Dear Friends,
With Gratitude,
Christopher Stuart
Artistic Director
Artistic Director | Christopher Stuart
Executive Director | Jenny Mann
Choreography | George Balanchine & Paul Vasterling
Music performed by | The Alabama Symphony Orchestra & Chorus
Rehearsal Director | Jon Upleger & Alexandra Meister Upleger
Production Manager | David Page
Company & Production Stage Manager | Joelle Tucker
Costume Director | Wendy Gamble
Technical Stage Manager | Liam McElroy
"SERENADE"
Choreography by | George Balanchine
Staged by | Darla Hoover, Répétiteur for ©The George Balanchine Trust
Music by | Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Costume Design | Betty Smith, After Karinska
Lighting Design | David Page, after New York City Ballet
"CARMINA BURANA"
Choreography by | Paul Vasterling
Staged by | Jon Upleger and Alexandra Meister Upleger
Music by | Carl Orff*
Costume Design and Visual Elements | Eric Harris
Lighting Design | Scott Leathers
Vocal Soloists:
Véronique Filloux, Soprano
Cody Bowers, Tenor
Hadleigh Adams, Baritone
Alabama Symphony Chorus under the direction of Quint Harris, DMA
Carmina Burana choreography copyright © 2010 Paul Vasterling, all rights reserved.
*Used by arrangement with European American Music Distributors Company, sole US and Canadian agent for Schott Music, Mainz, Germany, publisher and copyright owner.
PERFORMANCE SPONSORS:
SYMPHONY SPONSORS:
Robert McKenna
Mr. Wyatt and Susan Haskell
SERENADE
Serenade is a milestone in the history of dance. It is the first original ballet Balanchine created in America and is one of the signature works of New York City Ballet's repertory.
Originating as a lesson in stage technique, Balanchine worked unexpected rehearsal events into the choreography. When one student fell, he incorporated it. Another day, a student arrived late and this too became part of the ballet.
After its initial premiere in 1935, Serenade was reworked several times. In its present form there are four movements - "Sonatina," "Waltz," "Russian Dance," and "Elegy." The last two movements reverse the order of Tchaikovsky's, ending the ballet on a note of sadness.
Balanchine has special affinity for Tchaikovsky. "In everything that I did to Tchaikovsky's music," he told an interviewer, "I sensed his help. It wasn't real conversation. But when I was working and saw that something was coming of it, I felt it was Tchaikovsky who had helped me."
CARMINA BURANA
Discovered in Bavaria in 1803, Carmina Burana is a collection of poems written across the 11th and 13th centuries that challenges the conventional values and religous leadership of the time. Written by clergy and theology students, the poems examine the cycle of life and question the source of its pains. They explore topics that remain relevant today, such as the unpredictability of fate, lost love and the hypocrisy of leaders.
The poems of Carmina Burana were recorded on parchment and animal skin, which was often written upon, erased and reused many times. The parchment material inspired portions of Vasterling’s choreography and former Nashville Ballet company member Eric Harris’ costume designs.
Carl Orff set the ancient poetry to music when he wrote his iconic composition in 1936. The music and its medieval themes inspired Vasterling’s choreography for the ballet: the cycle of life takes us on a journey that is filled with wonderful highs and precipitous lows; man is the pawn of capricious fate. Fortuna is visually represented by the Wheel of Fortune, which determines the fates of human beings. The ballet progresses from virtuous earthly pleasures (“Spring”), to earthly pleasures gone wrong (“In the Tavern”), to a balance between earthly desire and spiritual awareness (“The Court of Love”).
Choreographer’s Note
The choreography for Carmina Burana is dedicated to Jason Merrill-Facio for his enduring belief.
PROLOGUE
1. O Fortuna: Lady Luck and the Wheel of Fortune
2. The Unpredictable Wheel
SPRING
3. Spring Arrives
4. The Sun Warms Everything
5. The Joy of Spring
6. Dance: Infatuation
7. The Maypole
8. More Joys of Spring
9. Round Dance: Coming of Age
10. All the World is Mine
IN THE TAVERN
11. Burning Inside
12. The Roasting Swan
13. The Bad Abbot
14. Drinking Song
THE COURT OF LOVE
15. Cupid’s Arrival
16. Day, Night, and Everything
17. Love Given
18. In My Heart
19. Men Beguiled
20. Come to Me My Dear
21. Balanced Love
22. A Joyful Time
23. Sweetest One
24. The Most Beautiful
EPILOGUE
25. O Fortuna: Reprise
You can read the lyrics to the music HERE
Jenny Mann
Executive Director
Dr. Jenny Mann, Executive Director, joined the Alabama Ballet in November of 2024. Before joining AB, she served as President and Executive Director of the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra, Executive Director of Tuscaloosa Symphony, and enjoyed a 15-year career with The University of Alabama as Associate Professor of Bassoon, Chamber Music, and Arts Administration. A passionate educator and administrator, Jenny has over 30 years of experience in teaching and developing education/outreach programs. She specializes in fundraising, organizational capacity building, and collaborative engagement. In addition to her career in leadership, Jenny also published the text, "Teaching Woodwinds: Bassoon" with Mountain Peak Music and three recordings with the renowned Cavell Trio. Jenny holds a BMA from Baylor with a PK-12 Teaching Certification, MM and DMA degrees from The University of Texas at Austin.
Chloe Bowen
PR & Marketing Manager
Michele Swader
Office Manager
Margaret Wendorf
Finance Manager
Natalie Hunt
Director of Operations, Alabama Ballet School
Isabella Cowles, ARAD RTS
Director of Curriculum, Alabama Ballet School
