Cinderella (1997) Choreography: Stanton Welch Music: Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953)
From February 23-March 4, Houston Ballet presents Stanton Welch's staging of Cinderella, which was originally created for The Australian Ballet in 1997. The story has been a favorite for generations, but make no mistake, this is not your childhood Cinderella. More tomboy than princess, Stanton Welch's title character is a striking woman of substance, determination and spunk. She's in control, fighting the oppression and will of her evil stepmother with wit and vigor. And when she finds true love she grabs it - and wisely holds on with both hands.
A fresh new take on the familiar tale, Cinderella features lavish scenery and spectacular costumes by the late New Zealand designer Kristian Fredrickson. The production includes extravagant wigs and 207 sumptuous costumes using materials ranging from silk, lace and laser fabrics to heavy tweed, stretch denim and lycra. Mr. Fredrickson also created a series of lavish and spectacular ball gowns for the stepmother and the stepsisters, who are portrayed by men who dance on pointe.
At the end of Mr. Welch's staging, Cinderella finds true love not with the handsome, narcissistic prince, but with his mild-mannered valet, Dandini. "I think that the subtle, implicit message of the traditional Cinderella story - that someone will magically appear to rescue you from a bad situation - is not a great message to send to a young child. It's about standing up for yourself, making your own decisions, choosing your own path, your own love," commented Mr. Welch.
Houston Ballet presented the American premiere of Mr. Welch's production of Cinderella in February 2008. Writing in Arts Houston Magazine in April 2008, critic Nancy Wozny pronounced the work "one rousing and very relevant ballet," observing, "Welch combined pathos, following the dark tenor of Prokofiev's score, with sharp wit and full bodied characters...Kristian Fredrikson's glorious storybook setting and luscious parade of gold-trimmed black gowns kept the thread alive."
Tapestry (2012) A world Premiere by Stanton Welch Music: wolfgang amadeus mozart
Mr. Welch will create Tapestry, a new work to Mozart's Violin Concerto No. 5. He has found inspiration in the works of Mozart several times, including when creating Falling (set to Mozart's Salzburg Symphonies) for San Francisco Ballet in 2005 and Mostly Mozart (set to the popular Serenade #13, Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, or "A Little Night Music") for Ballet Met in 2004. Mr. Welch will collaborate with costume designer Holly Hynes for Tapestry.
ROOSTER (1991) Choreography: Christopher Bruce Music: The Rolling Stones
At 20 years old, Christopher Bruce's Rooster is still rocking audiences around the world. It's a fast-paced romp of machismo and nostalgia set to eight classic tracks by The Rolling Stones.
Originally premiered by the Ballet du Grand Théâtre de Genève on October 10, 1991, Rooster has been performed to overwhelming popular and critical acclaim worldwide. The London opening of the ballet at Sadler's Wells Theater in November 1992 was a glittering international event. Prince Andrew was in attendance, as was Rolling Stones front man Mick Jagger. When asked what he thought of Rooster after the performance, Mr. Jagger responded, "I love it! It was great. I was looking at them and thinking 'that's a good move, I must nick that.'" He brought his children back to see a matinee performance of Rooster and hired three of the Rooster dancers to appear in his next video.
Margaret Putnam, dance critic for The Dallas Morning News, wrote, "On a superficial level, the subject [of Rooster] is machismo and vanity, about the strut and swagger of young, cocksure males. But behind the bravado is despair, the sense that these youths are staring straight into a future of picket lines and cramped lives. Rooster even manages to transcend the music, no small feat." (May 28, 1995)
DIVERGENCE (1994) Choreography: Stanton Welch Music: Georges Bizet (1838-1875)
Mr. Welch will reprise his sexy, explosive Divergence. Set to Georges Bizet's L' Arlésienne, Suites No. 1 & 2 and featuring Vanessa Leyonhjelm's provocative industrial strength costumes, Mr. Welch's Divergence is classical dance with a punch. It is an extraordinarily demanding bravura showpiece for the entire company.
The work, which had its Houston premiere in 2004, was a critical and audience favorite. Molly Glentzer, dance critic for the Houston Chronicle, exclaimed, "Wow. Am I just giddy with love at first sight, or is Divergence the coolest thing Houston Ballet has ever done? If this is 21st century ballet, bring it on." (February 28, 2004)
Mr. Welch comments, "For years I had heard that classical ballet was dying; staggering along like some prehistoric creature, tiredly dragging its old and limited repertoire around. I have never believed this. I was raised on the beauty of classical ballet and have never seen its limitations - it was my breast milk.
I wanted to take classical ballet, and diverge from it. The first image in the work is what one would consider very traditional classical ballet. From then on, I kept branching off into different paths. I wanted to show the women working as hard as the men. I wanted to show the inside of ballet, to make it look difficult and athletic. I wanted to show the pain and the strength and the difficulty behind what the dancers were doing, rather than hide it."
