A Message from the Artistic Director

FRANCESCO VENTRIGLIA | Artistic Director

Welcome to Romeo & Juliet

Dear Friends,

As I stand at the helm of this breathtaking production of Romeo & Juliet, my heart swells with gratitude. It has been a profound honour to collaborate with such immensely talented dancers and a dedicated crew and artistic team. Each rehearsal has been a celebration of passion, artistry, and the relentless pursuit of beauty.

I extend my deepest thanks to the brilliant creators who have brought this vision to life: James Acheson for his stunning costumes, Italo Grassi for the evocative set design, and Mario Mattia Giorgetti for his insightful dramaturgy. Your contributions have transformed my dreams into reality.

This production is my love letter to Alberta, to Canada, my new home. In every movement, in every note of the stunning Prokofiev score.

As Shakespeare beautifully penned, “My bounty is as boundless as the sea, my love as deep; the more I give to thee, the more I have, for both are infinite.”

Love, in all its forms, is the heartbeat of life, and I hope this performance inspires a deeper connection to the beauty that surrounds us.

With heartfelt appreciation,

FRANCESCO VENTRIGLIA
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

The Story

ACT I

It is morning in Verona’s market square.

The Capulet family leads a procession – a public display of pride and power that fills the market. The ceremony is abruptly disrupted. A chance encounter between the high-spirited young men from the Capulet and Montague families leads to a raging battle in the piazza. What begins as taunts and bravado ignite into a swordfight, rapidly spreading through the piazza as townspeople choose sides and the choreography swells from skirmish to chaos. The violence escalates, the feud consumes the square. Escalus, Prince of Verona arrives and admonishes Lord Montague and Lord Capulet to keep the peace, on pain of death. They do so, unwillingly.

Later in the day, Juliet prepares for her first ball, under the fond gaze of her childhood nurse. Her mother arrives with news that it is time for Juliet to marry, and that her parents have chosen Paris as her future husband.

As dusk falls, the guests arrive at the Capulets’ palazzo for a grand masked ball. Tybalt and Paris are present as members of the Capulet clan. Romeo, Mercutio and Benvolio arrive in masks, joining the festivities to goad Tybalt. Romeo sees Juliet, and it is love at first sight for both of them: neither realising until it is too late that their families are sworn enemies. Tybalt recognizes Romeo and is furious at the insult. Romeo leaves, only to return to the palazzo garden and Juliet’s balcony, where the young couple meet again and fall even deeper in love.

ACT II

The next morning, Romeo, Mercutio, and Benvolio return to the market square.

Romeo is preoccupied with thoughts of Juliet and hesitates to join his friends in the carnival celebrations. Juliet’s nurse arrives with a letter from Juliet: if Romeo is sincere in his love for her, she will meet him that morning at Friar Lawrence’s church, so that they can be married. Romeo is overjoyed, and a short while later, Romeo and Juliet are joined together in holy matrimony by the Friar. Juliet returns home to await Romeo’s visit to her bedroom that night.

Romeo leaves the church and is accosted by Tybalt, looking to avenge the insult of Romeo, Benvolio and Mercutio’s unwanted attendance at Lord Capulet’s party, and spoiling for a fight. Romeo, knowing that he is now related to Tybalt by marriage and wanting no argument, tries to leave but is goaded by Tybalt. A fight soon breaks out. In the melee, Mercutio is fatally wounded by Tybalt. He dies, cursing the Montagues and Capulets for their senseless quarrel. Enraged at the death of his friend and forgetting his earlier desire to make peace, Romeo kills Tybalt. Romeo flees as Lord and Lady Capulet arrive, grief stricken at the death of their nephew, followed by Escalus, who proclaims that Romeo is now banished from Verona, on pain of death.

ACT III

Dawn breaks the next morning.

As dawn breaks the next morning, Romeo and Juliet awaken in Juliet’s bedroom, having spent their secret wedding night together. Romeo must leave; if he is found inside Verona’s walls he will be executed. Juliet’s nurse enters followed by Lord Capulet with Paris: Lord and Lady Capulet have decided that, following Tybalt’s death, Juliet’s marriage to Paris must take place as soon as possible. Juliet is reluctant but, seeing no way out, gives in.

Desperate, Juliet runs to Friar Lawrence. He gives her a potion that will give the appearance of death. She should drink it the night before her marriage to Paris, her parents will convey her lifeless body to the family crypt, where she will wake 42 hours later. Meanwhile, Friar Lawrence will send word to Romeo, who will come and meet her as she wakes, so that they may leave Verona and be together. Alone in her bedroom, Juliet summons all her courage and drinks the potion.

The following morning, Juliet is discovered ‘dead’ in her bed. Dressed in her wedding gown, she is laid to rest in the Capulet family crypt. Romeo, who has returned without receiving Friar Lawrence’s message with Juliet’s plan, is maddened by grief and kills Paris, who has remained beside Juliet’s coffin. Rather than live without Juliet, Romeo drinks poison, and breathes his last breath as Juliet wakes from her deathly sleep. Finding Romeo dead, Juliet is distraught and finds no other reason to live. She takes his dagger and stabs herself.

