Review: Missteps aside, Los Angeles Ballet brings new life to 'Giselle' October 4, 2015 Los Angeles Ballet first danced “Giselle” in its fifth season. Now, at the start of Season 10, it has returned to the full-length Romantic tragedy with great freshness and authority. At the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center on Saturday, the level of classical dancing remained praiseworthy, but the big news involved the attempt to bolster the work’s dramatic credibility in Act 1. The unfamiliar Desmond Heeley scenery and costumes (borrowed from the National Ballet of Canada) and the unusually detailed and convincing portrayal of the jealous Hilarion by Alexander Castillo showed that this traditional staging of “Giselle” was being reconsidered or improved. In the title role, longtime principal Allyssa Bross again displayed a touching sweetness and vulnerability in her early scenes, but the superb fierceness and fury of her mad scene proved a welcome innovation. As Albrecht, Kenta Shimizu always partnered her skillfully, but the passion in his performance flowered in Act 2, where his high Romantic fervor exceeded anything I’ve seen in Shimizu’s seven seasons with the company. Julia Cinquemani and Dustin True brought a sense of occasion and honed technical abilities to the Peasant Pas de Deux, along with a brilliant knack for recovering perfectly from slips -- she at the beginning of a solo, he at the end. Indeed, True’s improvisation could well become an original virtuoso step-combination, if he can repeat it. A few small problems remained in Act 1: Berthe’s incomprehensible pantomime-speech, for example -- not how it was executed by company co-artistic director Colleen Neary, but the mime-text itself. In Act 2 the company’s refined classicism couldn’t offset major dramatic lapses. Kate Highstrete’s technically flawless but small-scaled dancing and mime as Myrtha never dominated the stage, the corps or the men intended to be her victims. The role needed a diva, and it didn’t help that everyone stood around doing nothing in particular when Myrtha’s evil power should have faltered in the face of true love -- or the magic of the cross in some stagings. What’s more (spoiler alert), the dawn of Albrecht’s salvation became merely a music cue in this version, without the change in lighting or corps attack that can and should be thrilling. One final disappointment: our last look at Albrecht. When you’re walking away from love beyond the grave, dignity is no substitute for heartbreak. That left Act 2 all about footwork: satisfying work by the corps, even better when the deep rapport between Bross and Shimizu informed their dancing. Some of Adolphe Adam’s music (on tape) seemed a mite slow for this spirited Giselle. It would be exciting to find her exploiting sudden tempo shifts. But her floating pointe-work and Shimizu’s climactic batterie set the seal on an evening that sent Los Angeles Ballet into an ambitious season of full-length classics, boldly and confidently. ---------- “Giselle” Who: Los Angeles Ballet Where: Program repeats at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 24 at the Alex Theatre, 216 N. Brand Blvd., Glendale, and at 2 p.m. Nov. 1 at Royce Hall at UCLA Tickets: $31-$99 Info: (310) 998-7782, losangelesballet.org Los Angeles Times by Lewis Segal READ ARTICLE AT SOURCE 2023/2024 Season > News > Previous Item Next Item

