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Memoryhouse Special Event 2024/2025 Season / Memoryhouse Special Event / JANUARY 23 & 30, 2025 Welcome to the Memoryhouse Experience! An Exclusive Two-Day Event You are invited to an exclusive special viewing of Los Angeles Ballet's Memoryhouse and the making-of Documentary at The Wallis. Both film and live performance are featured in this multi-media event featuring the artistry and vision behind Memoryhouse , the emotionally powerful original work by LAB Artistic Director, Melissa Barak set to the album of the same name by Max Richter. This exclusive two-day event features: Day 1: The Making of Memoryhouse Documentary Screening Date: January 23, 2025 Time: 6:30pm Location: The Wallis, Beverly Hills Followed by an intimate post-documentary dinner at Wally’s in Beverly Hills Day 2: Opening Night Performance for Memoryhouse Date: January 30, 2025 Time: 7:30pm Location: The Wallis, Beverly Hills Ticket Packages: SILVER PACKAGE - $1000 (limited quantity) includes: One Premium seat for Memoryhouse Documentary at The Wallis Annenberg Center for Performing Arts on Thursday, January 23rd. Post-documentary dinner at Wally’s including specialty menu with wine pairings. One Premium seat for Memoryhouse Performance on opening night, Thursday, January 30th. GOLD PACKAGE - $2,500 (limited quantity) includes: One Premium seat for Memoryhouse Documentary at The Wallis Annenberg Center for Performing Arts on Thursday, January 23rd. Post-documentary dinner at Wally’s including specialty menu with wine pairings. One Premium seat for Memoryhouse Performance on opening night, Thursday, January 30th. Meet and greet with Creative Director Melissa Barak during intermission in the Founders Room. Complimentary drink included. PLATINUM PACKAGE - $5,000 includes: One Premium seat for Memoryhouse Documentary at The Wallis Annenberg Center for Performing Arts on Thursday, January 23rd. Post-documentary dinner at Wally’s including specialty menu with wine pairings. One Premium seat for Memoryhouse Performance on opening night, Thursday, January 30th. Meet and greet with Creative Director Melissa Barak during intermission in the Founders Room. Complimentary drink included. Exclusive Platinum Perks Beyond the Two-Day Event! Season tickets for Los Angeles Ballet 2025-2026 season. Invitation to donor reception for the launch of the 2025 season. One backstage experience for the performance of your choice. To take advantage of these exclusive benefits, please contact the LAB Box Office at (310) 998-7782 , Monday through Friday from 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm PST or tickets@losangelesballet.org Limited Capacity – Reserve Your Spot Today! This special event has been curated for a select audience and ticket availability is limited! Be part of this unique journey into the making of this extraordinary original ballet, and show your support for Los Angeles Ballet! For additional information or questions, please contact: Lindsay Rosenboom @ lrosenboom@losangelesballet.org PURCHASE YOUR TICKETS Can’t Attend? You Can Still Support the Art of Dance! If you’re unable to join us, you can still play a vital role. Your donation helps the Los Angeles Ballet continue to create and share transformative works like Memoryhouse. DONATE

Employment Home / Employment / 2025/2026 Season Company and Trainee Auditions Audition Date: Saturday, February 8th, 2025. 12pm – 2pm Place: Los Angeles Ballet Studios Company and Trainee positions are available for the 2025/2026 Season. Seeking classically trained male and female dancers. APPLY FOR AN AUDITION Open Positions Click to view details. Director of Development Development Coordinator 2025/2026 Season Company and Trainee Auditions Audition Date: Saturday, February 8th, 2025. 