The State Ballet of Georgia Today

Greetings! I am so pleased you are joining us for this very special new dance film created by The State Ballet of Georgia, especially for Northrop audiences. The State Ballet of Georgia was originally slated to close Northrop’s 2019-20 Dance Series on April 29, 2020 and I was eagerly anticipating their performance.

The last time The State Ballet of Georgia was at Northrop was in 2008. That was before my time on the Northrop staff, but I was here. I was here with the company as their tour manager and so, twelve years later, I was looking forward to once again welcoming them to the United States. When the COVID-19 crisis shut down large gatherings, live entertainment, and international travel, Northrop worked to reschedule their performance into the 2020-21 season. Little did we know at the time that almost a full year later, we would still be facing limitations that would prohibit them from gracing our stage in person.

Instead of coming to us, The State Ballet of Georgia has found a way to transport us virtually to them, in Tbilisi, Georgia. Together, with artistic director Nina Ananiashvili as our guide, we will walk the streets of the Georgian capital city, enter through the doors of the beautiful State Opera and Ballet Theatre, and witness stunning excerpts of Vakhtang Chabukiani’s Laurencia, Yuri Possokhov’s Sagalobelli, Leonid Lavrovsky’s Romeo and Juliet, and Marius Petipa’s Giselle performed just for us on their home stage. This inside look into their world and their work offers a new dimension to a company that Northrop audiences love. Enjoy the journey!

Over the past several weeks I have felt a renewed sense of hope and anticipation that we will once again be able to gather together in the theater in person in the not-so-distant future. To that end, we are working diligently to assemble an exciting season to welcome you back safely next fall. In the meantime, we have many upcoming virtual and in-person events in the coming weeks.

Join us for an online performance by Victor Quijada’s company RUBBERBAND as they perform Vic’s Mix – a “best of” compilation of Quijada’s repertoire. The online premiere on April 8 will include a Q&A with Victor Quijada, and the performance will be available on-demand for a full week.

If you’re eager to come back to the theater in person, Grammy award-winning Paul Jacobs will perform at Northrop on the historic Aeolian-Skinner pipe organ on April 13.  Jacobs performed with the Minnesota Orchestra for the restored pipe organ’s inaugural concert in 2018 and quickly became an audience favorite. His program of works by Bach and Handel will showcase the unique and remarkable sound of the Northrop pipe organ. This concert will also be available to view as a live stream, from the comfort of your home.

The 2020-21 Spotlight Series presented by the Institute for Advanced Study, Northrop, and the University Honors Program, has focused on Polarization and Identities. This has been a series of conversations across different identities and ideologies, moderated by Star Tribune editorial writer John Rash. The series wraps up on April 15 with a look back at the five discussions in the series, and a dialogue around Politics in Higher Education. I hope you will join us, and take a moment to check out our full list of upcoming events.

Again, thank you for joining us. I am especially grateful to our subscribers and donors. Now more than ever before, it is your active involvement that will ensure Northrop can continue bringing world-class artists and performances to Twin Cities audiences – now and for generations to come. Enjoy the evening!

Gratefully,

Kari Schloner
Director of Northrop

General information about the ballet performances used in the film.

Excerpts from:

Ballet company: State Ballet of Georgia

The first ballet performance in Tbilisi, Georgia, was in 1852 when the St. Petersburg Ballet Company performed at the Ballet State Theatre. Some of the famous company members included Anna Pavlova, Feodor Manokhin, and E. Panov, who presented the second act of Filippo Talion’s ballet La Sylphida and Polka-Vengerka. One year later, Feodor Manokhin staged the second act of Giselle. The first full-version ballet followed in 1854, again by Manokhin, Talion’s three-act ballet Gitana-The Spanish Gypsy.

In the 1880s and 1890s, the St. Petersburg Emperor Ballet Theatre performed in Tbilisi and dancers including Sofia Fedorova, Isadora Duncan, Vera Fokina, and Mikhail Fokine appeared on stage. During this time, Mikhail Fokine was staging his first innovative ballet, which later earned him recognition in Paris as part of the Diaghilev Seasons.

