There have been so many stagings and re-stagings of this classic romantic tragedy that it would be impossible to count all of them. Suffice it to say that Romeo & Juliet is arguably Shakespeare’s most popular and most enduring play. Long before Leo courted Claire the basic story of the star-crossed lovers began to enthrall readers and audiences. Read the rest of this entry »
Meet Ana da Costa, our newest Principal dancer! Ana joined us for our 47th season and we are very pleased to welcome her back for our 48th. Most recently, you may recognize her as Myrtle from our production of The Great Gatsby. Soloist Tess Lane sat down with Ana to learn a little more about Ana’s the international ballet world and Ana’s favorite things.
Ana da Costa: I started when I was 5 or 6 at a studio in Rio de Janeiro, my hometown. Somehow I still have two very vivid memories of watching ballet at home on TV when I was around that age: one of a woman in a white tutu becoming a swan, and a man dancing and then becoming a skull. My mother didn’t want to put me in lessons, but I pestered her so much that she eventually gave in. Much later, after I was already serious about ballet, I discovered that I’d seen Natalia Makarova in The Royal Ballet’s Swan Lake and Mikhail Baryshnikov in the opening of White Nights. By the time I discovered this, Makarova and Baryshnikov were already two of my favorite dancers!
TL: Somehow I’m not surprised you still remember those scenes. I think many of us have vague, but treasured, memories of our first ballet too. What was your first professional experience?
ADC: When I was 16 or so I entered an International Ballet Competition. I was awarded a scholarship to train in Vienna but the scholarship only paid the tuition, so we couldn’t afford to send me. My parents helped me make videos of myself to send to companies and we sent them to many companies in the US but only one in France. All of the US companies wanted me to fly to them for an in-person audition, but we still couldn’t afford the airfare there, back, and there again. The French company, Jeune Ballet de France, offered me a contract just after seeing my video, so off I went to Paris!
TL: How exciting! Did you speak any French?
ADC: None! It was a bit of a culture shock for me, and I was younger than most of the others in the company so I felt very naive. I love French culture though, in some ways I feel more French than Brazilian. I was lucky too, while I was with Jeune Ballet we went on a huge Latin American tour.
TL: That sounds wonderful! It must have been nice to get to see more of Latin America. Where did you go from there?
ADC: I really didn’t have much guidance or experience with auditions, so once my contract was up with Jeune Ballet I wasn’tsure where to go. I decided to go home to Rio and audition for our classical ballet company, Theatro Municipal do Rio de Janeiro. The company is huge; it’s modeled after the Paris Opera Ballet, and it’s really the only classical ballet company in Brazil so it’s very difficult to get a spot. I was hired for the first year or so with short contracts, and then in I think 2001 they had an open audition. The last open audition had been in the 1980s, so I was very fortunate to be in Rio and have a relationship with the company at this point. Dancers from all over the country came to audition, and, thankfully, I was offered a spot in their Corps de Ballet. There, once you are hired into the company, you’re a full-time employee until you retire, unlike here where we have to sign new contracts every season. I was very relieved when I joined the Corps.
TL: It sounds very nice to have that kind of job security. What were some of your favorite moments with Theatro Municipal de Rio de Janeiro?
ADC: I danced the Shades solo in Natalia Makarova’s La Bayadere, and I even had a few rehearsals with Makarova herself! That was a big deal for me because I was chosen even though I was in the Corps and I looked up to Makarova so much. Then Richard Cragun cast me as Myrtha in Giselle, and that’s when I became a First Soloist with the company.
TL: What wonderful opportunities. It must have been amazing to work with Makarova, especially since you remember seeing her when you were little. Alright, so what brought you to California?
ADC: My husband had been offered opportunities to transfer to many different cities for his work, but I was never ready. However, the work his company does here in San Diego is his favorite, and when he was offered the transfer I finally felt ready for a change, so we decided to take it! I sent my video to a couple companies here, and I have to say we’re very happy here! My favorite part of any role is getting into the character, not really the technique, and all the roles I’ve done with California Ballet are very theatrical; Giselle, Myrtle, and, later this season, Juliet. I’m very happy with the opportunities I’ve been given here, and we love San Diego!
