Tulsa Ballet

Tulsa Ballet
General information
Name Tulsa Ballet
Year founded 1956
Founders
Website www.tulsaballet.org
Artistic staff
Artistic Director Marcello Angelini
Other
Official school Tulsa Ballet SemGroup Center for Dance Education (TBCDE)
Formation

Tulsa Ballet is a professional American ballet company located in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The artistic mission of Tulsa Ballet is "To preserve the tradition of classical ballet, promote the appreciation of contemporary dance, create works of superior and enduring quality, and educate through exemplary performances, training and outreach programs."[1] The Company has toured throughout the United States and the world and has received consistent critical acclaim.

History

The company was founded in 1956 by musician Rosalie Talbot and married couple Roman Jasinski[2] and Moscelyne Larkin. Jasinski and Larkin were famous dancers who were internationally known for their style in the grand Ballets Russes tradition.[3] Under their leadership, the troupe rose to the top echelon in the National Association for Regional Ballet in 1973 and became a fully professional company in 1978. After a successful engagement at Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts at Brooklyn College in 1983, a 1986 West Coast tour, and a return to BCBC in 1988 to perform George Balanchine's reconstructed Mozart's Violin Concerto, the company was hailed as one of Oklahoma's valuable arts organizations.[4]

In 1990 Roman Larkin Jasinski was appointed to succeed his parents as artistic director of the company. Unfortunately, the company did not thrive under his leadership and at the end of Jasinski's third season, the company began imploding as major conflicts among board members, dancers and the management came to a head. In November 1994, Jasinski tendered his resignation and left the company in chaos.[4]

Artistic director

Renowned Italian dancer Marcello Angelini was appointed Artistic Director of the Tulsa Ballet in 1995. According to Dance Magazine, Angelini managed to solve the internal conflicts within the company and raise the artistic achievements of the company simultaneously. He unified the board members, working well with artistic director emerita Larkin, and establishing friendly relationships with his predecessors. "His gracious yet fierce tenacity, tough professional reputation, and superior negotiating skills soon earned him the nickname 'The Italian Tornado'."[4]

Dance Magazine credits Angelini with building a strong and highly versatile company that is able to tackle both classical and contemporary works by well-known choreographers. The Italian-born, Kiev Institute-trained director is said to expect dancers to achieve a technical level and artistic range comparable to that of the major companies he danced with (Deutsche Oper Berlin, Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, Cincinnati Ballet, Ballet West). He is also credited with stating that "to grow a company, you have to stretch the dancer one way, then the other".[5]

Productions

Tulsa ballet creates five productions annually in addition to The Nutcracker and reaches an audience of over 48,000 individuals every season. Under Angelini's leadership, the company has undertaken an ambitious repertory building program. For the past eleven years, Tulsa Ballet has added more than 60 new works to its repertory, many of which have been either American Premieres or World Premieres. Many of the world's best choreographers have worked with Tulsa Ballet including: Leonide Massine, Antony Tudor, Jerome Robbins, George Balanchine, Paul Taylor, Kurt Jooss, John Butler, Nacho Duato (ten works), Val Caniparoli who is its resident choreographer (with seven works and four world premieres), Stanton Welch, Luciano Cannito, Young Soon Hue, Ma Cong, Lila York, Twyla Tharp and many others.[1]

In its first international tour in 2002, Tulsa Ballet was declared by the Portuguese national magazine Semanario “One of the best in the world.” The company has received two feature articles in Dance Magazine during the past seven years, has been featured in the New York Times, Pointe Magazine and Dance Europe among others. In March 2008, Tulsa Ballet was featured on the cover of Pointe magazine- a distinction given to only one ballet company each year.[1] In April 2008, Tulsa Ballet completed an ambitious $17.3 million integrated campaign, which was celebrated at the opening of the brand new Studio K; an on-site, three hundred-seat performance space dedicated to the creation of new works.