L.A. Ballet rounds out Tchaikovsky trilogy with 'The Sleeping Beauty' February 26, 2015 With the addition of “The Sleeping Beauty” to its repertory, the Los Angeles Ballet rounds out its Tchaikovsky trilogy, having launched the company with “The Nutcracker” in 2006 and staged “Swan Lake in 2011.” Taking on these three touchstones of classical ballet is a considerable achievement for any company but especially one only 9 years old. “We consider ourselves a classical company. We’re trying to shape the repertory so that we include everything that will also make the dancers that much better,” company co-artistic director Colleen Neary said recently by phone with Thordal Christensen, the other artistic director, and her husband. “It really is wonderful to see the growth within the company with this repertoire.” She and Christensen choreographed this premiere “after Petipa,” blending their own choreography with the well-known touchstones of French ballet master and choreographer Marius Petipa that have been passed down through ballet generations since 1890. They both had experience performing in — as well as staging — the work with the Royal Danish Ballet, which Christensen directed, while Neary worked as principal ballet mistress. “It’s the quintessential classical ballet,” Neary said. The duo researched other productions and made choices based on their specific approach and on what worked best for their 37-member company. The expansive ballet calls upon the full roster, with most dancers taking on multiple roles. “We tried to tell the story in an organic, magical way — tried to keep it fairly light,” Christensen said. “‘Sleeping Beauty’ can sometimes have a tendency to be very heavy in its storytelling. I think we tried to lighten it a little bit.” Christensen, a Dane, and Neary, an American whose extensive performing career began with New York City Ballet, recognize the important role that mime plays in the ballet. “You have to be true to the tradition of Petipa, but you’re not telling the mime in an old-fashioned way. It is very real in its storytelling,” said Neary, who performs the crucial character role of Carabosse, the irate fairy whose vengeful spell sets the plot in motion. Their new “Sleeping Beauty,” being presented in four Los Angeles-area venues, features sets and costumes designed by David Walker, originally for a 1977 Royal Ballet production. Neary emphasizes that the Los Angeles Ballet’s intention is “to bring ourselves to the communities of L.A.” “That’s what we have been about for the past nine years,” she adds. “It’s been a recipe that has worked extremely well, and we have really developed our audiences in all these venues. We’re very excited to bring a piece that’s this big and this wonderful to these audiences.” Los Angeles Times by Susan Reiter READ ARTICLE AT SOURCE 2023/2024 Season > News > Previous Item Next Item

A CHANCE TO DANCE 2023/2024 Season > A Chance to Dance Los Angeles Ballet’s A Chance to Dance Laura Chachich, Director of Education Programs Founded by Allynne Noelle, A Chance to Dance (ACTD) Community Day is a monthly community outreach initiative for all ages incorporating a theme around which the day’s events are centered. Each month during LAB’s season, the dancers of Los Angeles Ballet offer FREE ballet classes, alternative dance/fitness classes, and lectures/demonstrations for a range of experience level and age groups. Please bring completed Registration Form on arrival (Form may be filled out in person before class ) ​ ​ ​ Class size is not limited ​ ​ Classes take place at Los Angeles Ballet Center 11755 Exposition Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90064 ​ Additional Questions Laura Chachich , Director of Education Programs REGISTER TODAY Information Join us on A Chance to Dance’s Instagram page: @chancetodancela Upcoming Events Sun, May 19 ACTD Sunday, May 19 / Los Angeles Ballet Center RSVP May 19, 2024, 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM Los Angeles Ballet Center, 11755 Exposition Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90064, USA A Chance to Dance offers free ballet, dance and fitness classes to dancers of all ages and skill levels. Join the dancers of Los Angeles Ballet for a day of dance! Share Sun, Jun 09 ACTD Sunday, June 9 / Los Angeles Ballet Center RSVP Jun 09, 2024, 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM Los Angeles Ballet Center, 11755 Exposition Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90064, USA A Chance to Dance offers free ballet, dance and fitness classes to