Helen Pickett

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Helen Pickett
Alma mater
OccupationChoreographer, dancer Edit this on Wikidata
Employer

Helen Pickett is an American choreographer for stage and film,[1] and has been described as “one of the few prominent women in ballet today”.[2]

Early life and education[edit]

Pickett was raised in San Francisco, California. Her mother is a retired periodontist and agricultural biologist, and her father is an author. She started ballet at eight years old, receiving dance training at California Ballet, the Ballet Society of San Diego, and San Francisco Ballet School. Pickett attended Lowell High School in San Francisco and earned her Masters of Fine Arts in Dance from Hollins University in 2011.[3]

Performing career[edit]

A still image of "Petal" choreographed by Helen Pickett

In 1987, Pickett joined William Forsythe’s Frankfurt Ballet,[4] where she performed until 1998. She was an original cast member in many of Forsythe’s seminal works throughout her career, including her speaking role, Agnes, in Impressing the Czar in 2005.[5] Pickett’s interest in acting took her to New York in 1998, where she joined The Wooster Group.[6]

She studied acting for two years with Penny Templeton. From 2003-2007, she collaborated as an actress and choreographer with video artists such as Eve Sussman,[7] Toni Dove, and Laurie Simmons. She was also a member of the Deep Ellum Ensemble in Dallas, Texas, from 2003 to 2005 under the direction of Matthew Earnest. Pickett was named in the list "25 to Watch" by Dance Magazine in 2007.[8]

In 2005, Pickett stepped back into the speaking role of Agnes in Impressing the Czar by Forsythe. She also performed with the Royal Ballet of Flanders from 2005 until 2011,[5] and with the Saxon State Opera in Dresden, Germany, from 2013 until 2017.

Choreography[edit]

Pickett's choreographic debut was in 2005 with the Boston Ballet. She has choreographed over forty ballets[9] internationally, including two full-length ballets: Camino Real for the Atlanta Ballet[10] and The Crucible for the Scottish Ballet.[11]

Pickett was resident choreographer for the Atlanta Ballet from 2012 to 2017.[12]

The following are some of the repertoires where Pickett's choreography is included:

In addition, she choreographed Les Troyens for the Chicago Lyric Opera,[32] and an evening-length, musical with multimedia, Voices of the Amazon.[33]

In 2020, Pickett's choreography pivoted to a series of five films[34][35] created and rehearsed entirely in private living spaces on Zoom. She also choreographed a 2nd series of films called The Shakespeare Cycle, creating a total of 11 films.[14]

Teaching, motivational speaking and talk shows[edit]

Pickett has taught Forsythe improvisation techniques[4] for schools and universities throughout the United States. She is also a motivational speaker who focuses on the topics of re-imagining creativity, supporting and building community, and inclusion.[36] In May 2020, she started a talk show known as Creative Vitality Jam Sessions, in which she has interviewed over fifty-five dance artists.[35]

