Return to flip book view
Hello Friends Welcome to Ballet Theatre Company s Up Close Spring digital performance featuring Budding Affairs I am proud to present this new ballet that not only fills the fresh spring air with the wonderful sounds of Vivaldi s iconic score but highlights the incredible talents of our Season Dancers accompanied by two very special guests Unlike any other season to date I must also credit the work of Videographer Peter Cofrancesco and Video Editor and Filming Assistant Alison Greene for making the transition to a digital performing world an easier one WELCOME I shall admit that it has been an intimate and oftentimes daunting experience to bring this piece to fruition Although abstract in the appearance Budding Affairs is a direct response to a series of personal reflections throughout the course of my quarantine period I have always been fascinated by human interaction relationships in all shapes and sizes and the effect it has on our distinctive behaviors When revisiting the reflections to transpose into movement I was amazed how emotional the process actually became As a choreographer I have the responsibility to relate my vision experiences and the work to more than just myself When choosing a cast it was important that they not only could embody the style of movement but also commit to the integrity of the movements message I invite you to join me in commending these dancers for their passion in excellent delivery Since the piece is about relationships I can t help but think about our relationship with all of you and how much I appreciate your continued support I look forward to the day when we can invite our audiences back into the theater We miss you all dearly My favorite moment is when the Stage Manager calls House Go and the auditorium lights fade to black The once roaring sound of playbill pages ruffling and soft whispers from the audience goes quiet and if you are lucky you can hear the inhale gasp of a dancer from the wings who is about to enter the stage We will be back and this moment will have deeper meaning than ever before Thank you again for supporting this performance I hope you will also join us for the premiere of our upcoming live action production of Snow White next month Enjoy the performance Sincerely Stephanie Dattellas Artistic Director Photo by Lanny Nagler Photography
SPRING May 1 2021 May 9 2021 Digital Presentation Budding Affairs Sponsored in part by Ivan and Marianne Mueller Choreography Stephanie Dattellas Music Spring Concerto from The Four Seasons Composer Antonio Vivaldi Artistic Direction Stephanie Dattellas Videography Peter Cofrancesco Creation Dream Video Video Editing Alison Greene Costume Design Tracy Dorman Patricia Ubaldi Nurnberger On the cover Derek Brockington and Alexandra Hutchinson of Dance Theatre of Harlem Photography by Renee Choi Graphic design by Laurel Graphic Design Ballet Theatre Company is a 501 c 3 not for profit organization Ballet Theatre Company 20 Jefferson Avenue West Hartford CT 06110 860 570 0440 www dancebtc org dance dancebtc org 1
About Up Close In January 2020 BTC expanded into an additional 2 200 square foot state of theart studio and rehearsal space in its home at 20 Jefferson Avenue in West Hartford The space was named the Ron and Nancy Compton Studio after the company s longtime supporters The expansion allowed for the company to rehearse its main stage productions offer more classes with wider margins in The School of Ballet Theatre Company and accommodate more participants in its Community Youth Outreach Program Prior to the COVID 19 lockdown the installation of stage lighting curtains auditorium seating and a professional sound system was underway which would allow the company to host intimate in house performances BTC s Artistic Director Stephanie Dattellas planned to initiate a semi annual performance presented in the fall and spring titled Up Close which would feature new choreography set on BTC s professional Season Dancers and guest artists Its name was derived from the fact that the audience would be seated up close to the dancers exposing a more intimate perspective of the performing arts However with health and safety requirements restricting in person performance opportunities BTC quickly pivoted to a digital season Dattellas and dancers digitally presented two new works Autumn Aurora and Flashes in November 2020 inaugurating Up Close to the company s performance season Autumn Aurora Emily Silva and Roman Mejia of NYCB Photo by Thomas Giroir FLASHES Joseph Beltre Photo by Erica Marie Photography 2
About Budding Affairs The idea of Budding Affairs was created through a series of reflections while in quarantine by BTC s Artistic Director and choreographer Stephanie Dattellas Dattellas reflections centered around her ever changing relationships with people places her family and objects that hold memories from past experiences Relationships have such a strong impact in our ability to grow as people to shape our future dictate how we spend our time and day to day activities As I sifted through my reflections I began to fully understand that some relationships have a time stamp where others can last a lifetime and how beautiful it makes our individual journeys She was reminded of a quote by Jim Rohn that states we are the average of the five people we spend the most time with Dattellas finally feeling like she had grasped the meaning of Rohn s wisdom needed to put it into dance Choreographing to Antonio Vivaldi s The Four Seasons had been a dream of Dattellas for many years The desired task has always been an intimidating one and I never felt confident to tackle it until more recently she says Through her reflections it became clear to her that the composer s widely recognized Spring concerto would focus around the idea of relationships Budding Affairs rehearsal in the Ron and Nancy Compton Studio Photos by Erica Marie Photography 3
