THE AUDITORIUM THEATRE CELEBRATES 50th ANNIVERSARY OF THEIR GRAND RE-OPENING WITH ONE-NIGHT-ONLY PERFORMANCE FEATURING PREMIER DANCERS FROM TOP COMPANIES AROUND THE WORLD
THE EVENING INCLUDES PERFORMANCES BY DANCERS FROM ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER, AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE, THE JOFFREY BALLET, NEW YORK CITY BALLET, THE WASHINGTON BALLET, AND MORE
A Golden Celebration of Dance – November 12, 2017
On November 12, 2017, the Auditorium Theatre, The Theatre for the People, commemorates the 50th anniversary of its grand re-opening with A Golden Celebration of Dance, a one-night-only mixed repertory program featuring dancers from the world’s premier dance companies: Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, American Ballet Theatre, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, The Joffrey Ballet, MOMIX, New York City Ballet, Parsons Dance, San Francisco Ballet, The Suzanne Farrell Ballet, Vienna State Ballet, and The Washington Ballet. In addition, the evening will feature a special performance by Madison Penney, the winner of the Youth America Grand Prix’s 2017 Grand Prix Award.
In 1941, the Auditorium Theatre closed its doors to the public in the wake of the Great Depression. Aside from when it was used as a servicemen’s center during World War II, the theatre sat unused and in disrepair, until a 7-year-long fundraising campaign – led by Beatrice Spachner and the Auditorium Theatre Council – covered the costs of theatre renovation, culminating with a grand re-opening on October 31, 1967. That historic evening, the Auditorium Theatre hosted New York City Ballet for A Midsummer Night’s Dream, starring principal dancers Edward Villella and Suzanne Farrell, who will serve as Honorary Co-Chairs of the 50th anniversary celebration.
While the Auditorium Theatre has presented dance since its opening in 1889 (including performances by Anna Pavlova and Isadora Duncan), the re-opening in 1967 began an unprecedented new dance chapter that continues to this day. The theatre has since hosted companies including the Bolshoi Ballet, The Royal Ballet, and Martha Graham Dance Company, as well as many of the companies represented at A Golden Celebration of Dance.
“The Auditorium Theatre’s grand re-opening 50 years ago helped usher in one of the most exciting eras of dance in Chicago,” says Tania Castroverde Moskalenko, Auditorium Theatre CEO. “I am thrilled to commemorate this momentous occasion with such a special evening that will bring so much talent from around the world to our historic stage. This is an amazing opportunity for our patrons to experience an incredible array of top-tier performances over the course of one unforgettable night.”
Dancers for the Golden Celebration performance include American Ballet Theatre principal dancers Daniil Simkin and Maria Kochetkova, performing the grand pas de deux from Marius Petipa’s Don Quixote, with Simkin also performing the solo piece Les Bourgeois by Ben Van Cauwenbergh; Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s Solomon Dumas performing Robert Battle’s Takademe; The Joffrey Ballet’s Victoria Jaiani and Temur Suluashvili performing Yuri Possokhov’s Bells; New York City Ballet principal dancers Daniel Ulbricht and Megan Fairchild performing George Balanchine’s Tarantella; The Washington Ballet’s Brooklyn Mack performing a pas de deux from Marius Petipa’s Diana and Acteon with San Francisco Ballet’s Koto Ishihara; Hubbard Street Dance Chicago performing Crystal Pite’s Solo Echo; Natalia Magnicaballi and Michael Cook from The Suzanne Farrell Ballet performing George Balanchine’s Meditation; Nicole Loizides and Todd Burnsed of the dance-illusionist company MOMIX performing the piece Skiva; Elena d’Amario from Parsons Dance performing David Parsons’ work Caught (set to music by Robert Fripp); and Liudmila Konovalova of the Vienna State Ballet performing The Swan in the style of Anna Pavlova.
