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National Ballet of Washington, D.C.

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The National Ballet of Washington, D.C. was an American national ballet company founded in 1962 by Jean Riddell [1][2] granddaughter of the founder of PET Evaporated Milk and artistic director Frederic Franklin,[3] with financial support from the Ford Foundation.[4] Its studios were located at 2801 Connecticut Avenue, NW, in Washington, DC.[5]

The company premiered on January 3, 1963 at the George Washington University Lisner Auditorium, changed residency upon the opening of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in 1972, and officially ended on June 13, 1974.

The National Ballet brought ballet to every state in the United States but two, and also performed in Canada and Mexico.

Ben Stevenson OBE was co-artistic director from 1971 to 1974.[6]

History

In 1958, Frederic Franklin was appointed co-director of the Washington Ballet by its founder, Mary Day. Franklin choreographed two original works – Etalage to music by Franz Liszt and Homage au Ballet with music by Charles-François Gounod – for the Washington Ballet. In 1960, Franklin said in an interview, "We are working towards a resident company in the nation's capital." He resigned in April 1961 after a dispute over the future direction of the company.

The National Ballet of Washington, DC was co-founded in 1962 by Jean Riddell, chairman of the board of the Washington Ballet Guild and a committed patron of the arts, and Frederic Franklin, artistic director, with financial assistance from the Ford Foundation. Mrs. Riddell was named president of its sustaining organization, the National Ballet Society. Franklin and Riddell also created the National Ballet School with an enrollment of 250 girls and boys with class size limited to 15 students.

Franklin said: "The school and the company are for America and for all the good dancers that we can find and develop. Our intention is to establish a national company in the nation's capital based on artistic policies similar to those of the New York City Ballet and the original policy of the Sadler's Wells Ballet." Riddell said, "The National Ballet is the only logical name for this company – it's designed not only for Washington, but also for growth."

After three months of rehearsal, the company debuted on January 3, 1962 at the George Washington University Lisner Auditorium, with New York City Ballet co-founder and choreographer George Balanchine in the audience. The company received 13 curtain calls.[7]

Dancers

Principal dancers included Sonia Arova, Alida Belair,[8] Marilyn Burr, Eugene Collins, Jean-Paul Comelin,[9] Ivan Dragadze, Roderick Drew, Anita Dyche,[10] Stevan Grebel (1965-1971),[11] Daniel Franck, Jacqueline Hepner,[12] Claudine Kamoun, Desmond Kelly, Roni Mahler,[13] Kevin McKenzie,[14][15] Ivan Nagy,[16] Kirk Peterson,[17] Yvonne Meyer, Andrea Vodehnal.[18][19][20]

Soloists included James Capp, Roy Gean,[21] Helen Heineman, Judith Helman, Hiller Huhn, Linda Kintz,[22] Michelle Lees, James Maher, Lucy Maybury, Patricia Mideke, Jane Miller, Judith Reese, Judy Rhodes, Judith Rigler, Ilona Russell, Thomas Russell,[23] Frederic Strobel, James Thompson, Franklin Yezer.

Corps de Ballet included Mariana Alvarez, Charlotte Belcher, Roger Bigelow, Phyllis Blake, Karen Brown, Nancy Davis,[24] Evelyn Ebel, Susan Frazer, Susan Gore, Christy Knoblauch, Katherine Laqueur, Maxine Mahon, Sheryl McKechnie, Andrea Price, Betty Risen, Susan Smith, Patricia Sorrell, Llanchie Stevenson, James Thompson.

Guest artists included Dame Margot Fonteyn of the Royal Ballet, and Violette Verdy, Patricia McBride and Edward Villella of the New York City Ballet. Other guest artists included Gaye Fulton of the Zurich Ballet Company, Fleming Flint of the Paris Opera Ballet, and Seija Simonen of the Helsinki Dance Company[25] of Finland.

The first graduates of the National Ballet School to be accepted into the company were Sheryl McKechnie, Judy Rhodes and Betty Risen.

