Meet Our Artistic Director...

RICHARD DICKINSON

Richard Dickinson is the artistic director of Ballet Western Reserve located in Youngstown, OH. He also works with State Street Ballet, a professional ballet company in Santa Barbara, CA, co-directing their annual Summer Dance Intensive and dancing character roles as needed.  He is a part-time lecturer at Case Western Reserve University and the company teacher for VERB Ballets both located in Cleveland, OH.

Mr. Dickinson is the former artistic associate for Hubbard Street Dance Chicago; ballet master and principal dancer for Ohio Ballet; director of the Boston Ballet II and a soloist with Boston Ballet for eight years.  He began his dance training at the age of eight, and at sixteen was awarded a National Endowment for the Arts choreography grant.  In addition to an extensive dance career, including principal and soloist roles with Chicago Ballet and Honolulu City Ballet, Mr. Dickinson has choreographed for the Boston Ballet, Chicago Ballet, Ohio Ballet, Honolulu City Ballet, Honolulu Ballet Theatre and numerous Regional Dance America companies. He was the artistic director of Chamber Dance Theatre in Milwaukee, WI and served on the faculty in the Boston School of Ballet’s Summer Dance Program and he was a teacher at the Stanly Holden School of Dance in Los Angeles, CA. He also adjudicated four Regional Dance America festivals which are held throughout the United States. Most recently Mr. Dickinson was artistic and managing director of Great Lakes Festival Ballet and Richard Dickinson’s School of Ballet both located in Warren, OH.

Mr. Dickinson has taught master classes and performed in Europe, Asia, the United States, Israel, Mexico and India.  He received his Master of Fine Arts degree, majoring in theater and dance, from Case Western Reserve University in 2005.

 

 2008 – 2009 SEASON

Art and dance converge for an evening accenting the Butler classics

Ballet Western Reserve and The Butler Institute of American Art are taking a fresh look at their annual performance collaboration while paying tribute to the classics in an event that will feature the museum’s classic pieces on Friday, March 6^th and Saturday, March 7^th.

“The paintings provide a jumping off point for the creative process,” said Richard Dickinson, BWR artistic director about why she enjoys this annual show. “They sometimes suggest a subject matter I would not have chosen as a starting point for a

dance work. With my piece, “The Flower Vendor,” I am trying to tell the story behind

the painting. It is a challenging process for both me and the dancers.”

 

The evening begins at 6 PM with music, cocktails and appetizers in the Butler North

church setting and the performance will follow at 7 P.M. in the performance space.

 

This performance will bring to life a varied group of Butler's notable classics from its collection in honor of its 90th anniversary.  Richard Dickinson, BWR Artistic Director,

will serve as director and lead choreographer for the event, but will share the night with BWR’s other choreographers. In addition to contemporary and classical ballet, tap,

modern and hip hop dance pieces will be featured.

 

BWR will be recognizing its own classics

A special treat this year is the return to the area stage of several of BWR’s alumni

dancers and instructors. Their modern dance piece is being choreographed by BWR’s Karen Westerfield featuring alumni Cathy Mascheck, Alex Burley, Jackie Cunningham

and Jessica Terrell. Also outgoing BWR Executive Director Anita Lin is restaging one of

her favorite pieces from her 25-year tenure. It will be a restaging of a Cuban-inspired

modern ballet piece from 2002 interpreting “The Little Dancer” by Robert Henri.

 

NOTE: Each performance night a different original, fine art piece will be auctioned to

the highest bidder via silent auction.

                                 

This performance is generously underwritten by Nanette Lepore and Robert Savage.

It will be narrated by Michael Morley. The cocktail party is compliments of Rulli Bros.

 

Seating is limited and is on sale now. Special café-style seating closest to the stage will

be available for $50.00 per seat. Other seats are for $35.00 per person and $15.00 for

students (under age 18 and undergraduate college students with IDs). For tickets,

please call James McClellan, BWR Business Manager, at (330) 744-1934

 

For press rehearsal tapings, photographs or interviews, please call Aundréa Cika at

(330) 646-4082 or acika@cisnet.com

Sunday, March 8^th 2-4 P.M.

A children-oriented version of the same performance shortened and explained with fun, interactive involvement for an elementary school audience. Refreshments and take-home educational pieces provided. Tickets are limited and are $10 per person in advance. To order, please call James McClellan, BWR Business Manager, at (330) 744-1934.

 

 

 

Also...

SNEAK PEEK AT THE GARDENS

April 30

ENCHANTED EVENING AT THE GARDENS

May 1

 

 

 For information, call the BWR office at:

330-744-1934

www.balletwesternreserve.org

 

 

 

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