The Saint Louis Ballet began in 1975 as a small, civic nonprofit that brought in guest artists from time to time and staged one production a year.
When Gen Horiuchi joined the company as executive and artistic director in 2000, Saint Louis Ballet soared to new heights in more ways than one.
“When I first started, there was no professional ballet company in St. Louis,” Horiuchi said. “We had Dance St. Louis, which brings in wonderful ballet companies (and other productions) to town, but we didn’t have our own – that’s what I wanted to do. I wanted audiences here to experience different styles of programming and to show top contemporary works and other full-length ballets, other than just ‘The Nutcracker.’”
Prior to coming to St. Louis, Horiuchi was a principal dancer for the New York City Ballet, performing under the legendary George Balanchine, who co-founded the famed company in 1948. Balanchine created the role of Mercury in “Perséphone” especially for Horiuchi. Peter Martins, who served alongside Balanchine as ballet master-in-chief, created the ballets “Eight More” and “Les Gentilhommes” for Horiuchi, as well.
In addition, Horiuchi’s stage credits include the role of Mr. Mistoffelees in “Cats.” He was the first performer to play the lead in both Broadway and West End productions of the award-winning musical. Horiuchi also choreographed the Opening Ceremony for the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan.
In order to accomplish his goals for Saint Louis Ballet, Horiuchi leaned on his decades of experience and distinguished connections in an effort to bring in the world’s most renowned choreographers to stage their work in St. Louis. But the early years were an uphill climb.
“The first 10 years or so, it was a big challenge to bring in top-quality professionals to St. Louis. I couldn’t afford to keep them. Compared to the other companies around the country, who offered steady income, I didn’t have enough funding,” Horiuchi recalled. “But for the last seven to eight years, I feel our roster has become top quality, and our audiences are starting to respond more, and appreciate and understand the quality of our pieces.”
Horiuchi remembers a time when it seemed he could identify everyone in the audience during a production of “The Nutcracker.”
“In one of my first performances, I could literally count the audience. There were maybe a hundred and I knew each one of them…they were either so-and-so’s parents or so-and-so’s friends…” he said. “But just this past December, 11,000 people came to see and enjoy the performances and I didn’t know most of them (which is a good thing)!
Besides growing the organization to now include 25 professional dancers, who star in four major productions (up to 25 public performances) each season, Horiuchi also takes pride in building a ballet audience: As much as 17,500-plus people attend Saint Louis Ballet performances at the Touhill Performing Arts Center every year.
“My favorite thing during performance night is to walk around the lobby and see everyone enjoying the evening, whether it’s a family get-together, a date night – it means so much,” Horiuchi said. “The audience has been so welcoming. They are kind, they cheer, it’s really encouraging for us dancers and choreographers. It makes us want to do better for them.”
The prestige that Horiuchi has brought to Saint Louis Ballet is undeniable. Aside from creating more than 20 original works for the company, he has also brought in works from renowned choreographers like Balanchine, Christopher Wheeldon, Christopher d’Amboise and Jessica Lang. In addition to its mainstage productions, the company operates a ballet training program and performs community outreach through Pointe to Succeed, an in-school program for underserved students.
Proceeds from its upcoming Spring Gala support the ballet’s mainstage season, as well as its community programs. Themed “Starry Night,” the gala will be held Saturday, May 14, at The Chase Park Plaza and will feature a cocktail hour, seated dinner, and silent and live auctions. Among the evening’s highlights are a special performance by Saint Louis Ballet and the chance to dance the night away with the dancers in the company. Tom and Carol Voss, Miran Halen and Patricia Whiteside are serving as gala co-chairs.
The evening’s honoree is Fox Theatre matriarch and arts benefactor Mary Strauss, who has long supported the Saint Louis Ballet.
“Mary is one of the first major donors who recognized our quality of work from day one,” Horiuchi said. “I remember Mary came to see our performance; the next day, she said to me, ‘I’m happy to be on your board, I want to help you.’ During my first meeting with her, she showed up with a legal pad, asked how she could help and started writing things down. She was looking ahead at what this organization could become. Her unconditional support and belief in my vision from the beginning helped take us to the next level.”
For tickets and more information on Saint Louis Ballet’s 2022 Spring Gala, “Starry Night,” visit the official event page.
Gazelle Magazine is a proud sponsor of the Saint Louis Ballet 2022 Spring Gala.