In 1891, Italian dancer Maria Perini, who was a student of Italian dancer Enrico Cecchetti, made her foreign debut at the Tbilisi Opera Theatre and famously wowed audiences with her 32 fouettes performing in Swan Lake. For the first time, Georgian audiences witnessed the level of ballet art abroad. From 1897 to 1907, Perini was prima ballerina at the Tbilisi Opera and Ballet Theatre and later taught ballet. She founded the first choreographic studio for classical dances, lived in Georgia for 48 years and considered it her second homeland. Her methods of classical teaching prepared a solid foundation for the creation of Georgian ballet. Before returning to Italy in 1936, Perini attended the first Georgian ballet, Andria Balanchivadze’s Mzechabuki (known as The Heart of Mountains in the following performances), staged by her student Vakhtang Chabukiani, and it became clear to her that Georgian ballet was in safe hands.

Chabukiani graduated from the Leningrad Choreographic School in 1929, worked in the Kirov Opera and Ballet (Mariinsky) Theatre and performed all the leading roles from the classical repertory. He staged The Heart of Mountains in the Mariinsky Theatre after the Tbilisi performance; A. Krein’s ballet Laurencia was his next success, staged in Kirov in 1939. Chabukiani returned to Tbilisi in 1941 and managed the Opera and Ballet State Theatre’s Ballet Company until 1973, working as the Director of The Tbilisi Choreographic School at the same time and raising generations of Georgian ballet stars.

In the beginning of the 1970s, the Ballet Company named Gogi Aleksidze as its artistic director. Aleksidze was Feodor Lopoukhov’s student and who founded the “Young Ballet” group in Leningrad during the 1990s. Raised on Lopoukhov’s ideas and innovations, Aleksidze brought a new esthetic to the theater. Neoclassical ballets became part of the repertory alongside classical works. The company’s next artistic director from 1982 to 1985 was Mikhail Lavrovsky, who was a widely known Bolshoi Theatre dancer and choreographer.

Since September 2004, Nina Ananiashvili has been artistic director at Z. Paliashvili Tbilisi Opera and Ballet State Theatre as well as principal at V. Chabukiani Choreographic State School. Under Ananiashvili’s leadership, more than 60 ballets and miniatures have been staged at the Georgian Opera and Ballet Theater in Tbilisi.. The theatre’s repertory includes both new choreographic versions of classical ballets, as well as works by George Balanchine, Sir Frederick Ashton, August Bournonville, and Jiří Kylián. Alexei Ratmansky, Alexey Fadeechev, Yuri Possokhov, Trey McIntyre, Stanton Welch, Jorma Elo and other choreographers collaborate with the theatre, and the company has toured in the United States (2007, 2008 and 2010), Japan (2007, 2010, 2012, 2017), Israel, Egypt, Italy, Spain, Estonia, Taiwan, Ecuador, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Ukraine, and Belarus. In 2008, the ballet company of the Georgian Opera and Ballet Theater was awarded the prestigious Herald Angels award at the Edinburgh International Festival. In 2012, Ananiashvili’s 30-year career was celebrated at an event that included international ballet celebrities.

Nina Ananiashvili started ballet at the age of 10. She studied at Tbilisi Choreographic School with Tamara Vikhodtseva. In 1977 she pursued her education at Moscow Choreographic School, studying under Natalia Zolotova.

From 1987 to 2004, she was prima-ballerina at Moscow Bolshoi Theatre. Under the guidance of outstanding ballerina Raisa Struchkova, she produced and performed all parts of the classical ballet heritage. The first season of the Bolshoi Theatre turned out to be triumphant for Ananiashvili. She performed Odette-Odile (Swan Lake) in Hamburg, Germany during the tour and received a 30-minute non-stop ovation after the performance.

Ananiashvili is the only ballerina honored with four prestigious international ballet awards including Varna (Bulgaria) X International competition gold medal (1980); Moscow IV International Competition Grand Prix (1981); Moscow V international competition gold medal (1985); and Jackson (United States) III International Competition Grand Prix (1986).

Since September 2004, Ananiashvili has been an artistic director at Z. Paliashvili Tbilisi Opera and Ballet State Theatre, as well as principal at V. Chabukiani Choreographic State School. She has been invited as a jury member and staging choreographer to various theaters around the world.

Ananiashvili is honored with the title of People’s Artist of Georgia (1989) and Russia (1995); Zurab Anjaparidze and Rustaveli State Prize (1993); and The Presidential Order of Excellence (2010). She was awarded with the State Prize of the Russian Federation - For the Merit to the Fatherland (2001). Ananiashvili is the first ballerina to hold the Russian national prize “Triumph” for achievement in art (1992). The American Biographical Institute granted her the title of Lady of the Year (1997). She was awarded with the International Prize Golden Goddess (1999) set by successor of Royal family of France: Princess Marie de Bourbon. She was named as a Dance Magazine Prize winner (2002). She was elected as a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador in Georgia (2007) for achieving the Millennium Development Goals. The President of Italy awarded the prima ballerina with the Italian Solidarity Medal of Honor (2011).

