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History of Ballet MN
Company: 651-222-7919
School: 651-290-0513
249 East 4th Street, St Paul  55101
7650 Currell Blvd, Woodbury
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THANK YOU

It takes great effort on the part of many people to maintain an organization capable of presenting art which enrichs the human spirit. To this end we wish to thank all involved with making Ballet Minnesota a success.

BMN Board


B A L L E T  M I N N E S O T A   2012 - 2013 Season


Ballet Minnesota's   'Classic' NUTCRACKER

NUTCRACKER Review
PIoneer Press
Thursday, December 14, 2006

'CLASSIC NUTCRACKER IS RICH, VIBRANT, ENTERTAINING'
by Linda Shipiro


  "Ballet Minnesota's Classic Nutcracker" wraps the stage of the O'Shaughnessy like a homemade afghan with intricate patterns and rich, vibrant colors. It offers warmth and family feeling. And if it occasionally drops a few stitches, the overall effect is spirited and highly entertaining.

     The first act Christmas party in the 19th century Silberhaus drawing room bristles with celebration as elegant adults, adorable children, bustling maids and dancing toys (sometimes in ragged unison) swirl about in lively, looping patterns. Godfather Drosselmeyer, played with sinister jollity by Robert Cleary, distributes toys to the delighted children, including a spiffy Nutcracker for Clara Silberhaus.

     Freezing the action at various times during the festivities and adding pulsating strobe lights is a terrific way to foreshadow the menacing scene that takes place after midnight, when Clara sneaks downstairs to play with her beloved Nutcracker. She is soon surrounded by frolicsome little mice and red-eyed rats, who are quickly dispatched by the Nutcracker and his crack regiment in a battle scene marked by carefully orchestrated mayhem. The victorious Nutcracker, transformed into a handsome young officer, whisks Clara off to the Land of the Sugar Plum Fairy with help from swirling snowflakes and a whole cadre of vivacious little angels.

     Andrew Rist's choreography for the snowflakes is fast and brittle - more like a blizzard than a soft, lyrical snowfall - and the ensemble often seems to be racing to keep up with the deluge of steps. More successful is his ravishing waltz of the Flowers in Act II, where lithe blossoms melt in and out of kaleidoscopic patterns with unaffected ease, led by Erin Warn as a prize-winning rose.

     Once in the castle of the Sugar Plum Fairy, Clara and the Nutcracker (danced with vitality and élan by Kathleen Schaefer and Allen Gregory) are entertained by dances from many lands. These include a saucy "Carmen"-flavored Spanish; a robust Russian; and a piquant Chinese variation with spinning parasols, a dragon, and a smoke-belching demon.

     Most satisfying of all is the pas de deux between the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier, performed with regal aplomb by former Bolshoi Ballet soloist Oksana Konobeyeva and Alexey Agudin of American Ballet Theater. Aside from dazzling dancing, the two exhibit an ardent warmth and generosity of spirit that could serve as a model for the budding Clara and her faithful Nutcracker.

     Cheryl Rist's imaginative costumes and Mary Novodvorsky's richly inventive sets greatly enhanced this animated production.




17th Minnesota Dance Festival 2005

E-Mail:

' Giselle' 17th Annual Minnesota Dance Festival
April 29 - May 1, 2005


Just a quick note to say how well done the program was last Friday night. The choreography and performance was wonderful for At the Museum: quite doable for the kids and plenty of creativity for the audience to appreciate. The Katha Dance Theatre was a treat for the senses. Giselle was great fun, and kudos to Oksana Konobeyeva for a very solid performance in the lead role. It is great to see this level of dancing from a local company.Congratulations!
                    - Jim Petersen: Red Wing, audience member

I saw MDF last night (Friday) and it was fantastic! Giselle was sooooooooooooo beautiful. Dimitry and Oksanna painted the most heartfelt story. This show allowed them to act -- to a depth they haven't been given in other shows for Ballet Minnesota. It was an honor to watch how they could take a deep emotion and express it so exquisitely and through the body alone. So sad that not more of the Twin Cities could see this passion, this beauty. The casting was also excellent. Please tell your dancers that we are enriched by the performances.           
                   - Annette Scotti -

