Weitzenhoffer Family College of Fine Arts School of Dance,
The University of Oklahoma

In 1961, Ballet Russe De Monte Carlo principals Miguel Terekhov and Yvonne Chouteau were invited to “teach a few classes” at the University of Oklahoma. Response to these classes was overwhelming, and Terekhov was subsequently invited to develop the Department of Dance. In 1976, Kozaburo Yukihiro joined the department and worked with Terekhov to develop the curricula for a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Modern Dance.

The program quickly rose to national prominence and cemented a reputation for the strong performance capabilities and professionalism of its graduates. In recognition of its growth in national stature and rankings, the Department of Dance was elevated to the School of Dance in 1998 under the direction of Mary Margaret Holt.

From its inception, the school has been performance-oriented and now boasts two active performing companies. Oklahoma Festival Ballet has a repertoire of over 50 ballets, and Contemporary Dance Oklahoma performs a variety of original works. Both companies perform works from the national repertoire.

Michael Bearden, Director, University of Oklahoma School of Dance

Michael Bearden is the third Director of the University of Oklahoma School of Dance which was founded in 1963 by Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo dancers Miguel Terekhov and Yvonne Chouteau. Prior to joining OU, he was the Artistic Director of Ballet Arkansas and an Assistant Professor at the University of Utah. Mr. Bearden was a Principal Dancer with Ballet West in Salt Lake City and had a career of 14 years with the company touring across the United States and the world. Michael performed leading roles in works by some of the world’s greatest choreographers including Balanchine, Ashton, Tudor, Forsythe, Stevenson, Welch, Dove, Tetley, Tharp, Kylian and Christopher Bruce. As a choreographer, Mr. Bearden has created or staged his works for Ballet West, the University of Utah, Brigham Young University, the University of Cincinnati, Belhaven University, Texas Christian University and Bucknell University.

Mary Margaret Holt, Choreographer 

Mary Margaret Holt began her early ballet training in Austin, Texas at Austin Civic Ballet, receiving a Ford Foundation scholarship for study with the San Francisco Ballet at the age of 15. Subsequently, she received a Ford Foundation scholarship for study at the School of American Ballet, also appearing with the New York City Ballet. Holt accepted a soloist contract with Houston Ballet upon completing her BFA in Ballet Performance. While a member of Houston Ballet, she danced a wide variety of solo and principal roles in the classical and contemporary repertoire by choreographers including Stevenson, Van Manen, Van Danzig, Petipa, Balanchine, Taras, Dolin, Boris, Clouser, Franklin, Ivanov, de Mille, and O’Donnell.

She also performed principal roles in Terekhov’s The Firebird, The Snow Maiden, and Don Quixote. She has performed as a guest artist, teacher, and choreographer with ballet and opera companies across the United States.

Holt joined the dance faculty of the University of Oklahoma School of Dance as an assistant professor, following Miguel Terekhov as chair in 1991, and an appointment as director in 1998. As director of Oklahoma Festival Ballet, Holt has choreographed over forty ballets and operas and led Oklahoma Festival Ballet on international tours.

Holt’s choreography includes the music of Franck, Haydn, The Beatles, Porter, Weill, Mozart, Ginastera, Ikard, Holley, Satie, Bartok, Orff, and Debussy and her ballets have been seen across the U.S. as well as in South America, the United Kingdom, and Europe. Under Holt’s leadership, Oklahoma Festival Ballet performed works from the national repertoire by Joffrey and Balanchine as well as de Mille’s, Rodeo.

Lloyd Cracknell, Costume Designer

Lloyd Cracknell, originally from Cambridge England, is the associate professor of Costume Design and resident Costume Designer at the University of Oklahoma. Lloyd’s career includes both costume and fashion design, working for prestigious design houses including The Emanuels and Versace. Lloyd’s designs have been seen in London, New York, Paris, Milan, and South America. He was invited to exhibit his costume designs at the World Creativity Forum in Cardiff, Wales in 2010. Lloyd has costume designed in all genres of the performing arts, including drama, opera, classical ballet, modern dance and musical theatre. He has designed costumes for over a hundred productions, including over forty for OU’s University Theatre. Highlights include: The Pearl Fishers (Reimagined); Grand Hotel The Musical; Swan Lake Act II; Harlinquinade; The Nutcracker; Falstaff; Gianni Schicchi; Is he Dead?; Mary Stuart; and the U.S.A. premiere of Let the Right One In.

Lloyd Cracknell’s notable awards include the 2023 USITT-SW Oscar Brockett Teaching Award and the 2020 Irene and Julian J. Rothbaum Professor of Excellence in the Arts Award. He has also received the USITT-SW Mildred and Glen Martin Jr. Award for Outstanding Service. Additional recognition includes the DFW Theatre Critics Forum Award for Best Design Team (2015, 2017), the Theatre Jones Best Costume Design Runner-up Award (2015), and the Kennedy Center American College Theater Award (2010). In 2021, he won the Broadway World Oklahoma Award for Best Costume Design for “Pride and Prejudice.”