Vakhtang Chabukiani (1910-1992) Legendary ballet dancer and ballet master Vakhtang Chabukiani is the founder of Georgian classical ballet. Born in 1910 in Tbilisi, Georgia, Chabukiani joined Mariinsky Perini Ballet Studio when he was 12 and performed his own miniature version of Anton Rubinstein’s Fire Flame at the Tbilisi Opera and Ballet Theatre at age 14. In 1926, he started studying at the Leningrad State Choreographic School and shortly became known as the “Georgian bombshell.”

From 1929-1941, Chabukiani was principal soloist of Kirov (at present Marias) Opera and Ballet Theatre. He performed over 40 classical ballet parts, including the roles of Basilio (Don Quixote), Albrecht (Giselle), Siegfried (Swan Lake), Jerome (Flames of Paris), Andrei (Taras Bulba), and others.

Chabukiani’s performances were known for his excellent technique, soft jumps and extreme passion. He helped change the role of male dancers in classical ballet and influenced new generations of dancers and choreographers. He created many impressive pas de deux and male variations, which are performed worldwide and admired by ballet fans.

The first Georgian ballet, Mzechabuki, was staged by Chabukiani in Tbilisi in 1936, and later at Kirov theatre in 1938, under the name of The Heart of Mountains. He staged the ballet Laurencia with music by Alexander Krein and based on Lope de Vega’s The Sheep Well at the same stage as well in 1939.

Chabukiani was named artistic director of the Tbilisi Opera and Ballet State Theatre Company in 1941 and led the company until 1973. While there, he staged choreographical versions of nearly all classical ballets, and brilliantly performed all principal roles. From 1950-1973, Chabukiani also tutored at Tbilisi Choreographic School, which is named after him today.

He passed away in 1992 and is buried at Mtatsminda Pantheon of Writers and Public Figures.

Andrii Havryliuk (Soloist) studied at the Kiev Ballet School in 2008, moved to the Choreographic College of the same city in 2015 and worked at the Munich Ballet Academy in Germany from 2016 to 2019. Since 2019, he has been soloist of Tbilisi Opera and Ballet State Theatre. Havryliuk is second prize winner of both the 3rd International Competition of Choreographic and Classical dance “Idea” and the 8th International Competition of Classical Dance “Glass Slipper.” His repertory includes Prince Siegfried (Swan Lake), Franz Variation (Coppélia), Solor Variation (La Bayadère Premiere in the National Opera of Ukraine), Colin Variation (La Fille Mal Gardée), Prince Désiré (The Sleeping Beauty), various modern choreographies, both solo and in a group, Pas de trois (Swan Lake) as a guest role in several Russian theaters, Variations (Spartakus), Khatchatourian (Gregorovitch), Variations (Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland), and Grand pas Paquita (music by Marius Petipa, 1881).

Kai Kanzaki (Soloist) studied at the Japanese Ballet School (2003-2017), the Jazz Dance Studio Praimu (Japan) (2009-2013), the Tokyo Ballet School (2012-2017), and the National Conservatory of Dance in Portugal (2017-2019). Since 2019, he has been soloist of Tbilisi Opera and Ballet State Ballet Theater. Kanzaki is the first prize winner of the 2017 NBA All Japan Ballet Competition, the second prize winner of the 2018 XV International Dance Festival “TANZOLYMP” (Germany), and a semifinalist of the 28th Varna International Ballet Competition (Bulgaria). His repertory includes roles in Don Quixote (The Companhia National de Bailado, 2019), Graduation Ball (The National Conservatory Dance School, 2018), Bolero (Aurelie Dupont, 2017), Onegin (Stuttgart Ballet, 2015) and Romeo and Juliet (The Tokyo Ballet, 2014).

