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  • Major Giving | Season 2024/2025 | Los Angeles Ballet

    Los Angeles Ballet is launching an exciting new partnership opportunity for Season 19! If you are a luxury brand seeking to bridge and advance the art forms of design and dance, please consider joining our LAB Brand Collaborators. Major Giving 2024/2025 Season / Major Giving / Elevate the Stage: Invest in the future of Los Angeles Ballet As Los Angeles Ballet (LAB) begins Season 19, our mission to bring high-quality and culturally enriching ballet to Los Angeles County is driven by our passion for the art form and our belief that ballet should be shared with, and enjoyed by, as many people as possible. Major gifts help LAB achieve transformational growth, provide financial support for long-term planning, and elevate the art form. Learn more about our Special Project Funds and Season 19 Priorities below: ARTISTIC INNOVATION FUND DANCERS WELLNESS FUND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT FUND COSTUME, SCENIC, AND STAGING FUND MEMORYHOUSE BARAK | RICHTER LIVE ORCHESTRA FUND OFF BALANCE Special Project Funds Artistic Innovation Fund Pioneering new works keeps ballet evolving and propels the art form forward. To date, LAB has created and produced 17 illuminating world-premiere ballets. The Artistic Innovation Fund supports commissioning new works and collaborations such as LAB’s Artistic Director Melissa Barak’s world-premiere Cylindrical Forces with an original score by award-winning film composer Kris Bowers. $25,000 Provides seed funding for the new work development process. The choreographer develops a unique concept or narrative, often inspired by a story, theme, or musical score, forming the foundational vision of the new ballet. $50,000 Supports a week of rehearsal workshops with the full company as the new work takes shape. Dancers begin exploring and interpreting the choreography. This phase involves iterative refinement, where feedback from rehearsals informs adjustments in the choreography and production design. $100,000 Funds transferring the work from the studio to the stage. Final adjustments are made to integrate the choreography with the various production designers - sound, scenic, costume and lighting. Dancer Wellness Fund Ensures our dancers have all the support they need to achieve high-performance goals as athletes and artists! LAB employs a company of 26 professional dancers on a 26-week contract. $25,000 Supports physical therapy for the company. By providing personalized care, physical therapists help ensure that dancers can perform at their best while minimizing the risk of short-term injury and promoting a sustainable, long-lasting career for our dancers. $50,000 Funds dancer supplies including new pointe shoes and facilities updates to keep our dancers safe. LAB purchases approximately 350 pointe shoes a year! $100,000 Underwrites one month of training to prepare our company for the rigorous demands of the art form. Unlike other performing artists, professional ballet dancers must take daily technique classes with ballet masters, weight training, and conditioning to maintain physical fitness and foster artistic growth before rehearsing. Community Engagement Fund LAB’s Community Engagement activities are currently centered on two long-standing programs. Power of Performance (POP!) provides at least 10% of tickets seasonally, free of charge, to under-resourced community members. LAB does this by partnering with nonprofit, social service, and community-based organizations focused on supporting and enriching the lives of vulnerable groups, including foster children, senior citizens, U.S. military veterans, formerly incarcerated adults, and more. “I was at The Nutcracker , the very first ballet with our ladies. It was so magical to see some who had been homeless or being abused or just abusing themselves with drugs so free and happy. The situation that got me was that about half of the ladies had tears streaming down their faces and they all said at once when they saw me looking at them that they had never experienced something so beautiful before." – Program Participant LAB’s other primary Dance Engagement program is A Chance To Dance (ACTD), an arts learning program that provides monthly free dance classes to the public for all ages. ACTD features age- and skill-appropriate dance instruction, with all classes taught by LAB company dancers. In addition to expanding our ACTD classes year-round, LAB has reactivated ACTD in public schools as part of a partnership with Turn Around Arts. LAB has begun a residency at McKinley Elementary School (a K-8, Title 1 school in the Compton Unified School District) to offer free dance classes to their students. $25,000 Gives the gift of live ballet to 250 participants of POP! $50,000 Provides free dance classes to 1,200 arts learners of all ages and levels. $100,000 Underwrites 10% of Nutcracker performance tickets to serve 1,000 POP! participants. Costume, Scenic and Staging Fund Invest in the crucial technical and creative elements that go into transforming the stage into the stunning world exhibited by classical ballet. From the detailed staging by repetiteurs to executing the dramatic lighting, costumes, and set design, these aspects are all integrated to create ballet magic. $25,000 Supports authorized repetiteurs to teach and rehearse beloved choreography, like Balanchine’s Serenade . $50,000 Funds the creation of new costumes and provides much-needed funding to refurbish existing pieces in our inventory. Costume design plays a crucial role in preserving the artistic integrity and vibrancy of the ballet for future generations. $100,000 Underwrites lighting, scenic design, and production materials, which are vital for translating a choreographer's vision into a tangible experience. They set the mood, highlight key moments, and help tell the story visually, making