About Budding Affairs BTC s Office Assistant and Video Editor Alison Greene created and edited the below videos that feature interviews and rehearsal footage of the dancers who appear in Budding Affairs as well as its choreographer Stephanie Dattellas
About The Music The Four Seasons It is unclear which came first the sonnets or the concerto and it is also unclear as to who wrote the sonnets but what is agreeable is that Antonio Vivaldi s The Four Seasons is a program piece which means that its purpose was to evoke something extra musical Dattellas not having known about the poem until after her choreographic vision had been set was surprised at how this piece composed by The Red Priest in the 16th century still held its intended power I Allegro Festive Spring has arrived The birds salute it with their happy song And the brooks caressed by little Zephyrs Flow with a sweet murmur The sky is covered with a black mantle And thunder and lightning announce a storm When they are silent the birds Return to sing their lovely song II Largo And in the meadow rich with flowers To the sweet murmur of leaves and plants The goatherd sleeps with his faithful dog at his side III Allegro To the festive sound of pastoral bagpipes Dance nymphs and shepherds At Spring s brilliant appearance 5
Cast Movements Movement 1 Spring Allegro The movement is a celebration of connections relationships and affairs in what is arguably Vivaldi s most recognizable piece Joseph Beltre Derek Brockington Alexandra Hutchinson Jo ann Burke Emily Silva Movement 2 Largo e pianissimo sempre This movement highlights Dance Theatre of Harlem guest artist Alexandra Hutchinson in an emotional conversation of loneliness versus solitude Alexandra Hutchinson Movement 3 Danza pastorale Allegro The final movement features a trio of women portraying a unification of empowerment tenacity and friendship Jo ann Burke Alexandra Hutchinson 6 Emily Silva Photo by Erica Marie Photography
Guest Artists Courtesy of Dance Theatre of Harlem Alexandra Hutchinson was born in Wilmington Delaware and grew up in Washington DC She began dancing at the age of 3 and trained with the Wilmington Academy of Dance and Washington School of Ballet Her summer intensives include Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Alonzo King LINES Ballet Carolina Ballet Ballet Chicago L Academie Americaine de Danse de Paris and the Nashville Ballet She holds a Bachelor of Science in Ballet from Indiana University Her professional experience includes the Nashville Ballet 2017 2018 and she is currently in her third season with The Dance Theatre of Harlem Her repertoire includes Orange by Stanton Welch Concerto Divertimento No Beauty 15 Emeralds Robert Garland s ReturnRobke and New Bach Barocco Paul Vasterling s Sleeping Septime Rubies The andNutcracker Giselle Webre s and Michael Vernon s and George Balanchine s Valse Fantasie Western Symphony Swan Lake Concerto Barocco Divertimento No 15 Emeralds Rubies and Giselle Derek Brockington was raised in West Michigan and is currently in his 3rd season as a company member at Dance Theatre of Harlem Before joining DTH he danced in the Second Company at Cincinnati Ballet He began his dance training in Saugatuck Michigan He went on to train at the Grand Rapids Ballet before attending and graduating from Interlochen Arts Academy Brockington has attended summer intensives at The Pennsylvania Ballet Ballet West and Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet on scholarship He has performed works by Annabelle Lopez Ocha Claudia Schrier Darrell Grand Moultrie George Balanchine and Stanton Welch Brockington also a co producer of the viral video Dancing Through H was also a co producer was of the viral video Dancing Through Harlem and was featured with Dance Theatre of Harlem on the Ellen Show 7 Photos by Renee Choi
Guest Artists Courtesy of Dance Theatre of Harlem Alexandra Hutchinson and Derek Brockington of Dance Theatre of Harlem have become quite the dance world sensation surrounding the Summer 2020 release of their co produced video Dancing Through Harlem The two spearheaded the project featuring other dancers from the prestigious Harlem based company performing Robert Garland s New Bach throughout the streets of Harlem NY The video recorded on an iPad and edited by Hutchinson and Brockington received raving reviews from The New York Times and was featured in Pointe Magazine s latest issue highlighting accomplishments and positive outcomes from a year dancing on film Hutchinson Brockington and their co workers were invited to appear on The Ellen Show to talk about their project dancing through a pandemic and representing Black voices in dance Dance Theatre of Harlem is a leading dance institution of unparalleled global acclaim whose mission is to Present a ballet Company of African American and other racially diverse artists who perform the most demanding repertory at the highest level of quality Maintain a world class school that trains young people in classical ballet and the allied arts and Provide arts education community outreach programs and positive role models for all
