Dear Friends,

As we head toward Labor Day, we hope you are continuing to find ways to enjoy the summer. For the Kelly Family, Labor Day means an annual family gathering at the shore – which Grace Kelly attended even after She became a Princess. Like any Kelly family gathering, sports were front and center so for this month’s newsletter, we are celebrating the shared pursuit of excellence in sports and the arts.

Sports have always been a beloved tradition for the Kelly’s, so much so that their extraordinary athletic talent gained them the highest sports honors – multiple Olympic gold medals – even before a future film icon-turned Princess of Monaco won Hollywood’s highest honor – the Oscar. Princess Grace’s father, John B. Kelly was a three-time Olympic gold medalist in rowing, and Her older brother John B. Kelly Jr. also won an Olympic medal for rowing. While Princess Grace may not have followed in Her father’s and brother’s traditional athletic footsteps, that same sense of dedication to training and pursuit of craft shaped Her path from Philadelphia to Hollywood to Monaco. The passion for sports continues today with TSH Prince Albert and Princess Charlene both having competed in the Olympic games. This month also brings exciting presentations of outdoor live performances like the Yellowstone International Arts Festival with Princess Grace Award winners Christine Shevchenko (Dance 2003) and Beckanne Sisk (Dance 2012) – performing for the first time since March! – because as we say in the entertainment business “the show must go on!”

Wishing you a safe and happy Labor Day!
Warmest regards,
Brisa Trinchero
CEO, Princess Grace Foundation-USA
Movie Night In With Grace Kelly
July Movie Selection:
The Country Girl
THE COUNTRY GIRL
The Country Girl is a 1954 American drama film directed by George Seaton and starring Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly and William Holden. Adapted from Clifford Odets' 1950 play of the same name, the film is about hard-drinking Frank Elgin, a once-popular Broadway star whose glory days have passed. When director Bernie Dodd (William Holden) gives Elgin a role in his new musical, he must also deal with the actor's sour and ever-present wife, Georgie (Grace Kelly), who Dodd believes is the cause of her husband's failure. However, as Dodd spends more time around Georgie, the truth about her husband becomes clear. Seaton won the Academy Award for Best Writing and Kelly won the Academy Award for Best Actress for the non-glamorous departure from her usual roles, beating out Judy Garland in the closest Best Actress race in Academy history besides the Barbra Streisand and Katharine Hepburn tie for 1968.

Suggested drink pairing: Whiskey Sour

Fun Fact: Famed movie fashion designer Edith Head, who was in charge of Grace Kelly's wardrobe said, "I had to take one of the most beautiful woman in the world and make her look plain and drab." Head used brown wool clothes, cardigan sweaters, and low-heeled Capezio shoes to make Grace appear dowdy, which was next to impossible!

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT
Princess Grace Award Winner Olivier Wevers
Originally from Brussels, Belgium, Olivier Wevers (Choreography 2011) is the founder and Artistic Director of Seattle’s critically acclaimed contemporary dance company Whim W’him. Olivier first began exploring choreography when he was a Principal Dancer at Pacific Northwest Ballet. He founded Whim W’him in 2009 to showcase innovative dance in collaboration with global artists and the company is committed to innovation, collaboration and high caliber relevant art that engages and challenges audiences.

This month Olivier and his company launched IN WITH WHIM a membership program that gives its members unlimited access to exclusive online content including new digital premieres from Olivier and Penny Saunders (Choreography 2016), past work, artist chats, classes, behind-the-scenes livestreams and much more. It's just one of the ways Olivier and his company is exploring how to continue to create in lieu of live performances.
PGF-USA: Congratulations on the launch of IN-WITH-WHIM. Tell us a little about how this new initiative and its genesis?
Olivier Wevers: In March, pre-shutdown we had begun a 2-week residency with Penny [Saunders]. During that first week there was a lot of conversations around COVID and what was happening, and it became clear at the end of the week that Penny needed to go home to Utah to be with her family. Initially, like everyone we thought we would isolate for a few weeks and then be back in studio. In April it became clear that we needed to think of an alternative for the rest of our season and for our 2020-2021 season, and I made the decision to experiment with virtual content. People are very familiar with digital platforms like Netflix and I thought perhaps we could make something similar. I began conversations with the company dancers, all the choreographers slated to participate and reached out to Quinn Wharton, a former dancer turned filmmaker.