the narrative more accessible to the audience. Season 19 Priorities Memoryhouse Barak | Ritcher January 30 – February 1, 2025 | Co-Presented with The Wallis Los Angeles Ballet seeks funding to restage Artistic Director Melissa Barak’s vitally important work Memoryhouse commemorating the 6 million Jewish lives lost during the Holocaust to mark the 80th anniversary since the camps were liberated. Barak partnered with Hagy Belzberg, Founding Partner of BA Collective and the architect of The Holocaust Museum LA for set design, and Sebastian Peschiera of Narduli Studio for media design. Sponsorship supports the artistic, production, and design transfer to The Wallis. Pioneering New Work The original full-length ballet by LAB Artistic Director Melissa Barak was created to move audiences on a visceral level to seek out information about a history that can never be forgotten. The piece premiered in June 2023 at the BroadStage thanks to Principal Sponsor support from The David and Janet Polak Foundation and received local and national critical acclaim. “Memoryhouse signals a dazzling creative accomplishment.” – Forbes “Striking and complex neoclassical ballet.” – LA Times According to the Dance Data Project, the year Memoryhouse premiered there were only twelve full-length world premieres. Only two of those premieres were choreographed by women. Melissa Barak and Los Angeles Ballet were one of those two premieres. Levels of Support Sponsor - $25,000 Supports the rehearsal process. Major Sponsor - $50,000 Funds the production transfer to The Wallis. Lead Sponsor - $75,000 Underwrites one performance. Live Orchestra Fund The Nutcracker December 19 – 28, 2024 (10 performances) Cinderella June 12 – 15, 2025 (5 performances) Los Angeles Ballet seeks funding to support a live orchestra of 56 musicians and a conductor for LAB’s The Nutcracker and Cinderella performances at Dolby Theatre. Where Music Meets Motion Audiences and dancers can feel when a score is performed live. A live orchestra brings an added layer of energy to every performance. This synergy is why Los Angeles Ballet is passionate about honoring the original intentions of choreographers and composers. The enduring tradition of a full orchestra pit breathing life into the masterpieces of legendary composers, such as Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker or Prokofiev’s Cinderella , is becoming a rarity. In recent years, ballet companies have been forced to substitute live orchestras with recorded music as they struggle with escalating production costs and inflation. LAB is one of the few companies in Southern California that still performs classical ballets with live orchestration. Not only are we enhancing the artistic experience, but we are also contributing to the creative economy in Los Angeles County by supporting working musicians. Levels of Support Sponsor - $25,000 Underwrites 25 musicians for one performance. Major Sponsor - $50,000 Underwrites 50 musicians for one performance. Lead Sponsor - $75,000 Underwrites a full orchestra and conductor for two performances. Off Balance March 22 – 23, 2025 | Destination Crenshaw’s Sankofa Park This season LAB introduces an exciting new dance series, Off Balance . In collaboration with multifaceted artist Shantell Martin, this avant-garde exploration of levels and space will be performed at Destination Crenshaw’s Sankofa Park. Off Balance is the inaugural piece of an experimental new dance program for LAB that includes collaborations with diverse artists, choreographers, and musicians pushing the boundaries of ballet and dance, set in environments off the proscenium stage. Innovative Collaborations Choreographer/Visual Designer British-born visual artist Shantell Martin, known for her work across various disciplines, has achieved notable success in the realms of fine art, education, design, philosophy, and technology. Her journey includes collaborations with prestigious institutions such as MIT Media Lab, NYU Tisch ITP, and Columbia University’s Brown Institute, as well as choreographing for Boston Ballet. Martin's art explores themes like intersectionality, identity, and play and, she has showcased her work in solo exhibitions at renowned galleries, including the 92Y Gallery in New York, Albright Knox Gallery, and the New Britain Museum of American Art. Levels of Support Sponsor - $25,000 Supports the new work development phase to devise and conceptualize the work from the ground up. Major Sponsor - $50,000 Funds the rehearsal and collaboration process with the dancers and creative team. Lead Sponsor - $75,000 Underwrites one performance. Be part of the movement! When you give to LAB, you join a community of philanthropists who believe that both pioneering new works and beloved classics are the future of the cultural landscape of Los Angeles. We seek to build a community through a shared love of ballet and to provide a deeper appreciation of the art form through unique experiences and exclusive content. In addition to performance tickets, we offer in-studio visits, access to donor lounges, and sponsorship recognition in appreciation of major gifts. Thank you for your consideration! GIVE NOW Contact Danielle Bearden-Mead Director of Development (310) 477-7411 ext 1006 Non-profit 501 c3 Tax ID #20-1819852 Top Photo: Cylindrical Forces by Cheryl Mann Photography; Photos in boxes: Kris Bowers & Melissa Barack by Mary Katherine Leslie; LAB dance class by Rachel Weber Photography; Power of Performance (POP!) by Mary Katherine Leslie; Firebird by Cheryl Mann Photography; Memoryhouse by Cheryl Mann Photography; Orchestra by Catherine Kanner; Off Balance by Cheryl Mann Photography; Photos in accordions: Memoryhouse by Cheryl Mann Photography; Preserving Live Classical Music In Ballet - The Nutcracker by Cheryl Mann Photography, Orchestra by Catherine Kanner; Off Balance - Portrait by Michelle Mosqueda; Installation by Connie Tsang