Season Dancers BTC Professionals Joseph Beltre born and raised in Brooklyn NY attended Fiorello H LaGuardia High School of Music and Art and Performing Arts He graduated in 2015 and began his studies as a performance emphasis major at The Hartt School He studied there for two years before branching out into the professional world of dance Beltre has had the honor of working with choreographers such as Adam Barruch Damani Pompey Yesid Lopez Lucy Bowen McCauley and Stephan Pier He participated as an apprentice with DeMa Dance Company in New York known for working with renowned artists such as TOKYO Sonya Tayeh and Billy Bell from So You Think You Can Dance and danced forn HBO s premiere show Random Acts of Flyness Beltre performed as a company artist with Sonia Plumb Dance for two years before joining BTC as a Season Dancer and faculty member Additional professional venues and performances include Jacob s Pillow Festival of Schools at the Alvin Ailey Theatre Mandela The Premier with The East Harlem Repertory Theatre Light for Peace at Shinnyo Lantern Festival Dancing for Orlando at City Center Dance Studios ACDA New England Regional Dance Conference 5X5 Dance Festival and all of BTC s large and small stage productions since 2017 Jo ann Burke while under the employ of Syracuse City Ballet s resident company during the 2019 2020 season danced throughout the central New York Community She was featured in the soloist roles of Lucy in Dracula and as the Snow Queen Arabian Princess and Spanish Pas De Deux in The Nutcracker as well as appearing in local school shows instructional videos and digital seasons Prior to joining Syracuse City Ballet Jo ann danced as a member of Milwaukee Ballet s second company MBII for the 2018 2019 season where she understudied roles for the main company appeared in Milwaukee Ballet and MBII performances While hf Pennsylvania Ballet she was invited by Mr Angel Corella to attending the School of the dance along with the Corps de Ballet in Pennsylvania Ballet s premiere of Don Quixote and its world premiere of Le Corsaire While with the Kansas City Ballet School s Training Program Burke was invited to perform with the Kansas City Ballet in two of Mr Devon Carney s world premiere ballets Romeo and Juliet and Peter Pan Burke has performed with professional companies in several full length story ballets including Don Quixote Le Corsaire Cinderella The Nutcracker Romeo and Juliet Peter Pan and Dracula 9
Season Dancers BTC Professionals Emilee Alexander Bowden began her dance training in Grand Rapids Michigan She has trained under various instructors such as Akop Gaiane Akopian Nikoloz Makhateli Amy Wilson and David Wilcox She was selected to be a part of Grand Rapids Ballet s production of The Nutcracker and also participated in classical and contemporary productions with Michigan Ballet Academy and Long Beach Ballet where she trained for a semester Throughout her dance training In the summer of 2016 Bowden was selected by David Wilcox to be a part of the Ballet Ambassadors to China program Bowden attended intensives with Ballet Magnificat Long Beach Ballet Ad Deum and the JoffreyAsBallet School s Summer Intensive in New York on scholarship She moved to Connecticut to join Ekklesia Contemporary Ballet under Elisa Schroth in 2017 2019 In addition to being a Season Dancer with BTC Bowden is also a guest dancer with Dimensional Dance under the direction of Ruth Lewis Emily Silva grew up in Sandown NH and completed her early pre professional training at Boston Ballet School After graduating high school she was selected to attend Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre s Graduate Program where she taught on the Children s Division faculty during her studies Emily graduated summa cum laude from the University of Hartford s Hartt School with her BFA in Dance Performance and Ballet Pedagogy in May 2018 and performed as a soloist with Ballet Hartford following graduation In September of 2018 Silva joined BTC faculty and served as Assistant Ballet Mistress from 2018 2020 as well as Community Youth Outreach Coordinator for the 2019 2020 season in addition to performing in all of BTC s mainstage gv performances Silva joined BTC as a Season Dancer in 2019 and stepped into the role of Ballet Mistress in the 2020 2021 season Since transitioning to the role of Ballet Mistress she has worked closely with fellow staff members to creatively tackle the challenges presented by the ongoing pandemic and continue to provide high quality arts experiences to the community Photos by Thomas Giroir 10
Corps de Ballet The mission of BTC s Corps de Ballet is to provide serious dancers the opportunity to train at a high caliber experience professional dance at a young age and if interested prepare for a future in dance Corps de Ballet dancers rehearse repertoire are given several performance opportunities oftentimes alongside professional dancers and are exposed to studio choreographic processes throughout the year Julia Burkacki Sofia Brummitt Mason Capone Isabella O Connor Sophia Pirrotta Eva Speranza Hailey Wankier Penny Wickwire Apprentices Isha Sondhi Nupur Sondhi Ela Whalen 11 Elizabeth Windnagle
