UP Close: Fall 2021 Playbill : simplebooklet.com

1west hartford’s premier ballet CompanyNovember 5 & 6, 2021, 7PMIn Person and Live-Stream PresentationThe Ron and Nancy Compton StudioBallets by Derek BrockingtonStephanie DattellasPaul MejiaArtistic Direction Stephanie DattellasBallet Mistress Emily SilvaProduction Manager Deirdre BensonAssistant Production Manager Megan O’BrienBox Oce Kyleigh OlivierCostume Design Tracy DormanVideography Peter Cofrancesco, Creation Dream VideoSound & Lighting Megan O’BrienProgram Design Laurel HoskinsOn the cover: BTC Resident Dancer Emily Silva Photography by Thomas Giroir | Graphic Design by Laurel Graphic DesignBALLET THEATRE COMPANY • 20 Jeerson Avenue, West Hartford, CT 06110 860-570-0440 • dance@dancebtc.org • www.dancebtc.orgBallet Theatre Company is a 501(c)(3) not-for-prot organization:fall

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2Hello Friends,Welcome to Ballet Theatre Company’s 2021 Up Close: Fall performance. As I wrote this letter to you all, I had a moment’s pause placing my sentiments into words, as so much has gone into presenting this, our rst live performance since December 2020. But, a theme shone through — that this is a performance of rsts.Up Close: Fall is the rst performance featuring our newly inaugurated resident company of professional dancers. They have been a joy to work with and to watch evolve into a cohesive ensemble of ballet technicians. In their rst training session, I could see the artistic chemistry, and the subsequent bond they have developed in only a few months is admirable.Tonight is our rst live performance in The Ron and Nancy Compton Studio. This space opened in January 2020, just a couple of months before the pandemic changed everything. The studio was designed for intimate ballets like this, so nally sharing the space with patrons like you, is a vision come to fruition.Last but never least, Up Close: Fall is BTC’s rst performance with our new Artistic Advisors, Paul Mejia and Maria Terezia Balogh, on board. The advisors have been busy teaching and staging work on this group of exquisite dancers. Both Maria and Paul bring such a warm and refreshing energy to the studio, and for that, I am grateful.Tonight’s program is diverse, dynamic, and truly a joy to share with you.Thank you for joining us. I hope to see you at our 20th Anniversary performance of The Nutcracker that will make its debut at The Bushnell’s Maxwell M. and Ruth R. Belding Theater on December 11 and 12. Enjoy the performance.Sincerely,Stephanie DattellasArtistic DirectorPhoto by Lanny Nagler Photography

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4about up closeUp Close: Fall, presented on November 5 & 6, is the rst of BTC’s Black box performances featuring a mix of contemporary, modern, and neo-classical repertoire. Performances of Up Close oer the unique opportunity to view BTC’s talented dancers in a more intimate setting than a typical, main-stage production. Audience members are seated “up close” to the dancers, exposing a more intense perspective on the art of ballet.In January 2020, BTC expanded into an additional 2,200 square foot space at its West Hartford location on 20 Jeerson Ave. The space was transformed into a state-of-the-art studio, rehearsal space and Black-box theater named The Ron and Nancy Compton Studio. Just prior to COVID-19, the installation of stage lighting, curtains, auditorium seating, and a professional sound system was underway so the company could host intimate, live performances. BTC’s Artistic Director was thrilled to introduce a new performance series, Up Close, to its 2020-2021 season, which would utilize the newly added studio/performance space, and introduce its audiences to newly created neoclassical and contemporary works. However, with health and safety requirements restricting in-person performance opportunities, BTC quickly adapted its plans and produced this creative program in a digital format for its 22nd season. BTC is thrilled to share Up Close performances in their originally-intended format as the dancers return to live performances in its season 23.Alexandra Hutchinson in rehearsal for Budding Aairs, Up Close: Spring 2021 | Photo by Tracy Dorman

