Here's the press release with the repertory, a list of dancers, and a biography of Anthony Morgan, the new choreographer whose work Farrell is presenting:

THE SUZANNE FARRELL BALLET FALL 2002

Program A: October 23, 24, 27(mat)

Raymonda Variations (chor: Balanchine, music: Excerpts from Raymonda by A. Glazounov)

Intermission

A Farewell to Music (chor: Morgan, music: Adagio movement, Clarinet Concerto in A Major K. 622 by W.A. Mozart))

Pause

Variations for Orchestra (chor: Balanchine, music: Variations in Memory of Aldous Huxley by I. Stravinsky)

Intermission

Who Cares? (chor: Balanchine, music: by G. Gershwin, orchestration by H. Kay)**Intermediate version between concert version and full version

Program B: October 25, 26 (mat & eve)
Divertimento No. 15 (Chor: Balanchine, music: Divertimento No. 15 in B-flat major, K.287 by W. A. Mozart)

Intermission

A Farewell to Music (chor: Morgan, music: Adagio movement, Clarinet Concerto in A Major K. 622 by W. A. Mozart))
Pause

Tsigane (chor: Balanchine, music: Tzigane by M. Ravel)

Intermission

Chaconne (chor: Balanchine, music: Ballet music from the opera Orfeo ed Euridice by C. W. Gluck)** TV Version



The Suzanne Farrell Ballet
Fall 2002 Company List

Bill Biondolino
Peter Boal
Runqiao Du
Terence Duncan
Dmitri Fateev
Jennifer Fournier
Kristen Gallagher
Chan Hon Goh
Elisabeth Holowchuk
Gavin Larsen
Benjamin Lester
Natalia Magnicaballi
Momchil Mladenov
Shannon Parsley
Venti Petrov
Bonnie Pickard
Eric Ragan
Mariaelena Ruiz
Amy Seawright
Lynda Sing
Stephen Straub

Apprentices:
Marika Anderson
Jessika Anspach
Katelyn Prominski
Meaghan Spedden


ANTHONY MORGAN
Anthony received his introduction to dance in Canada while completing a degree in Mechanical Engineering at Queen?s University in Kingston, Ontario. Dance soon displaced engineering and he attended summer schools in dance at York University and Toronto Dance Theatre. From 1973 to 1976 he did the certificate program at The London School of Contemporary Dance where he danced in the Lecture Demonstration Group and later with Basic Space Dance Theatre touring throughout England, Scotland and Wales. Teachers who most influenced his work included Jane Dudley, Nina Fonaroff, Robert Cohan and, at Covent Garden, Johnny O?Brien.

Then came the New York years. Anthony studied extensively at the Martha Graham and Alvin Ailey Schools as well as with Viola Farber, Jennifer Muller and others for modern dance and Finis Jung, David Howard and, especially, Alfredo Corvino for ballet. His contemporary dance technique classes are based on the techniques of Martha Graham, inflected by a sense of humour and spirituality.

He danced with many companies including those of Martha Graham, Pearl Lang, Bertram Ross, Rudy Perez, Susan Marshall, Linda Diamond, Larry Richardson, Philip Grosser, Kelly Hogan, Artis Barry Smith and Judith Garay.

One of his first dances while a student received an award for most promising choreographer. He first showed his choreography in New York City in 1978 and directed The Anthony Morgan Dance Company there from 1985 to 1992 at which time he relocated to Vancouver. In addition to touring engagements the company gave regular New York seasons and received numerous good reviews from the New York press. Anthony also choreographed and performed for "Double Dancing" a duet repertory with partner Judith Garay which has toured theatres from Miami to Calgary to Rotterdam. His dances have been performed by groups in London, UK, Dallas, TX, Mexico City, Brussels, Tallahassee, Jacksonville and Gainesville, FL, Lynchburg, VA and Vancouver. In 1997 Anthony produced, choreographed and performed in a short film Punctuated Equilibrium which played on Canadian television and screened at more than twenty international film.

He has taught at numerous schools and universities across North America in addition to teaching residencies in Mexico and Europe. Since 1983 he has been on faculty at Florida State University each Fall semester and since 1993 has been a frequent guest at Simon Fraser University and Main Dance Place in Vancouver, Canada. Now in his fifties, he continues an active life as a choreographer, dancer and rehearsal director.

