Tradition, Reimagined
Letter from the Artistic Director
Dear Friends,
We are delighted to return to the beautiful Calderwood Pavilion with Traditions, Reimagined!
This program honors the classics while introducing bold new perspectives and invites you to experience the magic of live theater in a whole new way. The excitement of being in the theater has always inspired me. My journey began with my debut performing an authentic Lithuanian character dance in the ballroom of the Lithuanian Club in South Boston. I am eternally grateful to my first teacher, Tatiana Babushkina—a former prima ballerina with the Lithuanian State Ballet—for launching my dance career. It has been my lifelong desire to share the excitement of live theater with audiences like you.
I am pleased to present our talented Boston-based choreographers: Gianni DiMarco, Lorraine Chapman, and Marcus Schulkind. Their distinctive voices are beautifully reflected in their works. This program offers a rich mix of styles, from the groundbreaking work of Isadora Duncan, ably staged by my former Boston Ballet colleague, Ellen O’Reilly-Jonas. Isadora Duncan paved the way for early modern dance pioneers such as Ruth St. Denis, Ted Shawn, and Martha Graham. The program also features neoclassical and contemporary works. Highlights include Gianni DiMarco’s Quinteto in the Afternoon, set to Schubert’s music, and Lorraine Chapman’s bold, all-women contemporary reimagining of Swan Lake, which honors and transforms Tchaikovsky’s iconic score.
My new dance, I Loves You Porgy, was inspired by Nina Simone’s unforgettable interpretation of George Gershwin’s song from the opera Porgy & Bess. I imagined an epilogue—rooted in memory, longing, and love. The dance begins with Bess alone in her New York tenement, dreaming of Porgy, the only man she ever truly loved. This story is about memory, longing, and love.
In closing, Traditions, Reimagined is presented in loving memory of Adam Paladino and Trevor O’Rourke,lovers of the arts, gone too soon.
-Anthony Williams
Tradition, Reimagined
April 4, 2026 2:00 & 7:00 PM
Dedicated in memory of Adam Paladino, a passionate supporter of the arts. Born and raised in Brookline, Adam’s artistic vision touched everyone around him. He wove poetry, music, theatre, and visual art into everything he made. As an adult, he became a professional printmaker and visual artist, and a proud member of The Boston Printmakers Society. His work lives on in the people and places he inspired.
Joyeuse Marche (1992)
Choreography: Tony Williams
Music: Emmanuel Chabrier
Costumes: Erika Lambe
Lighting Design: Matthew Brian Cost
Azamat Asangul, Juliet Brown, Nicole Dickson,
Kendra Frank, Grace Hall, Louise Hautefeuille,
Morgan Brown Sanborn, Alexis Taborda
Lucky (2025)
2:00 performance
Choreography: Tony Williams
Music: Kat Edmonson
Costumes: Erika Lambe
Lighting Design: Matthew Brian Cost
Gabrielle Honoré
with Mona Califano, Gabriella Diaz, Annalise Hill, Helen Michaud, Sanova Napoleon, Isla-May Theodore
I Loves You Porgy (2026)
7:00pm performance
Notes from the choreographer: My new dance, I Loves You Porgy, was inspired by the title song from George Gershwin’s opera, Porgy & Bess.
My approach was to create a sort of an epilogue that takes place after the ending of Porgy and Bess. One might might recall, towards the end of the opera, Porgy, a disabled street beggar, has been released from prison for killing Crown, Bess’ abusive boyfriend. He misses Bess, the love of his life, and starts out on his journey to find her in New York, while singing the last lines in the opera “Oh Lawd, I’m on my way.”
The dance starts with Bess, asleep at her kitchen table in her one – room tenement in 1920s New York. As she sleeps, she dreams of Porgy, the only man she truly loved.