dancers of all ages and skill levels. Join the dancers of Los Angeles Ballet for a day of dance! Share Adult Beginner Ballet, Photo by Mary Katherine Leslie Intermediate/Advanced Ballet, Photo by Mary Katherine Leslie Youth Ballet, Photo by Mary Katherine Leslie Children’s Creative Movement, Photo by Mary Katherine Leslie Pilates Mat, Photo by Mary Katherine Leslie Adult Beginner Ballet, Photo by Mary Katherine Leslie Intermediate/Advanced Ballet, Photo by Mary Katherine Leslie Youth Ballet, Photo by Mary Katherine Leslie Children’s Creative Movement, Photo by Mary Katherine Leslie Pilates Mat, Photo by Mary Katherine Leslie Adult Beginner Ballet, Photo by Mary Katherine Leslie Intermediate/Advanced Ballet, Photo by Mary Katherine Leslie Youth Ballet, Photo by Mary Katherine Leslie Children’s Creative Movement, Photo by Mary Katherine Leslie Pilates Mat, Photo by Mary Katherine Leslie Adult Beginner Ballet, Photo by Mary Katherine Leslie Intermediate/Advanced Ballet, Photo by Mary Katherine Leslie Youth Ballet, Photo by Mary Katherine Leslie Children’s Creative Movement, Photo by Mary Katherine Leslie Pilates Mat, Photo by Mary Katherine Leslie Adult Beginner Ballet, Photo by Mary Katherine Leslie Intermediate/Advanced Ballet, Photo by Mary Katherine Leslie Youth Ballet, Photo by Mary Katherine Leslie Children’s Creative Movement, Photo by Mary Katherine Leslie Pilates Mat, Photo by Mary Katherine Leslie Adult Beginner Ballet, Photo by Mary Katherine Leslie Intermediate/Advanced Ballet, Photo by Mary Katherine Leslie Youth Ballet, Photo by Mary Katherine Leslie Children’s Creative Movement, Photo by Mary Katherine Leslie Pilates Mat, Photo by Mary Katherine Leslie NOVEMBER 18 & 19, 2023 LAB's Annual Nutcracker Tea! LAB’s signature holiday fundraiser at the Waldorf Astoria, Beverly Hills is an immersive afternoon tea in support of LAB's Outreach Education Programs. Enter Clara's Winter Wonderland of falling “snow”. Catered by Jean George, be treated to High Tea sweets and savories. Enjoy Sparkling Crafts, Mystery Gifts, scenes from The Nutcracker and more! Shop for holiday gifts at the LAB Nutcracker Boutique, and pose for a keepsake photo with Santa. LEARN MORE WELCOME Power of Performance (POP!) Since its debut in 2006, Los Angeles Ballet’s Power of Performance! (POP!) program has provided a minimum of 10% of tickets to all performances—free of charge—to organizations that support underserved communities all across Los Angeles County. MORE ABOUT POP!

Review: Los Angeles Ballet floats with 'La Sylphide and Serenade' June 9, 2014 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 Los Angeles Times by Victoria Looseleaf READ ARTICLE AT SOURCE 2023/2024 Season > News > Previous Item Next Item

2 2023/2024 Season > Photo Gallery > 2016/2017 The Nutcracker 2016 SarahAnne Perel, Zheng Hua Li & LAB Ensemble SarahAnne Perel & Javier Moya Romero Bianca Bulle, Dustin True & LAB Ensemble Julia Cinquemani Joshua Brown SarahAnne Perel Elizabeth Claire Walker & LAB Ensemble Robert Mulvey, Jeongkon Kim & Samuel Akins Julia Cinquemani & Tigran Sargsyan Allyssa Bross & LAB Ensemble Julia Cinquemani & Kenta Shimizu SarahAnne Perel, Zheng Hua Li & LAB Ensemble SarahAnne Perel & Javier Moya Romero Bianca Bulle, Dustin True & LAB Ensemble Julia Cinquemani Joshua Brown SarahAnne Perel Elizabeth Claire Walker & LAB Ensemble Robert Mulvey, Jeongkon Kim & Samuel Akins Julia Cinquemani & Tigran Sargsyan Allyssa Bross & LAB Ensemble Julia Cinquemani & Kenta Shimizu SarahAnne Perel, Zheng Hua Li & LAB Ensemble SarahAnne Perel & Javier Moya Romero Bianca Bulle, Dustin True & LAB Ensemble Julia Cinquemani Joshua Brown SarahAnne Perel Elizabeth Claire Walker & LAB Ensemble Robert Mulvey, Jeongkon Kim & Samuel Akins Julia Cinquemani & Tigran Sargsyan Allyssa Bross & LAB Ensemble Julia Cinquemani & Kenta Shimizu Who Cares? – Balanchine / Gershwin Previous Gallery Next Gallery All photos by Reed Hutchinson Click on image for a fullscreen presentation.