Gregory Crane, Set Designer, Oklahoma City Ballet

Gregory R. Crane is an Emmy Award-winning set designer on the Oklahoma Centennial Spectacular which featured a cast of hundreds and numerous headline performances including Toby Keith, The All American Rejects, The Flaming Lips, Blake Shelton, and Reba McEntire.

Having completed designs for over 180 productions, he had the privilege of designing for such companies as Six Flags Theme Parks, the Dallas Cowboys, Herschend Family Entertainment, Royal Productions, Fee Hedrick Family Entertainment Group, and Corporate Magic.

In conjunction with Corporate Magic, Crane has designed many high-energy corporate events for Mazda, Rite Aid Pharmacies, the Dallas Cowboys, Miller Lite, Salvation Army, Whataburger, and Prudential Real Estate.

Recently Crane’s designs have been featured in the internationally famous Dallas Cowboys – Salvation Army Thanksgiving Day Halftime Show on FOX starring Enrique Iglesias (2011). He has also designed for past performers Keith Urban (2010), Daughtry (2009), The Jonas Brothers (2008), Kelly Clarkson (2007), Carrie Underwood (2006), Sheryl Crow (2005), and the 2004 Halftime Show starring Destiny’s Child. In 2010 Crane designed the opening to the Tournament of Roses Parade on ABC, the Super Bowl XVL Press Conference 2010, and the BSA 2010 National Scout Jamboree – Celebrating 100 years and featuring Mike Rowe and Switchfoot (Winner 2011 Excellence in Live Design Award for Corporate Events). In addition, his work has been seen on CBS, NBC, ESPN, HGTV, Univision, and PBS/OETA.

In 2011, Crane unveiled his new set design for The Tournament of Kings at the Excalibur Resort and Casino in Las Vegas and a Christmas themed amusement park in Tennessee. Other memorable projects include: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at The Miracle Theater, The Drowsy Chaperone, Encore, The Smoky Mountain Opry, and Evil Dead: The Musical.

Susanne Hubbs, Costume Designer, Oklahoma City Ballet 

Susanne Hubbs has been designing and sewing costumes for dancers, figure skaters, and synchronized swimmers for 35 years. Her costumes have been worn by hundreds of Youth America Grand Prix competitors, as well as many elite international figure skaters. Tutus designed and created by Hubbs have been featured in Pointe Magazine in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2013. Other ballet designs were created for and worn by the Brandywine Ballet, St. Lucie Ballet, Imagine Ballet Theatre, Ballet Nouveau Colorado, and Oklahoma City Ballet.

Hubbs collaborated for many years with the choreographers and dancers of Ormao in Colorado Springs, creating hundreds of innovative contemporary dance costumes.

She started ballet training at the age of five, continuing to perform with the Olympia Festival Ballet, the American Jazz Dance Company, Dayton Ballet and Dayton Ballet II, Alaska Dance Theatre, and Ballet Alaska. She received the “Young Choreographer’s” award from Regional Dance America in 1983. Additionally, Hubbs has been teaching ballet for 37 years, with students going on to prestigious college dance programs and professional careers in dance.

Today, her design studio is a bustling creative space, located in Colorado Springs at the foot of Pikes Peak, where the mountains provide her with daily inspiration.

Colorado Springs Children’s Chorale

Abigail Gast, Artistic Coordinator/Conductor

David Acton and Nicholas Watterson, Collaborative Pianists

Marcia Hendricks, Executive Director

The Colorado Springs Children’s Chorale is now in its 47th season of musical excellence in the choral arts for youth serving all corners of the Pikes Peak Region. Groups from the Children’s Chorale perform locally, nationally, and internationally serving as musical ambassadors from Colorado Springs. Their fun, fast-paced, and musically impressive performances are a hallmark of the organization and are treasured by those who hear them. “Recently I had the privilege once again to work with the Colorado Springs Children’s Chorale…. what an incredible group of young singers. Their expressivity, musicality and passion is inspirational! Each time I heard them perform, I was moved by their connection with the audience artistically.” Henry Leck, conductor, composer, and author.

The Chorale’s musical excellence has earned them national recognition as one of the country’s outstanding children’s choirs and first place awards from numerous international choir festivals. In the United States, the choirs of the Children’s Chorale have been honored to be guest performers at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC, the Lincoln Center, and several times at Carnegie Hall. The Colorado Springs Children’s Chorale has received the El Pomar Award for Excellence in the Arts and Humanities for the state of Colorado, the Mayor’s International Award for International Outreach, and has been honored to receive several awards from the Pikes Peak Arts Council.

Colorado Springs Children’s Chorale is thrilled to return to another year of Nutcracker performing with the wonderful Colorado Springs Philharmonic. Nutcracker heralds the beginning of a magical holiday season which finds the Children’s Chorale all over the region spreading holiday cheer through song. Please join us for ‘Tis the Season-A Choral Christmas on December 3rd, 3:00 p.m. as we join voices with members of the community in a Messiah Sing-a-Long and favorite carols of the season at the Pikes Peak Center!

JOIN-HIRE-SUPPORT at kidssing.org, 719-633-3562, P.O. Box 7841, CSC 80933