Behind the Scenes with Choreographer Christopher Wheeldon [View]

Reinvented and re-imagined by Christopher Wheeldon, one the most acclaimed choreographers, Pennsylvania Ballet's new production of Swan Lake takes a fresh look at a timeless classic. Set to the famous Tchaikovsky score, adorned with opulent costumes and breathtaking scenery, this Swan Lake is an important international dance event.

This million dollar production brought Pennsylvania Ballet's 40th Anniversary Season to a fabulous finish in June, 2004 at the Academy of Music on Philadelphia's Avenue of the Arts.

Commissioned especially for Pennsylvania Ballet's 40th Anniversary Season, this full-length production of Swan Lake is re-created by world-renowned choreographer Christopher Wheeldon embodies the heart and soul of classic story ballet. The plot is mesmerizing. The characters are brilliant. The drama and beauty makes this one of the most famous ballets of all time. This reinvented Swan Lake, seen in Philadelphia first, will touch audiences worldwide for generations to come.

Christopher Wheeldon, Choreographer

Christopher Wheeldon, born in Yeovil, Somerset, England, enrolled at age 11 at the Royal Ballet School where he trained until he was 18. He joined England's Royal Ballet in 1991, where he danced works by Aston, Macmillan and Balanchine. That same year, he won the Gold Medal at the Prix de Lausanne competition. In 1993, Mr. Wheeldon joined the New York City Ballet's corp de ballet and was promoted to the rank of Soloist in 1998. Mr. Wheeldon has appeared in many of the works in repertory, dancing featured roles in George Balanchine's CHACONNE, DONIZETTI VARIATIONS, THE FOUR TEMPERAMENTS, A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM, THE NUTCRACKER, SCOTCH SYMPHONY; Peter Martin's THE SLEEPING BEAUTY (Europe); and Jerome Robbin's THE CONCERT, DANCES AT A GATHERING, THE GOLDBERG VARIATIONS and others. As a dancer, Mr. Wheeldon originated roles in many productions, including SYMPHONIC DANCES, LA STRAVAGANZA, EPISODES & SARCASMS, and SWAN LAKE.

Mr. Wheeldon retired from dancing in the year 2000 to concentrate on his choreographic work. He was chosen to be New York City Ballet's first Artist in Residence and named Resident Choreographer in 2001. Mr. Wheeldon made his Broadway choreographic debut in the musical THE SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS that premiered March 14, 2002. He completed a choreographic cycle to Ligeti music by creating CONTINUUM for the San Francisco Ballet and MORPHOSES for the New York City Ballet. Mr. Wheeldon's new works include TRYST to the music of Scottish composer James MacMillan for the Royal Ballet, and for the New York City ballet - three new works: CAROUSEL (Rodgers), LITURGY (Paert), and CARNIVAL OF THE ANIMALS (Saint-Saens) with original narration by John Lithgow and soon to be made into a feature film.

Beginning with the Mae L. Wien Award from the School of American Ballet for choreography in 1996, Mr. Wheeldon has received numerous awards. They include: Martin E. Segal Award from Lincoln Center for promising newcomer in choreography (1997); Brendan Gill Prize by the Municipal Art Society of New York for MERCURIAL MANOEUVRES (2001); the London's Critic's Circle Award for best new choreography - POLYPHONIA (2001), and most recently the Lawrence Olivier Award for POLYPHONIA. In 2003, Mr. Wheeldon was honored by the Edinburgh International Festival with a showcase of his work featuring THERE WHERE SHE LOVED (Chopin/Weill), CONTINUUM and the premiere RUSH (Martinu) presented by the San Francisco Ballet.

