January 29, 2026

Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo

The dancers of Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo in colorful ballet costumes.

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Top image: Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo. Photo © Zoran Jelenic.

The Program

Duration: Approximately 135 minutes, including two 15-minute intermissions.
 

Featuring

Colette Adae, Holly Dey-Abroad, Heidi Kleine, Varvara Laptopova, Marina Plezegetovstageskaya, Moussia Shebarkarova, Olga Supphozova, Maya Thickenthighya, Gerd Törd, Minnie van Driver, Vera Vidludik, Tatiana Youbetyabootskaya, Blagovesta Zlotmachinskaya

Bruno Backpfeifengesicht, Jacques d’Aniels, Ronald Deaulin, Boris Dumbkopf, Nicholas Khachanfallenjar, Araf Legupski, Polykarp Legupski, Timur Legupski, Vyacheslau Legupski, Mikhail Mudkin, Yuri Smirnov, Pavel Törd, William Vanilla

Artistic Director: Tory Dobrin
Executive Director: Liz Harler
Associate Director: Isabel Martinez Rivera
Associate Artistic Director: Raffaele Morra
Production Manager: Shelby Sonnenberg

 

“Le Lac Des Cygnes” (from “Swan Lake,” Act II) 

Duration: 33 minutes
Music: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Choreography After: Lev Ivanovich Ivanov
Costumes: Mike Gonzalez
Decor: Clio Young
Lighting: Kip Marsh

Swept up into the magical realm of swans (and birds), this elegiac phantasmagoria of variations and ensembles in line and music is the signature work of Les Ballets Trockadero. The story of Odette, the beautiful princess turned into a swan by the evil sorcerer, and how she is nearly saved by the love of Prince Siegfried, was not so unusual a theme when Tchaikovsky first wrote his ballet in 1877 — the metamorphosis of mortals to birds and visa versa occurs frequently in Russian folklore. The original Swan Lake at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow was treated unsuccessfully; a year after Tchaikovsky's death in 1893, the St. Petersburg Mariinsky Ballet produced the version we know today. Perhaps the world's best known ballet, its appeal seems to stem from the mysterious and pathetic qualities of the heroine juxtaposed with the canonized glamour of 19th century Russian ballet.

Benno: Jacques d’Aniels (friend and confidant to)

Prince Siegfried: Araf Legupski (who falls in love with)

Colette Adae (Queen of the)

Swans: Artists of the Trockadero (all of whom got this way because of)

Von Rothbart: Yuri Smirnov (an evil wizard who goes about turning girls into swans)

 

Intermission — 15 Minutes


 

“Patterns in Space”

Duration: 9 minutes
Choreography After: Merce Cunningham
Taped Music: Andrew Franck
Live Music After: John Cage
Costumes: Ken Busbin
Lighting: Tricia Toliver

“In short, this generation has conceived an intensity of movement so great that it has not to be seen against something else to be known, and therefore, this generation does not connect itself with anything, that is what makes this generation what it is and that is why it is American, and this is very important in connection with portraits of anything.” — Gertrude Stein

A post modern dance movement essay.

Dancers: Heidi Kleine, Gerd Tord, Blagovesta Zlotmachinskaya

Musicians: Olga Supphozova and Boris Dumbkopf

 

“Pas D’Action” (from “La Bayadère”)

Duration: 13 minutes
Music: Ludwig Minkus
Choreography After: Marius Petipa
Costumes: Mike Gonzalez
Lighting: Kip Marsh

The pas d’action from the second act of La Bayadère is a centerpiece of the wedding celebration between Gamzatti and Solor. It is a pas d’huit that includes variations for the principal couple as well as a section for corps de ballet. The celebration is a cruel and public spectacle in the Indian court, as Gamzatti is betrothed to Solar but knows that Solor is still in love with the temple dancer (Bayadère) Nikiya … the usual story. The entree, adagio, two solos, group dances and coda are filled with all manner of virtuosity with the peak of excitement being reached in the coda.

Gamzatti: Minnie van Driver

Solor: Jacques d’Aniels

Holly Dey-Abroad, Moussia Shebarkarova, Gerd Törd, Blagovesta Zlotmachinskaya, Roland Deaulin, Timur Legupski

 

“The Dying Swan”

Duration: 6 minutes
Music: Camille Saint-Saens
Costume: Mike Gonzalez

This solo, created for Anna Pavlova in 1905 would become, in later years, her signature dance — and perhaps the most famous solo in ballet. The Trockadero offers its own distinctive interpretation of the terminal fowl.

Dancer: Olga Supphozova
 
 

Intermission — 15 Minutes


 

“Paquita”

Duration: 28 minutes
Music: Ludwig Minkus
Choreography After: Marius Petipa
Staging: Elena Kunikova
Costumes and Decor: Mike Gonzalez
Lighting: Kip Marsh

Paquita is a superb example of the French style as it was exported to Saint Petersburg in the late 19th Century. Paquita was originally a ballet-pantomine in two acts, choreographed by Joseph Mazillier, to music by Ernest Deldevez. The story had a Spanish theme, with Carlotta Grisi (creator of “Giselle”) as a young woman who is kidnapped and saves a young and handsome officer from certain death. Premiering at the Paris Opera in 1846, the ballet was produced a year later in Russia by Marius Petipa. Petipa commissioned Ludwig Minkus, the composer of his two most recent successes (“Don Quixote” and “La Bayadère”) to write additional music in order to add a brilliant “divertissement” to Mazillier’s Paquita. Petipa choreographed for this a Pas de Trois and a Grand Pas de Deux in his characteristic style. These soon became the bravura highlights of the evening-to the point that they are the only fragments of Paquita that have been preserved. The dancers display a range of choreographic fireworks, which exploit the virtuoso possibilities of academic classical dance, enriched by the unexpected combinations of steps.