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5up close: fall 2021Serenade in AChoreographed by: Paul MejiaStaged by: Maria Telezia Balogh MejiaMusic: Serenade in A, Igor StravinskyPremiere: 1981“Serenade in A began as a choreographic study with four wonderful, dierent and compelling female dancers, a wonderful pianist and a great score by Igor Stravinsky,” explains Paul Mejia. “It was the process that became a voyage of discovery and showed me once again that if you have all the best ingredients, wonderful things can happen in a minimum of time. The ballet was completed in ve days.”Serenade in A was staged by one of the original dancers and performers, Maria Terezia Balogh. She says, “I have staged Serenade in A several times, and each time I discover more. The musicality of the choreography allows you to visualize the music. It is denitely a challenge for the dancers, but if you stage it on enthusiastic dancers such as the four ladies in BTC, it becomes a great pleasure.”Cast and Movements Movement I Dancers: Jo-ann Burke (11/6), Victoria Jaenson (11/6), Naomi Langill (11/5), Sarah McCahill, Mollie Petrizzo (11/5), Emily SilvaMovement IIDancers: Jo-ann Burke (11/6), Victoria Jaenson (11/6), Naomi Langill (11/5), Sarah McCahill, Mollie Petrizzo (11/5), Emily Silva

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6Pieces of a LegacyChoreographed by: Derek BrockingtonMusic: William Grant Still, Adolphus Hailstork, and Daniel Bernard Roumain, performed by Lecolion WashingtonPremiere: World Premiere, 2021The piece centers around the immense strength of the individual and how that individual contributes to the overall progress, grace, and beauty of a group. The women in this piece face adversity in their day to day lives and in their dance lives, but still come in and work their hardest to dance and move together as one. Through the dynamics of this piece we celebrate and acknowledge the power, trust and communication that goes into creating something bigger than oneself.The music for this piece comes from an album titled Legacy and consists of works for Bassooncomposed by African American composers. In order to challenge myself over the past year, I decided to seek out and use classical music composed primarily by Black composers. Ballet dancers and composers of African descent are similarly represented in their eld. As I poured myself into a search for viable music, I found time and time again that I was able to relate to these pieces of music in a dierent way and it allowed me to place more profound intention into my work.Cast and Movements Movement I “If You Should go”, Bassoon Set: AllegrettoDancers: Jo-ann Burke, Victoria Jaenson, Naomi Langill, Sarah McCahill, Mollie Petrizzo, Emily SilvaMovement II “Bassoon Set: Moderato con anime”Dancer: Victoria JaensonMovement III“Lecolion Loops: after Uti Var Hage”Dancers: Jo-ann Burke, Victoria Jaenson, Naomi Langill, Sarah McCahill, Mollie Petrizzo, Emily Silvaup close: fall 2021

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7Autumn AuroraChoreographed by: Stephanie DattellasMusic: The Four Seasons: Autumn, Antonio Vivaldi performed by Fabio Biondi and Europa GalantePremiere: November 2020 as a short ballet lm Autumn Aurora is a neo-classical ballet set to Vivaldi’s “Autumn” from The Four Seasons. The ballet includes three movements - “Allegro,” “Adagio,” and “La Caccia” - that celebrate change in the colors of leaves and the transition of seasons from summer to autumn. Autumn Aurora premiered in November 2020 as a ballet lm that was recorded outdoors in Winchester, CT, capturing the beautiful fall foliage as a perfect ode to the season. Dattellas is thrilled to present the ballet, revived for its rst live-audience in the company’s 2021 Up Close: Fall program.Cast and Movements Movement I AllegroDancers: Jo-ann Burke, Victoria Jaenson, Naomi Langill, Sarah McCahill, Mollie Petrizzo, Emily SilvaMovement II Adagio featuring BTC’s Junior Corps de BalletDancers: Soa Brummitt, Julia Burkacki, Mason Capone, Isabella O’Connor, Sophia Pirrotta, Serana Snow, Isha Sondhi (11/6), Nupur Sondhi, Eva Speranza, Hailey Wankier, Ela Whalen (11/5), Penny Wickwire, Elizabeth WindnagleMovement III La CacciaDancers: Jo-ann Burke, Victoria Jaenson, Naomi Langill, Sarah McCahill, Mollie Petrizzo, Emily Silva up close: fall 2021

