in appreciation of

California Ballet’s Founder Maxine Mahon

for her contribution to dance in San Diego.

 

 

Directed by Betzi Roe

 

Production Manager - Daniel Wentworth

Marketing - Mackenzie Taliaferro & Emma Sherman

Lighting Design - Curtis Mueller

Sound - Judy Sharp

Photography - Jennifer Curry Wingrove

Videography - Brad Matthews

Costuming - Betzi Roe

 

Dancers courtesy of:

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City Ballet of San Diego

Golden State Ballet

California Ballet

Visionary Dance Theatre

LITVAKdance

Grand American Ballet

 

The show will run approximately 1 hour

 

City Heights Performance Annex, San Diego, CA

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F E A T U R E D  W O R K S

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Dos (Betzi Roe, 1992): A playful, flirtatious duet blending Latin dance styles; earned an honorable mention at The International Ballet Competition, Helsinki 1992

 

 

Valse Triste (Patrick Nollet, 1974): A tragi-comic duet between a couple performed by two puppets where the aggression goes too far; created for 3’s Co. and became part of the repertoire of California Ballet Co.

 

 

Untitled Duet (Paul Koverman, 1990): A mother unable to contain her grief over the loss of her child, experiencing a longing to be reunited; created for California Ballet Co. & Stage 7 Dance Theater

 

 

The Separation (Paul Koverman, 1995): A piece depicting the deep mutual sorrow for the departure or loss of one; created for California Ballet Co. & Stage 7 Dance Theater

 

 

Albinoni Adagio (Charles Bennett, 1979): An intimate moment of loving, mutual support between a couple; earned a silver medal at the International Ballet Competition, Varna in 1980

 

 

Excerpt from The Mist Leaves No Scar (Jean Isaacs, 1977): Martial art strength and cameraderie depicted through dance; created for 3’s Company and later performed by California Ballet Co.

 

 

Dry Roses (Betzi Roe, 1993): Inspired by portraits of women in the 1930’s painted Ilya Mashkov, showing the newfound female strength and confidence of the era; created for the 25th Anniversary concert and became a staple of California Ballet Co. repertoire for two decades

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REMEMBRANCES
OF CALIFORNIA BALLET REPERTOIRE

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Dos
Choreography: Betzi Roe, 1992
Music: Barcelona Nights by Ottmar Liebert
Performed by Ariana Gonzalez and Iago Breschi (City Ballet of SD)

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Valse Triste
Choreography: Patrick Nollet, 1974 Music: Valse triste, Op. 44 by John Sibelius

Performed by Caley Hernandez and Lucas Athaide (Visionary Dance Theatre & City Ballet of SD)

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Untitled Duet
Choreography: Paul Koverman, 1990
Music: Kindertotenlieder No. 2 by Gustav Mahler, Janet Baker soprano

Performed by Lester Gonzalez (GAB & freelance dancer) and Natalie Palmgren (freelance dancer)

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The Separation
Choreography: Paul Koverman, 1995
Music: Kalimankou Denkou by Bulgarian State Television Female Choir

Performed by James LaRose, Drew Ornelas, Caley Hernandez (Visionary Dance Theater)

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Albinoni Adagio
Choreography: Charles Bennett, 1979
Répétiteur: Denise Dabrowski
Music: Adagio in G Minor by Tomaso Albinoni
Performed by Victoria Jenkins (Golden State Ballet & GAB)and Murillo Barbosa (Golden State Ballet)

 

Excerpt from The Mist Leaves No Scar

Choreography: Jean Isaacs, 1977
Rehearsal Coach: Xavier Hicks
Music: Traditonal Japanese Taiko
Performed by Nick McGhee (LITVAKdance), James LaRose, DeVonté Murphy, and Drew Ornelas (Visionary Dancer Theater)

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Dry Roses
Choreography: Betzi Roe, 1993
Répétiteur: Summer Jones
Music: 1930’s Russian Jazz
Performed by Victoria Jenkins (Golden State Ballet & GAB), Alexandra Koresaar (California Ballet), Madalynn Scheffel, Claire Ley, Shannon Romeo, and Megan Jacobs (City Ballet of SD)

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CHOREOGRAPHERS

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Jean Isaacs is a critically acclaimed, award-winning choreographer whose work has been presented in Switzerland, Germany, China, Mexico, Guatemala, Canada and Poland, as well as on both coasts of the US. In 2002, the Village Voice called her “a warm, witty, and wise choreographer,” and the New York Times said of her dances, “they were intelligent dances danced by sharp, speedy dancers.” Isaacs is the former Artistic Director of the San Diego Dance Theater, the originator of the annual site- specific project Trolley Dances and the co-founder of the San Diego Dance Alliance, Three’s Company and Dancers, and Isaacs/McCaleb & Dancers. Her work has been commissioned by the San Diego Opera, The La Jolla Playhouse, The Old Globe Theater, Goodman Theater, The San Diego Repertory Theater, the Berkeley Repertory Theater, Long Wharf Theater, and for the “New Wave” Festival at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.

