Christopher Anderson| Artistic Director, Alberta Ballet
Each year, as we prepare The Nutcracker, we think of our youngest audience members.
We begin imagining their reactions right from our earliest rehearsals in August. It’s why so much of this show is crafted to launch the holiday season with wonder and delight.
The Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra drives the adventure forward with Tchaikovsky’s powerful score. And on stage, performers of all ages make up our cast. Our cast includes dance students from Alberta Ballet School in the roles of mice, party children and soldiers. Please give them a warm welcome. Even on a stage as big as the Jubilee, their energy and enthusiasm fill the space.
We’re also debuting new elements this year. I’d like to thank Edmund Stripe, who set a new vision for the dances in Act 2. Also thank you to the talented teams behind the new costumes: Timberlake Studios, Lisa Logan, Audrey Lee and Alberta Ballet's Wardrobe Team.
This tradition is a treasured community event. Thank you to everyone who helps bring this work to the stage: our production teams, musicians, rehearsal directors and parent volunteers!
We know this season is steeped in tradition, and that families have many options for their celebrations.
Thank you for choosing to include Alberta Ballet
as part of your holiday plans
Edmund Stripe| Choreographer
Greetings, and welcome to The Nutcracker 2022.
We are very excited this year as we bring to you our revised and updated version of The Nutcracker.
It was decided several months ago that a revision of Act 2 was in order, in particular the national dances that celebrate Klara and the Nutcracker’s victory over the Rat Tsar. This is part of our commitment to see The Nutcracker evolve in a way that understands, sees and resonates for everyone in our audiences. Ballet companies around the world are making similar changes to their own Nutcracker productions.
For inspiration and collaboration, I looked to the students and staff at Alberta Ballet School. Alberta Ballet School is a little-known amenity. Many Albertans are unaware that this professional training program attracts junior and senior high school students from around the world.
Their perspectives included diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds and I looked to engage them in the energy and emotion of Act 2’s score. After listening to the music, students and faculty were asked to choose from a list of confections and identify which sweet or spice best represented what they had just heard.
After the votes were counted, we saw that the clear favourites were Marzipan, Caramel, Peppermint and Popcorn.
Before we knew it, it was August 2022. Sketches of the new costumes had been finalized and the construction was about to begin. In the studio, I was working with the dancers to develop the choreography.
We also revisited the famous Waltz of the Flowers. Make a note to watch for the new character in this piece, Christmas Rose!
These results are the first major changes to the production since its premiere in 2009. I look forward to sharing this new creative vision with you!
Wishing all a peaceful and happy holiday season!
PROLOGUE
The Nutcracker first debuted at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg in 1892. While the original piece by Marius Petipa was not an instant hit, Tchaikovsky’s score spread throughout the ballet community, and choreographers jumped at the challenge of creating their own version. Alberta Ballet has presented Edmund Stripe’s version since 2008, performing in the Jubilee Auditoria for Alberta audiences and also touring it across Canada.
ACT I
It is Christmas Eve and the Vishinsky family is welcoming guests to a party at their home. Their children, Klara and Nikolai, play ‘Blind Man’s Bluff’ with the other young guests at the party. The game ends with Klara catching Nikolai. Presents are distributed and Klara and Nikolai lead the children in a boisterous dance.
The parents, in turn, dance a courtly quadrille.
Suddenly, there is an interruption. It is the arrival of Drosselmeyer, Klara’s godfather. He has arrived at the party with tricks and mechanical dolls to entertain the guests. His dolls perform an elaborate play, telling the story of a man who once made a mousetrap that was so successful that it enraged the Rat Tsar. The Rat Tsar took revenge on the man by turning his nephew into a hideous nutcracker. The only way to break the spell was to find someone who would love the nutcracker, not for what he looked like, but for what he was.
In the play, the young soldier, who is changed into a nutcracker, is helped by a young ballerina who falls in love with him. She defeats the toy Rat Tsar by hitting him on the head with her slipper.
After the play, Drosselmeyer invites Klara to dance with him, mysteriously presenting her with a nutcracker of her own. Nikolai accidentally breaks the nutcracker, but Klara soon forgives him. Drosselmeyer fixes the nutcracker, and Klara and the girls play with their dolls, despite some interruption by the boys and a somewhat overexcited grandfather.
Grandfather and Babushka are invited to dance, the parents and children joining in the fun. The party ends and the guests depart, the parents taking their weary children with them. Drosselmeyer also appears to leave the party. Klara looks around searching frantically for her nutcracker. But it is nowhere to be seen and Babushka packs Nikolai and Klara off to bed.
Later that night, Klara returns downstairs to the parlour to search for her nutcracker. The town hall clock strikes midnight and at once she is surrounded by a hoard of mice.
Suddenly, Drosselmeyer appears and sends the mice to sleep. He explains to Klara that it was actually he who was being portrayed in the play earlier that evening and it was he who had built the mousetrap that had angered the Rat Tsar. The Rat Tsar, in revenge, had transformed his nephew, Karl, into a nutcracker, the very nutcracker that Klara was now holding!
With Klara’s promise to love the nutcracker, Drosselmeyer employs his magic, causing the room to grow and themselves to shrink. The nutcracker now reappears, life-size to the now tiny Klara and Drosselmeyer. An army of soldiers stream out of the fort to engage in a battle with the cossack rats that have gathered on the other side of the parlour. With the nutcracker leading the soldiers, a fierce battle ensues and eventually the Rat Tsar himself appears. With his powerful magic, he attempts to attack Drosselmeyer, but the nutcracker intervenes to save his uncle.
Klara remembers the play that Drosselmeyer had presented in the parlour that evening and how the ballerina defeated the Rat Tsar by hitting him on the head with her shoe. She strikes the Rat Tsar on the head, distracting him long enough for the nutcracker to attack him with his own sceptre.