Ballerina and Cavalier: Varvara Laptopova With Mikhail Mudkin

Variations:
Variation 1: Tatiana Youbetyabootskaya
Variation 2: Minnie van Driver
Variation 3: Moussia Shebarkarova
Variation 4: Colette Adae
Variation 5: Varvara Laptopova

Kari Schloner

Welcome from the Executive Director

Welcome to another extraordinary season of dance and music at Northrop—a season we are proud to offer, inspired by your curiosity, energy, and commitment to making the arts a central part of life.

Rooted in the belief that the arts are essential to the human experience, Northrop is committed to cultivating intersections between performing arts and education—for all participants, now and for generations to come. This season, those intersections will be more vibrant than ever. We have curated performances that stretch boundaries, inspire reflection, and celebrate both innovation and tradition in equal measure.

You’ll see in this season’s lineup a range of world-class artists and ensembles—some of whom we know well, others who bring voices and perspectives new to our stage. Each program is selected not only for its artistic excellence, but also for its ability to provoke thought, open dialogue, and offer learning opportunities beyond the stage: workshops, pre-show discussions, community gatherings, and more. These elements are meant to deepen your experience, helping to illuminate context, process, and the living, breathing nature of creative work.

As part of the University’s teaching, research, and service mission, Northrop strives to be a catalyst—igniting transformation in each individual, inspiring positive change in our world. Through the rhythm of dance, the textures of music, and the shared moments among us in the audience, we hope you will find something that moves you, surprises you, and invites you to see the world just a little differently.

I invite you to join us not just as spectators, but as participants. Ask questions. Bring friends. Explore more. Share what you experience. We are honored to present this season, and even more honored to share it with a community that values what the arts offer—beauty, challenge, joy, connection.

Thank you for being here and supporting Northrop. Together, let us make Northrop’s 97th season remarkable.

With gratitude,
Kari Schloner
Executive Director

Kelly McQueen

Welcome from the Advisory Board Chair

Dear Friends,

On behalf of the Northrop Advisory Board, it is my great pleasure to welcome you to Northrop, the University of Minnesota’s historic home for the performing arts. For almost a century, Northrop has been a place where artistry, learning, and community converge—a stage not only for extraordinary performances but also for dialogue, discovery, and inspiration.

Each season, Northrop presents world-class dance, music, and other performances, and serves as a gathering place for students, faculty, and community members alike. These experiences enrich our campus and our state, fostering the creativity, curiosity, and cultural understanding that are so vital in today’s world.

Your presence here affirms the importance of the arts in higher education and in civic life. We invite you to be more than an audience member—become an advocate for the arts. Share your experiences, bring new friends to Northrop, and help us amplify the voices of artists and thinkers who inspire us to see the world anew.

We also ask you to consider a gift to Northrop. Your financial support ensures that future generations can access the transformative power of the arts, that students can encounter artists in their classrooms as well as on our stage, and that our community can continue to gather here for moments that move and unite us.

Thank you for being part of Northrop’s story. Together, we can sustain this remarkable institution and secure its role as a cultural cornerstone for decades to come.

With gratitude,
Kelly McQueen, Chair, Northrop Advisory Board

About Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo

The Trocks in colorful ballet costumes pose with balloons, including number balloons that say "50."

Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo. Photo © Zoran Jelenic.

Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo was founded in 1974 by New York City-based ballet enthusiasts in order to present a playful, entertaining view of traditional, classical ballet in parody form and with men performing all of the roles — and in the case of roles usually danced by women: en travesti and en pointe. Founders Peter Anastos, Anthony Bassae and Natch Taylor broke away from Larry Ree’s Gloxinia Trockadero Ballet to create a dance- and choreography-focused company. They put on their first shows on the makeshift stage of the West Side Discussion Group, an early gay and lesbian political organization, which was led by future Trockadero General Director Eugene McDougle. The performances were infused with a subversive edge as the country was still a long way from bringing drag performance to a mainstream audience.

The Trocks, as they are affectionately known, soon garnered critical acclaim and cultural cachet in publications with major reach, such as The New Yorker, The New York Times, and the Village Voice. By mid-1975, the company’s inspired blend of dance knowledge, comedy and athleticism, moved beyond New York City when the Trocks qualified for the National Endowment for the Arts Touring Program, hired a full-time teacher and ballet mistress and made its first extended tours of the United States and Canada. Packing, unpacking and repacking tutus and drops, stocking giant-sized toe shoes by the case and running for planes and chartered buses all became routine parts of life. They have been going non-stop ever since, appearing in 43 countries and more than 660 cities worldwide. The company branched out from the vibrant live performances and expanded its scope with an education program in 2016 and the Choreography Institute in November 2023. With so much activity, the Trocks have garnered a dedicated fan base, repeating performances in countries year after year and continuing to add first-time engagements as the company enters its 50th anniversary season.

Interest and accolades have accumulated over the years. The Trocks have proved an alluring documentary subject, featured in an Emmy-winning episode of the acclaimed British arts program “The South Bank Show”; the 2017 feature film “Rebels on Pointe”; and most recently “Ballerina Boys,” which aired on PBS “American Masters” in 2021. Several of the Trocks’ performances at the Maison de la Danse in Lyon, France were also aired by Dutch, French and Japanese TV networks. Other television appearances have ranged from a Shirley MacLaine special to the Dick Cavett Show, “What’s My Line?,” “Real People” and “On-Stage America.” The dancers also have the distinction of appearing with Kermit and Miss Piggy on “Muppet Babies.

The company’s awards include a prestigious UK Critics Circle National Dance Award for Best Classical Repertoire (2007) and nomination for Outstanding Company (2016), the Theatrical Managers Award (2006, UK); and the Positano Award for Excellence in Dance (2007, Italy). The company has appeared in multiple galas and benefits over the years, including at the 80th anniversary Royal Variety Performance to aid the Entertainment Artistes’ Benevolent Fund in December 2008, which was attended by members of the British Royal family, including the now King Charles III.

