Interview: Melissa Barak and Julia Rivera on 20 YEARS OF LOS ANGELES BALLET

Los Angeles Ballet and The Wallis present 20 Years of Los Angeles Ballet: Rubies, Frank Bridge Variations, and a World Premiere by Melissa Barak.  Prepare to experience this milestone, triple bill of iconic works and bold new beginnings, at The Wallis from January 29-31.

But with LAB’s 20-year history from which to select, how did Melissa Barak (Artistic Director) and Julia Rivera (Executive Director) decide on which three ballets to present and how is each representative of the work the group has done and plan to do in their future? Here’s what they shared with me.

Thanks so much for speaking with me today Melissa and Julia. How was the decision made on which ballets to present during Los Angeles Ballet’s 20 Year Celebration event?  

Julia - 20 years is an important milestone for Los Angeles as well as the Company. We are the longest operating professional classical ballet company in the city’s history, so the curation of this production gives us an opportunity to reflect on LAB’s history as well as its contributions to the performing arts, and the community in which we live, perform and serve.

Melissa - For our 20th milestone year, I sought to create a program that signifies our current growth as a company (Frank Bridge Variations), that honors our past (Rubies), and that looks to the future (world premiere and collaborations). Twenty years is a huge accomplishment, and every stage that the company has seen is something to celebrate.

Rubies cast: Aviva Gelfer-Mundl is center
left to right in back: Marco Biella, Cesar Ramirez, Jacob Soltero, Bryce Broedell
Photo credit Nathan Carlson

Please describe each of the ballets to me and how each reflects the essence of Los Angeles Ballet, both past, present, and future.

Melissa - Rubies goes back to the very first season of LAB and pays homage to George Balanchine which was truly the repertoire this company was founded upon. It’s also just a wonderfully vibrant, effervescent piece that will always remain a true classic.

Frank Bridge Variations represents our present. It’s a piece we performed a couple seasons ago and highlights our dancer’s artistic growth. Hans Van Manen’s work requires maturity and deep artistic exploration which are qualities I cultivate with our dancers.

The new work represents the future. What’s new, how the artform is evolving! Partnerships with ETRO and a new score by David Lawrence signify the commitment I have towards collaborations with artists across the creative spectrum.

Julia - LAB’s mission has evolved over time and under Melissa’s artistic leadership, it includes a focus on programmatic collaborations with artists of other genres such as music and fashion. This program is a lovely example of the range of the Company as well as the success of such collaborations.

Melissa, the evening ends with you unveiling a world premiere ballet you choreographed, set to music by David Lawrence. Please tell me more about it and the production embodies the forward momentum that continues to define Los Angeles Ballet.

Rehearsal of Wavelength the World Premiere ballet.
Left to right Marco Biella, Theodore Swank, Jacob Soltero, Bryce Broedell
Photo credit Melissa Barak

Melissa - The new work, titled Wavelength, is a music-driven piece. Purely abstract and my personal response to the score. The dancers move with the kind of energy and precision I like to see when watching a ballet performance. Seeing music truly come to life if you will! Mood and atmosphere are on display rather than story or a specific theme.

How are the two of you involved in the overall day-to-day operations of the entire event?

Melissa - My job is to see ballets executed well. That involves my day-to-day work with the dancers through rehearsals and classes. There’s so much preparation that leads up to the actual performances. Lots of guidance, corrections, and coaching!

Julia - My primary responsibility is to make sure that the Company has the resources it needs to put these wonderful works on the stage for our dancers to perform. We also have a responsibility to our audience and partners. I lead a dedicated team of nonprofit professionals who really honor our mission every day.

Are most of the Los Angeles Ballet dancers native Angelenos? And if not, how did you recruit them to dance with the company?

Melissa - Many of our dancers are from the SoCal area and California. That just happens to be a coincidence. We hold auditions and I visit other major conservatories around the country for scouting dancers.

Anything else you would like to add about the 20-year celebration or Los Angeles Ballet in general:

Julia - Launching a professional classical ballet company in the second largest city in the country is no small feat! This season, we honor that brave endeavor of our founders and acknowledge that over the last two decades, LAB has weathered several crises and rebounded each time. We’ve grown into an organization that Los Angeles can be proud of while achieving our own internal goals for programming, outreach and audience growth.

LAB has moved productions into some of LA’s iconic spaces such as The Wallis and Dolby Theatre and we will make our debut at Music Center this spring with Giselle at The Ahmanson Theatre. We have so much on the horizon that this feels like only the beginning of what LAB will become.  

Thanks so much!

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