The Sacramento Ballet
Encyclopedia
The Sacramento Ballet was founded in 1954 by Barbara Crockett and Deane Crockett. During Ms. Crockett’s tenure as Company Director, The Sacramento Ballet gained national recognition as one of the finest regional arts companies. Through community support, the formation of the Ballet Guild, and grants from the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission
, California Arts Council
, and the National Endowment for the Arts
, the Ballet was able to grow and begin to hire a resident company of professional dancers. In 1986, having accomplished her goal of making The Sacramento Ballet a professional company, Ms. Crockett retired as the Company Director.
In 1988 Ron Cunningham was engaged as Artistic Director, and was joined by his wife Carinne Binda the following year. The two became Co-Artistic Directors in 1991, and through their vision and leadership, the company has enjoyed substantial success and is widely recognized as a leading arts organization in Sacramento. Cunningham and Binda have successfully chosen ballets that balance public appeal with works that stretch and develop the artistic capabilities of the dancers. The Sacramento Ballet is as well known for Cunningham’s world premieres of such works as Carmina Burana
, The Rite of Spring
and Bolero
as it is for his classics, including The Nutcracker
, Romeo and Juliet
, and Cinderella
. The Ballet’s audience has had the opportunity to experience a vast repertoire, including works by Septime Webre, David Parsons, Kathryn Posin, Agnes de Mille
, Glen Tetley
, Val Caniparoli, Trey McIntyre
and Twyla Tharp
. In 18 seasons, the Ballet has added 13 full-length ballets, 18 Balanchine masterworks, 36 Sacramento premieres, and 34 world premieres. The company is highly regarded as a cultural asset to the community and consistently receives outstanding reviews for its artistic quality.
The Sacramento Ballet has taken a leadership role in outreach, education, community service and collaborative projects, and is without question, a leader in arts education and outreach in the greater Sacramento region. As a professional company, The Sacramento Ballet targets communities through its touring program, traveling throughout the greater Sacramento Valley and as far as Shanghai and Beijing, China. Through extensive Education and Outreach programs, the Ballet reaches approximately 40,000 participants each season.
The Sacramento Ballet has received annual funding from corporations, foundations and government agencies to support its operational and artistic growth, including: California Arts Council, National Endowment for the Arts, Sacramento Regional Foundation, Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Council, The James Irvine Foundation
, Target Stores, Raley’s Stores and the McClatchy Company to name a few. Since 1986, the company’s operating budget has grown steadily, and audience attendance has increased from 15,000 to over 80,000 each season. The Ballet remains the only Sacramento arts organization with a resident company of artists.
Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission
The Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission was established as the arts council in Sacramento, California, United States in 1977.The Commission runs under the California state arts council, the California Arts Council...
, California Arts Council
California Arts Council
The California Arts Council is a state agency based in Sacramento. Its eleven council members are appointed by the Governor and the state Legislature...
, and the National Endowment for the Arts
National Endowment for the Arts
The National Endowment for the Arts is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created by an act of the U.S. Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government. Its current...
, the Ballet was able to grow and begin to hire a resident company of professional dancers. In 1986, having accomplished her goal of making The Sacramento Ballet a professional company, Ms. Crockett retired as the Company Director.
In 1988 Ron Cunningham was engaged as Artistic Director, and was joined by his wife Carinne Binda the following year. The two became Co-Artistic Directors in 1991, and through their vision and leadership, the company has enjoyed substantial success and is widely recognized as a leading arts organization in Sacramento. Cunningham and Binda have successfully chosen ballets that balance public appeal with works that stretch and develop the artistic capabilities of the dancers. The Sacramento Ballet is as well known for Cunningham’s world premieres of such works as Carmina Burana
Carmina Burana
Carmina Burana , Latin for "Songs from Beuern" , is the name given to a manuscript of 254 poems and dramatic texts mostly from the 11th or 12th century, although some are from the 13th century. The pieces were written principally in Medieval Latin; a few in Middle High German, and some with traces...
, The Rite of Spring
The Rite of Spring
The Rite of Spring, original French title Le sacre du printemps , is a ballet with music by Igor Stravinsky; choreography by Vaslav Nijinsky; and concept, set design and costumes by Nicholas Roerich...
and Bolero
Bolero
Bolero is a form of slow-tempo Latin music and its associated dance and song. There are Spanish and Cuban forms which are both significant and which have separate origins.The term is also used for some art music...
as it is for his classics, including The Nutcracker
The Nutcracker
The Nutcracker is a two-act ballet, originally choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov with a score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The libretto is adapted from E.T.A. Hoffmann's story "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King". It was given its première at the Mariinsky Theatre in St...
, Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written early in the career of playwright William Shakespeare about two young star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately unite their feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular archetypal stories of young, teenage lovers.Romeo and Juliet belongs to a...
, and Cinderella
Cinderella
"Cinderella; or, The Little Glass Slipper" is a folk tale embodying a myth-element of unjust oppression/triumphant reward. Thousands of variants are known throughout the world. The title character is a young woman living in unfortunate circumstances that are suddenly changed to remarkable fortune...
. The Ballet’s audience has had the opportunity to experience a vast repertoire, including works by Septime Webre, David Parsons, Kathryn Posin, Agnes de Mille
Agnes de Mille
Agnes George de Mille was an American dancer and choreographer.-Early years:Agnes de Mille was born in New York City into a well-connected family of theater professionals. Her father William C. deMille and her uncle Cecil B. DeMille were both Hollywood directors...
, Glen Tetley
Glen Tetley
Glen Tetley was an American ballet and modern dancer as well as a choreographer who mixed ballet and modern dance to create a new way of looking at dance, and is best known for his piece Pierrot Lunaire.-Biography:Glenford Andrew Tetley, Jr. was born on February 3, 1926 in Cleveland, Ohio...
, Val Caniparoli, Trey McIntyre
Trey McIntyre
Trey McIntyre is an American dancer and choreographer. McIntyre was born in Wichita, Kansas. He trained at North Carolina School of the Arts and Houston Ballet Academy...
and Twyla Tharp
Twyla Tharp
Twyla Tharp is an American dancer and choreographer, who lives and works in New York City.-Early years:Tharp was born in 1941 on a farm in Portland, Indiana, and was named after Twila Thornburg, the "Pig Princess" of the 89th Annual Muncie Fair in Indiana.she spend hours working on it to help her...
. In 18 seasons, the Ballet has added 13 full-length ballets, 18 Balanchine masterworks, 36 Sacramento premieres, and 34 world premieres. The company is highly regarded as a cultural asset to the community and consistently receives outstanding reviews for its artistic quality.
The Sacramento Ballet has taken a leadership role in outreach, education, community service and collaborative projects, and is without question, a leader in arts education and outreach in the greater Sacramento region. As a professional company, The Sacramento Ballet targets communities through its touring program, traveling throughout the greater Sacramento Valley and as far as Shanghai and Beijing, China. Through extensive Education and Outreach programs, the Ballet reaches approximately 40,000 participants each season.
The Sacramento Ballet has received annual funding from corporations, foundations and government agencies to support its operational and artistic growth, including: California Arts Council, National Endowment for the Arts, Sacramento Regional Foundation, Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Council, The James Irvine Foundation
James Irvine Foundation
The James Irvine Foundation is a philanthropic nonprofit organization established to benefit the people of California. It seeks to promote social equity and enrich the cultural and civic life of America’s most populous state through its grants in three areas: the arts, youth and education, and...
, Target Stores, Raley’s Stores and the McClatchy Company to name a few. Since 1986, the company’s operating budget has grown steadily, and audience attendance has increased from 15,000 to over 80,000 each season. The Ballet remains the only Sacramento arts organization with a resident company of artists.
Mission
The mission of The Sacramento Ballet is to operate a professional resident ballet company for the Sacramento region with performances of the highest quality. The artistic vision of the Ballet is dedicated to developing and sustaining an informed, enthusiastic and broad-based audience for dance and the performing arts, while increasing accessibility to the arts for the entire community. The Sacramento Ballet’s Education and Outreach efforts have focused on working with students who are educationally at risk, and on providing encouragement, enrichment, and role models to Sacramento’s youth. The purpose of the Ballet has always been to entertain, educate, inspire, and engage audiences through the powerful vehicle of dance.Artists
As of April 2010:- Ballet Mistress/Character Artist: Lynlee Towne
- Character Artist: Nolan T'Sani
Dancers
- Darwin Black
- Kirsten Bloom
- Rachelle Butler
- Stefan Calka
- Roberto Cisneros
- Timothy Coleman
- Alexandra Cunningham
- Roy Gan
- Nicole Haskins
- Chloe Horne
- Rachel Speidel Little
- Isha Lloyd
- Brik Middlekauff
- Sunchai Muy
- Christopher B. Nachtrab
- Amanda Peet
- Ilona Pociunas
- Richard Porter
- Richard Smith
- Megan Steffens
- Nikki Trerise
- John Whisler
- Heidi Zolker
2008-2009 (Season 54)
- Alice in Wonderland - October 23–26, 2008
- The NutcrackerThe NutcrackerThe Nutcracker is a two-act ballet, originally choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov with a score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The libretto is adapted from E.T.A. Hoffmann's story "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King". It was given its première at the Mariinsky Theatre in St...