The original concept of Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo has not changed. It is a company of professional male dancers performing the full range of ballet and modern dance repertoire, including classical and original works in faithful renditions of the manners and conceits of those dance styles. The comedy is achieved by incorporating and exaggerating the foibles, accidents and underlying incongruities of serious dance. The fact that muscular, athletic bodies dance all of the parts, delicately balancing on toes as swans, sylphs, water sprites, romantic princesses and angst-ridden Victorian ladies, enhances the appreciation for the effort, timing, stamina and precision required, delighting die-hard ballet fans and newcomers alike.

Looking to the future, the Trocks are making plans for new commissions, new debuts and new audiences, while continuing the company’s original mission: to bring the pleasure of dance to the widest possible audience.

The company will, as they have for 50 years, “keep on Trockin’.”

 

Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo
Box 1325, Gracie Station, New York City, New York 10028
 

Dancers

Moussia Shebarkarova and Vyacheslau Legupski: Vincent Brewer

Heidi Kleine and Polykarp Legupski: Harrison Broadbent

Blagovesta Zlotmachinskaya and Mikhail Mudkin: Raydel Caceres

Olga Supphozova and Yuri Smirnov: Robert Carter

Vera Vidludik and Nicholas Khachafallenjar: A.J. David

Gerd Törd and Pavel Törd: Matias Dominguez Escrig

Tatiana Youbetyabootskaya and Araf Legupski: Andrea Fabbri

Maya Thickenthighya and Roland Deaulin: Peter Gwiazda

Minnie van Driver and William Vanilla: Liam Vincent Hutt

Marina Plezegetovstageskaya and Jacques d’Aniels: Antonio Lopez

Holly Dey-Abroad and Bruno Backpfeifengesicht: Felix Molinero del Paso

Colette Adae and Timur Legupski: Jake Speakman

Varvara Laptopova and Boris Dumbkopf: Takaomi Yoshino

 

Company Staff

Artistic Director : Tory Dobrin

Executive Director: Liz Harler

Associate Director: Isabel Martinez Rivera

Associate Artistic Director: Raffaele Morra

Production Manager: Shelby Sonnenberg

Lighting Supervisor: Isaac Castillo

Wardrobe Supervisor : Sam Barao

Education Manager: Roy Fialkow

Digital Engagement Manager: Anne Posluszny

Company Advancement Associate: MaryBeth Rodgers

Development Consultant: LG Capital for Culture

Costume Designers: Ken Busbin, Jeffrey Sturdivant

Stylistic Guru: Marius Petipa

Orthopedic Consultant: Dr. David S. Weiss

Photographer: Zoran Jelenic

 

Program subject to change without notice.

trockadero.org

facebook.com/thetrocks

Instagram: @lesballetstrockadero

Meet the Artists
 

Colette Adae

Colette Adae

Colette Adae was orphaned at the age of three when her mother, a ballerina of some dubious distinction, impaled herself on the first violinist’s bow after a series of rather uncontrolled “fouette voyage.” Adae was raised and educated with the “rats” of the Opera House but the trauma of her childhood never let her reach her full potential. However, under the kind and watchful eye of the Trockadero, she has begun to flower and we are sure you will enjoy watching her growth.

Holly Dey-Abroad

Holly Dey-Abroad

Miss Dey-Abroad lacks the talent and intelligence that are required to be good at dancing and did not understand that this lack of talent and intelligence are often the same qualities needed to recognize that one is not good at dancing — and if one lacks such talent and intelligence, one remains ignorant that one is not good at dancing. Consequently she auditioned for the Trocks and was accepted.

dancer silhouette illustration

Heidi Kleine

Heidi Kleine was born on a locomotive speeding through the Alps in her native Bavaria. She quickly realized the limitations of her native folk dancing and quaint handicrafts. After her arrival in America, she learned everything she now knows about ballet from a seminar entitled “Evil Fairies on the Periphery of the Classical Dance.”

Varvara Laptopova

Varvara Laptopova

Varvara Laptopova is one of those rare dancers who, with one look at a ballet, not only knows all the steps but can also dance all the roles. As a former member of the Kiev Toe and Heel Club, she was awarded first prize at the Pan-Siberian Czardash and Kazotski Festival for artistic mis-interpretation.

Marina Plezegetovstageskaya

Marina Plezegetovstageskaya

Any ballet goer who saw Madame Plezegetovstageskaya dancing on a herring in her first American tour is not likely to forget her outstanding performance as the Vegan Sour Cream Fairy. One of the world’s great dialectical sophists, Honored Artist Plezegetovstageskaya came to the stage from the Bolshoi Academy of Dance Polemics where she excelled in heroic parts and tableaux vivifies. There she gained youthful fame as a practitioner of barefoot naturalism right up to the eyebrows. Following her graduation she was drafted by the Trockadero for a player to be named later.

Moussia Shebarkarova

Moussia Shebarkarova

A celebrated child prodigy back in the Brezhnev era, Moussia Shebarkarova astounded her parents at the age of two by taking a correspondence course in ballet. Sadly, due to the unreliable Russian postal system, she has only just graduated.

Olga Supphozova

Olga Supphozova

Olga Supphozova made her first public appearance in a police line-up under dubious circumstances. After a seven-year-to-life hiatus, she now returns to her adoring fans. When questioned about her forced sabbatical, Supphozova’s only comment was “I did it for Art’s sake.” Art, however, said nothing.

Maya Thickenthighya

Maya Thickenthighya

Maya Thickenthighya’s radioactive properties prevented her from appearing with the Trockadero until her recent release from a special sanitarium on the Black Sea.  A brilliant virtuoso in the Moscow style, Madame Thickenthighya’s torque was applied to the running of Generator 14 near the Gorsky Dam during the period of her political disgrace. She is, this season, reinstated to her unique position in the ballet world.