EPILOGUE

The kingdom gathers for a final celebration.

As the Capulets and Montagues mourn their children, Escalus encourages them to forget their quarrel, forgive each other, and make peace.

Romeo & Juliet
Creative Team

  • Francesco Ventriglia is an Italian ballet dancer, choreographer and Artistic Director. Having graduated from La Scala Ballet School, Ventriglia joined the ballet company of La Scala in 1997. He danced numerous soloist and principal roles with the company, including works by Roland Petit, Nureyev, Balanchine, Forsythe, Makarova, Ailey, Neumeier, Cranko, Preljocaj, Godani, Kylian, Guillem, and Bejart. Internationally, his performances with La Scala included Hilarion at the Metropolitan Opera in New York and at Covent Garden, opposite Sylvie Guillem in her creation of Giselle.

    Ventriglia is a choreographer of classical and contemporary ballet, having works performed internationally by companies such as the La Scala Ballet, Arena di Verona, Bolshoi Theatre, The Mariinsky Theatre, Grand Theatre du Geneve, Royal New Zealand Ballet, Ballet Nacional Sodre, and at the Venice Biannale.

    In 2010, he was appointed as Artistic Director and principal choreographer by the Florence Opera House for Maggio Danza until 2013. In 2014, he was named the Artistic Director of the Royal New Zealand Ballet.

    Ventriglia’s tenure as Artistic Director of the Royal New Zealand Ballet concluded in June 2017, however he continued his artistic relationship with the company, creating a new full-length ballet, Romeo and Juliet which toured nationally.

    From January 2018, Ventriglia was adjunct artistic director of the National Ballet of Uruguay, Ballet Nacional Sodre. From 2020 to 2024, Ventriglia established himself in Sydney and co-founded the Sydney Choreographic Centre and Ensemble. In January 2024, he was appointed Artistic Director of Alberta Ballet. For Alberta Ballet, Ventriglia has choreographed productions such as La Sylphide, The Wizard of Oz, and Don Quixote. In April 2025, Alberta Ballet toured to Dubai and presented his creation, A Thousand Tales at the Dubai Opera.

  • Sergei Prokofiev was a Russian composer, pianist, and conductor whose music bridged late Romanticism, modernism, and Soviet classicism, making him one of the most distinctive voices of 20th-century music. He was born in 1891 in Sontsovka (now Ukraine) and showed extraordinary musical talent at an early age, composing pieces by the age of five. He studied at the St. Petersburg Conservatory, where he gained a reputation as a bold innovator, known for sharp harmonies, driving rhythms, and a provocative, sometimes sarcastic musical style.

    After the Russian Revolution, Prokofiev spent nearly two decades living abroad, primarily in the United States and Western Europe. During this period, he composed major works including The Love for Three Oranges, his Third Piano Concerto, and several symphonies and ballets. His music from this time balances modernist edge with lyrical clarity, reflecting both experimentation and a desire for broad appeal.

    In the 1930s, Prokofiev returned permanently to the Soviet Union, believing he could thrive artistically there. While he produced some of his most enduring works – such as the ballet Romeo and Juliet, the children’s symphonic tale Peter and the Wolf, and film scores for Sergei Eisenstein’s Alexander Nevsky and Ivan the Terrible – his later years were complicated by political pressure and censorship under Stalinist cultural policies.

    Prokofiev’s music is marked by memorable melodies, rhythmic vitality, and emotional range, from irony and brilliance to deep lyricism. Despite facing personal and political challenges, he left a vast and influential body of work that remains central to concert halls, ballet stages, and film music worldwide.

  • James Acheson is a British costume designer celebrated for his meticulous research, sensibility, and influential contributions to historical and art-house cinema. Born in England in 1946, he trained at London’s Central School of Art and Design, where his interest in fine art and history helped shape an approach to costume that treats clothing as a key storytelling and world-building tool rather than simple decoration.

    Acheson rose to prominence through his long and visually distinctive collaboration with filmmaker Peter Greenaway. Their work together, including The Draughtsman’s Contract (1982), The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover (1989), and Prospero’s Books (1991), is known for its bold color symbolism, period precision, and theatrical stylization. These films established Acheson as a designer known for blending historical authenticity with striking conceptual design.

    He gained international recognition in Hollywood with his work on lavish period dramas. He won the Academy Award for Best Costume Design twice: first for Dangerous Liaisons (1988), for its elegant and expressive 18th-century costumes, and again for Restoration (1995), for its textured, lived-in portrayal of Restoration-era England. He also received additional nominations, including one for The Tempest (2010).

    Throughout his career, Acheson has been admired for his deep engagement with historical sources: paintings, garments, and social customs, while allowing character and narrative to guide design choices. His costumes often reveal power, morality, and transformation, making him a key figure in modern costume design and a lasting influence on how history is visualized on screen.

  • Italo Grassi is a set designer and professor at the Academy of Fine Arts. With over 150 set designs, his work spans Opera, Ballet, and Musical theatre, showcases in leading theaters across Italy and globally (France, Spain, Germany, Korea, Brazil, Russia, Finland, Estonia, Croatia, Canada). Notably active in Japan, he debuted in Biwako in the 2000s for Verdi operas conducted by Maestro Wakasugi and directed by Keisuke Suzuki.