12pm – 2pm Place: Los Angeles Ballet Studios Company and Trainee positions are available for the 2025/2026 Season. Seeking classically trained male and female dancers. Please submit a resume, headshot, and full-body dance shot. You will be notified via email of your invitation to attend the audition. Video is acceptable if you are unable to come in person. Video footage must be recent (in the last 3 months) and include the following: Barre – fast tendus, fondus Center – Adagio, pirouettes, petit allegro, grand allegro Performance footage Do not arrive for the audition unless you have received an invitation from Los Angeles Ballet. APPLY FOR AN AUDITION Audition Guidelines The audition submission should begin with a short technical demonstration at the barre and center. At the barre the student must include plies, tendues, ronde de jambe, passé and adagio developpe en croix. In the center the dancers must include adagio, pirouettes, petite and grand allegro. Please also include a classical variation, (on pointe for women) one to two minutes in length. If the dancer does not have a variation prepared, please include a pointe combination for ladies and a combination with jumps (both double tour en l’air and saut de basque) for men. A contemporary solo may also be submitted, but is not a requirement Girls should wear a black leotard and either pink ballet shoes with pink tights or flesh-toned ballet shoes and tights. Boys should wear tights, shoes, and a fitted shirt light-colored preferably in a light color (white or grey) or contrasting color to the surrounding environment. Please no warm-ups, skirts, or baggy clothing. LOS ANGELES BALLET Repertoire Learn about the comprehensive and varied seasons of Los Angeles Ballet since its debut in 2006. Repertoire includes stunning classical ballets, exceptional stagings of Balanchine repertory, and relevant works by many of today’s most innovative dance-makers. VIEW REPERTOIRE 2024/2025 SEASON Dancers Los Angeles Ballet presents a company of outstanding dancers from local communities and around the world. Learn about each of LAB’s dance artists. LEARN MORE

Employment / Apply for an Audition / 2025/2026 Season Company and Trainee Auditions Audition Date: Saturday, February 8th, 2025. 12pm – 2pm Place: Los Angeles Ballet Studios Company and Trainee positions are available for the 2025/2026 Season. Seeking classically trained male and female dancers. Please submit a resume, headshot, and full-body dance shot. You will be notified via email of your invitation to attend the audition. Video is acceptable if you are unable to come in person. Video footage must be recent (in the last 3 months) and include the following: Barre – fast tendus, fondus Center – Adagio, pirouettes, petit allegro, grand allegro Performance footage Do not arrive for the audition unless you have received an invitation from Los Angeles Ballet. Audition Guidelines The audition submission should begin with a short technical demonstration at the barre and center. At the barre the student must include plies, tendues, ronde de jambe, passé and adagio developpe en croix. In the center the dancers must include adagio, pirouettes, petite and grand allegro. Please also include a classical variation, (on pointe for women) one to two minutes in length. If the dancer does not have a variation prepared, please include a pointe combination for ladies and a combination with jumps (both double tour en l’air and saut de basque) for men. A contemporary solo may also be submitted, but is not a requirement Girls should wear a black leotard and either pink ballet shoes with pink tights or flesh-toned ballet shoes and tights. Boys should wear tights, shoes, and a fitted shirt light-colored preferably in a light color (white or grey) or contrasting color to the surrounding environment. Please no warm-ups, skirts, or baggy clothing. Full Name Age Date of Birth * Home Phone Number Cell Phone Number Email Current Citizenship / Visa Status Current Affiliations Upload Resume Select PDF, TXT, DOC, PAGES Max File Size: 15Mb Upload Headshot Select JPG or PNG Max File Size: 15Mb Upload Full Body Photo Select JPG or PNG Max File Size: 15Mb Upload/Share a demonstration of Barre and Center (At least one upload or URL required) Select File MOV, MP4 - Max File Size 15Mb Upload/Share a demonstration of a Classical Variation (At least one upload or URL required) Select File MOV, MP4 - Max File Size 15Mb Upload/Share a demonstration of a Contemporary Solo (Optional) Select File MOV, MP4 - Max File Size 15Mb Full Name / Guardian (If Trainee is under 18) Full Name of Minor REGISTER Upon submitting, please allow a moment for your files to upload. Once your submission have replaced the placeholders below, you may close the page. Thank you for your application submission An error occurred. Please make sure all the required fields are filled.