Gerd Törd

Gerd Törd

Gerd Törd, “The Prune Danish of Russian Ballet,” abandoned an enormously successful career as a film actress to become a Trockadero ballerina. Her faithful fans, however, need not despair as most of her great films have been made into ballets: the searing “Back to Back,” the tear-filled “Thighs and Blisters,” and the immortal seven-part “Screams from a Carriage.” Because of her theatrical flair, Törd has chosen to explore the more dramatic aspects of ballet, causing one critic to rename her Giselle, “What’s my Line?”

Minnie van Driver

Minnie van Driver

Always running to rehearsals, costume fittings and performances, Miss Driver has a strong sense of movement. She has performed worldwide and has a natural aptitude for touring. Famous for her beautiful port de bras, she gives credit to her many hours behind the wheel.

Vera Vidludik

Vera Vidludik

Despite possessing a walk-in wardrobe so large that it has its own post code, Mlle Vidludik remains a true ballerina of the people. Indeed, she is so loved in her native Moldova that in 1993 the grateful citizens of Chișinău awarded her the key to the city. That might well have remained the “golden moment” of this great ballerina’s career had they not subsequently changed the locks.

Tatiana Youbetyabootskaya

Tatiana Youbetyabootskaya

Tatiana Youbetyabootskaya created many original roles in St. Petersburg where she was the last of a long line of Italian etoiles to appear at the Maryinsky Theater. It was her dazzling triumph in the role of “Electricity” in the extravagant “Excelsior” in her native Milan which brought her fame. However, no less electrifying was the line up of perfectly trained elephants, performing like the present day Rockettes. Unfortunately, Mademoiselle Youbetyabootskaya’s jealous scenes over the publicity given to these elephants and their ensuing popularity with the public caused numerous problems. She subsequently refused to appear again in this role.

Blagovesta Zlotmachinskaya

Blagovesta Zlotmachinskaya

Ever since her auspicious debut as the Left Nostril in the ballet extracted from “The Nose” by Gogol, Zlotmachinskaya has shown a unique appreciation of her homeland’s literary heritage.  Back home, she is best known as the star of the hit TV show “Challenge Anna Karenina,” in which the eponymous heroine of Tolstoy’s classic novel seeks to expose the fin de siecle malaise at the heart of Pre-Revolutionary Russia with the aid of a helicopter and walkie-talkie.

Bruno Backpfeifengesicht

Bruno Backpfeifengesicht

Bruno Backpfeifengesicht soared into prominence as the first East German defector whose leave-taking was accomplished at the virtual insistence of the defectees (although in subsequent days Herr Backpfeifengesicht was accused of abandoning his joyous comrades for “a mountain of beer and an ocean of dollars”). His meteoric rise to stardom caused him to be named Official Bicentennial Porteur by a committee of New York balletomanes who singled out his winning feet and losing smile.

Jacques d’Aniels

Jacques d’Aniels

Jacques d’Aniels was originally trained as an astronaut before entering the world of ballet.  Strong but flexible, good natured but dedicated, sensible but not given to unbelievable flights of fantastic behavior, Mr. d’Aniels is an expert on recovering from ballet injuries (including the dread “Pavlova’s clavicle”). 

Roland Deaulin

Roland Deaulin

Having invented the concept of the “bad hair year” or “annus hairibilis,” French born Deaulin now devotes his spare time to selling his new line of Michael Flatley Wigs on the QVC shopping channel.

Boris Dumbkopf

Boris Dumbkopf

Boris Dumbkopf has been with the greatest ballerinas of our time; he has even danced with some of them. As one of the first defective Eastern Bloc male stars, he left the motherland for purely capitalistic reasons. Amazingly, between his appearances on television and Broadway, and in movies, commercials, magazines, special events and women’s nylons, he occasionally still has time to dance.

Nicholas Khachafallenjar

Nicholas Khachafallenjar

The demi-semi-hemi-character dancer from innermost Outer Tashkent, was awarded the Order of Stalin for his partnering techniques. Although no ballerina has ever lived to describe the thrill of his touch, he continues to astound the public (and elude the police) with his brute strength. He is fondly known in the Trockadero as "Nick the Crusher."

The Legupski Brothers

The Legupski Brothers

Araf, Polykarp, Timur and Vyacheslau are not really brothers, nor are their names really Araf, Polykarp, Timur or Vyacheslau; nor are they real Russians; nor can they tell the difference between a pirouette and a jete … but … well … they do move about rather nicely … and … they fit into the costumes.

Mikhail Mudkin

Mikhail Mudkin

Mikhail Mudkin, the famed Russian danseur for whom the word “Bolshoi” was coined, comes to America from his triumphs as understudy to a famous impresario in the role of The Bear in “Petrushka.”

Yuri Smirnov

Yuri Smirnov

At the age of sixteen, Smirnov ran away from home and joined the Kirov Opera because he thought Borodin was a prescription barbiturate. Luckily for the Trockadero, he soon discovered that he didn’t know his arias from his elbow, and decided to become a ballet star instead.

Pavel Törd

Pavel Törd

“The Prune Danish of Russian Ballet” abandoned an enormously successful career as a film actor to become a Trockadero premier danseur. His faithful fans, however, need not despair as most of his great films have been made into ballets: the searing “Back to Back,” the tear-filled “Thighs and Blisters,” and the immortal seven-part “Screams from a Carriage.” Because of his theatrical flair, Törd has chosen to explore the more dramatic aspects of ballet, causing one critic to rename his Siegfried, “What's my Line?”

William Vanilla

William Vanilla

Despite the fact that he is American, he is very popular within the company. He is extremely personable, the ballerinas very much enjoy dancing with him, the management finds him agreeable, his costumes are never soiled, his fans admire his directness, he photographs well, he keeps regular hours, brushes his teeth after every meal and he has never said a bad word about anybody. He will never really understand Russian ballet.