Dance company

Dancers for the 2011-2012 season include:[6]

Principals

  • Soo Youn Cho [8]

  • Alfonso Martin [9]

Senior Soloists

  • Alexandra Bergman [11]

  • Sofia Menteguiaga [12]

Soloists

  • Claudio Cocino [13]

Demi-Soloists

  • Yoshihisa Arai [14]
  • Jonnathan Ramirez Mejia [15]

  • Alberto Montesso [16]
  • Beatrice Sebelin [17]

Corps de Ballet

  • Federica Bagnera [19]
  • Jose Antonio Checa Romero [21]
  • Alexandra Christian [22]

  • Sarah Jane Crespo [23]
  • Andres Figueroa [24]
  • Gabriela Gonzalez [26]

  • Rodrigo Hermesmeyer [27]
  • Stefano Maggiolo [28]
  • Erin Pritchard [29]
  • Joshua Stayton [30]

Apprentice

  • Carolyn Trumbo [32]

Former dancers

Former dancers with the Tulsa Ballet include:[33][34][35][36]

Former principals

Former soloists

  • Ashley Blade-Martin (1999-2011) [33][38]
  • Michael Eaton (2005-2008) [39]

Former demi-soloists

  • Jennifer DeWolfe (2000-2008) [44]

  • Maria Victoria Ignomiriello (2006-2007) [47]

  • Deng Mi (2007-2009) [50]

Former corps de ballet

  • Florent Bouyat (2010-2011) [33]
  • Kiri Chapman (2006-2008) [51]
  • Alex Harrison (2010-2011) [33]
  • Ilan Kav (2007-2008) [53]
  • Balázs Krajczár (2008-2009) [54]
  • Gabriella Limatola (2007-2008) [55]

  • Elise Miller (2010-2011) [33]
  • Masahiro Momose (2007-2009) [57]
  • Gwénaëlle Poline (2010-2011) [33]
  • Daiva Preston (2007-2008) [59]
  • Kirk Robison (2007-2008) [60]
  • Susanna Salvi (2010-2011) [33]