Artistic Staff Stephanie Dattellas Artistic Director Stephanie Dattellas is an accomplished professional dancer choreographer director and teacher Her training began with Ballet and Dance of Upstate NY Inc under the direction of Kathleen Rathbun and continued professionally performing with companies such as Suzanne Farrell Ballet Complexions Contemporary Ballet Buglisi Dance Theatre and others Dattellas has in depth experience developing young dancers technique strength and artistry Dattellas joined Ballet Theatre Company as Artistic Director and General Manager in June 2017 and since has choreographed and premiered BTC s first full length spring ballet Cinderella 2018 The Nutcracker and Sleeping Beauty 2019 Additionally Dattellas introduced several new performances into the company s season Dancing For A Cause a benefit performance in collaboration with dance companies in Greater Hartford to raise funds for a chosen non profit organization in the community Cover to Cover a season opener performance to introduce works are involved in the upcoming season and Up Close Fall Spring which both premiered digitally this past season Prior to Ballet Theatre Company Dattellas was the Ballet Mistress and Company Manager of the Syracuse City Ballet Tracy Dorman Executive Director Founder Tracy Dorman has been with Ballet Theatre Company since its inception in 1999 and was appointed Executive Director in February 2005 She is a founding member a member of the Board of Directors and plays a major role in the company s artistic and organizational development She brings extensive experience as a dancer choreographer administrator and dance educator to the company and has earned numerous awards for scenic and costume design photography and arts advocacy Dorman received her dance training from Florence Greenland Madame Margarita Froman Wang Shao Pen David Howard MadameMarguerite Margarita deAnguera Froman Marguerite deAnguera Wang Shao and others She performed with the Connecticut Valley Regional Ballet The Hartford Pen David Howard and others She performed with the Civic Ballet Canton Show Shop Experimental Theatre of Hartford Connecticut Connecticut Valley Regional Ballet The Hartford Civic Opera Ballet Ballet Springfield Children s Music Theatre and numerous other regional theater Canton Show Shop Experimental Theatre of Hartford groups Dorman hasConnecticut choreographed BTC s classical repertoire and has Operamuch Ballet of Springfield Children s Music Theatre designed many of the company s costumes She worked with Hartford Ballet s Costume shop to create costumes for The American Nutcracker designed by internationally acclaimed designer Sandra Woodall As a photographer her work has appeared in Popular Photography and Imaging Magazine where she was named runner up for a Ford Motor Company advertisement She is a 2014 honoree of the CT Dance Alliance Award for distinguished achievement in dance and in 2005 the Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism awarded her the Distinguished Advocacy Award for her longtime volunteerism to the arts 12
Artistic Staff Megan Klamert Company Manager Megan Klamert a native of Akron OH began her dance training in the Vaganova and Balanchine methods at a young age She continued her training at Indiana University Jacobs School of Music and holds a Bachelor of Science and Outside Field BSOF degree in Ballet and Kinesiology and a minor in Psychology She performed professionally in Hartford CT with Ballet Hartford before becoming Ballet Theatre Company s first Ballet Mistress in 2018 This past year Klamert has moved back to her home state of Ohio but has continued to work remotely for BTC as its first official Company Manager managing the company s relations official developing Company and Manager developing and public managing the communications andcompany s individual donors public relations communications and individual donors Emily Silva Ballet Mistress See bio on page 10 Sydney Hitchell School Administrator Born and raised in St Louis Missouri Hitchell trained at the New Albany Ballet Company in the Pre Professional Division from 2013 2017 There she competed at the Youth American Grand Prix and performed in productions of The Nutcracker Wanting to make dance a lifelong career Hitchell decided to attend the Hartt School at The University of Hartford She is currently working towards a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance Performance and a Minor in Performing Arts Management and plans to gradulate this May While at Hartt she has made the President s List twice and the Dean s List every semester performed Martha Graham s Chronicle and was given the opportunity to turn her Dance Administration Midterm Read and Reverence into a program presented at the Connecticut Dance Alliance s First Annual National Day of Dance in September 2020 Recently she participated in a summer internship at Trinity College s Office of Advancement to learn about fundraising and prospect researching Soon after she started as BTC s Office and Administration intern transferring over to The School of Ballet Theatre Company s School Administrator this past spring As the School Administrator Hitchell assists with enrollment planning and executing the annual Student Showcase and planning summer intensives 13
