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  • "Ballet is Woman" but, Aha, The Men Revolt" | Los Angeles Ballet

    Finally, the company will reprise its provocative NextWaveLA series, which features world premire works created by local choreographers specifically for dancers in LAB. "Ballet is Woman" but, Aha, The Men Revolt" March 1, 2010 Huffington Post by Donna Perlmutter The Peasant Pas de Deux was danced by Allynne Noelle and Zheng Hua Li (who alternates in the role of Prince Albrecht). Noelle was sunny and graceful. Li had crisp, flashing legwork, but tended to land badly. The corps looked well-schooled, although earthbound. The company danced to pre-recorded music. DOWNLOAD PDF Home / News / New Item

  • LAB Dancers Featured on Refinery29.com | Los Angeles Ballet

    Ten Los Angeles Ballet dancers were profiled recently on Refinery29.com. LAB Dancers Featured on Refinery29.com February 1, 2013 Company News from the Staff at LAB Ten Los Angeles Ballet dancers were profiled recently on Refinery29.com. The feature includes 20 photographs taken of the dancers at LAB's studio and a variety of insights about their experiences, pre-performance habits, and activities outside of ballet. Home / News / New Item

  • Los Angeles Ballet's Season5 Gala Celebration | Broad Stage Santa Monica | Los Angeles Ballet

    Together, along with Julie Whittaker, another ballet-world veteran and executive director of LAB, they created a board of directors. Two years of business planning followed before the company gave its very first performance, The Nutcracker, to favorable reviews in 2006. 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 Home / News / New Item

  • LAB Announces 2013/2014 Season | Los Angeles Ballet

    Los Angeles Ballet Co-Artistic Directors Thordal Christensen and Colleen Neary are excited to unveil the ballets selected for LAB's eighth season. LAB Announces 2013/2014 Season August 1, 2013 Company News from the Staff at LAB Los Angeles Ballet Co-Artistic Directors Thordal Christensen and Colleen Neary are excited to unveil the ballets selected for LAB's eighth season. The season opens with Los Angeles Ballet's original production of The Nutcracker. In March 2014, Quartet presents Return to a Strange Land, by Jiří Kylián; World Premieres by Christopher Stowell and Sonya Tayeh; and Stars and Stripes, by George Balanchine. The season concludes in May/June 2014 with the two-act story ballet La Sylphide, paired with Balanchine's romantic Serenad Home / News / New Item

  • Commentary: Los Angeles Ballet on upswing in its fifth year | Los Angeles Ballet

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

  • L.A. Ballet rounds out Tchaikovsky trilogy with 'The Sleeping Beauty' | Los Angeles Ballet

    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. L.A. Ballet rounds out Tchaikovsky trilogy with 'The Sleeping Beauty' February 26, 2015 Los Angeles Times by Susan Reiter 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.” READ ARTICLE AT SOURCE Home / News / New Item