Staff

Ralph Black, former manager of the National Symphony Orchestra[26] was General Manager.[27] Oleg Tupine was the Ballet Master.[28] Ottavio DeRosa was Principal Conductor. James McInnes was Associate Conductor. James Gamble was Stage Manager. May Ishimoto was costumer.[29]

Repertoire

The repertoire of the National Ballet of Washington, D.C. included Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, Giselle, Les Sylphides, La Sylphide, Coppelia[30] Con Amore,[31] Homage au ballet,[32] Raymonda Pas de Dix, Sylvia (ballet) Pas de Deux, Bachianas Brasileiras, Tribute, Legend of the Pearl, Night Song, Four Temperaments, La sonnambula (Balanchine), Othello,[33] Danse Brilliante, Le Combat, and Serenade (ballet).[34]

References

  1. ^ Jean M. Riddell, 100, dies, patron of the arts, The Washington Post, September 24, 2010
  2. ^ Jean Montgomery Riddell, The Washington Times, September 29-October 28, 2010
  3. ^ Frederic Franklin, ballet dancer, coach and director, dies at 98, by Sarah Halzak, The Washington Post, May 5, 2013
  4. ^ Chapter 5 - A Company in the Capital: The National Ballet, from Frederic Frankin, by Leslie Norton, McFarland & Company, 2007
  5. ^ Records of the National Ballet, 1962-1974, www.worldcat.org
  6. ^ Ben Stevenson, Wikipedia
  7. ^ Chapter 5 - A Company in the Capital: The National Ballet, from Frederic Frankin, by Leslie Norton, McFarland & Company, 2007
  8. ^ Out of Step: A Dancer Reflects by Alida Belair, amazon.com book listing, accessed 8.28.13
  9. ^ Bio, Jean-Paul Comelin, www.DanceMasterClass.com
  10. ^ Anita Dyche Appears Here, Spartanburg Herald-Journal, January 27, 1968
  11. ^ Bio, www.GrebelDance.com
  12. ^ Jacqueline Hepner-Thurston, Founder-Director, Ballet Society of North Country, accessed 8.22.13
  13. ^ Bio, www.RoniMahler.com
  14. ^ Kevin McKenzie's Recollections of his Time with the Joffrey, www.joffreymovie.com, March 1, 2012
  15. ^ Kevin McKenzie, Artistic Director, www.abt.org, accessed 2.27.2013
  16. ^ Ivan Nagy, The Ballet Encyclopedia
  17. ^ American Ballet Theatre press release Kirk Peterson Named Artistic Director of ABT Studio Company, March 8, 2006
  18. ^ Andrea Vodehnal - Ballerina, Andrea Camille Vodehnal July 10, 1938 - November 24, 2011, Memorial Service Video by Jaroslav Vodehnal, Vimeo
  19. ^ Houston Ballet Remembers Principal Dancer Andrea Vodehnal, www.houstonballet.com, 12.1.2011
  20. ^ National Ballet of Washington, DC, www.dancestudiolife.com
  21. ^ Roy Gean, Ballet Dancer, Teacher, by Patricia Sullivan, The Washington Post, April 5, 2006
  22. ^ About the Directors Linda Kintz, Mark Mejia, accessed 3.1.2013
  23. ^ Six Dancers Reminisce, by Carol Egan, Juilliard Journal, November 2011
  24. ^ Portland Ballet Instructor Bios, accessed 5.16.13
  25. ^ Helsinki Dance Company, History, accessed 5.15.13
  26. ^ The Best of Black Notes (The Wit and Wisdom of Ralph Black on Symphony Orchestra Success), by Ralph Black (paperback), amazon.com, accessed 8/22/13
  27. ^ The National Ballet, program, The University of Michigan, Hill Auditorium, Ann Arbor, Michigan, January 24, 1968
  28. ^ A Ballet School's Lasting Legacy, by Barbara Bein, Special to The Washington Post, July 27, 2006
  29. ^ After Internment, seamstress created costumes for ballet's greats, by Matt Schudel, The Washington Post, January 17, 2010.
  30. ^ Coppelia program, Sunday, November 21, 1965, Lisner Auditorium
  31. ^ Con Amore, www.WorldCat.org
  32. ^ Homage au ballet, program, October 7, 1967, Lisner Auditorium, www.worldcat.org
  33. ^ Othello commissioned by The National Ballet to commemorate 400th anniversary of the birth of William Shakespeare, world premier November 20, 1964, www.worldcat.org
  34. ^ 141. Serenade, George Balanchine Foundation, Stagings, 1964, National Ballet (Washington, D.C., 1963-1974)
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