David Ananeli (Soloist) was born in Tbilisi, Georgia. In 2003 he graduated from Vakhtang Chabukiani Ballet Art State School and the same year joined Tbilisi Z. Paliashvili Opera and Ballet State Theatre as a ballet artist. Since 2010, he has been a soloist at the State Ballet of Georgia. His repertory includes Hans (Giselle); Espada, Bolero (Don Quixote); The Spanish Dance, Mazurka, Rothbart (Swan Lake); Mengo, The Dance With Castanets (Laurencia, choreography by Vakhtang Chabukiani, choreographic version by Nukri Maghalashvili); Drosselmeyer, The Prince, The Indian Doll (The Nutcracker); Paris (Romeo and Juliet); Petroff (From Siberia to Moscow); The Golden Slave (Sheherazade); leading roles in George Balanchine’s Duo Concertant, Serenade, Mozartiana, Western Symphony; Jiří Kyliáns Sechs Tänze, Stepping Stones, Sarabande, Alexei Ratmansky’s Dreams About Japan and Bizet Variations; Trey McIntyre’s Second Before the Ground; Yuri Possokhov’s Sagalobeli and Reflection; and Frederick Ashton’s Thais pas de deux.

Ekaterine Surmava (Soloist) graduated from Vakhtang Chabukiani Ballet Art State School in 2009 (tutor N. Didebulidze) and joined Tbilisi Z. Paliashvili Opera and Ballet Professional State Theatre. She has been a leading soloist at State Ballet of Georgia since May 2014. Surmava is the first-prize winner of the International Ballet and Contemporary Dance Competition - Domenico Modugno (May, 2015). In February 2016 she took part in the Gala-concert in memory of Raisa Struchkova (Bolshoi Theatre, Moscow), Ananiashvili’s Final Classical Gala (Bunka Kaikan, Tokyo, 2017) and Celebration of Valentin Elizariev’s 70th Anniversary (Bolshoi Theatre of Belarus, 2017). Leading roles in her repertory include Odette, the Brides, Big Swan, Pas de trois (Swan Lake), Giselle (Giselle), Juliet (Romeo and Juliet), The French Doll, Sugar Plum Fairy (The Nutcracker), Jacinta (Laurencia), Variation (Don Quixote), The Jockey Dance (From Siberia to Moscow), Seventh Waltz (Chopiniana), and Terpsichore (Apollo Musagete). In addition, she has had solo performances in Balanchine’s Concerto Barocco, Serenade, Duo Concertant, Mozartiana, Western Symphony; Bizet Variations; Sagalobeli (choreography by Possokhov), Reflection (choreography by Possokhov), Birthday Offering and Thais pas de deux (choreography by Ashton), Second before the Ground (choreography by Trey McIntyre), Secret Garden (S. Evtimova choreography), First Flash (choreography by Jorma Elo), Petite Mort, Sechs Tänze (choreography by Jiří Kylián), and Petite Cérémonie (choreography Medhi Walerski).

Nino Samadashvili (Soloist) graduated from Vakhtang Chabukiani Ballet Art State School in 2011 under tutorship of L. Chkhikvishvili and the same year got accepted in Ballet Company of Tbilisi Z. Paliashvili Opera and Ballet State Theatre. Since January 2014 she is a Leading Soloist of State Ballet of Georgia. Her solo repertory includes: Odette-Odile, The Bride, Big Swan (Swan Lake, choreography by A. Fadeechev); Sugar Plum Fairy (Nutcracker, choreography by A. Fadeechev), Raymonda Variation (Raymonda, choreography by Fadeechev and N. Ananiashvili), Giselle, Mirtha (Giselle, choreography by A. Fadeechev), Queen of Dryads, First and second variations (Don Quixote choreography by A. Fadeechev and N.Ananiashvili), Seventh Waltz (Les Sylphides, choreographic version by N. Ananiashvili), Bizet Variations (choreography by A. Ratmansky), Сoncerto Barocco, Symphony in C, Serenade, Tchaikovsky pas de deux (choreography by G. Balanchine), Wings (choreography by Giorgi Aleksidze), The Secret Garden (choreography by A. Evtimova), Petite Mort (choreography by Jiří Kylián), Petite Cérémonie (choreography by Medhi Walerski). Her further repertory includes Yuri Possokhov’s Sagalobeli and Reflection, Trey McIntyre’s Second before the Ground, August Bournonville’s Le Conservatoire; Nino got Grand Prix Prize and the first place at “Rigas Pavasaris 2013”, International Ballet Competition in Riga.

