30 Pearls of BalletMet
Pearls of BalletMet may have been part of BalletMet since the beginning, elevated the Company's level of artistry, or led us through times of crisis. A few provided strong voices for the arts in the community. Others are quiet leaders--behind-the-scenes people who are always there when you need them. BalletMet is thriving today because of these people. We honor them this season for their devotion to creating, nurturing, and leading BalletMet.
|
Xandra Anderhalt
Ann Birrer
Violetta Boft (d.)
Debbie Phillips Bower
Bill Carter
Gerard Charles & Catherine Yoshimura
Holli De Cenzo & Jennifer Bullen
Susan Gerlach Douglass
Barbara K. Fergus
Larry German
|
Mary Ann Graham
Ray Hanley (d.)
LaVetta Helser
Daryl Kamer
Debby Kane
Liz Leonard (d.)
John McFall
Dimon McFerson
Cheri Mitchell
David Nixon & Yoko Ichino
|
Jimmy Orrante & Sonia Welker
David R. Patterson (d.)
Susan Perry & David Jordan (d.)
Lucy Porter
Steve & Esther Rotella
Pat Short
Cheryl & Larry Simon
Wayne Soulant (d.)
Nancy Strause
Dick Swanson
|
|
BalletMet has provided lasting memories to our patrons for 30 years and counting. Below, we invite our patrons, Board members, Academy and Company alumni and others to reminisce.
Missy was the BalletMet kitty who helped with our mouse problem at our location on Blake Avenue. She then moved with us to Jefferson Avenue. She was quite independent, but much loved. She had the run of the place during the day and once in a while could be seen weaving in and out of dancer's legs during barre work, timing her moves incredibly well. She would watch rehearsals and participate (under duress) in costume parades for various ballets wearing bits and pieces of fabric from whatever the dancers could find. Missy had a good life at the ballet and we all appreciated her.
Submitted by Daryl Kamer, part of BalletMet from the start. She has served as Ballet Mistress, Assistant Artistic Director, Acting Artistic Director, Assistant to the Producing Director, Director of Education, Academy Artistic Associate, Academy Associate Director and Academy Director. She continues to teach in the Academy.
As I look forward to BalletMet's sumptuous production of the full-length Romeo and Juliet, with its magnificent Prokofiev score at the end of the coming season, I recall another performance from BalletMet's early years. At the time, it was a real coup by Artistic Director Wayne Soulant to obtain the rights to present Ruth Page's one act version of the story, choreographed and danced to the music of Tchaikovsky's Fantasy Overture.
The Company's staff at that time was quite small, with many people filling multiple jobs. Thus, principal dancer David Jordan also designed and built fabulous costumes for many of the ballets, Romeo and Juliet included. David was also playing Romeo, and when tech week began, it became clear that there was no possible way to get the costumes finished in time for the first performance, not to mention dress rehearsal. So a call went out to ProMet, the Company's volunteer support group, to recruit as many people as possible to go to the studio and sew. I remember making phone calls and spending hours in the small attic costume shop at the studio on Blake Street with several other volunteers, mostly sewing on hooks and eyes. Somehow, the mission was accomplished, and I could hardly wait to see these costumes on stage. A seamstress I am not, however, and though I was absolutely thrilled with the performance, I have to admit that I worried until the end that the audience would suddenly see a dancer a bit more exposed than anyone had in mind.
Submitted by Cheryl Simon, BalletMet Board of Trustees, long time patron and former ProMet volunteer.
1986 - Jonathon Miller, a friend of ours from our dancing days in Milwaukee spoke to us about the new Director for BalletMet, John McFall. We arranged to fly to New York and audition. The studio was packed as John watched us in class and then we went to work on Components, a ballet he created for The National Ballet of Canada. It was interesting and very different from Milwaukee, which had a strong classical repertoire. We thought 'eh, we're young; let's see what life in the capital of Ohio would be like.'
I remember meeting John at the studios on Jefferson and he wore brown and orange stripe-y tights. That made a lasting imprint on my mind.
I remember the Scavenger Hunt the dancers created as a Fundraiser. I guess this was a prelude to the Dance with the Dancers! We wanted to be more proactive in helping fundraise, but we wanted something unique. Does anyone remember Todd Woffinden? He was the most incredible 'un-dancer' that I have ever known. He created this list for the Scavenger Hunt that was outrageous. We had dancer spies posted at various sites and with the dawn of video cameras; we had our own surveillance to attest to the actions of the participants. I believe Denny Wojtanowsky's team won hands down. READ MORE...
Submitted by Catherine 'Yo' Yoshimura. Yo and her husband, BalletMet Artistic Director Gerard Charles, joined the BalletMet Company in 1986. The Charles' returned to BalletMet years later, where Yo now tackles many jobs, including directing the children in many BalletMet productions.
