Saudade

Running Time

x minutes

Number of performers

4 female dancers and 2 male dancers

Tech Rider

Available upon request


Choreographer | Ryoko Tanaka

Tanaka.

Ryoko Tanaka was born and raised in Japan, where she began her training. In 2013, she was selected to be in the Nancy Einhorn Milwaukee Ballet II program,
where she performed in Michael Pink’s Romeo and Juliet, and Nutcracker. In 2017, she joined the trainee program at American Repertory Ballet and soon moved up to ARB2. In 2018, she was promoted to ARB’s main company. Tanaka has performed
the title role in Giselle; Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker; Odette in Swan Lake for Princeton Ballet School; Paul Taylor’s Airs, Trey McIntyre’s Blue Until June; Amy
Seiwert’s World, Interrupted, among other roles. She made her debut as a
choreographer when she was commissioned to make a new work, Saudade, for ARB’s 2021 Digital Spring Season.

Music | Haley Wright

Haley Wright was chosen to compose music for American Repertory Ballet. Her piano composition was paired with a dance performance in ARB’s digital 2021 spring season. The song, “Saudade”, draws inspiration from the Portuguese word’s inherent meaning of “nostalgia” with a sense of “hopefulness”. “Especially with the pandemic over the past year, the word saudade seemed an appropriate title for our time. We all have hope our society will eventually return to some version of normal,” Wright said. 

Costume Design | Janessa Cornell Urwin

Janessa Cornell Urwin (Costume Designer) began her career as a ballet dancer before transitioning into costuming. She has designed costumes for numerous classical ballets and contemporary dance pieces for American Repertory Ballet, Stockton University Dance Program, Traverse City Dance Project, The Nutmeg Ballet, Rutgers University, Kun-Yang Lin/Dancers, and Nacre Dance Company, among others. She has worked with esteemed choreographers Kirk Peterson, Starr Foster, Riccardo De Nigris, Michael Nickerson-Rossi, and Meredith Rainey. Urwin also has a short film design credit and has designed for Athena Theatre Company. She holds a certificate in Costume Design from the Fashion Institute of Technology. Most recently she designed Ethan Stiefel’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream and the costumes for Movin’ + Groovin’. Urwin is also ARB’s Wardrobe Supervisor.

Lighting Design | Jason Flamos

Jason Flamos (Lighting Designer) Credits include: (Mile Square Theatre) Pipeline, I and You, It’s a Wonderful Life, The 39 Steps, Betrayal; (Shakespeare Theater NJ) William Shakespeare’s Long Lost First Play; (10 Hairy Legs) Heist, Cruise Control, Brian, Quadrivium; (Thingamajig Theatre Company) The Pillowman, Cabaret, The Little Mermaid, A Few Good Men. Flamos was the Associate Lighting Design for the Off-Broadway productions of Clever Little Lies and The Other Josh Cohen at Westside Theater, F***ing A at Signature Theater, The Producers and Benny and Joon at Paper Mill Playhouse, and Rags at Goodspeed Opera. He was the lighting supervisor for 10 Hairy Legs and is the current lighting supervisor at American Repertory Ballet.