Nutsa Chekurashvili (Soloist) graduated from Vakhtang Chabukiani Ballet Art State School in 2011 under tutorship of L. Chkhikvishvili. She also got accepted into Tbilisi Z. Paliashvili Opera and Ballet State Theatre Ballet Company that year and has been a soloist with them since 2014. Her repertory in leading and solo parts includes Giselle (Giselle), Kitri, Kitri’s friend (Don Quixote, choreographic version by N. Ananiashvili and A. Fadeechev), Odette-Odile, Pas de Troyes, Little Swan, The Brides, Neapolitan Dance (Swan Lake, choreography by A. Fadeechev), Javara (Gorda, choreography by Vakhtang Chabukiani, choreographic version by Nina Ananiashvili), Firebird (Firebird, staging by Andris Liepa), Lisa (La fille mal gardée, choreography by A. Fadeechev), Sugar Plum Fairy, Marie (Nutcracker, choreography by A. Fadeechev), Tarantella (G. Balanchine’s choreography), Pasquale (Laurencia, choreography by Vakhtang Chabukiani, choreographic version by N. Maghalashvili), Rhine-Soloist (From Siberia to Moscow, choreography by A. Bournonville), Pas de Deux from the ballet Flower Festival in Genzano (choreography by A. Bournonville), Mazurka (Chopiniana, N. Ananiashvili version), Pas d’esclave (Corsair), Bizet Variations (choreography by A. Ratmansky), as well as leading roles in Sagalobeli, Reflection (choreography by Y. Possokhov), Second Before the Ground, Inverted world (choreography by T. McIntyre), Conservatoire (choreography by A. Bournonville), solo roles in Serenade, Concerto Barocco, Tarantella (choreography by G. Balanchine), Wings (choreography by G. Aleksidze), The Secret Garden (choreography by S. Evtimova), Petite Mort, Falling Angels (choreography by J. Kylián), First Flash (choreography by J. Elo), and Petite Cérémonie (choreography by Medhi Walerski).

Philip Fedulov (Soloist) attended the Rock School in Philadelphia, PA, from 2001 to 2009 under the tutorship of Natasha Zeiger and Servy Gallardo. From 2009 to 2010 he continued in Orlando Ballet II in Orlando, FL, under the tutorship of Olivier Munoz and Peter Stark. Later in the year, he joined Houston Ballet II in Houston, TX under the tutorship of Claudio Munoz. From 2011 to 2013, Fedulov was a ballet artist in Allison Ballet in New York, under the tutorship of Edward Ellison. In 2013, Fedulov joined the Tbilisi Z. Paliashvili Opera and Ballet Professional State Theatre company as a soloist and performed leading roles including Albrecht in Giselle, Prince in Nutcracker (choreography by A. Fadeechev), Tsareivich in Firebird (staging by Andris Liepa), Siegfried (act II) in Swan Lake (choreography by A. Fadeechev), Mamia in Gorda (choreography by Vakhtang Chabukiani, choreographic version by Nina Ananiashvili), Pas de trois, Adagio, Pas de quatre in Raymonda, solo parts in Serenade, Mozartiana, Symphony in C (choreography by G. Balanchine), Petite Mort, SechsTanze (choreography by J. Kylián), Sagolobeli (choreography by Y. Possokhov), and Tsuna and Tsrutsuna (staging choreographers: Nina Ananiashvili, Gia Marghania). On Mar 25-29, 2015, he participated in Domenico Modugno, an international ballet and contemporary dance competition in Bari, Italy, where he won first prize in duet performances, accompanied by Ekaterine Surmava.

Yonen Takano (Soloist) trained from 2001-2008 at Kimika Kimura Atelier de Ballet in Yokohama, followed by the Vaganova Ballet Academy (class of Boris Bregvadze) in St. Petersburg, graduating in 2011. In Sep 2011, Takano joined the Mikhailovsky Ballet Theatre in St. Petersburg as one of the first dancers Nacho Duato personally selected for the company. His repertory at the company included roles in Nunc Dimittis, Invisible, Duende, Multiplicity, and Forms of Silence and Emptiness (all by Nacho Duato), The Waltz, The Hunting Man-Soloist in Sleeping Beauty, The Friend of Tybalt, Capulet Soldier in Romeo and Juliet, Harlequin, The Chinese Doll, and The Mouse in The Nutcracker. Takano was awarded the Danseur Noble Prize at the Korean International Ballet Competition, Diploma at the Arabesque International Ballet Competition and the Rudolf Nureyev International Ballet Competition, and was a finalist at the Helsinki International Ballet Competition. In June 2014, Takano joined the Tbilisi Opera and Ballet State Theatre Ballet Company as soloist and danced leading roles including Basilio (Don Quixote), Frondoso (Laurencia), The Prince, The French Doll in (The Nutcracker), Jean de Brienne (Raymonda), solo roles in ballets by George Balanchine (Tchaikovsky pas Tchaikovsky pas de Deux, Symphony in C), Jiří Kylián (Petite Mort), Trey McIntyre (Oh, Inverted World) and Yuri Possokhov (Sagalobeli). In 2015, Takano danced the leading part with Nina Ananiashvili in the ballet Le Spectre de la Rose by Mikhail Fokine.