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8Choreographers Derek BrockingtonDerek Brockington was raised in West Michigan and is currently in his 4th season as a company member at Dance Theatre of Harlem (DTH). 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 Schreier. Darrell Grand Moultrie, George Balanchine, and Stanton Welch.Brockington began choreographing in high school, where his contemporary solo placed rst at YAGP. He has choreographed for SoHo house in New York and a program with the New Jersey Festival Orchestra. Most recently, Brockington was a co-producer of the viral video “Dancing Through Harlem” and was featured on the Ellen Show with fellow dancers of Dance Theatre of Harlem.Stephanie DattellasDattellas joined Ballet Theatre Company as Artistic Director and General Manager in June 2017. Since joining the company, Dattellas has choreographed 6 full length ballets for BTC including; Cinderella, the rst full-length ballet presented by BTC (Spring 2018), The Nutcracker (December 2018), Sleeping Beauty (Spring 2019) and Snow White, a live action ballet lm that featured historic sites across Connecticut (June 2021). She will nally debut her original ballet, Aladdin this April and hopes to bring back Ode to Frank, a broadway-style ballet choreographed to the iconic musical stylings of Frank Sinatra. Dattellas has introduced new performances to BTC’s seasons including; Dancing For A Cause, a benet performance for local charities and Up Close, BTC’s rst ever, blackbox performances.In addition to Dattellas’ full length ballets, she has choreographed over a dozen neo-classical and contemporary ballets for companies such as Ballet Theatre Company, Syracuse City Ballet, and Rochester City Ballet. In 2015, she was nominated “Choreographer of the Year” for her choreography of Carousel, performed by Red House Theater in Syracuse, NY. up close: fall 2021

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9Choreographers Paul MejiaPaul Mejia was born in Lima, Peru, but was raised in New York. He joined the School of American Ballet in 1958, and had choreographed his rst ballets by the age of fourteen. Mr. Mejia joined the New York City Ballet in 1964, and danced principal roles in many of George Balanchine's ballets. In 1972, he joined Maurice Bejart's Ballet of the Twentieth Century where he danced and choreographed throughout Europe; and in 1977, he staged a season of ballet in Guatemala, where he created four new ballets including Romeo and Juliet, the rst of his highly acclaimed Shakespearean ballet series. Mr. Mejia joined the Chicago City Ballet as co-artistic director with Maria Tallchief; and during the next seven years, he created fteen new ballets, including his full-length version of Cinderella, which toured nationally and internationally to great acclaim. His ballet Eight by Adler, music by Richard Adler, was later lmed for PBS and won an award for Suzanne Farrell.From 1987 to 1998, he was the artistic director of the Fort Worth Dallas Ballet, during which time he added thirty-two of his own works to the company's repertoire, including sixteen world premieres. Dedicated to the artistic vision and philosophy of George Balanchine, Mr. Mejia has choreographed dramatic story ballets, as well as works in the neoclassical style; and has choreographed several works for operas, including the Chicago Lyric Opera. He has been a guest teacher and lecturer in various schools and universities throughout the US.In 1984, he was selected by Esquire Magazine as one of the "Outstanding Americans Under 40." In 1998, Mr. Mejia became the artistic advisor of the Metropolitan Classical Ballet, then Ballet Arlington. He has added many of his own works to the company's repertoire, including three world premieres, and has staged several George Balanchine ballets. In 2001, he assumed the position of executive director for the Company, and in 2002 was named co-artistic director with Alexander Vetrov. He and his wife, Maria Terezia Balogh, and their children, Roman, Isabella and Lazslo, reside in West Hartford, CT.up close: fall 2021

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10ABOUT BALLET THEATRE COMPANYThe mission of Ballet Theatre Company (BTC) is to enrich Greater Hartford by oering professional-caliber dance productions, dance education for ages 3 to adult in its 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 rst 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 rst production of The Nutcracker at the University of Saint Joseph’s Homan Auditorium in the Carol Autorino Center for the Arts and Humanities. This production has become an annual tradition for BTC, the Homan Auditorium, and the Greater Hartford community for 20 years. BTC’s annual Spring Repertory performance, held at the Homan Auditorium since 2002, has become a showcase for new works by regional and guest choreographers as well as a select repertoire of classical ballets. In 2018, BTC introduced its rst full-length spring ballet, Cinderella. The staging of storybook ballets has since become another annual tradition, with subsequent seasons featuring Sleeping Beauty and Aladdin.This season, BTC is making its company debut at The Bushnell for The Nutcracker - an historic achievement for the organization.Ruth Whitney in BTC’s 2019 Sleeping BeautyPhoto by Thomas Giroir

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11BTC Artistic TeamStephanie Dattellas, Artistic DirectorStephanie 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, and Buglisi Dance Theatre. Dattellas has in-depth experience developing young dancers’ technique, strength and artistry, and passionately believes that nding personal individuality is equally as important as developing technique. Dattellas joined Ballet Theatre Company as Artistic Director and General Manager in June 2017 and since has choreographed and premiered Cinderella (Spring 2018), the rst full-length ballet presented by BTC, The Nutcracker (December 2018), and Sleeping Beauty (Spring 2019). Additionally, Dattellas introduced several new performances into the company’s season; Dancing For A Cause, a benet performance in collaboration with fellow dance companies in Greater Hartford to raise funds for fellow non-prot organizations 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.Emily Silva, Ballet MistressEmily Aubrey 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 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 sta members to creatively tackle the challenges presented by the ongoing pandemic and continue to provide high quality arts experiences to the community.

