Andrew Rist Choreography - Classical Ballet Academy of Minnesota

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. C H O R E O G R A P H E R
BALLET MINNESOTA

Andrew’s interests have always been in the areas of teaching, directing & choreography. After dancing professionally for 14 years, Loyce Houlton encouraged Andrew to become Avocational Director of the Minnesota Dance Theater school (1986-87).

In 1987, Andrew and his wife Cheryl took steps in a new direction and in 1987 co-founded the Classical Ballet Academy of Minnesota in St Paul’s artistic hub, Lowertown.

The first year included a Nutcracker lecture/demonstration performed to about 150 people at St Paul’s Galtier Plaza. Today, the Nutcracker is presented to an annual audience of thousands.

In May 1988 the first Minnesota Dance Festival was produced at the St Paul Student Center Theater on the University of Minnesota St Paul Campus. In 1990 Andrew & Cheryl founded Ballet Minnesota. The first official performance by Ballet Minnesota was held in the lobby area of the St Paul City Hall as a tribute to then mayor George Latimer. Ballet Minnesota has developed four major pillars to their annual season: the FALL Concert, the Classic Nutcracker, the Minnesota Dance Festival including staging of the Spring Classic, and the summer River Songs. Classical Ballet Academy of Minnesota is the official school of Ballet Minnesota.

Over the past 30 plus years Andrew has choreographed many ballets including the Nutcracker now in its 37th season. Below please find a sampling of Andrew’s Ballets and enjoy the costumes, most of which were designed by Cheryl Rist.

Here Are A Few Of Andrew Rist’s Ballets

BEETHOVEN’S 9th SYMPHONY
composer: Ludwig Van Beethoven

World (Music) Premiere:
Vienna, Austria, May 7, 1824

BMN Premiere:
Fitzgerald Theater, St Paul, MN
3rd Fall Concert, October 17, 2008
choreographer: Andrew Rist
costumes: Cheryl Rist
dancers: Robert Cleary, Julia Heggeress, Jennifer Bennet,
Rebecca Pelletier, David Schmidt, Allen Gregory,
Jordan Nelson, Garvin Jellison, Marisha Johnson,
Rachelle Horowitz, Megan Simon, Maren Gray,
Margaret Ulland, Anna Betz, Olivia Brunzell-Garret,
Maddie Klein, Juliana Johnson, Maryann Johnson,
Antone Gregory, Elizabeth Hobbs

B O L E R O
composer: Maurice Ravel

World (Ballet) Premiere:
commissioned by: Ida Rubenstein
choreographer: Bronislava Nijinska
Paris Opera. November 20, 1928

BMN Premiere
EM Pearson Theater, St Paul, May 10, 2024
35th Minnesota Dance Festival
choreographer: Andrew Rist
costumes: Cheryl Rist
dancers: Zoe Charais, Kaitlyn Kockelman, Olive Charais,
Beatrice Skulley, Adeline Shanahan, Abigail Lange,
Sophia Joseph, Mia Meyer, Eva Kangas,
Avery Augustine

Note: Bolero was selected to be presented
on the World Ballet Festival at Pantages
Theater in Mpls June 8, 2024

M E S S I A H
composer: George Frederick Handel

World (Music) Premiere:
April 1742, Dublin, Ireland

BMN Premiere:
5th Fall Concert
Fitzgerald Theater, Nov, 2010
choreographer: Andrew Rist
costumes: Cheryl Rist
dancers: Erin Warn, Ben Olson, Jennifer Pray,
Hannah Wagner, Margaret Underwood,
Harper Skulley, Celesta Brainard, Nik Nelson,
Berea Ames, Olivia Rose Awsumb, Maggie Selner,
Erin Chase, Mary Sharke Kayla Assimacopoulous

M O R N I N G I N B E I J I N G
composer: Ying Zhang
(China)

BMN Premiere
8th Fall Concert
O’Shaughnessy, October, 2013
choreographer: Andrew Rist
costumes: Cheryl Rist
dancers: Erin Warn, Jennifer Pray, Allen Gregory,
Aaron Davies, Ben Olson, Riley Thomas Weber,
Harper Skulley, Berea Ames, Maggie Selner,
Olivia Rose Awsumb, Lily Gray, Erin Chase,
Emily Kleinschmidt, Jordan Jankowski,
Kayla Peterson.

R H A P S O D Y I N B L U E
composer: George Gershwin
‘An American Love Story’

World (Music) Premiere:
Aeolian Hall, New York
February 12, 1924

BMN Premiere:
4th Fall Concert, November 6, 2009
Fitzgerald Theater, St Paul, MN
choreographer: Andrew Rist
costumes: Cheryl Rist
sets: Jim Arnold
dancers: Julia Heggerness, Erin Warn, Jennifer
Bennett, Kari Jensen, Jordan Nelson, Sean
Laughed. Anna Betz, Margaret Ulland, Maren
Gray, Olivia Brunzell-Garret, Antone Gregory,
Jim Arnold

B L A C K D O G C A F E
composers: Many
‘A Lowertown Story’

BMN Premiere:
1st Fall Concert, November, 2006. also 2007, 2014
UMN St Paul Student Center
choreographer: Andrew Rist
costumes: Cheryl Rist
sets: Jim Arnold
dancers 2014: Erin Warn, Harper Skulley, Jalen Gisselquist