  • Los Angeles Ballet Announces Quartet | Los Angeles Ballet

    Los Angeles Ballet co-artistic directors Thordal Christensen and Colleen Neary are excited to unveil the ballets selected for LAB’s upcoming mixed program, QUARTET. Los Angeles Ballet Announces Quartet February 1, 2014 LAB Public Relations Performances to include: World premieres from Sonya Tayeh and Christopher Stowell Commissioned score from Noah Agruss LAB premiere of Jiří Kylián’s Return to a Strange Land LAB premiere of George Balanchine’s Stars and Stripes Los Angeles Ballet co-artistic directors Thordal Christensen and Colleen Neary are excited to unveil the ballets selected for LAB’s upcoming mixed program, QUARTET. This production adheres strongly to a main component of LAB’s mission: to passionately pursue innovation and creativity in performances by preserving the best choreographic work of the past and to become the impetus for the best choreography yet to come. Also continuing LAB’s mission to bring great, professional ballet to greater LA, each program will be performed at LAB’s four home venues: UCLA’s Royce Hall, The Alex Theatre in Glendale, Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center, and Valley Performing Arts Center in Northridge. From March 1 to 22, 2014, QUARTET combines masterworks from George Balanchine and Jiří Kylián with new works from rising choreographers Sonya Tayeh and Christopher Stowell. Known for her work on television’s So You Think You Can Dance as well as on several celebrity concert tours and Broadway touring productions, Beneath One’s Dignity will mark Tayeh’s fourth commission for Los Angeles Ballet. Her ferocious, emotional style, blended with ballet, has brought audiences and critics to their feet. Former Artistic Director of Oregon Ballet Theater and noted choreographer Christopher Stowell will be working with LAB dancers for the first time, creating Cipher specifically for the company. This piece also marks the first commissioned composition for LAB, titled Modules by local composer Noah Agruss. QUARTET will also include the company premiere of Return to a Strange Land, from master choreographer Jiří Kylián to music by Leoš Janáček, and Stars and Stripes by George Balanchine set to the rousing marches of John Philip Sousa. “The dancers always look forward to working with Sonya. And having seen Christopher’s work in Oregon, we are excited to see what he will be creating on our dancers”, Mr. Christensen explained. “We think works from these two young dancemakers will fit well with Jiří Kylián’s beautiful, elegiac ballet and Balanchine’s stirring valentine to his adopted country.” Los Angeles Ballet’s production of QUARTET promises four extraordinary pieces, with something for every audience member. About Los Angeles Ballet Founded in 2004 by Artistic Directors Thordal Christensen and Colleen Neary, and Executive Director Julie Whittaker, Los Angeles Ballet is known for its superb stagings of the Balanchine repertory, stylistically meticulous classical ballets, and its commitment to new works. LAB has become recognized as a world-class ballet company, in eight seasons presenting 24 productions encompassing 50 works, including 15 commissioned world premieres. Los Angeles Ballet ‘tours’ throughout LA County, regularly appearing at four venues. This past summer the Los Angeles Music Center presented Los Angeles Ballet at Grand Park, with more than 3,000 attending the outdoor performance. Since its inception in 2006, LAB’s Power of Performance (POP!) program has provided thousands of free tickets to underserved or disadvantaged children, seniors, veterans, and their families. LAB's A Chance to Dance Community Days outreach program was launched in October 2012. About Jiří Kylián Jiří Kylián is a Czechoslovakian dancer and choreographer who began his career in Stuttgart Ballet in 1968. After creating numerous new ballets at Stuttgart, he became the Artistic Director of Nederlands Dans Theater where he served until 1999 and continued to choreograph for the company until 2009. His work Return to a Strange Land is an LAB premiere. About Christopher Stowell Christopher Stowell led a distinguished 16-year career as a principal dancer with San Francisco Ballet before becoming Oregon Ballet Theatre’s second Artistic Director from 2003 to 2012, where he significantly expanded the company’s repertoire. Cipher is his first commissioned work for Los Angeles Ballet. About Sonya Tayeh Sonya Tayeh was born in Detroit, Michigan and received a B.S. in Dance from Wayne State University. She has extensive stage credits and has choreographed for Miley Cyrus, Florence and the Machine, Kylie Minogue, and Madonna. She is a recurring choreographer and judge on So You Think You Can Dance. Beneath One’s Dignity will be her fourth commissioned work for Los Angeles Ballet. About George Balanchine Born in St. Petersburg, Russia, George Balanchine came to the United States in late 1933 following an early European career that included the Ballets Russes. Balanchine co-founded the School of American Ballet, and New York City Ballet where he served as the ballet master from its inception in 1948 until his death in 1983. To this day, Balanchine is regarded as world’s foremost contemporary ballet choreographer. Stars and Stripes is an LAB premiere. About Noah Agruss Noah Agruss is a Los Angeles based Composer who studied composition at Berklee College of Music in Boston and was mentored by Pulitzer Prize composer Wayne Peterson at San Francisco State University. Noah co-founded San Francisco's composer consortium, New Release Alliance, and served as Composer-in-Residence and Music Director on more than 20 productions for Sacramento's B Street Theatre. His edgy string quartet arrangements for Vitamin Records have garnered millions of hits on YouTube and have been chosen by choreographer Mia Michaels for her work on So You Think You Can Dance. His Film and Television credits include the Lionsgate's feature Five Fingers and NBC's broadcast of the Beiijing Olympics. Noah is honored to have been chosen to collaborate with Christopher Stowell in creating "Modules" for Los Angeles Ballet. DOWNLOAD PDF Home / News / New Item

  • LAB's Open Children's Audition for The Nutcracker | Los Angeles Ballet

    KTLA filmed children attending The Nutcracker audition at Dolby Theatre, hoping to obtain a role in children's scenes of this holiday tradition in LA. LAB's Open Children's Audition for The Nutcracker September 19, 2022 Los Angeles Ballet held open auditions for children who want to be part of the 2022/2023 Season production of “The Nutcracker” on Sunday. The event at the Dolby Theatre was attended by children ages 6 to 13. READ ARTICLE AT SOURCE Home / News / New Item

