Valley Performing Arts Council Presents the Ballet ROMEO AND JULIET

"Romeo and Juliet," Shakespeare's classic story of young star-crossed lovers, will be presented as a ballet by the Valley Performing Arts Council (VPAC) Saturday, March 3 at 6:30 p.m. at the William Saroyan Theatre in downtown Fresno. The performance will feature professional dancers from the renowned State Street Ballet of Santa Barbara alongside local dancers from Fresno Ballet Theatre.

Using the iconic score by Sergei Prokofiev, State Street Ballet Artistic Director Rodney Gustafson intensifies the drama by highlighting the most emotional and romantic moments of the world's most treasured love story. The result is spellbinding, fast-paced action and enhanced empathy for the star-crossed lovers.

VPAC Artistic Director Yukari Thiesen brings this multi-dimensional performance to the Valley thanks to a long-time relationship with State Street Ballet. The partnership with State Street and Fresno Ballet Theatre also allows Thiesen to showcase area student dancers alongside professionals in an annual performance each spring - an experience that can be life-changing for young dancers.

"Young ballet students often have very little idea what a professional ballet company is really like and how much time and effort goes into a performance of this level," Thiesen said. "The best education we can give young dancers is the chance to work with the professional dancers and artistic staff in their productions."

Heightening the excitement is the fact that the role of "Romeo" will be danced by Australian Aaron Smyth who will appear as the "Snow Cavalier," opposite Misty Copeland in Disney's upcoming feature film "The Nutcracker and the Four Realms" to be released in November 2018.

Smyth has been a company member with the American Ballet Theatre II in New York, The Royal Ballet in London and The Joffrey Ballet in Chicago where he danced soloist and principal roles. He now travels the globe as a principal guest artist.

He has also won numerous medals in international ballet competitions and is the founding director of Dance For Humanity and wellness house EC1 Studios in London.

"Juliet" will be danced by Deise Mendonça, a native of Brazil. She's been a principal dancer with The Bolshoi Company in Brazil and performed with Teatro alla Scala in Milan, Ballet Municipal of Rio de Janeiro and Ballet de Santiago in Chile.

Deise joined State Street Ballet in 2013 and has performed the principal roles of "Cinderella," "Sugar Plum Fairy" in "The Nutcracker," "Beauty" in "Beauty and the Beast" and "Alice" in "Alice in Wonderland." She was a finalist on "So You Think You Can Dance" in 2014. She performed the pas de deux from "Le Corsaire" at the International Ballet Gala in Santiago, Chile in August 2017 to critical and popular acclaim.

The performance is supported by the Larry L. Hillblom Foundation, the Fresno County Office of Education and the Bonner Family Foundation.

Valley Performing Arts Council (VPAC) provides Central San Joaquin Valley grade school students with the opportunity to experience the classical performing arts, and to appreciate the beauty, wisdom and truth the classical arts impart to society.

State Street Ballet of Santa Barbara is a vibrant, innovative dance company dedicated to promoting original dance through public performances and educational outreach programs. The company tours domestically and internationally.

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