THE IMPACT OF HURRICANE HARVEY

On August 26th, Hurricane Harvey hit the city of Houston. Both the Houston Ballet Center for Dance and the Wortham Theater Center took on water, leaving us without rehearsal and performance space just as our 2017-18 season was set to open.

Nevertheless, the long-anticipated Houston premiere of Sir Kenneth MacMillan’s Mayerling opened on schedule thanks to The Hobby Center for the Performing Arts, which opened its doors without hesitation.






“This production [of Mayerling] is much the finest work I have seen by Houston Ballet”
– Alastair MacCaulay, New York Times

While Hurricane Harvey affected operations at Houston Ballet only temporarily, the damage incurred at our theater-home, the Wortham Theater Center, was extensive. The Wortham received 15 feet of water and is closed for repairs for the foreseeable future.

The Wortham serves as an important storage location for our costumes. Forty years of Houston Ballet history was lost to floodwaters. Wigs, tights, leotards, and specialty items to more than 50 productions were completely destroyed.

These are just a few examples of some of the costumes lost. They include Mark Morris' The Letter V, Aszure Barton's Angular Momentum, and Christopher Bruce's Hush.

Houston Ballet continues to present its planned season at new venues.

Here we see Music Director Ermanno Florio leading the Houston Ballet orchestra through a rehearsal of Mayerling in a lounge at The Hobby Center for Performing Arts.

In order to maintain high caliber productions, the relocation comes at great cost and effort.




 

These changes have also left us with fewer performances, resulting in a significant loss of income.

Houston Ballet is committed to upholding its reputation as a world class ballet company. As Stanton Welch, Artistic Director, says of the company, “it is a choreographer’s Eden;” an environment that draws the most important choreographers and stagers working in ballet today. Continuing this level of artistry is vital to maintaining the caliber of Houston Ballet.

Pictured here (from left to right):
Tim Harbour leading Houston Ballet Artists through rehearsal of his Filigree & Shadow, Edwaard Liang leading Houston Ballet Artists through his world premiere of Murmuration, Merrill Ashley leading Houston Ballet Artists through a rehearsal of George Balanchine's Symphony in C.

Being displaced from the Wortham Theater Center is the greatest financial threat Houston Ballet has ever faced -- but getting our dancers back to the stage is vital to Houston’s recovery.

Now more than ever, the support of the Houston Ballet family and the Houston community is essential to Houston Ballet's continued recovery. To support Houston Ballet, please visit houstonballet.org/donate