Many of the companies whose dancers will present pieces during A Golden Celebration of Dance have a rich history with the Auditorium Theatre: American Ballet Theatre first performed at the Auditorium in 1969 and returned for many engagements, their most recent in the fall of 2014; Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater began its Chicago residency with the Auditorium in 1969; and The Joffrey Ballet began performing at the theatre in 1968 before becoming the theatre’s resident company in 1998. New York City Ballet, who performed at the theatre’s re-opening, first appeared on the theatre’s stage in 1941. Hubbard Street Dance Chicago performed at the theatre multiple times throughout the 1980s and 1990s, and returns for its first full-evening engagement in 20 years in March 2018.
The Auditorium Theatre’s 2017 Annual Gala will take place immediately preceding the performance at the Standard Club. The gala includes tickets to the Golden Celebration of Dance performance. The Auditorium Theatre honors Sonia Florian of the NIB Foundation with the second annual Adler and Sullivan Award, recognizing her dedication to the arts and the Auditorium Theatre.
NIB FOUNDATION – International Dance Series Sponsor
PASQUINELLI FAMILY FOUNDATION – Gala Sponsor
About the Dancers
Solomon Dumas (Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater)
Solomon Dumas is from Chicago, IL. He joined Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 2016. Dumas was introduced to the company through the AileyCamp program in Chicago, where he began his formal training at The Chicago Academy for the Arts and the Russell Talbert Dance Studio. Dumas studied at The Ailey School and was a member of Ailey II before joining the main company, and has also performed with Garth Fagan Dance and Ronald K. Brown/EVIDENCE.
Daniil Simkin and Maria Kochetkova (American Ballet Theatre)
Daniil Simkin was born in Russia to a ballet family. At age 10, Simkin began his training under the direction of his mother, Olga Aleksandrova. At 12, he began participating in ballet competitions and galas around the world and, at the same time, finished his academic education. He joined the ballet company of the Vienna State Opera in 2006 as a demi-soloist. Simkin joined American Ballet Theatre as a soloist in October 2008 and became a principal dancer in December 2012. His repertoire with the company includes the Bronze Idol in La Bayadère; the Ballet Dancer in The Bright Stream; Franz in Coppélia; Ali and Lankendem in Le Corsaire; Basilio and the Lead Gypsy in Don Quixote; Puck in The Dream; the first sailor in Fancy Free; the Flames of Paris pas de deux; Albrecht and the peasant pas de deux in Giselle; The Profiteer in The Green Table; Lescaut in Manon; Kolia in A Month in the Country; the Nutcracker Prince in Alexei Ratmansky’s The Nutcracker; Lensky in Onegin; the Son in Prodigal Son; Romeo, Mercutio, and Benvolio in Romeo and Juliet; Boy With Matted Hair in Shadowplay; Prince Désiré and the Bluebird in The Sleeping Beauty; the Rose in Le Spectre de la Rose; the pas de deux from Stars and Stripes; Prince Siegfried and Benno in Swan Lake; Gurn in La Sylphide; Orion, Eros, and a Goat in Sylvia; Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux; and roles in Allegro Brillante, Black Tuesday, The Brahms-Haydn Variations, Company B, Duets, In the Upper Room, The Leaves Are Fading, Monotones I, Mozartiana, One of Three, Piano Concerto #1, Sinfonietta, and Symphony in C. He created the Chinese Dance in Ratmansky’s The Nutcracker, Bluebird in Ratmansky’s The Sleeping Beauty, Ariel in The Tempest, The Boy in Whipped Cream, and roles in Everything Doesn’t Happen at Once, Serenade after Plato’s Symposium, and Troika.
