BALLET OVERCOMES THE GREAT CHIMNEY COLLAPSE OF JULY 20, 2016 August 15, nearly a month after the col-lapse of the Board of Trade chimney onto the room housing ballet cos-tumes—including those of the 2016-17 season performances—staff and volunteers fi nally could survey the dam-age. Production Manager Ken Pogin trucked 35 big trash bags stuffed with precious costumes to Bayfront Festival Park. He, Director Rob-ert Gardner, Managing Director Mary Gummer-

son, Stage Manager Cheryl Podtburg, Costumer Sandra Ehle, and volunteers went to work pulling out costumes, shaking out the dust, sorting and placing them in piles on plastic sheets laid on the ground in the shade. Nearly all masks and headpieces were found crushed. But shouts went up when all ten “Degas-look” fl ower gowns and all ten iridescent snowfl ake gowns were ac-counted for. A tail sticking up from a freshly opened bag meant that yet another mouse suit was intact. Ken cheered when his carefully constructed “magic egg” from Firebird was discovered at the bottom of a bag, func-tional, and apparently without a scratch on it. Robert breathed relief when pulling out of one of the last bags to be opened, the spectacular Firebird tutu, miracu-lously intact, its fl ame-colored layers popping up and look-ing remarkably buoyant. Tucked among the costumes, several chunks of mortar from the fallen chimney emerged. These were saved as mementoes of the Great Chimney Collapse. Once all costumes were packed in fresh bags, the Cos-tumer and her crew of volun-teer helpers could go to work cleaning, repairing, and restor-ing the handmade treasures in the cafeteria of the former Central High School.

(At right) Costumer Sandra Ehle examines bodices of the soiled Snowfl ake costumes, detached for hand washing.

MINNESOTA BALLET December 2016

A HUGE THANK-YOU TOSandy Hoff & F.I. Salter

for helping during building repairsKraus Anderson Construction Company

for carefully uncovering crushed costumes in storageBarb Perrella, Labovitz Enterprisesfor securing temporary offi ce spaceHolappa Commercial Real Estatefor securing temporary studio space

Duluth Public School Districtfor providing the old Central High School cafeteria

as a cleaning/restoration centerVolunteers helping staff move to temporary offi ceMatthew Jarvimaki, Betsy Holcomb, Mary Jo White

Volunteers helping staff at Bayfront ParkBetsy Holcomb, John HolcombLeah Robertson, Mary Jo White

Volunteers helping Costumer Sandra EhleLeah Robertson, Carole Turner, Mary Joe White

Cheryl Davis, Sue Fuchs, Renee HeytensLinda Carrillo, Kathy Rye

Superior Ballroom Dance Studiofor holding the fundraiser “Dancers Helping Dancers”

benefi ting costume restorationAll others offering all sorts of support and concern

WHAT’S NEW AT THE NUTCRACKER?Friday, December 9 & 10 at 7 p.m.Sunday, December 11, at 3 p.m.

DECC Symphony HallSponsored by National Bank of Commerce

For live accompaniment of the Tchaikovsky score, the Bal-let welcomes its new Minnesota Ballet Orchestra, under the direction of Mark Whitlock, Director of Bands and Professor of Music at the University of Minnesota Duluth.

The Ballet also welcomes vocal accompaniment by the Lake Superior Youth Chorus, under the direction of Bret Amundson, Director of Choral Activities and Director of Gen-eral Education at the College of St. Scholastica.

Watch for the new look of the Nutcracker’s head. Because the Nutcracker’s headpiece was crushed in the chimney col-lapse, Stage Manager Cheryl Podtburg has constructed a new one.

MINNESOTA BALLET Page 2 of 4

“MOVING BEYOND” LAUNCHES BALLET’S SECOND HALF-CENTURY

In September “Moving Beyond” car-ried the momentum from the Bal-let’s 50th anniversary season into the next half-century with fi ve new works. Company member Marta Kel-ly created “Complex Deceptions,” a visceral contemporary work (left) to the pulsating “Vermont Rules.”

Former company member Laura Goodman premiered “Rounding the Apse,” a spiritual work for fi ve white-clad dancers to a composition for

string quartet by former company member Ryan Homsey.

Area choreographer Amber Burns created “Breakthrough,” a barefoot contemporary work to Garry Eister’s Quintet for Glass and Strings. Former company member LilaAnn Coates White created the dramatic work “Love, Naught,” a tale of love, betrayal, and revenge, set to a Samuel Barber violin concerto.

Company member Nikolaus Wourms presented his “It Just Doesn’t Have to Be,” a striking classical work set to Bach cello music and begun last season with a grant from the New York Choreographic Institute.

