Lesley Koenig: San Francisco Ballet's Nutcracker Thrills with New Talent

PHILADELPHIA, PA, December 27, 2012

Nutcracker is a holiday tradition for many individuals--even those who do not attend the ballet throughout the rest of the year. In the United States, this story is well known by people of all ages and backgrounds, as schools often take field trips to see Nutcracker when their students are young. Because of its popularity, this particular ballet is one that dancers dream of performing. This year, as San Francisco Ballet looks forward to starting its season and celebrating the holidays, three new dancers' dreams will come true, according to SFGate.com. Lesley Koenig, an authority on the performing arts and former General Director of San Francisco Ballet, is eagerly anticipating the debut of these new company members.

According to the article, Luke Ingham, Marie-Claire D'Lyse, and Shane Wuerthner joined San Francisco Ballet last July. While they may be relatively unknown right now, the article predicts that "Six months from now [...] [they] may be household names around the War Memorial Opera House." Ingham and D'Lyse, who are from Australia, are excited to experience the American dance world and, as the article notes, look forward to performing Nutcracker.

"We simply don't have the same performance tradition in Australia," Ingham explains. "We never performed it that much. I'm looking forward to it."

Wuerthner hails from California, as his family is from San Rafael. Described as a "quick study," he is known for his ability to quickly learn and execute choreography. Since he has most recently worked in Vienna, he, too, is excited to be performing stateside.

"San Francisco Ballet stands, without a doubt, among the top ballet companies of the world," Lesley Koenig asserts. "Reading such a heartening article about how new dancers keep that reputation alive is a pure pleasure. As General Manager of the Ballet when Tomasson's new Nutcracker premiered, I am thrilled to see the production continuing to thrive and thrill not only new audiences but new dancers!"

Koenig wishes all of the dancers well as they begin their season. She is confident that San Francisco Ballet will experience a great deal of success with such a talented group of dancers, and she hopes that these professionals continue to develop in their capabilities and contribute to the ever-growing ballet culture.

ABOUT:

Lesley Koenig is an arts professional with over 35 years of experience in opera stage direction and senior executive performing arts management. A stage director of opera for almost twenty years in top houses and festivals worldwide, Lesley Koenig was engaged as a stage director at the Metropolitan Opera when just 23. During a sabbatical from her directing career, Lesley Koenig earned two Masters Degrees at Stanford University in 2001, and subsequently served as General Manager of San Francisco Ballet, Assistant Manager and Director of Production at the Metropolitan Opera, and Fellow at Stanford University in the Center for Philanthropy and Civil Society. Known for her insight into the performing arts world, Lesley Koenig lectures at Stanford Business School on strategic management, Harvard University for the Office of the Arts, and the University of California, Berkeley, on best practices around labor negotiations. Lesley Koenig will be directing Samson et Dalila at San Diego Opera in February 2013.