The 14th Seasonal Presentation of California Contemporary Ballet’s The Snow Queen

Once upon a time, there was a wicked magician. He fashioned a mirror with the power to make all that was good and beautiful reflect in the mirror as mean and wicked.

Alas, the unthinkable happened…the mirror was shattered into a million tiny pieces, swept up by the wind, and then spread throughout the land, affecting the unsuspecting townsfolk. The Snow Queen, creator of the winter wind and snow, was also profoundly affected as the tiny slivers of mirror lodged into her very soul. Dark times soon followed….

Welcome to California Contemporary Ballet’s The Snow Queen!

Embark on an incredible journey of two dear friends, Kai and Gerda. Discover fascinating characters as the classic tale is brought to life. Meet the Enchantress, Gypsy Girl, Gypsy Boy, Crows, and enjoy the beautiful dance of the Prince and Princess, performing a grand pas de deux. Follow Gerda as she experiences perilous obstacles, and in the end, rejoice in the celebration of a town freed at last from the mirror’s evil spell. Open yourself to the world of the Snow Queen who reverses the old tragedy and brings tears of joy to an entire village!

Performed with the power and passion of California Contemporary Ballet, it's an extraordinary blend of aerial arts, gymnastics, and a rich variety of classical ballet and contemporary dance that spin the emotional story to its surprising and delightful conclusion.

Brought to life by the creative vision of the company's Artistic Director and choreographer, Erin Holt, The Snow Queen Ballet is presented with an original, moving musical score by Randall Michael Tobin.

Los Angeles Times raves,“California Contemporary Ballet's show stands out… Only, it’s not the “Nutcracker.” It’s “The Snow Queen.” Adios Sugar Plum Fairy. Bienvenidos, er … Queeny.”

Now in its 14th season, The Snow Queen has become the newest ballet tradition. Its seasonal performances already a hit with audiences, California Contemporary Ballet’s version of this Hans Christian Andersen tale of goodness versus evil has become a wintertime classic with which you will surely fall in love.

Performances are Friday, December 16 at 7:30pm; Saturday, December 17 at 2:00pm and 7:30pm; and Sunday, December 18 at 2:00pm at the Glendale Community College Theater (1500 N. Verdugo Rd, Glendale, CA 91208). Tickets can be purchased at www.snowqueenballet.com. Advance tickets: $25 adults/$20 children; At the door: $30 adults/$25 children. Group rates available. For more information, call California DanceArts 818-790-7924.

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Winter Is Coming: California Contemporary Ballet Presents The Snow Queen

What people are saying...

Los Angeles Times raves,“California Contemporary Ballet's show stands out…Only, it’s not the “Nutcracker.” It’s “The Snow Queen.” “Adios Sugar Plum Fairy. Bienvenidos, er … Queeny.”

The Snow Queen was enthralling! It was delicious, technically spellbinding, a holiday miracle of beauty for the senses and the soul! I've attended each and every year's ballet, but this year topped them all! What was already perfect was retained but the improvements were truly icing on the cake. The music is gorgeous, the dancing took my breath away. Christmas doesn't start until we see The Snow Queen! --C.W.

I can't tell you enough how much I enjoyed the show. The professionalism of the company is awesome. No one holds back, from the tiniest Snowflake to the most mature Snow Queen. I loved the character Gerda's performance. She was totally alive, like a light throughout...not one dull spot, always creating the essence of the character, always glowing. The Prince and Princess set a standard of excellence in classical technique that rivals the best of companies in the world. --A.P.

Experience the magic of the Snow Queen, the creator of winter wind and snow. Based on the original story by Hans Christian Andersen, this wintertime tale can’t be missed!

Bring the entire family to experience the adventures of young Gerda as she persists to save her best friend Kai. Meet the Enchantress, Gypsy Girl, Gypsy Boy, Crows and enjoy the Prince and Princess as they perform a grand pas de deux. Open yourself to the world of the Snow Queen as she reverses an old tragedy and brings tears of joy to an entire village.

With an extraordinary blend of Aerial arts, gymnastics and a rich variety of classical ballet and contemporary dance that spin the emotional story to its surprising and delightful conclusion--from the most distinguished Princess to the tiniest Snowflake, the 2011 cast performs with power and passion.

The Snow Queen, now in its 14th season, has become the newest ballet tradition. Allow California Contemporary Ballet to give you a memorable and moving experience as they take you on a journey and transform you to the inner realm of The Snow Queen.