With the exception of Peter Boal.
Are these dancers students of hers or are they professionals?
I wish I hadn't gotten my ABT tickets so far in advance, though I may have to sneak down to DC to come see some. Any word on whether or not she's taking the company on tour?
just a side note, I love the fact that Peter Boal seems to be everywhere!

Runqiao Du has danced with Washington Ballet for years and appeared in several Farrell programs. Choo Hon Goh is a balleriina with the National Ballet of Canada. Terence Duncan is with the New York Theatre Ballet, I believe. Several of the women -- Fournier, Gallagher, Magnicaballi and Pickard have been with her for several years.

Farrell has a history of only working with people she's worked with before -- dancers she's met while staging works for other companies, or from her summer program.

from what i gather there is to be no tour this year, tho' i understand next year will involve a much more ambitious schedule.
still i've seen nothing official regarding this year, or next.

My understanding is no tour this year. In 2003, there will be a six-week tour in October/November, followed by performances at the Kennedy Center in early December. The company is now under the aegis of Columbia Artists Management.

That's too bad.

Why is it that if someone's name isn't recognized as having danced with City or ABT that they are assumed to be students. New York dance is incredible, but there are other cities, other wonderful companies, and other very talented dancers. (Shannon Parsley used to dance for Fort Worth Dallas, and then went to Miami City.)
Since there is comment about the 2003 schedule does this mean that there will still be no full-season company for Suzanne Farrell again next year?

You make a good point, Doris R, about the members of the Farrell company. And, as Alexandra has indicated, many of them have danced with Farrell for years. As for 2003, it promises to be the longest season so far. Suzanne is happy about being able to offer her dancers more work, and looks forward to still longer seasons in the future.

Amy Seawright is another Miamian- this is her second year with Suzanne. I think Gavin Larsen is coming from Alberta Ballet.

elisabeth holowchuk and stephen straub are both former SAB-ites who spend summers with farrell

Katelyn Prominski (apprentice) is a June high school graduate, trained at the School of the Washington Ballet. She did SF Ballet this summer, and then Farrell's KC workshop. She will return to SF Ballet to continue her studies in their top level after the Farrell performances.

Keep in mind that a new company cannot start out of the gate with a full 45 week contract. The funding and infrastucture is not there yet. It will take many years for Farrel and company to have a fully functioning year-round company. But I do expect it to happen. She has so much name power that the money will come.

Tzigane, again?

The Suzanne Farrell Ballet hasn't done that one yet, unless I blinked and missed it

You blinked, hon. (I am trying to get the hang of this Maryland stuff.....)

They did it in 1999, I believe...
Blonde woman from Boston Ballet did one cast, I think Magnicaballi did the other....I could be askew on this part, but I know they did it....someone with programs may be able to corect this casting.

I saw Magnicaballi do it, two years ago I think. Maybe three.

Oh, I believe both of you

Magnicaballi did do it in October of 1999, but I didn't see it, because I was having a quadruple bypass at the time. A thoughtful friend sent me the program. Before there was a Suzanne Farrell Ballet, during "Suzanne Farrell Stages Balanchine"at the Kennedy Center in 1995, Tzigane was danced by both Maria Calegari and Helene Alexopoulos.

THAT I remember, the 1995 performances.

Wasn't this one of her signature roles? Wouldn't it make sense for her company to do it a lot?

Yes, on both counts. In the film Elusive Muse, there's an interesting section of Farrell staging Tzigane at the POB with Isabelle Guerin. It was the first ballet (1975) Balanchine choreographed for Farrell following her return to NYCB. The next year he did Chaconne for her. That's also on this year's program.

Kristen Gallagher has been dancing with the Richmond Ballet since 1989 and is with the company for the 2002-03 Season as well.

Juliet is right. In 1999, the Suzanne Farrell Co performed Tzigane at least while on tour. On Wednesday October 27 it was performed in Richmond with Kyra Strasburg (Boston Ballet) and Philip Neal (NYCB) who is a alumnus of the Richmond Ballet School.

I know it's been done a lot, and I suppose it makes sense for Farrell to revive it frequently, but wouldn't the very fact that it was one of her signature pieces, tailored to her special talents (and Martins') and not a major work, indicate relatively rare revivals for very special dancers? Just wondering.

Are all of the Balanchine works that's she's doing "hers"? Meaning were they given to her or does she go through the Trust?

According to this article on the Balanchine Trust, the ballets that she has full rights to are Meditation, Don Quixote and Tzigane.

Thanks for that link Leigh!