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Los Angeles Ballet is seeking classically trained boys and girls to perform with the company in The Nutcracker from December 6 through 28, 2024. Home / Children's Open Audition / Children's Open Audition Pre-Registration for The Nutcracker Registration Closed: September 5, 2025 Upon submittal of Pre-Registration, and if selected, you will be contacted with your audition details. Los Angeles Ballet is seeking classically trained boys and girls to perform with the company in December 12 through 28, 2025. Boys and Girls 8 to 12 years - Classically trained Audition Date: Saturday, September 6, 2025 Audition Location: LAB Center, 11755 Exposition Blvd, LA, CA 90064 Audition Times: Auditions will be kept to small groups of children starting at 12 noon. If selected, you will be notified of your audition time; please be prompt and arrive on time. What to Bring: • Headshot • Full Body Ballet Photo

 • Boys 8-12: Ballet shoes, black tights, white T-shirt • Girls 8-12: Ballet shoes, pink tights, black leotard - Hair in a bun Please submit the following information to Pre-Register: LAB will contact you regarding your child’s audition status and details. Additional Questions Laura Chachich , Director of Education Programs Lchachich@losangelesballet.org Parent/Guardian Information Child's Information The safety of our audiences, dancers, musicians, staff, and crew remains our top priority. This season LAB will follow guidelines and protocols from national, state, and local public health officials. In collaboration with our venues, we will follow all required measures as well as implementing recommended measures to the greatest extent possible to help ensure our patrons’ safety. Audition Agreement ( Required) I, the Parent/Guardian of the Child Artist, agree to hold harmless Los Angeles Ballet and its officers, agents, and employees against any and all injuries, costs, losses, damages, and expenses (including attorney’s fees) which Child Artist might suffer from participation in an LAB audition, of whatever kind of character and without limitation. Parent/Guardian of Child Artist waives any claims, liens, demands or causes of action which Child Artist now, or in the future, possess against LAB arising out of or in any way related to Child Artist’s participation in any LAB audition. Child's First Name Child's Last Name Child's Age Ballet School Attending Performance Experience First Name Last Name Phone Email I accept terms & conditions of the Audition Agreement REGISTER

Los Angeles Ballet presents a company of outstanding dancers from local communities and around the world. LAB dance artists master classical as well as contemporary techniques. Sarah Hurty Hometown Seasons with LAB 1 Season with LAB Available shortly

Los Angeles Ballet’s Swan Lake Gala 2012, which netted over $350,000 for LAB, was held on March 25th at the Montage Beverly Hills. Home / News / New Item LAB Swan Lake Gala 2012 May 1, 2012 Company News from the Staff at LAB Los Angeles Ballet’s Swan Lake Gala 2012, which netted over $350,000 for LAB, was held on March 25th at the Montage Beverly Hills. With event design by Billy Bushkavitz, the Marquesa Ballroom transformed into a black and white celebration of Swan Lake, enhanced by guests who, by invitation request, had dressed in matching attire. The evening included an intimate performance of excerpts from Swan Lake, on a stage specially constructed for the event. The LAB dancers were later welcomed into the ballroom with a standing ovation and joined in a gourmet dinner of filet mignon and herb crusted halibut, with wines provided by Hafner Vineyard and Malibu Milk Vineyards. Celebrated sportscaster Jim Gray conducted a live auction for the Dancer Sponsorship and Pointe Shoe Funds. Each guest received a Jay Strongwater picture frame, graciously provided by Neiman Marcus Beverly Hills.

Download PDF to read article. Home / News / New Item Los Angeles Ballet CELEBRATION March 11, 2011 CultureSpotLA by Penny Orloff Download PDF to read article. DOWNLOAD PDF

