November 1–3, 2024
Leo Rich Theater
Choreography by Chieko Imada after Petipa
Music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Swan Lake is one of the greatest classical ballets of all time. Its second act has been beloved for generations for its stunning corps de ballet of swans, iconic dances, breathtaking score and powerful love story.
BALLET TUCSON PREMIERE
Choreographer to be announced
Footprints at the Fox offers vital career development for our artists. This unique program in partnership with the Fox Tucson Theatre Kit (Kids In The Theatre) Family & Youth Program allows our dancers to step into the world of choreography to explore their creativity and expand their horizons. Footprints at the Fox attendees have the opportunity to vote for their favorite piece and this season's winning work is featured on the mainstage as part of our fall performance Spirit Garden.
Choreography by Chieko Imada
Artwork and Design by Lawrence Lee
Music by Calexico
The return of this Ballet Tucson masterwork by Associate Artistic Director and Resident Choreographer Chieko Imada has been highly anticipated by local audiences. Spirit Garden is a celebration of Dia de los Muertos and Tucson’s All Souls Procession, featuring original artwork by notable Southwest artist Lawrence Lee and music recorded by local legends Calexico.
Clear Bags no larger than 14″ x 16″ or a clutch no larger than 8″ x 5″. Large bags, briefcases, backpacks, luggage and convertible backpack purses are strictly prohibited. Tucson Convention Center does not provide storage for any confiscated baggage or safeguard any personal belongings and also prohibits Ballet Tucson Staff from doing so.
Friday, November 1, 2024 at 7:00 pm
Saturday, November 2, 2024 at 2:00 pm
Saturday, November 2, 2024 at 7:00 pm
Sunday, November 3, 2024 at 2:00 pm
All programming is subject to change
Single Tickets are available for purchase through Ticketmaster and the Tucson Convention Center Box Office. Call 800.653.8000, visit the Tucson Convention Center Box Office at 260 S Church Ave, or click the button below to purchase online:
Become a Ballet Tucson Season Subscriber to receive 20% off tickets & other exclusive benefits.
TUCSON CONVENTION CENTER POLICIES AND INFORMATION
(Subject to change)
BOX OFFICE:
If your tickets are reserved at the Box Office/Will Call, you will need to show ID to verify your identity. You can pick up your tickets after going through the security check.
TUCSON CONVENTION CENTER BAG POLICY:
Tucson Arena, Tucson Music Hall and Leo Rich Theater has enhanced venue environmental, health and safety protocols to include the type of bag guests are allowed to bring into these facilities. In additional to health and safety issues, our new protocol will help expediate entry to games and events. Clear Bags no larger than 14″ x 16″ or a clutch no larger than 8″ x 5″. Large bags, briefcases, backpacks, luggage and convertible backpack purses are strictly prohibited. Guests entering any facility in the Tucson Convention Center are subject to search at the discretion of management. Tucson Convention Center does not provide storage for any confiscated baggageor safeguard any personal belongings and also prohibits Ballet Tucson Staff from doing so.
SECURITY CHECK:
Security checks are required before entry. The Tucson Convention Center recommends that patrons should plan to arrive earlier than normal to allow for this enhanced security process. Tucson Convention Center reserves the right to refuse items which may cause a danger or disruption to an event or other guest. Any guest who declines to be searched or is in possession of a prohibited item may be denied entry or ejected from the facility.
FIREARMS:
The only person(s) allowed to bring firearms into the Tucson Convention Center are credentialed local, state, and federal law enforcement officers with proper identification.
PARKING:
Parking is available in Parking Lot A Garage which is located off Church Ave. Parking in Lot B is accessible via Granada, and Lot C which is accessible off or Granada. Please do not park in surrounding neighborhoods.
FOOD & BEVERAGE:
Guests of the Tucson Convention Center are not permitted to bring food or beverages into the premises. To purchase alcoholic beverages, a patron must present a valid US driver’s license, Passport, US liquor ID, or Military ID, which indicates the patron to be at least 21 years of age. (Duplicate licenses, expired licenses, damaged licenses and/or identifications will not be accepted). The TCC will not serve any guest whom they believe to be intoxicated.
RE-ENTRY:
Guests will not be allowed to exit and re-enter the Tucson Convention Center during an event.
PHOTOGRAPHY/VIDEOGRAPHY
All photography and videography with any type of recording equipment including smartphones is strictly prohibited in the theater during performances. Any individual violating this policy may be asked to leave the theater.
