2023/2024 Season > Dancers > Lilly Fife Hometown Westfield, Indiana Seasons with LAB 2021/2022, 2022/2023, 2023/2024 Lilly trained in her hometown at Central Indiana Academy of Dance and then went on to Boston Ballet as a trainee. After a year she went to Charlotte Ballet and spent 2 years as an apprentice. Lilly has danced with LAB since. MEET THE DANCERS 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 LOS ANGELES BALLET 2023/2024 Season This season includes exciting works by master choreographers Justin Peck, Hans van Manen, Yuri Possokhov and George Balanchine, and another world premiere by LAB Artistic Director, Melissa Barak. Plus, LA's holiday favorite, The Nutcracker. Subscriptions and Single Tickets on Sale Now! DOWNLOAD SEASON BROCHURE

Sonya Tayeh Tells Her Dancers to Keep Their Hair Down. Why Is That So Radical? March 14, 2014 Five slender women in flesh-toned leotards emerge from shadows into powerful spotlights. They unpin their ballet buns. Long brown, black and blond hair cascades down. Leaning toward the audience, they sweep their hair over their faces; for most of the next 20 minutes, Los Angeles Ballet's classically trained ballerinas dance with their hair covering their faces during a dress rehearsal for Sonya Tayeh's Beneath One's Dignity, her fourth LAB commission. It's one of two world premieres and two company premieres in LAB's Quartet, onstage at Glendale's Alex Theater this Saturday and UCLA's Royce Hall next week. Tayeh first drew widespread attention for her ferocious combat-jazz choreography on television's So You Think You Can Dance, but she has been extending her artistic horizons since her first LAB commission enhanced her cred as a multifaceted choreographer. She relocated to New York City to choreograph Kung Fu, an off-Broadway musical bio about martial arts movie legend Bruce Lee, but returned to create Beneath One's Dignity for LAB.] Known for her own distinctive, often asymmetrical hair – sometimes shaved, sometimes punctuated with red and blue – Tayeh keeps her long, wavy dark mane pulled to one side, low-key for her, as she watches the dress rehearsal. When her dance ends, Tayeh bounds onto the stage. As she gives the dancers notes, her flannel shirt and combat boots contrast starkly with the women in their flesh-colored leotards and the quintet of men in diaphanous, long black skirts. During the ballet, the women don dresses in the same black see-through material, but at this moment the dresses lie crumpled around the stage, shed and kicked away by the women, with the men repeatedly retrieving and throwing the dresses back at the women, who continue to furiously kick the dresses away. In the final moments, they finally move their hair away from their faces. After notes, in an interview, Tayeh talks about the hair and the dresses as props. “My starting point was in the title; acts or behaviors I've done, sometimes repeatedly, that I felt uncomfortable about or even shame, things beneath my dignity, but that I found myself repeating and the shields I built up to hide behind to protect myself and keep going,” Tayeh explains. “I wanted the women to start out like newborns but then put on the dress, develop the emotions and the realization of something demeaning, something beneath their dignity. The hair is like a protective mask – they want to go without it but retreat behind the hair for protection.” Tayeh says she knew working with their hair in their face was asking a lot of the dancers. “Dancing blind” was LAB principal dancer Alyssa Bross' description.”But we have come to trust Sonya,” Bross adds. “Many ballet choreographers come in, tell us the steps, turn on the music and we dance. Sonya certainly has a direction in mind, but she wants feedback. She asks us to try things and then asks what we need to be comfortable to take it further. Finding that comfort level with her allows us to find the forceful movement and even more powerful emotional levels she wants from our dancing.” The hair made unison dancing particularly difficult. “Working with the music helped, and Sonya developed breathing cues, so we were listening to each other rather than relying on visual cues,” Bross explains. The next night at the premiere, the audience cheers. Tayeh is pleased. “I had a tear in my eye,” she admits. “The dancers captured my struggle and I feel I can make my own positive changes.” Like her dancers, kicking the dress away. L.A. Weekly by Ann Haskins READ ARTICLE AT SOURCE 2023/2024 Season > News > Previous Item Next Item