California Contemporary Ballet Presents “The Snow Queen” Ballet’s 14th Season

Isabella Bunting of Glendale, CA Performs Lead Role Of Princess; Guest Performer from Hungary Added To Cast

La Cañada, CA (November 25, 2011) The series of rehearsals for California Contemporary Ballet’s “The Snow Queen” Ballet (www.snowqueenballet.com) have been underway for over five hours, and for Isabella Bunting of Glendale, her most challenging rehearsal of the day lays ahead of her. When director Erin Holt enters the rehearsal studio, Bunting dutifully ties her Pointe shoe ribbons and tests her weight while balancing on her toes. With flaming red hair and a presence that suggests a level of maturity well beyond her thirteen years, Bunting is about to perform one of the most challenging roles in the ballet, a delightful holiday favorite performed to sold-out audiences in Glendale for the past thirteen years. This year’s Snow Queen performances will be on December 16, 17, and 18 at the Glendale Community College Theater.

The role of Princess is normally performed by one of the professional ballerinas employed by the Company each year. In fact, many advanced and professional-level dancers auditioned for the coveted role this year. However, Holt explains, “Since this is an original ballet with new choreography, we usually teach the role to a professional just as we would to a student. Isabella is working hard and proving that she can handle the challenging role. She is light and she works extremely well with her partner Nick."

Reprising the role of Prince for a second year to Isabella’s Princess is Nicholas Zerman of Altadena. He effortlessly lifts Bunting high above his head in a spin and then gently places her back onto her toes. “It’s a difficult lift, but we’ll get it”, he says with a wide grin.

As the production’s choreographer and Artistic Director, Holt has faced many challenges during the 14-year run of the ballet at Glendale Community College. Many professional dancers seek out opportunities to perform in the myriad of Nutcracker productions, rather than face the challenges of learning new choreography required for an original ballet. After all, most Nutcracker variations are an integral part of the training curriculum offered in ballet schools around the nation, so good ballet dancers are already familiar with many sections of the Nutcracker before ever stepping into rehearsal. This certainly makes rehearsals faster for the dancer and easier for a director to produce.

However, this previous familiarity is clearly not the case for any dancer who chooses to audition for “The Snow Queen,” where all of the choreography is new and the roles are unknown. Holt states “Some dancers are intimidated by the vast amount of new material they have to learn and some dancers just don’t feel they have the time to dedicate to the learning process”. Still, Holt boasts that the Company gets plenty of interest from professional talent looking for new opportunities. “We offer dancers the rare opportunity to be involved with something new.”

This year joining the cast is professional dancer, Zsolt Banki recently arrived in California from Hungary, where he was a graduate of the Hungarian Dance Academy and was voted Best Hungarian Dancer in 2007. He was the lead choreographer for the popular show “So You Think You Can Dance”, which actually originated in Hungary. This season, he joins “The Snow Queen” performing the principal roles of Reindeer and the Crow. He will also be seen as a gypsy. States Mr. Banki “I enjoy living in Los Angeles very much and am learning a great deal about American culture. I particularly like the California Contemporary Ballet’s version of “The Snow Queen”, as it is a very popular story in Hungary.” Mr. Banki will appear in all four performances.

Since its inception, California Contemporary Ballet has attempted to plant the seeds of a new tradition by integrating a cast of professional career talent with well trained, pre-professional dancers from the Company’s youth division.

With a beautiful original musical score composed by Randall Michael Tobin and set against a beloved Hans Christian Andersen story, audiences have the chance to meet a young girl and boy with lessons to learn, exotic creatures performing aerial ballet, gymnastic gypsies, forest animals such as reindeer and crows, and magical characters such as an enchantress and guardian angel. With a supporting chorus that includes an array of characters, from snowflakes and rivers, to flowers and trees, the cast numbers a total of 60 performers.

Bunting admits that she was initially apprehensive about her new role. However, once she dedicated herself to the challenge, she became determined. While watching the couple rehearse, Holt observed, “It was important to them that they be cast together. They wanted to impress and make it happen. They earned their roles”.

Recognizing that the roles of Prince and Princess are so demanding, Bunting and Zerman have committed to daily rehearsals until the opening of the show in mid-December. Holt decided to follow a precedent established by a well-known choreographer. George Balanchine was famous for challenging his young, talented dancers, as evidenced in his famous “Baby Ballerinas”, when he thrust young teenagers into the performing spotlight. This has only added fuel to Holt’s enthusiasm. “There is something truly impressive about a thirteen year old who can handle such difficult professional level choreography.”