Los Angeles Ballet: L.A. Ballet soloists show sense of purpose, if not peak skills, in season debut February 25, 2008 Los Angeles Times by Lewis Segal The other plum role, of course, is the evil Madge. She is first discovered cowering by James’ fire but is last seen towering triumphantly above his body. Why did she wreck such evil, so out of proportion to the original offense? Her answer is a drumming of her fingers on her chest. “I,” “I,” “I,” she gestures, because James offended her. DOWNLOAD PDF Home / News / New Item

Cleo Taneja Hometown Granada Hills, CA Seasons with LAB 2018/2019, 2019/2020, 2021/2022, 2022/2023, 2023/2024, 2024/2025 Born and raised in Los Angeles, Cleo began dancing at age three. She received her early training at California Dance Academy where she earned scholarships to many prestigious national summer programs, including San Francisco Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, and School of American Ballet, where at the age of 16 she was invited to attend the winter term. Upon graduation from SAB, Cleo joined Los Angeles Ballet in 2018, where she has danced featured roles in ballets such as The Nutcracker , Sleeping Beauty , Lady of the Camellias , and many others.

Artistic Director Home / Artistic Director / Artistic Director LOS ANGELES BALLET Repertoire Learn about the comprehensive and varied seasons of Los Angeles Ballet since its debut in 2006. Repertoire includes Balanchine masterworks, stylistically meticulous classical ballets, commissioned and contemporary works by renowned local and international choreographers. VIEW REPERTOIRE LOS ANGELES BALLET History Read the history of the company from the premiere performances of LAB’s original production of The Nutcracker in 2006. Learn about LAB’s Leadership, Mission, Outreach initiatives, commissions of original works and more. LAB HISTORY Melissa Barak is an award-winning choreographer, former professional dancer with New York City Ballet (NYCB) and Los Angeles Ballet, and founder of Barak Ballet before becoming LAB’s Artistic Director in 2022. Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, Barak began her ballet training at the age of eight at Westside School of Ballet in Santa Monica, California under the direction of Yvonne Mounsey and Rosemary Valaire. Her training continued in New York City at the School of American Ballet (SAB), the official school of NYCB. In 1998, Barak was invited to join NYCB where she performed in numerous works by George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins as well as originating roles in new ballets by Christopher Wheeldon, Elliot Feld, and Robert Garland among others. Barak began exploring her choreographic talents throughout her time at SAB and NYCB. At the age of 21, she premiered her work Telemann Overture Suite in E Minor at the SAB June Workshop performance that quickly followed up with encore performances on NYCB the following season. Later that year another choreographic commission was offered by NYCB for their prestigious Diamond Project making her, at the time, the youngest choreographer to create an original work on the company. She has created new works for the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Richmond Ballet, Dayton Ballet, American Repertory Ballet, Sacramento Ballet, Los Angeles Ballet, and Barak Ballet, a Los Angeles based contemporary ballet company she founded in 2013. She has had the honor of choreographing on dance luminaries including Sara Mearns, Tiler Peck, Justin Peck, Benjamin Millepied, and Robert Fairchild. In 2009 and 2010, she was invited to return to the New York City Ballet where she created two more works, A Simple Symphony and Call Me Ben respectively. Her film and commercial credits include original choreography for Mattel’s feature film Barbie in the Pink Shoes, Xayron in Hungary, Illusions in China, and a Samsung commercial working alongside director Mark Romanek. Melissa has been awarded the Mae L. Wein and Choo San Goh awards for Outstanding Choreography and has been named a Dance Magazine “Top 25 to Watch”. She was also the inaugural recipient of the Virginia B. Toulmin Fellowship for Women Choreographers through Center for Ballet and the Arts at NYU. Melissa Barak