  • Avichai Scher (2007-2008) [61]
  • Francesco Sorrentino (2007-2008) [62]
  • Laura Suttle (2010-2011) [33]
  • Marit van der Wolde (2004-2010) [34][64]
  • Iseda Yuki (2008-2009) [65]
  • Zhang Kai (2008-2009) [66]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Tulsa Ballet 2007-2008 ~ The Classic in Black & White With a Touch of Red". Tulsa Ballet. Archived from the original on August 28, 2008. Retrieved February 5, 2012.
  2. Jasinsky, Roman (1907–1991) Australia Dancing
  3. "Tulsa Ballet". DanceInsider.com. (subscription required)
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 Lili Cockerille Livingston (September 1999). "Tulsa and the Italian Tornado – management of the Tulsa Ballet Company". Dance Magazine (FindArticles.com). Retrieved February 5, 2012.
  5. Cynthia Bond Perry (March 2005). "Tulsa Ballet speaks an international language in rodeo country". Dance Magazine (TheFreeLibrary.com). Retrieved December 23, 2013.
  6. "Inside Tulsa Ballet". Tulsa Ballet. 2011-2012 season. Retrieved February 5, 2012. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  7. "Ma Cong". Tulsa Ballet. 2011-2012 season. Retrieved February 5, 2012. Principal; joined Tulsa Ballet in 1999 Check date values in: |date= (help)
  8. "Soo Youn Cho". Tulsa Ballet. 2011-2012 season. Retrieved February 5, 2012. Principal; joined Tulsa Ballet in 2007, was promoted to principal in 2010 Check date values in: |date= (help)
  9. "Alfonso Martin". Tulsa Ballet. 2011-2012 season. Retrieved February 5, 2012. Principal; joined Tulsa Ballet in 1998 as a demi-soloist and rose through the ranks, promoted to principal in April 2001 Check date values in: |date= (help)
  10. "Wang Yi". Tulsa Ballet. 2011-2012 season. Retrieved February 5, 2012. Principal; joined Tulsa Ballet three years ago from Zurich Ballet, where he was a soloist Check date values in: |date= (help)
  11. "Alexandra Bergman". Tulsa Ballet. 2011-2012 season. Retrieved February 5, 2012. Senior Soloist; joined Tulsa Ballet as an apprentice, was promoted to soloist in 2001 Check date values in: |date= (help)
  12. "Sofia Menteguiaga". Tulsa Ballet. 2011-2012 season. Retrieved February 5, 2012. Senior Soloist; joined Tulsa Ballet in 2011 Check date values in: |date= (help)
  13. "Claudio Cocino". Tulsa Ballet. 2011-2012 season. Retrieved February 5, 2012. Soloist; joined Tulsa Ballet in 2010 Check date values in: |date= (help)
  14. "Yoshihisa Arai". Tulsa Ballet. 2011-2012 season. Retrieved February 5, 2012. Demi-Soloist; joined Tulsa Ballet in 2011 Check date values in: |date= (help)
  15. "Jonnathan Ramirez Mejia". Tulsa Ballet. 2011-2012 season. Retrieved February 5, 2012. Demi-Soloist; joined Tulsa Ballet in 2010 Check date values in: |date= (help)
  16. "Alberto Montesso". Tulsa Ballet. 2011-2012 season. Retrieved February 5, 2012. Demi-Soloist; joined Tulsa Ballet in 2006 Check date values in: |date= (help)
  17. "Beatrice Sebelin". Tulsa Ballet. 2011-2012 season. Retrieved February 5, 2012. Demi-Soloist; joined Tulsa Ballet in 2008 from Balletto di Milano Check date values in: |date= (help)
  18. "Hanae Seki". Tulsa Ballet. 2011-2012 season. Retrieved February 5, 2012. Demi-Soloist; joined Tulsa Ballet in 2007 from Colorado Ballet Check date values in: |date= (help)
  19. "Federica Bagnera". Tulsa Ballet. 2011-2012 season. Retrieved February 5, 2012. Corps de Ballet; joined Tulsa Ballet during 2008-2009 season Check date values in: |date= (help)
  20. "Ian Buchanan". Tulsa Ballet. 2011-2012 season. Retrieved February 5, 2012. Corps de Ballet; joined Tulsa Ballet during 2009-2010 season from Oregon Ballet Theater Check date values in: |date= (help)
  21. "Jose Antonio Checa Romero". Tulsa Ballet. 2011-2012 season. Retrieved February 5, 2012. Corps de Ballet; joined Tulsa Ballet during 2010-2011 season Check date values in: |date= (help)
  22. "Alexandra Christian". Tulsa Ballet. 2011-2012 season. Retrieved February 5, 2012. Corps de Ballet; joined Tulsa Ballet in 2010 Check date values in: |date= (help)
  23. "Sarah Jane Crespo". Tulsa Ballet. 2011-2012 season. Retrieved February 5, 2012. Corps de Ballet; joined Tulsa Ballet during 2009-2010 season Check date values in: |date= (help)
  24. "Andres Figueroa". Tulsa Ballet. 2011-2012 season. Retrieved February 5, 2012. Corps de Ballet; joined Tulsa Ballet in 2009 from Ballet Gamonet Company Check date values in: |date= (help)
