Tulsa Ballet facts for kids

Tulsa Ballet is a professional ballet company based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in the United States. Their main goal is to keep classical ballet traditions alive. They also want to help people enjoy modern dance. Tulsa Ballet creates amazing dance shows and teaches others through performances and training. The company has performed all over the U.S. and the world. They are known for their excellent shows.

The Story of Tulsa Ballet

The Tulsa Ballet company started in 1956. It was founded by a musician named Rosalie Talbot. She worked with a famous dancing couple, Roman Jasinski and Moscelyne Larkin. Jasinski and Larkin were well-known dancers. They were famous for their style, which came from the grand Ballets Russes tradition.

Under their guidance, the company grew a lot. By 1973, it became one of the best groups in the National Association for Regional Ballet. In 1978, it officially became a professional dance company. Tulsa Ballet performed successfully in New York in 1983 and went on a West Coast tour in 1986. They returned to New York in 1988 to perform a special ballet by George Balanchine. Because of these successes, the company was seen as a very important arts group in Oklahoma.

In 1990, Roman Larkin Jasinski, the son of the founders, took over as artistic director. However, the company faced some tough times during his leadership. There were disagreements among the people running the company, the dancers, and the board members. In November 1994, Jasinski decided to leave his role.

Meet the Artistic Director

In 1995, a famous Italian dancer named Marcello Angelini became the new Artistic Director of Tulsa Ballet. He was able to fix the problems within the company. At the same time, he made the dance performances even better. Angelini worked well with everyone, including Moscelyne Larkin, one of the founders. He also built good relationships with past leaders. People even nicknamed him "The Italian Tornado." This was because he was kind but also very determined and good at his job.

Dance Magazine says that Angelini built a very strong company. The dancers can perform both classic and modern ballets. They work with many famous choreographers. Angelini, who trained in Kiev, expects his dancers to be very skilled. He wants them to be as good as dancers in major companies he used to dance with. He believes that to make a company better, you have to challenge the dancers in new ways.

Amazing Performances

Tulsa Ballet puts on five main shows each year. They also perform the classic "The Nutcracker." More than 48,000 people come to watch their shows every season. Under Marcello Angelini's leadership, the company has added many new ballets to its collection. In the last eleven years, they have added over 60 new works. Many of these were performed for the first time ever in America or the world.

Many of the world's best choreographers have worked with Tulsa Ballet. Some of these include George Balanchine, Paul Taylor, Nacho Duato, and Val Caniparoli. Caniparoli is their special resident choreographer.

In 2002, Tulsa Ballet went on its first international tour to Portugal. A national magazine there called them "One of the best in the world." The company has also been featured in important dance magazines like Dance Magazine and Pointe Magazine. In March 2008, Tulsa Ballet was even on the cover of Pointe magazine. This is a big honor, given to only one ballet company each year. In April 2008, Tulsa Ballet opened a brand new performance space. It's called Studio K and has 300 seats. This studio is used to create new dance works.

Meet the Dancers

Here are the dancers for the 2023-2024 season:

Principals

Soloists

Demi-Soloists

Corps de Ballet

Apprentices