NEW COMPANY MEMBERS IN 2016–17 MINNESOTA BALLET

Ballet Training in Japan, in USA at ABT School

Previous Member Silicon Valley Ballet

Previous MemberColumbia Classical Ballet

Ryo

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Cas

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Sara

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Previous MemberFlorida Dance Theatre

And New Apprentice Ruben Medina & Trainee Rachel Fuchs

Previous Member Ballet Tucson

B.A. Dance Grand Valley University

Training in Canada,Alberta Ballet

Jord

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Cha

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Cla

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Alex

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DRACULA MATINEE DRAWS COSTUMED VAMPIRE FANSThis year the Bal-let added a Sunday matinee on October 23 to its Dracula, inviting all vampire fans to wear capes and fangs or their Halloween fi nery.

Lots of fans did just that, such as the girl (left) who had her photo taken in front of the Dracula board set up in the Sym-phony Hall lobby.

The eerily spooky production has twice risen from a threat-ened grave. In summer 2012 its sets were among those res-cued from fl ooded lower-level storage. In summer 2016 the costumes were crushed. The furry little stuffed bat—and the “understudy” bat—were the only parts of the Dracula pro-duction to survive both the fl ood and chimney collapse. The revived 2016 Dracula was sponsored by Minnesota Power and Friends of National Bank of Commerce.

The Ballet would like to thank the College of

St. Scholastica for allowing

the Ballet to hold “Moving Beyond”

in Mitchell Auditorium.

MINNESOTA BALLET Page 3

MARIO NUGARA GUEST TEACHESIN SUMMER INTENSIVE 2016July 18–22, 2016, Mario Nugara guest taught in the School of the Minnesota Ballet’s Summer Intensive and set “Intermezzo,” his beautifully classical work to music from Delibes’ La Source and Glazunov’s Raymonda, on upper level students, who performed it in the intensive showcase July 29.Mr. Nugara studied on a Ford Scholarship at the School of American Ballet and on a Fulbright scholar studied at the Dan-ish Royal Ballet and the University of Copenhagen. He has international teaching experience from Denmark to Sweden to California to Broadway. He directs the City of Angels Ballet in Los Angeles and the California Riverside Ballet. In his Duluth visit, he concentrated on proper footwork and pelvic placement, both critical to classical ballet technique. His visit coincided with the chimney collapse at the Board of Trade Building; he quickly offered to loan the Minnesota Ballet any costuming it could use from his two organizations.Mr. Nugara’s visit was funded in part by the John T. and Elizabeth C. Adams Arts Fund of the Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation.

Upper-level students performing Mario Nugara’s “Intermezzo” in the Student Summer Showcase, Library Plaza, in July.

SUGAR PLUM FAIR RAISES FUNDS FOR FINANCIAL AID TO SCHOOL

The Nutcracker Season of-fi cially began November 6 at the annual Sugar Plum Fair, featuring dance pre-sentations, desserts from The Exchange, and lots of shopping in the Silent Auc-tion.Bidders vied for ballet mu-sic boxes, jewelry, gift bas-kets fi lled with ballet and nutcracker ornaments, a Fitz and Floyd “Nutcracker Sweets” cookie jar, even

a nutcracker doormat, night light, afghan, stocking, and wreath. The fair raised over $2,000 for fi nancial aid

MINNESOTA BALLET GRANTS NEWSThe Minnesota Ballet has received operating support grants for 2016–17: $30,000 from the McKnight Foundation and $52,626 from the Minnesota State Arts Board.

A $3,500 grant from the Van Gorden Fund of the Miller-Dwan Foundation supports the Creative Dance in 2016–17.

A $1,986 grant from the Depot Foundation’s Undesignated Fund will make possible Dance Day at the Depot 2017 and new unitards for advanced students to wear in a special con-temporary work.

The John T. and Elizabeth C. Adams Arts Fund of the Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation has awarded a $1,500 grant in support of Igor Burlak’s guest teaching in the 2017 Summer Intensive.

History ExhibitThe Ballet exhib-ited its history pan-els, costume dis-play, and special panels of the Great Chimney Collapse in the Depot Great Hall in October, opening with a re-ception October 4.

The Ballet would like to thank Mary Karl, Ken Buehler, and Briana Johnson, of the Historic Union Depot; and JoAnne Coombe and Samantha Tubbs, of the St. Louis County His-torical Society for their support of the exhibit.