Maria Kochetkova was born in Moscow and trained at the Bolshoi Ballet School for eight years before dancing with The Royal Ballet and English NationalBallet in London. She joined the San Francisco Ballet as a principal dancer in 2007 and has performed as a guest artist with the Bolshoi and Stanislavsky Theatres in Moscow, theMariinsky and Mikhailovsky Theatres in St. Petersburg, and the Tokyo Ballet in Japan. Her classical repertoire includes the title role in Giselle, Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty, Kitri in Don Quixote, Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, Odette-Odile in Swan Lake, Clara and the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker, Tatiana in John Cranko’s Onegin, and the title role in Alice in Wonderland. She has also performed in George Balanchine’s Coppelia (as Swanilda) Divertimento No. 15, Jewels (Emeralds and Rubies), Serenade, Theme and Variations, Symphony in C (2nd movement), and Scotch Symphony; William Forsythe’s in the middle, somewhat elevated and Artifact Suite; Kenneth MacMillan’s Winter Dreams; Frederick Ashton’s Symphonic Variations and Voices of Spring; Wayne McGregor’s Chroma (opening night for US premiere); and ballets by David Dawson, Derek Deane, Jorma Elo, Mark Morris, Yuri Possokhov, Alexei Ratmansky, Jerome Robbins, Helgi Tomasson, Christopher Wheeldon, and Hans van Manen. In 2013, Kochetkova made her debut with American Ballet Theatre, performing Princess Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty and Odette-Odile in Swan Lake. She joined ABT as a principal dancer in August 2015. Her repertoire with the company also includes Nikiya in La Bayadère, Medora in Le Corsaire, Kitri in Don Quixote, the Golden Cockerel in The Golden Cockerel, Sylvia in Sylvia, and leading roles in The Brahms-Haydn Variations, Monotones I, and Piano Concerto #1.
Jacqueline Burnett, Kellie Epperheimer, Michael Gross, Elliot Hammans, Alice Klock, Andrew Murdock, and Kevin J. Shannon (Hubbard Street Dance Chicago)
Jacqueline Burnett is from Pocatello, ID. Burnett received classical ballet training in Pocatello from Romanian ballet master Marius Zirra, with additional summer training at Ballet Idaho, Brindusa-Moore Ballet Academy, the Universal (Kirov) Ballet Academy, The Juilliard School, and the San Francisco Conservatory of Dance. She graduated magna cum laude with departmental honors from the Ailey School and Fordham University’s joint program in New York City in 2009 while apprenticing with Hubbard Street. She was promoted to Hubbard Street’s main company in August 2009 and is a 2011-12 Princess Grace honorarium recipient.
Kellie Epperheimer is from Los Osos, California. She began her dance training in 1988 at the Academy of Dance and Civic Ballet of San Luis Obispo, and attended training programs at The Joffrey Ballet School and the Juilliard School in New York City. A founding member of Cedar Lake Ensemble (later Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet), she joined Hubbard Street 2 in January 2005 and was promoted to the main company in January 2007.
Michael Gross is from Poughquag, NY. He earned a BFA in Dance from the University of Arizona and received much of his early training from Colorado Jazz Dance Company in Colorado Springs, followed by further studies at the American Academy of Ballet and Springboard Danse Montréal. Formerly a member of River North Dance Chicago and Visceral Dance Chicago, Gross has also performed with Elements Contemporary Ballet and in the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s holiday production, Welcome Yule! Gross joined Hubbard Street in August 2014 and thanks his friends and family for their love and support.
Elliot Hammans is from Santa Fe, NM. He began his formal dance training in 2008 with Robert Sher-Machherndl and continued his ballet and modern dance education with Moving People Dance in Santa Fe under the direction of Curtis Uhlemann. Hammans joined Moving People Dance Company as an apprentice in 2010, trained on full scholarship at the Alonzo King LINES Dance Center in San Francisco, and attended Hubbard Street Dance Chicago’s 2011 and 2012 Summer Intensives. Following one season with Cherylyn Lavagnino Dance and studies abroad at Austria’s Tanzzentrum SEAD (Salzburg Experimental Academy of Dance), Hammans earned his BFA in Dance in 2014 from Tisch School of the Arts at NYU. Hammans joined Hubbard Street 2 as a full company member in August 2014 and was promoted to Hubbard Street’s main company in August 2016.
Alice Klock is from Whidbey Island, WA. She trained at Interlochen Arts Academy from 2003-2007, and in the Alonzo King LINES Ballet and Dominican University of California’s joint BFA program from 2007-2009. Klock then joined Hubbard Street 2 in September 2009 and was promoted to the main Hubbard Street company in September 2011. Klock creates original works in watercolor, oil paint, and mixed media as a visual artist; as a choreographer, she has contributed to the Nexus Project, Loyola University, and Visceral Dance Chicago, in addition to premiering work through Hubbard Street’s danc(e)volve: New Works Festival, International Commissioning Project, and annual Inside/Out Choreographic Workshop.