TL: Well we love having you! Last question, who’s your favorite dancer?
ADC: I love Alessandra Ferri! She has beautiful feet and legs, but she’s so much more than that; she’s a true artist! I’m grateful for my feet, but they’re just genetic. I’d rather be appreciated for how much work I put into being an artist, so I admire her for that.
See Ana dance the roles of the Snow Queen and the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker at the San Diego Civic Theatre December 12-20, 2015. For tickets or more information go to www.NutcrackerSanDiego.com.
Dancing the role of Clara in The Nutcracker is every young girl’s dream when they are dancer. We recently caught up with Miss Julia Dawson, one of the three young ladies sharing the role of Clara this year in California Ballet Company’s The Nutcracker. Julia was asked to guest Blog for us and share what it means to her to be Clara.
Being Clara
Written by Julia Dawson
I am excited to be performing as one of the Claras in this year’s production of The Nutcracker.
To me, the role of Clara and The Nutcracker ballet are about family. Clara’s story is one that families, like mine, enjoy year after year. Clara appreciates the qualities of family. Her family throws a big Christmas Eve party, and invites other families to celebrate. And this ballet bring families, like mine, together during this beautiful time of the year.
I have two sisters, an older and a younger, who also dance in this production along with my dad. My mom volunteers backstage. It isn’t Christmas until we perform The Nutcracker. This is our 11th Nutcracker. It’s our holiday tradition. We don’t even put up a Christmas tree, until the performances have come to an end. We spend November and December rehearsing and preparing. We discuss the production around the dinner table. And then we enjoy the family time spent at the beautiful Civic Theatre, celebrating the holidays with our extended California Ballet family.
My older sister, Danielle, was first cast as a bon bon in The Nutcracker in 2005. I saw that production. and got a photo with Clara and her autograph after the show. I was ready to perform myself. I auditioned, and was cast with Danielle as a bon bon the next year when I was four years old. And so my family Nutcracker tradition began.
Julia’s first Nutcracker as a Taffy and a Bon Bon – 2006
I have danced with both of my sisters. And my real-life dad is my on-stage dad in the party scene. It is a family affair. Last year, my dad got to perform as Clara’s dad when Danielle danced the role of Clara. I am getting to experience everything that she got to experience last year. It is cool, and I get to dance with my dad this year, too. My sister Danielle is giving me tips on my performance.
I’ve been dancing at California Ballet since I was two years old. I’ve grown up at the California Ballet school. I was a bon bon for five years. Then, I graduated to the littlest girl in the family scene, and then the snobby girl. I’ve been a reindeer and a rosebud, and now Clara.
This is a highlight of my life. I have been very fortunate this year to be given so many opportunities, including participating in an international ballet competition in New York City and now dancing Clara. I am excited to take the stage, to dance with my family and with the other kids in the family scene, play with the life-size dolls, battle mice, dance under the sparkling tree of lights, and visit the snow kingdom and the land of the sweets.
We’ve been rehearsing every Sunday since early September, following auditions in August. As a young dancer, I spend many hours at the ballet studio, or in rush hour traffic getting there. I juggle homework and late nights, including time spent putting my hair in curlers. But this is what the holiday season means to me and my family. The joy of performing, with my family, for other families who come to see this beautiful ballet.
Look for my dad in the family scene, my older sister dancing as a snowflake and a candy cane, and my younger sister as a soldier battling the mice. I hope you enjoy the performance, and the spirit of this magical family time.
See Julia as Clara this December in The Nutcracker at the San Diego Civic Theatre!
Written by: Soloist Tess Lane
A big thank you to our audiences for your support of our premier of The Great Gatsby! The applause and standing ovations proved that our weeks and weeks of hard work paid off. Our audiences’ energy and enthusiasm in the theater fills us all with incredible joy.