Artistic Staff Alison Greene Office Assistant Video Editor Alison Greene a West Hartford native recently attended Bates College where she graduated Magna Cum Laude with a double major in Mathematics and Theater Directing There Greene also worked as a stage manager for multiple dance productions and spent two summers training as an assistant director and assistant stage manager with Saratoga Shakespeare Company in Saratoga Springs NY She recently found her way back to BTC where she was once a student and since has remodeled storage spaces and developed new organization systems for the company She begancompany a BehindShe thebegan Scenes video series for BTC videographing and a Behind the Scenes video series for BTC editing short videos to promote its work in the community Rebecca Berger Production Assistant Rebecca Berger is a recent graduate of Bates College with a dual major in Theatre Directing and Rhetoric She trained as an Assistant Director with Saratoga Shakespeare Company in Saratoga Springs NY where she also acted as an Assistant Stage Manager Most recently Berger stage managed for The Provincetown Theater on Cape Cod and interned at the Smithsonian Discovery Theater in her hometown of Washington DC She joined BTC this past fall and since has managed the transportation installation and deconstruction of various technical elements forproductions the company s productions Additionally technical elements for the company s Additionally Berger led the installation of webcams and monitors in BTC s studios to support remote learning Kyleigh Olivier Outreach Education Assistant Kyleigh Olivier is currently a senior at the University of Hartford pursuing a BFA in Dance with a Ballet Pedagogy concentration along with a minor in Business Management Originally from Leominster MA Olivier grew up training in a wide variety of styles at competitive dance studios She enjoys teaching jazz contemporary and hip hop classes at Connecticut Dance Academy and is especially passionate about community outreach and making the arts accessible to all people She has worked with Spectrum in Motion and has interned with the Discovering Dance Program at the Magnet University of Hartford She has Program at the University of Hartford School She hasMagnet also ledSchool dance activities also led dance activities children with for children with exceptionalities through the for Prism Project a exceptionalities part of The Harttthrough Dance the Curtain Division Since joiningndBTC Olivier program has been instrumental in helping develop BTC s Community Youth Outreach Program and more specifically the Behind the Curtain program 14
Costumers Tracy Dorman Head Costumer See bio on page 12 Pat Nurnberger Season Costumer Pat Ubaldi Nurnberger recently obtained her Master s Degree in Costuming from UCONN She graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design and began her career as a fashion designer in New York While still in New York she began designing for her daughter s ballet school and quickly fell in love with the art form She ultimately decided to leave the apparel business and devote herself to the theater While at UCONN she worked on as many projects as possible most notably Tito s Dream a theatrical presentation of Carlos Garcia s eponymous poem Larger works included designs included designs for Big Love and Midsummer Night s Dream as well as assisting on two operas In the past years she has designed a ballet version of L Enfant et Les Sortileges as well as several versions of The Nutcracker Giselle Sleeping Beauty Coppelia and others Musicals include Anything Goes Always Patsy Cline and Spring Awakening Bus Stop You re a Good Man Charlie Brown Hair Beauty and the Beast and The Fantasticks Opera designs for HMS Pinafore The Marriage of Figaro Cendrillon Sour Angelica Princess Ida and The Mikado have followed Nurnberger joined the BTC team in 2017 Pat Nurnberger presenting her Noah Webster costume at the Through the Tulle Grand Opening Princess Florine tutu by Tracy Dorman Photo by Erica Marie Photography 15 Tracy Dorman sewing
Technical Artists Laurel Hoskins Graphic Designer Laurel Hoskins has been involved with Ballet Theatre Company for over 20 years Her daughter Lianna took ballet lessons at the company s first location in the Masonic Hall on Main Street Soon after BTC hired her to do its marketing and graphic design work to promote its growing business and productions Hoskins grew up in Mexico Brazil Peru California and Connecticut and went on to receive a BA in English Literature with a minor in Botany and Astronomy from Bucknell University and the University of Connecticut She also took graphic design classes and embarked on a career in graphic has never looked back She looked workedback for She FPS on adesign career and in graphic design and has never Marketing in Milford worked CT is thefordirector for Indian Law Resources and is self employed FPS Marketing in Milford CT is the director for Indian as a freelance graphicLaw designer for Laurel Design as Hoskins has been an active Resources and isGraphic self employed a freelance graphic volunteer at the Norfeldt Elementary School Bristow Middle School and Hall High School the West Hartford Girls Softball League the UConn Extension Council and Topsmead State Forest Peter Cofrancesco Videographer Peter Cofrancesco is a full time freelance videographer specializing in filming live events and providing legal video services Peter Cofrancesco during the filming of BTC s Up Close Fall 16 Photo by Thomas Giroir