    Grassi has also designed exhibition spaces and served as a technical director in opera theaters. Recent highlights include: Don Pasquale at Teatro Real in Madrid with Riccardo Muti, Simon Boccanegra in Seoul with M. Chung and Marco Gandini, Betulia Liberata in Salzburg with Muti, Viaggio a Reims and Farnace at Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, and Zaide at Teatro dell’Opera in Rome with Graham Vick and Daniele Gatti. He has designed classical ballets like Nutcracker and Romeo and Juliet, winning the 2013 best ballet scenography award for Swan Lake with Maggio Danza and Francesco Ventriglia. Recently, he’s focused on musicals, including Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Fame, and Rocky.

  • Mario Mattia Giorgetti is an Italian actor, director, and cultural organizer whose career spans theatre, cinema, television,

    radio, and criticism. Born in Prato, he began his

    professional life in the 1950s working with La Nazione in

    Florence. In 1961 he graduated from the Piccolo Teatro

    di Milano as an actor and theatre director, launching

    a lifelong engagement with experimental and socially

    engaged theatre. Early in his career he collaborated

    closely with major figures such as Giorgio Strehler,

    Orazio Costa Giovangigli, and Mario Missiroli.

    In 1965 Giorgetti co-founded the Compagnia Informativa

    ’65 with playwright Massimo Binazzi and actress Delia

    Bartolucci, earning the Noci d’Oro Award in 1967 as

    best company of the year. After closing that group,

    he established La Contemporanea del Centro Attori

    di Milano, which remains active, serving as its artistic

    director, director, and principal actor. He has directed

    around eighty productions, ranging from the theatre

    of the absurd and modern drama– Beckett, Ionesco,

    Camus, Osborne, Albee– to contemporary international

    authors and classics by Machiavelli, Molière,

    Shakespeare, and Goldoni.

    Giorgetti has held major leadership roles, including

    artistic director of the Taormina Festival, the Festival dei

    Confronti Internazionali dello Spettacolo, the Festival of

    the Aeolian Islands, and the Teatro Olimpico di Vicenza.

    He also directed prominent Milan theatres and served

    as president of the international BITEF theatre jury in

    Belgrade.

    Alongside theatre, he has worked extensively in film,

    television, and radio, collaborating with directors such as

    Carlo Lizzani and Liliana Cavani, and with RAI and Swiss

    television. Since 1984 he has been editor-director of the

    Italian theatre magazine Sipario, confirming his central

    role in Italian and international theatrical culture.

  • Alejandro Fajardo is a Colombian artist based in New York City, working primarily as a lighting designer for theater, dance, and live events, with recent ventures into production design for immersive and theatrical projects.

    His multidisciplinary career spans industries including fashion and music, having designed lighting for New York Fashion Week (2015–2019) through IMCD Lighting and Rob Ross Design, and created custom light art installations for major music festivals. Deeply involved in the dance world, he serves as lighting director for the Flamenco Festival and associate lighting director for the Fall for Dance Festival at New York City Center. He has toured nationally and internationally as lighting supervisor for productions like The Day (Lucinda Childs, Wendy Whelan, Maya Beiser), Brian Brooks’ works, and Tesseract by Rashaun Silas & Charles Atlas. 

    His theatrical credits include Public Servant, The Healing (Theatre Breaking Through Barriers), The Last Five Years (Warren Miller Performing Arts Center), SUPERHERO (Southern Theater), and The Rake’s Progress (Curtis Institute of Music), among many others. Fajardo also has a strong background in photography, and is skilled in both digital and analog formats. He is a contributing photographer for Chance Magazine and covered the 2015 Prague Quadrennial.

  • Hayna Gutierrez was born in Havana, Cuba, and trained at the Cuban National Ballet School. She joined Ballet Nacional de Cuba in 1998, becoming Principal Dancer in 2004. From 2010 to 2019, Gutierrez was Principal Dancer with Alberta Ballet, performing leading roles including Giselle, Kitri (Don Quixote), Odette/Odile (Swan Lake), Juliet (Romeo and Juliet), and Cio Cio San (Madame Butterfly).

    She has created roles in works by Jean Grand-Maître, Yukichi Hattori, and Wen Wei Wang, and has performed featured roles in Balanchine’s works. Gutierrez has danced across Europe and North America and has over 20 years of experience as a ballet educator. In 2013, she received the Miami Life Award for Best Hispanic Female Dancer and has performed internationally at the Incolballet Ballet Festival.

    Now in her first season as Rehearsal Director with Alberta Ballet, Gutierrez brings her expertise, leadership, and passion to guide the company toward artistic excellence.

  • After a distinguished 17-year career as a professional dancer, including eight seasons with Alberta Ballet, Yoshiya Sakurai has transitioned to the role of Rehearsal Director at Alberta Ballet. His extensive experience on stage and in rehearsal studios now enriches the company from a new perspective.