Los Angeles Ballet "La Sylphide" May 19, 2009 Try summing up the themes of August Bournonville’s romantic 1836 ballet, “La Sylphide.” You might get a list something like this: Dreams, illusions, ideals versus reality and worse — irrational, implacable evil. No wonder the ballet survives, not only to entertain but to trouble, even deeply disturb. Los Angeles Ballet, founded in 2006, marked its latest stage of artistic growth by mounting a handsome production of “La Sylphide” Saturday at the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center, with period sets and costumes borrowed from the Houston Ballet. (Performances continue over the next two weekends at other venues.) (Freud Playhouse, UCLA, May 23 and 24, and at the Alex Theater in Glendale, May 30.) The story is simple. James, a Scottish highlander, dreams of a magical, otherworldly creature, the Sylph, on the very day of his wedding to his beloved Effie. Suddenly incarnate, the Sylph lures James away from the wedding and into the forest. There, she inexplicably appears and disappears at will, always managing to stay just out of his grasp. James and the Sylph soon meet their destruction, however. James has deeply though mindlessly offended the witch Madge earlier during the wedding day. Now, seeking to bring his ideal Sylph into his arms, he drapes a veil he doesn’t know has been poisoned by Madge over the Sylph’s shoulders and winds it around her arms. The Sylph immediately loses her wings, comes to earth and quickly dies. James is stunned and collapses in grief. As danced Saturday by Eddy Tovar, a permanent LAB guest from Orlando Ballet, James was a bewildered dreamer, torn between the Sylph and Effie. He was also impulsive, flaring into outraged anger upon seeing Madge warming herself by the fire. A handsome, compact dancer, Tovar had the strength and style to execute Bournonville’s demanding foot beats with speed and clarity. Corina Gill was the poised, ethereal Sylph, balancing lightly and cleanly in high extensions. Her most arresting moments, however, came in her death scene, where she seemed to lose the power of sight as well as of flight. The other plum role, of course, is the evil Madge. She is first discovered cowering by James’ fire but is last seen towering triumphantly above his body. Why did she wreck such evil, so out of proportion to the original offense? Her answer is a drumming of her fingers on her chest. “I,” “I,” “I,” she gestures, because James offended her. The ballet ends with a terrible image. Madge pulls the fallen James up by the hair to see his beloved but dead Sylph float up into the heavens. With insouciant flicks of her wrists, Madge then dismisses James’ lifeless form. All in a day’s work, she seems to say, and easy work at that. Final curtain. Co-artistic director Colleen Neary, a former New York City Ballet principal, made a formidable Madge, only gradually revealing her malevolent powers. It was easy to laugh at her mumbo-jumbo antics with her four witch friends around the black cauldron at the start of Act 2. But nobody was laughing at the end of the ballet. In other roles, Grace McLoughlin danced Effie with sweet innocence. James Li was Gurn, James’ best friend, a naïf who winds up marrying Effie after James’ disappearance. (Peter Snow will take over the role in two of the three remaining performances.) Andrew Brader and Drew Grant were the friends. The corps, including the children, danced strongly. Melissa Barak, the First Sylph, gave notice of incipient major Sylph duties. The ballet, staged by co-artistic director Thordal Christensen, a former principal with the Royal Danish Ballet, was danced to pre-recorded music. Los Angeles Times by Chris Pasles DOWNLOAD PDF 2023/2024 Season > News > Previous Item Next Item

2023/2024 Season > Dancers > Cleo Taneja Hometown Granada Hills, California Seasons with LAB 2018/2019, 2019/2020, 2021/2022, 2022/2023, 2023/2024 Bio Available Shortly 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