In 2021, she became co-director for the Jacob's Pillow Contemporary Program.[37]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Bruce, Keith (11 August 2019). "Edinburgh Festivals: Pat Kinevane scoops the first Herald Archangel Award for 2019". Herald Scotland. Retrieved 2021-07-05.
  2. ^ Perron, Wendy (12 March 2015). "Helen Pickett: Rebel on Pointe". Dance Magazine. Retrieved 2021-07-05.
  3. ^ "About Me". Helen Pickett. Retrieved 2021-07-05.
  4. ^ a b Whitney, Barbara. "William Forsythe | Biography, Dances, & Facts". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2021-07-05.
  5. ^ a b Ostlere, Hilary (21 July 2008). "Impressing the Czar/Royal Ballet of Flanders, Rose Theatre, New York". www.ft.com. Retrieved 2021-07-05.
  6. ^ "History | THE WOOSTER GROUP". thewoostergroup.org. Retrieved 2021-07-05.
  7. ^ Smith, Roberta (2007-02-21). "Present at an Empire's Corrupted Birth". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-07-05.
  8. ^ "25 To Watch". Dance Magazine. 2007-01-04. Retrieved 2021-07-06.
  9. ^ Basco, Sharon (10 March 2020). "Choreographer Helen Pickett Explores Femininity With Boston Ballet". www.wbur.org. Retrieved 2021-07-05.
  10. ^ Perry, Cynthia (16 November 2018). "Creating Relationships: Choreographer Helen Pickett Builds Bonds Onstage and Off". Dance International Magazine. Retrieved 2021-07-05.
  11. ^ Marriott, Bruce (2019-08-17). "Scottish Ballet – The Crucible – Edinburgh". DanceTabs. Retrieved 2021-07-05.
  12. ^ Melville Digital Development, L. L. C. (2012-11-09). "Helen Pickett Appointed Resident Choreographer for…". Atlanta Ballet. Retrieved 2021-07-05.
  13. ^ Levesque, Roger (18 February 2020). "Alberta Ballet unleashes variety of talent in triple bill at Jubilee Auditorium". edmontonjournal. Retrieved 2021-07-05.
  14. ^ a b "Helen Pickett". American Ballet Theatre. Retrieved 2021-07-05.
  15. ^ Oksenhorn, Stewart (6 February 2010). "Aspen Santa Fe Ballet to premiere new work". www.aspentimes.com. Retrieved 2021-07-05.
  16. ^ Melville Digital Development, L. L. C. (2015-03-19). "Press Alert: Atlanta Ballet Dancers & Helen Pickett…". Atlanta Ballet. Retrieved 2021-07-05.
  17. ^ "Artistic Staff : Ballet West". balletwest.org. Retrieved 2021-07-05.
  18. ^ Rutter, Jim (26 July 2008). "Ballet X: Female Choreographers". www.broadstreetreview.com. Retrieved 2022-03-26.
  19. ^ "Boston Ballet - Carmen". Boston Ballet. Retrieved 2021-07-05.
  20. ^ "In Cognito". Charlotte Ballet. Retrieved 2021-07-05.
  21. ^ "Cincinnati Ballet to stage free, outdoor performance this spring". Cincinnati Ballet. 2021-01-27. Retrieved 2021-07-05.
  22. ^ "Dance Theatre of Harlem - Sunday Matinée | February 14, 2021". Dance Theatre of Harlem. Retrieved 2021-07-05.
  23. ^ "Dance Theatre of Harlem -". Dance Theatre of Harlem. Retrieved 2023-04-24.
  24. ^ "Petal - KC Ballet". kcballet.org. Retrieved 2021-07-05.
  25. ^ Krafcik, Hannah (2017-03-29). "Helen Pickett's Terra: A Community of Creation". Oregon Ballet Theatre. Retrieved 2021-07-05.
  26. ^ "Tilt". Philadelphia Ballet. Retrieved 2021-07-05.
  27. ^ Drozynski, Katie (2020-11-20). "Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre Announces Changes to Remainder of 2020-2021 Season". Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre. Retrieved 2021-07-05.
  28. ^ "Helen Pickett – Persons – Semperoper Dresden". www.semperoper.de. Retrieved 2021-07-05.
  29. ^ "Helen Pickett". Scottish Ballet. 2021-07-05. Retrieved 2021-07-05.
  30. ^ Criscitiello, Alexa (30 April 2020). "Smuin Announces Free Streaming Of Helen Pickett's Stunning OASIS". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2021-07-05.
  31. ^ Devant, Jack (16 June 2015). "Eventide by Vienna State Ballet (Das Wiener Staatsballett)". Retrieved 2021-07-05.
  32. ^ "Les Troyens (The Trojans) | Lyric Opera of Chicago". www.lyricopera.org. Retrieved 2021-07-05.
  33. ^ "Voices of the Amazon Production". Sisters Grimm. Retrieved 2021-07-05.
  34. ^ Haight, Cathryn (20 July 2020). "In 'Home Studies,' Choreographer Helen Pickett Explores Creativity In Confinement". www.wbur.org. Retrieved 2021-07-05.
  35. ^ a b Leggett, Page (19 August 2020). "With help from Charlotte Ballet dancers, a choreographer explores life under quarantine". The Charlotte Observer. Retrieved 2021-07-05.
  36. ^ "Helen Pickett | Helen Pickett | CreativeMornings/ATL". CreativeMornings. Retrieved 2021-07-05.
  37. ^ "Contemporary Program | The School at Jacob's Pillow". Jacob's Pillow. Retrieved 2021-07-05.

External links[edit]

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