Andrew Murdock is from St. Albert, Alberta. He is a graduate of the Juilliard School, from which he received a BFA in dance under the direction of Lawrence Rhodes. Prior to being a regular collaborator with Aszure Barton & Artists, Murdock performed with Gallim Dance and BJM Danse, formerly Les Ballets Jazz de Montréal. Additional collaborators and colleagues include Cherice Barton, Joshua Beamish, Andy Blankenbuehler, Nina Chung, Joe Lanteri, Austin McCormick, Michelle Mola, Abdel Salaam, and Edgar Zendejas. He has appeared at the Greenwich Music Festival with Zack Winokur and with Geneviève Dorion-Coupal at Just for Laughs and Le 400e Anniversaire de la Ville de Québec. As a rehearsal assistant to Aszure Barton, he worked with American Ballet Theatre, Canada’s National Ballet School and Ballet BC, New York University, the Steps Ensemble, Arts Umbrella, and Springboard Danse Montréal. He joined Hubbard Street in 2013.
Kevin J. Shannon is from Baltimore, MD. He began dancing under the guidance of Lester Holmes. He graduated from the Baltimore School for the Arts with additional training at the School of American Ballet, Miami City Ballet School, Paul Taylor Dance Company, and Parsons Dance. He earned his BFA in 2007 at the Juilliard School, toured nationally with the Juilliard Dance Ensemble, and appeared in the Live from Lincoln Center broadcast television special The Juilliard School: Celebrating 100 Years. Shannon joined Hubbard Street in November 2007.
Victoria Jaiani and Temur Suluashvili (The Joffrey Ballet)
Victoria Jaiani joined The Joffrey Ballet in August 2003. Born and raised in Tbilisi, Georgia, Jaiani began her training at the age of 10 at the Choreographic School of Georgia. Later, she continued her studies at a ballet school in New York. In June 2003, she won a bronze medal at the New York International Ballet Competition. Since joining the Joffrey, Jaiani has performed in Age of Innocence, Alegro Consabor, Apollo (Terpsichore), Gerald Arpino’s Birthday Variations, Frederick Ashton’s Cinderella (Cinderella), Creative Force, Dark Elegies, Giselle (Giselle), The Green Table, In the Night, Kettentanz, Laurencia Pas d’Action, Light Rain, Monotones II, The Nutcracker, Pas Des Deesses (Grahn), Petrouchka, Postcards, Les Presages (Passion), Jiri Kylian’s Return to a Strange Land, John Cranko’s Romeo and Juliet (Juliet), Round of Angels, Square Dance, Viva Vivaldi, A Wedding Bouquet, and in the middle, somewhat elevated. In 2006, Jaiani was featured in the world premiere of a new work by Donald Byrd, Motown Suite. She is married to Joffrey dancer Temur Suluashvili.
Temur Suluashvili joined The Joffrey Ballet in 2003. He began his dance career at age 15 by studying at the Vachtang Chaboukiani Academy in the Republic of Georgia. During his years at the Academy, Suluashvili performed in productions ofThe Nutcracker, Giselle, Don Quixote, Bluebird, and Hour Dance. In 1999, he was a finalist the Republic’s first dance competition and received a certificate of achievement. In September 2000, Suluashvili came to the United States thanks to a full scholarship with the Joffrey Ballet School in New York. For two years, he studied and performed with the Joffrey Ballet School, including roles in The Nutcracker, Raymonda, Coppélia, Swan Lake, and Esmeralda. Before becoming a full-time dancer with The Joffrey Ballet, Suluashvili was a part of The Joffrey Ballet School Dancers, a student ensemble that toured the United States. In the summer of 2003, Suluashvili was a finalist in the New York International Ballet Competition. Later that summer, he joined The Joffrey Ballet as a full-time dancer and made his debut with the company in John Cranko’s Romeo and Juliet. Suluashvili has performed in various ballets with the Joffrey including The Clowns, Creative Force, Giselle, Laurencia Pas d’Action, Les Patineurs, The Nutcracker, N.Y. Export: Opus Jazz!, Petrouchka, Round of Angels, Le Sacre du Printemps, Square Dance, Tensile Involvement, Viva Vivaldi, and A Wedding Bouquet. When Suluashvili is not dancing, he enjoys reading. He is married to Joffrey dancer Victoria Jaiani.
