Swan feathers float down on local stages March 14, 2012 Something rare is afoot in Los Angeles. To put it simply, “Swan Lake.” Yes, that icon of classical exactitude and style is popping up on stages all over. And the producer turns out to be not some long-standing, well-endowed enterprise on tour here, but the LA Ballet, which is a mere six years old. Why? Why would brand-name husband/wife directors Thordal Christensen and Colleen Neary be confident enough to mount this behemoth of a ballet? This vast spectacle designed for the likes of kingly companies with multi-millions -- the Bolshoi, American Ballet Theatre, Royal Covent Garden, Royal Danish? Answer: They have the chops now, that is, the dancers, together with their deep, artistic savvy. And they know it. All I did was tip-toe into Royce Hall - the first stop in a city-wide tour of major Southland venues that continues through March 31 - only to discover a production of the Petipa-Ivanov-Tchaikovsky ballet that approximated world-class standards. The capstone of all this cheering came in the second act - you know, the famed lakeside scene, that moonlit mirage with the snowy white swan corps floating about and Prince Siegfried sensing the imminent appearance of his fateful inamorata Odette, aka the Swan Queen, turned from maiden into an avian creature by an evil sorcerer. And when she alit onstage, in the person of Allynne Noelle, the effect was dazzling -- as that first sighting was meant to be. Tall, with perfect proportions and gorgeously tapering long limbs, this Swan Queen had both bird-like spark and human pathos, her hand articulation spelling out regal elegance. She danced with alacrity and definition and fluid musicality. It was as though she’d been in training at Vaganova since adolescence - not a girl from Huntington Beach - although she’d done stints at redoubtable dance oases (National Ballet of Canada, Villella’s Miami City Ballet and not least, Vicky Koenig’s Inland Pacific Ballet). So...with Noelle and a host of others now just in their second season with LAB, Christensen and Neary knew this was their moment. In fact, the bench is deep enough to alternate the lead role, as well as others. But that’s not all. These high-pedigree directors (he a Royal Dane, she a Balanchine Trustee), who have both formerly danced the “Swan Lake” lead roles for years, boast wide contacts for bringing resources to the company -- the dancers, for instance -- and this production, originally designed for Pacific Northwest Ballet. Besides Noelle, who joined LAB only 18 months ago, is Alyssa Bross, the alternate lead. I glimpsed her rehearsing Odile (the Black Swan), and saw richly expressive qualities - she used every enticement to undermine the Prince’s oath to Odette and was a dewy seductress, not the hard, haughty type who would laugh at her easy conquest. And when she danced Odette, it was with aching vulnerability - which belies her photograph on the program book cover, a misleadingly placid look. No wonder Christensen went forward with “Swan Lake.” He knew he’d recruited the talent - many had trained at prestigious schools and had danced with top companies. As Noelle’s and Bross’s partners, both Kenta Shimizu and Christopher Revels acquitted themselves nobly, if not exactly at the danseur level. Guest artist Akimitsu Yahata did his thrilling bravura stuff as the Jester. But down to the last coryphée, the coaching was scrupulous. Everyone had clear focus and a sense of unanimity, even the mimed gestures were natural. What’s more, the muted, old-world sets and costumes looked lovely on the Royce Hall stage, as if made for it. Considering that taped music allows for no moment-to-moment variation, the company coped well. 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 . LA Observed by Donna Perlmutter DOWNLOAD PDF 2023/2024 Season > News > Previous Item Next Item

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

2023/2024 Season > Single Tickets > Gift Certificates In-person Ticket Sales Group Sales Venues Accessibilty Gift Certificates Tax-Deductibe Donations Terms & Conditions of Sales In-house Policies Privacy Policy Give the gift of ballet to friends and family! Los Angeles Ballet Gift Certificates are available in a variety of denominations and are redeemable for all regular performances. ​ Los Angeles Ballet Gift Certificates can be purchased by phone at (310) 998-7782 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.

