worked with such names as Nacho Duato, Daniel Ezralow and Twyla Tharp dancing principal roles. Jonathan served as "Artist in Residence" at Jacksonville University, where he earned the role of Director of Dance with Distinction, a non-credit dance program for aspiring dancers. While in Jacksonville he performed principal roles for The Florida Ballet in Les Patineurs, Dracula, Flower Festival and Raymonda. Jonathan was invited to the Boston Ballet in 2001 to perform in Celts by Lila York and The Nutcracker. Jonathan created the role of D’Artagnan in Toni Pimble’s The Three Musketeers. This is Jonathan’s second season with Ballet Idaho.

Suzanne Haag graduated Cum Laude in dance and arts management from Butler University in Indiana. She has danced in Lexington Ballet’s, Rite of Spring and The Nutcracker and appeared in Kirk Peterson’s, The Sleeping Beauty with Hartford Ballet. Suzanne’s repertoire includes Lisette in La Fille mal Gardee, the Dewdrop Fairy in The Nutcracker and a cygnet in Swan Lake. She has received Butler Ballet’s Outstanding Award and was a recipient of the Bud Kerwin Dance Award. This is Suzanne’s first season with the company.

Carlos Miller recently graduated from the Joffrey New School BFA program. Carlos’ training is in the Balanchine and Vaganova techniques. He has attended numerous summer intensives including the American Ballet Theater program performing a varied repertoire of classical and romantic ballets including Sleeping Beauty, Giselle, La Bayadere, Le Corsaire and Swan Lake as well as many contemporary and modern works. This is his first season with Ballet Idaho.

Melissa Nolen grew up in Birmingham, Alabama and was primarily trained by James Eaton. She also received additional training with such well-known teachers as Eleanor D'Antuono, Jeremy Blanton, Paul Sutherland, Susan Jones, John Meehan and Cynthia Gregory. She graduated from Indiana University in Bloomington where she studied under Violette Verdy. Melissa has been featured as Harlequinade in The Nutcracker, a Bridesmaid in Don Quixote and was featured in Eloy Barragan's Danza Danzon and Encuentros.

Petr Orlov was born in Ust-Ilimsk , Siberia. Mr. Orlov began studying ballet at age 5 at the noted National Ballet Theater "Solnechie Blicki", under the Artistic Direction of Elena Orlova. In 1990, he entered the renowned Perm Academy of Ballet in Perm, Russia. In 1991, Mr. Orlov attend the Moscow Academy of Ballet, studying with many of Russia’s great ballet teachers, including Nikoli Dorohov, Gennady Ledyakh, Mikhail Mineev, Alla Bogouslavskaya and Alexandra Markeyena. Peter studied at Elmhurst Ballet School in England and toured with the Elmhurst Student Ensemble giving gala performances in England and at the 50th Anniversary of the Hungarian National Ballet Academy, in Hungary. In 2002, Mr. Orlov joined Moscow City Ballet. He has toured extensively in Russia and recently completed a 3-month tour of England. Petr Orlov joined the company at the end of last season and was featured in Eloy Barragan’s Encuentros.

Stephanie Parker received her dance training at the school of the Pennsylvania Ballet and the Philadelphia Performing Arts High School. She has danced with the Pennsylvania Ballet and as principal artist at the Empire State Ballet, New York, the Chinese Dance Company, Panda Dance Theatre and the Xing Ballet in Canada. Stephanie danced the lead role in Rhapsody In Blue and Kitri's friend in Don Quixote. Last season Stephanie was featured as Clara, the role she created in Toni Pimble's version of The Nutcracker and in Eloy Barragan’s Encuentros.

Phyllis Rothwell danced with Charleston Ballet Theatre as principal dancer where she danced many roles including Lucy in Jill Eathorne Bahr’s, Dracula, the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker and the title role in the ballet, Carmen. Phyllis joined the company this summer performing in the Oregon Bach Festival’s Bach and Ballet program in the Concerto for Three Violins and the Orchestral Suite #1.This is her first season with the Ballet Idaho.

APPRENTICES

Vanessa Widmer studied with Nutmeg Conservatory for the Arts and School of American Ballet in New York City where she danced extensively in New York City Ballet productions. Vanessa apprenticed to MOMIX appearing in The Premiere of a.k.a. choreographed by Moses Pendleton. She danced with Ballet Ole and Repertory Dance Theatre, dancing in ballets choreographed by Trinette Singleton Anger and Lynne Patrick Mariani. This is her first season with Ballet Idaho.

Mary Jane Ward studied at the Eugene School of Ballet with Sara Lombardi and Susan Zadoff. In 2002 she graduated from the school and was accepted to the North Carolina School of the Arts, School of Dance where she studied this past year with Warren Conover and Fanchon Cordell. Mary Jane has performed with Eugene Youth Company in Nutcracker Vignettes, a community outreach program and as a student with the Eugene Ballet Company in The Nutcracker. This is Mary Jane’s first season as an apprentice with the Ballet Idaho.

Christopher Macknethun studied both classical ballet and modern dance at the Point Park College dance program in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He performed a wide range of work from such noted choreographers as Margot Sappington and Robert Battle at Point Park College and studied with faculty, Jay Kirk, Douglas Bentz, Elizabeth Nesi and Susan Stowe. This is Christopher’s first season as an apprentice with Ballet Idaho.

Kaitlin van Rossman comes from Corvallis, Oregon. She graduated from the Eugene School of Ballet where she studied with Sara Lombardi and Susan Zadoff and performed extensively with the Eugene Youth Ballet in Dances of the Heart, Nutcracker Vignettes, a community outreach program and as a student with the Eugene Ballet Company in The Nutcracker, Romeo and Juliet and The Three Musketeers. She has also appeared in the collaborative Youth Ballet tour in Portland and Corvallis. This is Kaitlin’s first season as an apprentice with Ballet Idaho.

Dominique Del Grosso began ballet at the age of 4 under the instruction of Sarah Arnold. At the age of fourteen, she moved to Boise, Idaho as a part of the two-year professional trainee program. She has also studied at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet School. Dominique has performed with the Eugene Ballet as a student and toured with the company in The Nutcracker. This is Dominique’s first season as an apprentice with Ballet Idaho.

Learn more on the web at www.balletidaho.org (Ballet Idaho) and the Eugene Ballet, the cooperative partner of Ballet Idaho, at www.eugeneballet.org.

Ballet Idaho’s Nutcracker