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12Paul Mejia, Artistic Advisor Paul Mejia was born in Lima, Peru, but was raised in New York. He joined the School of American Ballet in 1958, and had choreographed his rst ballets by the age of fourteen. Mr. Mejia joined the New York City Ballet in 1964, and danced principal roles in many of George Balanchine’s ballets. In 1972, he joined Maurice Bejart’s Ballet of the Twentieth Century where he danced and choreographed throughout Europe; and in 1977, he staged a season of ballet in Guatemala, where he created four new ballets including Romeo and Juliet, the rst of his highly acclaimed Shakespearean ballet series. Mr. Mejia joined the Chicago City Ballet as co-artistic director with Maria Tallchief; and during the next seven years, he created fteen new ballets, including his full-length version of Cinderella, which toured nationally and internationally to great acclaim. His ballet Eight by Adler, music by Richard Adler, was later lmed for PBS and won an Award for Suzanne Farrell.From 1987 to 1998, he was the artistic director of the Fort Worth Dallas Ballet, during which time he added thirty-two of his own works to the company’s repertoire, including sixteen world premieres. Dedicated to the artistic vision and philosophy of George Balanchine, Mr. Mejia has choreographed dramatic story ballets, as well as works in the neoclassical style; and has choreographed several works for operas, including the Chicago Lyric Opera. He has been a guest teacher and lecturer in various schools and universities throughout the US.In 1984, he was selected by Esquire Magazine as one of the “Outstanding Americans Under 40.” In 1998, Mr. Mejia became the artistic advisor of the Metropolitan Classical Ballet, then Ballet Arlington. He has added many of his own works to the company’s repertoire, including three world premieres, and has staged several George Balanchine ballets. In 2001, he assumed the position of executive director for the Company, and in 2002 was named co-artistic director with Alexander Vetrov. He and his wife, Maria Terezia Balogh, and their children, Roman, Isabella and Lazslo, reside in West Hartford, CT.Maria Terezia Balogh, Artistic Advisor As a professional ballerina for twenty-two years, Maria Terezia Balogh was a principal dancer with the Lyric Opera Ballet, later known as Chicago City Ballet, and the Fort Worth Ballet. During that time, she was an instructor in the ocial schools of both companies. After she retired as a dancer, she married and had three children, but continued her career as a ballet instructor. Presently, she is the Founding Director of Dance for All Saints’ Episcopal School in Fort Worth, where she instructs student levels early childhood - 12. Ms. Balogh’s greatest reward is to instill in her students a love of classical ballet they can enjoy throughout their lives.BTC Artistic Team

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13Tracy Dorman, Executive Director 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, Marguerite deAnguera, Wang Shao Pen, David Howard, and others. She performed with the Connecticut Valley Regional Ballet, The Hartford Civic Ballet, Canton Show Shop, Experimental Theatre of Hartford, Connecticut Opera Ballet, Springeld Children’s Music Theatre, and numerous other regional theater groups. She serves as President of the Connecticut Valley Regional Ballet Company and is Past President of both the Dance Services Network and the Mark Twain Masquers. Dorman has choreographed much of Ballet Theatre Company’s classical repertoire and has designed many of the company’s costumes. Dorman worked with Hartford Ballet’s Costume shop sta to create costumes for The American Nutcracker designed by internationally acclaimed designer Sandra Woodall. As a photographer, her work recently 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. Brianna Dunlap, Development Director Brianna Dunlap joined Ballet Theatre Company in 2021. Brianna is a results-oriented leader who specializes in growing and maintaining organizational development programs. She loves connecting people to what they are passionate about, so she is focused on building and stewarding strong relationships with our BTC supporters. Brianna earned her Master’s degree in Public History at Central Connecticut State University (2016). She is the author of Connecticut Valley Tobacco, a History Press book on the history, culture, and people of cigar tobacco agriculture.BTC Administrative Team