Los Angeles Ballet's Season5 Gala Celebration | Broad Stage Santa Monica May 1, 2011 Giselle is a village girl courted by a prince disguised as a peasant. She falls in love with him, but when she finds out his identity -- and that he’s engaged to someone else -- she loses her mind and dies. End of ballet? Not by a long shot. In Act 2, she appears as a spirit newly enrolled in the ranks of the Wilis, night creatures that wreak vengeance on perjured suitors. Giselle resists her new duties and saves her prince. ​ ​ READ ARTICLE AT SOURCE 2023/2024 Season > News > Previous Item Next Item

Los Angeles Ballet's "Swan Lake" March 18, 2012 Kudos to the Los Angeles County Arts Commission and the LA Board of Supervisors, for supporting Los Angeles Ballet’s completely credible “Swan Lake” in five venues around LA County. The Arts Commission’s major funding of the production acknowledges our city’s worthiness of LAB’s continuing presence as LA’s own world-class ballet company. The quintessential classical ballet, “Swan Lake” first appeared in 1877. The earliest of the great Tchaikovsky ballets, the music uses Russian folk music, leitmotif, and orchestral color to tell the Romantic tale of a lovestruck prince, an enchanted maiden, and an evil sorcerer. LAB’s four-act “Swan Lake” is a towering accomplishment for the 6-year-old company. As staged by artistic directors Thordal Christensen and Colleen Neary, the piece retains its magical 19th-century style and flavor, while simplifying and clarifying some of the more arcane elements. In a bold departure from most modern productions, Christensen and Neary restore the original 1877 ending, in which Von Rothbart, the evil sorcerer, is vanquished by the Prince, and dies a particularly gruesome death. Principal dancer Allynne Noelle takes on the demanding central role — playing both the Swan Queen and her treacherous, look-alike rival. A Southern California native, Noelle has spent the better part of the past decade honing her considerable skills in such companies as the National Ballet of Canada and Miami City Ballet. Now at the peak of her artistry, her revelatory interpretation of Odette/Odile places her among the greatest of today’s American ballerinas. Noelle’s technique is perfection — her gorgeous extensions, precision footwork, spellbinding ports de bras, and extraordinary turns take one’s breath away. But beyond these virtuoso aspects of her dancing, it is her stillness in Act 2 that is most compelling. Here is an artist imbued with that indefinable quality we name Presence. Her virtuosity has no limits. All radiance and shimmer, Noelle’s Odette is a tortured soul, yearning for release, transformed by love. Her Act 3 Odile exudes a raw sexuality that culminates as the bravura 32 fouetté turns explode in a burst of depraved triumph. Opposite her, Kenta Shimizu’s Prince Siegfried is flawless. The steadiness of his support and ease in the lifts enhance his partner’s transcendent performance. Currently enjoying an ever-increasing international career, Shimizu’s cool elegance and regal bearing are a perfect complement to Noelle’s emotional style. Alternating with Noelle and Shimizu as the hapless lovers are Allyssa Bross and Christopher Revels. Discovered by Christensen and Neary during the month-long 2010 LAB Summer Intensive, Bross entered the company as a soloist during season five, rising within months to principal dancer. Her performances as Marie in “The Nutcracker” and as last season’s ethereal Giselle garnered national attention. In her first “Swan Lake,” Bross impresses with her stylistic purity and luminous characterization of the Swan Queen. Her Act 3 Black Swan is icy, treacherous; in her ultimate victory over Revels’ callow Prince, her seductive smile becomes a sneer of contempt. Gifted with exceptional grace and beauty, a solid technique, and formidable physical stamina, this young artist is clearly one to watch. Audience favorite Revels brings an earthy sensuality to his first performances as the Prince. Having partnered Bross for “The Nutcracker,” “Raymonda Variations,” and “Giselle” last year, the pair have an easy rapport and a convincing chemistry together. This young man is gifted with a charismatic presence and a devil-may-care fearlessness that make his every entrance electrifying. Particularly impressive are his huge floating