It was a great show and your organization made it greater. Congrats.
                   - Garvin Jellison -

All the best to the opening of Minnesota Dance Festival. What a grand undertaking.
                  - Rita Mustaphi, Artistic Director, Katha Dance Theatre -

The dance festival was wonderful! Thank you so much for again thinking of us and including us in this special day. I think this year the students were torn between ballet (Giselle and At the Museum) and tap (Keane Sense of Rhythm) as their favorite.
                   - Matt Dahl: teacher who brought students to see the Friday morning performance
                       for students only. -

I had the pleasure of attending the April 30 evening performance of the Minnesota Dance Festival. It was my introduction to ballet and a wonderful experience. Giselle was passionate and emotionally moving, and watching the paintings come to life in At the Museum was a delight. The dedication these dancers have for their art is obvious. I look forward to attending other performances in the future.
                   - Dave Schultz, new audience member -

I just wanted to send you an email regarding the recent dance festival (april 2005). What an impressive evening! My daughters and I have been coming to the Nutcracker and the Spring performance for quite a few years. This performance was one of our favorites. The museum dance was just delightful. My younger daughter was on the edge of her seat mesmerized. It is such a treat for us to come to your performances. I just wanted to let you know how much we enjoy it.
                   - Claire Smith, audience member









18th Minnesota Dance Festival 2006

Pioneer Press Thursday, April 20, 2006

Here's Proof That Dance Has A Foothold In The Cities
            by Linda Shapiro

     Dance aficionados across the country have long hailed the Twin Cities dance scene as second only to New York City for its vibrancy and diversity,
If you need proof, there's no better time to find it than today through the end of the month. Arean dancers are coming out to celebrate National Dance Week with everything from ballet to classical Indian to cutting edge modern dance in Minneapolis. In St Paul, there Ballet Minnesota's 18 th Annual Minnesota Dance Festival which wraps up with hundreds, maybe thousands of dancers performing April 30 on the street downtown.

     Twin Cities National Dance Week kicks off with a twentieth-anniversary celebration of Patrick's Cabaret, an experimental haven for local artists where anything goes. Walker Art Center brings an international flavor to the celebration with Forgeries, Love and Other Matters, a dance-theater duet by Belgium based Meg Stuart and Monteal's Benoit Lachambre that takes place atop a hill, literally created onstage. The Southern Theater's Buckets and Tap Shoes features percusive rhythm in every conceivable form, while Bandh at the University of Minnesota, a contemporary take on classical Indian dance, celebrates the power of women. Kinetic Kitchen cooks up a spicy blend of work by emerging choreographers, including the hot new company Black Label Dance. And two of the Twin Cities most enjoyable performers, Judith Howard and Susan Scalf, will show works in progress at 9'x22': A Dance Lab at Bryant Lake Bowl.

     The action then moves across the river April 28-30 for the 18 th Minnesota Dance Festival. Performances include Ballet Minnesota's classic 'Giselle' and a showcase of regional dance companies at the Fitzgerald Theater. The festival culminates on Exchange Street in front of the Fitz, where dancers from all over Minnesota will kick up their collective heels to David Bowie's and Mick Jagger's rendition of Dancing in the Streets. A rocking finale to the dance celebration.

     Synopsis: 18 th Minnesota Dance Festival showcases performances by Ethnic Dance Theater, Kanopy Dance Company, Balelt Minnesota and others from the region. Throughout the weekend, dancers will present works reflecting diverse styles and cultures. Ballet Minnesota will perform the romantic classic Giselle with guest artists Oksana Konobeyeva (former soloist with Russia's Bolshoi Ballet Theater) and Davis Robertson of New York.



13th Minnesota Dance Festival 2001
The following article appeared in the
St Paul Pioneer Press
Thursday, May 17, 2001

Festival to let troupes, schools put best feet forward
Matt Peiken : staff writer, St Paul Pioneer Press


     For all the dance in the Twin Cities, Andrew Rist doesn't see much of the community supposedly attached to it. His annual Minnesota Dance Festival, starting its 13th run today, is as much a celebration for insiders as it is a public showcase.

     More than a dozen dance schools are showing their best steps to one another today at St Paul's Fitzgerald Theater. Six ethnic, modern and ballet companies, including Rist's Ballet Minnesota, perform Friday and Saturday.All these independent companies are trying to get students and compete for audiences and grant money, but this is a neutral ground. says Rist, who runs his school and company from St Paul's Lowertown. The festival, he says, paints a bigger picture for current students of dance and welcomes novices and outsiders to the insular dance scene.

     I think there will be some element of competition - everyone wants to put their best foot forward, he says. But I've been to festivals at other parts of the country, and the competition is overshadowed by the coming-together of everybody.

      Staging modern work this weekend are Precipice Dance Company of Minneapolis, Vox Medusa Dance Company of Apple Valley, and Ressl Dance! of Duluth. Also performing are the Ukrainian-American Dance Company (Cheremosh) and a Tibetan dance group, both from Minneapolis.

     Ballet Minnesota has the classical realm to itself, along with the festival's marquee attraction. Oksana Konobeyeva, a Russian ballerina with the Bolshoi Ballet and American Ballet Theater among her credits, stars in a movement from La Bayadere, a 19th-century ballet by the choreographer of Swan Lake. Rist calls this movement one of the most impressive scenes in all of ballet.

     Konobeyeva's presence is a psychological and spiritual charge for his dancers, Rist says, but he's more excited by the dance schools on the opening-day program.

     I can't tell you how important this is to the festival. he says. Just getting them here is a big step, because people are apprehensive, and they don't know if there are strings attached. But at the schools come down, hopefully they'll bring people with them, an the festival will grow.

     The festival is holding dance classes Saturday morning and afternoon at the Fitzgerald Theater, and Rist wants to create a street scene in front of the venue to showcase arts that influence dance.

     Kristin Freya, founder and artistic director of Vox Medusa, worked with a metal sculptor, video artist, electronic musicain, opera singer and spoken-word performer to create her newest piece, Air. Despite trimming it from 30 minutes to 10 to fit into the festival, Freya felt honored by Rist's invitation to perform.

     It's nice to have a really beautiful, pristine theater to perform work and not have it be such an intimate enviorment all the time, she says. I work with alot of artists, and I love to collaborate, and the city is not that big, and the dance community is finding itself. We really should know and support each other.







Ballet Minnesota Founders                                                                       Andrew & Cheryl Rist


    ANDREW RIST
      Artistic Director: BALLET MINNESOTA



Andrew's interests have always been in the areas of teaching, directing & choreography. After dancing professionally for 14 years, Loyce Houltonencouraged Andrew to become Avocational Director of the Minnesota Dance Theater school (1986-87). In 1987 Andrew and his wife Cheryl co-founded the Classical Ballet Academy of Minnesota and in 1990 they co-founded Ballet Minnesota, of which Andrew became artistic director. Under his direction, Ballet Minnesota has developed a strong season which includes Fall Concert, annual Nutcracker, The Youth Concert Series, The Minnesota Dance Festival (which features the restaging of a classical ballet each year) and the River Songs Summer Series. As a choreographer, Anderw prefers working with original scores. He has created works in collaboration with Robert E Hindel, Charlie Maguire (National Park Service "Singing Ranger") and the rock group Mock Duck. His choreographic works include "Pachelbel", "At the Museum", "Nutcracker", "Italian Symphony" and in 2006 "Black Dog Cafe". "Beethoven's 9th Symphony", choreographed in 2008, recieved standing ovations to a sold out opening run. Andrew teaches in the school. He has been nominated and included in three editions of 'Who's Who Among American Teachers.' Only 5% of the nation's teachers are honored in each edition and less than 2% are included in more than one edition.

Cheryl Rist, Andrew's wife, has designed all the costumes for every work he has choreographed. "Most of my works are deeply dependent upon the costume design, which will be quite obvious when you scroll down and veiw the photo gallery below"

In the Fall 2006, Ballet Minnesota launched its Fall Concert Series dedicated to the creation of new choreography. Andrew has created 4 new works for the fall Concert. 'Black Dog Cafe' (2006, 2007), 'Beethoven's 9th Symphony' (2008) and most recently Gershwin's 'Rhaposdy in Blue' and Mozart's '40th Symphony' (2009).

Andrew & Cheryl have 2 children - Heather and Richard. The newest addition to the Rist family is their granddaughter, Chloe, daughter of Richard and Becky.

In January 2010, Andrew's first book was published "At The Museum: Adventures of the Ballerina Girls"


    CHERYL RIST
      School Director: CLASSICAL BALLET ACADEMY



Cheryl, a graduate of the Cornish School of Arts in Seattle, was the recipient of (7) Arts Scholarships. Her teachers include Robert Joffrey, Loyce Houlton, Hanya Holm, Flemming Halby and Frank Bourman. She began dancing with Sacramento Ballet under the direction of Jean-Paul Comelin (formerly Paris Opera Ballet). She danced as a principal with the Banff Festival, the Minnesota Dance Theater (under the direction of Loyce Houlton) and Ballet Minnesota. n 1987 Cheryl and her husband Andrew co-founded the Classical Ballet Academy of Minnesota and in 1990 they co-founded Ballet Minnesota. Cheryl has a special gift understanding the art of Classical Ballet. She has restaged many of the classic ballets for Ballet Minnesota which include "Swan Lake", "Giselle", "Sleeping Beauty", "Les Sylphides", "Flower Festival pas de deux", "Coppelia" and "La Bayadere". Cheryl is known for restaging the complete ballets such as 4 acts of Swan Lake. In addition to all of this she designs and costumes all the works presented by Ballet MInnesota. Although she is a sought after designer, she concentrates her engeries on CBA and Ballet Minnesota. Cheryl is the mother of Heather and Richard and is pleased to announce that she has a precious granddaughter, Chloe, daughter of Richard and Becky.


Article On Maggie Selner as featured in the SUN This Week Newspaper (April 2012)

Apple Valley dancer steps into spotlight
By Andrew Miller on April 19, 2012 at 12:05 pm


     Dancing since the age of 3, Maggie Selner is stepping into the spotlight this month.
      The Apple Valley eighth-grader has landed the leading role in “The Ballet School,” one of the featured productions at the Minnesota Dance Festival May 4-5 at the Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul.
      It will be Selner’s third time performing with her peers from Classical Ballet Academy at the annual dance festival, but it’s her first starring role there.
       And she’s been logging long hours for her role in “The Ballet School,” part of a trilogy written and choreographed by her Classical Ballet Academy instructor Andrew Rist. Leading up to the festival she’s been putting in 20-hour weeks in the studio.
       “I love the rehearsals with my friends. It’s a challenging part to learn, but that doesn’t bother me,” said the 13-year-old homeschooler, who plans to attend high school at Chesterton Academy in Edina starting in the fall and hopes to one day become a ballet instructor.
      The success Selner has found on the stage has been a decade in the making. She started taking ballet classes 10 years ago at a now-defunct dance studio in Burnsville.
      “She took to it right away and loved to perform,” Selner’s mom, Brenda, said of her first dance classes at age 3. “Half the kids were crying, but she loved it.”
      Selner scored her first big part last December, when she played Clara in “The Nutcracker” at St. Paul’s O’Shaughnessy Theater.
      “You’re pretty much on stage the entire performance,” she said of the Clara role. “It’s a lot of endurance. If you can do that part, you can do anything.”

 
Thirteen-year-old Maggie Selner of Apple Valley will be making her third appearance at the annual Minnesota Dance Festival next month when she stars in “The Ballet School.” (Photo submitted)


A sampling of BALLET MINNESOTA
Classics

Restaged by & Costumes by Cheryl Rist



Sampling of Ballets by
Andrew Rist

Costumes by Cheryl Rist
Photographed by Dave Trayers




BMN logo

REVIEW  ......  2011 - 2012           24th Performance Season


BMN logo

REVIEW  ......  2010 - 2011           23rd Performance Season
B6 2010-11
Messiah 2010-11
Nutcracker 2010
Sorcerer's Apprentice
Don Quixote 2011


Sampling of Previous Seasons
2009-10 Season
 
Season 21
2007-08 season


Staff