Los Angeles Ballet ContinuesTenth Season with a Captivating New Production of Don Quixote February 1, 2016 Performances February 20th, 27th & March 26th, 2016 Los Angeles, xx, 2016 – Miguel de Cervante's imaginative hero Don Quixote is brought to life in this vibrant world premiere production by Thordal Christensen and Colleen Neary for Los Angeles Ballet, after Marius Pepita's classic staging. The stage glistens with exuberance and celebration in this ballet set in 17th century Spain. Don Quixote is a joyous ballet filled with the dreams of the Don, the love between Kitri and Basil, and the fantastical quests that inhabit this epic tale. Christensen and Neary’s Don Quixote is a special version for Los Angeles Ballet, true to its history, utilizing the talent and virtuosity of LAB’s dancers. It is a wondrous “pièce de résistance” with something for everyone: humor, romance, adventure and beauty. Following the success Giselle and The Nutcracker , the highly anticipated Don Quixote is LAB’s latest production in a hugely successful 10th season featuring creative retellings of classic favorites. Romeo and Juliet will be the final production of the season. According to Neary, when asked why the Great Romantics theme was chosen: “Celebrating ten years calls for big, beautiful ballets, and what else can that mean but love, passion, and relationships? On a literal note, Giselle, The Nutcracker, Don Quixote, and Romeo and Juliet are very different stories, but of course share the universal theme of love.” Continuing LAB’s mission to offer world-class professional ballet to greater Los Angeles, Don Quixote will be performed at LAB’s home theaters: UCLA’s Royce Hall, Glendale’s Alex Theatre, and the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center. ​ LAB Public Relations DOWNLOAD PDF 2023/2024 Season > News > Previous Item Next Item

Los Angeles Ballet's 'Swan Lake' is full of grace March 12, 2012 Highly pedigreed? You bet. Well-known in the dance world? No question. But Thordal Christensen and Colleen Neary have also passed the acid test: As directors of the Los Angeles Ballet, now in its sixth season, they can take a collective bow for their thoroughly sterling production of “Swan Lake.” Just remember, not any old company can stage this icon of classical ballet. Oh, many with lesser artistic resources try. But to put on a show of so fine a caliber normally takes a bigger-than-big budget, dancer bench-depth, masterly and dedicated coaching. What’s more, they mounted their full-length extravaganza with the requisite number of performances. “And that meant we had to find venues all over the city.” says Christensen, who led the eminent Royal Danish Ballet and is steeped in its standards of style and rigorous technique. “We had to travel to the audiences,” he adds, noting that people will venture out to an attraction, so long as it doesn’t mean long drives through congested traffic. So from Westwood to Long Beach, with a stop at the Alex Theatre on March 17, the company is showing off its current jewel, “Swan Lake,” all feathery finery, moonlit mirages, pathos born of misfortune, good-versus-evil conflict. Thus the mountain comes to Muhammad. And it is a mountain, what with the full-scale sets originally built at Pacific Northwest Ballet, Christensen’s last post before he decamped to Los Angeles. “In fact,” says the Danish-born danseur, “when you think about it, it’s madness, dealing with four separate acts. We’ve had to extend intermission lengths just to do the set changes,” and that took the crew a week of practice just to learn how to move