leaps, great strength in the lifts, and phenomenal endurance. Last year a nominee for the prestigious Princess Grace Award, at 20 years of age he continues to develop his prodigious talent under the inspired mentoring of Christensen and Neary. As the evil von Rothbart, Nicholas De La Vega owns the stage. His dancing has about it a fatal glamour. LA balletomanes will remember his definitive Drosselmeyer in last December’s “The Nutcracker,” and his powerful performance in last season’s Sonia Tayeh world premiere, “My Greatest Fear.” De La Vega’s rapier-thin physique and flashing eyes are also featured in the April issue of Marie Claire magazine. The production is replete with highlights. Guest artist Akimitsu Yahata dances the Jester with great wit — and spectacular leaps and turns. Act 3’s Court Scene features a plethora of folk-inspired dances. A bravura Neapolitan Dance features Isabel Vondermuhll and Christopher McDaniel; Kate Highstrete and Alex Castillo lead a spirited Hungarian Dance; and Chelsea Paige Johnston and Julia Cinquemani offer a mesmerizing Russian Dance. Brilliant soloists aside, “Swan Lake” ultimately succeeds or fails on the strength of the women’s corps de ballet. Perhaps the greatest achievement of this production is LAB’s peerless ranks of swans. Every back has the same arch, every arm exhibits the same pure line from shoulder to fingertip, every neck is identically poised. Gliding across the stage in perfectly synchronized bourrées they are stunningly beautiful; in their moments of stillness, they are a living work of art. The second act Dance of the Cygnets is hypnotic as a petite foursome, arms interlaced, drill out perfectly coordinated pas de chats and échappés. This tour de force is all the more impressive considering that apprentice Sophie Silna, a product of the LAB School, stepped in to replace an injured colleague on a mere two days’ notice. —Penny Orloff, Culture Spot LA Performances continue at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center in Long Beach on Saturday, March 24, at 7:30 p.m. and at the Valley Performing Arts Center in Northridge on Saturday, March 31, at 7:30 p.m. For information and tickets, visit www.losangelesballet.org . CultureSpotLA by Penny Orloff DOWNLOAD PDF 2023/2024 Season > News > Previous Item Next Item

L.A. Ballet - after the Christmas dream January 1, 2007 Los Angeles Ballet gave its final performance of "Nutcracker" on Saturday at the Alex Theatre in Glendale: a rite of passage, for the next time we see this brand-new company it won't be dancing a homemade version of the Christmas kiddie classic but rather grown-up masterworks from the international repertory. That's a big step — one that dozens of Southland companies that present annual "Nutcracker" performances never take. It was brave of artistic directors Thordal Christensen and Colleen Neary to launch LAB with a ballet presented by virtually every classical school or troupe in the whole region plus visiting ensembles from Russia and Korea. And it's braver still to schedule serious Balanchine and buoyant Bournonville for the company's first 2007 performances in March. There's no place to hide in that kind of rep, and though guest artists will again ensure high standards in principal roles, the challenge will be to develop a company style beyond the well-drilled but essentially faceless corps dancing that "Nutcracker" provided. If that statement sounds cruel, consider that American Ballet Theatre — our nation's classical behemoth — seldom achieves anything beyond well-drilled and faceless corps dancing nowadays. But ABT doesn't dance Balanchine's super-refined "Concerto Barocco," and maybe that's just as well. "Nutcracker" looked better organized on Saturday than it had early in December, though the party scene again proved confused and there seemed no sense of purpose — dramatic or choreographic — in the battle between the toy soldiers and the mice. The important scenic and character transformations on view lacked magic. And it would have helped if the Nutcracker (Erik Thordal-Christensen, son of the artistic directors) actually looked like a nutcracker and not just another