Festival Ballet Theatre's SLEEPING BEAUTY (2016)

FEATURING:

Gillian Murphy & Marcelo Gomes

March 19 & 20 • 2016

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Saturday, 7pm / Sunday, 2pm Saturday

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ORANGE COUNTY’S FESTIVAL BALLET THEATRE

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DEC 10 - 24, 2016

The Sugar Plum Fairy sweetly requests your presence for our dazzling production of The Nutcracker.

Tickets online 24/7:

thebarclay.org | festivalballet.org | 949.854.4646 63667_FOB_Booklet.indd 2

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Greeting from the Artistic Director Welcome to Festival Ballet Theatre’s Sleeping Beauty. We are thrilled to have you here with us at the beautiful Irvine Barclay Theatre. This year marks Festival Ballet Theatre’s 9th production of this fairy tale favorite – Festival Ballet Theatre’s production has grown in size, grandeur, and technicality since our premiere in 1992. Our company members and Southland Ballet Academy students have been hard at work preparing for this performance over the last eight weeks.

We are especially excited to have International Ballet Stars Gillian Murphy and Marcelo Gomes join us for the leading roles of Princess Aurora and her Prince Desire. Festival Ballet Theatre is honored that these spectacular dancers have made time to perform with us during their busy performance season.

Whenever you attend a Festival Ballet production, you are truly supporting arts in our community. Our spectacular dancers have trained in Orange County and exemplify how hard work, dedication, and passion can make dreams come true.

Thank you for your continued patronage and support. It has been an honor to lead Festival Ballet Theatre over the last 27 years; I truly feel that we have made a positive impact in the community through dance and arts education. Thank you for joining us in our mission to present world-class ballet, to provide local employment opportunities for our brilliant dancers, and to provide a nurturing environment for our young talented students.

In a few short months, we will present our 9th Annual Gala of the Stars. World-renowned ballet artists will share the stage for one spectacular night of dance at the Irvine Barclay Theatre on Friday, August 12. During this evening of unforgettable performances, ballet icons will perform celebrated classical repertory as well as breathtaking contemporary highlights. These professional dancers will join us from revered companies including San Francisco Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, the Mariinsky Theatre, among others. As part of Festival Ballet Theatre's mission to develop future tours de force, young protégés from the Southland Ballet Academy International Summer Intensive and Youth America Grand Prix will also perform. VIP ticket holders have the opportunity to wine and dine with our stunning guest artists at Festival Ballet Theatre's pre-show reception and post-show dinner party. We hope to see you there!

We hope that you and your loved ones cherish the memories from Sleeping Beauty for years to come.

Enjoy the show!

Salwa Rizkalla Founder and Artistic Director, Festival Ballet Theatre

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Festival Ballet Theatre Under the direction of Salwa Rizkalla, since its opening in 1988, Festival Ballet Theatre has become one of the west coast’s most vibrant and accomplished professional ballet companies. Celebrating over 26 years of artistic service, FBT strives to enrich the experience of Orange County’s dance audiences by presenting the highest level of professional classical productions and highlighting the works of world-renowned choreographers. With reverence to masterpieces of the past and a clear focus on developing future tours de force, FBT presents a varied repertoire of full-length classical ballets, including The Nutcracker, Coppelia, Don Quixote, Giselle, Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake, as well as contemporary works by some of the nation’s most sought-after choreographers.

Boasting a roster of impressive, up-and-coming talent, the company’s productions feature internationally acclaimed guest artists from prestigious companies, such as American Ballet Theatre, Boston Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, the Kirov Ballet, New York City Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, and the San Francisco Ballet.

Aspiring to the heights of artistic excellence, Festival Ballet Theatre simultaneously attracts the best in professional dance to its home base while sending its own dancers out as artistic ambassadors to the nation. Arts Orange County named Festival Ballet Theatre Outstanding Arts Organization of the Year in 2001, and also recognized Artistic Director Salwa Rizkalla with the Helena Modjeska Cultural Legacy Award in 2014.

Southland Ballet Academy Official School of Festival Ballet Theatre Founded in 1983 by Salwa Rizkalla and since opening its doors, the school has acquired a national and international reputation, and has played a prominent role in grooming worldclass dancers while nurturing the love of dance in its Orange County home.

