Contact: EMAIL
BMN: 651-222-7919
CBA: 651-290-0513
249 East Fourth Street,
St Paul, Minnesota, 55101
MISSION:
Ballet Minnesota is dedicated to
the pursuit of artistry in dance
through public presentatirons
and education
BMN Executive Director:
Cynthia Betz
651-222-7919
BMN Artistic Director
CBA Co-director
Andrew Rist
Email
651-290-0513
CBA School Director:
Cheryl Rist
Grant writer:
Art Penfield
Production manager:
Jim Arnold
Board President:
Lisa Gray
Volunteer Coordiator:
Mary Klein
20th Anniversary Ball Chairperson:
Julia Lauwagie
Consultant Physical Therapist :
Maryann Johnson
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 Andrew Rist
Andrew's interests have always been in the areas of teaching, directing & choreography. After dancing professionally for 14 years, Loyce Houlton encouraged Andrew to become Avocational Director of the Minnesota Dance Theater school (1986-87). In 1987 Andrew and his wife Cheryl co-founded the Classical Ballet Academy of Minnesota and in 1990 they co-founded Ballet Minnesota, of which Andrew became artistic director .Under his direction, Ballet Minnesota has developed a strong season which includes Fall Concert, annual Nutcracker, The Youth Concert Series, The Minnesota Dance Festival (which features the restaging of a classical ballet each year) and the River Songs Summer Series. As a choreographer, Anderw prefers working with original scores. He has created works in collaboration with Robert E Hindel, Charlie Maguire (National Park Service "Singing Ranger") and the rock group Mock Duck. His choreographic works include "Pachelbel", "At the Museum", "Nutcracker", "The Egg" , "Italian Symphony" and in 2006 "Black Dog Cafe". Andrew teaches in the school. He has been nominated and included in three editions of 'Who's Who Among American Teachers.' Only 5% of the nation's teachers are honored in each edition and less than 2% are included in more than one edition.
Cheryl Rist
Director: Classical Ballet Academy of Minnesota.
Cheryl, a graduate of the Cornish School of Arts in Seattle, was the recipient of (7) Arts Scholarships. Her teachers include Robert Joffrey, Loyce Houlton, Hanya Holm, Flemming Halby and Frank Bourman. She began dancing with Sacramento Ballet under the direction of Jean-Paul Comelin (formerly Paris Opera Ballet). She danced as a principal with the Banff Festival, the Minnesota Dance Theater (under the direction of Loyce Houlton) and Ballet Minnesota. n 1987 Cheryl and her husband Andrew co-founded the Classical Ballet Academy of Minnesota and in 1990 they co-founded Ballet Minnesota. Cheryl has a special gift understanding the art of Classical Ballet. She has restaged many of the classic ballets for Ballet Minnesota which include "Swan Lake", "Giselle", "Sleeping Beauty", "Les Sylphides", "Flower Festival pas de deux", "Coppelia" and "La Bayadere". Cheryl is known for restaging the complete ballets such as 4 acts of Swan Lake. In addition to all of this she designs and costumes all the works presented by Ballet MInnesota. Although she is a sought after designer, she concentrates her engeries on CBA and Ballet Minnesota.
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Clasical Ballet Academy, official school of Ballet Minnesota, co-founded by Cheryl & Andrew Rist in St Paul, Minnesota in 1987.
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Photo Display
Andrew & Cheryl Rist
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Ballet Minnesota's Annual
"Classic" NUTCRACKER
photos (Nutcracker 2007): Dave Trayers
1987-2007
"This radiant production brought the spirit of Christmas thundering back"
- Borcht Arts Magazine -
"Choreographer Andrew Rist's classic interpretation focuses on telling the story through dramatic flow
of the dancing. Notable for its stunning visuaL design and energetic performance."