The feeling at the end of a wonderful run is always bittersweet, and we have many people to thank for making The Great Gatsby such a success: Jared Nelson, for not only starring in the ballet, but also for setting the entire work on the company, Septime Webre for the brilliant choreography, Billy Novick and The Blue Syncopators for their phenomenal playing and energy, and everyone onstage, backstage, and in the audience for bringing such a new, exciting show to San Diego! KPBS called “Septime Webre’s version … an exciting production, and a strong representative of ballet’s changing landscape.”
That being said, this time of year is one of many traditions, and though we’re still dancing The Charleston in our sleep, the company is already rehearsing for The Nutcracker! While Gatsby was a new style and new choreography, The Nutcracker is our staple each season and provides us dancers a chance to improve upon last year’s performances or try a new part we’ve been hoping to perform. We’re trading our jazz band, champagne glasses, and flapper dresses for a symphony orchestra, snowflakes, and tutus. ’Tis the season, after all!
Please join us for The Nutcracker this December (http://sandiegotheatres.org/the-nutcracker/).
See KPBS’s thoughts on The Great Gatsby here: http://www.kpbs.org/events/2015/oct/25/the-great-gatsby-california-ballet/?et=53943
You’ve seen the legs all over town in San Diego. They’re on billboards. They’ve been online. They’ve been in the newspaper. Perhaps you went to see a production at The Old Globe or the San Diego Civic Theatre, opened the program . . . and there they were: legs in mid-Charleston proclaiming that The Great Gatsby is coming to San Diego!
Did you ever wonder to whom those legs might belong?
It is our pleasure to introduce the Official Legs of the California Ballet:
Brigitte Edwards
Brigitte has been a part of the California Ballet family for a very long time. She started as a little girl in the California Ballet School, a focused and dedicated student. She swiftly advanced through the class levels and has become a young accomplished dancer. While she excels in ballet, she received training in jazz, contemporary, musical theater, and even flamenco! Always seeking to expand her training and expertise, Brigitte spent the last five summers training with the School of American Ballet.
If you’re a California Ballet fan, you’ve seen Brigitte onstage many times. She’s appeared in Sleeping Beauty as the White Cat, A Midsummer Night’s Dream as a Fairy, and The Nutcracker as a very memorable Clara and most recently as the Snow Queen.
Of course, this isn’t the first time we’ve used her leg. California Ballet is proud of our Sharing the Art program. A part of this program is our Military Night at the Ballet. Every year we offer hundreds of complimentary tickets to members of the military and their family. Brigitte’s legs made their first appearance as the Official Legs of the California Ballet two years ago in this wonderful image!
We are so very proud of Brigitte and all of her artistic accomplishments, and we are delighted to introduce her to you. Look for her onstage in The Great Gatsby this weekend, and again in The Nutcracker this December – both at the San Diego Civic Theatre.
Get your tickets to The Great Gatsby at www.GatsbySanDiego.com
Get your tickets to The Nutcracker at www.NutcrackerSanDiego.com
For our first program of the season, Septime Webre’s The Great Gatsby, we are extremely fortunate to have principal guest artists Jared Nelson and Kirsten Bloom Allen join us to portray Jay Gatsby and Daisy Fay Buchanan. Mr. Nelson retired from The Washington Ballet this past spring and has come out of retirement to reprise this role which he originated. Mrs. Allen retired from the Sacramento Ballet in 2010 to start her family, but performed Sugar Plum Fairy in Sacramento Ballet’s Nutcracker in 2014 and is now making her debut as Daisy in our production of The Great Gatsby. We couldn’t be more pleased to have them both!
This week we had the chance to speak with Kirsten about her very first ballet class, her family, and her long partnership with Mr. Nelson.
Tess: Can you tell us how you started dancing? Being a ballet dancer is not the easiest career; what pushed you to pursue a career in dance?
Kirsten Bloom Allen: I remember my first ballet class vividly, even though I was only five years old at the time. That’s the same age as my oldest son, Ben! I really never wanted to do anything else. Even during that very first class I felt something really important was happening in that studio. It felt like a special place and I loved being there.