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Presents

Irvine Barclay Theatre â—? Cheng Hall March 19 | 7pm March 20 | 2pm Artistic Director Salwa Rizkalla Lighting Design & Production Supervisor Don Guy

Company Photographers Dave Friedman Rob Gage

Artistic Assistant Elizabeth Farmen

Costume Design & Construction Willa Bouwens-Killeen Donna Dickens Kaye Michel Barbara Vieuretta

Repetiteur Lana Brooks Elizabeth Farmen Askar Kettebekov Natasha Miroshnyk Hanna Przyludzka-Karacic Salwa Rizkalla Stella Viorica

Marketing/Communications Michelle Maasz Graphic Designer Marianne Hales Program Designer Marilyn Wiederin

Costume Coordinator Ann Drew

Casting subject to change.

The taking of photographs or use of recording devices is strictly prohibited.

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Prologue Guests arrive at the opulent palace of King Florestan XXIV to celebrate the christening of his long-awaited first child, Princess Aurora. All the fairies of the kingdom are invited to bestow their special gifts on the newborn - the Fairies of Serenity, Benevolence, Generosity, Happiness, Temperament and the most powerful and beautiful of all, the Lilac Fairy. A clap of thunder announcing the arrival of the Evil Fairy Carabosse suddenly interrupts the joyful gathering.

Furious at the King’s failure to invite her to the ceremony, she places a curse on Princess Aurora, vowing that on her 16th birthday the Princess will prick her finger and die. The Lilac Fairy stops Carabosse from repeating her curse and declares that the spell will be only partly true. The Princess will prick her finger, but she will not die. Instead, she and the Court will fall into a deep, long sleep. After 100 years, a handsome Prince will awaken her with a kiss.

Act I The grand celebration of Princess Aurora’s 16th birthday begins and the atmosphere is festive with dancing. Princess Aurora performs the famous Rose Adagio with four princes who have come to seek her hand in marriage. As the beautiful Princess dances with her admiring suitors, an old woman arrives and hands her a bouquet of flowers. Aurora pricks her finger on a spindle hidden in the bouquet. As the Princess appears to die, the Evil Fairy Carabosse throws off her cape to reveal herself then vanishes before the eyes of the astonished guests. The Lilac Fairy reminds everyone that Aurora is not dead just asleep…the beginning of the spell that will last 100 years.

Act II It is one hundred years later. Prince Desire is hunting in the forest. As night arrives, the Lilac Fairy appears and tells the Prince of the hidden castle, the century-long spell, and the sleeping Princess who can only be awakened by the kiss of a prince who loves her. The Lilac Fairy shows him a vision of Princess Aurora. Enchanted by her beauty, the Prince falls in love with the Princess. When the vision vanishes, the Prince pleads with the Lilac Fairy to lead him to the hidden palace and the sleeping Princess.

Act III On the way to the castle, Carabosse tries to stop the Prince but he defeats her and arrives at the palace with the Lilac Fairy. The Prince finds Aurora, awakens her with a kiss and declares his love for her. The King and Queen are overjoyed to give their blessings, and the magnificent wedding feast begins. Among the guests who’ve come to congratulate the royal couple are fabled storybook characters – the Jewels, The White Cat and Puss-in-Boots, the Enchanted Princess and Bluebird as well as Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf. In honor of their guest, Princess Aurora and Prince Desire dance the famous wedding pas de deux. The ballet ends with the royal princesses dancing a glorious Mazurka while the entire court surrounds the happy, royal couple…and they all live happily ever after.

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Music: Pyotr Tchaikovsky Choreography: Marius Petipa Staging and Choreography: Salwa Rizkalla