The Rat Tsar is mortally wounded and the nutcracker collapses in pain at the feet of Klara and Drosselmeyer. Drosselmeyer realizes that his plans, and his magic, are still not enough to transform his nephew. Klara and Drosselmeyer sense that their surroundings are changing and as Klara seeks help, she encounters wolves that she thinks are there to devour her precious nutcracker.
However, the wolves are the attendants of the Snow Tsarina who appears in her sleigh. She instructs Drosselmeyer to stand the nutcracker up and with a wave of her hand, casts a spell that transforms the nutcracker back into Karl. It takes a moment or two for Karl to realize that he is human again. Once he does, he embraces Drosselmeyer and Klara, and thanks the Snow Tsarina for her life-restoring spell.
The Snow Tsarina summons her Snow Princesses and as Klara and Karl frolic in the snow, she guides them towards a mysterious palace far away in the distance.
ACT II
The Snow Tsarina leads the sleigh to the gates of the Palace of the Sugar Plum Fairy. There, they are greeted by the Palace Pages and are introduced to the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier.
The celebration continues with dances from the Palace’s confectionary delights: Marzipan Caramel, Peppermint, and Popcorn.
Klara and Karl dance and are then entertained by the Palace Pages and the Waltz of the Flowers, led by Christmas Rose. The Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier conclude the celebrations with a Grand Pas de Deux and a rousing finale.
EPILOGUE
Very early the next morning, Klara answers a knock at the front door. It is Drosselmeyer. He bids her good morning and, from under his cape, produces a nutcracker. A young man, who seems strangely familiar to Klara enters, and as he and Drosselmeyer depart together, Klara begins to wonder whether it was all a dream after all.
Nutcracker Libretto
Nutcracker Artistic Team
-
Christopher Anderson began his tenure as Alberta Ballet’s Artistic Director in July 2022.
Before joining Alberta Ballet in 2015, Anderson enjoyed a 16-year career in professional dance. A graduate of Purchase College’s SUNY Conservatory of Dance, he launched his career at Boston Ballet, and two years later was invited to join Salt Lake City’s Ballet West. During his career, he danced leading roles both nationally and internationally and further had several roles created for him by some of today’s most exciting choreographers.
In 2015, Alberta Ballet offered Anderson a contract as Ballet Master. Anderson was motivated to accept, given the strong talent he saw in the company’s dancers. He retired from professional dance and joined Alberta Ballet’s leadership team. At the end of his first season, he took on an expanded role of Associate Artistic Director.
Seeing that the company had a strong foundation of contemporary and theatrical works in its repertoire, Anderson chose to set classics for his first full-length works for Alberta Ballet. He premiered Cinderella in 2017 and The Sleeping Beauty in 2018 and Swan Lake in 2021. In 2019, he also premiered a contemporary one-act Sixth Breath (2019).
-
Christiana is in her sixth season working as part of Alberta Ballet’s artistic team. Previous to her position as Rehearsal Director at Alberta Ballet, she was a Principal dancer with Ballet West for 16 years. While dancing with Ballet West, Bennett was given the opportunity to dance throughout the United States, Europe and Asia where she was met with international acclaim. Some of her favourite ballets to perform were Swan Lake, Balanchine’s Diamonds and Serenade, Ben Stevenson’s Cinderella, Nicolo Fonte’s Bolero, Jiri Kylian’s Sinfonietta, William Forsythe’s In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated and Aszure Barton’s Happy Little Things. Christiana also had many roles created for her by choreographers such as Matthew Neenan, Nicolo Fonte, Helen Pickett, Val Caniparoli, Christopher Anderson, Garrett Smith and Charlotte Boye-Christensen.
As a native of Massachusetts, most of her training was along the Eastern seaboard at prestigious schools. However, she attributes her career to the training received at Pacific Northwest Ballet School under the tutelage of Francis Russell.
-
After her fourteen-year career as a dancer with Alberta Ballet, Reilley has recently transitioned into the role of Artistic Coordinator. She is excited to be helping behind the scenes and share the knowledge that she has gained while working with our organization.
Originally born in Eatonville, WA, USA, Reilley trained at both Pacific Northwest Ballet in Seattle and at Canada’s National Ballet School in Toronto. She joined Alberta Ballet as a dancer in 2008, and has since made Canada her home, becoming a dual citizen in 2019. Some of her most memorable roles with Alberta Ballet have been as Madame de Tourvel in Jean Grand-Maître’s Dangerous Liaisons, and Queen Anne in David Nixon’s Three Musketeers.
YEE-HANG YAM
Stage Manager
KEN JAMES STEWART
Stage Manager
ANDREA GINTER
Alberta Ballet Lead Physiotherapist -
Momentum Health
COMPANY TEACHERS
Shino Mori
Aram Manukyan
Nicole Caron
Alexandra Gibson
Jennifer Gibson
Yoshiya Sakurai
COMPANY PIANISTS
Juanita Faas
Marina Fedorov
Michael Levin
Mary Martell
DESIGN/PRODUCTION OF NEW COSTUMES (ACT 2)
Timberlake Studios
Lisa Logan
-
Tchaikovsky was a leading Russian composer of the late 19th century whose works are notable for their melodic inspiration and their orchestration. He is regarded as the master composer for classical ballet, as demonstrated by his scores for Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, and The Sleeping Beauty. Among the most subjective of composers, Tchaikovsky is inseparable from his music. His work is a manifestation, sometimes charming, often showy, of repressed feelings that became more and more despairing in his later years and were most fully expressed in his Sixth Symphony. Though his later work rejected conscious Russian nationalism, its underlying sentiment and character are as distinctively Russian as that of the Russian nationalist composers.