“The Snow Queen” by California Contemporary Ballet will be performed at Glendale Community College on Friday, December 16 at 7:30pm; Saturday, December 17 at 2:00pm and 7:30pm; and Sunday, December 18 at 2:00pm. Tickets can be purchased at www.snowqueenballet.com. Tickets purchased in advance: $25 for adults, $20 for child; tickets purchase at the door: $30 for adults, $25 for child. Group rates available. Call Brown Paper Tickets at 1-800-838-3006. For more information, call California DanceArts 818-790-7924.

California Contemporary Ballet, (http://www.calballet.com) established by Erin Holt, the company’s visionary Choreographer and Artistic Director, is one of Southern California’s burgeoning dance companies. The company is established as a professional company featuring the talent of 5-7 career dancers performing a unique brand of classical and contemporary dance works. They are a non-profit company, providing its members with the opportunity to perform an exciting repertory of innovative and original dance projects performed in concerts, theatre and festivals throughout Southern California. California Contemporary Ballet is the resident troupe of the California DanceArts Academy (http://www.caldancearts.com) located in the foothills of Los Angeles. The school and company share one goal, "to nurture and encourage students professionally and to develop artists performing for audiences with the creativity, imagination and joy of dance." The company’s annual signature ballet titled, “The Snow Queen”, (http://www.snowqueenballet.com) is a delightful winter production each December starring the career members of California Contemporary Ballet, accompanied by the California Contemporary Youth Ballet, and select dancers from the community, resulting in a cast of 60-70 dancers.

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California DanceArts Holds Annual Spring Open House In La Canada

Special Open House Weekend Events Included Spring Demonstration Concert

La Canada, CA: California DanceArts (http://www.caldancearts.com) began its summer with a special presentation this last weekend to the La Canada and Los Angeles communities of its annual Spring Demonstration & Concert. Students from a variety of classes at the dance school participated, demonstrating their progression during the past year. The demonstrations took place on the 17th and 18th of June at the main California DanceArts dancing studio in La Canada, CA.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity for young dancers to perform and for the parents to see how much fun the students have,” says Laura Eberhard of Sylmar, whose 12 and 7 year old daughters, Tessa and Heather, performed in the presentation and who attend the school's dance classes for kids. “The presentation makes all us adults want to get out and start dancing too, but we just aren’t as good as the kids!”

Also at the event, California Theatrical Youth Ballet performed an excerpt from their recent concert of dances from “Paquita”, choreographed by Ms. Lynn Bryson Pittenger, formerly Principal Dancer of the New York City Ballet.

The Open House concluded with the beginning of public registration for the school’s fall season of classes, for ballet lessons and other dance programs. Registration for the fall season will continue through to the start of the school year in September.

Erin Holt, Artistic Director of California DanceArts, stated: “Each year it’s incredible to see how much these young dancers have grown. The development can be seen in their better grasp and performance of the techniques of Ballet, but more so it is clearly evident in their own artistic expression. It’s a joy to provide the guidance for them to reach it. We look forward to seeing the dancers who will be joining us in our summer programs, and we’ll of course be welcoming everyone back this Fall.”

Since 1987, California DanceArts has been dedicated to the purpose of grooming and nurturing the talents of beginning to serious career dance students. Its current location in beautiful La Canada is among several schools and recreational facilities. More information on California DanceArts 2011 summer dance workshops can be seen at www.danceallsummerworkshops.com. The school’s blog can be seen at http://caldancearts.typepad.com. For more information about California DanceArts and the programs offered by the school, call 818-790-7924, or visit the school online at www.caldancearts.com.

California Contemporary Ballet Premieres “Saudade”

Los Angeles Dance Company Setting Its Stage for This Blend of Dance Influences

Los Angeles, CA: California Contemporary Ballet (http://www.ctyballet.org), will premier Saudade this summer, an original dance presentation. Three performances only will be held, June 10th, 11th and 12th at the California DanceArts Theatre in La Canada, CA.

Saudade (pronounced sow-da-jee) is a Portuguese word which describes a nostalgic longing or loss for experiences, all of which trigger the senses to make one live again.

Created by Erin Holt, the Company’s Artistic Director, the ballet will be performed to music by Gabriel Fauré, and features dancers from the California Contemporary Ballet in their 3rd year performing together as a professional dance company. The Company will be joined by members of the California Contemporary Youth Ballet as they perform excerpts from “Paquita” under the direction of Lynn Bryson Pittenger, former principal dancer of the New York City Ballet. 