- December 6–23, 2008 - Noches Calientes - February 12–15, 2009
- Icons & Innovators - March 26–29, 2009
- Beer & Ballet - April–May, 2009
- Modern Masters - May 22–24, 2009
2007-2008 (Season 53)
- A Woman's Journey: The Tamsen Donner Story - October 25–28, 2007
- The NutcrackerThe NutcrackerThe Nutcracker is a two-act ballet, originally choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov with a score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The libretto is adapted from E.T.A. Hoffmann's story "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King". It was given its première at the Mariinsky Theatre in St...
- December 7–23, 2007 - A Streetcar Named DesireA Streetcar Named Desire (play)A Streetcar Named Desire is a 1947 play written by American playwright Tennessee Williams for which he received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1948. The play opened on Broadway on December 3, 1947, and closed on December 17, 1949, in the Ethel Barrymore Theatre. The Broadway production was...
- February 7–10, 2008 - The Sleeping Beauty - March 20–22, 2008
- A Celebration of Ron Cunningham's 20th Anniversary - April 25, 2008
- Modern Masters - April 26-May 4, 2008
- Beer & Ballet - May 7–17, 2008
2006-2007 (Season 52)
- Where The Wild Things AreWhere The Wild Things AreWhere the Wild Things Are is a 1963 children's picture book by American writer and illustrator Maurice Sendak, originally published by Harper & Row. The book has been adapted into other media several times, including an animated short in 1973 , a 1980 opera, and, in 2009, a live-action feature film...
- October 26–29, 2006 - The Nutty Nutcracker - December 2, 2006
- The NutcrackerThe NutcrackerThe Nutcracker is a two-act ballet, originally choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov with a score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The libretto is adapted from E.T.A. Hoffmann's story "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King". It was given its première at the Mariinsky Theatre in St...
- December 8–23, 2006 - The Taming of the ShrewThe Taming of the ShrewThe Taming of the Shrew is a comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1590 and 1591.The play begins with a framing device, often referred to as the Induction, in which a mischievous nobleman tricks a drunken tinker named Sly into believing he is actually a nobleman himself...
- February 8–11, 2007 - Nine Sinatra Songs - March 22–25, 2007
- Beer & Ballet - February 24 - April 6, 2007
- Tour to China - May 1–13, 2007
2005-2006 (Season 51)
- DraculaDraculaDracula is an 1897 novel by Irish author Bram Stoker.Famous for introducing the character of the vampire Count Dracula, the novel tells the story of Dracula's attempt to relocate from Transylvania to England, and the battle between Dracula and a small group of men and women led by Professor...
- October 27–30, 2005 - The NutcrackerThe NutcrackerThe Nutcracker is a two-act ballet, originally choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov with a score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The libretto is adapted from E.T.A. Hoffmann's story "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King". It was given its première at the Mariinsky Theatre in St...
- December 10–24, 2005 - Carmina BuranaCarmina BuranaCarmina Burana , Latin for "Songs from Beuern" , is the name given to a manuscript of 254 poems and dramatic texts mostly from the 11th or 12th century, although some are from the 13th century. The pieces were written principally in Medieval Latin; a few in Middle High German, and some with traces...
- February 9–12, 2006 - Scheherezade - March 30-April 2, 2006
- Modern Masters - April 28-May 7, 2006
- Beer & Ballet
2004-2005 (Season 50)
- DraculaDraculaDracula is an 1897 novel by Irish author Bram Stoker.Famous for introducing the character of the vampire Count Dracula, the novel tells the story of Dracula's attempt to relocate from Transylvania to England, and the battle between Dracula and a small group of men and women led by Professor...
- October 28–31, 2004 - The NutcrackerThe NutcrackerThe Nutcracker is a two-act ballet, originally choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov with a score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The libretto is adapted from E.T.A. Hoffmann's story "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King". It was given its première at the Mariinsky Theatre in St...
- December 10–24, 2004 - Romeo and JulietRomeo and JulietRomeo and Juliet is a tragedy written early in the career of playwright William Shakespeare about two young star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately unite their feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular archetypal stories of young, teenage lovers.Romeo and Juliet belongs to a...
- February 10–13, 2005 - The FirebirdThe FirebirdThe Firebird is a 1910 ballet created by the composer Igor Stravinsky and choreographer Michel Fokine. The ballet is based on Russian folk tales of the magical glowing bird of the same name that is both a blessing and a curse to its captor....
- March 24–27, 2005 - Modern Masters - May 5–8, 2005
- Beer & Ballet
External links
- The Sacramento Ballet, official website
- China Tour Travel Blog
- Sacramento Ballet Guild, Guild website