PGF-USA: IN-WITH-WHIM launched with your summer performance, program XALT. That program was originally meant to be performed as a live performance as part of your Spring/Summer season; both you and choreographer Penny Saunders transitioned your work to a digital platform. Did that shift the choreographic inquiries for both of your work?
Olivier Wevers: I had not started my piece yet, and I was inspired to create a new work reflective of the journey so many creatives are going on in this moment – a piece that goes through the stages of grieving for the live performance. While Penny was never able to return to Seattle, she was able to use the movement that was generated in her first week of the residency and via virtual rehearsals worked with the dancers and videographer to re-craft her piece as a dance film. For both pieces, we had to think carefully about how to choreograph to ensure the safety of the dancers and crew. For Penny’s new work, which was shot inside, dancers were filmed one at a time and then we edited the film to make it look as though they’re dancing together. In my piece, which is outside, the dancers were always at least 6 feet apart. My work is choreographed in a way that it moves through the space, and in the process of creating it, I realized that we could do small pop-up performances outside. So now in addition to the film, we’ve actually started doing pop-up performances at sunset in Seattle. For the dancers being able to perform live together again was amazing; there's an adrenaline high that comes with performing live and it was wonderful for them get that feeling again. [CATCH A GLIMPSE OF THE SUNSET POP UPS HERE]

PGF-USA: I imagine that when you choreograph for a proscenium stage you are constantly considering the full composition of the stage and everything the audience can/will see; and creating a dance for camera might mean thinking a little more editorially about how to direct the viewers eye. Tell us a little about the difference between creating work for digital platform vs live?
Olivier Wevers: Yes, that was a big challenge for me. I've only choreographed for the stage and for concert dance. That's what I know how to do. I knew from my experience watching archival dance footage that it can feel so flat and that we would need to think from the intention of creating a dance film. That’s why I brought Quinn on board. Quinn is a former professional dancer, so he knows movement and how to connect movement in a way that speaks to dance for film. I did lots of learning. When you're watching a dance concert, as an audience member you make choices about what you're seeing and how you focus on things; as a choreographer I'm very mindful when creating my work about where I want people's attention to go and how I manipulate their way of looking at it. When watching dance on a screen, as a viewer you're just focused on the screen and I'm able to bring the attention exactly to where I want people, but it's a totally different technique. It was fascinating to learn and to experiment.

PGF-USA: IN-WITH-WHIM includes performances, classes with company members – both dance and conditioning, and soon behind the scenes rehearsal footage. Do you anticipate this as the direction of your company moving forward?
Olivier Wevers: Yes, absolutely! I see it as a great add on to our season and live performances. That's why we call it membership and not subscription, because we wanted to keep those two separate and in the future we can have both available. People that are not in Seattle could have a membership. People that are in Seattle could have a subscription and membership together.

PGF-USA: As the Artistic Director of Whim W’him, you’ve made a commitment through your programming to give a platform and nurture rising choreographic talent, including successfully nominating Princess Grace Award winners Penny Saunders and James Gregg (Choreography 2015). Can you share a little about those platforms and the importance of supporting emerging voices?
Olivier Wevers: I think diversity in all of its senses is very important. That’s the way I look at forming the company, the dancers that I hire and programming a season. There are so many voices in the world and I love exposing the Seattle audience to new voices. I love researching and finding these new voices, and I love programming a dance program that has very difference aesthetics, different ways of creating and engaging the dancers. I’m always looking for what I haven’t seen yet.

PGF-USA: You are a classically trained ballet dancer who was a Principal Dancer at Pacific Northwest Ballet before transitioning to choreography and founding Whim W’him. These past months have reignited important conversations about diversity in the arts, particularly in the ballet world. As an Artistic Director how do you see your role in these conversations and movement forward?
Olivier Wevers: I think even more than ever I see the importance of it now. I have to admit that we haven't done enough, that we have benefited from white privilege and from the systemic racism that has existed. It’s something that we as an organization are aware of and are committed to doing the work. We transitioned our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee from committee with select members into company-wide meetings including our Board. We’re re-evaluating all of our processes about hiring, how do we choose choreographers, etc. One concrete step is we've committed to is not charging for auditions. Charging an audition fee is generally the way we’ve been able to hold auditions around the country, but now we’re committed to absorbing those costs as part of our budget to make it more equitable for dancers to attend.

PGF-USA: Switching gears to a little more light-hearted question. What are some of the artists and works that you’re checking out during this time?
Olivier Wevers: I've watched a lot of a lot of dance pieces online that I've wanted to see as a performance. There was Crystal Pite piece on Paris Opera Ballet’s YouTube channel that was available for a week. She's brilliant. It was a performance that was filmed professionally and really well. But, you know with her work, you could put it in a studio with a bad iPhone and I would still love watching it.