things along faster, he added. But the décor is eminently beautiful, old-school poetic without looking old — or worn — and it accommodates to any standard proscenium. The costumes, too, are delicate pastels, setting off the pristine-white lakeside scenes. What catches attention, though, apart from these details, is the totality of the spectacle — the dancers’ total immersion in the action and feeling states, be they coryphees, peasants, courtiers, royalty. As to the coaching, well, it is meticulous — in contrast, even, to some A-circuit “Swan Lake” productions, like the last one American Ballet Theatre brought on tour to L.A., where we saw casts that suffered rehearsal deficits. In their prime, both Christensen and Neary danced the lead roles many times. With his deep background in Bournonville, not to mention her prominence as a member of the Balanchine Trust, it’s no surprise that the choreography they adapted from the Petipa/Ivanov model is wonderfully evocative and rational. So, too, is the mime clear, uncluttered and natural — a feat in itself for American dancers seldom exposed to courtly behavior. But then the troupe’s roster now stands higher than ever in its level of virtuosity — thanks mostly to Neary’s recruitment of dancers from companies on which she has set Balanchine works, among them ABT and Russia’s Mariinsky, formerly the Kirov. Still, holding on to them is difficult. “We lose roughly a third each year,” says LAB executive director Julie Whittaker. “But that’s par for the course with all companies.” Corina Gill was stolen by the Boston Ballet, she recalls. And some leave because of the low salaries. “Most of our dancers stay, though. The trick is to keep them performing and not laid off for any substantial period of time.” So far, artistry runs the gamut at Los Angeles Ballet. It also keeps the wheel turning. And this “Swan Lake” does the trick. DONNA PERLMUTTER is an ASCAP-Award winning music/dance critic and journalist whose work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times and many other publications. She is also the author of “Shadowplay: The Life of Antony Tudor.” Email her at donna.perlmutter@gmail.com . Glendale News-Press by Donna Perlmutter DOWNLOAD PDF 2023/2024 Season > News > Previous Item Next Item

2 2023/2024 Season > Photo Gallery > 2014/2015 The Nutcracker 2014 Dylan Burford as Clara Dylan Burford as Clara & Zheng Hua Li as Uncle Drosselmeyer LAB Ensemble Dylan Burford as Clara, David Block as The Nutcracker & LAB Ensemble Dylan Burford as Clara, Colleen Neary as Mrs. Staulbaum & Adam Luders as Mr. Staulbaum Dylan Burford as Clara & LAB Ensemble Snow Ensemble Julia Cinquemani as Marie Zachary Guthier & Alyssa Harrington & Columbine Dolls Alexander Castillo & Julia Cinqumani in Arabian Allynne Noelle as The Rose & LAB Ensemble Bianca Bulle as The Rose & LAB Ensemble LAB Ensemble Dylan Burford as Clara Dylan Burford as Clara & Zheng Hua Li as Uncle Drosselmeyer LAB Ensemble Dylan Burford as Clara, David Block as The Nutcracker & LAB Ensemble Dylan Burford as Clara, Colleen Neary as Mrs. Staulbaum & Adam Luders as Mr. Staulbaum Dylan Burford as Clara & LAB Ensemble Snow Ensemble Julia Cinquemani as Marie Zachary Guthier & Alyssa Harrington & Columbine Dolls Alexander Castillo & Julia Cinqumani in Arabian Allynne Noelle as The Rose & LAB Ensemble Bianca Bulle as The Rose & LAB Ensemble LAB Ensemble Dylan Burford as Clara Dylan Burford as Clara & Zheng Hua Li as Uncle Drosselmeyer LAB Ensemble Dylan Burford as Clara, David Block as The Nutcracker & LAB Ensemble Dylan Burford as Clara, Colleen Neary as Mrs. Staulbaum & Adam Luders as Mr. Staulbaum Dylan Burford as Clara & LAB Ensemble Snow Ensemble Julia Cinquemani as Marie Zachary Guthier & Alyssa Harrington & Columbine Dolls Alexander Castillo & Julia Cinqumani in Arabian Allynne Noelle as The Rose & LAB Ensemble Bianca Bulle as The Rose & LAB Ensemble LAB Ensemble Christensen and Neary / Tchaikovsky Previous Gallery Next Gallery All photos by Reed Hutchinson Click on image for a fullscreen presentation.

