Arizona Philharmonic
406 Arena Drive
Prescott, AZ 86301
156K Views for Teaching Ballet?
I've just spent the day at Yavapai College with orchestral musicians, singers, ballet dancers, and volunteers. This is the first day that I've seen all our mutual hard work start to come together, and I am blown away at what promises to be a heartwarming and beautiful performance.
Today I finally met our conductor, Alexander Walker, who flew in from London on Monday night. He is charming and affable in conversation, and brilliant and efficient on the podium. With limited rehearsal time with the orchestra and dancers, beautiful results came quickly from expressive conducting and illustrative instructions.
During our second rehearsal, Arlene Hardy's groups Una Voce Women's Choir and Voci Sorella Youth Choir joined the orchestra for our first combined practice. Watch the Silent Night video here to witness their very first song sung with us, for the first time. Even with a hand held, raw iPhone's brash audio recording, the beauty of the both the Dan Forrest arrangement and the choirs' performance is clear.
In between the two rehearsals, I observed some on-stage tech work with dancers getting a feel for the stage. (Different stages are different sizes, requiring different locations for the different components of their choreography.) I marveled at how, after being given extensive instructions, they could instantly memorize the timing and sequences. I can't wait to see the principal dancers, who arrive in the wee-hours of Thursday morning!
And perhaps the most charming part of the day was to witness for the first time Ken Ludden teaching. Ken is Margot Fonteyn Academy of Ballet's Artistic Director. He was coaching young students from Prescott-based Lessons with Lexe Dance Studio. I found delight in witnessing his enthusiasm, patience, and joy with the children.
Which leads me to the teaser of this article ... how does a venerated ballet teacher unknown to the general public earn 156K views in a YouTube video? By teaching ballet to The Kilted Coaches. (Yes, they wear kilts.) And so while this video may seem unrelated to our concert, it is quite humorous, and it does indicate the difficulty involved in mastering ballet. Have some fun and watch it below.
Previous Newsletters about A Nutcrcaker Christmas Celebration
I hope to see you at our Thursday 5pm Dress Rehearsal (inexpensive tickets!), or at our Saturday or Sunday 3pm concerts, where there still are seats in the balcony plus a smattering on the main floor. Tickets are at AZPhil.org or at the YCPAC box office.
- Henry Flurry, Executive Director
Principal Dancers Tricia Albertson and Eric Trope
Try Something New: Kilted Ballet
by The Kilted Coaches
featuring Ken Ludden
Arizona Philharmonic
Excellence in Arts and Culture Award 2021
Dress Rehearsal Sale!
Today only, Dress Rehearsal (Thursday, December 15, 5pm) tickets are on sale for $25 ($20 + $5 fee), Youth $10.
With open seating you can find the best seats in the house for a steal!
During a dress rehearsal, you will see the entire show in full costume. There likely will be times where the conductor or artistic director will stop to make adjustments to the performance.
Tickets on sale at AZPhil.orgor at the YCPAC Box Office.
Art 4 All™
Art 4 All is a fundamental component of Arizona Philharmonic’s efforts to bring professional orchestra music to all interested members of the community.
In our Art 4 All program, AZ Phil offers free, or pay-what-you-can, audience opportunities to anybody in the community who otherwise could not afford a ticket.
If purchasing tickets for a concert does not fit into your or a friend’s budget, you may sign up for Art 4 All coupons at AZPhil.org/art4all for our Prescott concerts.
Currently we are offering coupons for the Prescott DRESS REHEARSAL of A Nutcracker Christmas Celebration, performing on THURSDAY, December 15 at 5pm.
During a dress rehearsal, you will see the entire show in full costume. There likely will be times where the conductor or artistic director will stop to make adjustments to the performance.
Lungani Gwala, shown in the photo, dances Trepak.
Can't Find the Balcony Tickets?
YCPAC's ticket site by default shows the main floor tickets.
To find the balcony seats, you'll need to choose "Balcony" from the drop-down menu and click Go.
The diagram below shows you where to click once you are at the point of choosing your seats.
Arizona Philharmonic is grounded in a culture of kindness. From our board meetings to our rehearsals, we practice hospitality and gratitude.
We could use your help realizing our vision of professional music, community arts building, and authentic youth outreach. Let us know if you'd like to volunteer, apply for our board, or host a musician during their visit.
We invite you to join our team.
Arizona Philharmonic (AZ Phil) is celebrating its fifth season in Prescott in 2022-2023 as Prescott's regional professional orchestra, presenting large and small concerts that engage and inspire listeners. Based in Prescott, AZ Phil draws musicians from across Arizona and is committed to offering transformative music, while nurturing community participation and supporting the needs and growth of the Prescott area performing arts scene. Recognized in 2021 by the Prescott Chamber of Commerce for Excellence in Arts and Culture, Arizona Philharmonic is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. Ticket information, sponsorship and volunteer opportunities can be found at AZPhil.org or on Facebook.
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Please visit 
Today I finally met our conductor, Alexander Walker, who flew in from London on Monday night. He is 
In between the two rehearsals, I observed some 
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Which leads me to the teaser of this article ... how does a venerated ballet teacher unknown to the general public 