2 2023/2024 Season > Photo Gallery > 2013/2014 Quartet 2014 Allynne Noelle, Christopher Revels & Alexander Castillo Allynne Noelle & Alexander Castillo Allynne Noelle & Alexander Castillo Allyssa Bross, Zheng Hua Li & Dustin True Allyssa Bross, Zheng Hua Li & Dustin True Allyssa Bross, Zheng Hua Li & Dustin True Allyssa Bross, Zheng Hua Li & Dustin True Julia Cinquemani, Kate Highstrete, Chelsea Paige Johnston, Alyssa Bross & Bianca Bulle LAB Ensemble Chelsea Paige Johnston, Alexander Castillo & Zheng Hua Li Alexander Castillo & LAB Ensemble Allynne Noelle & Dustin True Allynne Noelle & Dustin True Chloe Sherman & Robert Mulvey Julia Cinquemani & LAB Ensemble Julia Cinquemani & LAB Ensemble Julia Cinquemani Bianca Bulle Allynne Noelle & Kenta Shimizu Kenta Shimizu Allyssa Bross, Kenta Shimizu & LAB Ensemble Allynne Noelle, Christopher Revels & Alexander Castillo Allynne Noelle & Alexander Castillo Allynne Noelle & Alexander Castillo Allyssa Bross, Zheng Hua Li & Dustin True Allyssa Bross, Zheng Hua Li & Dustin True Allyssa Bross, Zheng Hua Li & Dustin True Allyssa Bross, Zheng Hua Li & Dustin True Julia Cinquemani, Kate Highstrete, Chelsea Paige Johnston, Alyssa Bross & Bianca Bulle LAB Ensemble Chelsea Paige Johnston, Alexander Castillo & Zheng Hua Li Alexander Castillo & LAB Ensemble Allynne Noelle & Dustin True Allynne Noelle & Dustin True Chloe Sherman & Robert Mulvey Julia Cinquemani & LAB Ensemble Julia Cinquemani & LAB Ensemble Julia Cinquemani Bianca Bulle Allynne Noelle & Kenta Shimizu Kenta Shimizu Allyssa Bross, Kenta Shimizu & LAB Ensemble Return to a Strange Land – Kylián / Janácek, Beneath One's Dignity – Tayeh / Sigurðsson, Cipher – Stowell / Agruss,Stars and Stripes – Balanchine / Kay after Sousa Previous Gallery Next Gallery All photos by Reed Hutchinson Click on image for a fullscreen presentation.

2 2023/2024 Season > Photo Gallery > 2018/2019 La Sylphide 2019 Petra Conti & Tigran Sargsyan Chelsea Paige Johnston, Tigran Sargsyan & LAB Ensemble Petra Conti & Tigran Sargsyan Magnus Christoffersen Chelsea Paige Johnston, Tigran Sargsyan & LAB Ensemble Colleen Neary & LAB Bianca Bulle with Laura Chachich & Shelby Whallon Tigran Sargsyan & LAB Ensemble Petra Conti & LAB Ensemble Colleen Neary & Tigran Sargsyan Petra Conti & Tigran Sargsyan Petra Conti & Tigran Sargsyan Petra Conti, Tigran Sargsyan & LAB Ensemble Petra Conti & Tigran Sargsyan Petra Conti. Tigran Sargsyan & LAB Ensemble Colleen Neary & Tigran Sargsyan Colleen Neary, Tigran Sargsyan & LAB Ensemble Petra Conti & Tigran Sargsyan Chelsea Paige Johnston, Tigran Sargsyan & LAB Ensemble Petra Conti & Tigran Sargsyan Magnus Christoffersen Chelsea Paige Johnston, Tigran Sargsyan & LAB Ensemble Colleen Neary & LAB Bianca Bulle with Laura Chachich & Shelby Whallon Tigran Sargsyan & LAB Ensemble Petra Conti & LAB Ensemble Colleen Neary & Tigran Sargsyan Petra Conti & Tigran Sargsyan Petra Conti & Tigran Sargsyan Petra Conti, Tigran Sargsyan & LAB Ensemble Petra Conti & Tigran Sargsyan Petra Conti. Tigran Sargsyan & LAB Ensemble Colleen Neary & Tigran Sargsyan Colleen Neary, Tigran Sargsyan & LAB Ensemble Bournonville / Løvenskjold Previous Gallery Next Gallery All photos by Reed Hutchinson Click on image for a fullscreen presentation.