  • Subscribe | 2024/2025 Season | Los Angeles Ballet

    Choose a standard subscription or a themed series and enjoy all the benefits of being a Los Angeles Ballet Subscriber. Subscribe 2024/2025 Season / Subscribe / Subscribe Choose a standard subscription or a themed series and enjoy all the benefits of being a Los Angeles Ballet Subscriber. Full Season Subscription Choose one date/time at any venue for Memoryhouse , Cinderella , and The Nutcracker * FULL SEASON SUBSCRIPTION Choose-2 Subscription Select one date/time at any venue for two productions from Memoryhouse , Cinderella , and The Nutcracker * CHOOSE-2 SUBSCRIPTION Opening Nights Series See the Opening Night of all 3 productions this season; Memoryhouse , Cinderella , and The Nutcracker * OPENING NIGHT SERIES Saturday Nights Series See a Saturday night performance of all 3 productions this season; Memoryhouse , Cinderella , and The Nutcracker* SATURDAY NIGHT SERIES Matinee Series See a Matinee performance of all 3 productions this season; Memoryhouse , Cinderella , and The Nutcracker* MATINEE SERIES Subscriber Benefits Bring a Friend For only $25, introduce someone to world-class ballet Free Exchanges Receive unlimited free exchanges within the same production See It Again See a performance in your subscription again for only $40 Keep Your Seat Like your seats this season? Retain your seats for subsequent seasons Priority Seating Receive first choice of Los Angeles Ballet venue seating Arts Patron Invitations Receive invitations to arts & culture events from our Los Angeles cultural partners Subscriber Standby Missed your scheduled performance? Be on the Standby List for the next one Seat Upgrade Choose a production in your subscription to upgrade your seats for free Need More Tickets? Get 10% off Add-on Single Tickets for any production Ballet Boutique Discount Subscribers save 15% on gifts and merchandise sold at performances 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 2024/2025 Season This season includes a beloved fairy tale Cinderella , an experimental outdoor artist collaboration, the return of a critically acclaimed original by LAB Artistic Director Melissa Barak, and the Los Angeles holiday favorite, The Nutcracker . Subscriptions and Single Tickets on Sale Now! DOWNLOAD SEASON BROCHURE

