Digital Program | Baryshnikov Arts Presents: An Evening of New Work 

ABOUT

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of Baryshnikov Arts, Mikhail Baryshnikov has invited Aszure Barton and Benjamin Millepied back to Baryshnikov Arts Center. Barton and Millepied were not only the first choreographers to create in the organization’s studios, but also to collaborate with Baryshnikov himself at BA. This project will mark 20 years since the creation of the Center, which supports and nourishes creatives and creation here in New York City. Together, Barton and Millepied will present an evening of dance as an offering of thanks to Mikhail Baryshnikov for his longtime support.

PROGRAM

Hymn to Freedom
(North American Premiere)
Choreography: Benjamin Millepied
Music: Oscar Peterson, Hymn to Freedom
Dancers: Courtney Conovan, Robert Hoffer, Shu Kinouchi, and Hope Spears
Lighting Designer: Masha Tsimring
Costume Designer: Maud Dupuy

Dances from On the Other Side
(originally 2004, revised 2025)
In memory of Michéle Pesner
Choreography: Benjamin Millepied
Music: Philip Glass
Etude 17: Courtney Conovan with Daphne Fernberger, Robert Hoffer, Shu Kinouchi, Clay Koonar, Audrey Sides, Hope Spears, and Noah Wang

Dead Things: Daphne Fernberger and Shu Kinouchi

Etude 2: Zack Gonder and Daisy Jacobson
Etude 6: Courtney Conovan and Daphne Fernberger
Lighting Designer: Masha Tsimring
Costume Designer: Camille Assaf
On the Other Side was commissioned by

Quintettina
(World Premiere Commissioned by Baryshnikov Arts)
Choreography: Aszure Barton
Music: Viktor Kalabis, Duettina for Violin & Cello; Paul Wiancko, When the Night
Dancers/Collaborators: Jonathan E. Alsberry, Nora Brown, Taylor LaBruzzo, Angelina Ramirez, and Abdiel Figueroa Reyes
Lighting Designer: Jesse Campbell
Costume Designer: Maile Okamura

“A huge thank you to Danny and Dianne Vapnek, Miki Orihara, Alysia Johnson, John Heginbotham, and the Mark Morris Dance Group for their generosity.”
—Aszure Barton

Stage management for all works provided by Angelina Pellini.

All details are subject to change.

CHOREOGRAPHERS’ NOTES

“Being back at Baryshnikov Arts creating with AB&A—my little dance fam—feels especially sweet right now. This building holds some of my most meaningful memories. The support from Misha and Christina Sterner early on, and from the organization as a whole, has profoundly shaped my path as an artist. People who believe in our work and create the conditions for real process—that’s how meaningful work gets made. Thank you for honoring process and for championing this work.”
—Aszure Barton

“Throughout my career, I’ve had the great honor of receiving the support of Misha and Baryshnikov Arts. There is nothing more meaningful for an artist than time, space, and people who believe in you—who give you the conditions to create freely. The support I’ve received from Misha and BA over the years is immeasurable. I am deeply inspired by how forward-thinking Misha has been throughout his career, and by his vision for what a space for artists can be—how essential such a place is for New York City. Countless artists have benefited from the generosity and spirit of Baryshnikov Arts, and I count myself profoundly lucky to be one of them.”
—Benjamin Millepied

CAST AND CREATIVE TEAM

Aszure Barton (Choreographer) is a Canadian-American dancemaker who founded Aszure Barton & Artists (AB&A) in New York in the early 2000s—reimagining choreographer-company structures through what she calls “a mobile home for trusted humans.” Her interdisciplinary work has led to collaborations with artists like Mikhail Baryshnikov and Cyndi Lauper, and companies including Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, American Ballet Theatre, Martha Graham Dance Company, Nederlands Dans Theater, and Teatro alla Scala. She serves as collaborative house choreographer at Theaterhaus Stuttgart and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. Her latest AB&A venture is B E N D with composer/trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire, currently touring globally with Pomegranate Arts. Honors include a Bessie, the Arts & Letters Award, and her designation as Canada’s ambassador of contemporary choreography. An inaugural resident artist at Baryshnikov Arts, she’s delighted to return for this 20th anniversary celebration.

Benjamin Millepied (Choreographer) is a choreographer and former principal dancer with the New York City Ballet. As co-founder of LA Dance Project and Paris Dance Project, and former Director of the Paris Opera Ballet, he has spent more than two decades creating, commissioning, and curating dance. His choreography has been presented and commissioned by major dance companies, symphony orchestras, festivals, and theaters worldwide. He is a recipient of the French Légion d’Honneur.

L.A. Dance Project is a non-profit dance company under the artistic direction of Benjamin Millepied. Founded in 2012, we opened the doors to our studio and performance space in Los Angeles’ downtown arts district in 2017. L.A Dance Project is dedicated to the pursuit of artistic innovation and excellence in the realm of contemporary dance. Our mission is to explore the boundaries of movement, creativity, and expression. Through experimentation and collaboration, we strive to create captivating performances that challenge, provoke, and inspire audiences worldwide. Grounded in a commitment to artistic integrity and authenticity, we aim to cultivate a culture of curiosity, openness, and growth within our company and beyond. With humility and passion, we seek to contribute to the evolution of dance as a dynamic and transformative art form, enriching lives and fostering connections across cultures and communities.