T: It seems many female dancers struggle with balancing their careers and creating a family, especially given how physical our work is. You have two young sons, and though you took a few years off you’ve been dancing up a storm the past few years! When you retired from Sacramento Ballet, did you intend to return to the stage after starting your family?
KBA: When I retired from Sacramento Ballet I was three months pregnant with our first son, Ben. I honestly didn’t know where life was taking me, I just dived into motherhood and I’ve loved every minute of it! Shortly after we had Ben, we discovered we were pregnant with our second son, Nate, who’s now three. With two young boys, I didn’t have much time to think about dancing again, but, once the boys were out of infancy, the desire to dance came back and I performed the Sugar Plum Fairy with Sacramento Ballet in 2013. I meant to perform one Alumni Performance with them, but due to injuries in the company I wound up doing many more shows! Shortly after that Jared and I started meeting in the ballet studio here in San Diego to put together a few contemporary duets . He and I have been dancing together ever since!
T: Speaking of Jared, how did you two meet? Can you tell us what your first experience was dancing together?
KBA: Oh, Jared and I met at Sacramento Ballet when I was 21 and he was 16. Right away our directors loved our chemistry. We were put together as partners and danced absolutely everything together: classical ballets, Balanchine works, and contemporary repertoire. We grew very close and have danced together and been dear friends for nearly 20 years! The first year we did Nutcracker together we were cast as Sugar Plum and Cavalier, and even though we rehearsed for hours and hours in the studio, we would still co home and lie on the floor, hold hands, and just listen to our music.
T: What an wonderful partnership! It’s been a while since you two danced together in Sacramento, how do you feel your partnership has developed since then?
KBA: Jared left Sacramento in 2000 to dance as a principal with Washington Ballet in DC, but he returned often each season to guest with Sacramento Ballet. Each time he returned we would reignite our partnership and continued to love dancing together. I feel our partnership has grown deeper over the years and I believe we ignite each other on many different levels and find a deeper passion for dance through one another.
T: That sounds like a true partnership. You two are partners for your own charitable organization as well, The Artist Society. Can you speak about what motivated you to form the organization? What do you see for its future?
KBA: The Artist Society is a performing arts group that joins art with giving back to the community. Jared and I both believe very strongly in the power and beauty of these elements! We had a wonderfully successful performance in June to support Shriners Hospital for Children in Sacramento, and we’re in the process of creating our next show!
T: That sounds wonderful! Thank you so much for taking the time to share with us! Is there anything else you’d like to say?
KBA: Of course! Jared and I are very excited to be dancing with California Ballet Company for The Great Gatsby. There’s such a swirl of excitement around this production! It is, without a doubt, the most spectacular ballet San Diego has produced.
The Nutcracker rehearsals are in full swing at the California Ballet! Fresh off the heels of our latest production, Giselle, the dancers have wasted no time preparing for their respective roles in the season’s biggest production. However we dancers aren’t all work and no play for this season also brings one of the company’s biggest events, THANKSGIVING. This holiday is one of only a handful of days off that the company gets from a rigorous schedule of company classes, rehearsals, private coaching sessions and body conditioning exercise. It’s a time for friends, family and most of all FOOD! We checked in with a couple company members to see what a ballet dancer eats during one of our country’s biggest and most indulgent holidays.
Corps Member John Velasco and Soloist Jeremy Zapanta celebrate in a “big” way:
“We come from big Filipino families where there is way too much food for way too many people. It’s multi generational with friends and family members alike. There is both American food and traditional Filipino cooking always, so everybody’s happy. It’s the best of both worlds. I have one rule though-no rules. I don’t hold back and eat the whole day” says John.
“My favorite is Tosilog (cured pork or chicken with garlic fried rice and a sunny side up egg). It’s the best! And here’s plenty because so many people come over for the holiday.” Jeremy says. “It’s like the Filipino cardinal rule to never run out of anything!”
Corps Member Kayla Jaynes’ Thanksgiving is a little less bombastic: “It’s just my immediate family for Thanksgiving ince all of our other family is spread across the US. I’m always in charge of the mashed potatoes. That’s my contribution!” she laughs. “I get full really easily and only have about one plate of food. I guess that’s good because I don’t really have to watch what I eat!” Her go to: Martinelli’s Apple Cider with pumpkin pie for dessert. Kayla has just turned twenty one last month so perhaps she might add something more than her apple cider to her tradition.