Todd Burnsed and Nicole Loizides (MOMIX)
Todd Burnsed received a BFA from The Juilliard School under the direction of Benjamin Harkarvy. He has toured extensively with MOMIX, Jessica Lang Dance, and Twyla Tharp’s Movin’ Out. Burnsed was in the original Broadway cast of Tharp’s Come Fly Away and her Las Vegas production Sinatra: Dance With Me. He also has appeared in The Metropolitan Opera’s productions of Parsifal and Les Troyens. Burnsed’s first performance with MOMIX was in 2001.
Nicole Loizides has danced with New York Dance Theatre, NYC Contemporary, Ballet Hispanico, and MOMIX. Trained as a classical dancer in the Balanchine tradition, it was a welcome and surprising change when she joined MOMIX in 1999. Having toured with MOMIX for over 18 years, Loizides has taken part in the creative process for five of the company’s shows and has traveled six continents performing and teaching for the company. In February of 2002, she was featured on the cover of Dance Magazine, and in September of that same year, she performed Millennium Skiva on Live with Regis and Kelly. In 2007, she had the privilege of performing for and meeting Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles at the Royal Variety Show in Liverpool, England. Loizides appeared in MOMIX’s Target commercial that aired in 2009. Loizides leaped forward from dancer to associate choreographer when she assisted in the creation of the “Dove of Peace” segment featured in the opening ceremonies for the 2014 Sochi Olympics. In 2015, she directed and choreographed Abu Dhabi’s National Day celebration, which was attended by 45,000 people. After a 21-year dance career, Loizides now runs a massage studio, h’Om, in Glen Cove, New York. She teaches master classes throughout the year in both dance and injury prevention. She is the founder of the newly formed non-profit Moving On, an organization dedicated to assisting dancers who are transitioning careers, choreographing, and performing special projects.
Daniel Ulbricht and Megan Fairchild (New York City Ballet)
Megan Fairchild was born in Salt Lake City, UT, and began her dance training at the age of 4, studying with Judy Levitre and Kaelynne Oliphant at Dance Concepts in Sandy, UT, and at the Ballet West Conservatory in Salt Lake City with Sharee Lane, Deborah Dobson, and Maureen Laird. While at the Ballet West Conservatory, Fairchild was also a Ballet West trainee. Fairchild entered the School of American Ballet (SAB), the official school of New York City Ballet, in the fall of 2000. In November 2001, Fairchild became an apprentice with New York City Ballet, and in October 2002 she joined the company as a member of the corps de ballet. Fairchild was promoted to the rank of soloist in February 2004, and in January 2005, she was promoted to principal dancer.
Daniel Ulbricht was born in St. Petersburg, FL, and began his dance training at the age of 11 at the Judith Lee Johnson Studio of Dance, studying with Lenny Holmes. He also studied at Les Jeunes Danseurs with Javier Dubraq and attended the Chautauqua Summer Dance Program, training with Jean Pierre Bonnefoux and Patricia McBride. In 1999, Ulbricht was invited by the School of American Ballet (SAB), the official school of New York City Ballet, to continue his training during their Winter Program. As a student at SAB, Ulbricht performed with New York City Ballet as a Jester in Peter Martins’ The Sleeping Beauty. In December 2000, he became an apprentice with New York City Ballet, and in November 2001 he joined the company as a member of the corps de ballet. In January 2005, Ulbricht was promoted to the rank of soloist and principal dancer in May 2007.