  • Los Angeles Ballet Enchants with Nutcracker Tradition | Los Angeles Ballet

    After seeing Los Angeles Ballet’s The Nutcracker this past Thursday during a 2pm matinee at The Dolby Theatre, I am convinced it’s the only time of day to see the ballet. Los Angeles Ballet Enchants with Nutcracker Tradition December 28, 2022 LA Dance Chronicle Grace Courvoisier After seeing Los Angeles Ballet’s The Nutcracker this past Thursday during a 2pm matinee at The Dolby Theatre , I am convinced it’s the only time of day to see the ballet. All the excited children sat anxiously in their seats, bows in, ties on, and buzzing with holiday fever. During the entire course of the production, the children would laugh at the Rat King, or verbally shout “behind you!” to Uncle Drosselmeyer in Act I, and I was suddenly reminded how inviting and magical this production is and continues to be each Christmas season. Besides its traditional staging value, it continues to be an interactive ballet, perhaps the only one that can reach the hearts and dreams of children and adults alike. LAB truly delivered a spectacular creation under its new Artistic Director Melissa Barak who noted in the program, “Los Angeles is a city brimming with talent, resources, and creativity. There is nothing that can stop Los Angeles Ballet from becoming a major dance force on the world stage.” After seeing tiny little tweaks that elevated this enchanting ballet, I began to believe every word Barak wrote. Keeping with tradition, Act I, scene one with the arrival of the guests remained fairly traditional with Clara and Fritz eagerly anticipating the gifts of their Uncle, and the festivities of the Stahlbaum Family Christmas party. In Act I, scene two is where we see a slight reimagination of events, as Uncle Drosselmeyer, played by Eris Nezha, gives Clara a life size Nutcracker instead of a small toy version. Another variance is Fritz, played by Spencer Collins, who ends up being knocked over by the life size Nutcracker, when traditionally speaking Fritz would accidentally break the beloved toy version of the Nutcracker sending Clara into tears. Clara also had more challenging choreography, being played by company member Poppy Coleman , instead of a member of the youth ballet. From the audience’s perspective, she was believable as Clara, an adolescent girl with a hyper imagination and zest for big dreams and seemed to have been more loved by the adults than the children. Coleman, who played Clara slightly older, was able to tap into that beautiful moment in life when you are wanting more freedom and ready to break out. Still needing the comforts of home, Mr. and Mrs. Stahlbaum, played by Jacob Ray and Julianne Kinasiewicz , tuck Clara into bed before entering Act I, scene three when Clara dreams. The dreamland production value did not disappoint, as Clara’s brass bed, with a lacy white quilt and bed skirt moved clear across the stage, and the already large Christmas tree, placed upstage, began to grow taller and taller and taller. These are the traditional elements of the ballet world that keep surprising you no matter how old you get. With physical props, and larger than life costumes, we enter the epic battle scene between the Mouse King, played by Ryo Araki , and The Nutcracker, played by Santiago Paniagua . In Nutcracker’s past, I have gotten through this scene without much attention or remembrance, but LAB made this incredibly memorable with its costuming and humor. The mice came out with enormous heads and tails, making the scene surreal and larger than life. The mouse king, and all his little followers, were high-spirited and theatrical with each movement. Not only dancing for the first few rows but being just outlandish enough that the back row of the theater would understand each emotion. Not to mention the children’s excitement with each lunge of the sword, and each march of the nutcracker. It’s the tale of good vs evil, of right vs wrong, that stands the test of time. The exceptional choreography, with all its hazards of heads and tails flinging about, was well executed and enjoyable to watch. After the Mouse King is killed, and whisked away off stage, Clara and her Nutcracker are taken to the beautiful land of snow in a moving golden sleigh pushed by Uncle Drosselmeyer. The effect of snow falling from the rafters was the extra touch during the snowflake dance that made you feel like you’ve entered another world. And the Los Angeles Ballet, with set design by Catherine Kanner , continued this whimsy with dramatic icicle head pieces and long iridescent skirts that sparkled in the light. The dance of the snowflakes, a milestone casting for any aspiring ballerina, remains quite simple in its execution by challenging the body in its duration and longevity. The dance of the snowflakes mimicked the fall of snow, having moments of lull and coasting through the air, until a gust blows and swirls a snowflake into a frenzy of exciting leaps and bounds. It’s with this mimicry that we begin to understand the dreamland, and this is made more apparent by Los Angeles Ballet upon the introduction of Marie, played by Kate Inoue . Each ballet across the world seems to have a different imagination of The Palace of the Dolls, and the Dolby Theater stage was transformed into a Palace by the Sea for the grand entrance of all of Clara’s dolls come to life. Marie, or traditionally known as The Sugar Plum Fairy, directly reflected Clara’s costuming in a simple off white gown with red satin details. Marie, likewise, wore an off white tutu with three large red satin bows down her torso. The simple decision of costuming, by Mikael Melbye, really honed in on the idea that Clara is dreaming by reflecting her costuming. In Act II, Scene One we are introduced to the Spanish, Arabian, Russian, Harlequin and Columbine, and the Sunflower dances. By far, the crowd pleaser of the evening was the Russian dancers, played by Cesar Ramirez Castellano , Ryo Araki , and Jacob Soltero . The three men defied gravity all together, while the audience broke out into a rhythmic clap of celebration! Feeling the power of community through dance, is perhaps the only true attribute of a ballet to begin with. And while we had a sense of awe with the Arabian dancers, and a sense of play with the Harlequin dancers, it’s that interactive choreography that breaks the wall between audience and dancer, between what is a dream and what is reality. In the dance of the Sunflowers, we were introduced by another show stopper, the Rose played by Petra Conti , who remains LAB’s only female principal artist. The Sunflowers and Rose were another showstopper in the Palace of the Dolls by engaging us with their stamina and ease rather than complicated footwork and quick staging. The long petaled skirts and bonnets were muted in earth colors and tones rather than the usual bright flashy costumes of the past. It all became so easy on the eyes, and incredibly calming and enjoyable to sit back, take it all in, and watch. And as Act II, scene two opens with Clara on the floor, her parents come in to see that she’s fallen asleep. Upon lifting her back into her own bed, the drums desist, and Clara quickly sits up, eyes wide, mouth gaping, and we wonder if it was in fact a dream or real. The Nutcracker has continued to defy audiences since its premier in 1892, and has been revisited, reconceptualized, and remains relevant to the spirit of Christmas and the holidays today. Los Angeles Ballet was able to tweak and modify the original story in a playful and simple way that continued to delight and surprise. If this is anything like what we have to look forward to under Melissa Barak’s direction, then audiences are in for a real treat this 2023 season. For more information about Los Angeles Ballet, please visit their website . Written by Grace Courvoisier for LA Dance Chronicle. Featured image: Los Angeles Ballet – Kate Inoue and Santiago Paniaqua in The Nutcracker – Photo by Reed Hutchinson READ ARTICLE AT SOURCE Home / News / New Item