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 and learn about LAB’s Leadership, Mission, and Community Outreach initiatives. LAB HISTORY Next Steps Belles-Lettres Peck | Franck Frank Bridge Variations | van Manen/Britten U.S. Premiere New Work Barak | Bowers World Premiere Choreography - Justin Peck Music – César Franck ​ Justin Peck’s Belles-Lettres showcases Peck’s exceptional choreographic talent as he weaves together a tapestry of emotions and stories. Set to a lyrical score by composer César Franck, the ballet effortlessly blends classical ballet techniques with contemporary flair through a series of stunning pas de deux, solos, and ensemble passages, Belles-Lettres explores the delicate balance of relationships, the ebb and flow of emotions, and the power of vulnerability. BELLES-LETTRES FRANK BRIDGE VARIATIONS Choreography - Hans van Manen Music- Benjamin Britten ​ Set to a striking score by Benjamin Britten, Frank Bridge Variations showcases Hans van Manen’s exceptional choreographic genius. Through a series of dynamic and emotionally charged variations, van Manen delves into the complexities of relationships, the intricacies of individuality, and the transformative power of music. van Manen’s work has always pushed the boundaries of ballet. Frank Bridge Variations embodies the sensual style Hans van Manen is known for, making him one of the most distinct dance makers in the world. NEW WORK Choreography - Melissa Barak Music- Kris Bowers ​ Barak's world premiere features a new score by award winning film composer, Kris Bowers. This new work marks a commitment by LAB to collaborate with artists across the creative spectrum, and initiate the collaborative opportunities that are present as an LA-based company, working alongside artists from the entertainment industry. Performance Schedule On Sale Now! The Broad Stage Friday, March 22 – 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 23 – 2 p.m. Saturday, March 23 – 7:30 p.m. Sunday, March 24 – 2 p.m. BECOME A SUBSCRIBER I WANT TO RENEW Frank Bridge Variations; Courtesy of Het Nationale Ballet; Photo by Hans Gerritsen Melissa Barak portrait by Jin Lee Frank Bridge Variations; Courtesy of Het Nationale Ballet; Photo by Hans Gerritsen Melissa Barak portrait by Jin Lee Frank Bridge Variations; Courtesy of Het Nationale Ballet; Photo by Hans Gerritsen Melissa Barak portrait by Jin Lee Frank Bridge Variations; Courtesy of Het Nationale Ballet; Photo by Hans Gerritsen Melissa Barak portrait by Jin Lee Frank Bridge Variations; Courtesy of Het Nationale Ballet; Photo by Hans Gerritsen Melissa Barak portrait by Jin Lee Frank Bridge Variations; Courtesy of Het Nationale Ballet; Photo by Hans Gerritsen Melissa Barak portrait by Jin Lee Frank Bridge Variations; Courtesy of Het Nationale Ballet; Photo by Hans Gerritsen Melissa Barak portrait by Jin Lee Frank Bridge Variations; Courtesy of Het Nationale Ballet; Photo by Hans Gerritsen Melissa Barak portrait by Jin Lee Frank Bridge Variations; Courtesy of Het Nationale Ballet; Photo by Hans Gerritsen Melissa Barak portrait by Jin Lee Frank Bridge Variations; Courtesy of Het Nationale Ballet; Photo by Hans Gerritsen Melissa Barak portrait by Jin Lee Frank Bridge Variations; Courtesy of Het Nationale Ballet; Photo by Hans Gerritsen Melissa Barak portrait by Jin Lee Frank Bridge Variations; Courtesy of Het Nationale Ballet; Photo by Hans Gerritsen Melissa Barak portrait by Jin Lee Frank Bridge Variations; Courtesy of Het Nationale Ballet; Photo by Hans Gerritsen Melissa Barak portrait by Jin Lee Frank Bridge Variations; Courtesy of Het Nationale Ballet; Photo by Hans Gerritsen Melissa Barak portrait by Jin Lee Frank Bridge Variations; Courtesy of Het Nationale Ballet; Photo by Hans Gerritsen Melissa Barak portrait by Jin Lee Frank Bridge Variations; Courtesy of Het