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14Kyleigh Olivier, Outreach AdministratorKyleigh Olivier began dancing at the age of three in Massachusetts and trained in a variety of styles. She recently graduated from The Hartt School in May of 2021 with a BFA in Dance with a concentration in Ballet Pedagogy, along with a Business Management minor. In her time at The Hartt School, Olivier discovered her passion for teaching dance and community outreach as she worked with diverse groups of students in her internships and served as Dance Director of the Prism Project, leading movement activities for children with exceptionalities. As BTC’s Community Youth Outreach Assistant, Olivier is excited to continue to spread the joy of the Arts to children of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds throughout the Greater Hartford area. Gabrielle Baker, School Administrator Gabrielle Baker is a NYC based performer who grew up in Southington, Connecticut. She started dance and voice lessons at the age of 5 and continued performing and pursuing musical theatre throughout her early childhood education. She received a degree in Theatre Performance from Wagner College where she graduated summa cum laude and received the Dolly Award for Excellence in Theatre. After graduation, Baker was invited to perform at the Town Hall in Times Square as a cast member of the Broadway’s Rising Stars concert series. She moved to Manhattan in the fall of 2019 and started auditioning full time. While auditioning, she also worked as a personal assistant/nanny and grew to love administrative roles and kids. In her free time Baker enjoys making Tiktoks, reviewing NYC’s top restaurants, binge watching shows, and singing her heart out at karaoke!Noami Langill, Social Media CoordinatorOriginally from Sacramento, California, Naomi Langill is excited to expand her artistic experience by joining Ballet Theatre Company’s creative team as the Social Media Coordinator. The art form and company are beloved for her, and she is excited in sharing a bit of Ballet Theatre Company’s world with you. She strives in preserving and continuing the beautiful form that is dance through all means possible. If you want to join us, be sure to follow us on Instagram and Facebook. Langill is also one of the company’s professional dancers in residence.BTC Administrative Team

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15Deirdre Benson, Production Manager Deirdre Benson is a Boston-based stage manager, production manager, and sound designer. Over the past few years, she has worked with The Blue Man Group, Commonwealth Shakespeare Company, and the Boston Circus Guild. Most recently, Deirdre was the Producing Associate for the Provincetown Tennessee Williams Festival.Megan O’Brien, Assistant Production Manager Megan O’Brien is excited to be joining BTC as the assistant production manager for the company’s 2021-2022 season. Originally from South Windsor, Connecticut, she earned her BA in Theatre at Eastern Connecticut State University and her MFA in Lighting Design at Wayne State University. Before going back to school, O’Brien worked with BTC for three years as the master electrician and spotlight operator for The Nutcracker, and is thrilled to be working with the company again.Laurel Hoskins, Graphic Designer Laurel’s relationship with Ballet Theatre Company began 20 years ago when her 5 year old daughter Lianna took ballet lessons at the Masonic Hall on Main Street, the rented studio where the edgling BTC ran classes and performances. Soon after, BTC hired her to promote their growing business and productions. Since then, the partnership has ourished and enriched her professional and personal life with many opportunities and friendships. Her formative years were spent in Mexico, Brazil, Peru, California, and Connecticut. Formal schooling included Bucknell University and University of Connecticut, earning a BA in English Literature with minors in Botany and Astronomy. Hoskins has worked in graphic design and marketing for FPS Marketing in Milford, CT, is a director for Indian Law Resources, and has been self-employed as a freelance graphic designer for Laurel Graphic Design for 25 years.BTC Production Team

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16Tracy Dorman, Costume Designer See bio on page 13.Pat Nurnberger, Costume Designer Pat Ubaldi Nurnberger 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 this 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 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. Peter Cofrancesco, Resident Videographer Peter Cofrancesco, Creation Dream Video, is a full time freelance videographer specializing in lming live events and providing legal video services. BTC Production TeamPeter Cofrancesco lming BTC’s Snow White digital presentation, June 2021