Principal Ballerina Chie Kudo, fresh from her portrayal of Giselle earlier this month, is also looking forward to the holiday. All my family is back in Japan so I’m just going to spend time with my close friends here.” When asked about what she loves to cook up for the holidays she confesses: “I have such a sweet tooth. I love to eat sweet things.” But during Thanksgiving she only has eyes for one thing “I love stuffing!” she says. Speaking of sweet things, Chie will be performing the iconic role of the Sugar Plum Fairy in California Ballet’s The Nutcracker this December.
New Principal Ana da Costa confesses that she doesn’t do too much for Thanksgiving. Originally from Brazil where the holiday isn’t really celebrated, she goes on further to explain, “I am just going to spend time with family here but my tradition is to work my appetite all the way up to Christmas. That’s when I eat everything! Well, not everything, I am a vegetarian, almost vegan and I have some wonderful recipes that I have for celebrating the Christmas holiday” she says between company class and her rehearsal for Sugar Plum Fairy.
Although there are a number of both male and female dancers who live on donuts, candy and soda without any consequence, the majority fuel themselves with healthy things that help them perform to the best of their abilities. Moreover it’s a special occasion holiday so the dancers shouldn’t really worry about what or how much they eat though, because it’s back in the studio for Nutcracker rehearsal on Saturday! With only a couple of weeks to go before opening night we are putting the final touches on our production.
Whatever your plans are for the upcoming festivities we wish you a happy and healthy holiday from California Ballet Company!
Ballerinas are know for their grace, beauty, and athleticism. Rarely do you get a chance to hear one speak, and they are not generally known for their eloquence.
Here’s a truth for you: Most ballerinas are unbelievably smart, well-spoken, and thoughtful.
In this post, we provide you with a rare glimpse into a dancer’s mind as California Ballet Corps de Ballet dancer Amanda Daly recounts her time with The Nutcracker, and what the perennial classic means to this amazing young dancer.
Through a Dancer’s Eyes: The Nutcracker
Written by: Amanda Daly
When you ask most people to describe the holiday season, they’ll tell you about the change in weather, the lights suddenly glowing from houses and in public spaces, the ice rink that springs into existence at Horton Plaza, the red cups at Starbuck’s. They’ll tell you about a thousand things that set this time of year apart, a certain shift in energy as people direct their attention to friends, family, and traditions both religious and secular.
For me, the holidays are almost synonymous with The Nutcracker. For me, the holiday season means Tchaikovsky, the eye rolls when I hear the music for the Russian variation on almost every commercial, the smell of makeup and hairspray, the red seats at the Civic Theater. Definitely the red Starbuck’s cups. Caffeine and warmth are essential this time of year. From the moment I start doubling up on legwarmers, I know it’s only a matter of time before I literally have visions of sugarplums dancing around in my head.
I was four years old when I first performed in California Ballet Company’s Nutcracker as a Bon-Bon, and it was another four years until I graduated to the rank of Small Soldier #3 in the battle scene, which means I must have been pretty tiny as a child. From there I worked my way through most of the children’s roles; twin girl in the family scene, lollipop, reindeer, cavalry, courtier, rosebud. I bounced around from scene to scene as my height and abilities changed, and began understudying for the corps de ballet roles – Waltz of the Flowers and Snowflakes – when I was 15.
In fact, the first time I ever danced a corps spot full-out was during a snow scene rehearsal. One of the dancers was absent that day, and when the rehearsal director asked who her understudy was, I was pointed out. The next 8 minutes, dear reader, were eye-opening. Things started off fairly well; I knew the steps and thought I was doing a pretty good job of not embarrassing myself, of keeping my feet pointed and my legs turned out and such. I was very probably wrong about that, but at the time I was pretty confident I could keep up.