Production Staff For Budding Affairs Artistic Managing Director Stephanie Dattellas Company Manager Megan Klamert Ballet Mistress Emily Silva School Administrator Sydney Hitchell CYOP Assistant Kyleigh Olivier Videographer Peter Cofrancesco Creation Dream Video Video Editing Gimbal Alison Greene Production Assistant Rebecca Berger Costume Design Wardrobe Pat Nurnberger and Tracy Dorman Marketing Graphic Design Laurel Graphic Design Megan Klamert Printer Cricket Press Photographers Erica Marie Photography Tracy Dorman Renee Choi Alexandra Hutchinson of Dance Theatre of Harlem during filming in BTC s Ron and Nancy Compton Studio Photo by Alison Greene
SPONSORS Ticket sales only cover a portion of BTC s professional production expenses BTC relies on the support of its sponsors and funders to continue its mission of bringing professional performances to the Greater Hartford area each season BTC wishes to thank its Season Sponsors for supporting its 22nd Season LAUREL GRA a PHIC DESIGN BALLET THEATRE COMPANY Stephanie Dattellas Artistic Director 20 Jefferson Avenue West Hartford CT 06110 860 570 0440 dance dancebtc org Ballet Theatre Company is a 501 c 3 not for profit organization
ABOUT BALLET THEATRE COMPANY The mission of Ballet Theatre Company BTC is to enrich Greater Hartford by offering professional caliber dance productions dance education for ages 3 to adult in it s training school The School of Ballet Theatre Company and dance related experiences and workshops free of charge to children who otherwise would not have the opportunity through its Community Youth Outreach Program BTC was founded in West Hartford in 1999 During its first three years the performance company presented an annual spring repertory performance at the Gilman Theater Greater Hartford Jewish Community Center In December 2002 BTC accepted an invitation to stage its first production of The Nutcracker at the University of Saint Joseph s Hoffman Auditorium in the Carol Autorino Center for the Arts and Humanities This production has become an annual tradition for BTC the Hoffman Auditorium and the Greater Hartford community for 19 years BTC s annual Spring Repertory performance held at the Hoffman Auditorium since 2002 has become a showcase for new works by regional and guest choreographers as well as select repertoire of classical ballets In 2018 BTC introduced its first full length spring ballet Cinderella The staging of storybook ballets has since become another annual tradition with subsequent seasons featuring Sleeping Beauty and Aladdin canceled due to COVID 19 This year BTC will adapt the classical ballet into a live action production of Snow White for film Ruth Whitney as Princess Aurora in BTC s 2019 Sleeping Beauty Photo by Thomas Giroir
SEASON 22 This season BTC is celebrating its 22nd anniversary To celebrate this 2 2 tutu season BTC curated Through the Tulle a touring costume exhibition that shines a spotlight on one of the most lovable and often underappreciated parts of ballet productions it s tutus and their designers The 22 costumes included in the exhibit are all designed and handmade by BTC s talented costumers and range from pancake tutus to character costumes from four main stage ballets the company has produced including The Nutcracker Sleeping Beauty Cinderella and Don Quixote Through the Tulle has traveled to museums and galleries throughout the Greater Hartford area including the Noah Webster House the West Hartford Art League the Hill Stead Museum and the Connecticut Children s Museum offering attendees the opportunity to learn about one of ballet s most unique aspects The exhibit is currently on display at Duncaster Retirement Community a sponsor of Through the Tulle Princess Aurora s Birthday tutu designed by Pat Nurnberger and featured in BTC s 2019 Sleeping Beauty Photo by Erica Marie Photography Through the Tulle Carabosse on display at the West Hartford Art League designed by Norma Savarino and featured in BTC s 2019 Sleeping Beauty
BALLET THEATRE COMPANY S 22ND SEASON PERFORMANCES EVENTS October 1 28 Through the Tulle Grand Opening The Noah Webster House November 1 22 Through the Tulle The West Hartford Art League November 14 Up Close Fall premiering Autumn Aurora November 28 Up Close Fall premiering FLASHES November 28 January 10 Through the Tulle Hill Stead Museum November 28 December 20 The Nutcracker Re imagined Hill Stead Museum December 5 27 Digital premiere of BTC s The Nutcracker May 1 9 Up Close Spring premiering Budding Affairs June 10 12 Snow White Outdoor Screening at the Old New Gate Prison Copper Mine June 12 30 Digital premiere of BTC s Snow White Roman Mejia of NYCB and Emily Silva in BTC s UP Close Fall Autumn Aurora 2020 Photo by Thomas Giroir 21
The training school of Ballet Theatre Company The School of Ballet Theatre Company offers beginner to advanced level classes for students ages three to adult Its faculty of distinguished professionals in performance and education incorporate the best of the French EDUCATION Italian and Russian classical ballet training as well as training in other dance styles such as jazz modern contemporary and hip hop The School of BTC prides itself on its nurturing and supportive classroom environments that foster the development of proper technique and promotes confidence poise musicality coordination and expression The students of The School of BTC share a facility with BTC s professional company which allows students to observe professionals in classes and rehearsals Students are also offered opportunities to perform with the professional company in BTC s annual production of The Nutcracker and its full length spring productions Students involved in productions are able to further observe professionals at work as well as interact with them on and off the stage The School of Ballet Theatre Company s curriculum and performance opportunities prepare students physically and mentally to embrace their next adventure whether in dance or in another discipline and create friendships that will last a lifetime Artistic Director Stephanie Dattellas pictured with Ballet II students at The School of Ballet Theatre Company Lanny Nagler Photography 22
