A Flashback to Spring 2000: The News in Pointe’s Very First Issue

The year was 2000. Dancers were listening to music on MP3 players on their way to class, Center Stage was gearing up for its cinematic release, and American Ballet Theatre was about to debut a new Swan Lake. What else was going on in the ballet world?

As we continue to celebrate Pointe’s 25th anniversary, we’re taking a walk down memory lane to see what was big and newsworthy in our first-ever issue, published in spring 2000. Here’s a peek at what made the call board:

World Premieres

Ben Stevenson’s full-length Cleopatra, starring Lauren Anderson, had its world premiere at Houston Ballet in March 2000. A co-production between HB, Boston Ballet, and Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, the ballet cost a total of $1,505,000 to produce, from its scenic and costume designs, choreography and rehearsal fees, shoe budget, and more. 

At American Ballet Theatre, artistic director Kevin McKenzie’s Swan Lake was just making its world premiere. The company still performs McKenzie’s version today; longtime principal Gillian Murphy will be dancing in it as Odette/Odile for her farewell performance in July 2025. 

ABT was also about to debut a new Twyla Tharp work, The Brahms-Haydn Variations, at The Kennedy Center in Washington, DC.

Matthew Neenan was just getting his start as a choreographer. Still a corps member at Pennsylvania Ballet (now Philadelphia Ballet), Neenan was gearing up for the premiere of his Rocky Road to Kansas, set to the title track of singer Robert Moran’s 1995 CD of the same name. Neenan went on to be PA Ballet’s choreographer in residence before co-founding BalletX with Christine Cox in 2005.

The two-city company San Jose Cleveland Ballet was preparing for a mixed-bill program of all-new ballets in April. Later that year, the company’s Cleveland branch closed, and SJCB became Ballet San Jose Silicon Valley, then Ballet San Jose in 2006. The company closed in March 2016, then was resurrected as New Ballet the following December. In the meantime, a new Cleveland Ballet was founded in 2014.

For Dance Theatre of Harlem’s 30th anniversary, New York City Ballet commissioned a new work, Tributary, co-choreographed by NYCB principal dancer Robert La Fosse and DTH resident choreographer Robert Garland. The ballet premiered in May 2000. Garland is now DTH’s artistic director, succeeding Virginia Johnson in 2023. (Johnson, in 2000, had just begun as Pointe’s founding editor in chief!)

A Retro Roster Roundup

Abi Stafford’s star was on the rise: Six weeks after being promoted to New York City Ballet’s corps de ballet, Stafford was thrown into the leads of Balanchine’s Valse Fantaisie and Ballo della Regina. The following week, Stafford’s name appeared for the first time on the company’s advance casting sheet, in the Romeo and Juliet pas de deux. She joined NYCB’s principal rank in 2007.

After two years in San Francisco Ballet’s corps, Vanessa Zahorian was just promoted to soloist. She became a principal in 2002 and remained with the company until her retirement in 2017.

American Ballet Theatre principal Julio Bocca was making his Broadway debut in Fosse, stepping into the role after fellow ABT dancer Keith Roberts and, before him, Desmond Richardson. Today, Bocca has just begun his role as artistic director of the Teatro Colón, Argentina’s national ballet company.

Houston Ballet artistic director Ben Stevenson was celebrating his 25th year at the company’s helm, and he had just been made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II. In 2003, Stevenson went on to direct Texas Ballet Theater, where he now serves as artistic director laureate.

Just a few miles northwest, Stephen Mills was named artistic director at Ballet Austin. Mills continues to lead the company today.

Septime Webre left his position as artistic director of American Repertory Ballet (where he was succeeded by Graham Lustig) to take the helm of The Washington Ballet. Today, Webre leads Hong Kong Ballet and Lustig directs Oakland Ballet. 

Competition Up-and-Comers

Youth America Grand Prix was creating a buzz in its second year, offering for its Grand Prix award either a contract with the ABT Studio Company or a cash prize. 

Young dancers from 30 countries competed at the Prix de Lausanne 2000. Among the winners were two artists still dancing today: Yuriko Kajiya, who is now a principal at Houston Ballet, and Zhong-Jing Fang, now a soloist at ABT.