OUR SUPPORTERS 2023/2024 Season Donors Home / Our Supporters / Los Angeles Ballet 2023/2024 Season Donors Los Angeles Ballet gratefully acknowledges the following donors who have provided support during the 2023/2024 Season. DIRECTORS $100,000 + Michael & Lori Milken Family Foundation Koni & Geoff Rich BENEFACTORS $50,000 - $99,999 Governor Gray Davis (Ret.) & Sharon Davis Elizabeth Fowler & Gary Sumers Dr. Ray & Ghada Irani Jerry & Terri Kohl Dr. Richard Merkin Bari Milken & Fred Bernstein Foundation Erica & Sung Min The Dwight D. Opperman Foundation PATRONS $25,000 - $49,999 Jennifer Bellah Maguire & Stephen Maguire Roberta K. Dahl Kelvin & Hana Davis Andi & Jim Gordon Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP Leonard Green & Partners Debbie & Jimmy Lustig Vatche & Tamar Manoukian Worthy McCartney, Cartier David Niemetz, de Marchena Huyke Foundation Stewart J. Rahr Foundation Matilda & Stephen Sung Alia & Ron Tutor The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation ARTISTS $15,000 - $24,999 The Barth Family Foundation Ronald S. Gabriel, MD Anne Titus Hilby Corrine & Lenny Sands Foundation Dr. Laura Schlessinger Vivian Wang Rachel Weber SUPPORTER $5,000 - $14,999 Robert & Diane Ballantyne Stacey Betts Adam Cohn, Stone Canyon Industries Holdings, Inc. Marlyn Day Jenni Danzi Michael Dreyer Joni & Larry Flax Lori & Rob Goodman Sybil Grieb Peter & Mary Gross Mary Ann Hunt-Jacobsen Anita Mann Kohl & Allen Kohl Annette LaBarca Fred & Dina Leeds Karen & Walter Loewenstern Anne Lukowski Gregory & EJ Milken Foundation Lance & Hillary Milken Foundation Susan Miller The Nicole & Allan Mutchnik Charitable Fund Neiman Marcus Jack and Goldie Nomberg Fund Peggy Phillips, Chanel David Pullman Janet Rosenblatt Benjamin Ross David A. & Karen Richards Sachs David Sinensky, Morgan Stanley Fran & Ray Stark Foundation Maud & Tonis Tilk Howard Turk UCLA Health, Johnese Spisso Michelle Walter SUSTAINER $1,000 - $4,999 Arian Foundation Denise Avchen Gregory Bailey Eddie Baskin Veronica Bates Whithorne Susan Baumgarten Anushka Bhalla Lynn & Les Bider Elisa Bolduc Kelsey Boyle Kim Bronson Christina Cadwell Katie Carpenter Whitney & Justin Campeau Gina Carithers Shelby Chong Jill & Allen Chozen Allegra Clegg Sandy Climan The Cooper Family Charitable Fund Alicia Coudurier Tamima Crosner Marilyn D’egidio Beth-Jana Dahl Suzanne & Rob Davidow Camelia Davtyan Jane Deflorio Rajan Dosaj Jacqueline Diederich Jesse Dill Gina Edensvard Craig Enenstein Hilary Fey Peter Filsinger Cynthia & Ralph Finerman Kelly Fisher Lewis Fisher Mario Fiumani Lora Fremont Mary Garis Connie Gavin Vlad Ghenciu Jen Golfman Jim Gordon Jennifer Gracie Lisa Hankin Byron Hayes Jeffrey Hendel & Barbara Coyne Harry Horowitz & Aviva Carmy Wendy & Johnny Hou Lilan Huang Amanda Hsieh Alexandra Iacob Rosario Ibanez Janice Jerde Sel Kardan Neely Kasra Leigha Kemmett Kiley King Mike Klowden Anna Kuznetsov Natalie Larochelle Francine Lasker Shireen Lee Amy Lipeles Linda May Suzanne Marx Randy Mastro Stewart McDowell Minah Jewelry Inc. Edward & Anna Mitchell Rachel McCracken Judith Meister Cosmo Occhiogrosso Steven Ortega Irene Ribner James Rosenwald Joanna Newsom Samberg Julie Okun Teresa Orsolini Karla Ortega Williams Denise Perlstein John & Jill Peters Lawrence & Sandra Post Family Foundation Lee Purcell Amita Ramesh Linda Ross Hon. Vicki Reynolds Victor Sanchez Nancy & Barry Sanders Richard & Ellen Sandler Kirsten Sarkisian Kristina Shagramanova Ken Simril Charles Slavik Spencer & Madelon Smith Ava Sokol Dione Spiteri Liana Stepanyan Harry Suh Susan Talty Steven Taub Mariann Thomas Rob & Jola Thun Ching Tseng, Violet Hue LA Cassandra Unruh Tom Unterman Stephanie & Leon Vahn Jennifer Valenti Esther Varet Warren Weber Mary Ann Weisberg and Bryce Perry Foundation Sheila Weisman Douglas Whithorne Renae Williams-Niles Witherspoon Fund Leslie