  • Series A Subscription | 2023/2024 Season | Los Angeles Ballet

    Choose the Series B subscription and enjoy all the benefits of being a Los Angeles Ballet Subscriber. 2024/2025 Season / Subscribe / Select Your Serie / Series B / Need Assistance? Email / (310) 998-7782 Login Series B Subscription

  • The Nutcracker | December 4, 2021, 6pm | Los Angeles Ballet

    Choose the Series G subscription and enjoy all the benefits of being a Los Angeles Ballet Subscriber. 2024/2025 Season / Subscribe / Select Your Serie / Series G / Need Assistance? Email / (310) 998-7782 Login Series G Subscription

  • Cinderella | 2024/2025 Season | Los Angeles Ballet

    Set to a joyful and melodic score by Sergei Prokofiev with captivating choreography by acclaimed choreographer Edwaard Liang, this version of Cinderella reimagines parts of the story to add emotional depth, new twists, a bit of fantasy, and a touch of humor Cinderella JUNE 12-15, 2025 2024/2025 Season / Cinderella / Cinderella Before the clock strikes midnight, join LAB at the ball for this fairytale favorite. Set to a joyful and melodic score by Sergei Prokofiev with captivating choreography by acclaimed choreographer Edwaard Liang, this version of Cinderella reimagines parts of the story to add emotional depth, new twists, a bit of fantasy, and a touch of humor, blending classical sensibilities with a modern attitude. Fall in love with the Prince, let the Fairy Godmother enchant you with a sprinkle of fairy dust, and cheer as the evil Stepmother and Stepsister's plans are foiled. A delightful experience for fans of all ages. All performances of Cinderella will be performed with a live orchestra at Dolby Theatre in the heart of Hollywood. Choreography Internationally renowned former dancer and choreographer Edwaard Liang was born in Taiwan and raised in Northern California. Beginning his career at the New York City Ballet, Liang now brings his immense choreographic talents to the Washington Ballet as its new Artistic Director. Liang is the first Asian American to lead a major ballet company, and his works have graced the stage and screen to great acclaim. Score Regarded as one of the most important composers of the 20th century, Sergei Prokofiev is known for his diatonic compositions. Composed during World War II, Cinderella is regarded as one of Prokfiev’s most popular compositions and made its debut in Moscow in 1945. The piece is well-loved for its jubilant and melodic score. Program length - 130 minutes with 2 intermissions BECOME A SUBSCRIBER I WANT TO RENEW Photos by Jennifer Zmuda, courtesy of BalletMet Perfomance Schedule On Sale Now! Dolby Theatre Thursday, June 12, 2025 – 7:30 Friday, June 13, 2025 – 7:30 pm Saturday, June 14, 2025 – 2 pm Saturday, June 14, 2025 – 7:30 pm Sunday, June 15, 2025 – 2 pm 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