-
Zack Brown is one of the most versatile theatrical designers in the United States with a career that has spanned Broadway, opera, ballet, and television. Since obtaining his degree from the Yale School of Drama, he has designed the sets and costumes for over 150 productions. From the Metropolitan Opera to the Spoleto Festival; from the Hamburg Ballet to the Circle in the Square in New York; from the San Francisco Opera to the Maly Theatre in Moscow, Mr. Brown’s talents have been employed throughout the world. Washington, D.C., however, has seen the greatest body of his work with over 40 productions for the Washington Opera at the Kennedy Center, and numerous plays and musicals at Arena Stage and The Shakespeare Theater. He designed the scenery and costumes for the Tony Award-winning revival of On Your Toes, and he is the recipient of two Emmy Awards for the broadcast of La Gioconda from the San Francisco Opera. Alberta Ballet, Milwaukee Ballet, and Pittsburgh Ballet, all have productions of The Nutcracker designed by Mr. Brown. For American Ballet Theater, he has created productions of Swan Lake, Raymonda, Gaite Parisienne, Jardin Aux Lilas and Dim Lustre, Lowell Liberian’s Piano Concerto #1 and Dorian based on “The Picture of Dorian Gray.” Most recently for American Ballet Theatre he designed a new Theme and Variations. He has also designed the settings for Suzanne Farrell’s staging of Balanchine’s Don Quixote for her own company and the National Ballet of Canada.
-
Born in Toronto, Peter Dala studied piano and conducting at England’s Royal College of Music. While in London he worked at the Royal Ballet School as a répétiteur which led to become Conductor and Pianist of the Basel Ballet in Switzerland in 1984. He also worked at the International Opera Studio, Zurich Opera, Switzerland where he conducted his first opera, and guest conducted for the Zurich Ballet. In 1988, Dala joined the Hungarian State Opera in Budapest where he conducted both opera and ballet performances. Career highlights include performances of Mozart’s Don Giovanni, and Mendelssohn’s ballet A Midsummer Night’s Dream in the Singaporeand Hong Kong Festival of Arts. He joined Edmonton Opera as Chorus Director/Répétiteur, where he made his debut conducting Gounod’s Romeo and Juliette (1997). He is presently Resident Conductor. Mr. Dala started conducting for Alberta Ballet in 2001 with The Nutcracker, and was appointed Music Director in 2005.
-
A prolific and award-winning choreographer, Edmund has established a notable career in both contemporary and classical ballet fields as dancer and ballet master.
Edmund Stripe was born in London, England and trained at the Royal Ballet School where his distinguished teachers included Walter Trevor, Nancy Kilgour, Piers Beaumont, and Richard Glasstone. He has danced with Ballet Gulbenkian (Portugal), London City Ballet, and the West Australian Ballet, where he created many major works for the company. He was appointed Ballet Master for West Australian Ballet in 1998.
He joined Singapore Dance Theatre as Ballet Master in 2000: there he assisted in the mounting and re-creation of works by such noted choreographers as Jivˇí Kylián, Nacho Duato, and Goh Choo San. In 2002 he moved to Alberta Ballet as Ballet Master and over the next decade, assisted with works by George Balanchine, Agnes de Mille, Christopher Wheeldon and Jean Grand-Maître. His works for Alberta Ballet include Unquiet Light (2003), Swelter (2005), Alice in Wonderland (2006) and The Nutcracker (2008). He continues creating with Alberta Ballet as Choreographic Associate/Artist in Residence.
-
Pierre Lavoie has been active in dance since 1982, first in Toronto as stage manager for most of the city’s modern dance companies, then in Montréal for Les Grands Ballets Canadiens. There he had the great opportunity to work closely with his mentor, lighting designer Nick Cernovitch. Lavoie started designing lighting in the 1990s for Margie Gillis and has since designed every new work in her repertoire. He also created lights for many independent modern dance artists in Montréal. Lavoie’s versatility is evident in how easily he can sustain both modern and classical vocabulary. He has designed to rave reviews at Alberta Ballet where he is resident lighting designer. Lavoie has also designed works for Shumka Dancers, the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Ballet BC, Boston Ballet and many others. For opera, Lavoie designed at Pacific Opera Victoria, Opera New Brunswick, Opéra de Québec and Tapestry Singers.
-
Deborah Taylor | Company Manager
Kenzie Bowes | Interim Technical Director
Jason McLellan | Lead Stage Carpenter
Chris McPherson | Lead Fly Carpenter