toy soldier. Act 2 confirmed the classical prowess and personal star power of Oleg Gorboulev and Corina Gill in the Arabian dance, provided a flashy showpiece for the 14-year-old wunderkind Lilit Hogtanian as Clara and allowed Maria Kowroski and Stephen Hanna (guests from New York City Ballet) to display formidable mastery in supported adagio intricacies. You could regret that their solos were moved earlier than Tchaikovsky intended and that the Mirlitons divertissement was cut, but the score was again given loving care by conductor Eimear Noone and her musicians. And, happily, the Alex Theatre offered more space for Catherine Kanner's scenic vistas than the cramped Wilshire Theatre stage allowed when this "Nutcracker" premiered. That's one lesson LAB learned in 2006 — that Southern California has many midsize theaters that look great from the seats but, because they are converted movie houses, have no room on the stage for elaborate scenery or large-scale choreographies. Another lesson — that the ballet public isn't interested in 5 p.m. shows — helped cause a cutback from 12 "Nutcracker" performances to nine. "We will consider everything we've discovered from this first run," the directors said in a statement, "and make necessary adjustments for our upcoming season." Necessary adjustments may be one key to LAB's survival in a ballet landscape haunted by memories of companies that started strongly and even flourished, for a time, without enlisting the longterm support of the public that flocks to touring attractions. There are always plenty of people who say they want someone to start a local ballet company with major artistic ambitions — but too many really mean they want ABT to relocate. Los Angeles Ballet estimates that it danced for more than 6,000 ticket-holders in December. That's a start, but not nearly a large enough audience base to sustain a year-round professional institution. If Christensen and Neary can't rely on the balletomanes in our community who yammer about homegrown classicism but don't show up at the ticket window, developing a new, loyal audience is the key to their future. And that will take more energy and imagination than everything they've done so far. Los Angeles Times ​ DOWNLOAD ARTICLE (PDF) 2023/2024 Season > News > Previous Item Next Item

Los Angeles Ballet polishes 'The Nutcracker" December 5, 2011 Continuing to establish itself as a spirited and sophisticated -- if itinerant -- ballet company, Los Angeles Ballet opened its 2011-12 season over the weekend at the Alex Theatre in Glendale with a memorable cast for its distinctive, inspired “The Nutcracker.” As helmed by artistic directors Thordal Christensen and Colleen Neary, Los Angeles Ballet’s “Nutcracker” delivers an admirable depth and intelligence of design combined with a light-handed approach to the ballet’s traditional Christmas-party characterizations and plot line. Catherine Kanner’s luscious Act 1 setting is 1912 Los Angeles, an interior drawing room so plush and timbered that even with its electric lights it still feels redolent of Tchaikovsky’s time. Inhabiting this velvety parlor, the pale, winsome Clara (Mia Katz) and her incandescent Uncle Drosselmeyer (Nicolas de la Vega) make a poetic pair, and it’s easy to root for their partnership. Usually an aged, menacing creature, Drosselmeyer is drawn here as blessedly young and gregarious. De la Vega’s sweeping gestures and scampering feet swell to light the whole stage. In lovely contrast, young Katz’s pale, long limbs move tentatively toward full expression, finally unleashing a full rush of joy when she receives her enchanting, full-sized Nutcracker doll (Nathaniel Solis). All the ensuing Act I scenes -- mice battles, tree expansion, blizzard of human snowflakes -- seem to extend from and amplify Clara’s core excitement over this special gift. Set in the amorphous “Palace of the Dolls,” Act 2 fails to sustain the momentum of Act 1, but that’s no shock. Few “Nutcrackers” figure out how to unify this hodgepodge of revved-up divertissements. Christensen and Neary attend to the structural flaw with some lovely touches (members of the different sections interact frequently