  • Power of Performance | Los Angeles Ballet

    Since its debut in 2006, Los Angeles Ballet’s Outreach program, Power of Performance! (POP!), has provided a minimum of 10% of tickets to all performances, free of charge, to Los Angeles County’s disadvantaged children and their parents or guardians, military personnel and their dependents, and non-profit senior organizations. Power of Performance Home / Power of Performance / Los Angeles Ballet’s Power of Performance (POP!) Since its debut in 2006, Los Angeles Ballet’s Power of Performance! (POP!) Outreach program has provided 10% of tickets to LAB performances, free of charge, to Los Angeles County community partner organizations that provide services and support underserved communities all across the County. Contact: Laura Chachich, Director of Education Programs (310) 477-7411 outreach@losangelesballet.org BOOK YOUR ORGANIZATION Book POP! for Your Organization Some of our participating community partners: Veteran Tickets Foundation Amity Foundation Union Rescue Mission Domestic Abuse Center Create Now LA County Dept of Probation Cancer Support Community Redondo Beach Performing Arts For All Keen LA PATH Ventures Everybody Dance! SOCIAL JOIN US ON FACEBOOK Follow LAB on Facebook and stay up with dancers, performances and special events! JOIN US ON FACEBOOK LOS ANGELES BALLET 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

  • Thank You! | Los Angeles Ballet

    Thank you for your request for Group Tickets for the 2021/2022 Season. The Los Angeles Ballet Box Office will contact you to assist with your request. Thank You! Thank you for your request for Group Tickets for the 2021/2022 Season. The Los Angeles Ballet Box Office will contact you to assist with your request. 2024/2025 Season / Ticket Information / Group Sales / Group Request Thank You /

  • Repertoire | Los Angeles Ballet

    Los Angeles Ballet repertoire includes superb stagings of a Balanchine repertory, stylistically meticulous classical ballets, and commissioned contemporary works by renowned local and international choreographers. Repertoire Home / Repertoire / LAB Repertoire Agon Balanchine / Stravinsky Allegro Brillante Balanchine / Tchaikovsky An American Camelot* Backhaus / Basie, Fitzgerald, Kitt, Martin Apollo Balanchine / Stravinsky Beneath One's Dignity* Tayeh / Sigurðsson Be Still* Tookey / Banks and Johannsson Bloom Lopez Ochoa / Glass Cipher* Stowell / Agruss colony* McNamee / Clyne Concerto Barocco Balanchine / Bach Divertimento No. 15 Balanchine / Mozart Don Quixote Christensen and Neary after Marius Petipa and Alexander Gorky /Minkus Duets in the act of...* Tayeh / ArnaldsFool's Paradise Wheeldon / Talbot Giselle Christensen and Neary after Coralli, Perrot, Petipa/Adam Ghosts Wheeldon / Winger Kammermusik No. 2 Balanchine / Hindemith Lady of the Camellias Caniparoli/Chopin La Sonnambula Balanchine / Rieti after Bellini La Sylphide Bournonville / Løvenskjold La Valse Balanchine / Ravel Les Chambres des Jacques Barton / Vigneault, Vivaldi, Les Yeux Noirs, The Cracow Klezmer Band Lickety Split Cerrudo / Banhart Lost In Transition* Barak / Meyer Memoryhouse Barak/Richter Morphoses Wheeldon/Ligeti My Greatest Fear* Tayeh / Richter and Pärt Napoli Bournonville / Helsted, Paulli Pacopepeluto Cerrudo / Pärt, Martin, Scalissi Pas de Six Bournonville / Helsted, Paulli Prodigal Son Balanchine / Prokofiev Raymonda Variations Balanchine / Glazounov Reflect. Affect. Carry On...* Wall / Queen, U2, Sigur Ros Return to a Strange Land Kylián / Janácek Romeo and Juliet Sir Frederick Ashton / Prokofiev Rubies Balanchine / Stravinsky Sechs Tänze Kylián / Mozart Second to Last Cerrudo / Pärt Serenade Balanchine / Tchaikovsky she said / he said* Backhaus / Muhly Sirens* Walsh / Rivera Jr. Stars and Stripes Balanchine / Kay after Sousa Stravinsky Violin Concerto Balanchine / Stravinsky Swan Lake Christensen and Neary after Petipa & Ivanov / Tchaikovsky Tarantella Balanchine / Gottschalk Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux Balanchine / Tchaikovsky Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 2 Balanchine / Tchaikovsky the back and forth* Tayeh / Bjork, Piazzolla, Paris Gotan Trio The Evangelist Lubovitch / Ives The Four Temperaments Balanchine / Hindemith The Moor's Pavane Limón / Purcell arr. by Sadoff The Nutcracker Christensen and Neary / Tchaikovsky The Sleeping Beauty Christensen and Neary after Petipa / Tchaikovsky This is you* Lou / Scheele, van der Loo Transmutation* Walsh / Rivera Jr. Untouched Barton / Kong Kie, Macdonald, Shurbin Western Symphony Balanchine / American Songs Orchestrated by Kay Who Cares? Balanchine / Gershwin Wink* Moore / Cirque Eloize *LAB Commissioned Work | World Premiere The performances of Balanchine® Ballets are presented by arrangement with The Balanchine Trust and are produced in accordance with the Balanchine Style® and Balanchine Technique® service standards established and provided by the Trust. 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 ABOUT Los Angeles Ballet Founded in 2004 by Artistic Directors Thordal Christensen and Colleen Neary, and Executive Director Emerita 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. LEARN MORE