Papuna Kapanadze (Corps de Ballet) graduated from Vakhtang Chabukiani School. In 2017, Kapanadze joined the Tbilisi Opera and Ballet State Theatre Ballet Company. His repertory at the company includes roles in The Nutcracker, Laurencia, Don Quixote, and Swan Lake. He took first place in the International Youth Choreography Competition—Riga Spring 2019 and at The Flower Festival at the Tbilisi Opera and Ballet State Theatre.

Ruika Yokoyma (Soloist) studied at the Niigata ballet school from 2001 to 2013. From 2013 to 2016, she studied at Escola de Dança do Conservatório Nacional in Lisbon, Portugal. Since 2016, she has been a soloist at the ballet company of the Tbilisi Opera and Ballet State Theatre. Her repertory includes Princess Aurora, Four Couples in Flower Waltz (Tchaikovsky), The Sleeping Beauty, Soloist Mazurka Chopiniana, Soloist of Peers (Prokofiev) Romeo and Juliet, Chinese doll (Tchaikovsky) The Nutcracker, Pas de trios (Tchaikovsky) Swan Lake, Myrta Pas-de-six (Adam) Giselle, First variation of soloist (Minkus) in the ballet Don Quixote. Other roles include those in Tsuna and Tsrutsuna (choreography by N. Ananiashvili) and Petite Cérémonie, Orawa (choreography by M. Walerski). Yokoyma’s awards include the highest score at the All Japan Ballet Competition (2013, Japan), Bronze medal at the Tanzolymp Ballet Competition (2014, Germany), and the Prix de Lausanne (2016, Switzerland).

Thank you for supporting Northrop! 

MAKE LEGENDARY PERFORMANCES POSSIBLE! 
At Northrop, we believe in connecting great artists and ideas with our community and to a new generation of audiences. Your gift helps make memorable arts experiences possible by supporting extraordinary performances and new arts commissions, and helping ensure accessibility to everyone through live-streamed programming, outreach to diverse communities and subsidized student tickets. Our Friends are at the center of Northrop’s biggest ideas and brightest moments on stage. 

Become a Friend of Northrop today!
Donate online at northrop.umn.edu/give

Ways to Give: 

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• Monthly Giving, choose a recurring gift amount that works for you. 
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• Matching Gifts, double your gift through your company’s matching gift program. 

To learn more about supporting Northrop please contact: 
Cynthia Betz betzx011@umn.edu or 612-626-7554

This season’s listing is current as of 03/10/21.
Please contact Trisha Taylor at taylort@umn.edu  if you have any corrections or questions.
 

NORTHROP’S AEOLIAN-SKINNER ORGAN
Thank you to the generous donors who continue to support programming for Northrop’s beloved Aeolian-Skinner Organ. It is because of you that this magnificent instrument’s voice will be enjoyed by many for years to come.

Thank you for joining us this season for the remarkable performances at Northrop.

We have run out of words to describe the last few months and are so grateful for the arts and to be able to experience all that Northrop has to offer, which is now more accessible than ever.

Northrop continues to move forward, and all of us on the Advisory Board are so proud to be part of the launch of our new commissioning program. Now more than ever, Northrop’s commitment to presenting, and now commissioning, the greatest of the world of dance remains strong and innovative.

I am honored to be part of an organization that has been serving the community for so many years, not only with great art but great outreach to the community. I support Northrop because I believe in its mission and love the amazing work we see on this stage each season. I hope you will join me in supporting Northrop in any way that best fits you. There are many opportunities, and we welcome your participation. Let me know and we can get you involved.

We look forward to seeing you at an upcoming performance or event.

Jeff Bieganek, Northrop Advisory Board Chair

THE NORTHROP ADVISORY BOARD

The Northrop Advisory Board is committed to the growth and awareness of Northrop’s mission, vision, and the continued future of presenting world-class dance and music in our community. If you would like more information about the advisory board and its work, please contact Cynthia Betz, Director of Development, at 612-626-7554 or betzx011@umn.edu.