Gretchen Gerlach, Berea Ames, Jordan Jankowski,
Bailey McKenzie, Keilah Ilinykh, Kayla Peterson, Willa
Gegelman, Lisette Amacher, Olivia Huseonica, Lily
Parker, Stephanie Klosner, Ashley Glirbas, Matthew
Halpaus, Clavin Huseonica

Taylor Huber, Andrew Rist, Jim Arnold, Antone Gregory,
Tom Skulley, Arlene Ayers, Edina Stevens, Tara
Weatherly, Michael Zieghan

N U T C R A C K E R
composer: Peter I. Tchaikovsky

World (Ballet) Premiere:
company: St Petersburg Imperial Ballet
choreographer: Marius Petipa / Lev Ivanov
Imperial Mariinsky Theatre
St Petersburg, Russia, December, 1892

BMN Premiere:
choreographer: Andrew Rist
costumes: Cheryl Rist
St Paul UMN Student Center Theater
December, 1989 – 1995
1996 – Present The O’Shaughnessy

R I T E O F S P R I N G
composer: Igor Stravinsky

World (Ballet) Premiere:
company: Sergei Diaghilev’s Ballet Russes
choreographer: Vaslav Nijinsky
Theatre des Champs-Elysees
Paris, France
May, 1913

BMN Premiere:
choreographer: Andrew Rist
costumes: Cheryl Rist
The O’Shaughnessy
St Paul, October, 2013

C I N D E R E L L A
composer: Sergi Prokofiev

World (Ballet) Premiere:
Choreographer: Rostislav Zakharov
November, 1945
Bolshoi Theater, Moscow, Russia

BMN Premiere:
choreographer: Andrew Rist
costumes: Cheryl Rist
25th Minnesota Dance Festival
The O’Shaughnessy, April 5, 2013

A V E M A R I A
composer: Franz Schubert
know as ‘Ellen’s third song’

World (Music) Premiere:
April 1825

BMN Premiere:
25th Minnesota Dance Festival
O’Shaughnessy, May, 2015
choreographer: Andrew Rist
costumes: Cheryl Rist
dancers: Annie Nimmo, Aaron Davies

I T A L I A N S Y M P H O N Y
4th Symphony
composer: Felix Mendelssohn

World (Music) Premiere:
London Philhamonic Society
London. May 13, 1833

BMN Premiere:
choreographer: Andrew Rist
costumes: Cheryl Rist
15th MN Dance Festival
Fitzgerald Theater, St Paul, MN
April 15, 2003

dancers: Julia Heggerness, Erin Warn, Allen Gregory,
David Schmidt, Garvin Jellison, Ted Sothern (guest),
Marisha Johnson, Margaret Ulland, Karmyn Grant,
Rebecca Pelletier, Megan Simon, Rachelle Horowitz
Maren Gray, Jacqueline Lis, Julia Valen, Anna Betz

DANCES SACREE ET PROFANE
composer: Claude Debussy

World (Music) Premiere:
Chatelet Theater
Paris, France
Nov 6, 1904

BMN Premiere:
choreographer: Andrew Rist
costumes: Cheryl Rist
33rd MN Dance Festival
Ann Simley Theater, Hamline University
St Paul, MN May 20, 2022

dancers: Anniston Nix, Julia Cornette, Zoe Charais
Nik Nelson, Matthew Halpaus,
Audrey Sheehan, Isabella Taddeini,
Kayla Garcia, Kaitlyn Kockelman, Katie Rowell
Tobias Joseph

A T T H E M U S E U M
composer: Robert E Hindel

World & BMN Premiere:
choreographer: Andrew Rist
costumes: Cheryl Rist
Minnesota Dance Festival
St Paul Student Center Theater
University of MN, St Paul, MN
May, 1994

B A L L E T S C H O O L
composer: Robert E Hindel

World & BMN Premiere:
choreographer: Andrew Rist
costumes: Cheryl Rist
12th Minnesota Dance Festival
Fitzgerald Theater
Downtown St Paul, MN
April, 2000

S O N G O F S I L E N C E

“If we do not sing with out souls I understand
That you might look away,
I understand that the eyes must be compelled
To linger when resting on silence.” – A. Rist –

World & BMN Premiere:
choreographer: Andrew Rist
costumes: Cheryl Rist
Ballet Minnesota Fall Concert
EM Pearson Theater, St Paul
November 4-5, 2011

dancers: Erin Warn, Jennifer Bennett, Ben Olson, Riley
Thomas Weber, Hannah Wagner, Margaret
Underwood, Rebecca McDonnell, Sophia Mitchell
Harper Skulley, Celesta Brainard, Berea Ames
Anna Reimann, Nic Nelson, Olivia Rose Awsumb,
Lily Gray, Sophia Pellegrom

PIANO CONCERTO IN A MINOR

World Music Premiere: 1868

Ballet MN Premiere:
Ballet Minnesota Fall Concert
EM Pearson Theater
Concordia University, St Paul
November 4-5, 2011

composer: Edvrd Grieg
choreographer: Andrew Rist
costumes: Cheryl Rist

dancers: Erin Warn, Jennifer Bennett, Ben Olson,
Riley Thomas Weber, Hannah Wagner,
Margaret Underwood, Rebecca McDonnell
Sophia Mitchell, Harper Skulley, Celesta
Brainard