Choreography: Tony Williams
Music: George Gershwin, sung by Nina Simone
Costumes: Erika Lambe
Lighting Design: Matthew Brian Cost
Rhapsody Stiggers
Debussy Suite (2009)
Choreography: Tony Williams
Music: Claude Debussy
Costumes: Erika Lambe
Lighting Design: Matthew Brian Cost
Arabesque No 2
2:00 performance: Grace Hall, Louise Hautefeuille, Amane Takaishi
7:00 performance: Nicole Dickson, Kendra Frank, Morgan Brown Sanborn
Vaudeville à la Française
Caroline Cooper, Katie McMahon, Elvis Pietrzak
Pause
Swan Lake to be continued (2026)
The piece is set to the original score composed by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Audiences will have the opportunity to experience an excerpt from the beginning of what is intended to become a full-length ballet. This presentation offers a glimpse into a work in progress, showcasing the creative evolution of this unique interpretation.
Choreography: Lorraine Chapman
Music: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Costumes: Erika Lambe
Lighting Design: Matthew Brian Cost
Juliet Brown, Naoko Brown, Caroline Cooper, Nicole Dickson, Kendra Frank, Grace Hall, Katie McMahon,
Morgan Brown Sanborn, Amane Takaishi
Intermission
Dances by Isadora
Choreography: Isadora Duncan, staged by Ellen O’Reilly-Jonas
Music: Johannes Brahms, Franz Schubert, Frédéric Chopin, Richard Strauss
Costumes: Dustin Rennells
Lighting Design: Matthew Brian Cost
Greeting: Naoko Brown, Caroline Cooper, Nicole Dickson, Gabrielle Honoré, Katie McMahon, Rhapsody Stiggers
Classical Duet: Nicole Dickson, Rhapsody Stiggers
Flames of the Heart: Caroline Cooper
Sisters: Naoko Brown, Gabrielle Honoré
Gypsy: Nicole Dickson
Three Graces: Caroline Cooper, Gabrielle Honoré, Rhapsody Stiggers
Water Study: Katie McMahon
Roses from the South: Full Cast
Ladies Night Out #2 (1976)
Excerpt from Ladies Night Out
Choreography: Marcus Schulkind
Music: Randy Newman
Costumes: Marcus Schulkind
Lighting Design: Matthew Brian Cost
Lorraine Chapman (Saturday)
Caroline Cooper (Friday)
Quinteto in the Afternoon (2026)
Choreography: Gianni Di Marco
Music: Franz Schubert
Costumes: Gianni Di Marco
Lighting Design: Matthew Brian Cost
Juliet Brown, Kendra Frank, Louise Hautefeuille,
Morgan Brown Sanborn, Rhapsody Stiggers
Ben’s Trumpet Suite
Based on the Caldecott Honor Award book,
“Ben’s Trumpet” by Rachel Isadora
Premiered: 2009, Wheelock Family Theater
Principal Choreography: Tony Williams
Additional Choreography: Janelle Gilchrist, Erika Lambe
Music: Louis Armstrong, Bessie Smith, Louis Jordan, The Orioles, and Chick Webb
Costumes: Erika Lambe
Lighting Design: Matthew Brian Cost
Ben: Justin Evans
Ensemble: Juliet Brown, Caroline Cooper, Nicole Dickson, Kendra Frank, Grace Hall, Katie McMahon, Elvis Pietrzak, Rhapsody Stiggers, Brian Washburn
Youth Ensemble: Sylvie Alperen, Mona Califano, Gabriella Diaz, Mya Fitzgerald, Alayna Kristan, Ava Kristan, Helen Michaud, Sanova Napoleon, Journi Pierce, Isla-May Theodore
Ben’s Trumpet Suite Synopsis
Scene 1: 1940’s City Street
Ben sits out on the fire escape in the evening. He hears the jazz floating up from the Zig Zag Club and a loud trumpet solo suddenly catches his attention. He begins imitating the silhouette of the trumpet player, holding an imaginary trumpet. He moves his fingers on the imaginary valves and puffs his cheeks, dreaming of the day he could play a real trumpet.
Scene II: 1940’s City Street
The street is busy as Ben’s neighbors go about their day. The Waiter and Cigarette girl dance through the street on their way to work at the Zig Zag Club. Ben’s Mother and Father stop to talk with some friends. Kids dance and play on the sidewalks.