Ian Spring (Parsons Dance)
Ian Spring is originally from Middletown, OH, where he began his training under the direction of Phyllis DeWeese-Morgan. After graduating from high school, Spring attended Point Park University in Pittsburgh, PA, graduating summa cum laude with his BA in dance. While at Point Park, he had the honor of performing pieces by Robert Battle, Martha Graham, and Katarzyna Skarpetowska, among others. Previously, Spring worked with Dayton Contemporary Dance Company 2 before joining Parsons Dance in 2010.
Koto Ishihara (San Francisco Ballet)
Koto Ishihara was born in Nagoya, Japan and trained at Yukie Ballet School and the Shiho Kanazawa Ballet. She won 3rd place in the Japan Grand Prix Competition and received a scholarship to The Harid Conservatory. After completing the Conservatory’s summer intensive in 2008, she became a trainee at the San Francisco Ballet. She joined the company in 2010 and was promoted to soloist in 2014. Ishihara has danced featured or principal roles in Yuri Possokhov’s RAkU; Helgi Tomasson’s The Nutcracker, 7 for Eight, Swan Lake, and Giselle; Tomasson/Possokhov’s Don Quixote (Cupid); George Balanchine’s Brahms-Schoenberg Quartet and Divertimento No. 15; William Forsythe’s The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude; Serge Lifar’s Suite en Blanc (Serenade); Natalia Makarova’s (after Petipa) “The Kingdom of the Shades” from La Bayadère, Act II (1st Shade variation); Rudolf Nureyev’s Raymonda; Christopher Wheeldon’s Cinderella (Balinese Princess); Wayne McGregor’s Borderlands and Chroma; and many others.
Michael Cook and Natalia Magnicaballi (The Suzanne Farrell Ballet)
Michael Cook is from Tempe, AZ, and received his dance training from the Tempe Dance Academy in Arizona and the School of American Ballet. Cook has been a member of The Suzanne Farrell Ballet since 2007. From 1999 to 2007, Cook danced with Ballet Arizona as a principal dancer. While performing with Ballet Arizona, he originated roles in Ib Andersen’s Romeo and Juliet as Romeo, Mosaik, and Swan Lake as Prince Siegfried. His repertoire includes works by Paul Taylor, Julia Adam, Twyla Tharp, Dwight Rhoden, Maurice Béjart, Jerome Robbins, and George Balanchine. As a part of The Suzanne Farrell Ballet, Cook has danced principal roles in Agon, Apollo, Prodigal Son, Brahms-Schoenberg Quartet, Duo Concertante, La Valse, Diamonds, Meditation, and Mozartiana, among others. He has also danced in Ragtime as a part of the Balanchine Preservation Initiative. His passion for dancing extends beyond the stage to teaching and inspiring young students. Through the Education Department at the Kennedy Center, Cook teaches a series of master classes in ballet and partnering. He also owns and directs Tempe Dance West in Laveen, AZ.
Natalia Magnicaballi was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and has been a principal dancer with The Suzanne Farrell Ballet since its conception in 1999 and with Ballet Arizona since 2002. A graduate of Teatro Colón, she became a principal dancer at the age of 19 with Julio Bocca’s Ballet Argentino. In Europe, she joined the Italian company Aterballetto under Mauro Bigonzetti’s direction. Her repertoire includes the lead roles in 30 Balanchine creations, the leads in the most beloved classic ballets, as well as works and premiers by Jiri Kylian, Roland Petit, Maurice Bejart, Mauro Bigonzetti, Jerome Robbins, Dwight Rhoden, Paul Mejia, Ib Andersen, Oscar Araiz, Mauricio Wainrot, Ana María Stekelman, Alberto Méndez, Christopher Wheeldon, and Alexei Ratmansky. She has toured and performed in the main houses and arena theatres in five continents including the Paris Opera Garnier and the Mariinsky Theatre. Magnicaballi has been featured as one of Dance Magazine’s 25 to Watch and named Best Dancer by The Arizona Republic.
Liudmila Konovalova (Vienna State Ballet)
Liudmila Konovalova was born in Moscow, Russia. She graduated from the Bolshoi Ballet Academy and joined the Russian State Ballet in 2002. In 2004, she was appointed first soloist with the company. In 2007, she joined the Staatsballett Berlin and was appointed soloist in 2009. In 2010, she joined the Wiener Staatsballett (Vienna State Ballet) as a soloist and was appointed principal in 2011.