OUTREACH Ballet Theatre Company s Community Youth Outreach Program CYOP provides children the opportunity to participate in studio dance education classes and experience live professional dance performances free of charge despite socioeconomic backgrounds finances abilities or limitations BTC s CYOP currently consists of four programs Raising the Barre A Children s Ballet Everybody Dance Now and Behind the Curtain Raising the Barre BTC s longest running program of its CYOP partners with the Boys and Girls Club of Hartford and the Hillcrest Area Neighborhood Outreach Center to provide its constituents opportunities to participate in studio education dance classes and workshops free of charge A Children s Ballet is a fully dedicated performance of BTC s annual The Nutcracker and fulllength spring production offered to area children s social service agencies free of charge Organizations that have attended past years include The Village My Sister s Place Girls Inc The Miracle League of CT The Bridge Family Center Wheeler and more Everybody Dance Now is an adaptive dance program for children of all abilities in partnership with The Miracle League of CT Lastly BTC s newly created Behind the Curtain program offers digital workbooks for teachers to use in schools to promote performing arts awareness and appreciation The program also sends its professional dancers and artists into schools for performance based learning and education in the many aspects of dance productions Over the past 15 years BTC has partnered with Hartford Performs to deliver artistic and cultural experiences for Hartford Public Schools In affiliation with BTC s semi annual main stage productions BTC produces a 1 hour abbreviated performance for children to experience at the theater
BOARD OF DIRECTORS THANK YOU Eric Brummitt Acting Chair Frank Giuliano Vice Chair Stephanie Cole Treasurer Michele Andrade Secretary Mateo Ball Director Jessica Capone Director Barbara Dorian Director Tracy Dorman Director Lauren Milardo Director Darlene Salonia Director Kate Sulikowski Director Doug Eicher Emeritus Director Kama Giedra Emeritus Director Lisa Greene Emeritus Director Ginny Major Emeritus Director 24 Ballet IV in class at the Ron and Nancy Compton Studio for The School of Ballet Theatre Company Fall 2019
From the BOARD OF DIRECTORS On behalf of the Board of Directors welcome to Ballet Theatre Company s 22nd season We are so happy that you have chosen to join us as we present our wonderful new productions adapted for film to the Greater Hartford community and beyond Ballet Theatre Company is a unique organization We offer professional ballet performances of classic and original repertoire provide a unique opportunity for young dancers to learn and work alongside professionals and bring dance into the community through our outreach programs and partnerships with organizations like Miracle League of CT Hillcrest Area Neighborhood Outreach Center The Boys and Girls Club Greater Hartford public schools Connecticut Children s Medical Center and Hartford Performs One of our most important partnerships is the one we have with you our audience and our sponsors We couldn t do all the amazing things we do without your support and the support of regional foundations BTC receives support in the form of ticket sales donations grants and volunteer hours As a nonprofit organization all of the support we receive from people like you goes directly toward creating the high quality dance productions you love This year has truly been a challenge as we have endeavored to find new ways to bring dance to you in the face of a global pandemic Many arts organizations have been unable to serve the community or even survive in the face of Covid 19 Ballet Theatre Company under the leadership of our Artistic Director Stephanie Dattellas and our Executive Director Tracy Dorman has continued to bring you engaging arts experiences We have risen to the challenge with creative new programming and re imagined what the performing arts could look like Ballet Theatre Company s Board of Directors is a committed and dynamic group of people We contribute significantly to the success of BTC through our donations of money time energy and leadership And we do this to ensure that all of us continue to enjoy top quality professional dance performances right here in our community Join us by making a tax deductible contribution to Ballet Theatre Company via the direct link below Best of all you get to see the results of your support whenever you join us at performances Make a Donation 25
