principal partner · ballet family by attracting new audiences, collaborators, donors and...
TRANSCRIPT
P R I N C I P A L P A R T N E R
ndings and beginnings make
up so much of our lives, and
West Australian Ballet is no
different. While we are busy getting on
with the day-to-day, it’s important to
take a moment to acknowledge these
transitions, give thanks and get excited
about what the future holds.
So in this spirit, I would like to extend
a heartfelt farewell and thank you
to Steven Roth, our long-serving
Chief Executive, who left in February.
Melbourne-raised, Steven took to his
adopted WA home with great flourish
and created many special friendships
through WAB. He also bolstered our
Ballet family by attracting new audiences,
collaborators, donors and appreciators
and all of this was done from a standing
start in the Perth community. The
successful company we have today –
recognisable by its additional dancers,
larger productions, extra support staff,
enthusiastic audiences and most
excitingly, its new home in Maylands – is
testament to Steven’s extraordinary
leadership, commitment and love for
West Australian Ballet. These few words
can’t do justice to his work or our praise,
but our appreciation is so palpable -
hopefully he can see it from his new
home at Scottish Ballet in Glasgow.
We wish him well and look forward to
welcoming him to
West Australian Ballet productions in the
coming years, next time as a guest!
“Momentum” was a defining feature of
Steven’s leadership and it hasn’t abated
since his departure, thanks to our Acting
Chief Executive, Jan Stewart. Jan is
well known to the West Australian Ballet
family as one of our Life Members and
in her former role as CEO of Lotterywest
- one of our most valuable supporters
for over two decades. In ‘retirement’
she has taken on new board roles in the
WA community, but still has time to take
the helm at WAB while recruitment for a
permanent Chief Executive is underway.
Welcome and thank you Jan. We hope
you enjoy your time seeing WAB from
the inside.
Our Artistic Director, Aurélien Scannella,
who has taken our company to new
heights since he joined us three
years ago, is continuing to lead West
Australian Ballet to international
recognition for the creativity of our
programing and the quality of our
dancers. We have a stunning year ahead
of lively and stimulating dance, which will
open up wonderful new opportunities for
the company. We look forward to having
you join us too!
Cover: Aurélien Scannella by Francis Andrijich
This page: Polly Hilton & Aurélien Scannella by Francis Andrijich
E
WE
LC
OM
E
ALE X ANDR A BURT
P a t r o n , P r i v a t e G i v i n g
Alexandra Burt & Sarah Hepburn
.3
BA
LL
ET
NE
WS
AU
TU
MN
20
16
We
lC
om
e
.2
We
lC
om
eB
AL
LE
T N
EW
S
AU
TU
MN
20
16
t was a most surprising and exciting
invitation that I received from the
Chairman to take on the role of
Acting Chief Executive earlier this year
when Steven Roth announced that he was
leaving West Australian Ballet.
As many of you know, I have been a
personal fan of WAB for many years. In my
former role as CEO of Lotterywest, I was
also responsible for contributing to the
financial support of all West Australian Arts
organisations including WAB. Steven and
I became friends not long after his arrival
to this state and I followed his incredible
achievements with great interest and
did all I could to support him and the
Artistic Director to achieve their goals
for this company.
So to have the chance to take on this
job is a wonderful opportunity for me,
combining as it does my love for the arts
with my experience in senior leadership
and management.
Our Artistic Director, Aurélien Scannella
has ambitious plans for the next phase
of growth of this amazing company. I am
looking forward to working with him in this
new capacity supporting him in achieving
the goals he describes in this edition of
Ballet News.
I hope you enjoy the new look of our Ballet
News. This has been enabled, in part,
through the generous sponsorship of
our designers The Mad Empire and print
partner Abbott & Co and we thank them
for their support in creating this beautiful
new publication. We hope you enjoy these
striking pictures and stories from the heart
of our company, presented in a fresh, new
layout, which gives you a chance to learn
more about our dancers and the wide
range of work that they do to bring joy to
our community.
You will be on our mailing list for Ballet
News because you are already a supporter
of our company. Many of you I know
already but many I'm still to have the
pleasure of meeting.
I thank you for all you have done in so
many ways to help WAB to achieve so
much. I encourage you to read about our
plans – particularly those we will describe
in more detail in our upcoming Annual
Giving brochure. Please think about how
you can continue to help us become the
internationally known ballet company to
which we aspire and give our young and
talented dancers every chance to achieve
their dreams.
I
IN
TR
OD
UC
TI
ON
JAN STE WART PSM
A c t i n g C h i e f E x e c u t i v e
From the desk of the Acting Chief Executive
Polly Hilton by Francis Andrijich
.5
BA
LL
ET
NE
WS
AU
TU
MN
20
16
InT
ro
du
CT
Ion
.4
InT
ro
du
CT
Ion
BA
ll
eT
ne
WS
AU
TU
MN
20
16
R E F L E C T I O N S
F R O M T H E
A R T I S T I C
D I R E C T O R
fter being Artistic Director of West
Australian Ballet now for three
years it is maybe time for me to
do a first personal review of what has been
achieved under my leadership and what
can still be achieved to ensure the best
future for this beautiful ballet company.
As I said during my first speech at
the Quarry in 2013, WAB was then
like a rough diamond that needed
to be polished. As with real stones,
this part of the process takes time and I
strongly believe that now, after three years of
commitment, we can see the results of the hard
work accomplished. These great results are to be
shared not only with our dancers and artistic staff
but also with the entire WAB organisation.
Consistency is one of the key elements for
success. A ballet company that brings quality and
beauty on stage during every single performance
can only provoke success and admiration
from its public. Building a strong and versatile
repertoire for both our dancers and our audience
was another important part of the process. Thanks
not only to the support of our friends, donors and
patrons but also with the support of the Board
and Chair, WAB’s repertoire is bold, audacious and
international - both acclaimed Australian & overseas
choreographers are now part of our bright repertoire.
The strength and standard of the company has never
been so high, and due to the extension of the
Young Artist Programme we’ve now reached a total of
40 dancers. Thanks to the support of several generous
donors we proudly have eight young talented dancers within
WAB’s ranks. Several international touring opportunities are in
negotiations and I will soon be able to share this news with you.
Building international recognition is vital to reinforce national
pride and once WAB is admired and revered
outside of Perth I know that we will attract
more interest from the local community
to attend all of our productions.
A Subscriptions and single ticket sales have
increased from year to year, as has our Great
Leaps programme. Our Christmas season has
now also become such a beautiful moment
of joy and gathering for thousands of Perth
families.
I see this as a significant growth in our ballet
tradition and this makes me feel so proud to
be part of it every year.
I still have loads of ambition for this company
and hope to be able to realise many of my
wishes within the next few years. WAB will
continue increasing the number of dancers
to ensure we can continue to perform the big
name classics, building new productions to
reinforce our repertoire, performing regionally,
nationally and internationally, developing
work with Australian and international
choreographers and of course building our
relationship with greater Western Australia.
To enable all of this, the already great support
of our loyal patrons, sponsors, and donors
will hopefully continue to grow along with
the support from both our State and Federal
Governments.
Together let’s open a new chapter of this
fabulous book called ‘West Australian Ballet’
in a time where the lives of many Western
Australians may look a bit grey. Let’s give it
lots of colour and happiness and make Perth
one of the biggest cultural cities in the world.
AURÉLIEN SCANNELLA A r t i s t i c D i r e c t o r
The strength and standard of the company has never been so high...
“”
.7
BA
LL
ET
NE
WS
AU
TU
MN
20
16
re
Fl
eC
TIo
nS
Fr
om
TH
e A
rT
IST
IC d
Ire
CT
or
.6
BA
LL
ET
NE
WS
AU
TU
MN
20
16
ach year, West Australian Ballet welcomes a number of recent dance
graduates as part of the Young Artist Programme. This programme plays an essential role for young Australian dancers in their transition from proficient dance students to professional dance artists.
Without a stepping stone from tertiary dance study to professional dance employment, graduates run the risk of losing their elite levels of strength, fitness and skill they have trained so hard to achieve. Many ballet companies will not hire dancers who do not exhibit professional experience and performance maturity. In this highly competitive industry, a recent graduate needs to gain experience quickly, maintain their bodies, and still earn enough money to travel for auditions, workshops or work experience opportunities - quite a challenge for a young dancer to face!
A L B A N Y A D V E N T U R E S
W A B T O U R S T O T H E G R E A T S O U T H E R N
Y O U N G A R T I S T S P R O F I L E
ouring for the first time in 2016, West Australian Ballet went on tour to WA’s Great
Southern region over the Labour Day long weekend. Fresh from the sell-out season at The Quarry Amphitheatre, the company packed their bags and headed to Albany for two performances of Five by Night at the Albany Entertainment Centre and a range of community activities.
It had been three years since WAB performed in Albany and the community were hungry to see world-quality ballet on the stage again. With only one matinee and one evening performance on Saturday 5 March, audiences quickly snapped up tickets. Many dance lovers and families came together to watch what they told us was an exceptional performance. “Absolutely brilliant, fantastic and really wonderful’’ were among the responses.
One patron wrote “Thank you for bringing such beauty and vibrancy to our town on the 5 March. I attended your performance of Five by Night, and I will never forget the awesomeness of the performances
and music. It is uplifting to have such loveliness…”
Accompanying our dancers was WAB’s Education and Access Manager Deborah Robertson who worked with the Albany team to coordinate a series of events in the community. A ‘Ballet Unveiled’ public lecture, presented in partnership with the University of Western Australia, gave the public a behind-the-scenes view of a ballet company. On Friday 4 March, youth at the local drop-in centre were treated to a display by Bboy champion Pepito, who extended his season with WAB to bring his unique skills to the region.
Along with WAB dancers Alexandre Dahms and Lola Howard, Pepito chatted with the kids and showed them his moves. Inspired by his energy and with encouragement, many also came along to one of the three break dancing workshops held on the Sunday.
For those not keen on participating but wanting to see more of the company, there was an Open Class on stage at the theatre where the
general public watched our dancers take class prior to the matinee performance. This unique insight into how a dancer starts their day proved fascinating to the audience who then stayed on to attend the show.
Of course, it wasn’t all work and no play as the dancers were able to squeeze in a little bit of time to see the sights and enjoy some of the great food on offer. West Australian Ballet’s commitment to providing enriching experiences across the state continued in April when the Education and Access team returned to complete an education programme, which included workshops for dance students and in-school activities.
For more information email: [email protected]
T
E
CASSANDRA KIRKPATRICK
Fortunately with the generous support of our Young Artist Supporters, we can ensure the most talented young dancers in Australia have the best opportunity to succeed. We have seen many Young Artists excel since the programme inception in 2008. Soloist Sarah Hepburn and Demi-Soloist Meg Parry were two of the inaugural Young Artists who have grown through the ranks of WAB as result of their participation in this programme. Young Artist Alumni also include Benjamin Kirkman (2009), William Banks (2010) and Samuel Maxted (2013), who have gone on to perform for various companies in Europe, while Ashley McLellan (2011) and Joseph Simons (2009) have had successful Australian dance careers, transitioning into the contemporary dance realm.
The Young Artist Programme was collectively supported by a significant number of 2015 WAB
Black and White Ball guests. This has made it possible for WAB to offer an additional two scholarships, making 2016 our largest cohort of Young Artists to date.
Already we have witnessed the growth of these dancers, many of whom joined the main company on stage during Five by Night: Ballet at the Quarry. With such a strong start to the year we can be sure the 2016 Young Artists will be the next wave of dancers to look out for.
PENNY DOLLING
Already we have witnessed the growth of these dancers...
“”Photograph by deborah robertson
left to right: Vida Polakov, Ben obst, Heather maclachlan, Tristan Gross, Courtney radford, nikki Blain, Ari Thompson and lola Howard. Photograph by Francis Andrijich.
A c t i n g M a r k e t i n g M a n a g e r
D e v e l o p m e n t & E v e n t s O f f i c e r
.9
BA
LL
ET
NE
WS
AU
TU
MN
20
16
Yo
un
G A
rT
IST
S P
ro
FIl
e
.8
BA
LL
ET
NE
WS
AU
TU
MN
20
16
Recently West Australian Ballet was visited by the very gracious and personable former Principal Ballerina of The Australian Ballet, Madeleine Eastoe. Madeleine’s trip to Perth was short, but filled with activities shedding light on her career, her training and her aspirations for the future.
Madeleine shared her approach to ballet technique and performance in a ‘Learn From The Masters' workshop for some of Perth’s elite young dancers. This was followed by an insightful, moving and at times very funny, Monday Vernissage interview with her long-time friend and WAB Demi-Soloist, Christopher Hill. She talked thoughtfully and with great insight about her journey in life so far - from her hopes as a small girl to be a dancer, to becoming the star of her dreams and now to the process of ‘retirement’- letting go of her career as a dancer and planning this next phase of her life.
As many may know, Madeleine’s pathway to ballet super-stardom began here in Perth, her mother being a ballet teacher at a number of Perth’s well established dance schools.
Madeleine’s friendly and open nature was refreshingly grounded coming from one who had such an outstanding performance career working with artists such as Maina Gielgud and David McAllister AM. From students with stars in their eyes, to those reeling with laughter at her candid stories of ballet life, this pint-sized prima ballerina sure made an impression. If ever she were to return I’m sure she would be welcomed with open arms, and not just from her adoring mum.
“This is a wonderful opportunity you have provided for women and children, who would rarely have the chance to experience the wonder of ballet.”
WAB takes great pride in assisting those in need through our community access programmes. We strongly believe in the power of ballet to transform, enlighten and inspire, and that everyone in our community should be able to access that experience.
These gorgeous images are from our Cinderella rehersals where young aspiring dancers were lucky enough to perform with the company at His Majesty’s Theatre - for most, their first time on a professional stage, working with professional dancers - providing experiences and memories to last a lifetime!
E D U C A T I O N & A C C E S S W R A P
n Wednesday 25 November, in honour of the International Day for the Elimination of
Violence Against Women, or White Ribbon Day, West Australian Ballet invited a number of community groups working in this area to attend a special matinee performance of Cinderella.
Clients, staff and volunteers from seven organisations attended the performance at His Majesty’s Theatre including Women’s Council, Women’s Health and Family Services – Domestic Violence Advocacy Service, Anglicare WA, RUAH,
The Esther Foundation and Relationships Australia.
The responses from guests were full of appreciation for the art form and the opportunity to take time out from their everyday lives to enjoy a magical afternoon at the theatre, the benefit of which cannot be understated.
“It gave us great pleasure to distribute the tickets to the refuges for the women and children escaping domestic and family violence” says Angela Hartwig, CEO of Women’s Council.
The responses from guests were full of appreciation for the art form...
“
”
O
B A L L E T O P E N I N G D O O R S F O R T H E D I S A D VA N TA G E D
M A D E L E I N E E A S T O EL E S S O N S F R O M A B A L L E T M A S T E R
Florence leroux-Coléno by Tony Currie
Florence leroux-Coléno by Tony Currie Christopher Hill and madeleine eastoe by Tony Currie
DEBORAH ROBERTSONE d u c a t i o n & A c c e s s M a n a g e r
.11
BA
LL
ET
NE
WS
AU
TU
MN
20
16
ed
uC
AT
Ion
& A
CC
eS
S
.10
ed
uC
AT
Ion
& A
CC
eS
SB
AL
LE
T N
EW
S
AU
TU
MN
20
16
. . .PerFormed WITH WIT T Y PAnACHe
- The Australian
” THAnK You For BrInGInG SuCH Be AuT Y And VIBr AnCY To our ToWn
- Patron (rosalyn e. Scott)
”
” - ArtsHub
” - out in Perth
F I V E B Y N I G H T :
B A L L E T
A T T H E
Q U A R R Y
Sandy delasalle & matthew lehmann André Santos, Carina roberts & Chihiro nomura Page 12/13: Photography by Sergey Pevnev
left to right: Christopher Hill, nikki Blain, oliver edwardson, Andrew radak, Florence leroux-Coléno & Alessio Scognamiglio
Pepito & Brooke Widdison-Jacobs
.13
BA
LL
ET
NE
WS
AU
TU
MN
20
16
.12
BA
LL
ET
NE
WS
AU
TU
MN
20
16
FIV
E B
Y N
IGH
T:
BA
ll
eT
AT
TH
e Q
uA
rr
Y
FIV
E B
Y N
IGH
T:
BA
ll
eT
AT
TH
e Q
uA
rr
Y
S P O T L I G H T
lessio Scognamiglio’s passion for dancing runs through
his family. As a young boy, his mother used to take him to her ballroom and social dance classes and at six years of age Alessio entered his first dance school.
After a couple of years learning ballroom dancing, he saw a ballet school perform near a movie theatre in his home town of Naples, Italy. He immediately asked his mother if he could join the school and after a mutual agreement between him, his mum and his ballroom teacher, he soon exchanged his ballroom shoes for ballet flats.
Since then Alessio has had the opportunity to train under many different dance tutors but he holds a very special place for his first dance teacher Rosalba Cesare and Naples Academy director Luca Masala for always showing him support, always pushing, and always keeping him motivated to be nothing less than his best.
‘Ale’, or even ‘Sesso’ are some of the pet names given to him by members of the company who, like me, take great joy in spending time with this huge ball of personality. He is always making people laugh and is a very caring and all-round happy guy.
But don’t make the mistake of taking him out for dinner where anything remotely close to authentic Italian cuisine is on the menu because it will never be as good as his mother’s.
That said, Alessio spends some of his most enjoyable hours in the kitchen, and is actually quite a talented cook. I can testify to that!
Not only is Ale an extremely talented dancer (and cook), he is an intelligent young man who speaks five languages and is, at heart, a family man. He jumps at every chance he gets to fly back to Naples to spend time with his friends, brothers and parents who have only just visited Perth for the first time. He admits, “All I do in Italy is see my friends, family and EAT”.
This humble Italian fire ball joined the company at just 18 years of age and has turned heads ever since. Now 21 years old and a Demi-Soloist in our ranks he has had the chance to perform many different roles and ballets. Steptext, by renowned choreographer William Forsythe is definitely one of his favourites. The movement and strength this embodies gives him the rush of excitement needed to push through this extremely difficult piece. Playing the Prince in both Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs and Cinderella was also a highlight, but Alessio is only at the beginning of what I believe will be an amazing career. Keep your eye on him out there, he will be delivering greatness. Just wait and see.
O N A L E S S I O S C O G N A M I G L I O
AWRITTEN BY WAB SOLOIST ANDRÉ SANTOS
Alessio Scognamiglio and Florence leroux-Coléno
Photograph by Sergey Pevnev
BA
LL
ET
NE
WS
AU
TU
MN
20
16
dA
nC
er
SP
oT
lIG
HT
.14
dA
nC
er
SP
oT
lIG
HT
BA
LL
ET
NE
WS
AU
TU
MN
20
16
.15
WAB welcomes
Soloist Gakuro Matsuri
and Corps de Ballet
Chihiro Nomura
to our ranks.
Photograph by
Francis Andrijich
F R O M T H E G R E E N R O O M
fter nine years at the helm of West Australian Ballet, we
celebrated and farewelled Chief Executive Steven Roth as he embarked on a new adventure to the United Kingdom as Executive Director of Scottish Ballet. We also farewelled Board Directors Carolyn Kidd (as she returns to her home country New Zealand), and Heather Zampatti, whom we congratulate her on her recent appointment as Chair of Lotterywest.
Principal Dancer Sergey Pevnev has retired from the stage to head his own ballet school, Pevnev Ballet Academy.
Demi-Soloist Yusuke Hikichi has also returned to his home in Japan. Corps de Ballet member Victoria Maughan has retired to focus full-time on her business, while Corps de Ballet member Chloe Einicke has left to pursue a career in Europe. We congratulate Jessica Allison-Walker and Genevieve O’Keeffe on the completion of their Young Artists Scholarships. We wish them well as they pursue their careers in the eastern states and overseas respectively.
We also farewelled Technical Director Barry Hudson, Production Coordinator Eugene Hallen and
Production Stage Manager Louise Wardle who moved to Macau for a wonderful new stage management opportunity. Acting Marketing Manager Cassandra Kirkpatrick (née Williamson) has left us as she moves to the US with her new husband, while Education Officer Rebecca Sneddon has left to pursue opportunities in Europe.
We wish all our friends and colleagues well in their future endeavours.
We were delighted to see that Ivan King OAM, currently Archivist for the Museum of Performing Arts at His Majesty’s Theatre, was recognised with an Order of Australia Medal for his extraordinary services over many years to the performing arts
as a historian and archivist. Ivan is a legend on the Perth Theatre scene, appearing in plays and musicals throughout Australia and New Zealand before spending two years working in the regional theatres of Great Britain. He returned to his
home town in the 70s to continue a stage career that embraced acting, writing and directing in Perth’s major theatres and theatre-restaurants. We offer Ivan our heartfelt congratulations from all at WAB.
In the interim, we welcome Jan Stewart PSM as our Acting Chief Executive and take this opportunity to congratulate her on her recent award of an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Letters from the University of Western Australia for her outstanding contribution to the community and the arts throughout the years.
We also welcome Sandy Anghie and Margit Mansfield as our two newest Board Directors. Congratulations to Alessio Scognamiglio and Reika Sato on their promotions to Demi-Soloist,
and we welcome Soloist Gakuro Matsuri and Corps de Ballet Chihiro Nomura to our ranks.
We congratulate former Young Artists Ashleigh Bennett, Jesse Holmes and Carina Roberts on their promotions to Corps de Ballet. Welcome to new Young Artists Nikki Blain (supported by Wesfarmers Arts), Tristian Gross and Heather Maclachlan (supported by patrons of the 2015 Black & White Ball), Lola Howard and Courtney Radford (supported by Simon Lee Foundation) and Ari Thompson (supported by Patricia Gates).
We welcome a number of new members to various sections of our administrative and production teams - Ashley Cole as Technical Director, Neil Webster as Production Coordinator, Katy Malacari as Production Stage Manager, Suzanne Beecroft to the role of Acting Marketing Manager, and Penny Dolling as Development and Events Coordinator. Congratulations go to Leanne Beer on her promotion to Partnerships Executive. We also have two new Wardrobe Assistants, Louise Inman and Erin Minervini.
F O N D F A R E W E L L S
G O N G S
W E L C O M E S
A
.17
BA
LL
ET
NE
WS
AU
TU
MN
20
16
Fr
om
TH
e G
re
en
ro
om
.16
Fr
om
TH
e G
re
en
ro
om
BA
LL
ET
NE
WS
AU
TU
MN
20
16
B U I L D I N G T H E N U T C R A C K E R
I mainly worked with Charles on the costume designs. We looked at each of their sketches, and talked about various points, such as what fabric would be used for each part of the costume, and how each costume might be made – the construction methods. There are many ways that a costume can be put together, so it is important that we agreed on how that would occur.
We had a great trip, and had lots of fun whilst also achieving a huge amount of work. While Phil was mainly working on the set design, Charles and I spent long days searching for material and collecting samples. Melbourne has a great range of wholesalers, and this was a fantastic trip not just for The Nutcracker, but for other WAB productions where we might need to make or update existing costumes. By the end of the week we had actually bought and ordered a number of fabrics that we were happy with.
I had already put together a bunch of fabric samples before Charles arrived, and he also brought some samples from England. We went through the samples and how they might work for each costume and also considered the cost of each fabric, especially for those sourced internationally. We spent one afternoon shopping in Perth and sourced some of the fabrics locally, which was great to be able to do.
A toile is a test-garment, which we make from calico. We make a toile for every costume, which enables us to construct each costume on a test-basis and to demonstrate the method that will be used. From the toile we can then look at the lines and shapes that are created, the fullness of skirts and the overall look of each costume. Ideally we will have some idea of which dancer a toile might be made for (so we can get the sizing as correct as possible), however, that is often not possible.
We have been busy starting the Flower costumes, which have taken a huge amount of time. It takes approximately 50 hours to make a complete costume, so the wardrobe team have been hard at work with layers of tulle, in varying shades of pink!
Yes! This year we have another full time wardrobe assistant in our team, and we will also employ a number of casual wardrobe staff throughout the year including a milliner and a tailor. There are so many costumes to make, and each requires such detail. That being said, Charles and Phil have fabulous designs for us, and we are really excited to be working with such creative talent.
If you would like to be a part of The Nutcracker journey, please visit our website and click on Support/Individual Giving, or contact our Philanthropy team on 08 9214 0703.
W H AT D I D Y O U W O R K O N W I T H C H A R L E S A N D P H I L?
I U N D E R S TA N D Y O U W E N T T O M E L B O U R N E , H O W D I D T H AT G O ?
H O W D I D Y O U S E L E C T T H E F A B R I C S ?
W H AT I S A T O I L E ?
H AV E Y O U M A D E A N Y C O S T U M E S Y E T ?
W I L L Y O U N E E D E X T R A H E L P ?
CATHERINE HENWOODP h i l a n t h r o p y M a n a g e r
ballet that embodies the spirit of Christmas will
be reborn this year, with a sparkling new version of The Nutcracker. To achieve his vision for this special project, Artistic Director Aurélien Scannella has engaged UK-based design partners Charles Cusick Smith and Phil R Daniels, who have created ballet and theatre productions for leading companies around the world. These two amazingly creative men have already visited Perth for planning meetings with WAB’s Production Team in preparation for the building of new sets and costumes. We spoke with Lyndell Darch, Head of Wardrobe about their recent visit to Australia.
ADid you know that it takes 50 hours to make a tutu?
“”
.19
BA
LL
ET
NE
WS
AU
TU
MN
20
16
.18
BA
LL
ET
NE
WS
AU
TU
MN
20
16
Bu
Ild
InG
TH
E N
UT
CR
AC
KE
R
Bu
Ild
InG
TH
E N
UT
CR
AC
KE
R
The Nutcracker Campione are a unique circle of philanthropists who are helping to create sparkling costumes and majestic scenery that will breathe new life into this cherished fairy-tale. By joining this group of foundation investors, your name will forever be associated with West Australian Ballet’s signature Nutcracker ballet.
P A T R O N I N P R O F I L E
reg and Vivienne were first introduced to West Australian Ballet almost
six years ago through the invitation of a close friend of Vivienne’s. At that time the company was based at His Majesty’s Theatre.
Having studied ballet as a young girl, Vivienne often comments on how impressed she is with the wide variety of repertoire in West Australian Ballet’s programming; from the gorgeous costumes in classic productions such as La Sylphide and Giselle, to the raw and dynamic talent on show at Genesis. Both Greg and Vivienne agree West Australian Ballet has taken them on an inspirational journey during the years they have been involved.
As philanthropists over many years, Greg and Vivienne have enjoyed the opportunity to support the company and watch its growth. Greg has been particularly impressed with the management and the calibre of the Board. This strong leadership and talent has inspired him as an “investor”, and he speaks with pride about the development of the company, from the move to our home in Maylands to expanded performance seasons and number of dancers.
When meeting with Greg and Vivienne, one is struck by their enormous sense of civic responsibility as they speak about their love of Perth, their desire for balance within the community, and the wonderful way in which the city has grown over time.
Both are incredibly busy people, Greg as a commercial developer with Windsor Knight, and Vivienne with the Department of Planning.
One might think that they are on opposite sides of a team, however their partnership is cemented not only in their love of this city, but in other unexpected areas such as their farm, the veggie garden and of course ballet. Both cherish their time at the farm, where they not only grow their own fruit and vegetables, but also have a herd of geese that have become a part of their extended family!
In the early mornings when many of us are still slumbering, Greg can be found out on the quiet roads. An avid cycler, he enjoys all angles of this sport from the hard climbs and long distances to the more social side.
Vivienne also enjoys the social elements of being involved with the ballet - as a member of the Special Events Committee and the former Friends of West Australian Ballet, she has greatly valued being a part of the “ballet family” and spending time with new-found friends.
Greg and Vivienne are lead members of the Nutcracker Campione team that are helping to bring The Nutcracker to reality in November 2016. We thank them for their fabulous support of this production, and of West Australian Ballet.
G R E G P E A R C E & V I V I E N N E P A N I Z Z A
CATHERINE HENWOOD
G
P h i l a n t h r o p y M a n a g e rPhotograph by Tony Currie
.21
BA
LL
ET
NE
WS
AU
TU
MN
20
16
PA
Tr
on
In
Pr
oF
Ile
.20
PA
Tr
on
In
Pr
oF
Ile
BA
LL
ET
NE
WS
AU
TU
MN
20
16
A N N U A L G I V I N G
S C E N E & B E S E E N
Patron, Private Giving
Mrs Alexandra Burt
Major Benefactors
Bendat Family Foundation
Angela Bennett
Minderoo Foundation
Michael J.M. Wright
Bravura Circle
$10,000+
Tim Bult & Lisa Church
Alex & Julian Burt
Marilyn Burton
Gena Culley
The Feilman Foundation
Wright Burt Foundation
Charles & Patricia Galluccio
Ann & Robert Edwardes
Eve Howell
Kennerlys
Jane & Jock Morrison
Rella Consultants
Dorothy & Allan Smith
David Wallace & Jamelia Gubgub
Wesfarmers Arts
Windsor Knight Pty Ltd
Mary Ann Wright
Anonymous (1)
Director’s Circle
$5,000+
Susy Bogle
Vaughan & Libby Burt
Bux Family Foundation
John & Gay Cruickshank
Roger & Christine Davies
Patricia Gates
Rob & Sue Gillett
The Robert Kimpton Family
John Langoulant AO
Kay Lee & Richard Murphy
Marylyn New
Peggy & Mladen Ninkov
Mark & Ingrid Puzey
David & Rosalind Smith
Smith-Gander Family
The Stan Perron Charitable Trust
Richard Tarala & Lyn Beazley AO
Beth Townsend
Simon & Alison Turner
Fay & Peter White
Anonymous (1)
Choreographers’ Circle
$2,000+
Sandy & Michael Anghie
Terry & Elizabeth Allen
Helen Ansell
Neil Archibald & Alan R. Dodge AM
Tony & Diana Beck
Tony & Mary Beeley
Sally Burton
Ian & Rosana Cochrane
Rachelle Doyle
Gill Holly
Dr Keith Holt
Jim & Freda Irenic
Kevin Jackson
Paul Jones & Clair Medhurst
Lance Kerr
Pamela-Jayne & Anthony Kinder
Rosalind Lilley
Dennis & Margaretha
Maltz and Mary Cheng
Margit Mansfield
Greg & Cathy Meyerowitz
Dr Andrew Miles & Ms Carleen Gaby
Paul Naughton
Sharon Smedley
Clair & John Stanley
Jan & Alan Stewart
Robyn Tamke
Lawrie Tremaine
M & H Tuite
Juerg & Elisabeth Weber
Olive Wheeler-Brennan
Jim & Gill Williams
Anonymous (1)
Leading Artists’ Circle
$1,000+
Robert Aitken
Monique Atlas & Kim Hawkins
Allan Barbarich
Matthew J.C. Blampey
Peter & Stella Blaxell
Christine & Kevin Cass-Ryall
Helen Cook
Lesley & Peter Davies
Michael & Wendy Davis
Mark & Yvette Dawson
Mario D’Orazio
Adam Durell
Bev East
Lorraine Ellard
Mr Carl Freedman & Mr Robert Cappellin
Kay Giorgetta
Rod Gonzales
Scott Griffin
CJ Halvorson
Dorothea Hansen-Knarhoi
Lyn & Andrew Harding
Warwick Hemsley
Helen Hollingshead
Nicky & Laurence Iffla
Gillian & Stewart Johnson
Dr Robin Kirk & Sarah Gallinagh
Stephanie & John Kobelke
Jacqui & Peter Macliver
C & J Martin
The Hon. Sheila McHale
Dr Ken Michael AC
Tony & Gillian Milne
Lynn Murray
Callum Neil
Leanne O'Malley
Linda Panizza
Rosemary Pratt
Debra Reinecke & Stuart Le May
H.E the Hon. Kerry Sanderson AO
Satterley Property Group Pty Ltd
Glenice Shephard
Joy & John Shepherd
Dr Peter Simpson OAM
Ian & Helen Smith OAM
Kate Sommerville
Penelope Thompson Design
Rodney & Penelope Thompson
Rosemary & Neil Tomkinson
Alexandra Welch
Heather Zampatti
Anonymous (4)
Artists’ Circle $500+
Bradley Andrews
Peggy Barker
Shirley Barraclough
B. Barrett-Lennard
John Barrington
Robert Branchi
Rachel Breidahl
C & K Brownlie
Marie Leah Cicchini
Carol Conley
Kim & Valerie Cottrell
Victoria Cousins
J. Fairweather
Tracey Feakes
Martyn Flahive
Friends of the Gallery
Friends of His Majesty's Theatre
Barry & Frieda Gibson
Pippa Green
Deidre Greenfeld
Ken & Jane Hammond
Karen Heagney
Catherine & Will Henwood
Peter Hodge
H.K.M.
Nicholas Kailis
Lauren Kemp
Carolyn Kidd
Francis Landels
Megan Lowe
Reinhardt Matisons
Gaye & John McMath
Dr Karen McQuillan
In Loving Memory of
Anna Mercer
Susan Merritt
Gregory Mogan
Preben & Amy Nielsen
Pamela Platt
Steven Roth
Jayne & Jon Smeulders
Dr Louise Smyth
Denise Stransky
Helyn Verry-Baker
Siobhan Vincent & Associates
M. Wallace
Diana Warnock AM
Joy Wearne
Margaret Whitter
Janet Williams
Karen Wilson
Anonymous (9)
Friends Circle $75+
171 Supporters
Kira Bousloff Bequest Circle
West Australian Ballet recognises those who have chosen to support the future of ballet through our planned giving programme.
In memory of Colleen Clifford & Terry Ashton-Wood
Ella Fry Bequest
Andrew & Del McGuiness
David & Rosalind Smith
The Estate of Clive Wannell
Olive Wheeler-Brennan
Freddi Wilkinson
Anonymous (4)
West Australian Ballet gratefully acknowledges the generous support of our donors, who play a vital role in bringing exceptional performances to our Western Australian communities.
In recognition of gifts received between 1 March 2015 and 29 February 2016
All photographs by Tony CurrieThe Houston Family at the opening night of Cinderella
Friends & supporters at The Summer Soirée
Sandy delasalle-Scannella, matthew lehmann, Brooke Widdison-Jacobs, michael Collins, Jayne Smeulders & Aurélien Scannella at the opening night of Cinderella
Ian Kortlang, Claire montgomery & Patricia Gates
Steven roth, Alex & Julian Burt at the opening night of Five by Night: Ballet at the Quarry
.23
BA
LL
ET
NE
WS
AU
TU
MN
20
16
.22
SC
en
e &
Be
Se
en
BA
LL
ET
NE
WS
AU
TU
MN
20
16
West Australian Ballet Centre
134 Whatley Crescent, Maylands WA 6051 PO Box 604, Maylands WA 6931
T (08) 9214 0707 F (08) 9481 0710 [email protected]
Ballet News designed by The Mad Empire Printed by Abbott & Co Printers
Keep in touch with WAB by subscribing to our monthly eNews, Straight to the Pointe. Simply visit waballet.com.au and click on eNEWS.