Ximena Pinella | Lead Props
Summer Anderson | Lead Lighting
Georgia Jeffery | Second LightingAudrey Lee | Wardrobe Manager
Juli Elkiw | Lead Wardrobe
Shawnte Burrell | Second Wardrobe
Anne Nguyen | Cutter/ Stitcher
Erin LeBaron | Stitcher
Karen Crocker | Children’s Wardrobe
Kari Bjarnason-Willcocks | Wardrobe Assistant
Costume dyeing provided by Costume Alchemy
Alberta Ballet Dancers
-
![]()
Kira Anderson
Corps de Ballet
-
![]()
Aaron Anker
Soloist
-
![]()
Eli Barnes
Senior Corps de Ballet
-
![]()
Zachary Boresow
Corps de Ballet
-
![]()
Brittany Broussard
Corps de Ballet
-
![]()
Alyssa Churchill
Apprentice
-
![]()
Heather Dornian
Principal
-
![]()
Zacharie Dun
Senior Corps de Ballet
-
![]()
Caleb Durbin
Senior Corps de Ballet
-
![]()
Melissa Eguchi
Senior Corps de Ballet
-
![]()
Alexandra Gibson
Soloist
-
![]()
Jennifer Gibson
Principal
-
![]()
Kurtis Grimaldi
Corps de Ballet
-
![]()
Scotto Hamed-Ramos
Corps de Ballet
-
![]()
Alexandra Hughes
Soloist
-
![]()
Seira Iwamoto
Senior Corps de Ballet
-
![]()
Yaroslav Khudych
Apprentice
-
![]()
Mariko Kondo
Principal
-
![]()
Mya Kresnyak
Corps de Ballet
-
![]()
Kale Lazarick
Apprentice
-
![]()
Alan Ma
Soloist
-
![]()
Sayuri Nakanii
Senior Corps de Ballet
-
![]()
Shiori Otsu
Corps de Ballet
-
![]()
Allison Perhach
Senior Corps de Ballet
-
![]()
Yoshiya Sakurai
Soloist
-
![]()
Luna Sasaki
Soloist
-
![]()
Michael Scott-Kahans
Corps de Ballet
-
![]()
Charlotte Battigelli
Supplemental Dancer
Casting
-
Children’s Cast Repetiteur: Nathalie Nadeau Hope & Julie Morgan-Thompson
Elsa Andersen
Olivia Avinou
Raíssa Doppelreiter
Hailey Frieda Barker
Emmy Bedford
Esther Benson
Marissa Chau
Thea Chow
Jordan Cowan
Willa Clark
Sawyer Crawford-Clarke
Daniela De la Hoz Deng
Pascale Decelles
Kingsley Diep
Isabelle Sarah Fagnou
Kylie Freeman
Sanvi Ghosh
Marley Guerra
Olivia Halverson
Lyon Harwood
Mikayla Hodgson
Adriana Hohman
Takumi Iino
Eleanor Jamieson
Lily Jensen
Sua Jeon
Marlena Kuret
Sophia Labelle
Charlotte Lai
Alexandra Levis
Jiayue (Joy) Li
Emma Liu
Katina Liu
Karina Liu
Zoe Anastasia Low
Eva Marie Rose Lutzak
Connie Ma
Evelyn Ma
Misato Mase
Everleigh McLaughlin
Emily McNally
Noemi Emilie Moe
Sofia Moran
Charie Wang Yung Ngan
Savannah Niu
Nico Ota
Anna Pelletier
Allison Ren
Rebekah Anna Rybar
Chenaya N Senadheera
Luoyi Shen
Sammy Stanfield
Camila Succar
Mila Rosalie Judith Tait
Nora Trang
Tamaki Tsunomachi
Gabriel Van Dale
Celina Wang
Noah Levi Wasserman Rosenfeld
Madison White
Olivia Wickson
Emma Wiley
London Williams
Lorelai Williams
Liora Xu
Lexi Zhang
Wenqi Zhi
Gabriella Zuniga
-
VIOLIN I
John Lowry
Edmund Chung
Olga Kotova
Maria van der SlootVIOLIN II
Lorna Tsai
Stephanie Soltice-Johnson
Jeremy Gabbert
Steven LubiarzVIOLA
Laurent Grillet-Kim
Jesse MorrisonCELLO
Josue Valdepenas
Daniel PocetaDOUBLE BASS
Sam LoeckFLUTE
Sara Hahn-Scinocco
Emily PhernambucqOBOE
David Sussman
Aidan DuganCLARINET
Slavko Popovic
Jocelyn ColquhounBASSOON
Antoine St-OngeHORN
Jennifer Frank
Heather Wootton
Maxwell Stein
Doug UmanaTRUMPET
Adam Zinatelli
Miranda CairnsTROMBONE
David ReidTIMPANI
Alex CohenPERCUSSION
Malcolm LimHARP
Tisha MurvihillPIANO
Rolf Bertsch
Subject to Change
-
Sugar Plum Fairy | Luna Sasaki
Cavalier | Alan Ma
Klara | Sayuri Nakanii
Karl | Aaron Anker
Drosselmeyer | Eli Barnes
Tsarina | Alexandra HughesMother | Heather Dornian
Father | Caleb Durbin
Nikolai | Michael Scott-Kahans
Babuschka | Brittany Broussard
Grandfather | Kale Lazarick
Hussar Doll | Aaron Anker
Ballerina Doll | Allison Perhach
Rat Doll/Rat Tzar | Yaroslav Khudych
Male Guests | Zacharie Dun, Zachary Boresow, Scotto Hamed-Ramos
Female Guests | Alyssa Churchill, Kira Anderson, Charlotte Battigelli, Shiori Otsu
Calvary | Kurtis Grimaldi, Zachary Boresow
Wolves | Scotto Hamed-Ramos, Caleb Durbin
Snowflakes | Shiori Otsu, Brittany Broussard, Charlotte Battigelli, Allison Perhach, Alyssa Churchill, Melissa Eguchi, Hotaru Maruyama**, Chizuru Kikuchi**Marzipan | Alexandra Gibson, Zacharie Dun
Caramel | Heather Dornian, Yaroslav Khudych, Scotto Hamed-Ramos
Peppermint | Allison Perhach, Zachary Boresow
Popcorn | Kurtis Grimaldi
Christmas Rose | Jennifer Gibson
Flowers | Charlotte Battigelli, Brittany Broussard, Hotaru Maruyama**, Chizuru Kikuchi**, Alyssa Churchill, Kira Anderson, Shiori Otsu, Melissa Eguchi -
Sugar Plum Fairy | Alexandra Gibson
Cavalier | Kurtis Grimaldi
Klara | Luna Sasaki
Karl | Alan Ma
Drosselmeyer | Eli Barnes
Tsarina | Alexandra HughesMother | Heather Dornian
Father | Caleb Durbin
Nikolai | Kale Lazarick
Babuschka | Brittany Broussard
Grandfather | Ari Rombough
Hussar Doll | Aaron Anker
Ballerina Doll | Shiori Otsu
Rat Doll/Rat Tzar | Yaroslav Khudych
Male Guests | Zacharie Dun, Zachary Boresow, Scotto Hamed-Ramos