Brooklyn Mack (The Washington Ballet)
Brooklyn Mack was born in Elgin, SC. Mack began his dance training at age 12 with the Pavlovich Dance School under Radenko Pavlovich and Milena Leben before receiving a scholarship to study at the Kirov Academy of Ballet. Mack then apprenticed with The Joffrey Ballet of Chicago and later joined American Ballet Theatre’s Studio Company. Before joining The Washington Ballet, Mack spent three seasons as a principal dancer with Orlando Ballet. Notable awards include the Kirsti Paakenen Encouragement Prize at the 2005 International Ballet Competition in Helsinki, Finland; the silver medal at the 2006 Jackson International Ballet Competition in Mississippi; the 2007 Princess Grace Fellowship Award; second prize at the 2009 Helsinki International Ballet Competition; the bronze medal at the 2011 Boston International Ballet Competition; the Marius Leipa Prize at the 2011 Boston International Ballet Competition; the silver medal at the 2011 Korean International Dance Competition; the gold medal at the 2012 Boston International Ballet Competition; first prize at the 2012 Istanbul Grand Prix; and the gold medal at the 2012 International Ballet Competition in Varna, Bulgaria. Most recently, Mack was featured in Ebony Magazine, theGrio’s Top 100, and Dance Magazine as one of the 25 to Watch. He is in his ninth season with The Washington Ballet.
Madison Penney (Youth America Grand Prix)
Madison Penney is from Arizona. When she was 8 years old, she joined the Master Ballet Academy, led by Artistic Director Slawomir Wozniak. Among her many accolades and awards are the Gold Medal at the World Ballet Competition in 2015 and the Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) Hope Award in 2016. She recently won the 2017 Grand Prix award at the YAGP finals in New York. Penney has performed with Phoenix Ballet in several productions with seasoned professionals that include soloist roles originated for her by Albert Blaise Cattafi and Fransisco Gella.
Performance Information
A Golden Celebration of Dance | The 50th Anniversary of the Auditorium Theatre’s Re-Opening
Sunday, November 12 | 7:30PM
Tickets start at $41 and are available online at AuditoriumTheatre.org, by phone at 312.341.2300, or in person at the Auditorium Theatre Box Office (50 E Congress Parkway). A Golden Celebration of Dance is part of the International Dance Series, which offers a 30% discounted subscription. The evening may also be added to the Select Your Own subscription, discounted at 20-25%. Discounts available for groups of 10+.
For tickets or tables to the 2017 Fall Gala on Sunday, November 12 at 4PM, please contact Kelly Saroff by phone at 312.341.2364 or via email at [email protected].
Auditorium Theatre’s 2017-18 Season Upcoming Performances
November 12: A Golden Celebration of Dance
November 17: Ella & Lena: The Ladies and Their Music
November 18: The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses
November 21: Mayday
December 1-30: The Joffrey Ballet — The Nutcracker
January 13-14: Too Hot to Handel: The Jazz-Gospel Messiah
About The Auditorium Theatre
The Auditorium Theatre, located at 50 E Congress Pkwy in Chicago, is an Illinois, not-for-profit organization committed to presenting the finest in international, cultural, community, and educational programming to all of Chicago and beyond as The Theatre for the People. The organization also is committed to the continued restoration and preservation of the National Historic Landmark.
The Auditorium Theatre 2017-18 Season is made possible in part with support from the MacArthur Foundation and the Palmer House Hilton. Michigan Avenue is the official magazine sponsor. For more information about programming, volunteer, and donor opportunities or theatre tours, call 312.341.2310 or visit AuditoriumTheatre.org. For a complete listing of events at the Auditorium Theatre, please click here.
Historic Auditorium Theatre photo, courtesy of the Auditorium Theatre. | Historic Auditorium Theatre photo, courtesy of the Auditorium Theatre. | Auditorium Theatre, photo by Lucio Vergara.
