Program

Continuum* (music by Ligeti; choreography by Christopher Wheeldon)
Distant Cries (music by Albinoni; choreography by Edwaard Liang)
Bolero (music by Ravel; choreography by Alexei Ratmansky)
Rhapsody Fantaisie* (music by Rachmaninoff; choreography by Christopher Wheeldon)

*with live music

About This Performance

Just two years after joining the New York City Ballet at age 28, Christopher Wheeldon was named its first artist-in-residence. Scarcely 10 years later, he has evolved into a prolific, inventive and sought-after dance-maker, and one of the ballet world’s most exciting talents. In 2007, Wheeldon founded Morphoses/The Wheeldon Company, heralded by the New York Times as a “dream ballet troupe,” and which, for many, represents the future of ballet.

Presented in association with Stanford Lively Arts, the Robert and Margrit Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts, UC Davis, and UCSB Arts & Lectures.

Artist Biography

Morphoses / The Wheeldon Company is a new, dynamic, ballet company founded in 2007 by Christopher Wheeldon and Lourdes Lopez. The company, which is based in New York and London, has as its mission to broaden the scope of classical ballet by emphasizing innovation and fostering creativity through collaboration.

The company's inaugural season included performances at the Vail International Dance Festival in Colorado, at Sadler's Wells in London, and at New York City Center. Morphoses will perform at these three venues again in 2008 and 2009, and will also gradually increase its touring schedule and number of appearances over the next few years.

In 2007, Morphoses / The Wheeldon Company was named Guest Resident Company of both New York City Center and Sadler's Wells in London. For its September 2007 performances in London, Morphoses was awarded a South Bank Show Award, presented by the arts documentary television show of the same name. Dancer Wendy Whelan was honored with a nomination for an Olivier Award by the Society of West End Theaters for her performances at Sadler's Wells with Morphoses. As part of its commitment to collaboration, the company commissioned award-winning fashion designer Narciso Rodriguez to create the costumes for Christopher Wheeldon's two new ballets Fools' Paradise and Prokofiev Pas de Deux.The Company plans to work with many designers, composers, and artists in the future.

Morphoses presented an exciting repertory in its first season, including world premiere ballets by Christopher Wheeldon and Edwaard Liang. The Company also performed works by George Balanchine, William Forsythe, Michael Clarke, and Liv Lorent. The dancers for the first Morphoses season came from companies such as the New York City Ballet, the Royal Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, George Piper Dances, the Hamburg Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, and National Ballet of Canada, and included such prominent dancers as Alexandra Ansanelli, Hélène Bouchet, Ashley Bouder, Darcey Bussell, Alina Cojacaru, Carla Körbes, Maria Kowroski, Miranda Weese, Wendy Whelan, Batkhurel Bold, Thiago Bordin, Jonathan Cope, Angel Corella, Gonzalo Garcia, Nehemiah Kish, Michael Nunn, and William Trevitt.

Christopher Wheeldon, the Company's Artistic Director and Co-Founder, is one of the ballet world's most exciting talents. He has created ballets for companies all over the world, including the Royal Ballet, the Bolshoi Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, and Boston Ballet, to name a few. He is most closely associated with the New York City Ballet, where he held the position of Resident Choreographer from 2001 to 2008, where he created 17 ballets. Christopher's works are in the repertories of many of the world's major ballet companies. Born in Yeovil, Somerset, England, Christopher danced with both the Royal Ballet and the New York City Ballet before retiring from the stage in 2000 to concentrate on choreography.

Lourdes Lopez, the Executive Director and Co-Founder of Morphoses, is a former New York City Ballet principal dancer, as well as the former Executive Director of The George Balanchine Foundation. At the Foundation, Lourdes oversaw the Balanchine Centennial Celebration in 2004, which featured events held worldwide, including an historic symposium in St. Petersburg, Russia, called "Balanchine: Past, Present and Future." Born in Havana, Lourdes is also a founder of the Cuban Artists Fund, which supports emerging Cuban and Cuban-American artists in a variety of fields.

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