ENCORE SOCIETY Encore Society is BTC s seasonal donation based membership program Individuals with a one time monetary contribution of 100 or more are welcomed into the program Contributions to the Encore Society directly support the creation of BTC s professional productions and affiliated Community Youth Outreach Program initiatives including A Children s Ballet Raising the Barre and Behind the Curtain BTC s Encore Society includes four benefactor circles determined by contribution amount Director Circle 1000 Principal Circle 500 999 Soloist Circle 250 499 and Corps de Ballet Circle 100 249 Benefactors receive membership benefits throughout the company s current performance season based on their circle Season benefits could include complimentary performance tickets pre sale ticket options invitations to company dress rehearsals and post performance events with BTC s artistic staff and dancers discounts to area attractions partnered with BTC and an invite to BTC s Encore Society Soiree event to conclude the season Thanks to the generosity and support of its current Encore Society members BTC was able to continue to fulfill its mission while theaters and performance venues remained closed due to the spread of COVID 19 With the support of individuals BTC was able to curate its Through the Tulle costume exhibit in Fall 2020 and produce two brand new works Autumn Aurora and Flashes that premiered in its Fall Digital Season performance of Up Close Fall Continued support has enabled the company to produce a Spring Digital Season featuring Up Close Spring with the premiere of Budding Affairs and Snow White the company s first fulllength ballet adapted for film in a live action performance Joseph Beltre and Lea Janell Mitchell in Dattellas Divide Eric Vagabond Photography
ENCORE SOCIETY MEMBERS DIRECTOR CIRCLE Ron and Nancy Compton Lisa and Tim Greene Ivan and Marianne Mueller PRINCIPAL CIRCLE Jessica Clement and Jordan Greenbaum J Brad Bowman Nathan Greenbaum Dan and Beth Hitchell Janice Lower Nancy and Bernie Pelletier The Rim Cheng Family SOLOIST CIRCLE Jessica and Jeff Capone Carl and Christine Dattellas Joseph and Sandra Fries William Heerdt Peter and Joyce Prizio in honor of Sofia Brummitt Wes and Christina Whiteside CORPS DE BALLET CIRCLE Gloria Addonizio Laura Affsprung John E Anderson Jessica Bell Randall Brummitt Emilie E Capone Bob Carr Maggie and Kevin Casey Amy Chang The Chiantera Family Joanne C Collin Stephanie Dattellas Tracy Dorman Douglas Eicher Jay and Casey Gruber 27
ENCORE SOCIETY MEMBERS CORPS DE BALLET CIRCLE Erin Hazelton Michael Hewett Melissa and Joe Jacobson Megan Klamert Caroline Dealy and Robert Kosher Barbara Laurain Zoe Leibowitz Kathleen Lower Mr and Mrs McIntyre Amy and Dave Messinger Lauren Milardo The Nair Family Dean and Laura Nichols Michele and Joseph Nucera Ted and Pam Parrot Sandra Pereira Santo and Holly Pirrotta Bronwyn and Freddy Rolon The Siebold Windnagle Family David Smith Teresa and Scott Switzer Katie and Patrick Thibault O Beirne Derek Vargas 28
Summer Intensives Learn more or register now at www dancebtc org BTC is pleased to accept new students for its Summer Intensives Please email school dancebtc org to determine your dancer s placement VARIATION INTENSIVES May 24 28 Pointe I II 1 1 coaching with BTC professional June 14 18 Pointe III IV HALF DAY INTENSIVES July 19 August 13 Ballet Jazz Contemporary and Conditioning Ballet I VI or ages 7 18 MINI INTENSIVES August 13 27 Ballet Choreography and Crafts Creative Movement Primary Ballet l ll ages 3 6 20 Jefferson Avenue West Hartford CT 06110 860 570 0440 www dancebtc org Ballet Theatre Company is a 501 c 3 not for profit organization 29
JOIN US young readers and we will tell you a story June 2nd at 1 00 PM via Zoom Readers ages 3 6 are welcomed to Ballet Theatre Company s special Snow White edition of Turning Pages Partnered with area libraries Turning Pages is a new program to BTC s 22nd Season that invites young readers ages 3 6 to join a local BTC dance professional for a virtual movementfocused storytelling experience This special Snow White event will include a telling of the beloved Grimm s fairytale follow along choreography demonstrations a meet and greet with characters from the story and an excerpt performance Click the apple to Learn More 30
Support BTC s A Children s Ballet by purchasing a digital household ticket to Snow White for a child in the Greater Hartford area who would otherwise not have the opportunity to experience performing arts Purchase the gift of Snow White for a child Learn more about BTC s Community Youth Outreach program at www dancebtc org 31 BTC is a 501 c 3 not for profit organization
Ballet Theatre Company presents an Outdoor Screening of at Old New Gate Prison Copper Mine June 11 12 2021 Festivities begin at 6 00PM Screening begins at sundown BTC is hosting a special outdoor screening of its digital production of Snow White at the Old NewGate Prison Copper Mine in East Granby Also included are tours of the historic New Gate prison and copper mines meet greet and picture opportunities with fairytale characters Square Peg Pizza s food truck movie favorite concessions and more Tickets go on sale Friday May 21st The Evil Queen s Lair scene in Snow White was filmed at Old NewGate Prison Copper Mine Photo by Thomas Giroir Old New Gate Prison Copper Mine 115 Newgate Rd East Granby CT 06026 32
Bremar Rental Photo by Thomas Giroir Illustration by Sofia Brummit Mirror Dreamstime com
We are proud to be Ballet Theatre Company s official Printer We will spring into action for your next printing project 236 Park Road West Hartford CT 06119 860 521 9279 Fax 860 521 1079 www cricketpress net