As we neared the four-minute mark, however, things began to change, very rapidly, for the worse. I was tired. The music felt like it was getting faster. It had to be getting faster. I started to feel the burning in my legs and chest and knew that I was in trouble. At least I was still getting to all the right places, at mostly the right time.
Six minutes in, I felt my feet start to cramp. I knew I was running, jumping mostly flat-footed, but I kept going. If I could just make it until the end, then at least I could say I had done it. Just about then, we were supposed to make a small circle around one of the tall dancers. More specifically, I was supposed to lead a small circle around one of the tall dancers. In the split second before I started running, I told myself I could do this. I was wrong, and was immediately passed by one, two, three company members. “Aren’t you supposed to be in front?” one of them asked as she sprinted by. I tried to look apologetically at her, hoping that I could somehow convey without words that yes, I knew I was supposed to be in front, but that my legs felt like sandbags and that I didn’t know how hard this was going to be, and didn’t she remember her first time dancing with the corps? I was going to tell her all this with my eyes, but as soon as I turned my head, she had already been replaced by another impossibly fast corps member giving me an equally puzzled look. I gave up on looking like a ballet dancer and flat out sprinted to the next place I had to be. The last two minutes I tried to pretend I wasn’t there.
When it was all over, I was red, sweaty, and trembling. I sat down right where I was and watched the older girls, daintily pink and glowing with a few well-placed beads of perspiration on their foreheads, listening to corrections and practicing the steps they needed to improve. I was awed at their ability to keep dancing when I had all I could do to breathe normally and reassure myself that my legs would indeed move again, one day. I learned two important things that day: never underestimate the work of the corps de ballets, and maybe cardio cross-training isn’t such a bad idea.
Today, with almost nine seasons of corps work under my belt, I’ve discovered that snow scene never really gets easier; you just get better at building your stamina, and hiding the trembling in your legs when it’s over. You still have to bow, after all.
The Nutcracker continues to be both a learning experience and a holiday tradition for me. There’s nothing quite like walking through downtown San Diego in December and entering the Civic theater through the stage door, where you are greeted by the giant pink Sugarplum throne still onstage from the night before, and the warm red seats of the house. Like most people, there are a thousand tiny things that I look forward to during Nutcracker season, regardless of how many years I have spent dancing this ballet; bundling up before class, picking out your favorite headpieces, arranging your costumes in your dressing room. Hearing the San Diego Symphony tuning their instruments right before the show is one of my favorite sounds in the world, and even though I’ve heard the first few bars of the overture hundreds of times, I can still feel the warmth and joy in them, and I love knowing that there are people in the audience experiencing that for the first time.
To see Amanda perform in this year’s The Nutcracker, go online to www.californiaballet.org/nutcracker!
California Ballet Company dancer John Velasco spent his summer vacation traveling in Italy. He spent his time experiencing the culture, cuisine, and art that the birthplace of the Western Renaissance has to offer. His most memorable experiences were in Florence, home of the famed Medici family, Botticelli, Michelangelo, and Donatello.
Mr. Velasco came away from the experience with his mind spinning, and we are excited to be able to share his thoughts with our fans and friends.
Eat, Pray Dance
Written by: John Velasco
THE best meal I’ve probably ever had in my life. It’s like I hadn’t ever had Italian food until that day. It changed my perception of food and how food can affect you. I felt like I weighed a metric ton afterwards though, especially since I had promised myself to not do a single pirouette nor plié during my only two weeks of freedom from the ballet. Besides, this was Florence, the birthplace of the renaissance! There was so much to see, do, obviously eat, but most importantly to learn.
Although the present day vocabulary and canon of ballet is French, the origins of ballet seem to have had a more complex genealogy. While it was the French court of Louis XIV that capitalized and encouraged the growth of the art, ballet’s true progenitor was during the renaissance, in the land of Pizzas, Piazzas and Pasta! It is almost impossible to list all of the achievements in art, technology and philosophy that the renaissance has spawned, but one can see clearly that its thoughts and ideas are still relevant even today.