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17Jo-ann BurkeWhile under the employ of Syracuse City Ballet’s resident company during the 2019-2020 season, Jo-ann Burke 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, Burke 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 performances, as well as with MBII, and represented Milwaukee Ballet in the community. During her training, Burke was aorded the opportunity to premiere new ballets. While attending the School of the Pennsylvania Ballet, she was invited by Mr. Angel Corella to 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, she 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. Victoria JaensonOriginally from Kampala, Uganda, Victoria Jaenson began her formal dance training at the age of seven in Vermont. She later studied at the Rock School in Philadelphia, eventually joining the faculty. In 2017, Jaenson began studying at The Hartt School. In the fall of 2018, she joined Charlotte Ballet II. There, she had the opportunity to perform Alonzo King’s Map; Medhi Walerski’s Petit Cérémonie; Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux’s Nutcracker and Peter Pan; Christian Spuck’s Leonce and Lena; and Matthew Hart’s Sleeping Beauty. This past summer, Jaenson performed with Des Moines Metro Opera as a dancer for the operas Platée and Queen of Spades.BTC Company Dancers

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18Naomi LangillOriginally from Sacramento, California, Naomi Langill trained with Capitol Ballet Company under the direction of Stuart Carroll and Sharon Newton. She has danced with Ballet Frontier of Texas and guested with Capitol Ballet Company. Langill has been honored to have performed many dierent ballets and original pieces. Some of her favorite roles have been Titania in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Clara and the Snow Queen in The Nutcracker, as well as the title role in Sylvia. Naomi enjoys sharing the love of dance through every new role and is excited to be joining Ballet Theatre Compa-ny for their inaugural season.Sarah McCahillSarah McCahill started dancing at the age of four at Nutmeg Conservatory for the Arts. She has also trained with School of American Ballet and Miami City Ballet School. From the age of 12-17 she competed in YAGP winning rst place in the junior division and placing in the top 10 every year after in the NYC nals. After completing high school McCahill moved to South Florida to start an apprenticeship under Edward Vilella in Miami City Ballet. She was shortly thereafter promoted to the corps de ballet and stayed with the company for ve seasons later dancing under Lourdes Lopez doing mostly Balanchine and pieces from world renowned choreographers like Justin Peck, Twyla Tharp, Liam Scarlett to name a few. In 2017 McCahill joined Dimensions Dance Theater of Miami, a newer contemporary dance company led by the retired principal MCB couple, Jennifer Kroennenberg and Carlos Guerra. She stayed for a season dancing with them then came back to CT to begin diving into teaching at Woodbury Ballet and various other studios in the area while working fulltime. This will be her rst season at Ballet Theatre Company.BTC Company Dancers

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19Mollie PetrizzoMollie Petrizzo was raised in West Hartford, Connecticut where she began her dance training at the age of 3. Throughout her young dance career she danced with Ballet Theatre Company, then at 17 decided to train at Nutmeg Conservatory for the Arts. After high school, Petrizzo was accepted into the Ailey-Fordham BFA program at Fordham University in New York City and graduated in the spring of 2021. She is currently dancing with Dimensional Dance company and teaching at Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts in Hartford, Connecticut. She is thrilled to be joining BTC for its 2021-2022 company season!Gennaro Della RagioneGennaro is a professional dancer from Naples, Italy. His teachers included Carmela Pirozzi, Margherita Veneruso, and Ferdinando Arenella in Italy. He studied in Germany at the ocial school of the Semperoper Theater. Della Ragione was chosen as a solo dancer for the show Una Voce for Padre Pio, a prime-time show on Italian TV. In the US, he has been Principal dancer for Sonia Plumb Dance Company as well as Dimensional Dance. He also performed as a principal dancer in La Bayadere with Centro Danza and Sheherazade at the Teatro Mediterraneo in Naples. Della Ragione also apprenticed with Mystic Ballet company directed by Goran Subotic.Emily Silva Emily Aubrey Silva is one of BTC’s company dancers as well as its Ballet Mistress. She completed her early pre-professional training at Boston Ballet School. After graduating high school, Silva trained in Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School’s Graduate Program, where she performed with Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre Company and taught on the Children’s Division faculty. She went on to attend the University of Hartford’s Hartt School, and graduated summa cum laude with a BFA in Dance Performance and Ballet Pedagogy. While pursuing her BFA, Silva performed works by George Balanchine, Antony Tudor, Martha Graham, Arthur Saint-Leon, Claudia Schreier, and Manuel Vignoulle. She is a former soloist with Ballet Hartford and has performed with Ballet Theatre Company since 2017.BTC Company Dancers