Maleficent isn’t the only witch in town. Madge, the evildoer in August Bournonville’s 1836 Romantic ballet “La Sylphide” also has been creating misery (and laughs). Home / News / New Item Review: Los Angeles Ballet floats with 'La Sylphide and Serenade' June 9, 2014 Los Angeles Times by Victoria Looseleaf Maleficent isn’t the only witch in town. Madge, the evildoer in August Bournonville’s 1836 Romantic ballet “La Sylphide” also has been creating misery (and laughs). As devilishly portrayed by Los Angeles Ballet’s co-artistic director Colleen Neary and choreographed by her co-director husband, Thordal Christensen (after Bournonville), this witch is only one element that gave “La Sylphide” its wings Saturday at the Alex Theatre in Glendale. The program, which also presented George Balanchine’s 1934 classic “Serenade,” featured about three dozen dancers breathing life into these difficult, alluring works. One performer in particular proved unstoppable. Allyssa Bross danced the lead in both numbers on little notice, replacing an ailing Allynne Noelle in “Sylphide.” The pair alternates in the role, so Bross knew her stuff; the question was stamina. But Bross brought insouciance, grace and technique to burn in a sumptuous production last presented by the troupe in 2009. What man wouldn’t fall for her? Set in Scotland to taped music by Herman Severin Løvenskjold, “La Sylphide” told the story of the kilt-clad James as he succumbed to this exquisite creature’s charms. Kenta Shimizu as James offered powerful leaps and turns — pesky sporran aside — as well as quicksilver, precise beats. Alas, he already was betrothed to Effy, articulately danced by Chelsea Paige Johnston, with their wedding scheduled that day. James’ cottage teemed with people, including best pal Gurn (a wonderful Zheng Hua Li), a semi-buffoon who winds up marrying Effy after James disappears, as well as a corps of tartaned-out friends, six children and a pair of bagpipers. But wedded bliss wasn’t meant to be. After James offended the witch, Madge was out for blood — or at least death by sylph wing-removal. Act II’s forest scene had Madge and four crones hexing it up around a caldron to make a poisoned scarf. Neary, a former New York City Ballet principal, dove into Madge with glee, adding luster to this production that’s originally from the Royal Danish Ballet, a company Christensen once headed. The sylphs were also out in fairy force, with lovely, airy dancing by Bianca Bulle, Julia Cinquemani and Paige Johnston, a fine corps abetting them. But after James gifted the Sylph (Bross) that scarf, she began her death spiral. Yes, the ballet ends badly: James crumpled in grief; seeing his dead fairy float up to heaven, he’d lost everything. “Serenade,” set to taped Tchaikovsky and staged by Neary, could also be seen as a work about loss. A poetic vision of yearning, 17 women in diaphanous dresses filled the stage with intricate patterns and circlings. There were also off-balance arabesque lunges, legs scissoring in lifts and an impassioned waltz; hair streamed loose, and several men came and went. Bross was stunning as lead ballerina, sharing the stage at first with a capable Ulrik Birkkjaer, then the able Alexander Castillo, as well as a divine Cinquemani and a thin Kate Highstrete. And, of course, there was the corps, among whom crisp footwork and floating arms were paramount. The ballet had the love-disillusioned-by-destiny theme of Balanchine’s later neo-Romantic works, but its propulsive energy and beauty came from the pure movement patterns that continually introduced new motifs and variations. Los Angeles Ballet, on a roll, made the old new again. calendar@latimes.com ------------ Los Angeles Ballet What: “La Sylphide” and “Serenade” When and where: 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center, 1935 Manhattan Beach Blvd., Redondo Beach; also 7:30 p.m. June 21 at Royce Hall, UCLA Tickets: $24-$95 Information: (310) 998-7782, losangelesballet.org READ ARTICLE AT SOURCE

La Sylphide plus George Balanchine’s Serenade Home / News / New Item First Seattle Tour May 1, 2014 LAB Public Relations La Sylphide plus George Balanchine’s Serenade June 27, 2014 McCaw Hall, Seattle Center Performances to include: The full-length romantic story ballet La Sylphide, choreographed by Thordal Christensen after August Bournonville George Balanchine’s SerenadeLos Angeles Ballet Co-Artistic Directors Thordal Christensen and Colleen Neary are excited to announce that the company will be touring out of California for the first time, presenting La Sylphide and Serenade to Seattle, Washington audiences June 27, 2014, at McCaw Hall at Seattle Center. This will immediately follow LAB’s tour of the same production throughout Los Angeles County.Christensen and Neary are thrilled to be bringing their first touring production to Seattle, as it is where their partnership was created – both onstage and off. Christensen and Neary were Principal Dancers for Pacific Northwest Ballet (PNB) from 1986 through 1992, dancing in ballets by Kent Stowell, Clark Tippett, Glen Tetley, George Balanchine, Lynn Taylor Corbett, José Limón, and Lar Lubovitch, as well as classics like Swan Lake. Christensen and Neary married in 1987, with PNB Founding Artistic Directors Kent Stowell and Francia Russell as their witnesses. Stowell and Russell provided Christensen and Neary with critical inspiration to eventually launch Los Angeles Ballet. “We danced at PNB in an enormous growth period for that company, during a creative time when it began to tour to Hawaii, the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, Los Angeles, and other major cities,” says Neary. It was this creative spark and strong partnership between Christensen and Neary that led to the formation of Los Angeles Ballet, and their connection to PNB that makes Seattle the ideal choice for LAB’s first out-of-state tour. LAB’s La Sylphide was debuted in 2009 with choreography by Christensen after the original 19th century ballet by Danish choreographer August Bournonville. “Los Angeles Ballet’s performances in 2009 were exemplary, among the finest achievements in the company’s history,” said Lewis Segal in his recent LA Times article, ‘Faces to Watch 2014.’ At McCaw Hall at Seattle Center, the two-act story ballet La Sylphide will be paired with George Balanchine’s romantic Serenade. La Sylphide, sometimes described as the Danish Giselle, recounts the tale of a Scotsman enamored of an entrancing woodland sprite (a sylph) and the poisonous interference of a witch, with tragic results. Serenade is unquestionably one of Balanchine’s most popular and beloved ballets. Set to Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings, 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 meticulous classical ballets, and its commitment to new works. LAB has become recognized as a world-class ballet company, in eight seasons presenting 24 productions encompassing 50 works, including 15 commissioned world premieres. Los Angeles Ballet ‘tours’ throughout LA County, regularly appearing at four venues. This past summer the Los Angeles Music Center presented Los Angeles Ballet at Grand Park, with more than 3,000 attending the outdoor performance. 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 applauded original choreography, and a proven commitment 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