PROHIBITED ITEMS:
GIFTS: Wrapped gifts are not allowed inside the facilities. There have been some exceptions, please contact the Tucson Convention Center for more information at 520.791.4101. ACCESSIBLE FACILITIES: Tucson Convention Center and all of thier venues offer convenient facilities and features for persons with disabilities. Please call 520.791.4101 during business hours or see a Guest Service representative for assistance during events. For guests with disabilities, the TCC recommends accessible parking in Lot A off Church Ave. between Congress and Cushing if you are attending an event in the Tucson Arena, Leo Rich Theater or Meeting Rooms. They recommend accessible parking in Lot C off Granada between Cushing and Congress if you are attending an event in the Tucson Music Hall. SMOKING: The Tucson Convention Center is a smoke-free facility. Smoking is prohibited and violations will result in ejection from the Tucson Convention Center without a refund. Smoking is allowed outside of the Tucson Convention Center in designated areas. Guests attending a Tucson Arena event will have availability to smoke in a designated area outside of Section 2018 doors. All guests must have their tickets in order to exit and reenter the building. STROLLERS: Strollers are not allowed in the Linda Ronstadt Music Hall or Leo Rich Theater. Strollers must be checked in at either Guest Services or in the theater lobbies. Guest Services is located on the concourse level behind the Ticket Office off Church Ave. For more information about Tucson Convention Center policies, visit: https://theater.tucsonconventioncenter.com/venue-info/faq/
Ballet Tucson Associate Artistic Director and Resident Choreographer
Choreographer of Spirit Garden and Swan Lake
Chieko Imada is a native of Japan where she danced professionally as a Soloist with Inoue Ballet of Tokyo and also served as Ballet Mistress there. She has worked closely with many of the past and current noted figures of classical ballet, having performed in Europe, Korea, the Philippines, Australia and the South Pacific. Since coming to the United States, she has been a member of Arizona Dance Theatre, Ballet Arizona, and a former Principal Dancer for Ballet Tucson. She also appeared regularly with Orts Theatre of Dance and Tenth St. Danceworks modern troupes in Tucson.
Over the years, she has been responsible for staging many classical ballets and has also created numerous original contemporary works on Ballet Tucson, enriching the company’s repertoire. A talented choreographer, Ms. Imada has been nominated for the Buffalo Exchange Arts Award and the Governor’s Art Award. In 2021, she received the OnMedia Arts Hero Award for her impact on the arts in Tucson. She continues to be sought after as a guest teacher and choreographer. For the company’s 30th anniversary season, she created an original steampunk version of Jekyll & Hyde and in 2018 a world premiere Dia de Los Muertos ballet Spirit Garden in collaboration with renowned artist Lawrence Lee. In addition, she is the Director of Educational Outreach for Ballet Tucson implementing “Best Foot Forward” in Tucson Title 1 schools.
Artist and Designer of Spirit Garden
Lawrence Lee has been a professional artist for almost fifty years.
He started showing in Tucson galleries in 1972 and had his first one-man show in 1976 at age 29. Since then, he has had countless solo shows in fine galleries from coast to coast and Europe.
He retired to a Caribbean island in 2000--a millionaire--but life continued to happen in unanticipated ways. His wife was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's, and providing for her care consumed almost all of his savings, so he returned to work in 2014. Lawrence’s poetry has appeared in several print and online journals and in an international anthology.
In January 2020, the Tucson Museum of Art accepted a second of his works into its permanent collection.
He has been active in digital art since the 1980s when he illustrated the first children’s book created in color on a computer. Now, at age 76, he offers a rare voice of experience and maturity in the burgeoning genre of NFTs. He is a cryptoart OG (2018) and was a key member of the group responsible for creating the 10% industry standard for royalty payments on secondary sales.
Digital tech has allowed him to increase his ability to follow his creative vision into new areas and to develop new ideas much more quickly than he can by pushing paint.
Lawrence has collaborated with Ballet Tucson on several occasions, most recently by creating seven Hollywood-style theatrical flats (Video) painted in a highly abstract homage to the greats of American jazz, especially that of Dave Brubeck. The finished panels comprised a work 8’ high and over 30’ long.
Lawrence has published several books, including (Available at Amazon.)
Lawrence’s favorite quote is from famed science fiction author Robert Heinlein: "Love is that condition in which another person's happiness is essential to your own."
He says that he has known love and loss in near equal measure. He is interested in almost everything but has a special fondness for language and subatomic physics. Lawrence continues to live and work in Tucson. Learn more about Lawrence on his website: LawrenceLeeArt.com.
You can follow him around the web via his Linktree page.
Composers of all music included in Spirit Garden