Nationale Ballet; Photo by Hans Gerritsen Melissa Barak portrait by Jin Lee Frank Bridge Variations; Courtesy of Het Nationale Ballet; Photo by Hans Gerritsen Melissa Barak portrait by Jin Lee Frank Bridge Variations; Courtesy of Het Nationale Ballet; Photo by Hans Gerritsen Melissa Barak portrait by Jin Lee Frank Bridge Variations; Courtesy of Het Nationale Ballet; Photo by Hans Gerritsen Melissa Barak portrait by Jin Lee Frank Bridge Variations; Courtesy of Het Nationale Ballet; Photo by Hans Gerritsen Melissa Barak portrait by Jin Lee Frank Bridge Variations; Courtesy of Het Nationale Ballet; Photo by Hans Gerritsen Melissa Barak portrait by Jin Lee Frank Bridge Variations; Courtesy of Het Nationale Ballet; Photo by Hans Gerritsen Melissa Barak portrait by Jin Lee Frank Bridge Variations; Courtesy of Het Nationale Ballet; Photo by Hans Gerritsen Melissa Barak portrait by Jin Lee Frank Bridge Variations; Courtesy of Het Nationale Ballet; Photo by Hans Gerritsen Melissa Barak portrait by Jin Lee Frank Bridge Variations; Courtesy of Het Nationale Ballet; Photo by Hans Gerritsen Melissa Barak portrait by Jin Lee Frank Bridge Variations; Courtesy of Het Nationale Ballet; Photo by Hans Gerritsen Melissa Barak portrait by Jin Lee Frank Bridge Variations; Courtesy of Het Nationale Ballet; Photo by Hans Gerritsen Melissa Barak portrait by Jin Lee Frank Bridge Variations; Courtesy of Het Nationale Ballet; Photo by Hans Gerritsen Melissa Barak portrait by Jin Lee Frank Bridge Variations; Courtesy of Het Nationale Ballet; Photo by Hans Gerritsen Melissa Barak portrait by Jin Lee Frank Bridge Variations; Courtesy of Het Nationale Ballet; Photo by Hans Gerritsen Melissa Barak portrait by Jin Lee Frank Bridge Variations; Courtesy of Het Nationale Ballet; Photo by Hans Gerritsen Melissa Barak portrait by Jin Lee Frank Bridge Variations; Courtesy of Het Nationale Ballet; Photo by Hans Gerritsen Melissa Barak portrait by Jin Lee Frank Bridge Variations; Courtesy of Het Nationale Ballet; Photo by Hans Gerritsen Melissa Barak portrait by Jin Lee Frank Bridge Variations; Courtesy of Het Nationale Ballet; Photo by Hans Gerritsen Melissa Barak portrait by Jin Lee Frank Bridge Variations; Courtesy of Het Nationale Ballet; Photo by Hans Gerritsen Melissa Barak portrait by Jin Lee Frank Bridge Variations; Courtesy of Het Nationale Ballet; Photo by Hans Gerritsen Melissa Barak portrait by Jin Lee Frank Bridge Variations; Courtesy of Het Nationale Ballet; Photo by Hans Gerritsen Melissa Barak portrait by Jin Lee Frank Bridge Variations; Courtesy of Het Nationale Ballet; Photo by Hans Gerritsen Melissa Barak portrait by Jin Lee Frank Bridge Variations; Courtesy of Het Nationale Ballet; Photo by Hans Gerritsen Melissa Barak portrait by Jin Lee Frank Bridge Variations; Courtesy of Het Nationale Ballet; Photo by Hans Gerritsen Melissa Barak portrait by Jin Lee Frank Bridge Variations; Courtesy of Het Nationale Ballet; Photo by Hans Gerritsen Melissa Barak portrait by Jin Lee Frank Bridge Variations; Courtesy of Het Nationale Ballet; Photo by Hans Gerritsen Melissa Barak portrait by Jin Lee Frank Bridge Variations; Courtesy of Het Nationale Ballet; Photo by Hans Gerritsen Melissa Barak portrait by Jin Lee Frank Bridge Variations; Courtesy of Het Nationale Ballet; Photo by Hans Gerritsen Melissa Barak portrait by Jin Lee Frank Bridge Variations; Courtesy of Het Nationale Ballet; Photo by Hans Gerritsen Melissa Barak portrait by Jin Lee 2023/2024 Season > Next Steps MARCH 22-24, 2024 View Full Season Firebird & Serenade NEXT STEPS

2023/2024 Season > Single Tickets > Terms and Conditions of Sales In-person Ticket Sales Group Sales Venues Accessibilty Gift Certificates Tax-Deductibe Donations Terms & Conditions of Sales In-house Policies Privacy Policy 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.