Company Bios
 

Vincent Brewer

Vincent Brewer

Birthplace: Great Barrington, Mass. Training: Indiana University, Cantarella School of Ballet, Berkshire Pulse. Joined Trockadero: Sep. 2024. Previous companies: Festival Ballet Providence, Newport Contemporary Ballet, Albany Berkshire Ballet. 

Harrison Broadbent

Harrison Broadbent

Birthplace: Concord, N.H. Training: Boston Ballet School, The School of American Ballet. Joined Trockadero: Oct. 2025. Other Companies: Dayton Ballet, Ballet Austin 2.

Raydel Caceres

Raydel Caceres

Birthplace: Pinar del Río, Cuba. Training: Centro pro danza-Laura Alonso. Joined Trockadero: July 2023. Previous companies: California Ballet, Twin Cities Ballet of MN, Ballet Theater of Maryland, Cuban Classical Ballet of Miami. Silver medal at Festival de Danca, Joinville, Brazil.

Robert Carter

Robert Carter

Birthplace: Charleston, S.C. Training: Robert Ivey Ballet School, Joffrey Ballet School. Joined Trockadero: Nov. 1995. Previous companies: Florence Civic Ballet, Dance Theater of Harlem Ensemble, Bay Ballet Theater.

A.J. David

A.J. David

Birthplace: Fairfax, Va. Training: Metropolitan School of the Arts, George Mason University. Joined Trockadero: Oct. 2025.

Matias Dominguez Escrig

Matias Dominguez Escrig

Birthplace: Santiago, Chile. Training: José Espadero Professional Dance Conservatory, Sofia Sancho Dance School, Madrid Dance Center. Joined Trockadero: Oct. 2023. Previous company: International Ballet Festival.

Andrea Fabbri

Andrea Fabbri

Birthplace: Lugo, Italy. Training: Il Balleto, The HARID Conservatory.  Joined Trockadero: Oct. 2023. Previous companies: Los Angeles Ballet, Estonian National Ballet.

Peter Gwiazda

Peter Gwiazda

Birthplace: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Training: Nutmeg Ballet Conservatory, Seiskaya Ballet Academy, Ballet Academy East. Joined Trocks: June 2025.

Liam Vincent Hutt

Liam Vincent Hutt

Birthplace: Fort Myers, Fla. Training: UNC School of the Arts. Joined Trockadero: Feb., 2025. Previous company: Oklahoma City Ballet Studio Company.

Antonio Lopez

Antonio Lopez

Birthplace: Albuquerque, N.M. Training: Ballet Repertory Theater of NM / Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet. Joined Trockadero: Sep. 2025. Previous companies: New Mexico Ballet Company, St. Paul Ballet, Twin Cities Ballet of MN, Eugene Ballet.

Felix Molinero del Paso

Felix Molinero del Paso

Birthplace: Granada, Spain. Training: Hochschule fur Darstellende kunst Frankfurt am Main.  Joined Trockadero: Aug. 2019.

Jake Speakman

Jake Speakman

Birthplace: Philadelphia Pa. Training: Marymount Manhattan College. Joined Trockadero: Nov. 2021. Previous companies: New York Dance Project, New York Theater Ballet.

Takaomi Yoshino

Takaomi Yoshino

Birthplace: Osaka, Japan. Training: Vaganova Ballet Academy, Ellison Ballet. Joined Trockadero: Aug. 2018. Previous company: Atlantic City Ballet.

Link opens new page, Minnesota State Arts Board - Clean Water Land and Legacy Amendment

This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a Minnesota State Arts Board Operating Support grant, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.

 

Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo Acknowledgments

Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, Inc. is a nonprofit dance company chartered by the State of New York.  Martha Cooper, president; Jenny Palmer, vice-president; Mary Lynn Bergman-Rallis, secretary; Amy Minter, treasurer. James C.P. Berry, Martie Barylick, Tory Dobrin, Elizabeth Harler Stephens.

Special Thanks to our Major Institutional Supporters: Arison Arts Foundation, The Howard Gilman Foundation, Tiger Baron Foundation, The Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation, Rallis Foundation, Shubert Foundation, The Harkness Foundation for Dance and the NYU Community Fund.

Thanks to our local and state cultural funding agencies for their contributions to our work in New York with support, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council; and the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. Thanks to our Board of Directors and individual supporters for their generous contributions that make our nonprofit mission possible.  

Thanks to our Board of Directors and individual supporters for their generous contributions that make our nonprofit mission possible.  

Makeup provided by 

mac cosmetics logo

Music for ballets on the program is conducted by Pierre Michel Durand with the Czech Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra, Pavel Prantl, Leader

 

Booking Inquiries:
Liz Harler
Executive Director
liz@trockadero.org

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The Northrop Advisory Board

  • Cynthia Betz
  • Kristen Brogdon
  • Dr. Robert Bruininks
  • Deb Cran
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  • Benjamin Eng
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  • Chaz Sloane
  • Kao Lee Vang
  • Donald Williams

*Emeritus

The Northrop Advisory Board is committed to the growth and awareness of Northrop’s mission, vision, and the continued future of presenting world-class dance and music in our community. If you would like more information about the advisory board and its work, please contact Cynthia Betz, Director of Development, at 612-626-7554 or betzx011@umn.edu.