Who's Who in Production

ADRIANNE LOBEL, Scenic Designer for Swan Lake
Adrianne Lobel's Broadway credits include the TONY nominated A Year with Frog and Toad, which she also developed and produced; the TONY Award winning musical Passion, and The Diary of Anne Frank, both directed by James Lapine; and On the Town, directed by George C. Wolfe. Collaborating often with Peter Sellars, she has designed sets for his productions of Nixon in China (B.A.M. - NY, English National Opera, Bobigny-Paris and others), The Rake's Progress (Le Chatelet Theatre -Paris), The Marriage of Figaro (Pepsico Summerfare - NY, The Liceo -Barcelona, Bobigny - Paris), Cosi Fan Tutte (Pepsico Summerfare - NY, ORF -Vienna), The Magic Flute (Glyndebourne Festival Opera), and currently Dr. Atomic by John Adams for San Francisco Opera's 2005 season.

Her design work for Mark Morris Dance Company includes L'Allegro, Il Penseroso ed el Moderato (La Monnaie - Brussels, Le Champs Elysee - Paris, and others), The Hard Nut (La Monnaie - Brussels), Le Nozze de Figaro (La Monnaie - Brussels), Orfeo ed Euridice (B.A.M. - NY, Edinburgh and others), and Platee (The Royal Opera - London, and New York City Opera.) She has also designed for choreographers Eliot Feld and Donald Byrd.

For director Francesca Zambello, she has designed sets for Street Scene (Houston Grand Opera and Berlin), Lady in the Dark at the National Theatre, London, and currently a new opera based on "An American Tragedy" by Tobias Picker for the Metropolitan Opera's 2005 season.

Ms. Lobel has won an Obie Award, a Lucille Lortel Award, Long Wharf's Murphy Award, The Joseph Jefferson Award, and has received TONY, Drama Desk, Maharam, Helen Hayes and FANY nominations. She is a graduate of the Yale School of Drama.

JEAN-MARC PUISSANT, Costume Designer for Swan Lake
Jean-Marc Puissant designs costumes and sets for theater, opera and dance. Born in France, and based in London, he trained at the Motley Theatre Design Course and studied Art History and Archaeology in La Sorbonne, Paris.

Puissant began his career as a professional dancer, studying at the Conservatoire National Superieur de Paris and graduating from the School of Paris Opera Ballet. He joined the Birmingham Royal Ballet and the Stuttgart Ballet, dancing roles in classical, neo-classical and modern repertoires.

Design credits include: Tryst (Royal Ballet - Olivier Award Nomination for Best New Dance Production), Elsa Canasta (Rambert Dance Company - Olivier Award Nomination for Best Achievement in Dance), L'incoronazione Di Poppea (Royal Academy Opera), Giselle (Ballet de l'Opera National du Rhin), The Seasons (Birmingham Royal Ballet), VIII (Hamburg Ballet), BeBob (Nederlands Dans Theatre II and Ballett Saarbruecken), Reverse Deconstruct (Hubbard Street Dance Chicago), Sleeping Beauty (Ankara State Ballet), Peer Gynt (Battersea Arts Centre), Of Mice and Men (Southwark Playhouse Education), The Tales from the Vienna Woods (LAPA at The Gate), If You Love Me (Rosemary Branch). Puissant is currently working on commissions for American Ballet Theatre, Northern Ballet Theatre (UK) and Gothenburg Opera Ballet (Sweden).

NATASHA KATZ, Lighting Designer for Swan Lake
Natasha Katz's Broadway credits include Beauty and the Beast (TONY nomination), along with worldwide productions of the show. Other Broadway credits include Seussical: The Musical, Twelfth Night (TONY nomination), Sweet Smell of Success, Tim Rice and Elton John's Aida (TONY Award), The Scarlet Pimpernel, Barrymore, Gypsy, Someone Who'll Watch Over Me, Aren't We All?, Shogun, Breaking the Code, and Pack of Lies.

Her dance and opera credits include Carnival of the Animals for New York City Ballet, Tryst for the Royal Ballet, Don Quixote for American Ballet Theatre, and Die Soldatan for New York City Opera.

She has also designed concert acts for Shirley MacLaine, Ann-Margaret, and Tommy Tune, the HBO Television specials "Mambo Mouth" and "Spic-o-Rama" as well as extensive off-Broadway productions and American regional theatre productions. Other projects include "EFX!" at the MGM Grand Hotel, NikeTown in New York and London, and Big Bang at the Museum of Natural History in New York.