Los Angeles Ballet Rubies Gala April 1, 2013 Los Angeles Ballet's Rubies Gala 2013, chaired by Kirsten Sarkisian and Lori Milken, was held on April 20, 2013 at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel and was a stunning success. Attended by more than 350 guests, the black tie event honored Linda Duttenhaver and Nigel Lythgoe. Ms. Duttenhaver received the inaugural Angel Award, while Mr. Lythgoe was honored with the inaugural Global Impact Award. The evening ended with guests dancing to the music of JT and California Dreamin'. The event raised more than $600,000 for Los Angeles Ballet. Company News from the Staff at LAB LEARN MORE 2023/2024 Season > News > Previous Item Next Item

Jennifer Bellah Maguire Elected Chair of Los Angeles Ballet Board of Directors December 2, 2021 On November 18, 2021 Jennifer Bellah Maguire was elected Chair of the Los Angeles Ballet Board of Directors. Jennifer Bellah Maguire’s life-long engagement with dance began with classical ballet training as a child. She continued by performing with the Princeton Ballet Society, Oakland Ballet and in contemporary dance at Bryn Mawr College. Ms. Bellah Maguire joined the Board of Los Angeles Ballet in 2005 as a founding member and has been a passionate advocate for building and sustaining a ballet company with the dimension and diversity of Los Angeles. Ms Bellah Maguire is a corporate Partner at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher where she has practiced throughout her career. She holds a bachelor of arts from Bryn Mawr College and was awarded a Watson Foundation Fellowship. Her law degree is from UC Berkeley. She also serves as a Trustee of Otis College of Art and Design and is a member of The Blue Ribbon. Company News from Brandon Lussier, LAB Executive Director DOWNLOAD PDF 2023/2024 Season > News > Previous Item Next Item

Los Angeles Balanchine Presents the Balanchine Festival February 1, 2013 Balanchine GOLD (March/April 2013) and Balanchine RED (May/June 2013) A celebration of George Balanchine’s life, choreography and his time working in Hollywood with performances of seven of his greatest ballets and discussions with noted dance critics, historians and répétiteurs of The George Balanchine Trust at: Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center Royce Hall – UCLA Valley Performing Arts Center – CSU Northridge Alex Theatre – Glendale Carpenter Performing Arts Center – CSU Long Beach Los Angeles Ballet presents its Balanchine Festival , celebrating the genius of the most important and influential choreographer of the 20th century. Extending over three months, the Festival centers on seven of Balanchine’s greatest ballets performed in two programs (GOLD and RED), presented at each of LAB’s five home theaters. Special Festival events will include discussions and interviews with those who worked with Balanchine, and an examination of Balanchine’s Hollywood years with screenings of his film choreography. Los Angeles Ballet co-artistic directors Thordal Christensen and Colleen Neary assembled the program to represent Balanchine in his many styles and eras. Both Christensen and Neary danced with Balanchine’s New York City Ballet. Balanchine personally selected Neary to stage his ballets, and to become a répétiteur for The George Balanchine Trust. She has staged his ballets for major companies in America and internationally, including the Paris Opera Ballet, the Bolshoi Ballet, the Mariinksy (formerly Kirov Ballet) and American Ballet Theatre, to name a few, as well as for Los Angeles Ballet. “Selecting only seven ballets from the rich trove Balanchine created over the decades was not easy,” Christensen said. Neary added, “Each of these ballets has a specific mood and reflects a distinct musical and choreographic composition and style. Each ballet also has stories surrounding its creation, the music, and those who danced it, which will be part of the conversations that ticket holders can also experience as part of the performances.” Balanchine GOLD includes La Sonnambula , a one-act story ballet with love, jealousy, murder and a mysterious sleepwalker; Concerto Barocco, one of Balanchine’s signature works set to Bach’s Concerto in D-minor for Two Violins ; Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux , a bravura duet set to what was the original music for the Black Swan pas de deux; and Four Temperaments, with music Paul Hindemith composed at Balanchine’s request and wherein the choreographer fused classical and contemporary movement to explore the medieval “humors” attributed to the human body. Balanchine RED opens with another one-act story ballet, La Valse , where Maurice Ravel’s music is the backdrop for a young woman’s fascination with a sinister figure at a ball. Agon employs Igor Stravinsky’s score for a series of contests among the dancers, and Balanchine returns to Stravinsky for Rubies , the jazzy, exuberant