    Originally from Niigata, Japan, Sakurai began his ballet training at Niigata Ballet School and age of 14, he won scholarships to Royal Ballet School and John Cranko Ballet School at Japan Grand Prix. He furthered his education at Canada’s National Ballet School in Toronto where he graduated and received the Peter Dwyer Scholarship. He has danced with American Repertory Ballet, Boston Ballet II, and Kansas City Ballet before joining Alberta Ballet in 2016. He also performed as guest artist and guest teacher internationally.

    Throughout his career, he has captivated audiences with his remarkable interpretations of iconic roles. He has worked with internationally known choreographers and performed many principal roles such as Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Albrecht in Giselle, Prince Siegfried in Swan Lake, Prince Desire in The SleepingBeauty, and The Prince in Cinderella.

    Now, as a Rehearsal Director, Sakurai brings his wealth of experience and insight to guide the next generation of dancers.

Music Credits

Music recording courtesy of the Royal New Zealand Ballet. Recorded by Orchestra Wellington in 2017 at the St. James Theatre, Wellington, New Zealand and conducted by Hamish McKeich.

  • Born in London, Gillian Whittingham trained at the London College of Dance and Drama and later in New York with Gabriela Darvash. She began her professional career as ballet mistress for Compagnia Italiana Balletto under Carla Fracci, choreographing several works directed by Beppe Menegatti. She has remounted major classical works such as Giselle, Romeo and Juliet, Les Sylphides, Petruška, and Le Spectre de la rose, working with prestigious dancers and companies throughout Europe.

    In 1995, Whittingham co-founded the Olympic Dance Company with Mario Mattia Giorgetti, presenting works across Italy, London, and New York. As Principal Ballet Mistress at Teatro alla Scala for a decade, she collaborated with major choreographers such as Béjart, Petit, Forsythe, and Guillem. Her international work includes staging productions for the Royal New Zealand Ballet, the Paris Opera Ballet, and the Tokyo Ballet, among many others. Whittingham continues to play a vital role in preserving and restaging classical and contemporary works. Her recent projects include staging for Teatro dell’Opera di Roma, such as Nureyev’s Cinderella, Paquita with Eleonora Abbagnato, Carla Fracci’s Giselle with Julio Bocca, as well as Roland Petit’s production of Notre-Dame de Paris at de l’Opéra de Paris and La Chauve-souris at Vienna State Opera.

Romeo & Juliet
Casting

  • Juliet
    Luna Sasaki

    Romeo
    Aaron Anker

    Mercutio
    Mirko Melandri

    Benvolio
    Danier Laganzo

    Tybalt
    Yaroslav Khudych

    Paris
    Rémy Gray

    Friends of Juliet
    Chizuru Kikuchi, Hinata Takahara, Hotaru Maruyama, Kairi Watanabe

    Lady Capulet
    Mariko Kondo

    Lord Capulet 
    Kelley McKinlay

    Prince of Verona
    Yi-Min Tsung

    The Nurse
    Allison Perhach

    Friar Lawrence
    Kurtis Grimaldi

    Harlots
    Zoe Horn, Bel Johnson-Darby, Jolie Rose Lombardo

    Lady Montague
    Lulu Manzur

    Lord Montague
    Caleb Durbin

    Montague Market – Men & Ladies
    Andrea Arbasino, Kevin Alsina, Paloma Bonnin, Grace Campbell, Chizuru Kikuchi, Rikuto Kubota, Hinata Takahara, Camryn Visser, Kairi Watanabe

    Friends of Tybalt
    Fulvio Zamagna & Dylan West

    Capulet’s Ball – Men & Ladies
    Kevin Alsina, Patrice Bertrand, Paloma Bonnin, Zachary Boresow, Victoria Bourassa, Zoe Horn, Bel Johnson-Darby, Rikuto Kubota, Hotaru Maruyama, Hinata Takahahra, Camryn Visser, Kairi Watanabe

    Mandolins
    Andrea Arbasino, Grace Campbell, Zoe Horn, Bel Johnson-Darby, Chizuru Kikuchi, Rikuto Kubota, Hotaru Maruyama, Hinata Takahara, Camryn Visser, Kairi Watanabe

    Extras
    Willa Clark*, Aoi Engauchi*, Sophia Hudson*, Takumi Ino*, Margulan Taubayev*, Tom Waters*

    * Indicates Alberta Ballet School Trainees or Alberta Ballet School Post-Graduate Students

  • Juliet
    Alexandra Anker-Hughes

    Romeo
    Rémy Gray

    Mercutio
    Patrice Bertrand

    Benvolio
    Danier Laganzo

    Tybalt
    Yaroslav Khudych

    Paris
    Caleb Durbin

    Friends of Juliet
    Grace Campbell, Zoe Horn, Bel Johnson-Darby, Camryn Visser

    Lady Capulet
    Mariko Kondo

    Lord Capulet 
    Kelley McKinlay

    Prince of Verona
    Aaron Anker

    The Nurse
    Allison Perhach

    Friar Lawrence
    Kurtis Grimaldi

    Harlots
    Paloma Bonnin, Jolie Rose Lombardo, Kate McDonald

    Lady Montague
    Lulu Manzur

    Lord Montague
    Yi-Min Tsung

    Montague Market – Men & Ladies
    Andrea Arbasino, Kevin Alsina, Paloma Bonnin, Grace Campbell, Chizuru Kikuchi, Rikuto Kubota, Hinata Takahara, Camryn Visser, Kairi Watanabe