  25. "Diana Gomez". Tulsa Ballet. 2011-2012 season. Retrieved February 5, 2012. Corps de Ballet; joined Tulsa Ballet in 2009 from Ballet Gamonet Company Check date values in: |date= (help)
  26. "Gabriela Gonzalez". Tulsa Ballet. 2011-2012 season. Retrieved February 5, 2012. Corps de Ballet; joined Tulsa Ballet in 2011 Check date values in: |date= (help)
  27. "Rodrigo Hermesmeyer". Tulsa Ballet. 2011-2012 season. Retrieved February 5, 2012. Corps de Ballet; joined Tulsa Ballet in 2010 Check date values in: |date= (help)
  28. "Stefano Maggiolo". Tulsa Ballet. 2011-2012 season. Retrieved February 5, 2012. Corps de Ballet; joined Tulsa Ballet in 2011 Check date values in: |date= (help)
  29. "Erin Pritchard". Tulsa Ballet. 2011-2012 season. Retrieved February 5, 2012. Corps de Ballet; joined Tulsa Ballet in 2010 Check date values in: |date= (help)
  30. "Joshua Stayton". Tulsa Ballet. 2011-2012 season. Retrieved February 5, 2012. Corps de Ballet; joined Tulsa Ballet in 2009 Check date values in: |date= (help)
  31. "Lawrence Knox". Tulsa Ballet. 2011-2012 season. Retrieved February 5, 2012. Apprentice; joined Tulsa Ballet in 2011 Check date values in: |date= (help)
  32. "Carolyn Trumbo". Tulsa Ballet. 2011-2012 season. Retrieved February 5, 2012. Apprentice; joined Tulsa Ballet in 2011 Check date values in: |date= (help)
  33. 33.0 33.1 33.2 33.3 33.4 33.5 33.6 33.7 33.8 33.9 "Dancers (2010-2011)" (PDF). 2010-2011 Annual Report. Tulsa Ballet. 2011. Retrieved February 5, 2012.
  34. 34.0 34.1 34.2 34.3 34.4 34.5 34.6 34.7 34.8 34.9 34.10 34.11 "Dancers (2009-2010)" (PDF). 2009-2010 Annual Report. Tulsa Ballet. 2010. Retrieved February 5, 2012.
  35. 35.0 35.1 "Meet the Dancers: 2008-2009". Tulsa Ballet. Archived from the original on March 2, 2009. Retrieved February 5, 2012.
  36. "Meet the Dancers: 2007-2008". Tulsa Ballet. Archived from the original on August 28, 2008. Retrieved February 5, 2012.
  37. "Karina Gonzalez". Tulsa Ballet. 2007-2008 season. Archived from the original on August 2, 2007. Retrieved February 5, 2012. joined Tulsa Ballet in 2005 from National Ballet of Caracas Check date values in: |date= (help)
  38. "Ashley Blade-Martin". Tulsa Ballet. 2007-2008 season. Archived from the original on August 2, 2007. Retrieved February 5, 2012. Soloist, returns for her eighth season with Tulsa Ballet Check date values in: |date= (help)
  39. "Michael Eaton". Tulsa Ballet. 2007-2008 season. Archived from the original on July 17, 2007. Retrieved February 5, 2012. Soloist, is in his fourth season with Tulsa Ballet Check date values in: |date= (help)
  40. "Kate Oderkirk". Westside Ballet. Retrieved February 5, 2012. Soloist; joined Tulsa Ballet as an apprentice in 2006, was promoted to the corps de ballet a few months later, to demi-soloist in 2009, and to soloist in 2010
  41. "René Olivier". Tulsa Ballet. 2007-2008 season. Archived from the original on August 2, 2007. Retrieved February 5, 2012. Soloist, joined Tulsa Ballet in 1999 as a Demi-Soloist Check date values in: |date= (help)
  42. "Serena Chu". Tulsa Ballet. 2007-2008 season. Archived from the original on August 2, 2007. Retrieved February 5, 2012. Demi-Soloist, joined Tulsa Ballet in 1999 from Sarasota Ballet Check date values in: |date= (help)
  43. "Meet the Dancers: Ke Da". Tulsa Ballet. 2008-2009 season. Archived from the original on March 2, 2009. Retrieved February 5, 2012. Demi-Soloist; joined Tulsa Ballet in 2007 from the National Ballet of China Check date values in: |date= (help)
  44. "Jennifer DeWolfe". Tulsa Ballet. 2007-2008 season. Archived from the original on July 17, 2007. Retrieved February 5, 2012. Demi-Soloist; eighth season with Tulsa Ballet (2007) Check date values in: |date= (help)
  45. "Rupert Edwards". Tulsa Ballet. 2007-2008 season. Archived from the original on August 2, 2007. Retrieved February 5, 2012. Demi-Soloist; joined Tulsa Ballet during 2004-2005 season Check date values in: |date= (help)
  46. "Ricardo Graziano". Tulsa Ballet. 2007-2008 season. Archived from the original on August 2, 2007. Retrieved February 5, 2012. Demi-Soloist; joined Tulsa Ballet in 2005 Check date values in: |date= (help)
  47. "Maria Victoria Ignomiriello". Tulsa Ballet. Archived from the original on August 2, 2007. Retrieved February 5, 2012. Demi-Soloist