  • Los Angeles Ballet Awarded Grant from LA County Arts Commission | Los Angeles Ballet

    Until now, that is. The Los Angeles Ballet (LAB), which kicks off its sixth season Decemeber 3 with The Nutcracker, has slowly evolved into LA's official resident company, renowned for its high-caliber dancers and next-generation repertoire- a mix of old chestnuts and original works by innovative young choreographers. Los Angeles Ballet Awarded Grant from LA County Arts Commission August 1, 2011 Company News from the Staff at LAB Los Angeles Ballet was awarded its first Los Angeles County Arts Commission grant, in support of its 2012 production of Swan Lake. LAB is grateful to LACAC staff, and LA County Supervisors Gloria Molina, Zev Yaroslavsky, Mark Ridley-Thomas, Don Knabe, and Michael D. Antonovich, Mayor. Home / News / New Item

  • Los Angeles Ballet ContinuesTenth Season with a Captivating New Production of Don Quixote | Los Angeles Ballet

    Los Angeles Ballet Continues to Celebrate the Great Romantics in its Tenth Season with a Captivating New Production of Los Angeles Ballet ContinuesTenth Season with a Captivating New Production of Don Quixote February 1, 2016 LAB Public Relations 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. DOWNLOAD PDF Home / News / New Item

  • Fall Fashion 2015: The Turning Point | Los Angeles Ballet

    Silk chiffon dresses flutter, crystal-covered rompers twinkle, and sequin-etched gowns shine. Fall Fashion 2015: The Turning Point October 28, 2015 Los Angeles Magazine by Linda Immediato Silk chiffon dresses flutter, crystal-covered rompers twinkle, and sequin-etched gowns shine. Who better than members of Los Angeles Ballet— celebrating its tenth-anniversary season—to showcase fall’s high-drama couture and evening looks? READ ARTICLE AT SOURCE Home / News / New Item

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