c6f506e5-8f47-45d1-a7f8-6d19bc8ceed4 2024-2025 Season / Ticket Information / Privacy Policy Privacy Policy Los Angeles Ballet knows that you care how information about you is used and shared, and we appreciate your trust. The following sets forth our policy regarding the privacy of those who visit Los Angeles Ballet's website. By visiting the Los Angeles Ballet website, you are accepting the practices described in this Privacy Notice. Personal Information Collected by Los Angeles Ballet The information we learn from our visitors and customers helps us personalize and continually improve your experience at our website. Here are the types of information we gather. Information You Give Us: We receive and store any information you enter on our website or give us in any other way with the exception of credit card or banking information. Los Angeles Ballet does not save, store or retain credit card or banking information. You can choose not to provide certain information. 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Los Angeles Ballet has grown to become a world-class ballet company known for its classical ballets, innovative performances and a repertory inspired by George Balanchine. Here, Colleen Neary takes us behind the scenes. Home / News / New Item Behind the Scenes of Los Angeles Ballet November 21, 2021 Dorchester Collection READ ARTICLE AT SOURCE

Bird-watchers flocked to UCLA’s Royce Hall over the weekend as Los Angeles Ballet, now in its sixth season, continued to prove its pointe shoe prowess with the premiere of “Swan Lake.” And while everything was not always picture-perfect Saturday, husband-and-wife directors Thordal Christensen and Colleen Neary, who choreographed the four-act work after Petipa and Ivanov, continue to confound balletic naysayers with their little company that could. Home / News / New Item Los Angeles Ballet opening weekend of ‘Swan Lake’ March 5, 2012 Los Angeles Times by Victoria Looseleaf Bird-watchers flocked to UCLA’s Royce Hall over the weekend as Los Angeles Ballet, now in its sixth season, continued to prove its pointe shoe prowess with the premiere of “Swan Lake.” And while everything was not always picture-perfect Saturday, husband-and-wife directors Thordal Christensen and Colleen Neary, who choreographed the four-act work after Petipa and Ivanov, continue to confound balletic naysayers with their little company that could. A classic bipolar drama of joy and tragedy set to Tchaikovsky’s sweeping score (heard here, alas, on tape), “Swan Lake” lives and dies -– literally –- by its Odette/Odile, the sweetly vulnerable white swan/cunningly malevolent black swan. (Additional performances with cast changes are on tap in four other venues). A sturdy, stylish corps is also a must. And though Allynne Noelle’s Odette captivated with fragile, fluttering arms and superb footwork (Allyssa Bross alternates in the role), the dancer’s Odile was more smiles than seduction, her Act III fouettés less a study in surety than traveling –- or was it fatigue? One hopes, over time, that Noelle will come to fully embody both avians. The well-drilled corps, though lovely in held poses, is short on emotionally expressive steps, a cygnet requirement for representing unadulterated femininity. In the challenging pas de quatre (Bianca Bulle, Julia Cinquemani, Ariel Derby and Sophie Silna), technique again trumped finesse, another sign of LAB’s youthful makeup. As every Swan Queen needs a noble Siegfried, Kenta Shimizu was not only a gallant partner but also a thrilling soloist. His Act III variations shimmered with airy-as-meringue leaps, his landings rock solid. Also notable: Guest artist Akimitsu Yahata’s Jester generated heat with splashy split kicks, Christopher Revels’ Benno made easy work of his jetés and Christopher McDaniel’s Neapolitan dance (with Isabel Vondermuhll) was sassy and precise. A requisitely nasty Von Rothbart, Nicolas de la Vega as the bare-chested, cape-swooshing sorcerer, boosted the drama, especially in his final death throes. Kudos, also, to Oregon Ballet Theatre’s scenery and costumes: Neo-opulent castle and moonlit forest backdrops accentuated plush royal garb and crisp, sparkly tutus. While this “Swan Lake” may feature a bit of fowl play, its heart is in the right place. Long may Los Angeles Ballet spread its wings. -- Victoria Looseleaf Los Angeles Ballet’s “Swan Lake,” Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center, 1935 Manhattan Beach Blvd., Redondo Beach. 7:30 p.m. March 10; Also: Alex Theatre, 216 N. Brand Blvd., Glendale. 7:30 p.m. March 17; Carpenter Performing Arts Center, 6200 E. Atherton St., Long Beach. 7:30 p.m., March 24; Valley Performing Arts Center, 18111 Nordhoff St., Northridge. 7:30 p.m., March 31. $24-$95. (310) 998-7782. www.losangelesballet.org DOWNLOAD PDF

