Classical and Experimental…2009-2015
Jolie Sutton-Simballa was appointed Artistic Director in 2009 after a decade of dancing with NMBC and six years as NMBC’s Assistant Artistic Director and resident choreographer. Sutton-Simballa’s continued desire to provide NM audiences with the best classical dancing resulted in bringing in world-renowned stars from American Ballet Theatre (Sarah Lane, Luis Ribagorda, Stella Abrera), New York City Ballet (Philip Neal, Maria Kowroski, Tyler Angle), Pilobolus (Peter Pucci), and Martha Graham Dance Company (Peggy Lyman) to dance, set works, and teach. These years expanded the company’s Balanchine Repertoire with productions of Valse Fantasie and Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux along with guest artist performances of Balanchine’s grande pas de deux from The Nutcracker. This era was also the start of the collaboration between NMBC and the NM Philharmonic, dazzling audiences with Romeo and Juliet, Don Quixote, and Spartacus.