Wright Elaine P. Wynn & Family Foundation Scott Zolke FRIEND $999 - $250 Kristina Anapau Lynn Barthelemy-Palmer Alyssa Beck Susan Berman Dottie Blunt Alexandria Carlson Jerry Chang Martha Chase Terri Childs Trinh Clark Jim Cocke Mary Connolly Paul Craig Ellen Dusch Kirstin Ellis Debra Felgen Langer Amanda Firestone Chris Fleischner Zenzi Gadson Mary Garis Gregory Geer Leeza Gelfer-Mundl Yassi Ghalichi Kristin Godfrey Andy Gold Cassandra Heckmann Christine Hessler Melody Hildebrandt Nicole Homme Heather Horn Marina Houser Earl Hyman Karyn Jag Hillary Janneck Therese Jasso Evelyn Kurth Sora Lee Ty London Leslie Lopez Princeton Ly Kate Malleck Barbara Marcus Christine Markatos Lowe Stephanie Martin Lydia McCutchen Francine McKean Margarita Mendez Suzanne Michel Araxie Nadjarian Tiffany Phan Erin Richman Alexandra Shabtai Remy Smith Carrie Soppe Naz Sykes Siena Toll The Wonderful Company Rachel Worby

2024-2025 Season / Ticket Information / Terms and Conditions of Sales Terms and Conditions of Sales Before purchasing tickets, please carefully review the Terms and Conditions of Sale. 1. Refund and Exchange Policy Pre COVID-19 there were No Refunds and No Exchanges. All Tickets sales were final. However COVID-19 has impacted Refunds and Exchanges. Please read the COVID-19 Ticketing Policy for updates. 2. Reserved Seating This purchase is for tickets in designated seats at a designated price level, as chosen and/or approved by you as the ticket purchaser. Please be sure you are happy with your seat selection before finalizing your purchase. 3. Confirmation Number Please be sure to record/save your confirmation number, as this is required for replacing lost tickets and locating reservations. The confirmation page is NOT a ticket. 4. Mail Delivery The standard mailing fee is $1.50 per order for regular ticket purchases and $3 per order for group sales. If you choose to have your tickets mailed to you they will arrive within 7-10 business days. If your tickets have not arrived within one week of the performance date, please call the Los Angeles Ballet Box Office at 310.998.7782. Please have your confirmation number available. 5. Will Call Will Call opens at all venue box offices one hour prior to each performance and remains open until the performance begins. Identification is required for Will Call pick-up. 6. Lost Tickets Lost tickets will be replaced provided you have your confirmation number available. Please call the Los Angeles Ballet Box Office at 310.998.7782 to request replacement tickets. 7. Performance Cancellation or Date/Time Change Policy If a performance is cancelled for any reason other than “force majeure,” (see Clause 7a below), Los Angeles Ballet will refund the face value of tickets purchased. Delivery charges are non-refundable. A performance is not considered “cancelled” if it is stopped at any point after Act 2 has begun, in which case Los Angeles Ballet is not required to refund the value of any tickets purchased for said performance. Los Angeles Ballet will accommodate you at subsequent performances when possible. Los Angeles Ballet reserves the right to change the date and/or time of any performance no later than 5 weeks before the originally scheduled date of the performance. If a change occurs, patrons will be notified immediately and alternate accommodations or reimbursements will be arranged, as necessary. 7a. Force Majeure Los Angeles Ballet does not guarantee a refund or exchange on tickets purchased for a performance that is cancelled, or is rescheduled less than 5 weeks before the original performance date/time, as a result of “force majeure.” “Force majeure” means any event which Los Angeles Ballet could not, even with all due care, foresee or avoid. Such events may include war or threat of war, riot, civil strife, terrorist activity or threatened terrorist activity, industrial dispute, natural or nuclear disaster, adverse weather conditions, fire and all similar events outside Los Angeles Ballet’s control. In the event of a cancellation or rescheduling due to “force majeure,” Los Angeles Ballet will accommodate you at subsequent shows when possible. 