Female Guests | Alyssa Churchill, Kira Anderson, Charlotte Battigelli, Mya Kresnyak
Calvary | Michael Scott-Kahans, Zachary Boresow
Wolves | Scotto Hamed-Ramos, Caleb Durbin
Snowflakes | Shiori Otsu, Brittany Broussard, Sakura Ota**, Allison Perhach, Alyssa Churchill, Melissa Eguchi, Hotaru Maruyama**, Chizuru Kikuchi**Marzipan | Kira Anderson, Zacharie Dun
Caramel | Allison Perhach, Yaroslav Khudych, Scotto Hamed-Ramos
Peppermint | Shiori Otsu, Zachary Boresow
Popcorn | Michael Scott-Kahans
Christmas Rose | Heather Dornian
Flowers | Charlotte Battigelli, Melissa Eguchi, Hotaru Maruyama**, Chizuru Kikuchi**, Brittany Broussard, Alyssa Churchill, Sayuri Nakanii -
Sugar Plum Fairy | Jennifer Gibson
Cavalier | Aaron Anker
Klara | Luna Sasaki
Karl | Alan Ma
Drosselmeyer | Zacharie Dun
Tsarina | Heather DornianMother | Mariko Kondo
Father | Eli Barnes
Nikola | Michael Scott-Kahans
Babuschka | Melissa Eguchi
Grandfather | Ari Rombough
Hussar Doll | Alan Ma
Ballerina Doll | Allison Perhach
Rat Doll/Rat Tzar | Scotto Hamed-Ramos
Male Guests | Kale Lazarick, Kurtis Grimaldi, Yaroslav Khudych
Female Guests | Alyssa Churchill, Kira Anderson, Sayuri Nakanii, Mya Kresnyak
Calvary | Kale Lazarick, Yaroslav Khudych
Wolves | Eli Barnes, Kurtis Grimaldi
Snowflakes | Sayuri Nakanii, Brittany Broussard, Charlotte Battigelli, Allison Perhach, Alyssa Churchill, Kira Anderson, Hotaru Maruyama**, Chizuru Kikuchi**Marzipan | Alexandra Gibson, Caleb Durbin
Caramel | Mariko Kondo, Eli Barnes, Zachary Boresow
Peppermint | Sayuri Nakanii, Kurtis Grimaldi
Popcorn | Yoshiya Sakurai
Christmas Rose | Alexandra Hughes
Flowers | Allison Perhach, Brittany Broussard, Hotaru Maruyama**, Chizuru Kikuchi**, Alyssa Churchill, Kira Anderson, Shiori Otsu, Melissa Eguchi -
Sugar Plum Fairy | Heather Dornian
Cavalier | Caleb Durbin
Klara | Shiori Otsu
Karl | Yoshiya Sakurai
Drosselmeyer | Eli Barnes
Tsarina | Mariko KondoMother | Alexandra Hughes
Father | Zacharie Dun
Nikolai | Kale Lazarick
Babuschka | Kira Anderson
Grandfather | Ari Rombough
Hussar Doll | Yoshiya Sakurai
Ballerina Doll | Sayuri Nakanii
Rat Doll/Rat Tzar | Scotto Hamed-Ramos
Male Guest | Aaron Anker, Kurtis Grimaldi, Yaroslav Khudych
Female Guest | Alyssa Churchill, Allison Perhach, Melissa Eguchi, Mya Kresnyak
Calvary | Kale Lazarick, Yaroslav Khudych
Wolves | Kurtis Grimaldi, Zacharie Dun
Snowflakes | Sayuri Nakanii, Brittany Broussard, Charlotte Battigelli, Allison Perhach, Alyssa Churchill, Melissa Eguchi, Sakura Ota**, Chizuru Kikuchi**Marzipan | Kira Anderson, Yaroslav Khudych
Caramel | Alexandra Hughes, Kurtis Grimaldi, Zacharie Dun
Peppermint | Allison Perhach, Scotto Hamed-Ramos
Popcorn | Alan Ma
Christmas Rose | Luna Sasaki
Flowers | Charlotte Battigelli, Melissa Eguchi, Hotaru Maruyama**, Chizuru Kikuchi**, Sakura Ota**, Brittany Broussard, Alyssa Churchill, Sayuri Nakanii -
Sugar Plum Fairy | Alexandra Hughes
Cavalier | Zacharie Dun
Klara | Jennifer Gibson
Karl | Aaron Anker
Drosselmeyer | Kurtis Grimaldi
Tsarina | Heather DornianMother | Mariko Kondo
Father | Caleb Durbin
Nikolai | Alan Ma
Babuschka | Allison Perhach
Grandfather | Ari Rombough
Hussar Doll | Aaron Anker
Ballerina Doll | Sayuri Nakanii
Rat Doll/Rat Tzar | Eli Barnes
Male Guests | Kale Lazarick, Michael Scott-Kahans, Yaroslav Khudych
Female Guests | Brittany Broussard, Kira Anderson, Melissa Eguchi, Mya Kresnyak
Calvary | Kale Lazarick. Yaroslav Khudych
Wolves | Zachary Boresow, Michael Scott-Kahans
Snowflakes | Shiori Otsu, Brittany Broussard, Charlotte Battigelli, Allison Perhach, Alyssa Churchill, Kira Anderson, Hotaru Maruyama**, Chizuru Kikuchi**Marzipan | Melissa Eguchi, Caleb Durbin
Caramel | Mariko Kondo, Eli Barnes, Zachary Boresow
Peppermint | Shiori Otsu, Michael Scott-Kahans
Popcorn | Yoshiya Sakurai
Christmas Rose | Alexandra Gibson
Flowers | Charlotte Battigelli, Brittany Broussard, Hotaru Maruyama**, Chizuru Kikuchi**, Alyssa Churchill, Allison Perhach, Kira Anderson, Sayuri Nakanii -
Sugar Plum Fairy | Alexandra Gibson
Cavalier | Kurtis Grimaldi
Klara | Luna Sasaki
Karl | Alan Ma
Drosselmeyer | Eli Barnes
Tsarina | Alexandra HughesMother | Heather Dornian
Father | Caleb Durbin
Nikolai | Kale Lazarick
Babuschka | Brittany Broussard
Grandfather | Ari Rombough
Hussar Doll | Alan Ma
Ballerina Doll | Shiori Otsu
Rat Doll/Rat Tzar | Yaroslav Khudych
Male Guests | Zacharie Dun, Zachary Boresow, Scotto Hamed-Ramos
Female Guests | Alyssa Churchill, Kira Anderson, Charlotte Battigelli, Mya Kresnyak
Calvary | Michael Scott-Kahans, Zachary Boresow
Wolves | Scotto Hamed-Ramos, Caleb Durbin