  • Thank You! | Los Angeles Ballet

    Thank you for your request to Subscribe to the 2024/2025 Season. The Los Angeles Ballet Box Office will contact you to assist you with your Subscription details. Thank You! Thank you for your request to Subscribe to the 2024/2025 Season. The Los Angeles Ballet Box Office will contact you to assist you with your Subscription details. 2024/2025 Season / Subscribe / Become a Subscriber / Subscription Request Thank You /

  • Gala 2024 | Los Angeles Ballet

    Los Angeles – April 18, 2024 - (LAB) hosted its annual Gala on April 18th at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel with dynamic performances by LAB dancers honoring Jennifer Bellah Maguire, accomplished Attorney & LAB Board Chair, and Academy Award®  Winner & LAB Collaborator Kris Bowers, with Angel Awards for the extraordinary contributions they have made to the arts, LAB and the city of Los Angeles. Home / xGala 2024 / Kris Bowers, Academy Award® Winner & Los Angeles Ballet Collaborator, and Jennifer Bellah Maguire, Accomplished Attorney & Los Angeles Ballet Chair Were Honored at the 2024 LAB Gala. Gala Raised over $1.246 Million Los Angeles – April 18, 2024 - (LAB) hosted its annual Gala on April 18th at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel with dynamic performances by LAB dancers honoring Jennifer Bellah Maguire, accomplished Attorney & LAB Board Chair, and Academy Award® Winner & LAB Collaborator Kris Bowers, with Angel Awards for the extraordinary contributions they have made to the arts, LAB and the city of Los Angeles. Kris Bowers, Jennifer Bellah Maguire, Melissa Barak; Photo by Shutterstock Koni Rich, Sharon Davis, Melissa Barak, Donna Mills, Erica Min; Photo by Shutterstock Over the last decade, LAB’s Gala has grown into a beloved event to celebrate ballet as part of the cultural landscape of Los Angeles while raising critical funds for LAB’s artistic programming and mission-driven community offerings. This year, the Gala raised $1.246 Million supporting artistic initiatives that include pioneering bold new works and staging beloved classical story ballets, as well as bringing free dance classes to individuals of all ages and skill levels and the joy of live, professional ballet to under-resourced communities across Los Angeles County, including foster youth, veterans, seniors in assisted living and cancer survivors. Sharon Davis, Erica Min, and Koni Rich were the Gala co-chairs, and the evening was hosted by Emmy® Award-winning actress Donna Mills, with Andrew Firestone, of The Bachelor fame, overseeing the Live Appeal. Jeri Gaile, actress and the current Fred Roberts Director of The Music Center Spotlight, presented the Angel Award to Kris Bowers, and Jon Sokoloff, managing partner of Leonard Green & Partners, presented the Angel Award to Jennifer Bellah Maguire. Michael Milken gave a touching tribute to longtime LAB supporter Robert A. Day. The evening was sponsored by Gov. Gray (Ret.) & Sharon Davis, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, Dr Ray & Ghana Irani, Debbie & James Lustig, Dr. Richard Merkin, Michael & Lori Milken Foundation, Erica & Sung Min, Julie Opperman, and Koni & Geoff Rich. Lori & Michael Milken: Photo by Shutterstock Governor Gray Davis (Ret.), Monica Duggal & Aaron Duggal; Photo by Shutterstock Guests included Stephanie Blackmore, Glorya Kaufman, Jerry & Terri Kohl, Michael & Lori Milken, Bari Milken Bernstein & Fred Bernstein, Dr. Ray & Ghada Irani, Debbie & Jimmy Lustig, Joan Van Ark, Alia Tutor and Anita Mann Kohl, and arts leaders including Robert van Leer (The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts) and Rachel Moore (The Music Center). Past honorees include Paula Abdul, Lawrence Bender, Sofia Carson, Governor Gray Davis & Sharon Davis, Robert Day, Jenna Dewan, Linda Duttenhaver, Derek Hough, Ghada Irani, Bari Milken, Lori Milken, Jeff Polak, Gelila Assefa Puck, Kenny Ortega, Jane Seymour, Adam Shankman, Anastasia Soare, Johnese Spisso, Alia Tutor and Ben Vereen. LAB Dancers Bryce Broedell, Marco Biella, Paige Wilkey, Hannah Keene; Photo by Shutterstock LAB is the largest professional dance company in Los Angeles and is on an exciting trajectory toward national recognition. Melissa Barak’s world premiere of Memoryhouse this past June gained local and national acclaim. The Los Angeles Times wrote, “It is an exciting moment for ballet in Los Angeles” and Forbes wrote, “Memoryhouse signals a dazzling creative accomplishment.” (Left to Right) LAB Dancers Jacob Soltero, Cesar Ramirez, Simon Costello in Reclamations; Photo by Shutterstock About Los Angeles Ballet - Los Angeles Ballet (LAB) is the leading ballet company in Los Angeles known for staging classical, contemporary, romantic, and neoclassical ballets, pioneering new works, and presenting relevant works by many of today’s most innovative dance-makers. LAB’s original production of The Nutcracker is an annual holiday favorite for Los Angeles residents and regional, national, and international visitors. Led by Artistic Director Melissa Barak, LAB performs in multiple theater venues across LA County including The Broad Stage in Santa Monica, Royce Hall at UCLA, Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center, Pasadena Civic Auditorium, and Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. As part of its mission to expand people’s knowledge of and nurture a love for ballet, LAB gives access to performances to the widest audiences possible by providing free tickets for thousands of residents in underserved communities in Los Angeles County through its arts education program, Power of Performance (POP!). In 2012, LAB launched a hands-on outreach program called A Chance to Dance (ACTD) that provides free ballet and movement instruction for all ages. For information on LAB’s Gala, please contact Danielle Bearden-Mead Director of Development dbeardenmead@losangelesballet.org

  • Melissa Barak | Artistic Director | Los Angeles Ballet

    Los Angeles Ballet presents outstanding classical and modern ballets that set the standard for dance in Los Angeles, nationally and internationally. Founded by Artistic Directors Thordal Christensen and Colleen Neary, LAB tours throughout LA County regularly appearing at multiple venues. LAB strives to be an instrument of hope, healing, and joy, sharing the best of dance with the broadest possible audience. 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

  • 2023/2024 Opening Night Series | Los Angeles Ballet

    Choose the Opening Night Series subscription and enjoy all the benefits of being a Los Angeles Ballet Subscriber. Opening Night Series Series A SELECT The Nutcracker Dec. 1, 2023 – 8:00 PM Pasadena Civic Auditorium Next Steps Mar. 22, 2024 – 7:30 PM The Broad Stage Firebird & Serenade May 11, 2024 – 7:30 PM Pasadena Civic Auditorium Start Now Select Venue 2024/2025 Season / Subscribe / Opening Night Series /

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