    Friends of Tybalt
    Fulvio Zamagna & Dylan West

    Capulet’s Ball – Men & Ladies
    Kevin Alsina, Patrice Bertrand, Paloma Bonnin, Zachary Boresow, Victoria Bourassa, Zoe Horn, Bel Johnson-Darby, Rikuto Kubota, Hotaru Maruyama, Hinata Takahahra, Camryn Visser, Kairi Watanabe

    Mandolins
    Andrea Arbasino, Grace Campbell, Zoe Horn, Bel Johnson-Darby, Chizuru Kikuchi, Rikuto Kubota, Hotaru Maruyama, Hinata Takahara, Camryn Visser, Kairi Watanabe

    Extras
    Willa Clark*, Aoi Engauchi*, Sophia Hudson*, Takumi Ino*, Margulan Taubayev*, Tom Waters*

    * Indicates Alberta Ballet School Trainees or Alberta Ballet School Post-Graduate Students

  • Juliet
    Alexandra Anker-Hughes

    Romeo
    Rémy Gray

    Mercutio
    Patrice Bertrand

    Benvolio
    Danier Laganzo

    Tybalt
    Yaroslav Khudych

    Paris
    Caleb Durbin

    Friends of Juliet
    Grace Campbell, Zoe Horn, Bel Johnson-Darby, Camryn Visser

    Lady Capulet
    Mariko Kondo

    Lord Capulet 
    Kelley McKinlay

    Prince of Verona
    Aaron Anker

    The Nurse
    Allison Perhach

    Friar Lawrence
    Kurtis Grimaldi

    Harlots
    Paloma Bonnin, Jolie Rose Lombardo, Kate McDonald

    Lady Montague
    Lulu Manzur

    Lord Montague
    Yi-Min Tsung

    Montague Market – Men & Ladies
    Andrea Arbasino, Kevin Alsina, Paloma Bonnin, Grace Campbell, Chizuru Kikuchi, Rikuto Kubota, Hinata Takahara, Camryn Visser, Kairi Watanabe

    Friends of Tybalt
    Fulvio Zamagna & Dylan West

    Capulet’s Ball – Men & Ladies
    Kevin Alsina, Patrice Bertrand, Paloma Bonnin, Zachary Boresow, Victoria Bourassa, Zoe Horn, Bel Johnson-Darby, Rikuto Kubota, Hotaru Maruyama, Hinata Takahahra, Camryn Visser, Kairi Watanabe

    Mandolins
    Andrea Arbasino, Grace Campbell, Zoe Horn, Bel Johnson-Darby, Chizuru Kikuchi, Rikuto Kubota, Hotaru Maruyama, Hinata Takahara, Camryn Visser, Kairi Watanabe

    Extras
    Willa Clark*, Aoi Engauchi*, Sophia Hudson*, Takumi Ino*, Margulan Taubayev*, Tom Waters*

    * Indicates Alberta Ballet School Trainees or Alberta Ballet School Post-Graduate Students

  • Juliet
    Luna Sasaki

    Romeo
    Aaron Anker

    Mercutio
    Mirko Melandri

    Benvolio
    Danier Laganzo

    Tybalt
    Yaroslav Khudych

    Paris
    Rémy Gray

    Friends of Juliet
    Chizuru Kikuchi, Hinata Takahara, Hoa

    Lady Capulet
    Mariko Kondo

    Lord Capulet 
    Kelley McKinlay

    Prince of Verona
    Yi-Min Tsung

    The Nurse
    Allison Perhach

    Friar Lawrence
    Kurtis Grimaldi

    Harlots
    Paloma Bonnin, Jolie Rose Lombardo, Kate McDonald

    Lady Montague
    Lulu Manzur

    Lord Montague
    Yi-Min Tsung

    Montague Market – Men & Ladies
    Andrea Arbasino, Kevin Alsina, Paloma Bonnin, Grace Campbell, Chizuru Kikuchi, Rikuto Kubota, Hinata Takahara, Camryn Visser, Kairi Watanabe

    Friends of Tybalt
    Fulvio Zamagna & Dylan West

    Capulet’s Ball – Men & Ladies
    Kevin Alsina, Patrice Bertrand, Paloma Bonnin, Zachary Boresow, Victoria Bourassa, Zoe Horn, Bel Johnson-Darby, Rikuto Kubota, Hotaru Maruyama, Hinata Takahahra, Camryn Visser, Kairi Watanabe

    Mandolins
    Andrea Arbasino, Grace Campbell, Zoe Horn, Bel Johnson-Darby, Chizuru Kikuchi, Rikuto Kubota, Hotaru Maruyama, Hinata Takahara, Camryn Visser, Kairi Watanabe

    Extras
    Willa Clark*, Aoi Engauchi*, Sophia Hudson*, Takumi Ino*, Margulan Taubayev*, Tom Waters*