Snowflakes | Shiori Otsu, Brittany Broussard, Sakura Ota**, Allison Perhach, Alyssa Churchill, Melissa Eguchi, Hotaru Maruyama**, Chizuru Kikuchi**Marzipan | Kira Anderson, Zacharie Dun
Caramel | Allison Perhach, Yaroslav Khudych, Scotto Hamed-Ramos
Peppermint | Shiori Otsu, Zachary Boresow
Popcorn | Michael Scott-Kahans
Christmas Rose | Jennifer Gibson Flowers | Charlotte Battigelli, Melissa Eguchi, Hotaru Maruyama**, Chizuru Kikuchi**, Sakura Ota**, Brittany Broussard, Alyssa Churchill, Sayuri Nakanii -
Sugar Plum Fairy | Heather Dornian
Cavalier | Caleb Durbin
Klara | Shiori Otsu
Karl | Yoshiya Sakurai
Drosselmeyer | Eli Barnes
Tsarina | Mariko KondoMother | Alexandra Hughes
Father | Zacharie Dun
Nikolai | Kale Lazarick
Babuschka | Kira Anderson
Grandfather | Ari Rombough
Hussar Doll | Yoshiya Sakurai
Ballerina Doll | Sayuri Nakanii
Rat Doll/Rat Tzar | Scotto Hamed-Ramos
Male Guest | Aaron Anker, Kurtis Grimaldi, Yaroslav Khudych
Female Guest | Alyssa Churchill, Seira Iwamoto, Melissa Eguchi, Mya Kresnyak
Calvary | Kale Lazarick, Yaroslav Khudych
Wolves | Kurtis Grimaldi, Zacharie Dun
Snowflakes | Sayuri Nakanii, Brittany Broussard, Seira Iwamoto, Allison Perhach, Alyssa Churchill, Melissa Eguchi, Sakura Ota**, Chizuru Kikuchi**Marzipan | Kira Anderson, Yaroslav Khudych
Caramel | Alexandra Hughes, Kurtis Grimaldi, Zacharie Dun
Peppermint | Allison Perhach, Scotto Hamed-Ramos
Popcorn | Alan Ma
Christmas Rose | Luna Sasaki
Flowers | Seira Iwamoto, Melissa Eguchi, Hotaru Maruyama**, Chizuru Kikuchi**, Sakura Ota**, Brittany Broussard, Alyssa Churchill, Sayuri Nakanii -
Sugar Plum Fairy | Luna Sasaki Cavalier | Alan Ma
Klara | Sayuri Nakanii
Karl | Aaron Anker
Drosselmeyer | Eli Barnes
Tsarina | Alexandra HughesMother | Heather Dornian
Father | Caleb Durbin
Nikolai | Michael Scott-Kahans
Babuschka | Brittany Broussard
Grandfather | Ari Rombough
Hussar Doll | Aaron Anker
Ballerina Doll | Shiori Otsu
Rat Doll/Rat Tzar | Scotto Hamed-Ramos
Male Guests | Zacharie Dun, Kurtis Grimaldi, Yaroslav Khudych
Female Guests | Alyssa Churchill, Kira Anderson, Charlotte Battigelli, Kresnyak
Calvary | Kale Lazarick, Yaroslav Khudych
Wolves | Kurtis Grimaldi, Caleb Durbin
Snowflakes | Shiori Otsu, Mya Kresnyak, Seira Iwamoto, Allison Perhach, Alyssa Churchill, Melissa Eguchi, Hotaru Maruyama**, Chizuru Kikuchi**Marzipan | Seira Iwamoto, Zacharie Dun
Caramel | Heather Dornian, Yaroslav Khudych, Scotto Hamed-Ramos
Peppermint | Mya Kresnyak, Michael Scott-Kahans
Popcorn | Kurtis Grimaldi
Christmas Rose | Alexandra Gibson
Flowers | Allison Perhach, Brittany Broussard, Hotaru Maruyama**, Chizuru Kikuchi**, Alyssa Churchill, Kira Anderson, Shiori Otsu, Melissa Eguchi -
Sugar Plum Fairy | Heather Dornian
Cavalier | Caleb Durbin
Klara | Shiori Otsu
Karl | Yoshiya Sakurai
Drosselmeyer | Eli Barnes
Tsarina | Mariko KondoMother | Alexandra Hughes
Father | Zacharie Dun
Nikolai | Kale Lazarick
Babuschka | Kira Anderson
Grandfather | Ari Rombough
Hussar Doll | Yoshiya Sakurai
Ballerina Doll | Sayuri Nakanii
Rat Doll/Rat Tzar | Scotto Hamed-Ramos
Male Guests | Aaron Anker, Kurtis Grimaldi, Yaroslav Khudych
Female Guests | Alyssa Churchill, Seira Iwamoto, Melissa Eguchi, Mya Kresnyak
Calvary | Kale Lazarick, Yaroslav Khudych
Wolves | Kurtis Grimaldi, Zacharie Dun
Snowflakes | Sayuri Nakanii, Mya Kresnyak, Seira Iwamoto, Brittany Broussard, Alyssa Churchill, Melissa Eguchi, Sakura Ota**, Chizuru Kikuchi**Marzipan | Kira Anderson, Yaroslav Khudych
Caramel | Alexandra Hughes, Kurtis Grimaldi, Zacharie Dun
Peppermint | Allison Perhach, Scotto Hamed-Ramos
Popcorn | Alan Ma
Christmas Rose | Luna Sasaki
Flowers | Seira Iwamoto, Melissa Eguchi, Hotaru Maruyama**, Chizuru Kikuchi**, Sakura Ota**, Brittany Broussard, Alyssa Churchill, Sayuri Nakanii -
Sugar Plum Fairy | Mariko Kondo
Cavalier | Yoshiya Sakurai
Klara | Mya Kresnyak
Karl | Scotto Hamed-Ramos
Drosselmeyer | Kurtis Grimaldi
Tsarina | Alexandra GibsonMother | Jennifer Gibson
Father | Aaron Anker
Nikolai | Alan Ma
Babuschka | Allison Perhach
Grandfather | Ari Rombough
Hussar Doll | Scotto Hamed-Ramos
Ballerina Doll | Kira Anderson
Rat Doll/Rat Tzar | Eli Barnes
Male Guests | Kale Lazarick, Michael Scott-Kahans, Yaroslav Khudych
Female Guests | Brittany Broussard, Seira Iwamoto, Sayuri Nakanii, Shiori Otsu
Calvary | Michael Scott-Kahans, Yaroslav Khudych
Wolves | Kale Lazarick, Zacharie Dun
Snowflakes | Sayuri Nakanii, Brittany Broussard, Seira Iwamoto, Allison Perhach, Alyssa Churchill, Kira Anderson, Hotaru Maruyama**, Chizuru Kikuchi**Marzipan | Melissa Eguchi, Eli Barnes
Caramel | Seira Iwamoto, Caleb Durbin, Kale Lazarick
Peppermint | Shiori Otsu, Michael Scott-Kahans
Popcorn | Aaron Anker
Christmas Rose | Heather Dornian