Despite a rocky arts landscape, Los Angeles Ballet has managed to not only survive but also prosper. What’s needed now is more attention from the local community to this admirable, and creative, company. Home / News / New Item Commentary: Los Angeles Ballet on upswing in its fifth year December 5, 2010 Los Angeles Times by Lewis Segal Despite a rocky arts landscape, Los Angeles Ballet has managed to not only survive but also prosper. What’s needed now is more attention from the local community to this admirable, and creative, company. Congratulations are in order — and maybe a sigh of relief. With its “Nutcracker” performances this weekend at the Alex Theatre in Glendale (plus repeats through the month in two other Southland venues), Los Angeles Ballet entered its fifth season as a resident professional company. Season 5 and counting: not exactly a golden anniversary but definitely a hard-won benchmark. It’s been a turbulent demi-decade for all arts organizations, one in which long-established companies such as Orange County’s Ballet Pacifica vanished from the landscape. And that was before the recession took its toll in radically diminished institutional and governmental funding for the arts. But Los Angeles Ballet hasn’t merely survived for five seasons; it’s increased the operating budget some 80%, from $900,000 in 2006-07 to $1,624,000 in 2010-11. And there are other signs of growth: increased ticket sales (up 12% last season), a new school and company center in West Los Angeles, a reconstituted board of directors, expanded support staff and audience development activities. So celebration is justified, but not complacency. After all, John Clifford’s attempt at a company of the same name in the 1970s existed for more than 10 years before it folded: a casualty of consistently under-rehearsed dancing, relentlessly mediocre home-grown choreography and the erosion of its support base. In contrast, the dancing in the new, millennial Los Angeles Ballet has always been meticulously professional and the new choreography varied and often exciting — though you can’t really measure the quality of any company from its “Nutcracker.” Clifford, however, had a knack for making his troupe seem omnipresent, a major player in local dance, while the excellences of the new company have achieved little impact or even visibility on the L.A. arts scene. Yes, it appeared as a guest on the popular “So You Think You Can Dance” reality show. And it publicized its “Nutcracker” by offering tickets on the Groupon discount site. But such innovations produced no buzz in the local community. And if you looked at the winners of the annual Lester Horton Dance Awards — an index of peer-group recognition in Southland dance — you’d scarcely know Los Angeles Ballet existed. Yet season after season, the company gives admirable performances of challenging neoclassical masterworks by George Balanchine, staged by co-artistic director Colleen Neary. The rep this March includes two highly accessible Balanchine staples: “Raymonda Variations” and “Western Symphony,” the first a tribute to the choreographer’s imperial Russian heritage, the second an expression of his enjoyment of the cowboy culture in his adopted homeland. But Balanchine isn’t the company’s sole choreographic asset. Indeed, co-artistic director Thordal Christensen’s 2009 staging of August Bournonville’s full-length “La Sylphide” easily outclassed the badly deteriorated American Ballet Theatre version and the crude approximation by the Bolshoi Ballet. The company’s first attempt at a genuine 19th century story ballet, it proved conclusively that Los Angeles Ballet can switch styles with no loss of authority. On the schedule for May: “Giselle,” another foray into the Romantic era, which Christensen previously staged for the Royal Danish Ballet. Creative partners A husband-and-wife team, Christensen and Neary danced, respectively, in Bournonville’s and Balanchine’s home companies along with other national and international ensembles. Besides their expertise on stage and in the studio, they have explored business strategies that initially seemed promising but sometimes proved counterproductive. Wisely, they quickly abandoned the notion of making Los Angeles Ballet a backup ensemble for guest stars, a practice that sells tickets but generates no company loyalty. However, their very brief repertory seasons (typically four performances) leave dancers little time to develop a personal spin on roles — to own them by an individual interpretation. So the performances often look strongly cast, coached and executed but not indelible. Worse, the directors have divided those seasons into weekend engagements in Westwood, Glendale, Redondo Beach and sometimes Santa Monica, which requires everyone to remain rehearsed at maximum firepower for nearly a month with only a performance or two in each venue as payoff. The concept of touring greater L.A. is sound in terms of audience development, for virtually every poll says that the public doesn’t want to travel more than half an hour to cultural events. But the strain on the dancers has caused Los Angeles Ballet to lose some of its most distinctive soloists to companies with longer seasons. And high-profile principals are a major reason that people keep coming back to ballet. Christensen and Neary have also had to contend with the very daunting conditions of sustaining art in Southern California — a place famed for welcoming every kind of creative expression without supporting anything for long. As far as ballet is concerned, the Los Angeles audience is highly isolated, almost never seeing the reigning international stars and classical companies that appear regularly down the 405 on the well-subsidized dance series at the Orange County Performing Arts Center. As a result, American Ballet Theatre has become the sole standard-bearer for the ballet audience in L.A., though, ironically, the company’s reputation in New York largely depends on those very same international stars who are seldom booked for its engagements at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. As the insular, old-guard ballet audience here ages and shrinks, only ABT and ABT offshoots turn up regularly on the Music Center’s classical lineup — and then only for split weeks — while widely acclaimed (and arguably better) companies such as San Francisco Ballet are increasingly unseen or undersold. So where does that leave the newbies? With a clean slate, that’s where. To survive, Christensen and Neary must build an audience from scratch — not just for Los Angeles Ballet but for the art in general — an audience that knows what it’s seeing and will still be around by the time the company celebrates its next five-year benchmark. In the works In February, the directors are scheduled to present a plan for the future to their board. A draft of that plan reveals projected budget increases that should reach $2,460,848 by the 2015-16 season. “Swan Lake” is penciled in for Season 6 or 7, and the recently inaugurated Choreographic Workshop — in which local dance-makers created works for the company — will become an annual event. A season of five productions instead of the current three will expand the dancers’ 24-week period of employment. Additional venues (Pasadena? Northridge? Orange County?) are also under consideration. But live music is not on the horizon, according to executive director Julie Whittaker (much too costly), and all this hoped-for growth will take place in an economy that experts warn may languish through the company’s 10th anniversary and beyond. Caution is warranted, but so is pride. A company founded with the highest possible standards at the worst possible time is not only news, it’s inspiring. Christensen and Neary took a chance on Los Angeles and produced the kind of art that helps us get through times like these. Isn’t it high time that Los Angeles stops ignoring the evidence and takes a chance on them? Formerly the dance critic at The Times, Segal is a freelance arts writer based in Hollywood and Barcelona. calendar@latimes.com Copyright © 2010, Los Angeles Times DOWNLOAD PDF