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20ApprenticesKyla Cheng Jillian Hubbard Evie Messinger Soa WargoJunior Corps de BalletBallet Theatre Company (BTC) oers students a unique opportunity for young aspiring dancers to perform in professional ballet productions as part of BTC’s 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, to prepare for a future in dance.Soa BrummittJulia BurkackiMason Capone Isabella O’Connor Sophia PirrottaSerana Snow Isha Sondhi Nupur Sondhi Eva Speranza Hailey WankierEla Whalen Penny Wickwire Elizabeth WindnaglePortraits by Thomas Giroir

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21ABOUT SEASON 23Ballet is Back!Ballet returns to Greater Hartford stages bigger, and better than ever.As we head into the holiday season, optimism is in the air! We see it all around us, the thrills and traditions that we love and have missed. BTC productions continue to feature accomplished local dancers, national ballet stars, and school-age ballet students from the Greater Hartford area. With each unique show, BTC provides joy and inspiration to everyone from ballet enthusiasts to children who want to experience the magic of dance.BTC is a women-led organization and it’s rapidly growing. As the leadership looks to the future of the Company and of ballet in Connecticut, we are expanding performance possibilities and making ballet more equitable for its dancers.To walk the talk, BTC launched a paid Company Dancers is Residence for the rst time in its history for our 2021-2022 performance year. In the past, BTC paid dancers per performance, but now they are paid to train, rehearse and perform as an ocial Company. In a eld where working for free is often expected, BTC is ensuring that its ballet dancers are valued.At the end of August, BTC held an audition to hire its new dancers. When she looks back at the day Dattellas remembers the feel of a vision coming to life, “After a riveting audition, we oered contracts to a diverse and talented group of professional dancers. I truly cannot tell you how wonderful it felt to see BTC’s dreams come to fruition right in front of my eyes.”Just in time for the 20th Anniversary production of The Nutcracker, we can announce that The Nutcracker this December and Aladdin in April 2022 will be performed at The Bushnell Center for Performing Arts! This is the rst time that BTC will present on this prestigious stage, made more glorious because The Nutcracker will be Ballet Theatre Company’s dancers’ rst main stage show in over a year of not performing in public theaters. We are proud to oer the ballet to Greater Hartford and beyond.With the return of ballet to the main stage, dancers and audiences will reconnect in a way that online performances can never provide. “I’m thrilled to stage news works, and re-visit classics like The Nutcracker at The Bushnell,” says Dattellas. “And we are eager to make ballet more approachable and fair for dancers and audiences in Greater Hartford.”Ballet is back! We are glad to see you here.“We know that audiences are ready to experience the feel of live shows again,” says Ballet Theatre Company Artistic Director Stephanie Dattellas about preparing for the company’s 23rd season, “and as we look at the season ahead, we are ready to dazzle with our fall and winter ballets.”

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23The School of Ballet Theatre Company 20 Jeerson Ave, West Hartford, CT 06110 (860) 570-0440Email: school@dancebtc.org www.dancebtc.orgEDUCATIONEDUCATION23Photo by Walt JedziniakTHE SCHOOL OF BALLET THEATRE COMPANYThe School of Ballet Theatre Company (SBTC) is the ocial school of Ballet Theatre Company (BTC), oering classes for students ages three to adult, from beginner to advanced levels. Its carefully-constructed curriculum emphasizes strong technique, proper alignment, musicality, and expression. Through a faculty of distinguished professionals, its ballet instructors incorporate the best of the French, Italian, and Russian training methods in a nurturing and supportive classroom environment that fosters the development of young artists.Whether SBTC’s students dance for fun and exercise, or because they dream of becoming a professional dancer, SBTC’s curriculum prepares students physically and mentally to embrace their next adventure, cultivating discipline, friendships that will last a lifetime, and an appreciation for the art form.In addition, the students share a facility with the professional company, enriching each student’s experience by allowing them to observe those dancers in classes, rehearsals and performances. Students are also oered opportunities to perform with the professional company in productions such as Stephanie Dattellas’ The Nutcracker.