PGF-USA: Thank you for taking the time to speak to us today. We’re wrapping up but is there anything else you’d like to share?
Olivier Wevers: As a company we’re committed to continuing to create for the long haul during this pandemic. We’re lucky in that we’re a small company of 7 dancers. We’ve started experimenting with having our dancers live together for blocks at a time – isolating together - so that they can rehearse and film together. The dancers have been incredible in their discipline and commitment to each other and the company.
Experience Award Winners' Work at Home!
Leslie Odom Jr. (Theater 2002) and Nicolette Robsinson (Theater 2009) star in Upcoming Television Miniseries “Love in the Time of Corona”

Premiering on Freeform on August 22, 2020 is a brand new romantic comedy miniseries starring award winners Leslie Odom Jr. (Theater 2002) and Nicolette Robsinson (Theater 2009). The plot follows the desire for love and connection during COVID-19 pandemic, and the couple play on-screen love interests in the four part series.
Sky Hopinka (Film 2015) work showcased at Sculpture Milwaukee 2020! 


Sculpture Milwaukee 2020 exhibits a multitude of artworks on display throughout August, including our very own Sky Hopinka’s (Film 2015) work! His mesmerizing video entitled “I’ll remember you as you were, not as what you will become, 2016” is on display for all to enjoy in Milwaukee.
Gabrielle Lamb (Choreography 2014) is Keeping Live Dance Alive with Carpet Series 

All aboard the magic carpet! Gabrielle Lamb (Chorography 2014) has created socially distant dance performances across New York City taking place on a rug. Her vision has been brought to public attention, and the rug performances can be booked in outdoor spaces of your choice.
Ces noms que nous portons |
These names we carry

In celebration of Pride Month, Kyle Abraham (Choreography 2010) and New York City Ballet Principal Dancer Taylor Stanley joined forces at the conclusion of #Pride Month for a powerful collaboration on the Josie Robertson Plaza. The piece Ces Noms Que Nous Portons, was presented by Lincoln Center and New York City Ballet, choreographed remotely by Kyle and embodied by Taylor.

Check out our Award winner projects page on our website for more virtual content to enjoy from home. Please consider supporting our artists by purchasing their work via virtual tickets, books, films and through VOD rentals, and more. Your viewing support encourages these media platforms to continue providing a home for independent artists.

Also for those who may have the capacity, please consider donating to organizations that have COVID-19 emergency resources available to individual artists and organizations.

Photo © Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation
Team Serenity and Team Notorious: Water Cycle Race from Corsica to Monaco heats up as H.S.H. Princess Charlene and her brother Gareth Wittstock announce the teammates joining their race!

The Water Cycle Race organized by the Princess Charlene Foundation is heating up as both H.S.H. Princess Charlene and her brother Gareth, announced athletes joining their 4-person teams. Joining H.S.H. Princess Charlene on Team Serenity is Olympic gold medalist, Yannick Agnel and Australian cyclist David Tanner. On Team Notorious, Gareth is joined by Guinness World Record holder and endurance athlete Michael Bennett and world champion fighter Conor McGregor. The race begins Sept. 12 and we can't wait to see who takes home gold in this battle of the siblings!

PRINCESS GRACE FUN FACT:

Before she was Princess Grace of Monaco, Grace Kelly christened her brother Kell's scull in 1946 while her three-time Gold-medal winning Olympian father John B. Kelly looked on.

In the world of rowing, no name looms larger than that of Kelly. Easily considered the greatest rower in U.S. history, Princess Grace's father John B. Kelly won three Olympic gold medals in rowing. The son of Irish-Catholic immigrants in Philadelphia, he was denied his chance to compete in the 1920 Diamond Sculls race at the Henley Royal Regatta, which would have cemented his title of the best single scull rower in the world. Mr. Kelly had his revenge at the Olympics that summer when he trounced the competition (including Jack Beresford, the winner of the Diamonds) in the single scull race, and then 30 minutes later partnered with his cousin Paul Costello to win the gold medal in the double scull. Such a feat has never been equalled in Olympic rowing.

Years later, at the 1947 and 1949 Henley Royal Regatta, John B. Kelly's son and Princess Grace's brother John B. Kelly Jr. (Kell) redeemed his father's snub and pulled away for an easy victory in the Diamond Sculls race. Proving once again, that a gentleman's code has no place in sport.

Today, the Kelly legacy endures - in 2003 The Henley Royal Regatta paid tribute to the Kelly Family with the creation of The Princess Grace Challenge Cup, which is a women's quadruple sculls race. In 2004, HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco presented the prizes at the Royal Regatta. And, John B. Kelly Sr. and John B. Kelly Jr. are both members of the United States Olympic Hall of Fame.
The Princess Grace Challenge Cup
The Princess Grace Foundation – USA is dedicated to elevating extraordinary artists in theater, dance, and film via game-changing awards in the form of grants, scholarships, and fellowships. The Foundation is a non-profit, publicly-supported charity, headquartered in New York City.
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