Flowers | Allison Perhach, Brittany Broussard, Hotaru Maruyama**, Chizuru Kikuchi**, Sakura Ota**, Kira Anderson, Alyssa Churchill, Sayuri Nakanii
Alberta Ballet Nightly Casting
Alberta Ballet Dancers Supported by
Alberta Ballet Apprentices Supported By
To learn more about Alberta Ballet’s Flex Packs, please visit our website.
Give the Gift of Dance | New classes start in January
Know a child inspired by the magic of dance? Alberta Ballet School’s classes and programs are a perfect way for kids to explore movement and musicality while building confidence in a safe, and positive studio environment.
Your Gift is Needed
Did you know that Alberta Ballet relies on multiple income streams to bring these incredible performances to the stage?
Donations are at the very heart of our funding. As a registered charity, Alberta Ballet relies on donations to bridge the shortfall to perform in the Jubilee, create new works and attract the best talent. As stewards of a rarified art form, we face a delicate balance, and ticket prices only get us part of the way there. Donations make it possible for us to deliver the art you love.
Conceived during the pandemic, Alberta Ballet created an Endowment Fund to provide more financial stability in the years to come. When our goal of $15 million is reached, the Endowment Fund will start providing consistent, predictable disbursements that will help us bring seasons like this one to life. It will also help Alberta Ballet be a haven for Albertans to connect with each other and themselves whether they are deeply moved in our audience, taking their first step into a community dance class, or pursuing their craft through professional dance training.
Dance has the power to unite communities and transform lives through inspiration. Please consider making a one-time or recurring donation today.
To make a donation to the Forever Moved campaign or to learn more about the Endowment Fund, please visit our website.
-
Barbara A. Palmer
Alfred Sorensen
Clarice Evans Siebens
Anonyomous
Jana Neal
Ellen & Daryl Fridhandler
Ellie & Carter Siebens
John W. Masters & Carol J. Larsen
Walt & Irene DeBoni
Bob Willows
Gerard D. McInnis & Angelina Castro-Miquel
Papadopoulos & LaBonte Families
Heather Rae
Sarah Palmer & Tom Plunkett
Aggie Mikulski, TIPP Consulting
Dr. Paul and Carole Savage
Douglas Myhre
John Seto & Christel Mueller
Melissa Bell & Matthew Fenwick
Patricia Moore
Frank Molnar
Elan MacDonald
David and Violet Todd
Pam FitzGerald & Robert Arts
Colin Jackson & Arlene Strom
Dr Adrian Jones
Ruth A. Cross
Philip & Harriett Libin Family Foundation
Rod and Betty Wade
Maddy Lang
Castilleja Cotton
Diana & Lawrence Andriashek
Chris George
Dr. David Severson
Gina Pylatuik
Jill Strickland
Renate Palmer
Calvin Chow
Hope Smith
Norma A. Gibson
Penelope Weir
Andal Family Fund at Calgary Foundation
ALBERTA BALLET DONORS 2022/23
Thank you to our donors!
Over these many uncertain months, we’ve been grateful to our donor community for all the ways they’ve supported our mission to share dance and ballet.
As we return to the Jubilee with a full season, we’re looking forward to reconnecting this community to the art form they find so deeply inspirational.
If you are a passionate Alberta Ballet patron, consider joining our donor community.
To find out more, visit our website or email us at donate@albertaballet.com.
-
Marie and Robert Baird
Andrea Brussa
Walter and Irene DeBoni
Heather Edwards
Annie Freeze
Jana Neal
Barbara Palmer
John Seto & Christel Mueller
Clarice Siebens
Alfred Sorensen
Rod & Betty Wade
Anonymous
George & Colleen Bezaire
Ian and Heather Bourne
Dr. Anthony and Jennifer Cook
Lynn & Vern Hult
John & Sheilagh Langille
Andrew & Alison Love
Dr. Doug Myhre
Betty Schultz
Anonymous
Kerri and Sean Barr
Kelly Bourassa
Judy Cosco
Christopher and Ingrid Eggertson
John Feldberg
Focus Communications
Janice Heard & Bruce McFarlane
John Thompson and Joni Hughes
Colin Jackson & Arlene Strom
J'Adore Dance
Jo Ann Jones
Elan MacDonald
Roderick & Jean McKay
Maggie & John Mitchell
Jennifer & Torval Mork
Diana Mulherin
Brenda Nugent
Jack & Esther Ondrack
Raechelle & Lorne Paperny
Peabody Family Foundation
Christine Richard
Robert & Jean Ann Rooney
Barry & Maureen Schloss
Michael & Natasha Simaeys
Hope Smith
Martin & Theresa Trotter
Sharon Watkins and Alan Kane
Dr. Hillary and Jussi Alto
Judith Anderson
R.R. Andrews
Tom Aves and Christie Hughes
Angelina Bakshi
Valerie & Tony Barlott
Laurie Bayda
Joan Bedard
Katherine Bilson
Josh Bilyk
Corinne Bleakley & Lindsay Williams
Julia Boberg
John C. Bonnycastle
Dr. Ann Calvert
Kimberley & Kevin Carlson
Laura Cillis & Leonard Arcovio
Elaine M. Coachman
Linda Cochrane
Monique Courcelles
Lisa Cuthill
Linda De Bathe
C J de Jong
Leslie Dort
Duke Evans Inc.