8. Late Seating Policy Arriving late to a performance can be extremely disturbing to the artists and your fellow audience members. Latecomers will be seated at the discretion of the house staff at an appropriate pause in the program. 9. Reselling Policy Tickets may not be resold or offered for resale. Tickets may not be used for advertising, promotion, or other commercial purposes except with the express written consent of Los Angeles Ballet, Inc. Los Angeles Ballet reserves the right to refuse entry to any customer who has purchased tickets and resold them, or to any person attempting to attend a performance with such tickets. 10. Reproduction Policy It is unlawful to reproduce any tickets in any form. In the event of reproduction, Los Angeles Ballet reserves the right to refuse entry to the original purchaser as well as any person attempting to attend a performance with reproduced tickets. 11. Review Upon Receipt Please review your tickets and confirmation upon receipt. If any detail of your order is incorrect, please contact the Los Angeles Ballet Box Office immediately at 310.998.7782. Los Angeles Ballet will not be responsible for any discrepancies if you do not contact the box office within 24 hours after receiving your tickets. 12. Agreement Submitting a ticket order indicates your AGREEMENT to these terms and conditions. For questions and support, please contact the Box Office at (310) 998-7782 to purchase by phone, Monday through Friday, 12:00pm to 5:00pm. In-person Ticket Sales Group Sales Venues Accessibility Gift Certificates Tax-Deductibe Donations Terms & Conditions of Sales In-house Policies Privacy Policy

Los Angeles Ballet delivers a sizzling 'Evangelist' April 28, 2008 Los Angeles Times by Victoria Looseleaf Corina Gill was the poised, ethereal Sylph, balancing lightly and cleanly in high extensions. Her most arresting moments, however, came in her death scene, where she seemed to lose the power of sight as well as of flight. DOWNLOAD PDF Home / News / New Item

Los Angeles Times Covers LAB Gala 2018 February 1, 2018 LA Times by Ellen Olivier At the Los Angeles Ballet’s annual gala, the classical dance company honored three multi-talented, multi-hyphenates — Jenna Dewan Tatum, Derek Hough and Adam Shankman — all of them dancers among other accomplishments and passionate on the subject of dance. “Dance is my everything,” Dewan said during the cocktail hour. “All roads lead back to dance for me,” added the actress, dancer and host of “World of Dance.” “No matter what I do in my career, no matter what I do in my life, being a dancer informs me. It’s who I am.” A judge on “World of Dance,” Hough, an actor-dancer-author-choreographer, said he took his first official lesson at age 10, “but if I look at old home videos of myself and my family, and I can see we were dancing in our living room since we were born.” Hough holds a record on “Dancing With the Stars,” having won six mirror balls. Shankman said later from the podium, “As the story goes, I actually emerged from my mother doing cartwheels with a top hat and cane. … I dance to live and I live to dance, and God willing, I’ll die doing a cartwheel, still clutching my cane.” (The producer-director-choreographer’s current project is the “Enchanted” sequel, “Disenchanted.”) The Los Angeles Ballet celebrated “Swan Lake” on Feb. 24 with a black and white themed-gala at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills. More than $1 million was raised for its programming and educational outreach. Artistic directors Colleen Neary and Thordal Christensen introduced the dancers, who performed excerpts from “Swan Lake.” The interpretation of Spanish, Neapolitan, Hungarian and Russian folk dances and elegant black swan pas de deux were then followed by a young troupe from “A Chance to Dance,” Los Angeles Ballet’s program of free classes. Disney star Sofia Carson said earlier in the evening that she had recently taught one of