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24COMMUNITY YOUTH OUTREACH PROGRAM (CYOP) Ballet Theatre Company’s Community Youth Outreach Program (CYOP) provides the opportunity for children to participate in studio dance education classes and experience live, professional dance performances free of charge, despite socioeconomic backgrounds, nances, abilities or limitations. BTC’s CYOP currently consists of four programs.Raising the Barre 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, a performance of BTC’s full-length productions, is oered to area youth social service agencies to experience free of charge. In Season 23, BTC will oer virtual streaming tickets and free public performance tickets to its partners in order to bring the magic of a dance performance to children in the area while still adhering to COVID-19 safety protocols and precautions. Everybody Dance Now, an adaptive dance program for children with exceptionalities in partnership with The Miracle League of CT, celebrates its fourth year.BTC’s newly-created program, Behind the Curtain, aims to bring the arts into public schools and share the many creative elements and roles that go into staging a full-length dance production. The program includes a digital storybook and workbooks for teachers to use to promote performing arts awareness and appreciation. It also oers an interactive option for school children to learn about production elements from BTC’s artists, explore choreography experts with its dancers and Ballet Mistress, and watch live excerpts from the production, oered both in-person and digitally. Over the past 10 years, BTC has partnered with Hartford Performs to deliver artistic experiences to Hartford Public Schools. In aliation with BTC’s semi-annual main stage productions, BTC produces a 1-hour abbreviated performance specically for school children. This performance will be oered via live stream in Season 23 in order to alleviate the stresses of transportation and adhering to COVID-19 guidelines. BTC will open up this live stream performance to more schools in the Greater Hartford area in combination with its Behind the Curtain Program, further spreading the joys and magic of a dance production!Make a donation at www.dancebtc.orgOUTREACHOUTREACH

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26Dear Friends,As Board Chair of Ballet Theatre Company, I sincerely welcome you to BTC’s twenty-third performance year.Last season, the screen became our studio and our stage. Professional dancers and students danced in living rooms and backyards on practice-sized squares. I even volunteered to make some of the portable Marley oorings myself!Now, you get to enjoy a unique experience back in the studio as our Company Dancers in Residence perform ballets by three varied choreographers. I am proud to see BTC’s Company Dancers on the stage doing what they love, and my heart is warmed to be in the audience with you.Thank you for everything you’ve done to ensure our success over the past year. Every donation and virtual ticket sale helped BTC during the times when the arts needed the most help.If you enjoy tonight’s ballet performances, please consider donating by becoming an Encore Society member. Becoming a member of the Encore Society is a great way to help BTC thrive and keep oering you performances like the one you are about to experience.Enjoy the show,Eric BrummittBoard ChairJoin the Encore Society at www.dancebtc.orgBTC Company Dancers

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Joseph Beltre and Lea-Janell Mitchell in Dattellas’ Divide | Eric Vagabond Photography27When you become or renew as a BTC’s Encore Society member, you join BTC’s community of supporters who prioritize the performing arts in the Greater Hartford area. With a contribution of $100 or more, you will become a member of BTC’s exclusive Encore Society for the entirety of BTC’s 2021-2022 season.Benets include complimentary tickets and pre-sale ticket opportunities to season performances and many other exclusive perks. Learn more and join the Encore Society at www.dancebtc.org/encore-society

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32On-Campus LibraryGuest Performances Resident-Run ClubsDuncaster is where From the campus Library to the Presidents’ College,I learn.At Duncaster, there are so many ways to continue to feed your mind. Attend lectures and discussion groups, complete your reading list in our library or learn new skills through our lifelong learning program. Here, you can enrich your mind to stay at your best. And with a full continuum of care services right on campus, choosing our Life Plan community means you’ll live at Duncaster with the peace of mind that comes from knowing you’ve made a smart decision.Keep knowing, keep growing – call (860) 380-5006 to schedule a tour.40 Loefﬂer Road, Bloomﬁeld, CT 06002(860) 726-2000 • Duncaster.org

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Happy Thanksgiving neighbors thankful to be part of such a HappyI m wonderful community I wish all my neighbors a safe and happy Thanksgiving Thanksgiving neighbors I m thankful to be part of such a wonderful community I wish all my neighbors a safe and happy Thanksgiving Like a good neighbor State Farm is there Like a good neighbor State Farm is there Sharon Kim Agent 2475 Albany Avenue West Hartford CT 06117 Bus 860 233 8511 sharon kim mgor statefarm com I m thankful to be part of such a wonderful community I wish all my neighbors a safe and happy Thanksgiving Like a good neighbor State Farm is there State Farm Bloomington IL 2006044 Sharon Kim Agent 2475 Albany Avenue West Hartford CT 06117 Bus 860 233 8511 sharon kim mgor statefarm com State Farm Bloomington IL 2006044 38 Send me an email!

UP Close: Fall 2021 Playbill

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