The Northrop Organ Advisory Board

  • J. Michael Barone
  • Cynthia Betz
  • Dean Billmeyer
  • Kristen Brogdon
  • Dr. Robert Bruininks
  • Dee Ann Crossley
  • Laura Edman
  • Dave Fielding
  • Nils Halker
  • Cari Hatcher
  • Pamela Neuenfeldt
  • Phillip Radtke
  • Emily Roth
  • Kari Schloner
  • Tate Shannon
  • Lindsey Siders
  • Greg Zelek

With the restoration and reinstallation of Northrop’s Aeolian-Skinner Opus 892 organ, a group of dedicated volunteers now partner with Northrop for the awareness, success, and growth of organ programming and education. The Northrop Organ Committee features volunteers who are help with advocacy, network building, relationship development, and fundraising to help sustain and build Northrop’s Pipe Organ Music Series and other community events.

Northrop Campus & Community Council

  • Linnea Fahnestock
  • Jillian Nelson
  • Emma Marlar
  • Anise Mazone
  • Carolina Maranon-Cobos
  • Eve Schulte
  • Laurel Keen
  • Julia Heinen

The Northrop Campus & Community Council acts as a resource for Northrop’s future success and growth, ensuring that Northrop builds relationships with and engages the communities where we live, learn, and work. This group of committed volunteers helps Northrop connect with new audiences and advises on programming that reflects the diverse communities we serve.

 Friends of Northrop

A special thank you to our patrons whose generous support makes Northrop's transformative arts experiences possible. Make your mark on Northrop's future by becoming a Friend today, learn more by visiting Northrop's Give page.

We gratefully acknowledge the support from the Anna M Heilmaier Charitable Foundation, Americans for the Arts/National Relief Fund, Curtis L. Carlson Family Foundation, City of Minneapolis, Minnesota State Arts Board, New England Foundation for the Arts, United States Artists, hospitality partner the Graduate Hotel Minneapolis, and event sponsors PNC Bank and RBC Wealth Management.

Director's Circle

10,000+

  • Anonymous
  • Anna M Heilmaier Charitable Foundation
  • Carlson Family Foundation
  • Robert Lunieski
  • Dr Thomas Von Sternberg and Eve Parker
  • Graduate by Hilton Minneapolis
  • PNC Bank
  • RBC Wealth Management

5,000+

  • Eleanor Crosby
  • The Longview Foundation
  • The Crosswols Foundation
  • Nancy Gossell
  • Richard Gregory
  • Stuart Hanson
  • Gail Kochie
  • Jennifer Marrone & David Short

2,500+

  • Jerry Artz
  • Drs. Robert Bruininks and Susan Hagstrum
  • Susan DeNuccio
  • Kathy Gremillion
  • Ron Lotz and Randy Hartten
  • Thomas and Conchy Morgan, In Memory of Sylvia and Henry Frisch
  • Sandra Morris
  • Timothy and Gayle Ober
  • Gary Reetz
  • Donald Williams and Pamela Neuenfeldt

Friend's Circle

1,000+

  • Jeanne Andre
  • Frederick and Cynthia Betz
  • Jeff Bieganek
  • Deb Cran and Robert Craven
  • Fran Davis
  • Judith and Bruce Hadler
  • Minhchau & Lawrence Harms
  • Jennifer Leopold and Steve Katz
  • Dana and Lori Klimp
  • Timothy and Anne McClarnan
  • Bob and Susanna McMaster
  • Kelly McQueen
  • Bruce Mebust and Kirsten Scribner-Mebust
  • Katheryn Menaged
  • Gwen Myers
  • Lance Olson
  • Gregory Plotnikoff & Shawn Monaghan
  • John Reay and Karen Hanson
  • Scarborough Fair Boutique
  • Chaz Sloane
  • Joseph Tashjian and Kay Savik

500+

  • Kurt Bjorklund
  • George Ehrenberg
  • Patricia Gaarder
  • Lara Kluge
  • Valerie Meyer & Mitchell DeJong
  • Mark & Cece Morrow
  • Curt Nelson
  • William & Jennifer Neujahr
  • Marianne Remedios & John Wald
  • Michael Unger

250+

  • Margaret Albrecht
  • Kristen Brogdon & David Ulaszek
  • John Bullough
  • Judith & Robert Cameron
  • Peter & Wenda Carlyle
  • Kate Christianson
  • William Craig
  • Stephen Davis & L Thomas
  • Lisa & Dan Gray
  • Denise & Corey Holtz
  • David & Leni Moore
  • Amy Olson
  • James & Leah Sheehy
  • Thomas Tessman

100+

  • 2 Degrees North
  • Lisa & Todd Anderson
  • Paul Aslanian
  • Karen Bachman
  • Sylvia Beach & Gordon Rouse
  • Tonja Bivins
  • Sherry Blohm
  • David Burton
  • Stephen & Mary Chicoine
  • Michelle Connor & Greg Froehle
  • Sandra Daly
  • Jo DeBruycker
  • William Durfee & Devorah Goldstein
  • Kristin Elizondo
  • Thomas & Cynthia Gerst
  • Mark Gilbert
  • Annalee Gray
  • Richard Gwynne
  • Annette Hansen
  • Michael Heath
  • Patricia Herrmann
  • Sally Humphries Leider & Richard Leider
  • Kimberly Hutchens
  • Ann Jaede
  • Geoff Krug
  • Joseph Kuznik

100+ (continued)

  • Roberta Lamps
  • James & Sharon Lewis
  • Sheryl & Jeffrey Louie
  • Holly Manning
  • Elizabeth McCambridge
  • Meghan DeBruycker Legacy Fund
  • Stephen Nelson & Joan Bren
  • Denis O'Pray
  • Elizabeth Parker
  • David & Mary Parker
  • Connie Plaehn
  • Holly Radis-McCluskey & Glen McCluskey
  • Tracey Rutherford
  • Darlene Sholtis & Heino Beckmann
  • Andrea Sjogren
  • Cindy Tong & Robert Denison
  • Ertugrul Tuzcu & Karen Owen Tuzcu
  • John Van Bogart
  • Renee Warmuth
  • Paula Webster & Cynthia Toher
  • Johnathon White
  • Cheryl Winston
  • Christine Winterkamp
  • Roger Worm
  • Mark Wright & Elizabeth Walton
  • Joseph Zachmann