these classes, which are offered to children ages 2 and older. Attending the gala with her sister Paulina, Carson said, “I was 3 when I took my first dance lesson, and it changed my life forever.” (She also said that her film “Descendants 3” would shoot in Vancouver this summer.) Mark L. Walberg, host of “Antiques Roadshow,” emceed the affair, with presenters Nigel Lythgoe, Brad Goreski and Mark Ballas; guests Camilla Belle, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Kimberly and James Van Der Beek, and others. Kirsten Sarkisian and Leslie Kavanaugh were co-chairs of the event, along with honorary committee chairs Sharon and Gray Davis, Marilyn and Robert Day, Ghada and Ray Irani, Lori and Michael Milken, Linda La Kretz-Duttenhaver and Richard Merkin. Tickets for the 325-plus guests began at $500, and tables ranged to $100,000. Proceeds also included a silent auction and additional donations. After suggesting that the crowd raise a glass to Los Angeles Ballet, “our beloved home team,” which he’d earlier described as “my Dodgers,” Shankman spoke, not only of his love of dance but also of the importance of supporting the arts. “If we are to leave any legacy of value to the next generations,” he said, “then it is our responsibility to support in every way imaginable institutions like the Los Angeles Ballet, and to do everything in our power both to bring people to us, and also to go into the communities, and to help this generation know that there is more to life than darkness and division and the arduous fight for justice, or even simply to be seen to feel safe.” READ ARTICLE AT SOURCE Home / News / New Item

2013-2014 Season Announcement October 1, 2013 LAB Public Relations The Nutcracker set in 1913 Los Angeles World premieres from Sonya Tayeh and Christopher Stowell • LAB premiere of Jiří Kylián’s Return to a Strange Land LAB premiere of George Balanchine’s Stars and Stripes The full-length La Sylphide George Balanchine’s Serenade Los Angeles Ballet co-artistic directors Thordal Christensen and Colleen Neary are excited to unveil the ballets selected for LAB’s eighth season, including classics from the 19th and 20th centuries, new works from 21st century choreographers, and Southern California’s holiday tradition, The Nutcracker . Continuing LAB’s mission to bring professional ballet to greater LA, each program will be performed at LAB’s four home theaters: UCLA’s Royce Hall, The Alex Theatre in Glendale, Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center, and Valley Performing Arts Center in Northridge. The season opens with Los Angeles Ballet’s full-length The Nutcracker , set in 1913 California in a classic Spanish style home with Mexican, Spanish, and European influences. The story unfolds with a warm and inviting sense of being inside a children’s book, and follows Clara and her beloved Nutcracker as they travel to the Land of Snow and the Palace of the Dolls. In March 2014, Quartet combines masterworks from George Balanchine and Jiří Kylián with new works from rising choreographers Sonya Tayeh and Christopher Stowell. Known for her work on television’s So You Think You Can Dance , this will mark Tayeh’s fourth commissioned work for Los Angeles Ballet. Her ferocious jazz style blended with ballet has brought audiences and critics to their feet. Former Artistic Director of Oregon Ballet Theater and noted choreographer Christopher Stowell will be working with LAB dancers for the first time. Quartet will also include the company premiere of Return to a Strange Land , from master choreographer Jiří Kylián to music by Leoš Janáček, and Stars and Stripes by George Balanchine set to the rousing marches of John Philip Sousa. “The dancers always look forward to working with Sonya. And having seen Christopher’s work on a variety of companies across the nation, we are excited to see what he will be creating on our dancers,” Mr. Christensen explained. “We think works from these two young dancemakers will fit well with Jiří Kylián’s beautiful, elegiac ballet and Balanchine’s