2nd Annual Art For The Arts at Bergamot Station November 1, 2007 A crisp fall evening saw a crowd of Los Angeles Ballet supporters turn out at Bergamot Station to fundraise, enjoy superb food, fine wine, dazzling art and a preview of LAB's upcoming season. LAB Board Members Denise Domergue and Wayne Blank chaired the gala, with art provided by renowned artists Edward Ruscha, Charles Arnoldi, Larry Bell and many others. Company News from the Staff at LAB 2021/2022 Season > News > Previous Item Next Item

Jennifer Bellah Maguire Elected Chair of Los Angeles Ballet Board of Directors December 2, 2021 On November 18, 2021 Jennifer Bellah Maguire was elected Chair of the Los Angeles Ballet Board of Directors. Jennifer Bellah Maguire’s life-long engagement with dance began with classical ballet training as a child. She continued by performing with the Princeton Ballet Society, Oakland Ballet and in contemporary dance at Bryn Mawr College. Ms. Bellah Maguire joined the Board of Los Angeles Ballet in 2005 as a founding member and has been a passionate advocate for building and sustaining a ballet company with the dimension and diversity of Los Angeles. Ms Bellah Maguire is a corporate Partner at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher where she has practiced throughout her career. She holds a bachelor of arts from Bryn Mawr College and was awarded a Watson Foundation Fellowship. Her law degree is from UC Berkeley. She also serves as a Trustee of Otis College of Art and Design and is a member of The Blue Ribbon. Company News from Brandon Lussier, LAB Executive Director DOWNLOAD PDF 2021/2022 Season > News > Previous Item Next Item

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 2021/2022 Season > News > Previous Item Next Item

2021/2022 Season > Video Gallery > Behind the Scenes with Swan Lake 2012 - Episode 1 Welcome to Los Angeles Ballet's Swan Lake Behind the Scenes web series, which invites you to take an exclusive look at the rehearsal process leading up to LAB's premiere of Swan Lake in March 2012. Check back each week for another look at the progress of the company and interviews with our company's principal dancers. In Episode 1, catch a glimpse of the first week of rehearsals, where the Artistic Directors Thordal Christensen and Colleen Neary teach the choreography and the dancers begin to master this classic ballet! Previous Video Next Videos

2021/2022 Season > Dancers > ​ Anna Jacobs Hometown Far Hills, New Jersey Schools School of American Ballet, New Jersey School of Ballet Companies ​ Los Angeles Ballet 1st Season Next Dancer Previous Dancer

Los Angeles Ballet Announces Quartet February 1, 2014 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. ​ LAB Public Relations DOWNLOAD PDF 2021/2022 Season > News > Previous Item Next Item

LAB Announces 2013/2014 Season August 1, 2013 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 Company News from the Staff at LAB 2021/2022 Season > News > Previous Item Next Item

Los Angeles Ballet Dances 'Giselle' May 15, 2011 For all the opening-night jitters and imperfections, Los Angeles Ballet gave a credible, even moving, performance of “Giselle” on Saturday at the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center. The essential Giselle experience remained intact: Love survives the grave, bestows forgiveness on an unworthy bad boy and transforms him into a decent human being. Hmm. Sounds like the plot of a movie or two, or a dozen. 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. Allyssa Bross danced the title role with appealing sweetness and vulnerability. She made her mad scene nuanced and sparked with creepiness, and if she had some unsteadiness in her ghostly extended balances, she more than compensated elsewhere with poise. Giselle’s character is straightforward, but that of Prince Albrecht is ambiguous. Is he merely dallying, really in love, torn between court and country? Unfortunately, Christopher Revels gave no clear take on the prince’s motives, although his repentance and sense of loss at the end looked genuine. Revels danced with princely bearing, partnered with consideration, and executed his second act marathon challenges with strength, though he looked more on the edge of real rather than dramatic exhaustion. Chehon Wespi-Tschopp was an intense Hilarion, a villager also in love with Giselle. His prestissimo spins to his death at the hands of the Wilis were terrific. Kate Highstrete made Myrtha, the Queen of the Wilis, an other-worldly creature of pitiless steel. 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. The production was from the Louisville Ballet. Ben Pilat provided the dramatic lighting. L.A. Ballet company co-director Thordal Christensen tweaked the traditional Coralli-Perrot-Petipa choreography, cutting some virtuosic demands, adding some mime, and inventing a poor couple who provide their cottage as the prince’s local digs. Christensen’s wife and company co-director, Colleen Neary, enacted Giselle’s mother, Berthe, with fuss and worry. With this touchstone Romantic ballet, LAB closes its fifth season with a stronger than ever claim for community support. Performances continue Saturday at the Alex Theatre in Glendale and the following weekend at the Broad Stage in Santa Monica. Los Angeles Times by Chris Pasles DOWNLOAD PDF 2021/2022 Season > News > Previous Item Next Item

Over 3,500 Attend LAB's Performance in Grand Park July 1, 2013 Dancing under the stars in Grand Park, Los Angeles Ballet performed George Balanchine's Agon and Rubies, both to the music of Igor Stravinsky, on July 6th in its first partnership with The Music Center. The free performance was part of The Music Center's LA's Rite: Stravinsky, Innovation and Dance. An enthusiastic audience of more than 3,500 were in attendance. Los Angeles Magazine ​ 2021/2022 Season > News > Previous Item Next Item

2021/2022 Season > Photo Gallery > 2016/2017 Balanchine – Master of the Dance 2017 LAB Ensemble LAB Ensemble Kenta Shimizu Elizabeth Claire Walker Elizabeth Claire Walker & Kenta Shimizu Elizabeth Claire Walker & Kenta Shimizu Kenta Shimuz Julia Cinquemani & Tigran Sargsyan Bianca Bulle & Tigran Sargsyan LAB Ensemble LAB Ensemble LAB Ensemble Kenta Shimizu Elizabeth Claire Walker Elizabeth Claire Walker & Kenta Shimizu Elizabeth Claire Walker & Kenta Shimizu Kenta Shimuz Julia Cinquemani & Tigran Sargsyan Bianca Bulle & Tigran Sargsyan LAB Ensemble LAB Ensemble LAB Ensemble Kenta Shimizu Elizabeth Claire Walker Elizabeth Claire Walker & Kenta Shimizu Elizabeth Claire Walker & Kenta Shimizu Kenta Shimuz Julia Cinquemani & Tigran Sargsyan Bianca Bulle & Tigran Sargsyan LAB Ensemble Divertimento No. 15 – Balanchine / Mozart, Prodigal Son – Balanchine / Prokofiev, Who Cares? – Balanchine / Gershwin Previous Gallery Next Gallery All photos by Reed Hutchinson Click on image for a fullscreen presentation.

2021/2022 Season > Dancers > ​ Jacob Soltero Hometown Las Cruces, New Mexico Schools Pacific Northwest Ballet Professional Division, Peninsula Dance Theater Companies ​ Los Angeles Ballet 1st Season Next Dancer Previous Dancer

LAB to Perform The Nutcracker at Dolby Theatre June 1, 2014 LAB is excited to announce that in December of 2014 it will present four performances of The Nutcracker at its newest venue - the prestigious Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. The addition of this venue continues LAB’s mission to offer world-class professional ballet to greater LA. Company News from the Staff at LAB 2021/2022 Season > News > Previous Item Next Item