- St Paul Pioneer Press
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ITALIAN SYMPHONY
Premiere: April 4, 2003 - Fitzgerald Theater composer: Felix Mendelsohnn 15th Minnesota Dance Festival
Movement 1: Melanie Hughes, Gairy Ataly Taylor Dreyling, Erin Warn, Julia Heggernes, Caitlin Mussmann
Movement 2: Taylor Dreyling, Erin Warn, Julia Heggernes, Caitlin Mussmann, Carolyn Quisenberry, Tayden Kuhn, Marianna Wong, Emily Baierl, Sarah Bulger, Elena Ahmann, Maggie Heath, Bard Jacula, Royal Anderson, Colin Jarret
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The EGG
Premiere: March 2000 Fitzgerald Theater 14th Minnesota Dance Festival
Composer: David Greenberg, Charlie Mickelson
Music: rock group 'Mock Duck'
Dancers: Brianna VandeVelde, Kirill Bak, Laura Paisley, Mara Forbes, Taylor Dreyling,
Adam Stein, Cheryl Posthumus, Laura Teale. Jo Jacobson, Chelsea Horst
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At The Museum
1994 & 2005
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LIGHT THE RIVER *
* This is one of over 40 songs which Andrew Rist and Charlie Maguire have collaborated on from 1989 - 2007
Premiere: August 16, 2002 Minnehaha Falls, Minneapolis, MN Mississippi River Songs Tour
Dancers: Melanie Hughes, Julia Heggernes, Caitlin Mussmann, Chelsey Hauk
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BLACK DOG CAFE
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Premiere: Friday, October 13, 2006
Student Center Theater University of Minnesota, St. Paul Campus, Buford Ave, Falcon Heights (Saint Paul)
Dancers Erin Warn, Taylor Dreyling, Julia Heggernes, David Schmidt, Allen Gregory, Ted Southern, Maryann Johnson, Antone Gregory, Brad Jacula, Elizabeth Hobbs, Megan Simon, Rachelle Horowitz, Karmyn Grant, Marisha Johnson, Rebecca Pelletier, Maren Gray
Guest Artists Charlie Maguire (singer/songwriter), Frank (Sculptor), Ta-Coumba Aiken (painter)
Costumes Andrew Rist
Sets Jim Arnold, Cynthia Betz
Costumes Cheryl Rist
About Black Dog Cafe- This unique dance piece choreographed by Andrew Rist, is presented by Ballet Minnesota. The ballet 'Black Dog Café' takes you to a coffee/wine shop in Lowertown, an artistic hub tucked away in Saint Paul, Minnesota (just a stone's throw from the Mississippi). The vision of the 'Black Dog Café' came from observing Lowertown artists as they come and go, wine and dine, socialize and create their own artistic visions everyday in their home away from home. The ballet uses the music that fills the air in the Café such as Wyclef Jean, Nina Simone and Beethoven. This piece uses a variety of dance styles such as ballet, hip-hop, modern, etc.
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PACHELBEL CANON IN D
Premiere: 1981 Hennepin Center for the Arts Minneapolis, Minnesota
Composer: Johann Pachelbel
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OLEON
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Premiere: May 17, 2000, Fitzgerald Theater St Paul, Minnesota 14th Minnesota Dance Festival
Composer: Johann S Bach
Original cast: Molly Bohnert, Julia Heggerness, Amanda Haag, Caitlin Mussmann,
Carolyn Quisenberry, Geoff Leung, Brian LeClair, Sigmund Hegstad
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WALTZ OF THE HOURS (from Coppelia)
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Ballet Minnesota premiere: April 5-7, 2002, Fitzgerald Theater
St Paul, Minnesota
Composer: Leo Deliebes
Last performance: April 2003, Fitzgerald Theater, St Paul
15th Minnesota Dance Festival
Coppelia Photo Page
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EMPRESS NEW CLOTHES
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Premiere: 1996 O'Shaughnessy, St Paul 8th Minnesota Dance Festival
Composer: Robert E Hindel
Last performance: April 2004, Fitzgerald Theater, St Paul
Nightmare Photo Page
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NIGHTMARE
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Premiere: 1994: St Paul Student Center, St Paul 6th Minnesota Dance Festival
Composer: Robert E Hindel
Last performance: May 2007, Fitzgerald Theater, St Paul
19th Minnesota Dance Festival
Nightmare Photo Page
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