stirring valentine to his adopted country.” May/June 2014 pairs the rapturous two-act story ballet La Sylphide with Balanchine’s romantic Serenade. Some- times described as the Danish Giselle , La Sylphide recounts the tale of a Scotsman enamored of an entrancing woodland sprite, a sylph, and the poisonous interference of a witch, with tragic results. The program also includes Serenade , unquestionably one of Balanchine’s most popular and beloved ballets. Set to Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for String s, the ballet evokes a moonlit world of romantic attraction and betrayal. Colleen Neary says, “La Sylphide and Serenade are two of the most romantic and, some say, most tragic ballets choreographed – the former with a story and the other without a literal one. There is a deep spiritualism to both.” About Los Angeles Ballet Founded in 2004 by Artistic Directors Thordal Christensen and Colleen Neary, and Executive Director Julie Whittaker, Los Angeles Ballet is known for its superb stagings of the Balanchine repertory, stylistically meticu- lous classical ballets, and its commitment to new works. LAB has become recognized as a world-class ballet company, presenting 21 productions encompassing 43 works, including 13 commissioned world premieres. Los Angeles Ballet ‘tours’ throughout LA County, regularly appearing at five venues. This past summer the Los Angeles Music Center presented Los Angeles Ballet at Grand Park, with 4,000 attending the outdoor performance on the July 4th weekend. Since its inception in 2006, LAB’s Power of Performance (POP!) program has provided thousands of free tickets to underserved or disadvantaged children, seniors, veterans, and their families. LAB’s A Chance to Dance Community Days outreach program was launched in October 2012. About Thordal Christensen Among Thordal Christensen’s many credentials are an impressive performing career, successful leadership of one of the world’s major ballet companies, critically applaudedoriginal choreography, and a proven commit- ment to dance education. Born in Copenhagen, Denmark, Christensen received his ballet training at The Royal Danish Ballet School and at the School of American Ballet in New York City before a performance career that included the Royal Danish Ballet, New York City Ballet, and Pacific Northwest Ballet. Christensen then returned to Denmark where he was Artistic Director of the Royal Danish Ballet. This blend of Bournonville and Balanchine tradition is one of the defining themes of his career, and has shaped the unique artistic vision that Christensen, along with his wife Colleen Neary, bring to Los Angeles Ballet. In 2002, he was made Knight of the Dannebrog by Queen Margrethe II of Denmark. About Colleen Neary Colleen Neary brings to Los Angeles Ballet the benefits of her vast experience as one of George Balanchine’s quintessential ballerinas. In her experience as a dancer, teacher, and ballet mistress, she also worked closely with other luminaries of 20th century dance, including Rudolf Nureyev, Maurice Béjart and Jiří Kylián. Born in Miami, Florida and trained at The School of American Ballet, Neary danced in New York City Ballet under the direction of George Balanchine, then for Maurice Béjart’s Ballet du XXième Siecle, and Pacific Northwest Ballet. Neary was personally selected by Balanchine to teach his choreography to major companies all over the world as a repetiteur for The George Balanchine Trust. DOWNLOAD PDF Home / News / New Item

L.A.'s ballet: A hard nut to crack but ballet duo is determined to do it November 17, 2006 Pasadena Star-News by Vicki Smith Paluch Los Angeles has been a hard nut to crack, but ballet duo Thordal Christensen and Colleen Neary are determined to do it. The husband and wife team are staking their reputation and their supporter's money on a new Los Angeles Ballet that will be unveiled in December – their Christmas present to the sprawling county's dance lovers. View PDF to read the full article. DOWNLOAD ARTICLE (PDF) Home / News / New Item