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Paul Koverman’s formal dance training began at the Dayton Ballet School after which he received a scholarship to the School of American Ballet in New York. In addition to this primary training, Mr. Koverman’s technique was shaped by Robert Rodham, Marius Zirra, David Howard and Melissa Hayden. He performed with the Pennsylvania Ballet, California Ballet, San Antonio Ballet and many others. He originally appeared with the California Ballet Company from 1978-1984 in many principal roles. An experienced teacher, Mr. Koverman was also Artistic Director of the Phoenix School of Ballet from 1985-1991. His choreography has been seen locally on the California Ballet Company and Stage 7. Mr. Koverman served as ballet master for the California Ballet Company from 1991-2004, during which time he was also an instructor for the California Ballet School and San Diego State University.

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Patrick Nollet began dancing at age nineteen while a student at UC Irvine. He studied ballet and modern under Eugene Loring and James Penrod, and jazz with Claude Thompson and Jaime Rogers. He performed professionally with Bat Dor modern dance company in Tel Aviv, with the Gotenburg Opera Ballet in Sweden and with the Las Vegas Bobby Gentry Show. He has taught at several college campuses among them, San Diego State University and UC Irvine, and was a performer and choreographer for California Ballet Company for two decades. His piece Valse Triste has been set on multiple companies.

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Betzi Roe is considered one of the “pioneers” of modern dance in San Diego. She began her career as a dancer with the Hartford Ballet in 1969, and later received a MA in Dance from UCLA where she had the opportunity to work with many great American choreographers such as Murray Louis, Donald McKayle, Anna Sokolow, Jose Limon, Twyla Tharp, Gus Solomons and Margalit Oved. In 1974 she founded 3’s Company, a contemporary dance trio, with Jean Isaacs and Patrick Nollet as co-directors & choreographers while continuing to teach and choreograph for California Ballet. In 1987 she created a solo concert showcasing the works of multiple choreographers that toured for a decade. She has choreographed and produced concerts of her own works and created pieces for other companies over the past 40 years— including many successful modern/ contemporary ballets on the California Ballet Company. She was US Cultural Specialist to Russia, soloist for the US at the Bi National Dance Encounter in Mexico and festivals in Hong Kong and Beijing. In her 60’s she toured her 2015 Fringe Festival duet concert to Cuba, Chile, and Mexico. As an educator Betzi has been on the adjunct faculties of 6 colleges and universities, directed and produced the Nations of San Diego International Dance Festival for 15 years and recently retired as Chair of the Dance Division at Coronado School of the Arts after 22 years. On 2023 Ms Roe performed and choreographed for Grand American Ballet’s I love to love you, Valentine.

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Charles Bennett was the principal choreographer of the San Diego-based California Ballet for 25 years. Bennett gave the Southern California arts community such innovative and macabre ballets as Dracula, which he created for the company’s 20th anniversary in 1987, and milder fare such as the fairy tales Snow White and Alice in Wonderland. Bennett’s first project for California Ballet, Albinoni Adagio in 1974, went on to win gold and silver medals in choreography at Tokyo’s Ballet Concours two years later. A native of Chicago, Bennett began his ballet career as a dancer with the Chicago Opera Ballet. He later worked as a principal with the American Ballet Theatre in New York City and also performed with the New York City Ballet. In 1961, Bennett founded his own private company, First Chamber Dance, in New York. He resided in Seattle but spent three months a year working in San Diego and also choreographing for ballet companies in Eugene, Oregon, and Wenatchee, Washington. Bennett was also involved throughout his career in several

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IN HONOR OF

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Maxine Mahon, Founding Director

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The California Ballet Company and School was the result of the driving innovative force of its Director/Founder, Maxine Mahon. Her high standards have created a Company and School grounded in the classical tradition, able to incorporate the contemporary movement into its repertoire and to execute both with equal distinction. Her training methodology has produced professional dancers for California Ballet and other companies worldwide. She has coached dancers to bronze, silver, and gold in international ballet competitions

in Japan, Bulgaria, Finland, and the United States. She was the first American dance educator engaged by the U. S. State Department as a cultural exchange artist to Romania. She holds a BA degree from San Diego State University. Her choreographic range includes film, ballet, musical theatre, and opera. Her many honors include the Lifetime Achievement Award from the 2002 San Diego Alliance Tommy Awards.

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