Up to $99

  • Melissa Albachten
  • Barbara Allan
  • Toyin Alowonle
  • Tyler Amick
  • Erling & Julie Anderson
  • Alexis Andrus
  • Heather Anfang
  • Verna Arcedo
  • Mary Athorp
  • Michael & Jessica Austin
  • Danica Balsiger
  • Courtney Barancin
  • John Baynes & Karen Spurth
  • Lynette Beck
  • Allen Beers
  • Bryan Behun
  • John & Lani Bennett
  • Steven Bergerson
  • Maximiliano Bezada
  • Juliane Bingener
  • Mark Bohnhorst & Mary Wahlstrand
  • David Braslau
  • Lawson Brown
  • Odell Brown
  • Jeanne Brownell
  • Michael & Kimberly Byrd
  • Cristina Castro
  • Kyle Cedermark
  • Oscar Chamberlain
  • Carol Chomsky & Steven Liss
  • Charles Christianson & Ramona Jacobs
  • David & Nancy Claussen
  • Conni Conner
  • Patrick Cornette
  • Stephen Coyle
  • Clinton & Kristin Cutler
  • Jorge Delgado
  • Shannon Doty
  • Scott Drawe
  • Abby Duke
  • Ben Eng
  • Karn Engelsgjerd
  • Mary & Mark English
  • Jeanne Enstrom
  • Anna and John Erskine
  • Constance Evingson
  • Christine Faust
  • Raymond Finzel
  • Elizabeth Flavell
  • Samantha Ford
  • Katharine Fournier
  • Charlotte Frank
  • Lauren Fryer
  • Geoffrey Fulton
  • Paul Gerberding
  • Laura Gilbert
  • Shanna Glatz
  • Allison Goulson
  • Peter & Mary Gove
  • John Graham
  • Lily Gray
  • Elizabeth Gray
  • Brian Green
  • Jodi Gusso
  • Philip Hage & Kathleen Franzen
  • Jon & Diane Hallberg
  • Katherine Hammond
  • Jamie Hansen
  • Stephen Hanten
  • Catherine Hart & Andres Leon
  • Joyce & Eugene Haselmann
  • Nancy & Richard Haskin
  • Cari & Matthew Hatcher
  • Elizabeth Heffernan
  • Carrie Hendrickson
  • Zoé Henrot
  • Annemarie Herrlich
  • Christina Herzog
  • Kirby Hoberg

Up to $99 (continued)

  • Stefanie Hofman
  • Jeanne Holly
  • Therese Hovard
  • Christi Hutchinson
  • Irondale High School Marching Band
  • Gianna Isaacson
  • Leah Janus
  • Benjamin Johnson
  • Marsha Johnston
  • Kathy Kampa
  • Brittany & Matthew Keefe
  • Holly Kellar
  • Karen & Martin Keller
  • Thomas Kelly
  • Kelly Kemp
  • Sharon Kessler
  • Susan & Douglas Kmetz
  • Brenda Knapp-Polzin
  • Robin Knight
  • Deborah Kucera
  • Ann Kuitunen
  • Eve Laabs
  • Shirlynn Lachapelle
  • Mark Lang
  • Deborah Lang
  • Carol & Gary Lange
  • Rose Mary & William Larson
  • Pamela Layton & Paul Giguere
  • Brenda Leach
  • Stephen Levin
  • Jorge Lievano Carvajal
  • Barbara Lind & Craig Poeschl
  • Rebecca Lindholm
  • Brittney Lovdahl
  • Xiang Luo
  • Shannon Mackey Bojack
  • Kimberley MacLennan
  • Eloise Maki
  • Gertrude Malamsha
  • Avis Mandel & Guy Warner
  • Diane Martucci
  • Anise Mazone
  • Livia Mazur
  • Beth McClure
  • Anne & Michael McInerney
  • Debra McKenzie
  • Curt McLelland
  • Dan McMahill
  • Nathaniel McNeil
  • Margaret McVay
  • Solveig Mebust
  • Samantha Meland
  • Daniel Mensah
  • Mary & Timothy Miley
  • Katherine Miller
  • Philip & Michele Miller
  • David Milne
  • Emily & James Moore
  • Christine Moore
  • David Musolf
  • Theresa Nelson
  • Lori & Thor Nelson
  • Zachary Nelson
  • Maren Neuberger
  • Pamela Ngunjiri
  • Linda Nitchals
  • David Noerper
  • Michelle Norton
  • Sandra Olson
  • Field & Cynthia Olson
  • John & Pat Owens
  • Heidi Oxford
  • Russell & Marcia Palma
  • Michael Palmquist
  • Gary Pang
  • Ann Pasch
  • Beth Peck
  • Lisa & Gary Pederson
  • David Perlman

Up to $99 (continued)