However, if there is one singular expression of humanity’s timeless relevance, it is found in the statue of Michelangelo’s David in the Akkademia in Florence. He is perfect, an ideal, an icon, a message of defiance, of indomitability. His muscles look like mine! Those quadriceps, those calves! I begin to wonder, was Michelangelo a ballet dancer? Was there a model used for the David? Was the model a ballet dancer in the renaissance courts? It is so strange and eerie to come face to face with an inanimate object hewn from the earth more than half a millennium ago, based on a story that is four times that age and therein seeing my own living and breathing humanity staring back at me. It really is a spectacle.
David was not the only iteration of this realization I had in Florence. It was everywhere. In the Uffizi Gallery down the street, Sandro Botticelli’s Venus and Primavera were strikingly balletic in their fluidity and grace. Nay rather that ballet seems “Botticellic” in its fluidity and grace. Then there’s Filippo Brunelleschi’s own Goliath, the Duomo at Santa Maria de Fiore. The biggest dome ever built since antiquity-a practical REBIRTH of human creativity and invention! Even the Arno River itself screams newly defined elegance with its serpentine swoops and sways through the city-an image that has surely captured the hearts and imaginations of Florentines through the ages. The whole city mirrors its people and the people their city.
Florence stole my heart. The city itself is a present likeness of a time long gone. Time traveling is a possibility in this city what with its cobbled streets and 5th floor walkups that predate any sort of star spangled whatever by a couple hundred years. It is OLD. But what’s most striking about this city is that although its creators have come and gone, their ideas , feelings and emotions are still so very tangible. Maybe that’s the tradeoff. Similarly, Ballet itself has been around the block but the essence of the human experience is something that we can still see, touch, hear, smell, and most of all EATTTTTTT today!
En Pointe for a 47th Season!
Fall 2014 – Vol. 22 No. 1
Welcome to the fall edition of Our Pointe, California Ballet Company’s quarterly newsletter. In this issue we take a look at the upcoming season, chat with Regisseur Denise Dabrowski about her Giselle experiences, learn why the Civic Theatre is so magical, and more!
Curl up with your tablet, smartphone, or computer and enjoy saving some trees while you learn about the latest goings-on at California Ballet!
California Ballet’s 47th Season Opens with Romantic Classic
California Ballet Company announces the lineup for its 47th season of classical dance in San Diego. Tickets are available online!
Preparing a Character – Giselle
We recently caught up with former Prima Ballerina Denise Dabrowski and asked her to share with us her experiences dancing the role of Giselle, why the ballet is still popular, and her thoughts on passing the torch to the next generation of dancers.
Onstage and at Home at the Civic Written by: Joseph Shumate
California Ballet Company has been the resident ballet company at the San Diego Civic Theatre for over 30 years. The company’s entire main stage season is presented at the civic, and the dancers are proud to call it home. But, what makes it so special?
California Ballet 2014 Annual Meeting & Volunteer Awards 
The 46th Annual Meeting and Volunteer Awards Ceremony took place on Sunday, September 14, 2014 at the WorldBeat Cultural Center in Balboa Park. Attendees enjoyed a lovely catered lunch and special performances by Senior and Junior Company dancers . . .
California Ballet Company Chit-Chat
California Ballet’s roster of dancers has seen some changes for there 47th season with promotions and additions. The company is excited to announce two new principals!
California Ballet Dancer of the Year – Amanda Daly
The 2014 Dancer of the Year, Amanda Daly, was announced on September 14th at the California Ballet Annual Meeting. While this award is always well deserved and hard earned, this year’s was extra special . . .
Give the gift of Pointe Shoes
California Ballet’s ballerinas are light on their toes and indescribably graceful, but precision take hundreds of hours of training and rehearsal. Before a ballerina puts on her makeup, slips into her costume, and steps into the spotlight, she will have worked around 300 hours int he studio . . .
California Ballet Association Donors 2014-2015
Join us in thanking these wonderful individuals, families, and organizations for making great classical dance in San Diego a reality!
California Ballet Events Calendar
Upcoming dates for performances and events with California Ballet Company. Please keep your eye on our main website for more information. . .
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California Ballet Company's Blog 