Jonathan E. Alsberry (Dancer/Collaborator) began dance and music training with his mother at Agape Dance Center and later graduated from The Chicago Academy for the Arts. He earned his BFA from The Juilliard School, where he met choreographer Aszure Barton—launching a long-standing creative partnership. Known as “Jojo,” he is currently the Senior Rehearsal Director and Director of Summer Intensives at Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. He is also a Creative Associate with Aszure Barton & Artists, assisting in numerous creations for companies including Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Hamburg Ballet, Malpaso, and La Scala Ballet. He joined the Lar Lubovitch Dance Company in 2007 and continues to serve as a stager and teaching artist. Alsberry has appeared as a soloist with The Metropolitan Opera Ballet and Lyric Opera of Chicago in several productions, and most recently, LA Opera. Other companies include Luna Negra Dance Theater, The Chase Brock Experience and Daniel Gwirtzman Dance Company. International performance credits include Mikhail Baryshnikov’s Hell’s Kitchen Dance, Evolution with Alessandra Ferri, and Despertares with Isaac Hernández. Teaching and choreographic credits include Arts Umbrella, The School at Jacob’s Pillow, The Juilliard School, Springboard Danse, and University of California Irvine.

Camille Assaf (Costume Designer) is a Franco-American costume designer whose work spans opera, theater, dance, and film. She is known for her richly detailed, historically informed designs and her collaborations with leading directors and artists across the globe. Assaf is a lead design editor at Chance magazine, which explores theatrical design through photography. Her opera credits include Le Roman de Fauvel at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, Médée at the Berlin Staatsoper, Beatrice di Tenda at the Opéra de Paris, Don Carlos at Basel Opera, and Zaza at Opera Holland Park in London. She frequently collaborates with Stephen Wadsworth, designing for productions such as Fidelio at Santa Fe Opera, Così fan tutte and Don Giovanni at Juilliard Opera, and The Barber of Seville and The Marriage of Figaro at McCarter Theatre. Assaf has designed costumes for Benjamin Millepied’s ballets including Roméo et Juliette and Unstill Life, and for performances at the Rome Opera and Philharmonie de Paris. She regularly works with the Opéra Royal de Versailles and contemporary artists Gerard & Kelly on projects at the Guggenheim, Centre Pompidou, Palais de Tokyo, and Fondation Pinault. Her international work includes the 2008 Beijing Olympics opening ceremony, the Khmer rock opera Where Elephants Weep in Phnom Penh, and productions in Shanghai and Hong Kong. In 2007, she designed costumes for the world premiere of Elmer Gantry and its revival at Florentine Opera. Camille Assaf’s designs continue to contribute to the visual language of contemporary performance.

Nora Brown (Dancer/Collaborator) is an American-Canadian dancer who trained at the Boston Ballet School and Manhattan Youth Ballet before performing with the Metropolitan Opera Ballet, Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal, and Ballett im Revier. From 2015 to 2022 she was a member of Gauthier Dance at Theaterhaus Stuttgart and began working with Aszure Barton & Artists in 2023. Brown has originated roles in works by Aszure Barton, Sharon Eyal, Marco Goecke, Marcos Morau, Cayetano Soto, Marie Chouinard, and Nacho Duato and performed repertoire by Ohad Naharin, Mauro Bigonzetti, Hans van Manen, David Dawson, and George Balanchine, among others. Brown also holds a Bachelor’s in Art History and a Master’s in Curating from the Zurich University of the Arts.

Jesse Campbell (Lighting Designer) began his career in the arts in Santa Fe, NM. He earned his BFA magna cum laude from The University of Arizona and graduated with his MS from the University of New Mexico. Campbell’s work has been seen throughout the United States and in New Zealand. Recent designs include new works for dance companies AVID and Dancing Earth. He designed the lighting for L. Zane Jones’s production of Katori Hall’s The Mountaintop, Harrison Ball’s Purcell Suite and has regularly designed the lighting for shows at Miller Theatre and at St. Mark’s Church In-The-Bowery. He was the Associate Lighting Designer for James F. Ingalls and Twyla at The Joyce! and was the lighting supervisor for Twyla Tharp Dance’s 60th Anniversary Tour. He has also worked on architectural lighting design projects with the award winning Chicago office of Schuler Shook. Campbell is the Lighting Director for Baryshnikov Arts, Lighting Director for New Jersey Ballet, and is the Director of Production for the Vail Dance Festival. As a dancer, Jesse’s career highlights include dancing in the corps de ballet of The Suzanne Farrell Ballet, in Alessandra Ferri’s The Piano Upstairs, guest performance engagements in New Zealand, and featured dance roles at The Metropolitan Opera where he’s performed since 2018. Outside of the arts, Campbell is passionate about environmental sustainability and has participated in initiatives using computer science to forecast water scarcity and future water security of mountainous watersheds.

Courtney Conovan (Dancer) is a multidisciplinary artist from Austin, Texas. Once graduating high school, Courtney went on to further her education at SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Dance, where she performed works by Jie-Hung Connie Shiau, Doug Varone, Annie Rigney, Roderick George, and Rosalind Newman. During her time at Purchase, she was selected to study abroad at the London Contemporary School of Dance for a semester. In 2022, Conovan graduated college while joining L.A. Dance Project. Here they have collaborated and performed the works of choreographers such as Benjamin Millepied, Bobbi Jene Smith & Or Schraiber, Pam Tanowitz, Dimitri Chamblas, Janie Taylor, Madeline Hollander, and Jamar Roberts. With interest in choreography, Conovan has presented her own work at the Made By Women Festival in 2022. Letting curiosity drive her research, Conovan hopes to be able to create safe and open spaces within many art communities around the world for exploration and collaboration.

Maud Dupuy (Costume Designer) is a French costume designer and stylist, represented by Cosmic Talents, working across contemporary cinema, music videos, high-end advertising, stills, and more recently, dance projects. Her work has been featured in major festivals, including the Directors’ Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival and the Ukmva. Through costume, she loves to bring characters to life with a refined sense of texture, color, storytelling, and attention to detail. Working with creatives from different backgrounds, a wide range of projects and with a passionate team, had a strong impact in developing her distinctive aesthetic.

Daphne Fernberger (Dancer), born and raised in NYC, began her professional career with Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet before moving to Europe to join Dresden Frankfurt Dance Company. As a freelance artist, she danced for the Merce Cunningham Trust in Night Of 100 Solos: A Centennial Event, Ersan Mondtag, Margie Gillis Legacy Project, among others, in both Europe and the United States. Daphne graduated from American Ballet Theatre’s Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School and received her BFA from The Juilliard School. During her time at Juilliard, Fernberger had the honor of performing a lead role in Pina Bausch’s rarely seen work, Wind von West, also traveling to Germany to perform in celebration of Tanztheater Wuppertal’s 40th anniversary. Her own choreographies include Hellerau is Female, WHOLE, a short film for the fashion brand Rentrayage, the dance film Environment as Self, and The River Within. Fernberger is also a movement director for other projects, collaborating with visual artists, theater productions and more. Fernberger joined L.A. Dance Project in 2021.

Philip Glass (Composer) is one of the most influential composers of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Through his operas, symphonies, ensemble works, and wide-ranging collaborations, he has reshaped the landscape of contemporary music. His operas—including Einstein on the Beach, Satyagraha, Akhnaten, and The Voyage—are performed in major opera houses worldwide. Glass has composed for experimental theater and films such as The Hours, Kundun, and Koyaanisqatsi, the latter a groundbreaking collaboration with filmmaker Godfrey Reggio and the Philip Glass Ensemble. Born in Baltimore in 1937, Glass studied at the University of Chicago, Juilliard, and in Aspen with Darius Milhaud. He later moved to Paris to study with Nadia Boulanger and collaborated with sitar virtuoso Ravi Shankar, experiences that deeply shaped his musical voice. Returning to New York in 1967, he formed the Philip Glass Ensemble, pioneering a new amplified sound. Though often labeled a minimalist, Glass prefers the term “music with repetitive structures.” His early works feature elegant melodic fragments that evolve into immersive sonic landscapes. Glass’s prolific output includes over thirty operas, fourteen symphonies, thirteen concertos, nine string quartets, and numerous works for solo piano and organ. He has collaborated with artists across disciplines, including Allen Ginsberg, David Bowie, Paul Simon, Linda Ronstadt, Leonard Cohen, Doris Lessing, and Yo-Yo Ma. Philip Glass remains a singular figure whose work bridges classical, experimental, and popular music, captivating audiences across generations and genres.

Zack Gonder (Dancer) grew up near Chicago and trained at the Chicago Academy for the Arts under the tutelage of Randy Duncan. He graduated in 2018 from the Juilliard School, where he performed works by Austin McCormick, Aszure Barton, Pam Tanowitz, Richard Alston, Gustavo Ramirez Sansano, and Crystal Pite. He recently was in the Broadway show Illinoise at the St. James Theater, as well as its Off-Broadway runs at the Park Avenue Armory and the Chicago Shakespeare Theater. He has performed with Pam Tanowitz Dance, Brian Brooks Moving Company, PARA.MAR Dance, Zvi Dance, Mark Morris Dance Group, and most recently with Twyla Tharp Dance.

Robert Hoffer (Dancer) originally from Long Island, NY, received his early training at Fusion Dance Complex under Kyle and Amanda Preiser, along with mentorship from Daniel Tidwell. He earned his BFA from the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance, performing works by Jiří Kylián, Kyle Abraham, Peter Chu, Roderick George, Bret Easterling, and Micaela Taylor.

Hoffer has trained extensively in contemporary and improvisational-based techniques and has participated in programs such as Gaga Lab and Gallim L.A. Experience. He has also worked in masterclasses with Garen Scribner, Yin Yue, Spenser Theberge, Bobbi Jene Smith, and Or Schraiber. Currently, Hoffer is performing alongside L.A. Dance Project in repertory by Benjamin Millepied. His interests also include choreography and youth education, which continue to inform his evolving practice as a performer and creator.

Daisy Jacobson (Dancer) is from Los Angeles and earned her BFA in Dance from The Juilliard School in 2017. Soon after, she joined LA Dance Project and worked almost exclusively for the company for the following six years. Jacobson performed in new works and repertoire by Benjamin Millepied, Justin Peck, Kyle Abraham, Ohad Naharin, Martha Graham, Bella Lewitzky, Janie Taylor, Madeline Hollander, Jill Johnson, Bobbi Jene Smith and Or Schraiber, among others. In 2022, Jacobson guested with Twyla Tharp and performed in the revival of In The Upper Room and Nine Sinatra Songs. Jacobson has since danced in Tharp’s Ocean’s Motion and Ballet Master for the company’s season at The Joyce Theater and in How Long Blues at Little Island 2024. She will be joining Twyla Tharp’s 60th anniversary tour of 2025.

Viktor Kalabis (Composer) was born in the Bohemian town of Cerveny Kostelec in 1923 and died in Prague in 2006. He came from a family steeped in musical tradition. His great-grandfather, Tomas Hruska, graduated from the Prague Conservatoire, where his portrait still hangs today. At the age of six Kalabis was giving public piano performances. Hopes of studying music in Prague were dashed by the Nazi occupation, which forced him to become a factory worker. He, nevertheless, found enough spare time to conduct a choir, play as a pianist in a local trio and commute to Prague where he took lessons in composition with Jaroslav Ridky at the Academy of Music, and in conducting with Pavel Dedecek. After the war, Kalabis completed his studies at the Prague Conservatory (class of prof. Emil Hlobil) and enrolled at the Academy of Music and Charles University (philosophy and musicology). There he passed all the examinations but was denied his doctorate because his thesis on Bartok and Stravinski was not accepted, both being dubbed by the regime as “formalistic and decadent.” Only after the fall of communism in 1990 did he receive his doctorate in a rather poignant ceremony together with many other outstanding personalities in arts and sciences who had shared the same fate. At the Academy of Music, Kalabis met Zuzana Růžičková. They were married in 1952. They both refused to join the Communist Party and faced many difficulties.

Shu Kinouchi (Dancer) is a ballet dancer and multidisciplinary artist from a town near Yokohama, Japan. He began training at Mayumi Kinouchi Ballet Studio at age 2 and later studied at the Hamburg Ballet and the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at American Ballet Theatre. As a teen, he joined ABT’s Studio Company in New York and went on to dance with Houston Ballet and Tulsa Ballet. Kinouchi joined L.A. Dance Project in 2020 and has since performed internationally in works by Benjamin Millepied, Bobbi Jene Smith & Or Schraiber, Rauf “Rubberlegz” Yasit, Janie Taylor, Dimitri Chamblas, and Idio Chichava. His touring credits include the Sydney Opera House, Joyce Theater, Théâtre du Châtelet, La Seine Musicale, Philharmonie de Paris, Dubai Opera, and the Museum of Islamic Art in Qatar. As a choreographer, Kinouchi blends ballet, martial arts, theater, and performance art, drawing from the nuance and restraint of Japanese unspoken culture. His recent works include This Could Be You, developed through LADP’s Dancer Create initiative, and SHU LOVES CHAIRS: a piece about support, created in collaboration with LA-based studio WAKA WAKA and director Carolyn Braver. In summer 2025, Kinouchi served as Creative Lead for the Everybody Dance LA! Summer Intensive. As a freelance artist, dancer, and model, he was featured in PhotoVogue in a portrait by Dan Chan, performed a lead solo in RZA’s A Ballet Through Mud, and appeared in Mike Schwartz’s experimental film SHU (周), selected for the LA Dance Film Festival.

Clay Koonar (Dancer), a Vancouver-born dancer, began training in ballet, tap, and modern dance at the Richmond Academy of Dance. After high school, he relocated to Germany to study at the Palucca Hochschule für Tanz. He furthered his education during an internship at Saarländisches Staatstheater Saarbrücken, before joining the Dresden Frankfurt Dance Company under the direction of Jacopo Godani. Over the course of six years with the Dresden Frankfurt Dance Company, Koonar performed a wide array of original dance works, museum installations, and featured roles in pieces by choreographers William Forsythe and Marco Goecke. Since 2023, Koonar has been working as a freelance dancer and performance artist and has been a part of projects for the Venice Biennale, artist duo Operator, and choreographer Oona Doherty.

Taylor LaBruzzo (Dancer/Collaborator) is a freelance dancer, teacher, and dance rehearsal director/assistant based in New York City. She has performed across the country with Brian Brooks Moving Company, has recently worked with Pam Tanowitz Dance, and collaborates regularly with Aszure Barton as a dancer, assistant, and stager. She has taught at summer intensives such as Canyon Concert Ballet, Steps on Broadway, School of American Ballet, and Nevada Ballet Theatre, and she spent the past four years working at Juilliard as the dance division’s first ever Rehearsal Assistant. In 2023, LaBruzzo was part of the world premiere of A a | a B : B E N D by Barton and Ambrose Akinmusire at Kampnagel in Hamburg, Germany. She has staged Barton’s work at Houston Ballet, Canada’s National Ballet School, Arts Umbrella, and has assisted Barton during creation at Hamburg Ballet and The Juilliard School. Having grown up in Las Vegas, Nevada, LaBruzzo received her BFA at Juilliard under the direction of Lawrence Rhodes, where she performed works by world-renowned choreographers including Crystal Pite, José Limón, Gustavo Ramirez Sansano, and Ohad Naharin. Upon graduation, she was awarded the Juilliard Career Advancement Fellowship.

Maile Okamura (Costume Designer) has designed and constructed costumes for Mark Morris Dance Group, Dance Heginbotham, Pam Tanowitz Dance, Houston Ballet, Atlanta Ballet, and Tanglewood Music Festival. Recent and current projects include Woolgathering at Baryshnikov Arts with Patti Smith and Dance Heginbotham, What Belongs to You with Alarm Will Sound, Neither Drums Nor Trumpets with Pam Tanowitz Dance, and Johnny Loves Johan with violinist Johnny Gandelsman.

Angelina Pellini (Stage Manager) is currently the Stage Manager for the New York City Ballet. She came to NYCB from Ballet West in Salt Lake City, Utah. She has toured nationally and internationally with companies such as Atlanta Ballet, the Trisha Brown Dance Company, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, the Limón Dance Company, and Turn It Out with Tiler Peck & Friends. She enjoys spending her summers at the Vail Dance Festival where she has worked since 2017. Pellini grew up in Atlanta, GA and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Dance with a concentration in Ballet from Kennesaw State University where she graduated summa cum laude with honors distinction.

Oscar Peterson (Composer, 1925–2007) was a Canadian jazz pianist, composer, and one of the most celebrated and influential musicians of the 20th century. Born in Montreal, Peterson began playing piano at age five and was trained in classical music before turning to jazz. His prodigious talent earned him national recognition as a teenager, and by the 1940s, he was performing internationally. Peterson’s career spanned over six decades, during which he recorded more than 200 albums and won eight Grammy Awards. Known for his virtuosic technique, swinging style, and lyrical improvisation, he collaborated with jazz legends including Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, and Dizzy Gillespie. His long-running trio—most famously with Ray Brown and Ed Thigpen—set a new standard for ensemble playing in jazz. In 1962, Peterson composed Hymn to Freedom, inspired by the civil rights movement and first recorded with his trio. With lyrics later added by Harriette Hamilton, the piece became an anthem for equality and justice, performed at rallies and commemorations around the world. Its soulful, gospel-inflected melody remains one of Peterson’s most enduring compositions. Beyond performance, Peterson was a dedicated educator and advocate for the arts. He taught at York University and received numerous honors, including the Order of Canada and a lifetime achievement award from the International Jazz Hall of Fame. Peterson’s legacy lives on through his recordings, compositions, and the generations of musicians he inspired.

Angelina Ramirez (Dancer/Collaborator) is a Chicago native who began her training with Extensions Dance Company under the direction of Lizzie MacKenzie. A recent graduate of the Juilliard School, she has attended summer programs with Hofesh Shechter, b12, Nederlands Dans Theater, Jacob’s Pillow Contemporary Program, Alonzo King LINES Ballet, and Houston Ballet. In 2019, Ramirez was named a YoungArts Silver award winner in Contemporary Dance. At Juilliard, she performed works by Bobbi Jene Smith and Or Schraiber, Aszure Barton, Johannes Wieland, Yue Yin, Camille A. Brown, and others.

Abdiel Figueroa Reyes (Dancer/Collaborator) was born and raised in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, before moving to the United States in 2011. He graduated from the Las Vegas Academy of the Arts with a dance major in 2016, then joined Contemporary West Dance Theater as an apprentice. In 2019, he became a company member of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, where he continued to develop his artistry until 2024. Figueroa’s achievements include being named one of the “25 to Watch” by Dance Magazine in 2020 and he was awarded the Princess Grace Award in 2022. Recently, he was featured in Forbes’ 30 Under 30 Local Chicago 2023 for his aspirations towards innovative dance. He is excited to follow Aszure Barton & Artists as a freelance performer, while simultaneously developing his choreographic voice.

Audrey Sides (Dancer) was born in Oakland, CA and received her early dance training at the Oakland Ballet School and the Oakland School for the Arts. She went on to train at the San Francisco Ballet School and joined Ballet Austin as a trainee upon graduation. In 2019, she moved to Chicago to train with the Hubbard Street Professional Program and in 2020 was a founding member of Little Fire Artist Collective. In 2021, Sides moved to Vancouver, BC where she worked with artists such as Daina Ashbee, Joshua Beamish, The Biting School (Aryo and Arash Khakpour), Alyssa Favero/VOLT24, and Eilish Shin-Culhane, while developing her own choreographic practice and training at Modus Operandi, a contemporary dance training program directed by Tiffany Tregarthen, David Raymond, and Kate Franklin. While in Modus, Sides performed new works by Shay Kuebler, Nicolas Ventura, b. Solomon, Brandon Alley, Yin Yue, Spenser Theberge, and Zahra Shahab. Sides joined LA Dance Project in 2023.

Hope Spears (Dancer) was born in Thai Nguyen, Vietnam and raised in West Palm Beach, FL where she began her dance training at a young age. She graduated from George Mason University with a BFA in Dance in 2021. While there, she performed works by Micaela Taylor, Kyle Abraham, Christopher d’Amboise, and Hope Boykin as well as attended programs including Jacob’s Pillow Contemporary Program, NW Dance Project’s MOVE program, Bates Dance Festival, and Ate9. After graduation, Spears moved to LA and freelanced throughout California, working with choreographers such as Lillian Barbeito, Ihsan Rustem, Jennifer Archibald, James Gregg, Noelle Kayser, Danielle Agami, and Genna Moroni. She also started guesting with LA Dance Project in 2021 and joined as a full time company member in 2023.

Masha Tsimring (Lighting Designer) is a NYC-based lighting designer for live performance. She comes from Russia, by way of California, Boston, California, New Haven, and California. She is coastally indecisive, an Aquarius. She speaks English, Russian, and a smattering of French. Tsimring is especially interested in collaborating on work that transcends the boundaries of any particular genre, and finds meaning in abstraction. Always looking for kind people doing strange things. In addition to design, Tsimring’s interests include progress towards pay equity and a more ethical model of making in the American theater. Tsimring is a proud member of United Scenic Artists, IATSE Local 829.

Noah Wang (Dancer) was born in San Francisco, CA, where he received his primary dance training at the San Francisco Ballet School and Ruth Asawa School of the Arts (SOTA). From 2016–2020, he attended The Juilliard School, where he performed in both new and classic works by John Heginbotham, Peter Chu, Martha Graham, Stephen Petronio, Twyla Tharp, and Jose Limon. Since graduating from Juilliard with a BFA in Dance, he has collaborated and performed with numerous companies across the U.S., including Alonzo King LINES Ballet, ODC Theater, Buglisi Dance Theatre, Peridance Contemporary Dance Company, and The Metropolitan Opera. In 2023 he joined the cast of Sleep No More, created by Punchdrunk, which ran at The McKittrick Hotel in New York City for 14 years before closing in 2025. Outside of their dance career, Wang is a certified trainer in the GYROTONIC™️ Method and an apprentice trainer in the GYROKINESIS™️ Method. Wang joined L.A. Dance Project for the 2025/26 season.

Paul Wiancko (Composer) has led an exceptionally multifaceted musical life as a composer and cellist. As a performer, he has collaborated with Midori, Yo-Yo Ma, Richard Goode, Mitsuko Uchida, Nico Muhly, and members of the Guarneri, Takács, JACK, Parker, Orion, and Juilliard quartets. Chosen as one of Kronos Quartet’s “50 for the Future,” Wiancko’s own music has been described as “dazzling,” “compelling” (Star Tribune) and “vital pieces that avoid the predictable” (Allan Kozinn). His 25-minute quartet LIFT is featured on the Aizuri Quartet’s Grammy-nominated album Blueprinting, one of NPR’s top 10 classical albums of 2018. As a college student, Wiancko was simultaneously winning international cello competitions (which led him, most notably, to Poland to perform the Lutoslawski Cello Concerto with the Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra) and recording strings for local punk bands in his dorm room. That duality is embedded in Wiancko’s artistic DNA, and over the years has resulted in close collaborations with a wide range of artists, from Chick Corea, Etta James, Norah Jones, Jóhann Jóhannsson, and Max Richter, to members of Arcade Fire, The National, Blonde Redhead, Dirty Projectors, Wye Oak, and many others. An avid chamber musician, Wiancko’s performances with Musicians From Marlboro have been described as “utterly transparent” and “so full of earthy vitality and sheer sensual pleasure that it made you happy to be alive” (The Washington Post). In 2009, he joined the award-winning Harlem Quartet, with whom he spent 3 years performing and teaching extensively throughout the US, Europe, South America, and Africa.

ABOUT BARYSHNIKOV ARTS

Baryshnikov Arts, founded in 2005 by Artistic Director Mikhail Baryshnikov and celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, is rooted in the belief that artists hold irreplaceable roles in our world by shaping perspectives, offering new approaches, and initiating crucial conversations in complex social, political, and cultural environments. Our mission supports artistic freedom, providing multidisciplinary artists with opportunities for creative exploration and unique artistic expression, and allowing audiences to view the world in new ways. We offer performance and commissioning opportunities, artist residencies, rentals, and more. baryshnikovarts.org

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Dave Hattem, Chairman
R. Jarrett Lilien, Treasurer
Steven C. Dupré, Secretary
Mikhail Baryshnikov
Jamie Bishton
Sandy Choi
Frank Cordasco
Carlo Di Dio
William James Earle
Sandra Foschi
Jennifer Frautschi
Slavka B. Glaser
Rebecca Goldring
Anton LeRoy
Darryl Pinckney
Shelley Washington

BARYSHNIKOV ARTS STAFF

Mikhail Baryshnikov, Founder and Artistic Director
Jamie Burns, Director

ADMINISTRATION
Nicole Proto, Business Administration Manager

PROGRAMMING
Sam Black, Artistic Associate
Pedja Muzijevic, Artistic Administrator

DEVELOPMENT
Chani Sebazco, Development Manager

MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS
Lydia Murray, Marketing and Communications Manager
Victoria Zdunkiewicz, Box Office and Digital Marketing Manager

PRODUCTION AND OPERATIONS
Tyler Benware, Director of Production and Operations
Natasha Bruno, Technical and Operations Manager
Jesse Campbell, Lighting Director

CONSULTANTS AND SPECIAL PROJECTS
Stephen Viksjo, Graphic Designer
Eric Wolfram, Web Developer
Sean Regan, Perfect Balance Bookkeeping, Inc., Bookkeeper

PRODUCTION CREW FOR AN EVENING OF NEW WORK
Cait Simonton, Wardrobe Supervisor

Jesse Wilen, Head Audio-Video/Sound Board Operator (A1)

Carpenters/Electricians: Jess Choi, Michael Propster, David Perez, Sebastian Sanchez, Dale Villaruel, Emily Vizina

L.A. DANCE PROJECT PRODUCTION STAFF

Sebastien Marcovici, Associate Artistic Director
Nathan Shreeve-Moon, Director of Production

Alisa Wyman, Production and Tour Manager

Christopher Macdougall, Director of Legal and Business Affairs

FRONT-OF-HOUSE STAFF FOR AN EVENING OF NEW WORK
Jennifer Rico, House Manager

Box Office Assistants/Ushers:
Ernesto Brisita

Elliott Cunningham

Khadijah Danielian

Kymber Dodd

Dana Freeman

Jason Guy

Lana Hankinson

Rebecca Kaye

Katie Kirk

Alice Knight

Madison Lopez

Hannah Oren

Melanie Raush

Nelson Rivera

Annie Sauerburger

Julia Schemmer

Dominique Victor

Yua Watanabe

CONSULTANT FOR AN EVENING OF NEW WORK
Kelly Ryan, Dance Publicist

Special thanks to our production crew, front-of-house staff, and volunteers.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Baryshnikov Arts is grateful for the contributions of its generous supporters.

Individual

John H. Abeles
Abington Family
Charles & Deborah Adelman
Paul Aferiat
Jane L. Algus
Sarah Arison
Adrienne Arsht
Michelle A. Auerbach
George Baier
Malaga Baldi
Anne Boardman Miller
Joanne & Tuvia Barak
Karen Barbarese
Marion Barion
Peter Barrett
Mikhail Baryshnikov & Lisa Rinehart
Anna Baryshnikov & Theodore Bergman
Peter Baryshnikov
Sofia Baryshnikov
Douglas Baxter
Neena Beber
Kent Becker & Rachel Miller
Martha Bedrosian
Lori Belilove
Doris Bergman
Glenn Bergman
Joseph Bernardo
Sophia Betcher
Leo Biagini
Jill C. Birinyi
Jamie Bishton & Christian Kraus
Christine Bonde
Wendy Smith Born
Philip Boroff & Michelle Kaske
Antonina Bouis
Judith Bowman
Harlan Bratcher
Janice Brand
Bob Bronzo
Kermitt Brooks & Barton Warner
Carolyn Broomhead
Amanda M. Burden
Johanna Butow
Andrew Cantor
James Carlson
Margo Cates
Sandra Cavanagh
Pamela Ceglinski
Jesse Chin
Stacy China
Anne Clark
Anya & Peter Cole
Amy & Liam Collins
Mary Genoese Colvin
Nicole Contreras
Frank A. Cordasco
Katie Ichtertz Cordova
Richard Corton
Theresa Cosmas
Margo Crespin
Jovan Dansberry
Emme Deland
Rupert de Laszlo
Monroe Denton
Allison Derusha
Jennie L. DeScherer
Jacqueline Deslauriers
Elizabeth DeVita
Janet A. Dewan
Carlo Di Dio
Allan Dinkoff
Mary Donovan
Robert Dorf
Steven C. Dupré, Cheryl Lee Jorgensen & Emilee Dupré
Magda Dvir
William Earle
Detric Elliott
Sofia Elizalde
Jane Epstein
Charlie Ernst
Augie Fabela
Joseph Faber
Debra Farmer
Peter Farrell
Hershey Felder
Barbara G. Fleischman
Gustave Fleury
Anne & Chris Flowers
Alan & Judith Fishman
Jennifer Fortner
Jennifer Fraustchi
Eve France
Karen Freedman & Roger Weisberg
Meryl & Barry Freedman
Jenia & Alex Fridlyand
Norman Friedland
Dianne Friedman
Andrea Frodema
Nancy Fuchs
Sakiko Fukuda-Parr
Peter Gallagher
Bruce Garetz
Paul Ghiz
Sue Gibbons
Jane Gladstone
Slavka B. Glaser
Gabrielle Goedecke
Andrew Goffe & Jeffrey Levin
Rebecca Goldring
Daniel Goleman
Sara Golomb
Sharon Gonen
Linda Gooden
Tatiana Gordon
Jerry S. Goren & Julia S. Coley
Agnes Gund
Kevin & Hilary Greene
Laura Hamilton
Nicholas Hare
Dave & Rita Hattem
Gary Hattem & Fraiser Holloway
Andrée Hayum
Frederick Hecker
Gayle Heller
Huong M. Hoang
Rodney Hobbs
Lewis Holman
Joan Hooker
Gail Howard
Brody Howatt
Kelly Hubble
Jamie & Jeff Hurd
Munib Islam & Kamila Islam
Edward Jackson
Michael Jenkins
Robert Jetmundsen
Carine Joannu
Kate Johnson & Marshall Hagins
Susan Justman
Cathy Kadets
Donalee Katz
Steven Katz
Oona Keating
Leo & Nadine Keegan
Madison Keesler
Nunally Kersh
Dorothy Khella
Jensen Ko
Karen Kochevar
Marion Koltun
Sonja Kostich
Olga Kovalishina
Larry Krantz
Miodrag Kukrika
Tebby Kwok
Nick & Holly Lane
Linda Larson
Windy Lawrence
Patricia Lent
Emily Lemer
Anton LeRoy
Gideon Lester
Leonard Levie
Margo Levy
Jarrett & Maritess Lilien
Michael C. Lillys
Lucy H. Lin
Lois Lipton
Nick & Cass Ludington
Kay Lustberg-Goldbeck
Katherine Lydon
Rhae Lynn
Josefinas Lyons
Cynthia Mackay
Alyssa Maher
Robert & Marcia Marafioti
Leslie Marcus
Pamela Marron
Carol Massee
Blythe Masters
Cynthia Mayeda
Karen McLaughlin & Mark Schubin
Justyn Millamena
Catherine & Bill Miller
LeConte Moore
Mark Morris & Nancy Umanoff
Linda Murray
David Mortimer
Yefim Natis
Fred Nazem & Susie Gharib
Marty Nealon
Franci Neely
David Neumann
Helen Ng
Vicky Nicholas
Katherine Nicholls
Zoe Nousiainen
Nicholas Obolensky
Ciaran O’Connor
Adam J. Oestreich
Brian O’Leary
Brian S. O’Neil
Marylin Ornati
Jeffrey & Meredith Oppenheim
Zaza Pachulia
Amy Sherman-Palladino & Daniel Palladino
Lorenza Panero
Katerina Papacosma
Mary Papenfuss
Estelle Parsons
Steve Pesner & Setpheap “Peace” San, “In Memory of Michéle Pesner”
Robert Petrizack
Bo Phillip & Molly Taylor
Hardy Phippen
Liz Piccoli
Tricia Pierson
Darryl & James Pinckney
Joseph Plocek
Noah & Georgina Poses
Aidan & Elizabeth Quinn
Caren Rabbino
Kevin Rabinovich
Kirk Radke & Liz Gerring
Dianna Raedle
Christopher Rao
Jennifer Rawe
John Redpath
Douglas P. Reetz
Gary Rego
Ronald Rego
Jenny Rickhard
Laila Robins
Ellen Robinson
Denise Roberts
John Rockwell
James Roe & Gemsel Hernández
Robert Rosener
Libby Rosof & Murray Dubin
Jade Roth
Abby Rothchild
Eve & Jon Rounds
Gerrit Ruetzel
Howard & Vesna Sacks
Ann Sacks & Rick Stratford
Lynn & Jeff Sandhaus
John Sansone
Paul Sartori
Mark Schaffer
Laura Schoen
Alan Schuster
Laura & Howard Schwartz
Karen Scott
Marty Secada
Jeffrey Seller
Mark Seliger
Nancy Seltzer, Jr.
Joel Shapiro & Ellen Phelan
Mitchell Shapiro
Beth Shabto
Wallace Shawn
Linda Shelton
Lois Sherwin
Alexandra Shiva
Robert Shulman
Anna Shuster
Diann Sichel
Sondra Siegel
Gary Silber
Mark Silber
Sheree Silvey
Kraemer Sims
Sylvia Skratek
Leslie Smolan
Ellen Sorrin
Svetlana Sosnitskaya
Genevieve Springer
Matthew Steimel
Christina Sterner & Steve Poses
Glenn Stevens
Angèle Surault
Donald Sutton
Sarah Taylor
Michael Tersigni & David Palachek
Phoung Tranvan
Pamela Urueta
Julie C. Van Camp
Reggie Van Lee
Illiana van Meeteren
Louis Venturelli
Roberta Waldman
Marc Waldor
Robert Wallace
Daniel Walsh
Nicola Walter
Deborah E. Ward
Shelley Washington
Maggie Waterhouse
Michael Wehman
Suzanne Weil
Steven Weissman
Gwen Welliver
Jedediah Wheeler
David N. White
Thomas Whitman
Edgar Wilson
Lana Wilson
Joe Wisenblit
Bernice Witkovsky
Vicente Wolf
Cooper Wright
Matthew Yee
John Yonover
Janet Young & Jeremy Kramer
Andrew Zobler

As of October 20, 2025.

Institutional

Alphadyne Foundation
Apotheosis Events

Arnhold Foundation
KK Auchincloss Creativity Fund
Bloomberg Philanthropies
Norris & Debra Bishton Foundation
Brooklyn Fare

Cohen & Company
Cyrus Capital Partners

Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation
New York City Department of Cultural Affairs
Enoch Foundation
The Marshall Frankel Foundation

Frieze
Gartner
Global Atlantic
Howard Gilman Foundation
The Goldring Family Foundation
The Harkness Foundation for Dance
The Francena T. Harrison Foundation Trust
William Talbott Hillman Foundation

Hudson Yards/Related
Hudson Yards Hell’s Kitchen Alliance
Alex Katz Foundation
Danny Kaye and Sylvia Fine Kaye Foundation
Lanvin

Andrew Mellon Foundation
Mertz Gilmore Foundation
New York State Council on the Arts
Omega Systems
Paula Cooper Gallery

Muriel Pollia Foundation
The Poses Family Foundation
Fundación Frank & Haydée Rainieri
The Jerome Robbins Foundation
The Fan Fox and Leslie R. Samuels Foundation, Inc.
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP
The Shubert Foundation
The Thompson Family Foundation
Weber Shandwick

As of October 20, 2025.

Baryshnikov Arts programming is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature.

Piano provided courtesy of Yamaha. Yamaha is the official piano of Baryshnikov Arts.