    * Indicates Alberta Ballet School Trainees or Alberta Ballet School Post-Graduate Students

Alberta Ballet Dancers

Alberta Ballet Artistic Team

  • Originally from just outside of Seattle, WA, Reilley joined Alberta Ballet as a dancer in 2008 and has long considered Canada her home. After her fourteen-year career as a dancer with Alberta Ballet, Reilley transitioned into the administrative side of Alberta Ballet in the Artistic Department. She is currently the Artistic Executive Manager and enjoys helping behind the scenes and sharing the knowledge that she has gained while working within the organization over the years. Ballet continues to play a central role in her life not only through her own career but also through her husband, a former Alberta Ballet dancer, and their two children, who are both dedicated students at the Alberta Ballet School.

  • Raven has been working in the arts for 18 years as a stitcher, costume crafter, dresser, wardrobe assistant, head of wardrobe, production director and now as a part of the Alberta Ballet artistic team. Being a local Albertan, Ravens’ work has been concentrated in Calgary, but has also taken her around our great province, across Canada, to the US and Europe in theatre, film and dance. More than half of her career has been spent at Alberta Ballet and she is so excited to be a part of the artistic team, assisting in bringing ballet magic to our community and beyond.  

  • Originally, from Medicine Hat, Rebecca relocated to Calgary after completing a BFA in Theatre Studies from the University of Lethbridge to pursue her passion for the arts. She has worked for various arts organizations in the city in the last 7 years and is enjoying her time working with both the artistic and production teams at Alberta Ballet. She is looking forward to what this season brings and is grateful for the opportunity to work with such a talented group of people and artists. 

Alberta Ballet Artistic Support

Company Teachers | Francesco Ventriglia, Yoshiya Sakurai, Hayna Gutierrez,
Class Pianists | Lorel Leal, Michael Li
Physiotherapy | Peak Health and Performance
Stage Manager | Marisa Mireau
Second Stage Manager | Ingrid Kottke
Apprentice Stage Manager | Kade Mazur
Intimacy Coordinator | Shawna McGill-Legault

Production Team

Technical Director | Jason McLellan
Head Carpenter | Brian Chmielewski
Lead Fly | Kevin Green
Lead Props | Cassandra Thorbjornsen
Lead Lighting | Chris Axford
Second Lighting | Oliver Petti
Lead Wardrobe | Erin LeBaron
Second Wardrobe | Lori McMahon
Wardrobe Cutter | Sarah Cameron
Stitchers | Hannah-Lee Harris, Karen Crocker
Scenic Painter | Patrick O’Neill
Wig & Hairpiece Styling | Brenda Boutet

Stage Technicians provided by IATSE Local 212.
Costumes courtesy of the Royal New Zealand Ballet.

The Alberta Ballet Foundation:
More than what you see on stage

The Alberta Ballet Foundation is part of the vital network of supporters and funders who help make this vision possible. This support sustains scholarships, outreach, and artistic initiatives. From training young dancers to bringing ballet to new audiences, these programs keep the art form thriving.

In addition to supporting Alberta Ballet’s commitment to creating new productions and bringing new stories to life, Alberta Ballet Foundation also supports:

  • Opening Doors to Excellence – At Alberta Ballet School, 61 students received scholarships to pursue their passions for dance.

  • Inspiring Young Movers – Traveling throughout Alberta, we’ve introduced the joy of ballet to 1,000 youth in 8 communities from Chateh to Medicine Hat.

  • Breaking Down Barriers – Through partnerships with 40 community organizations throughout Alberta.

This impact is based on 2024/25 activity.

Thanks to sustaining support from Alberta Ballet Foundation, Alberta Ballet is steadily building on this progress in 2025/26.

Alfred Sorensen
Chair
Alberta Ballet Foundation

  • Inclusive of all Donations from April 1st, 2025 to February 1st 2026

    $500,000+
    Alfred Sorensen

    $250,000 to $499,999
    Barbara Palmer
    Edmonton Community
    Foundation

    $50,000 to $249,999
    Clarice Siebens

    $10,000 to $49,999
    Erin Thrall & Peter Johnson
    Peter Stapleton & Ethel Nakano
    McDonald & K Smith Family Fund
    Joanne Stalinski
    Penelope Weir
    Chambers Family Legacy

    $5,000 to $9,999
    Diana Mulherin

    $1,500 to $4,999
    Valerie Seaman
    Ashley McNeil
    Michelle Schurek
    Joni Hughes
    Tom Plunkett & Sarah Palmer

    $500 to $1,499
    Joanne Bakker
    Ruth Cross Foundation
    Karen Savoy & Mark Eade
    Jacqueline Walsh
    Frances Coward
    Richard Mah
    Carl Cohen
    Laurel McKay

ALBERTA BALLET DONORS 2025/26

February is the perfect time to share our gratitude for all the contributions you have made to support the art form you love. A lot of that love has gone into the creation of Romeo & Juliet, with its dazzling sets, exquisite costumes, brilliant score and of course, Francesco Ventriglia’s innovative choreography that come together to create a grand production worthy of Albertans. As you are swept away to Verona, we hope you will take a moment to reflect on what your support has enabled us to do together, and we hope that partnership is reflected in a ballet company you can be proud of. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you to our Dance Circle Members, Subscribers and audience members for your ongoing generosity. We honour you with every rise of the curtain.