Kristine Eidsvik and Tom Couture
Jim Gibson
Sandra Evans and Bill Gordon
Ann Falk
Fath Group/O'Hanlon Paving
Amanda Field
Pamela FitzGerald & Robert Arts
Daryl and Ellen Fridhandler
Leigh Garvie/Coronation Physiotherapy
Leslie and Gerald Giacomelli
Leona Gibb
Joanne Graham and Ian Laxdal
Dianne Grant
Dr. Andrew Greenshaw
Darin Grisdale
Matias Grum and Amy Martin
David Haigh and Dawn Riley
Colleen Hartley
Elayna Hernandez-Kucey
Jose-Carlos Herrero & Nicole Herrero-Langlais
Todd Hirsch
Stephanie Ho Lem
Gary Holland and Kim Kroetsch
Melanie Houley
Victoria Johnston & Gregory McLeod
Craig & Valerie Johnstone
Dr. Adrian Jones
Eileen Jones
Marianne Kasper
Heather Klimchuk
Nicole Lachance & Roberto Noce
Danielle Lajoie
Bob & Mary Lamond
Davin & Alexis Macintosh
Scott MacKinnon and Lianna Stillwell
Valerie MacLeod
Roger Mapp
The Mar Family
The Martin Family
Carol Larsen and John Masters
Tara Mathison
Erica McBeth & Darwin Smith
M. Ann McCaig
Roxanne McCaig
Jane McCaig and Richard Waller
Gerard McInnis
Annie and Greg McKitrick
Kathy J. McMillan
Gwen an Keith McMullen
Dr. John McRory and Cathy Ascroft
Aggie Mikulski
Annette Milbradt
Arliss Miller
Linda L. Miller
Frank Molnar & Anna Maria Marrocco
Alan and Geri Moon
Kathy R. Morgan
Julie Moylan
James & Allison Murphy
Dr. Richard and Aurora Musto
Heather and Ruben Nelson
Jack and Donna Newton
Leslie Ann O'Leary
Keith & Cindy O'Neill
Gail O'Reilly
Sarah Palmer and Tom Plunket
Renate Palmer
Noel Papadopoulos
Leslie Pidcock
Lisa Poole
Veronica Prokop & Peter Andrekson
Gina and Trevor Pylatuik
Trina Quickfall
Heather Rae
Garry and Ruth Ramsden-Wood
Christine Richard
Sarah Riedner
Darcia Rolland
Mona & Scott Rose
City Lumber - Robert Rosen
Patricia Seamans
Hon. Marina Paperny and Dr. Shep Secter
Ellie Siebens
Marco Simonelli
Shelley and Betty Ann Smith
Gordon Sombrowski & Kevin Allen
Kevin Stecyk
Jill Strueby
Lucie Thirnbeck
Lee Anne Tibbles
David & Violet Todd
Eric and Dedre Toker
Liz Anne Tonken
Anne Marie and Christopher Toutant
Yolanda Van Wachem and Hugh McPhail
Dr. Ingrid Vicas
Penelope Weir
Mitch & Susanne Williams
Crystal and Blair Willie
Bob Willows
Ian Young & Catherine Barrett
Diana Andriashek
Lana Bistritz
Grace Bokenfohr
E Ross Bradley
Christine Hayward
Wendy D. Lunn-Strickland
Valerie Obligacion
Osten-Victor Fund
Enzo Pasquini
Scott A. Polischuk
Pratch Family Foundation
Ralph & Gay Young Family Capital Fund
Ann Rooney
Carole Savage
Richard and Mary Shaw
Kathryn Ward
-
Anonymous
Alberta Ballet Foundation
Benevity
Calgary Foundation
CanadaHelps.org
Edmonton Community Foundation
GiftFunds Canada
Shaw Birdies for Kids presented by Altalink
A whole community works behind-the-scenes,
helping us inspire you with dance!
2022/23 GOVERNMENT FUNDERS
AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
-
CHAIR
Daryl S. Fridhandler, Burnet, Duckworth & Palmer LLP (Calgary)VICE CHAIR
Jana Neal, SFG Investments (Calgary)CORPORATE SECRETARY
Frank Molnar, Field Law (Calgary)CHAIR, AUDIT COMMITTEE & TREASURER
Jana Neal, SFG Investments (Calgary)CHAIR, SCHOOL COMMITTEE
Ellie Siebens, EPL Consulting Ltd. (Calgary) & Noel Papadopoulos, Papas Group (Edmonton) -
Heather Klimchuk, Advocacy, Connections & Communications Consulting (Edmonton)
Agnieszka (Aggie) Mikulski, TIPP Consulting (Edmonton)
Sarah Palmer, Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative (Calgary)
Heather Rae, HRJ Consulting (Calgary)
Bob Willows, Willows Construction (2001) Ltd. (Winfield)
-
CHAIR/PRESIDENT
Alfred SorensenSECRETARY/TREASURER
Peter A. JohnsonDIRECTOR
Daryl FridhandlerDIRECTOR
Heather RaeDIRECTOR
Chandra Henry
Feature Image by Paul McGrath with Luna Sasaki and Artists of Alberta Ballet