Ms. Holt stated “It is always an honor to be presenting new ideas in the highest artistic forms to the Los Angeles area. Saudade is an exciting new dance, with a number of different influences and styles in combination, and the dancers really bring it to life. We’re very pleased to share it this year on the California DanceArts Theatre stage.”

Dedicated to the art of classical and contemporary dance, California Contemporary Ballet (CCBallet) was formed by Erin Holt in 1997. As Southern California’s break-through performing arts company, California Contemporary Ballet has been invited to perform in a number of local organizations, including the Pasadena Dance Festival 2009, the Celebrate Dance Festival 2009 at the Alex Theatre in Glendale, the premiere of Katie Cassidy’s first record single in Studio City, among others; and international organizations such as the Prague International Ballet in Ostrava, Czech Republic. CCBallet is located in La Canada, CA. More information about the company can be found at http://ctyballet.org/pages/271/California_Contemporary_Ballet.html

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California DanceArts Is Hosting Fairy Tale Ballet Dance Program

Back By Popular Demand, The Fairy Tale Ballet For Young Tots Returns This Summer To Los Angeles

La Canada, CA: California DanceArts (http://www.caldancearts.com) has announced that it will continue its Fairy Tale Ballet program this summer 2011. The program will be done in two 3-week sessions, July 11-July 27 and August 1-17, and will be open to young dancers between the ages of 3 to 7.

The program was started several years ago to inspire young and upcoming dancers to take an early start in dance and get their first experience with the aesthetic of dance. The program features a different fairy tale each day, with the students first listening to the story and then dancing it out, complete with props to make the experience as imaginative as possible. The classes are small, limited to 8 students only per period, ensuring that individual attention and a personalized atmosphere is maintained. The instructors are professionals who specialize in working with younger dancers.

Erin Holt, Founder and Director of California DanceArts, stated: “The Fairy Tale Ballet is a very unique experience by comparison to other summer programs. Imagine being able to create a new world, the ones your parents read to you at night before you went to bed, through the beautiful art form of dance. Our mission is to make a positive, profound contribution in the lives of our students by providing progressive dance education of the highest caliber, and that’s what we’re pleased to give to the youngest generation of dancers.”

Since 1987, California DanceArts has been dedicated to the purpose of grooming and nurturing the talents of beginning to serious career dance students. Its current location in beautiful La Canada is among several schools and recreational facilities. More information on California DanceArts 2010 summer dance workshops can be seen at www.danceallsummerworkshops.com. The school’s blog can be seen at http://caldancearts.typepad.com. For more information about California DanceArts and the programs offered by the school, call 818-790-7924, or visit the school online at www.caldancearts.com.

 

 

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Youth Ballet Intensive Back For Summer 2011 In Los Angeles

California DanceArts Prepares for Its Upcoming Intensive Youth Dance Workshop

La Canada, CA: California DanceArts (http://www.caldancearts.com), in preparation of its summer calendar of dance workshops, is holding auditions for the Youth Ballet Intensive. Up to 12 young dancers will be chosen to participate in the intensive training program. Auditions are being held every Saturday at the California DanceArts main dance studio. The program is intended for the young (9-12 years) intermediate student of dance education.

The program is a “Ballet Intensive”, and as such features not only traditional ballet instruction from instructors who are youth specialists, but also includes instruction in pre-pointe preparation, MPT (Placement Technique), modern & jazz dance, stretching, Aerial Ballet, choreography and Dance Essentials™ (improvisation, musicality, performance skills, etc.). Dancers are selected based on experience and training up to an intermediate level at California DanceArts or similar training level from other previous training.

Erin Holt, Director for California DanceArts, stated the following: “We strongly recommend that a student seeking a professional level of ability continue to develop their knowledge and technique of dance. The summer is an excellent time to focus on one’s advancement in dance instruction intensively, and the Youth Ballet Intensive provides an encouraging yet challenging environment that can bring out the best in a dancer’s ability. Not only is it a lot of fun, there is a great feeling of accomplishment that comes from the concentrated instruction, especially when seeing the results in resuming their dance instruction in the fall.”

Since 1987, California DanceArts has been dedicated to the purpose of grooming and nurturing the talents of beginning to serious career dance students. Its current location in beautiful La Canada is among several schools and recreational facilities. More information on California DanceArts 2010 summer dance workshops can be seen at www.danceallsummerworkshops.com. The school’s blog can be seen at http://caldancearts.typepad.com. For more information about California DanceArts and the programs offered by the school, call 818-790-7924, or visit the school online at www.caldancearts.com.

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