Dance Circle Membership $1,500

Patron Program $5,000 +

If you’re a passionate Alberta Ballet subscriber, consider taking part in our donor activities.

To learn more, please contact us at Gifts@AlbertaBallet.com.

  • $50,000+
    Calgary Foundation
    Edmonton Community Foundation

    $10,000 to $49,999
    Ann Falk
    Annie Freeze
    Gail O’Brien
    Heather Edwards Foundation
    Heather Rae Family Fund
    Madelyn Lang
    Janice Heard & Bruce McFarlane
    Lynn & Vern Hult
    Penelope Weir
    Peter Stapleton & Ethel Nakano
    Sharon Martens
    Walter & Irene Deboni

    $5,000 to $9,999
    Andal Family Fund
    Cheryl Gottselig
    Diana Mulherin
    Dorothy Woolstencroft
    Ellie Siebens
    Golda Elliot Memorial Fund
    Hope & Jim Smith
    Jeff & Kim Van Steenbergen
    Lindsay Rachel Giacomelli Memorial Fund
    Milavsky Family Fund
    Patricia Strickland
    Sharon McNaughton
    Tom Plunkett & Sarah Palmer

    $1,500 to $4,999
    Adrian Jones
    Alfred Sorensen
    Anne Marie Toutant
    Annette Milbradt
    Anthony Anker
    Brenda Nugent
    Brian Mahoney
    Charlene O’Fee
    City Dancewear
    Diana Andriashek
    David Andrew Howarth
    Doug Myhre
    Elizabeth A. Whitsitt
    Fath Group/O’Hanlon Paving
    Heather Bourne
    Heather Rae
    Garry & Ruth Ramsden-Wood
    George & Colleen Bezaire
    John & Barbara Feldberg
    John & Susan Hokanson
    Kerri & Sean Barr
    Leslie Dort
    Martin & Theresa Trotter
    Michel Kelly-Gagnon
    Michelle Schurek
    MNP Ltd.
    Lance & Nicole Yanke
    Peabody Family Gift Fund
    Peter Johnson
    Rod & Betty Wade
    Roderick & Jean Mckay
    Russell Varnam
    Foundation - John & Megan Grace Fund
    Super Save Group
    The Memphis Group
    Thomas Fath
    Valerie Seaman
    Viewpoint Foundation

    $500 to $1,499
    Barbara & Michael Morin
    Betty Stein
    Brian Mills
    Callow & Associates
    Management Consultants Inc.
    Carl Cohen
    Christopher & Ingrid Eggertson
    Davin Macintosh
    Douglas & Laurie Strother
    Don Hobsbawn
    Elaine Gidluck
    Helen Otto
    James & Allison Murphy
    John & Sheilagh Langille
    Kathy Wright
    Lana Bistritz
    Laura Graham
    Laurel Mckay
    Leona Gibb
    Linda K. Crawford
    Maria Binnion
    Martin Merritt
    Mary Rosza de Coquet
    Nancy Knowlton
    Nancy Scrymgeour
    Patricia Seamans
    Peggy Garritty
    Penny Lazarick
    Renate Palmer
    Richard & Mary Shaw
    Richard Mah
    Ronald & Carole Middleton
    Ruth Cross Foundation
    Sandra Clarkson
    Sarah Krotz
    Shirine Lund
    Shirley Mercer
    Sheila Watson
    Sue Heuman
    Susan Ditchburn
    Susan J. Tyrell
    Victoria Mckinnon

  • Anonymous

    Alberta Ballet Foundation

    Benevity

    Calgary Foundation

    CanadaHelps.org

    Edmonton Community Foundation

    Fabbrici Foundation for the Arts

    GiftFunds Canada

    Heather Bala Edwards Foundation

    Shaw Birdies for Kids presented by Altalink

    Seaver Family Flow Through Fund and the Calgary Foundation

    Viewpoint Foundation

    Baker Tilly Catalyst

    Palmer Family Foundation

    Farrell Engineering Sales Inc.

    Osten-Victor Fund

    Callow & Associates Management Consultants Inc.

