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Ballet Minnesota: 651-222-7919, 316 Chester St, St Paul, MN 55107 / Email: info@balletminnesota.org / Email Sign-Up / Contact Us

BALLET MINNESOTA

Artistry in Dance
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andy-cheryl-MDT-history1

Andrew & Cheryl Rist established the Classical Ballet Academy of Minnesota in 1987 in St Paul’s artistic hub, Lowertown. The first year included a Nutcracker lecture/demonstration performed to about 150 people at St Paul’s Galtier Plaza. Today, the Nutcracker is presented to an annual audience of over 10,000. The Nutcracker production was presented under the name Ballet Minnesota even though the name was not officially incorporated until 1990. In May 1988 the first Minnesota Dance Festival was produced at the St Paul Student Center Theater on the University of Minnesota St Paul Campus. Ballet Minnesota assumed full responsibility for the Festival in 1990. The first official performance by Ballet Minnesota was held in the lobby area of the St Paul City Hall as a tribute to then mayor George Latimer. Ballet Minnesota has developed four major pillars to their annual season: the FALL Concert, the Classic Nutcracker, the Minnesota Dance Festival including staging of the Spring Classic, and the summer River Songs. Classical Ballet Academy of Minnesota is the official school of Ballet Minnesota.

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Repertoire

Former Company Dancers and CBA Graduates

Ballet Minnesota Milestones

1987     First production of the Nutcracker choreographed by Andrew Rist.

1987     Andrew & Cheryl Rist bring together a group of professional dancers and perform under the name Ballet Minnesota.

1988     First Minnesota Dance Festival presented at the St Paul Student Center Theater, St Paul.

1990     Ballet Minnesota formally established as a non-profit company and Classical Ballet Academy of Minnesota declared the official school.

1992     Youth Concert Series established (performances in Schools)

1993     CBA presents the first Summer DANCECAMP at Camp Ojiketa in Chisago City, Minnesota

1994     At The Museum choreographed by Andrew Rist to an original score by Robert E Hindel, marking the beginning of a long and fruitful collaboration between Rist & Hindel.

1994     Summer River Songs tour with Folksinger Charlie Maguire established

1996     2nd Act of Swan Lake presented at the O’Shaughnessy.

2002     ‘La Bayadere’ presented at the Fitzgerald Theater

2003    Jim Arnold begins to build sets for Ballet Minnesota & CBA

2003     Full length ‘Copellia’ presented at the Fitzgerald Theater.

2003     ‘Italian Symphony’ choreographed by Andrew Rist and presented at the Fitzgerald

2005     Full length ‘Giselle’ presented at the Fitzgerald Theater

2006     Ballet Minnesota begins participating2006 in the annual Grand Old Days Parade.

2006     First FALL Concert presented at the St Paul Student Center Theater. St Paul

2006     ‘Black Dog Cafe’ choreographed by Andrew Rist for the FALL Concert.

2007     2nd ‘Taste the Arts’ presented at the Fitzgerald Theater

2007     Full length ‘Swan Lake” presented at the Fitzgerald Theater.

2008     ‘Italian Symphony’ & “Black Dog Cafe’ presented at the 2nd Fall Concert, Fitzgerald Theater

2008     Sketches from ‘Rite of Spring’ performed at Bryant Lake Bowl & 20th MDF.

2008     A very successful 20th Anniversary Ball celebrated by Ballet Minnesota.

2008     ‘River Songs’ presented at the Republican National Convention held in St Paul, MN

2008     ‘Beethoven’s 9th Symphony’ presented on the 3rd Fall concert to standing ovations and standing room only performances (3000+ attended). Choreography Andrew Rist

2008     Fitzgerald Theater becomes the official home theater of Ballet Minnesota.

2009     Mozart’s ’40th Symphony’ & Gershwin’s ‘Rhapsody in Blue’ presented on the 4th Fall Concert at the Fitzgerald. Choreography: Andrew Rist

2010     The full length ‘Sleeping Beauty’ presented at the Fitzgerald Theater.

2010     Beethoven’s ‘6th Symphony’ presented on the 5th Fall Concert at SPSC Theater

2011     The full length Don Quixote restaged for the 2nd time by Cheryl Rist. This was the farewell performance of ballerina Oksana Konobeyeva. Matthew Prescott danced the lead role of Basilio.

2012     Cheryl Rist restaged Les Sylphides with Erin Warn & Alexander Smirnov in the lead roles. Ballet School (the third ballet in the Ballerina Girls series) was choreographed by Andrew Rist.  Ten Songs from the Messiah were choreographed by Andrew Rist

2019.  Andrew Rist choreographed Beethoven’s 2nd Violin Concerto which was presented at EM Pearson Theater at Concordia University.

2020.  Unfortunately, theaters were closed during Covid-19.  However, choreography on Beethoven’s 3rd Symphony was begun online by Andrew Rist. 

2021.   ‘The Human Spirit in the Time Of Covid’ was choreographed by Andrew Rist to Beethoven’s 3rd Symphony, Mvts 2&3.  Since theaters were still restricted capacity, the ballet was filmed by Zandolee Productions as as virtual performance.   River Songs was presented at the Target Stage at Harriet Island Regional Park with singer Charlie Maguire, choreography by Andrew Rist, as part of the 32nd Minnesota Dance Festival.



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