  • Michelle Petersen
  • James Pikala
  • Jane Powers
  • Nylce Myers
  • Bently Preece
  • Anne & Mark Preston
  • Lee Prevost
  • Shawn Prosser
  • Jan Prust
  • Patricia & Joseph Pulice
  • Subra Ramadurai
  • Virginia Read
  • Jeffrey Reichel
  • Debra Reischl
  • Jon Reischl
  • Jon Reynolds
  • Muriel Ricketts
  • Mary Roberts & Edward Kraft
  • Lisa Roe
  • Deb Rohloff
  • Leah Rosch
  • Catherine Ryan & Michael Muchow
  • Marcia Sandberg
  • Annette & Victor Sandler
  • Edward Sarnoski
  • Steve & Sheryl Schellhaass
  • Kari Schloner
  • Jeffrey Schuh
  • Molly Schwendeman
  • Anthony Scott
  • John Seaborn
  • Angela Sechler
  • Charles Self
  • Ilse Barbara Shaterian
  • Rebecca & John Shockley
  • Alessandra Silva
  • Carol & Joel Skinner
  • Holly Slocum & Paul Gunther
  • Caroline Smith
  • Mary Solomon
  • Catherine Staats
  • Kamala Stack
  • Susan & Thorlief Stangebye
  • John & Susan Steffen
  • Sarah Stein & Robert Vork
  • Bridget Stevens-Murphy
  • Erika Sullivan
  • Matthew Suszkiewicz
  • Marypat Takacs
  • Jonathan Tallman
  • Trisha Taylor
  • Rodney & Carol Thompson
  • Robert & Marilyn Thompson
  • David Tidaback & Mary Buss
  • Eliza Tocher
  • Michelle Tolliver
  • Stephen Tornio & Virginia Bell
  • Emily Tubman
  • Nicole & David Tyler
  • Lyn Uhl
  • Ann Van de Winckel
  • Kristina Vozni
  • Sean Walker
  • Ann Waltner & Robert Anholt
  • Steven Wastler
  • Beth Waterhouse
  • Brian & Katherine Weitz
  • Roxanne Weymouth
  • Timothy Whisler & Elizabeth Stejskal
  • Katrina Williams
  • Monica Winker-Bergstrom & Lindsay Bergstrom
  • Christina Witzel
  • Liza Womeldorf
  • Srilata & S. Zaheer
  • Louise Ziegler
  • Jeanne Zimmer & Alfred Steinke
  • Thea & Kristen Zschomler

The Heritage Society Members

The Heritage Society honors and celebrates donors who have made estate and other planned gifts for Northrop at the University of Minnesota. 

  • Nancy Allen*
  • Jerry Artz
  • John Follows*
  • Stephen Gordon and Pat Gavan-Gordon
  • Gail and Stuart Hanson
  • Charlie Johnson
  • Peter Lund
  • Darlene M. Sholtis

 

*Deceased

Northrop's Aeolian-Skinner Organ

Thank you to the generous donors who continue to support programming for Northrop’s beloved Aeolian-Skinner Organ. It is because of you that this magnificent instrument’s voice will be enjoyed by many for years to come.

 

Northrop Organ Supporters

  • Barbara Allan
  • Monica Allen
  • Ann and Ted Allison
  • Timothy and Suzanne Almen
  • Elizabeth Anderson
  • Janet and Dean Anderson
  • Terry and Vicki Anderson
  • Briana Baldwin
  • Karen Barale
  • J. Michael Barone
  • Christopher Barth
  • Matthew and Anna Beckler
  • Carol Bessler
  • Dean Billmeyer
  • Cynthia Bleskachek
  • Lauren Boerboom
  • Dian and Timothy Boonstra
  • Dayne Bose
  • Toni Brekke
  • Joyce Brown
  • Drs. Robert Bruininks and Susan Hagstrum
  • Mark Carter
  • Carol and Loren Carver
  • Peter Colburn
  • Scott Cragle
  • Dee Ann and Kent Crossley
  • T. John Cunningham
  • Tim Dockter
  • Mollie Dunlap
  • Anne and Timothy Droske
  • Laura and Tim Edman
  • Edward Eiffler
  • Chris Fernlund
  • Douglas Feyma
  • Karl Fischer
  • Alexander Ford
  • Nancy Fox
  • Salvatore Franco
  • Reid Froiland
  • Renee Gallup
  • Amanda Greb Jones
  • Nils and Heather Halker
  • Peter Hanson
  • Jeremy Haug
  • Todd Helmer
  • Ruth Hoff
  • Karen Hopps
  • Kenneth and Julie Hoyme
  • Ruth Ann and Charles Hyser
  • Maria Jette
  • Charlie Johnson
  • Michael Jones
  • John Kearns
  • Jenny Kisner
  • Carla Koepke
  • Joseph Kuznik
  • Carol and Terry Leach
  • Randy Lee
  • Tobias Leppert
  • Ronald and Diane Low
  • Glen Lubiens
  • Peter Lund
  • Rosemary Lundell
  • Steven Mathe
  • Nathaniel McNeil
  • Yelena Mdivani
  • Sherri Meyers
  • Janell and John Miersch
  • Arthur Miller
  • Jenna Miller
  • Josh Miller
  • Susan Murray
  • Jennifer Nehls
  • Alan and Kay Noland Smith
  • Pamela Neuenfeldt and Don Williams
  • Kelly Nezworski
  • Danita Ng
  • Eric Nielsen
  • Steven and Mary Oakley
  • Jennifer Oknich
  • Dennis and Betty Jo Olsen
  • Nate Otto
  • Steve Panizza
  • Jon Poling
  • Melissa Powers
  • Holly Radis-McCluskey and Glen McCluskey
  • Phillip Radtke
  • Chris Rhea
  • Martin and Susan Richards
  • Filip Rosseel
  • Thomas Ryan
  • Sarah Schaffer
  • Laura and Ron Schlatter
  • Barbara Shaterian
  • Erica Skeate
  • Preston Schlueter
  • William Slobotski
  • Cynthia Smith
  • Kumi Smith
  • Martin Stachnik
  • Kathleen and Joseph Stanford
  • Amy Stech
  • Alice Storm
  • Lisa Swanson Faleide
  • Chelsea Thein
  • Andrew Thompson
  • Marilyn and Robert Thompson
  • Richard Thorne
  • Olivia Tobin
  • Hoa Trinh
  • Jane Weiers
  • John Wells
  • Carolyn Whitson
  • Jeff Wyant
  • Enrica Zaidman

This season’s listing is current as of 12/12/25

Please contact Matthew Keefe at keefe175@umn.edu if you have any corrections or questions.

Visit the Event Page for More Insights

Event page for Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo

Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo

2025–26 Northrop Season
Thursday, January 29, 7:30 p.m.