    AltaLink, A Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company

  • $1,500

    Adrian Jones
    Aggie Mikulski
    Alan & Geri Moon
    Alfred Sorensen
    Alfredo Martin
    Amber Denise Leeson
    Andrea Brussa
    Andrew & Alison Love
    Ann Calvert
    Ann Falk
    Ann McCaig
    Anne Marie Toutant
    Annie McKitrick
    Annie Freeze
    Arliss Miller
    Bob Willows
    Bradford Musgrove Family
    Brenda Nugent
    C. Giannoulis-Stuart
    C. J. de Jong
    Carol Larsen & John Masters
    Charlene O’Fee
    Cheri Diane Boyle
    Chris & Elizabeth Bourassa
    Christopher & Ingrid Eggertson
    CNL Resources Ltd.
    Colleen Hartley
    Corinne Bleakley & Lindsay Williams
    Craig & Valerie Johnstone
    Crystal L. B. Willie
    Darin H. Grisdale
    Daryl Fridhandler
    David & Violet Todd
    David Andrew Howarth
    David Haigh & Dawn Riley
    Dianne Grant
    Dorothy Woolstencroft
    Erica McBeth & Darwin Smith
    Eileen Jones & Nicole Jones
    Ethel Nakano & Peter Stapleton
    Farrell Engineering
    Frank Molnar & Anna Maria Marroco
    Focus Communications
    Gail O’Reilly
    Garry and Ruth Ramsden-Wood
    Geoffrey Mar
    George & Colleen Bezaire
    Georgina Clark
    Gerard McInnis
    Gina Pylatuik
    Gordon Sombrowski & Kevin Allen
    Heather Bourne
    Heather Klimchuk
    Heather Rae
    Helen Drebit
    Hope Smith
    Ingrid Vicas
    Jack & Donna Newton
    J’Adore Dance
    James & Allison Murphy
    James Silvius
    Jana Neal
    Jane McCaig & Richard Waller
    Janice Heard & Bruce McFarlane
    Jennifer & Torval Mork
    Jill A. Strueby
    Joan Bedard
    Joanne Graham & Ian Laxdal
    Joanne Stalinski
    Jocelyn Beckett
    John & Barbara Feldberg
    John & Sheilagh Langille
    John & Susan Hokanson
    John C. Bonnycastle
    Joni Hughes
    Joni Rynsburger
    Jose-Carlos Herrero & Nicole Herrero-Langlais
    Julia Boberg
    Kathy J. McMillan
    Katie A. Hayes
    Keith & Cindy O’Neill
    Kelly Bourassa
    Kerri & Sean Barr
    Kevin Stecyk
    Kristine Eidsvik
    Laura Connolly
    Laurie Bayda
    Leona Gibb
    Leslie Ann O’Leary
    Leslie & Gerald Giacomelli
    Leslie Dort
    Leslie Pidcock
    Lindsay Walsh & David Maclean
    Liz Anne Tonken
    Lynn & Vern Hult
    Margo L. LaValley
    Marguerite Paulsen
    Melanie Houley
    Melissa Cook
    Melissa Padfield
    Michael & Natasha Simaeys
    Mike Grovue
    Mitch & Susanne Williams
    Mona & Scott Rose
    Monique Courcelles
    Nadine Reynolds
    Nicole & Lance Yanke
    Noël Papadopoulos
    Noel Xavier
    Northern Timber Corp
    Pamela FitzGerald
    Patricia Culver
    Patricia Seamans
    Peggy Garritty
    Penelope Weir
    Richard & Aurora Musto
    Rita Tripathy & Murray Coleman
    Robert & Jean Ann Rooney
    Rod and Betty Wade
    Roderick & Jean McKay
    Roger Mapp
    Ronald & Carole Middleton
    Roxanne McCaig
    Ruben & Heather Nelson
    Sandy Evans
    Sarah Palmer
    Sharon Martens
    Sharon McNaughton
    Sheila Watson
    Shelley Smith
    Shep Secter
    Susan E. Andrews
    Terrie Faber
    Tricia Leadbeater
    Valerie & Tony Barlott
    Valerie Macleod
    Veronica Prokop & Peter Andrekson
    Victoria Johnston & Gregory McLeod
    Vivian Manasc
    Walter & Irene DeBoni
    Wendy Gnenz
    Yolanda Van Wachem

A whole community is working behind-the-scenes,
helping us inspire you with dance!

  • Chair
    Heather Rae, HRJ Consulting (Calgary)

    Vice Chairs
    Sarah Palmer, LL.B., ICD.D (Calgary)
    Heather Klimchuk, MacEwan University (Edmonton)

    Corporate Secretary
    Frank Molnar, Field Law (Calgary)

    Treasurer
    Jana Neal, SFG Investments (Calgary)

  • Denise Clarke, One Yellow Rabbit (Calgary)

    Peggy Garritty, PG Communications Ltd. (Edmonton)

    Wendy Gnenz, MNP (Edmonton)

    Agnieszka (Aggie) Mikulski, TIPP Consulting (Edmonton)

    Melissa Padfield, University of Alberta (Edmonton)

    Noël Papadopoulos, Papas Group (Edmonton)

    Jeannie Rooney, Naysmith Law (Calgary)

    Jill Strueby, MNP Ltd. (Calgary)

    Bob Willows, Willows Construction (2001) Ltd. (Winfield)

    Noel Xavier, Edmonton Community Foundation (Edmonton)

  • CHAIR/PRESIDENT
    Alfred Sorensen

    SECRETARY/TREASURER
    Peter Stapleton

    DIRECTOR
    Heather Rae

    DIRECTOR
    Jana Neal

    DIRECTOR
    Joni Hughes

    DIRECTOR
    Rita Tripathy

    DIRECTOR
    George Bezaire

 BOARD OF DIRECTORS (2025)

2025/26 GOVERNMENT FUNDERS AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS