Jennifer Porter's
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A Letter from the Artistic Director
Dearest ECB Families, Patrons, and Friends,
It is with immense joy that I welcome you to our magical Spring Show Production once again.
Evergreen City Ballet has spent over 30 years delivering high-quality performances across various dance styles, including beloved pieces from the classical repertoire. This commitment has allowed us to continually rise to the expectations of our discerning audience, and we are honored to have your continued support.
This year, we bring you "Hansel & Gretel" don't get lost in the woods.... , a well-known story, reimagined with a breathtaking twist, thanks to the genius creativity of Jennifer Porter. Her passion for storytelling through dance has shaped a ballet that nurtures the artistic growth of our dancers while challenging them to reach new heights.
I am incredibly proud of our students, who have dedicated themselves wholeheartedly to preparing for this performance. Their hard work, resilience, and passion shine through every movement. This production is also made even more special through a wonderful collaboration with the Newport High School Orchestra, performing live under the direction of Barney Blough. Having live music enriches the experience, and it is a fantastic opportunity for both groups to learn from one another and showcase their talents together. For those who experienced H&G in 2023, you will be amazed to see how it has evolved, matured in depth and artistry, and how our dancers and musicians have flourished technically and expressively.
We are deeply grateful for your support because, as artists, we perform for you, our audience, who gives life to our work. So, please sit back, immerse yourself in this wonderful tale, and prepare to be transported to a land of wonder. And most importantly, promise me one thing: clap loudly! Let our dancers feel your appreciation for their dedication and hard work.
Enjoy the show!
With gratitude and excitement,
Always in pursuit of Excellence!
Maximiliano Guerra
Artistic Director Evergreen City Ballet
A Letter from the Choreographer
When Maximiliano asked if I’d be interested in bringing ECB’s Hansel and Gretel: don’t get lost in the woods...back this spring, I was excited. Not only do I love this show, but it was an opportunity to work with some of the wonderful dancers for whom I originally created the roles, before they graduate and leave ECB to begin their lives. The students at ECB are a talented, generous and hard-working group.
I know they will delight you.
This production is a completely original creation, one that wouldn’t have been possible without the amazing collaboration of my
co-creators.
The traditional fairytale Hansel and Gretel was just the jumping off point. I rewrote the principal characters and added new characters to highlight the dancers and altered the plot to make the story more compelling.
Because there is no official ballet score for this story, Barney Blough (ECB’s Music Director and conductor for the Newport High School Orchestra) and I worked together to find music that could be combined to smoothly and coherently tell our story. Imagine creating the entire score for a ballet from scratch.
Debbi Malady, ECB’s wardrobe Queen, somehow understood the images in my head and magically created truly beautiful costumes and found wonderful volunteers to assist in the backstage transformation of the dancers into characters.
Brian Wallace, Board president, and his volunteer builders constructed the house and the sets.
Denali Weyer ran so many rehearsals and Nathan Cook choreographed the sweet woodland creatures' dance.
The Newport High School Orchestra brings vibrancy to the show with live music, beautifully played by student artists.
I am so proud of and thankful for the many hands that had a part in making this production successful and I am grateful to Maxiliano for supporting me and giving all of us all the opportunity to bring the magic to you once again.
Please enjoy Hansel and Gretel: don’t get lost in the woods...
Jennifer Porter
Hansel & Gretel
Don't Get Lost in the Woods
Choreographed by Jennifer Porter
Woodland Creatures choreographed by Nathan Cook
Act I
This story starts deep in the dark woods when a beloved mother is buried and mourned…
A stepmother interrupts the mourning process and insinuates herself between the grieving children and their lonely father. The father is lulled into trusting his new wife and leaves the twins in her care but honors the strength of his daughter Hansel by giving her his treasured knife. The stepmother, under the guise of a picnic outing, leads the girls into the woods and suddenly disappears. As the evening closes around them, they find themselves alone in the dark forest.
Hansel tries to protect her fearful twin when the birds have eaten up the breadcrumbs
Hansel has sprinkled to help them find their way home, but Gretel is inconsolable. With the sudden appearance and help of the beautiful forest Fairy, Hansel helps Gretel find her own inner strength. They watch as woodland creatures gather around and dance for the benevolent Fairy.
The Fairy gives Gretel her crown, both to bless her and to remind Gretel that she can always call on her for help.
But suddenly, a net is thrown over the beautiful fairy. The twins try to remove it, with Hansel taking out her father’s knife. Alas, the knife is knocked from her hands and the children are captured by the evil Witch’s Assistant who dazzles with sugary sweets and commands an army of gingerbread children to lead them to the Ginger Bread House.
Classical Symphony by Serge Prokofiev
Two Nordic Melodies by Edvard Grieg
Boisterous Bourree from Simple Symphony by Benjamin Britten
Playful Pizzicato from Simple Symphony by Benjamin Britten
Solvieg's Song from Peer Gynt Suite by Edvard Grieg
Prelude from Brooke Green Suite by Gustav Holst
Air from Brooke Green Suite by Gustav Holst
Dance from Brooke Green Suite by Gustav Holst
Argent Edge by Doug Spata
Teddy Bear’s Picnic by John W. Bratton
Act II
The twins are amazed by the house but disturbed by a group of wraith-like girls in a kennel.
Hansel/Gretel frees them, but the girls are in thrall to the Witch and can’t ever be freed.
The twins notice a withered cloaked figure,and are curious but frightened. It is a monstrous witch, who captures Gretel and knocks the fairy’s crown from Gretel’s head. Gretel submits to the witch’s power and is put under her thrall, as well. Having stolen Gretel’s spirit, the witch is young and beautiful again. She dances towards Hansel, recognizing a kindred power.
Hansel escapes, and frees the fairy. Together, they return to the Candy House to face the witch and rescue Gretel. Hansel finds the fairy’s crown and places it on Gretel’s head, breaking the witch’s thrall. Gretel joins the fight. The fairy sprinkles magic on the captives and enough of their power is restored for them to join the battle against the witch. But the witch is too strong and one by one they fall.
The battle continues and it seems that the witch is winning, locked in combat, Hansel plunges her knife into the witch’s heart, but not before the witch’s magic hits her.
The enchantment is broken, which frees the assistant, and who dances merrily away to find a new mistress.
The captives are restored to full life and dance a jubilant triumphant dance. All of the warrior
girls live happily in the Candy House, understanding that beauty really does come from the
inside and that power should be tempered with empathy and kindness.
Teddy Bear’s Picnic by John W. Bratton
Rumanian Folk Dances by Bela Bartok
Dies Irae from the Requiem by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Waltz No. 2 by Dmitri Shostakovich
Over the Waves by Juventino Rosas
Pavane by Gabriel Fauré
Danse Macabre by Camille Saint-Saëns
Waltz from Coppelia by Leo Delibes
Cast
HANSEL..............................................................................................................................Olivia Larimer
GRETEL............................................................................................................................Margot Wallace
FOREST FAIRY................................................................Leelu Wyborny 5/2 & 5/4), Sofia Sanford (5/3)
WITCH'S ASSISTANT.......................................................................................................Isabella Padilla
WITCH.....................................................................................................................................Ella Tonseth
FATHER..................................................................................................................................Nathan Cook
STEPMOTHER.......................................................................................................................Andrea Hines
BIRDS.............................................................................Ava Abueg-Autrey & Aya Saito Held (5/2 & 5/4), Annika Bauer & Elle Rosquita (5/3)
WOODLAND CREATURES............................Vivienne Beachemin, Lillian Carlson, Josephine Fender,
Alina Ghandi, Eric Guo, Norah Nemeth, Sophia Ngo,Chloe Vandermeer, Emily Villanueva,
Clara Wiedemann, Hazel Wilson
LEADER OF THE CAPTIVES.........................................Lucy Chinowsky (5/2 & 5/4), Annika Bauer (5/3)
THE CAPTIVES...............................Ava Abueg-Autrey, Annika Bauer, Shreeya Bose, Lucy Chinowsky, Cate Lium, Olyvia Olson, Grace Preston, Talia Prongay, Grace Rogers,
Elle Rosquita, Aya Saito Held, Sofia Sanford, Isabella Vargas, Leelu Wyborny
GINGERBREAD CAPTAINS............................................................Pepper Bee, Mia Davis, Leslie Perez
GINGERBREAD CHILDREN...........................Madeline Blough, Josehpine Fender, Gabrielle Guadiz, Margaux Loctor, Norah Nemeth, Olivia Torres,Aeryn Wafford, Leila Wilson
Orchestra
VIOLIN..................................................Arush Angra, Alyssa Choi, Allen Fu, Sophia Hu, Alansha Jiang, Claire Jung, Michelle Kim, Selina Lai, Leo Li, Elliott Pyon, Aya Sugihara, Eileen Suh,
Elliott Suh, Eidee Tan, Coco Tao, Matthew Tian, Hannah Wang, Urison Xiao, Julia Zhang
VIOLA.....................................................................................Dominique Borbe, Nicholas Chen, Xiaoren Chung, Cyrus Gandhi, Nina Guo, Prithvi Kumar, Henry Yang, Emily Zhang
CELLO..................................................................Michelle Chang, Eva Chao, Daniel Choi, Tobey Chua, Austin Jung, Cameron Lee, James Lee, Ethan Li, Rachel Park, Jacob Zhao
BASS........................................................................................................................Derek Fung, Jack Ming
ECB Artistic Staff
JENNIFER PORTER
Choreographer
Jennifer Porter has been praised and recognized internationally for her choreography. She is the former Artistic Director of Ballet Bellevue where she created two original full-length ballets, The Snowman and Firebird. She has choreographed several contemporary works including "With Remorse", "Velvet Romance", "Disconnected", "Duet", and "Childish Things". She has choreographed for the Katy Hagelin Dance Project, Inception Dance Theater, and Burmer Music. Her work for Burmer Music titled "Sacred and Profane" was highly acclaimed and recently her piece "Vim" was performed in Croatia! In 2017, Ms. Porter was awarded first place in the Rocky Mountain Choreography Festival, Utah for her piece "Duet". After this event, she was invited to return and present a full evening of her choreography, where she brought ten dancers to perform a selection of her shorter works and her modern-day interpretation of the Russian ballet fairy tale Firebird. Ms. Porter's choreography was well received by an enthusiastic audience at Peery's Egyptian Theater, an 800-seat theater in Ogden, Utah. She has taught her choreography throughout Washington State, including for musicals, graduation dances, and the occasional flash mob!Ms. Porter grew up in Anchorage, Alaska. She trained with Ballet West, First Chamber Dance Company, and attended high school at the prestigious North Carolina School of the Arts. Ms. Porter began her professional dancing career with The Washington Ballet in Washington, DC, and then with Pacific Northwest Ballet where she performed works by George Balanchine, William Forsythe, Kent Stowell, Jerome Robbins, Nacho Duato, and many others.In addition to choreographing and dancing, Ms. Porter has taught for over 20 years. Ms. Porter has enjoyed working with professional dancers and dance students of all levels. She loves coaching, mentoring, and nurturing her students, especially their passion for dance.
BARNEY BLOUGH
Conductor
Barney Blough brings a wealth of experience from a wide-ranging background. Mr. Blough is currently Music Director of Evergreen City Ballet, Conductor of the Sinfonia Orchestra with the Bellevue Youth Symphony, and a teacher in the Bellevue School District, directing the award winning Newport High School Orchestra. As Music Director of Evergreen City Ballet he has conducted well over 50 performances of standard ballet repertoire such as Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, and Giselle. He is in his 15th year as a conductor with the Bellevue Youth Symphony, where he has conducted over 50 concerts of diverse repertoire with Premiere and Sinfonia.
As an educator Mr. Blough has been teaching for over 20 years in Seattle, Tacoma, and Bellevue. His orchestras have won numerous awards at the Northwest Orchestra Festival,
WWU-ASTA Orchestra Festival, World Strides, and Ictus Music Competition. Mr. Blough studied conducting with Larry Gookin and Nikolas Caoile at Central Washington University; Vilem Sokol. Director Emeritus of the Seattle Youth Symphony; and Stewart Kershaw, Principal Conductor of the Pacific Northwest Ballet; and Gunther Schuller, Pulitzer Prize winning composer, President of New England Conservatory, and Artistic Director of the Tanglewood Music Center.
Mr. Blough received a Bachelor of Arts in Music Performance from Central Washington University, a Teaching Certificate from Seattle Pacific University, a Professional Certificate from Pacific Lutheran University, and a Masters in Music from Central Washington University.
MAXIMILIANO GUERRA
Artistic Director
Maximiliano Guerra is an internationally acclaimed dancer, choreographer and teacher.
Mtro. Guerra was born in Argentina and began his ballet training at the age of ten. He made his international debut as a guest dancer of Los Angeles Ballet under John Clifford’s Direction, and a year later joined the English National Ballet Dancer as a star. He has performed with some of the most prestigious companies in the world, including the Royal Ballet of London, Deutsche Opera of Berlin, the Kirov Ballet in St, Petersburg, the Ballet of Novosibirsk Siberia, the Stanislavsky Ballet Theater and the Bolshoi Ballet in Moscow, the Alla Scala Theatre in Milano, the Ballet of the Opera of Rome, the Universal Ballet from Korea and the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires. He has danced leading roles in classical and contemporary ballets, such as Swan Lake, Giselle, Romeo and Juliet, Don Quixote, Manon, Onegin, The Sleeping Beauty, and The Nutcracker, as well as creations by J. Neumeier, W. Forsythe, M. Bejart and many others.
As a choreographer, Guerra has created original works for the Teatro Colon Ballet, the Stuttgart Ballet, the Ballet of La Scala, the Mercosur Ballet and the Ballet of Santiago. His choreographic style is dynamic, expressive, and diverse, blending classical and modern elements. He has also staged and coached ballets by renowned choreographers, such as John Cranko, Kenneth MacMillan, John Neumeier, and Jiří Kylián among others.
As a teacher, Guerra has taught master classes and workshops at various schools and institutions all round the world, such as Teatro Colon, Pettit Ballet School and Dance Open America in Miami. He has also mentored and nurtured young dancers, many of whom have gone on to join professional companies or win international ballet competitions. He is committed to sharing his knowledge and experience with the next generation of dancers and artists.
Guerra is the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including the Gold Medal Senior of the XIII contest international Ballet Competition in Varna, Messenger of Peace by UNESCO and much more. He is also a member of the International Dance Council.
Guerra's vision for Evergreen City Ballet is to make it a professional school and company that celebrates the art of ballet, inspires audiences, and enriches the greater Seattle and Washington community. He aims to expand the repertoire, attract and retain talented students to develop dancers to their full potential. To collaborate with other artists and organizations, and to increase the accessibility and diversity of ballet. He believes that ballet is a universal language that can connect people across cultures and generations.
NATHAN COOK
School Principal
Nathan Cook began his ballet training at the age of four at Washington Contemporary Ballet in Tacoma, WA, where he studied classical and contemporary ballet under the direction of Kay Englert. He received further training from Spectrum Dance Theater and Pacific Northwest Ballet.
As a professional dancer, Mr. Cook has had the privilege of working with esteemed choreographers such as Adam Miller, Julie Tobiason, Jennifer Porter, and Cyrus Khambatta. He has also enjoyed the opportunity to tour both domestically and internationally to places such as Germany, France, India, South Korea, and more.
DENALI WEYER
Programs + Rehearsal Coordinator
Denali started dancing with ECB in 2009 and after graduating high school, got accepted into The School of Ballet Arizona’s Pre-Professional program and danced there for two years. Denali also danced for Oregon Ballet Theater’s Pre-Professional program. Her favorite roles have been the Lilac fairy from Sleeping beauty and anything from Nutcracker!
While dancing in Arizona, she got her massage therapy license and have enjoyed my work in that. Other than her love for dance, she also loves to travel. Anytime Denali is not in the studio, she is reading a good book or planning her next camping or backpacking adventure!
DEBBI MALADY
Costume Designer + Wardrobe Coordinator
Ms. Malady was born and raised in South Africa, where she learned to sew at an early age and made all of her own costumes as a competitive ice skater. After moving to the United States, she earned her B.S. in Human Biology from the University of Utah, followed by a credential in Elementary Education after relocating to the San Francisco Bay Area.
She has two daughters who have been dancers from a young age and has been designing and creating costumes for their school theatre, dance performances, and competitions for the past 14 years.
MYRIAM BARROSO
Curriculum Consultant & Outreach Access Initiatives Coordinator
Myriam Barroso was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She began her studies of Classical Ballet with Vera Stankaitis and Spanish Classical Dance with Lucia Silva, achieving her “Professor Title Diploma”i n both disciplines. After a very tough audition at the age of 10, she was accepted to be part of the school of Teatro Colon where she developed her training at the Instituto Superior de Arte and achieved her Professional Dancer Diploma.
Mrs. Barroso also has a Pilates Technic Diploma as a complimentary study
for the development of Classical and Contemporary Dance. She was selected by the great Juliard School teacher Héctor Zaraspe, representative of theprestigious “Fulbright U.S. Student Program” in commission with Argentina, to dance his “Pas de Quatre” in the Pugni/Perrot choreography with Spanish reminiscences.
In 1990 she became adjunct of the Ballet Estable of Teatro Colón until 1992, when, through an International Competition, and within the best five scores, she became a professional dancer in that prestigious Ballet Company. In all the 25 years that she was part of the company, Myriam had the pleasure to work and dance with the best National and international choreographers who chose her as Principal Ballerina for most of their works. Together, with Maximiliano Guerra, Myriam hasdeveloped the Program and Curriculum of the Ballet Career for the MG Escuela de Artes Foundation in which she holds the title of “Director of the Dance Career Program.” Currently she gives Master Classes, Seminars, Private Coaching, and rehearsing companies all-round, and being a Member of U.N.E.S.C.O. The International Council of the Dance (C.I.D) she enhances the art of Ballet Teaching.
About Evergreen City Ballet
MISSION
Evergreen City Ballet’s mission is to provide high quality dance education and performance opportunities to students of all ages and to enrich the diverse communities in the Puget Sound region through performances, outreach, and community engagement initiatives.
VISION
Our long-term vision is to be a nationally recognized, premier, pre-professional ballet school with a studio company and a thriving arts and cultural hub in Renton that cultivates excellence, diversity, inclusiveness, and innovation.
ECB AT A GLANCE
Evergreen City Ballet (ECB) was established in 1994 and received its non-profit status in 1995. It was established in downtown Auburn as both a pre-professional ballet school and as a performing company. From its humble but visionary beginnings, Evergreen City Ballet has provided high quality dance education, professional-level performances, and a nurturing place for students, families, and community members to flourish. Beginning from the leadership of Founding Artistic Director Wade Walthall (1994-2008), ECB continues to shape young dancers into successful professionals in the field of dance and beyond, and cultivates a culture of excellence within the communities it serves. Evergreen City Ballet offers a rigorous, well-rounded, and holistic approach to learning and development. Our diverse program offers classes for all ages from Parent & Tot, to Creative Movement, to the School Division, and the Performance Division. Our School Division and Performance Division students take a wide variety of classes from ballet, pointe, variations, partnering, contemporary, modern, jazz, hip-hop, improvisation, and more. Some of our graduates have gone on to study at The Juilliard School, University of Washington, and University of Oregon to name a few. Members of our alumni body have had successful professional careers dancing with San Francisco Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Oregon Ballet Theatre, The Metropolitan Opera Ballet, on Broadway, and more.
About Newport Orchestra
The Newport Orchestra Program has earned a long-standing reputation as one of the finest high school string programs in the country. Many of our students are active in private lessons, youth symphonies and summer music programs. A number of these students are selected each year for the Washington All-State Orchestra and the All-Northwest Orchestra. Recently recognized on the national level, Newport Orchestra also had students selected for the All-National Honor Orchestra for three years in a row. In 2018, the Newport Philharmonic traveled to Washington D.C. to perform at the Kennedy Center for the Capital Festival on Presidents’ Day, and in 2023 the Newport Chamber Orchestra was invited to perform in the World Strides Festival of Gold in Nashville, Tennessee. Regionally, the Newport Philharmonic was invited to perform at the WMEA All-State Conference in 2024, and they were one of only twelve orchestras from around the country invited to perform at the National Orchestra Festival sponsored by the American String Teacher’s Association in Louisville, Kentucky. This year, the Newport Chamber Orchestra was again invited to perform at the National Orchestra Festival in Atlanta, Georgia, and where they won third place among sixteen of the best high school orchestras in the country.
Silent Auction
Supporters of the Newport Orchestra
SONO (Supporters of Newport Orchestra) is a 501c3 nonprofit corporation, organized by parents of music students to support Newport's orchestra program. Through SONO, parents assist in the organization of concert logistics, field trips, festivals, and retreats. SONO also managers fundraisers such as Knights in Vienna and Ballet Knights, which help provide for the purchase of new instruments, music, coaching, and scholarships. To learn more please visit out website at www.sono-newport.com.
SONO is excited to host an online auction prior to the show again this year. Of course, there will be plenty of fabulous gourmet desserts to enjoy, and admission to the auction before the show is free! We many wonderful items for you to bid on such as gift cards from Applebee's and Costco, and guest passes from Bellevue Arts Museum, Paramount Theater, and Seattle Shakespeare Company. We also have treats from Total Wine & More, Panera Bread, and Caffe Ladro, and some very special experiences from Creatively Yours Paint and Solitaire Sailing.
The gift of live music and dance cannot be taken for granted, and we are elated that we can all celebrate these gifts together again this year. Please scan the QR code below to cast your bid on the auction items and support the orchestra program at Newport High School. All of the money raised from the auction will go to support the Newport Orchestra Program by providing sectional coaching, financial assistance for trips, instrument maintenance, and everything else related to helping students learn about and enjoy music.
ECB Scholarships
Wade Walthall Scholarship Fund
The Wade Walthall Scholarship Fund honors our founding Artistic Director by providing merit grants to reward high achievement by motivated students. This fund rewards students who demonstrate special skills or character traits such as significant community service, leadership, work ethic, a positive attitude, dedication to the discipline of ballet, creativity and collaboration.
Olivia Gray Scholarship Fund
Olivia Gray trained at Pacific Northwest Ballet for twelve years before she found her home at Evergreen City Ballet. ECB was a second family for her and a place to share her beautiful gifts. Olivia was the epitome of what a dancer should be, her spirit and passion in the studio and on stage captivated everyone who watched her. To best honor Olivia and her legacy, her family would love to help other aspiring dancers pursue their dream. The Olivia Gray Scholarship Fund is a need-based scholarship that will assist dancers to focus on enjoying what they love to do without the burden of worrying about the cost of their training.
Use this button to give the gift of dance by donating to one of our scholarship funds. Specify in the comments section where you would like your donation directed.