on the sidelines; Clara comes from her viewing perch to hug the fairies before they depart), yet there’s room to improve their thematic grouping here. The divertissements -- a mix of Land of Sweets and Exotics (Arabian coffee, Spanish, Russian, Mother Gingerbread) combined with a reprisal of the commedia dell’arte dolls (in place of Chinese) and no Mirlitones section -- really become a smorgasbord of free-floating fairy-tale dreams. As Marie and her Cavalier, newly named company principals Allyssa Bross and Christopher Revels hit all the fouettés and fish dives, though Bross looks somewhat defrocked in Mikael Meybye’s short, simple tutu with three vertical red bows. Vivid power shone from standout soloists Chehon Wespi-Tschopp (Cossack doll) and Allynne Noelle (the Rose), while the crowd went mad for the repeat partnership of Julia Cinquemani and Alexander Castillo (Arabian). While Los Angeles Ballet certainly deserves its own theater, the troupe is a mightily impressive touring company. The quality of the recorded music, from musical director Michael Andreas, boosts this further. Los Angeles Ballet’s “The Nutcracker,” Royce Hall, UCLA, 340 Royce Drive, Los Angeles. 1 and 5 p.m. Dec. 17 and 18. Also: Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center, 1935 Manhattan Beach Blvd., Redond Los Angeles Times by Jean Lenihan DOWNLOAD PDF 2023/2024 Season > News > Previous Item Next Item

Review: LA Ballet season opens with adventurous and flirtatious ‘Modern Moves’ October 7, 2018 Like adventurous pioneers, Los Angeles Ballet stepped into uncharted territory Saturday for its season opener, “Modern Moves,” which introduced Aszure Barton’s “Les Chambres des Jacques” and Alejandro Cerrudo’s “Lickety-Split” into the company’s repertory at the Alex Theatre in Glendale. George Balanchine’s 1954 classic “Western Symphony” capped off an evening devoted to contemporary and neoclassical works that were flecked with folksy charm. Throughout, Los Angeles Ballet proved not only fluent in the three choreographers’ styles but also in the wide-ranging love language of their dances. Longing and desire emanated from almost every move in Barton’s lusty “Les Chambres,” set to a fusion of Quebecois folk music, klezmer and Vivaldi. Men approached women clad in corsets with sensual sniffs; others attempted to hug the empty air around them. Agape mouths in the shape of silent screams looked like lips yearning to be kissed. And principal dancer Tigran Sargsyan’s desperate crawl after the woman he pines for sends a stab straight to the heart. If “Les Chambres” is an intimate study of unrequited love, then “Lickety-Split” gives us a look into love unbound. In one vignette, principal Bianca Bulle and Sargsyan initially play hard to get. He then offers his hand, and she squeezes out some invisible elixir — an aphrodisiac perhaps — that sends them into a joyous jaunt across the stage. As Devendra Barhart’s raspy voice creaks over the speakers like a well-worn rocker, you can’t help but feel as if you’re on a front porch, watching lovers dance by the light of fireflies. The duet culminates with Bulle ecstatically shaking her hand between her partner’s legs and Sargsyan playfully banging his head upon her rear. While an odd image, it’s immensely satisfying — reminiscent of the comfort that comes from knowing another intimately — and avant-garde like a piece of absurdist theater. Against such an edgy program, Balanchine’s “Western Symphony” felt a tad dated — its corps of clean-cut cowboys gallantly strumming air guitars and feather-hatted saloon gals do-si-do-ing primly a far cry from Cerrudo and Barton’s sensuous styles. Even Hershy Kay’s classic orchestrations of American folk songs felt a touch Disney-fied. But there were plenty of enchanting moments. The versatile Sargsyan pulled off a delightful adagio with principal Petra Conti, and the dance’s iconic finale — endless pirouettes as the curtain falls — was a strong reminder of how modern this piece once was. Like the depths of a boundless love, it insisted on having no end. LA Times by Christina Compodonico READ ARTICLE AT SOURCE 2023/2024 Season > News > Previous Item Next Item