center section of the full length ballet, Jewels . George Balanchine, (or Mr. B as he was called by those who knew and worked with him), began his career in Russia, built his reputation as a choreographer at Sergei Diaghilev’s Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, then came to the United States where he established the School of American Ballet and built what became the New York City Ballet. But Balanchine also spent time in Hollywood, often choreographing for his then wife Vera Zorina. Balanchine’s time in Hollywood is one of the aspects of his career that will be explored by a rotating roster of guest commentators that includes arts journalists Lewis Segal, Victoria Looseleaf, and Sasha Anawalt, and Balanchine répétiteurs including Colleen Neary, her sister Patricia Neary, Kent Stowell and Francia Russell. During his life Balanchine selected répétiteurs authorized to stage his ballets. Since his death in 1983, The Balanchine Trust and its répétiteurs have continued to ensure the integrity of the staging of Balanchine’s ballets while introducing new generations to Balanchine’s legacy. (The George Balanchine Trust, established in 1987 with the mission of preserving and protecting Balanchine’s creative works, is the center from which the business operations relating to the licensing of George Balanchine’s creative output emanate. The Trust has the responsibility of disseminating and protecting the integrity and the copyrights of George Balanchine’s work in the present and for the future, and assigns répétiteurs to teach and coach Balanchine ballets around the world.) “April 30, 2013 marks the 30th anniversary of Mr. B’s death,” Christensen noted. “We had added two more theaters for a total of five home venues, and as Los Angeles Ballet was entering its seventh season in 2012-2013, it seemed the appropriate time for a festival to celebrate Balanchine’s genius and life. It was a happy coincidence when the Music Center announced its festival celebrating the 100th anniversary of Igor Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring, L.A.’s Rite: Stravinsky, Innovation, and Dance. ” “Our Balanchine Festival fit like a glove with the Stravinsky festival,” Neary said. “Balanchine and Stravinsky were great friends and loved to collaborate. With Agon and Rubies already part of Los Angeles Ballet’s Balanchine Festival, we were very pleased with the invitation to perform those ballets this summer as part of the Stravinsky festival to honor both Balanchine and Stravinsky at the same time.” ​ LAB Public Relations DOWNLOAD PDF 2023/2024 Season > News > Previous Item Next Item

‘New Wave LA’...is heavily influenced by 'So You Think You Can Dance’ choreographers. May 9, 2010 Three couples are negotiating a series of head-to-head moves, rapid-fi re turns and daring leaps to cranked-up tango music of Astor Piazzolla. At fi rst glance they could be contestants in a postmodern dance marathon. In reality, they are rehearsing a new piece for Los Angeles Ballet’s fi nal program of its fourth season. The benefi cent task mistress calling the shots is choreographer Sonya Tayeh, the heavily tattooed 33-year-old known for her work on Fox’s hit television show “So You Think You Can Dance.” “I want you to feel the energy in your temples,” says Tayeh, her rhinestone-dotted ponytail sprouting beneath a purple-streaked neo-Mohawk. “I need to see that connection.” Tayeh’s piece is one of four world premieres commissioned by LAB’s husband-and-wife co-artistic directors, Colleen Neary and Thordal Christensen. Premiering Saturday at the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center, the program has been dubbed “New Wave LA “ and features numbers by “So You Think” choreographers Travis Wall and Mandy Moore and a work by Josie Walsh, an erstwhile ballerina who danced with Joffrey Ballet and Zurich Ballet and who made a work for LAB’s fi rst choreographic workshop last year. The program represents a departure from the young troupe’s usual mix of George Balanchine and story ballets such as “La Sylphide.” “These choreographers are young, they’re new, they’re exciting,” says Neary from her offi ce in LAB’s 4,000- square-foot Westside studios. A former New York City Ballet dancer, her svelte body still Balanchine-worthy at 57, Neary says she intended to showcase young choreographers from the start. “We’re building this company from a creative place, where L.A. people who are in the arts can come and create.” Christensen says: “Some of the choreographers haven’t really worked on pointe before, but that’s the uniqueness of a ballet company — the pointe shoes. How wonderful to be able to bring some of these more commercial choreographers in to classically trained dancers and also give the dancers a chance to do something different.” Straddling the commercial and concert world is not totally foreign to Los Angeles Ballet. A pair of its dancers