BALLET HOLDS TWO EVENTS IN OCTOBER IN DEPOT GREAT HALLBallet’s Black and White BallGlamor abounded at the Ball October 4 as shown with apprentices Naomi Doty and Sarah Gresik (on right). In the fancy hat contest, Sue Bradford won for Most Creative, Erin Wourms for Most Intricate, and Anne-Lu Haris for Most Whimsical. There were spirited, often smooth ball-room moves to the music of The Jane Gang featuring Mary Lou Williams.Company members Nikolaus Wourms and Sarah White performed “Unfi nished with You.” The silent auction helped boost the fundraiser’s income, with spirited bidding on items from an Andy Warhol print to four hours of brush clearing to dinner in a yurt at the New Scenic Café. The evening was sponsored by Mitchell Wolfe/Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, with hors d’oeuvres from the Vanilla Bean and desserts from How Sweet It Is.

minnesota ballet301 W. 1st St., Suite 800

Duluth, MN 55802(218) 529-3742

Robert Gardner, Artistic Executive Director

Mary Gummerson, Executive Managing Director

offi ce@minnesotaballet.orgminnesotaballet.org

Text by Betsy Holcomb

Company/Performance Photosby Jeff Frey

The Minnesota Ballet receives major operating support grants from

the following foundations:National Endowment for the Arts

Minnesota State Arts BoardMcKnight Foundation

Wildey Mitchell Family Fnd.Depot United Campaign

AND EVEN MORE BALLET DOINGS…This summer Minnesota Ballet Artistic Executive Director Robert Gardner choreo-graphed for Steerage Song, a musical about immigrants crossing the Atlantic and passing through Ellis Island, produced by the Duluth Playhouse and performed at Big Top Chautauqua in Bayfi eld August 4–5 and September 9. Robert choreo-graphed to music from European and Eastern European folk songs to Tin Pan Al-ley favorites, including lively steps to “Alexander’s Ragtime Band,” by Irving Berlin, whose family emigrated from Russia in 1893 when he was a boy.

August 6, Minnesota Ballet apprentice Naomi Doty performed “The Swan” as part of the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center’s 50th anniversary activities.

August 9, Robert narrated a slide show highlighting the Ballet’s 50 years for the Duluth Chamber of Commerce “Let’s Do Lunch” in the Great Hall of the Kitchi Gammi Club. Naomi again performed “The Swan,” this time on carpeting.

September 14, Ballet company member/teacher Suzie Baer received the Duluth News Tribune’s 20 under 40 Award in a dinner ceremony at the Northland Country Club. Suzie teach-es the Ballet’s Creative Dance class for children with devel-opmental challenges, sets classical variations on upper-level students, assists the Director as Nutcracker and Ballet Master, and dances roles from the graceful Dew Drop Fairy in The Nutcracker to the much-aggrieved Helena in A Midsummer Night’s Dream to the one-eyed monster in Firebird.

October 3–6, at William Kelley Elementary School in Silver Bay, the Ballet pre-sented a residency for nearly 200 students in ballet, modern, and jazz styles, led by Outreach Coordinator Erin Wourms. The fi nal day of the residency, fi fth- and sixth-graders performed Erin’s choreography, and the company demonstrated technique and performed works.

November 12–13, at the DECC’s Edmund Fitzgerald Hall, the Ballet had a booth in the Junior League’s Festival of Trees. Ballet Board member Carole Turner orga-nized the booth, which offered nutcracker souvenirs and a Nutcracker ticket raffl e.

November 18, riding in the Ballet’s fl oat in the Christmas City of the North Parade were student cast members representing roles in The Nutcracker. Smiling through the swirling snow were Liam Colclough, Mindy Bolgrien,Gemma Guthrie, Snow Li, Grace Matvey, Sonia Nelson, Matteah Ojard, and Jasmine Wu.

Production Manager Ken Pogin and Stage Manager Cheryl Podtburg assembled the fl oat, and Ali Matvey and Kathy Rye of the

School Committee walked the parade route.

The NutcrackerDECC Symphony Hall7 P.M. December 9 & 10

3 P.M. December 11with the

Minnesota Ballet OrchestraLake Superior Youth Chorus

Celebrity Dance ChallengeFregeau Aud., Marshall School

7:30 P.M. February 9Firebird

and new repertoire worksDECC Symphony Hall7 P.M. March 24 & 25

Mark these Minnesota Ballet events on your calendar!

This activity is made possible by the voters of Min-nesota through a Minnesota State Arts Board Op-erating Support grant, thanks to a legislative appro-priation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.

2016–2017Performing Season Sponsor

Please make tax-deductible support of the Ballet: www.mnballet.org

prepare to be moved

50years