Thordal Christensen News

Los Angeles Ballet (www.losangelesballet.org), the city's own and only professional classical ballet company, announces its 2018-2019 Season that includes both classical and contemporary programming.

Los Angeles Ballet, the city's own and only professional classical ballet company, announces its 2018-2019 Season that includes both classical and contemporary programming.

Los Angeles Ballet (www.losangelesballet.org), the city's own and only professional classical ballet company, announces its 2017-2018 that includes both classic and contemporary programming.

Los Angeles Ballet (www.losangelesballet.org), the city's own and only professional classical ballet company, brings back the holiday favorite The Nutcracker at LAB's home theatres: UCLA's Royce Hall, Glendale's Alex Theatre, Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center and the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. The performances at the Dolby Theatre will include a live orchestra.

Los Angeles Ballet (www.losangelesballet.org), the city's own and only professional classical ballet company, brings back the holiday favorite The Nutcracker at LAB's home theatres: UCLA's Royce Hall, Glendale's Alex Theatre, Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center and the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. The performances at the Dolby Theatre will include a live orchestra.

As its first offering of its 2017/2018 season, LA Ballet is treating audiences to a mixed bill Director's Choice program entitled PUSHING DANCE BOUNDARIES, a compilation of four modern dance suites with contemporary choreography. There's no elaborate costumes or sets; just brilliantly talented dancers and choreographers doing what they do best together enchant and entertain their audiences at LAB's home theaters: UCLA's Royce Hall, Glendale's Alex Theatre, Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center, and the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.

Los Angeles Ballet (www.losangelesballet.org), the city's own and only professional classical ballet company, announces its 2017-2018 that includes both classic and contemporary programming.

Los Angeles Ballet (LAB) celebrated its Season 11 Gala on Friday, April 21, 2017 at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel. This year's honorees were Academy Award® nominated film producer Lawrence Bender and Governor Gray Davis & Sharon Davis.

Los Angeles Ballet (LAB) celebrates its Season 11 Gala on Friday, April 21, 2017 at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel. This year's honorees are Academy Award® nominated film producer Lawrence Bender and Governor Gray Davis & Sharon Davis.

Los Angeles Ballet's eleventh season celebrates the masters and introduces LA to a new choreographer that is changing the dance landscape. The season opened with Modernists/Ballet Visionaries which features works of three icons of their time: August Bournonville, 1805-79, creator of the Danish Bournonville style of ballet, still vibrant today; George Balanchine, 1904-82, Master choreographer who transformed American dance and created modern American ballet; Aszure Barton, contemporary choreographer who is leading ballet into rich, new territory. The program includes Bournonville's Napoli Pas de Six and Tarantella, Balanchine's Stravinsky Violin Concerto and the Los Angeles Ballet Premiere of Barton's Untouched (2010).

Boston Ballet Artistic Director Mikko Nissinen has announced the 2016-2017 season roster. A total of 71 dancers make up the Company roster, with 57 in Boston Ballet, the main professional company, and 14 in Boston Ballet II (BBII), the second company.

Boston Ballet Artistic Director Mikko Nissinen has announced the 2016-2017 season roster. A total of 71 dancers make up the Company roster, with 57 in Boston Ballet, the main professional company, and 14 in Boston Ballet II (BBII), the second company. A total of 17 nationalities are represented, with dancers from Brazil, South Korea, France, Georgia, and Australia, to name a few.  More than 32 percent of the main company are BBII alumni and 18 percent are Boston Ballet School alumni. This year marks Principal Dancer Erica Cornejo's final season with Boston Ballet after dancing with the Company for 11 seasons. Cornejo will retire from Boston Ballet in May 2017 with final performances in The Sleeping Beauty.

LA Ballet's upcoming 2016/2017 Season launches their second decade and embraces the full-length classical ballets, the Balanchine repertoire that so revolutionized the dance world, and the commitment to identify, nurture and present both emerging and world-renowned choreographers. Co-Artistic Directors Thordal Christensen and Colleen Neary have announced the next season includes two full-length story ballets, the family-friendly comic ballet "Coppelia" and the holiday favorite "The Nutcracker" and two mixed bill programs, "Modernists /Directors' Choice" and "Balanchine/Master of the Dance." The upcoming season will also reintroduce pre-performance discussions, hosted by Christensen and Neary and their guests (at select performances).

DON QUIXOTE is a fantastic Los Angeles Ballet production, filled with the dreams of the Don (Adam Luders), the love of Kitri and Basilio (technically perfect and emotionally evocative dancers Julie Cinquemani and Kenta Shimizu) and the adventures that follow them during this epic tale. There is something for everyone: humor, love, adventure and lots of beauty performed by a lively cast of characters from village folk to gypsies to flamenco dancers who will enthrall audiences of all ages.

Premiered by Los Angeles Ballet in 2011, GISELLE is a haunting and ethereal masterwork; the perfect embodiment of the Romantic ideal to kick off its tenth season. Continuing its mission to offer world-class professional ballet to greater Los Angeles, the season will include four full-length story ballets including new productions of Don Quixote and Romeo and Juliet and the return of the company's critically-acclaimed productions of Giselle and The Nutcracker.

THE SLEEPING BEAUTY ballet with glorious music by Tchaikovsky premiered in Moscow in 1890. With original choreography by Marius Petipa, it is considered one of the greatest story ballets of all time and the epitome of classical ballet. The story represents much more than just the fairy tale, showing us that even when poisoned by the forces of evil, the power of love can surmount any roadblock and triumph. Los Angeles Ballet Co-Artistic Directors Thordal Christensen and Colleen Neary have adapted the ballet with their own original choreography, based after Petipa. Their World Premiere LA Ballet presentation proved to be a spectacular work of artistic excellence thanks to the remarkable LA Ballet dancers.

Set to Tchaikovsky's sweeping score, the success of SWAN LAKE depends on its Odette/Odile, the sweetly vulnerable white swan/cunningly malevolent black swan. On the Los Angeles Ballet's 2014/2015 season opening night, the miraculous Allynne Noelle captivated with fragile, fluttering arms and superb footwork of the white swan to perfection. Ulrik Birkkjaer's Prince Siegfried lifts appeared so fluid, you would think Noelle was as light as a feather.

With performances through June 21 in Los Angeles, the two-act story ballet LA SYLPHIDE will be paired with George Balanchine's romantic SERENADE at four of Los Angeles Ballet's home venues: UCLA's Royce Hall, The Alex Theatre in Glendale, Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center, and Valley Performing Arts Center in Northridge. Los Angeles Ballet will be touring out of California for the first time, presenting the same production in Seattle, Washington on June 27, 2014, at McCaw Hall at Seattle Center.

The Music Center will partner with Los Angeles Ballet to present that company's productions of Agon and Rubies this evening, July 6 at 7:30 pm, free to the public. Both have music by Igor Stravinsky and choreography by George Balanchine. This free event, under the stars in Grand Park and open to everyone, is part of the broad array of free public events The Music Center is presenting at Grand Park. The event is a one of a kind opportunity to spread a blanket, bring a picnic basket, and enjoy ballet in a whole new way.

The Music Center will partner with Los Angeles Ballet to present that company's productions of Agon and Rubies on Saturday evening July 6 at 7:30 pm, free to the public. Both have music by Igor Stravinsky and choreography by George Balanchine. This free event, under the stars in Grand Park and open to everyone, is part of the broad array of free public events The Music Center is presenting at Grand Park. The event is a one of a kind opportunity to spread a blanket, bring a picnic basket, and enjoy ballet in a whole new way.