performed on Fox’s dance show in 2008. And Christensen, who danced with Royal Danish Ballet and was also artistic director of that company before landing in L.A. in 2002 with Neary, choreographed a number for Melissa Sandvig, the show’s “naughty ballerina,” last season. “So You Think You Can Dance” creator, producer and judge Nigel Lythgoe (the new season begins May 27), says it’s win-win. “It’s important for Los Angeles Ballet to be seen on the cutting edge and show they are not elitist. And working with L.A. Ballet certainly benefi ts the choreographers from the opposite direction — they’re going to have to adapt their styles to a certain degree, to make the dancers look good.” With the exception of Walsh, the choreographers are accustomed to making three- to fi ve-minute works instead of meatier 20-minute fare. Detroit-born Tayeh, who graduated from Wayne State University with a bachelor’s degree in dance, relishes the challenge. “We only have two days of rehearsal for ‘So You Think You Can Dance,’ which makes us have to get the point across right away. Working with L.A. Ballet is a nice change, but I’m trying to maintain that same sense of the way I move by being athletic with the pointe shoes.” At 22, Wall, who grew up in his mother’s Virginia Beach dance studio and won the Capezio A.C.E. Award as choreographer of the year 2009, is the baby of the bunch. Having danced on the recent Oscars’ telecast, as well as assisting producer-choreographer Adam Shankman, the tattooed dynamo with the bleached hair also choreographed a number for NYCB principal Tiler Peck for a recent appearance on “Dancing With the Stars.” Wall’s work is set to a pastiche of music, including a string version of U2’s “With or Without You.” His eight dancers are swaying to an elegiac violin melody before they begin a sequence of canon-like moves. Scrutinizing his charges and correcting a misplaced arm, Wall instructs them: “You’re telling a story. It’s a broken picture that then gets back to the way it was.” Wall says he’s used to working with contemporary dancers, but having the luxury to expand an idea is a welcome assignment. “Sometimes choreographers get wrapped up in ideas and average viewers won’t get it. I’m making sure my ideas will be visible to the naked eye.” A native Coloradan, Moore, 33, has performed on television shows as well as having made dances for “American Idol” and “So You Think You Can Dance.” Her work for Los Angeles Ballet, set to music by Cirque Eloize, features four couples executing whimsical unisons, with the girls in soft ballet slippers. “We have a tendency as dancers to compartmentalize,” says a bubbly Moore, “but movement is movement. It doesn’t matter if you stand at the barre or put on tap shoes. I think of somebody who’s used to only going to ballet performances, to see the work of Travis, Josie and me, it’s going to be thought-provoking.” As for the company’s dancers, they seem to thrive on the new movement vocabularies. Andrew Brader, 24, has been with L.A. Ballet since its inception and is in works by Walsh and Tayeh. “Sonya’s movement is not as familiar as what we’re used to. There’s a rawness to it, and getting it into the body is at fi rst uncomfortable, but she keeps pushing and it becomes ingrained. Josie’s movement is more accented. There’s more intention behind it.” Walsh, 38, has her own company, MYOKYO. She’s produced several full-evening works that are a mash-up of pointe shoes, aerial dances and industrial rock music, composed by her husband, Paul Rivera. She calls it “renegade ballet.” Walsh’s premiere for six dancers, “Transmutation,” while making use of classical technique, also features thrusting tango gyrations, huge grand plies on pointe and sexy split leg lifts — all to Rivera’s pulsating score. Says Walsh: “I’m constantly breaking my own barriers and exploring new movement, new dynamics. When it comes to my work with a ballet company, it’s defi nitely harder-hitting.” Los Angeles Ballet continues to dial up the heat. Of their recent all-Balanchine program, the Los Angeles Times wrote that the troupe “entered a new phase ... its dancers showing increasing mastery with a repertory that, while familiar, is unforgiving.” How they ultimately handle unfamiliar choreography, albeit works tailor-made for their bodies, will prove revealing, as will the dances themselves. “You want a choreographer to have ideas,” says Christensen, “and to be able to give them to the dancers. These choreographers are inventive and a good mix. We also like their moods in transition with each other.” “So You Think You Can Dance” notwithstanding, “We’re not here to do reality shows,” Christensen says. “We’re here to produce art.” calendar@latimes.com Los Angeles Times by Victoria Looseleaf – Special to the Los Angeles Times DOWNLOAD PDF 2023/2024 Season > News > Previous Item Next Item

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