  48. "Mugen Kazama". Tulsa Ballet. 2007-2008 season. Archived from the original on July 17, 2007. Retrieved February 5, 2012. Demi-Soloist; joined Tulsa Ballet in 2007 Check date values in: |date= (help)
  49. "Megan Keough". Tulsa Ballet. 2007-2008 season. Archived from the original on July 17, 2007. Retrieved February 5, 2012. Demi-Soloist, joined Tulsa Ballet in 2002 Check date values in: |date= (help)
  50. "Meet the Dancers: Deng Mi". Tulsa Ballet. 2008-2009 season. Archived from the original on March 2, 2009. Retrieved February 5, 2012. Demi-Soloist; joined Tulsa Ballet in 2007 from the National Ballet of China Check date values in: |date= (help)
  51. "Kiri Chapman". Tulsa Ballet. 2007-2008 season. Archived from the original on July 17, 2007. Retrieved February 5, 2012. Corps de Ballet, joined Tulsa Ballet last year (2006) Check date values in: |date= (help)
  52. "Leah Gallas". Tulsa Ballet. 2007-2008 season. Archived from the original on July 17, 2007. Retrieved February 5, 2012. Corps de Ballet, second season with Tulsa Ballet Check date values in: |date= (help)
  53. "Ilan Kav". Tulsa Ballet. 2007-2008 season. Archived from the original on July 17, 2007. Retrieved February 5, 2012. Corps de Ballet, first season with Tulsa Ballet Check date values in: |date= (help)
  54. "Meet the Dancers: Balázs Krajczár". Tulsa Ballet. 2008-2009 season. Archived from the original on March 2, 2009. Retrieved February 5, 2012. Corps de Ballet, joins Tulsa Ballet this season from Columbia Classical Ballet Check date values in: |date= (help)
  55. "Gabriella Limatola". Tulsa Ballet. 2007-2008 season. Archived from the original on February 12, 2009. Retrieved February 5, 2012. Corps de Ballet, comes to Tulsa Ballet this year Check date values in: |date= (help)
  56. "Nathan McGinnis". Tulsa Ballet. 2007-2008 season. Archived from the original on August 2, 2007. Retrieved February 5, 2012. Corps de Ballet, joined Tulsa Ballet in 2001 from Kansas City Ballet Check date values in: |date= (help)
  57. "Meet the Dancers: Masahiro Momose". Tulsa Ballet. 2008-2009 season. Archived from the original on March 2, 2009. Retrieved February 5, 2012. Corps de Ballet, joined Tulsa Ballet last season from Colorado Ballet Check date values in: |date= (help)
  58. "Meet the Dancers: Mikhail Ovcharov". Tulsa Ballet. 2008-2009 season. Archived from the original on March 2, 2009. Retrieved February 5, 2012. Corps de Ballet, joined Tulsa Ballet last season from Royal New Zealand Ballet Check date values in: |date= (help)
  59. "Daiva Preston". Tulsa Ballet. 2007-2008 season. Archived from the original on August 2, 2007. Retrieved February 5, 2012. Corps de Ballet, joined us from the Royal Winnipeg Ballet Check date values in: |date= (help)
  60. "Kirk Robison". Tulsa Ballet. 2007-2008 season. Archived from the original on August 2, 2007. Retrieved February 5, 2012. Corps de Ballet, joins Tulsa Ballet this season from The Royal Ballet School in London Check date values in: |date= (help)
  61. "Avichai Scher". Tulsa Ballet. 2007-2008 season. Archived from the original on July 17, 2007. Retrieved February 5, 2012. Corps de Ballet, comes to Tulsa Ballet from the Joffrey Ballet Check date values in: |date= (help)
  62. "Francesco Sorrentino". Tulsa Ballet. 2007-2008 season. Archived from the original on July 17, 2007. Retrieved February 5, 2012. Corps de Ballet, arrives in Tulsa this season from Italy where he danced with Balletto del Sud Check date values in: |date= (help)
  63. "Joshua Trader". Tulsa Ballet. 2007-2008 season. Archived from the original on August 2, 2007. Retrieved February 5, 2012. Corps de Ballet, joined Tulsa Ballet in 2002 from Eugene Ballet Check date values in: |date= (help)
  64. "Marit van der Wolde". Tulsa Ballet. 2007-2008 season. Archived from the original on July 17, 2007. Retrieved February 5, 2012. Corps de Ballet, joined Tulsa Ballet in 2004 Check date values in: |date= (help)
  65. "Meet the Dancers: Iseda Yuki". Tulsa Ballet. 2008-2009 season. Archived from the original on March 2, 2009. Retrieved February 5, 2012. Corps de Ballet, joins Tulsa Ballet this season Check date values in: |date= (help)
  66. "Meet the Dancers: Zhang Kai". Tulsa Ballet. 2008-2009 season. Archived from the original on March 2, 2009. Retrieved February 5, 2012. Corps de Ballet, joins Tulsa Ballet this season Check date values in: |date= (help)

External links