Los Angeles Ballet opening weekend of ‘Swan Lake’ March 5, 2012 Bird-watchers flocked to UCLA’s Royce Hall over the weekend as Los Angeles Ballet, now in its sixth season, continued to prove its pointe shoe prowess with the premiere of “Swan Lake.” And while everything was not always picture-perfect Saturday, husband-and-wife directors Thordal Christensen and Colleen Neary, who choreographed the four-act work after Petipa and Ivanov, continue to confound balletic naysayers with their little company that could. A classic bipolar drama of joy and tragedy set to Tchaikovsky’s sweeping score (heard here, alas, on tape), “Swan Lake” lives and dies -– literally –- by its Odette/Odile, the sweetly vulnerable white swan/cunningly malevolent black swan. (Additional performances with cast changes are on tap in four other venues). A sturdy, stylish corps is also a must. And though Allynne Noelle’s Odette captivated with fragile, fluttering arms and superb footwork (Allyssa Bross alternates in the role), the dancer’s Odile was more smiles than seduction, her Act III fouettés less a study in surety than traveling –- or was it fatigue? One hopes, over time, that Noelle will come to fully embody both avians. The well-drilled corps, though lovely in held poses, is short on emotionally expressive steps, a cygnet requirement for representing unadulterated femininity. In the challenging pas de quatre (Bianca Bulle, Julia Cinquemani, Ariel Derby and Sophie Silna), technique again trumped finesse, another sign of LAB’s youthful makeup. As every Swan Queen needs a noble Siegfried, Kenta Shimizu was not only a gallant partner but also a thrilling soloist. His Act III variations shimmered with airy-as-meringue leaps, his landings rock solid. Also notable: Guest artist Akimitsu Yahata’s Jester generated heat with splashy split kicks, Christopher Revels’ Benno made easy work of his jetés and Christopher McDaniel’s Neapolitan dance (with Isabel Vondermuhll) was sassy and precise. A requisitely nasty Von Rothbart, Nicolas de la Vega as the bare-chested, cape-swooshing sorcerer, boosted the drama, especially in his final death throes. Kudos, also, to Oregon Ballet Theatre’s scenery and costumes: Neo-opulent castle and moonlit forest backdrops accentuated plush royal garb and crisp, sparkly tutus. While this “Swan Lake” may feature a bit of fowl play, its heart is in the right place. Long may Los Angeles Ballet spread its wings. -- Victoria Looseleaf Los Angeles Ballet’s “Swan Lake,” Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center, 1935 Manhattan Beach Blvd., Redondo Beach. 7:30 p.m. March 10; Also: Alex Theatre, 216 N. Brand Blvd., Glendale. 7:30 p.m. March 17; Carpenter Performing Arts Center, 6200 E. Atherton St., Long Beach. 7:30 p.m., March 24; Valley Performing Arts Center, 18111 Nordhoff St., Northridge. 7:30 p.m., March 31. $24-$95. (310) 998-7782. www.losangelesballet.org Los Angeles Times by Victoria Looseleaf DOWNLOAD PDF 2023/2024 Season > News > Previous Item Next Item

2017/2018 Photo Gallery Swan Lake The Nutcracker Pushing Dance 2023/2024 Season > Photo Gallery > 2017/2018

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Los Angeles magazine announces Sponsorship of Los Angeles Ballet December 1, 2007 Los Angeles Magazine ​ 2023/2024 Season > News > Previous Item Next Item

