Jaime Diaz

The Boston Ballet is an American professional classical ballet company based in Boston, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1963 by E. Virginia Williams and Sydney Leonard, and was the first professional repertory ballet company in New England. It has been led by Violette Verdy (1980–1984), Bruce Marks (1985–1997), and Anna-Marie Holmes (1997–2000). Mikko Nissinen was appointed artistic director in September 2001.

History

1956-1979

In 1956, E. Virginia Williams moved her ballet school from a studio in Back Bay to 186 Massachusetts Avenue, across from the Loew's State Theatre in Boston. At this point, the school offered classes starting at a children's level all the way to a professional division.

In 1958, out of her Boston School of Ballet (which was sometimes called The New England School of Ballet), E. Virginia Williams formed a small dance group named The New England Civic Ballet. The group primarily performed at small local festivals and venues around New England.

From 1958-1962, the New England Civic Ballet performed regionally, dancing various pieces such as a three-act ''Nutcracker'', ''Les Sylphides'', and repertory works by E. Virginia Williams, Sydney Leonard, Lev Ianov, and Jean Paige.

In August 1962, the New England Civic Ballet performed as part of the 30th year of the Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival. At this point, the New England Civic Ballet was considered a semi-professional company, and began calling themselves the Boston Ballet.

In December 1963, ''The Boston Globe'' reported that a Ford Foundation grant of US$144,000 to the Boston Ballet School had given birth to Boston's first and only professional ballet company. The total Ford Grant was $7,756,000, the largest private subsidy made to a single art form at the time. In part, based on the recommendations of George Balanchine and W. McNeil Lowry, the grant provided for the formation of several professional ballet companies. This included the Boston Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet, Cincinnati Ballet, and Washington Ballet. Balanchine was a strong supporter of this initiative. He was Boston Ballet's artistic advisor for several years, and gave the new company several of his works.

1979–1989

In 1979, Boston Ballet opened the Nervi Festival in Italy, and in 1980 was the first American dance company to perform in the People's Republic of China. The Company made its London premiere in 1981, with a full-length production of Swan Lake. In 1983, Boston Ballet presented ''Don Quixote'' on Broadway with Rudolf Nureyev as guest artist, after touring the United States, Mexico, France, and Italy. Boston Ballet performed Mark Morris's ''Mort Subite'' at the PepsiCo Festival in Purchase, New York in 1986, and performed at the BESSIE Dance and Performance award ceremony at New York City Center in 1987.

1990–1999

Boston Ballet made its debut at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC, in January 1990. Thay May Natalia Dudinskaya, Konstantin Sergeyev, and assistant artistic director Anna-Marie Holmes staged a new production of ''Swan Lake'' with Boston Ballet dancers performing with dancers from the Kirov Ballet and the Bolshoi Ballet. In July 1991, Boston Ballet toured throughout Spain.

2000–2010

In 2005, the company added James Kudelka's ''Cinderella'', George Balanchine's ''Coppélia'', ''Jewels'', ''Midsummer Night's Dream'', the American premiere of Jirí Kylián's ''Black and White,'' John Cranko's '' Onegin'', ''The Taming of the Shrew,'' and ''Romeo and Juliet'' to its repertoire. Boston Ballet additionally appointed Jorma Elo as its resident choreographer. Elo created at least six works for the company, including ''Plan to B'', ''Brake the Eyes'', and ''Le Sacre du Printemps''. During the summer of 2007, the company completed a second tour of Spain. Boston Ballet's touring included appearances at the Guggenheim Museum's ''Works & Process'' series, the "Fall for Dance" festivals held at New York City Center and Orange County Performing Arts Center, and performances at the Spoleto Festival USA and the Kennedy Center's ''Ballet Across America'' series in the spring of 2008. Boston Ballet embarked on its first tour to Seoul, South Korea in the summer of 2008, presenting works by George Balanchine, Twyla Tharp, and Christopher Wheeldon not previously performed there. In the fall of 2009, Boston Ballet's sole performance venue became the Boston Opera House.

Since 2010

Boston Ballet maintains a repertoire that includes classics such as Marius Petipa's ''The Sleeping Beauty'' and August Bournonville's ''La Sylphide'', contemporary versions of classics such as Mikko Nissinen's ''Swan Lake'' and John Cranko's ''Romeo and Juliet'', and works by contemporary choreographers including William Forsythe, Jirí Kylián, Mark Morris, David Dawson, Val Caniparoli, Christopher Wheeldon, and Helen Pickett. Over 35 performances employ the entire company and more than 250 Boston Ballet School students who join in the production every year. Boston Ballet's ''The Nutcracker'' has been performed annually since 1963.

Boston Ballet II

Boston Ballet has no official apprentice company. However, they have a secondary company, Boston Ballet II (BBII). For some dancers, their work in BBII is their first paid dancer experience. BBII members usually practice with the main company, and perform in some of the main company productions and in some of their own productions.

Boston Ballet School

''The Boston Ballet School (BBS)'' continues to operate as part of Boston Ballet. The program was officially incorporated as Boston Ballet School in 1979. The studio serves male and female ballet students starting at age 3. The BBS is the largest dance school in North America, providing professional dance education at three locations in Boston, Newton, and the North Shore.

Boston Ballet Studios

Clarendon Street Boston Ballet School Headquarters: The original studio location of the Boston Ballet School. The Clarendon Street Studio also acts as the Headquarters for the school and the greater company, including administrative offices and the marketing team. The Clarendon Street Studio is also home of the Pre-Professional Program.

Marblehead Boston Ballet School: Located on the second floor of the Lynch Van Otterloo YMCA in Marblehead Massachusetts, the third studio was opened in 2009. It is the smallest of the three studios.

Newton Boston Ballet School: Originally based in Norwell, Massachusetts, the newer Newton studio opened its doors in August 2017.

Pre-Professional Program at Boston Ballet School: The pre-professional program at the Boston Ballet is a stepping stone to the professional company. It is not the same as Boston Ballet II. It is competitive, and accepts about 80 students a year. Students worldwide participate in this program and train directly under the head of the Boston Ballet School and the professional company members. The program is delivered at and in partnership with Walnut Hill School for the Arts for students in grades 9-12. Pre-Professional students occasionally perform in Boston Ballet company performances.

Boston Ballet School and Walnut Hill School For Performing Arts: Although on pause from autumn 2020, Walnut Hill Academy for the Performing Arts will utilize Boston Ballet School's teachers and students while offering access to Walnut Hill School's academic curriculum, housing, and facilities. The new partnership focused exclusively on Boston Ballet School's pre-professional division, currently made up of 81 students - the school's smallest branch.

Dancers

References

Boston Phoenix
interview with Mikko Nissinen, August 29, 2011


"Violette Verdy Joining Boston Ballet..." August 21, 1979
* Morris, Marie. (September 12, 2006). ''Frommer's Boston''. Boston: Frommer's; Pap/Map edition.

External links

*
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archival footage of Plan to B
in 2004 at Jacob's Pillow
*Interview with Sydney Leonard, ''To the Pointe''
part 1part 2

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Ballet companies in the United States
Ballet schools in the United States
Culture of Boston
Boston Theater District
1963 establishments in Massachusetts
Performing groups established in 1963
Dance in Massachusetts