Los Angeles Ballet is a non-profit performing arts organization. The LAB Board of Directors provide immeasurable passion, support, professional skills, guidance, and advocacy. Board of Directors Home / Board of Directors / Los Angeles Ballet Board of Directors Jennifer Bellah Maguire Board Chair Anne Brilliant Lee Cooper Roberta K. Dahl Jenny Danzi Elias Sharon Davis Monica Garcia Duggal Peter Gross Lisa Winship Hankin Ghada Irani Sandra Kanengiser Maral Stephanie Kradjian Debbie Lustig Tamar Manoukian Lori Milken Bari Milken Bernstein Erica Min John Peters Koni Rich Corrine Sands Matilda Sung Anne Titus Hilby Founding Board Members Thordal Christensen (2004 - 2022) Catherine Kanner (2004 - 2022) Colleen Neary (2004 - 2022) Julie Whittaker (2004 - 2019) For more information, please email Julia Rivera , Executive Director LAB OUTREACH PROGRAM A Chance to Dance (ACTD) ACTD is presented two Sundays each month during Los Angeles Ballet’s season at LAB Center. LAB dancers teach free ballet classes, alternative dance/fitness classes, and more! All ages are welcome. VIEW ACTD SCHEDULE PARTICIPATE Become a Member Membership to the Los Angeles Ballet Guild provides a vital link between LAB leadership and the broader Southern California community. LAB Guild is philanthropic, creative, entrepreneurial, and industrious. We invite you to become involved. LAB supporters Bari Milken Bernstein and Tara Lipinski ; Photo : Capture Imaging MEMBERSHIP