PARTICIPATE Become a Member Today! Download the 2024 membership brochure to view all levels and benefits. LEARN MORE EVENT GALA 2024 Save the Date! Thursday, April 18, 2024 at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel. Table packages are available now for pre-purchase. LEARN MORE MEMBERSHIP 2023/2024 Season > Membership Membership Circles Fall in love with dance. LAB’s Membership Circles are donor benefits designed to build a community through a shared love of ballet and to provide a deeper appreciation of the artform through unique experiences and exclusive content. With backstage tours, visits to company classes, and access to digital newsletters, there is something for everyone. We hope you join today by making a tax-deductible membership gift. Your support inspires us; in return, we strive to inspire you! Why Give As a member, you also ensure the transformative power of ballet remains accessible to underserved communities across LA County. LAB donates 10% of tickets each season, free of charge, to over 50 local social service organizations and offers monthly free dance classes to all age groups and levels taught by LAB company dancers. With your membership support, we can expand our efforts to bring the magic of dance to this city of angels! We hope you join today and enjoy our exclusive membership offerings curated just for you! VIEW LEVELS & BENEFITS BECOME A MEMBER TODAY! 2024 Membership Event Calendar Saturday,November 18 – 5 p.m. March Ballet Salon Barak & Bowers Member Newsletter - Winter April Members Only Pricing to Annual Gala May Firebird/Serenade Studio Rehearsal June Member Newsletter - Summer September Season 19 Welcome Dinner October View Company Class Member Newsletter - Fall November Members Only Pricing to Nutcracker Tea! December The Nutcracker Final Rehearsal & Champagne Reception @ Dolby Theater The Nutcracker Backstage Experience @ Dolby Theater Questions? Contact Danielle Bearden-Mead Director of Development at 310.477.7411 x 1006 or Dbeardenmead@losangelesballet.org LAB’s Membership Circles are a tax-deductible donation, we do not offer refunds. VIEW LEVELS & BENEFITS BECOME A MEMBER TODAY!

2023/2024 Season > Staff > Director of Box Office Operations Eric Gonzalez Eric is a seasoned box office operations & ticketing management professional who first began as a Ticket Seller with AEG/Staples Center in 2008 and was soon promoted within AEG to Manager, Box Office Operations at the formerly named Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE (now Peacock Theater) in Los Angeles. He has had further box office and ticketing management leadership roles with AEG and the Los Angeles Clippers, gaining valuable management and guest experience knowledge that he has applied to his role as LAB’s Box Office Manager since 2022. Next Staff Member Previous Staff Member

2 2023/2024 Season > Photo Gallery > 2018/2019 Modern Moves 2018 Petra Conti & Clay Murray Petra Conti, Tigran Sargsyan, Leah McCall Petra Conti, Tigran Sargsyan & LAB Ensemble Kenta Shimizu & LAB Petra Conti, Tigran Sargsyan & Kenta Shimizu Clay Murray, Costache Mihai Clay Murray & LAB Ensemble Bianca Bulle & Tigran Sargsyan Bianca Bulle & LAB Ensemble Jasmine Perry & Joshua Brown Leah McCall & Joshua Brown Jasmine Perry Kenta Shimizu & LAB Ensemble Clay Murray, Magnus Christoffersen & Jeongkon Kim LAB Ensemble Eris Nezhao: Reed Hutchinson Laura Chachich, Eris Nezha & LAB Ensemble Petra Conti & Eris Nezha Bianca Bulle & Tigran Sargsyan Petra Conti & Eris Nezha inale, LAB Petra Conti & Clay Murray Petra Conti, Tigran Sargsyan, Leah McCall Petra Conti, Tigran Sargsyan & LAB Ensemble Kenta Shimizu & LAB Petra Conti, Tigran Sargsyan & Kenta Shimizu Clay Murray, Costache Mihai Clay Murray & LAB Ensemble Bianca Bulle & Tigran Sargsyan Bianca Bulle & LAB Ensemble Jasmine Perry & Joshua Brown Leah McCall & Joshua Brown Jasmine Perry Kenta Shimizu & LAB Ensemble Clay Murray, Magnus Christoffersen & Jeongkon Kim LAB Ensemble Eris Nezhao: Reed Hutchinson Laura Chachich, Eris Nezha & LAB Ensemble Petra Conti & Eris Nezha Bianca Bulle & Tigran Sargsyan Petra Conti & Eris Nezha inale, LAB Les Chambres des Jacques – Barton / Vigneault, Vivaldi, Les Yeux Noirs, The Cracow Klezmer Band, Lickety Split – Cerrudo / Banhart, Western Symphony – Balanchine / American Songs Orchestrated by Kay Previous Gallery Next Gallery All photos by Reed Hutchinson Click on image for a fullscreen presentation.