Season of change: Houston's fall performing arts scene generates excitement (and a few complaints)

I don't do change well. Who here does? Every fall brings a bounty of shift, from new leaders to new troupes. People have retired, while newcomers attempt to navigate Houston's bizzaro highways.

It's an adjustment for all of us. Let's take a look what to expect from where I stand.

Let's dance

I expect great things from Houston Ballet's newest principal Danielle Rowe and new soloist Jessica Collado. Both were promoted on the Cynthia Woods Pavilion stage on Aug. 5.

I look forward to getting to know last year's new soloists Karina Gonzalez and Melissa Hough, who earned my Pointe cover story for her razor sharp attack in Jorma Elo's ONE/End/ONE. 

I will miss Phillip Broomhead's wonderful character dancing. The former Royal Ballet and HB principal has opened TreSpa with Trey Gillen in Rice Village.

After a stellar 16-year career, first soloist Nicholas Leschke's next challenges will be studying civil engineering at University of Houston. Leschke's polished dancing was exhibited one last time with the wonderful Courtney Jones in Jane Weiner's zany Swedish Meatballs, as part of Hope Stone's Lemonade Stand, Houston Dance Festival last week at Barnevelder.

 There's no surprise in James Nelson taking over the company helm at Houston Ballet; he's been groomed for the job. I suspected something was up when I ran into him at Jacob's Pillow for Stanton Welch's world premiere wearing a seersucker suit and bow tie, the signature uniform of his predecessor, C.C. Conner.

 There's no surprise in James Nelson taking over the company helm at Houston Ballet; he's been groomed for the job. I suspected something was up when I ran into him at Jacob's Pillow for Stanton Welch's world premiere wearing a seersucker suit and bow tie, the signature uniform of his predecessor, C.C. Conner.

After surviving Ben Stevenson's drama-filled departure, Houston Ballet knows a thing or two about succession planning. The Center for Dance welcomed over 300 Summer Intensive students. For once, they weren't stepping all over each other. Live streamed classes kept parents happy and the dancers love the short commute to the Wortham. 

I expect smooth sailing for Dance Source Houston as well. Christina Giannelli has passed the executive director baton to Stephanie Wong, who has been learning the ropes for the past two years and ran a similar outfit in Washington, DC. Giannelli has moved on from resident designer of Houston Ballet to a similar position at The Metropolitan Opera. It's a great move for this native New Yorker, although she will be missed. No one person has done as much for Houston dance as Giannelli. Wong has planned a fabulous Weekend of Texas Contemporary Dance, on Sept. 23-24 at Miller Outdoor Theatre.

Dominic Walsh Dance Theater takes a new approach for its 10th anniversary season, using a small cadre of mostly new dancers (with the exception of Domenico Luciano), along with some high-profile guest artists from BalletX, Ballet Austin, English National Ballet and Ballet Arizona, to name a few.

"We are merging the traditional model of having dancers under contract for the whole season with the model of a pick-up company," says Walsh. "I am thrilled to introduce Houston audiences to some of the extraordinary artists who have influenced me through the collaborative spirit in which I work."

New alliances

There's a positive buzz in the theater community with the formation of the Houston Theatre Alliance, a membership organization designed to promote local theater and head up the Nina Vance awards. 

Fresh Arts Coalition new executive director Ian Garrett capitalized on the momentum created by previous director Mandy Graessle. He has just launched the Fresh Arts Society, where individuals can receive discounts on Fresh Arts members' shows and various businesses. It's all part of Garrett's plan to cross pollinate, identify and grow the audience for Fresh Arts organizations.

Garrett also came up with the new hashtag "#houarts," which increases visibility for all of Houston's arts.  A big web overhaul is planned as well, shepherded by Edwards & Skybetter-Change Agency. Garrett has no trouble dreaming large in his other life as a performance infrastructure engineer. Basically, that sexy title means that he does everything but write the thing, as in sets, lights and production. He is at the Edinburgh Festival right now, producing six CalArts shows. Garrett would like to see Houston have a presence at Edinburgh in the future.

 Fresh Arts Coalition new executive director Ian Garrett capitalized on the momentum created by previous director Mandy Graessle. He has just launched the Fresh Arts Society, where individuals can receive discounts on Fresh Arts members' shows and various businesses.

 I haven't a single worry on the health of Houston Grand Opera under the new team headed up by Patrick Summers. I will, however, miss dramaturg Colin Ure's pre-show talks, performances. (Ure moved to Chicago with his partner, former HGO general director Anthony Freud.) Often speaking without notes, Ure brought the backstory of each opera forward, letting us in on the details that bring a work of art to life. HGO assured me that they will announce the new dramaturg by mid-September.

This is the year the mid-level arts organizations take hold, inching closer to the big five, not in budget size, but in significance. Catastrophic Theatre is a case in point, now armed with a MAP Fund grant to commission The Hand Tales by Mickle Maher. The company open its season with latest Maher's latest play, There is a Happiness That Morning, Sept. 23-Oct. 15, at the cozy Catastrophic offices. (Maher's Spirits to Enforce and The Strangerer represented two of Catastrophic's finest productions.)

Artistic Director Jason Nodler has also received a grant from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. Right now, there's still time to crack yourself up during The United States of Tamarie, through Saturday at DiverseWorks. December features the Houston premiere of Anna Bella Eema by Obie Award-winning playwright Lisa D’Amour.

Both Ars Lyrica and River Oaks Chamber Orchestra have increased their staff. Dance locals gaining momentum include Karen Stokes of Karen Stokes Dance, Amy Ell of Vault, Becky Valls, NobleMotion Dance, iMee, Hope Stone Dance and Leslie Scates, all of whom have upcoming fall shows. The Houston Dance Festival is terrific step in the right direction. I also have my eyes on rising choreographer Paola Georgudis. 

Not enough dance

Sure there's lots to be excited about, but would it really be a story by me without a little complaining? (It's an art form you know.)

After walking around with 160 press releases for my fall preview of the entire dance season in the U.S. in Dance Magazine, it has come to my attention that much smaller cities have considerably more dance coming to their shores than Houston. I know we have great art right here at home, but we don't see enough work from other places, and that goes for theater as well.

I'm grateful for what Dance Salad, Society for the Performing Arts, DiverseWorks and other presenters bring in, but it's not enough to make us a major presenting city. If we want the rest of the world to pay attention to us we need artists coming through the city. A city needs to be culturally porous, importing and exporting. We don't do enough of either.

Whining aside, there are some comings and goings to cheer about:

• Houston Ballet has its first season at The Joyce on Oct. 11-16.  
• NobleMotion Dance and Georgudis have work on The Dance Gallery bill at the Ailey Theater, Oct. 13-15, also in New York. 
• Bravo to The Met for bringing in "it dance man" Larry Keigwin of  KEIGWIN + COMPANY, to set his relentlessly athletic romp, Air and Leslie Scates for putting together A Committee of Style, which includes members of the renown collective Lower Left, along with Jordan Fuchs and other leading university-based dance makers, Oct. 27-29 at Barnevelder.

Large companies traveling to major dance cities; tiny troupes thinking big and independents gathering like minds from other towns. That's what I'm talking about.

Houston Ballet's newest principal Danielle Rowe with Simon Ball.

This fall The Houston MET tries on some of Larry Keigwin's moves. Watch a snippet of KEIGWIN + COMPANY

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