Prologue: The Court of King Florestan XXIV King Florestan XXIV .........Askar Kettebekov The Queen ........................Willa Bouwens-Killeen Cattalabutte .......................Chuck Johnston Princess Aurora (as child) .....Elise Cho Court Ladies & ..................Elizabeth Albe, Vanessa Burns, Michelle LeBlanc, Rene Matzkin Gentlemen ......................AJ Abrams, Alexander Fost, Greyson Hansen, Cameron Schwanz The Lilac Fairy ..................Clara Mason (Sat) Tara Ghassemieh (Sun) Fairy of Serenity ................Natalie Matsuura (Sat) Anya Lydon (Sun) Fairy of Benevolence ........Megan Ely (Sat) Nicole Weber (Sun) Fairy of Generosity ...........Elise Newen (Sat) Alysa Reinhardt (Sun) Fairy of Happiness ............Moorea Pike (Sat) Olivia Harrigan (Sun) Fairy of Temperament ......Hannah Schiller (Sat) Susanna Russell (Sun) Carabosse.........................Alex Kalinin Court Children ...................Emma Amakasu, Elise Cho, Katelyn Hu, Claire Li, Emily Liu, Sydney Madolora, Lauren Van, Keira Wilkes (Sat) Simone Carroll, Elizabeth Henderson, Emily Liu, Sami Santos, Chloe Sekerka, Lauren Van, Alessia Weiss, Grace Wilcox (Sun) Lilac Fairy’s Attendants.....Tatum Backer, Sarah Bartholomew, Maile Campagna, Anjoulie Kempton, Tess Lethen, Ashley Lew, Silvi Lybbert, Marbella Marlo, Amaya Primiani, Athena Skiathitis, Lily Turner, Rachel Zafra Carabosse’s Attendants ...Katie Jones, Elizabeth Schuster (Sat) Breanna Crossman, Hana Umemoto (Sun) Julia Domanskis, Katelynn Jacobs, Kiera Lai, Anna-Marie Leach, Reagan Smith, Tracy Xing (Sat, Sun) Act I – 16 Years Later: Court of King Florestan XXIV Princess Aurora ................Gillian Murphy The Four Princes ..............AJ Abrams, Alexander Fost, Greyson Hansen, Cameron Schwanz Villagers ............................Sharon Chen, Senna Hashimoto, Annabelle Kim, Hannah Leisegang (Sat) Lucy Chen, Bella Riggione, Keltner Sar, Olivia Sar (Sun) Villager Soloists ................Anjoulie Kempton, Tess Lethen, Amaya Primiani (Sat, Sun) Natalia Burns (Sat) Amanda Luyks (Sun) Garland Waltz ...................Tatum Backer, Sarah Bartholomew, Maile Campagna, Ashley Lew, Athena Skiathitis, Lily Turner, Rachel Zafra (Sat, Sun) Silvi Lybbert (Sat) Moorea Pike (Sun)

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Princess Aurora’s Friends ... Sage Bolar, Rachel Deng, Megan Ely, Allison Langston, Susanna Russell, Nicole Weber, Dayna Wiederin, Pallas Ziebarth (Sat) Taylor Carlin, Renee Castonguay, Megan Ely, Anya Lydon, Elise Newen, Alysa Reinhardt, Bianca Wajack, Sammy Werle (Sun) Act Il – 100 Years Later: Forest Near the Enchanted Castle Prince Desire .................. Marcelo Gomes Nymphs .......................... Rachel Deng, Megan Ely, Allison Langston, Sammy Werle, Pallas Ziebarth (Sat) Sage Bolar, Taylor Carlin, Marbella Marlo, Bianca Wajack, Dayna Wiederin (Sun) Renee Castonguay, Olivia Harrigan, Eliza Leamy, Anya Lydon, Alysa Reinhardt, Susanna Russell, Nicole Weber (Sat, Sun) INTERMISSION Act III – The Wedding: Court of King Florestan XXIV Polonaise Attendants ..... Natalia Burns, Amanda Luyks (Sat, Sun) Avery LeBlanc, Ava Winer (Sat) Hailey Holcomb, Valerie Lin (Sun) Polonaise ........................ Natalie Burkley, Julia Dervieux, Kiana Fan, Apolline Guyot, Eliza Herzfeld, Heidi Kim, Kaylee Smith, Megan Suhr (Sat) Francesca Darmiento, Sarah Hart, Gianna Pritchard, Hannah Uemura, Megan Vu, Vanessa Vu, Emma Weston, Renee Yang (Sun) Gold Jewels .................... Olivia Harrigan, Anya Lydon, Alysa Reinhardt (Sat) Olivia Harrigan, Susanna Russell, Nicole Weber (Sun) Ruby Jewels ................... Renee Castonguay, Elise Newen, Tiffany Yamasaki Diamond Jewel ............... Natalie Matsuura (Sat) Clara Mason (Sun) The White Cat ................. Marianna Carrillo Puss-In-Boots ................. AJ Abrams The Bluebird ................... Cameron Schwanz The Enchanted Princess ... Hannah Schiller Little Red Riding Hood.... Silvi Lybbert (Sat) Moorea Pike (Sun) The Wolf ......................... Greyson Hansen Tom Thumb and Brothers ... Nathaniel Bowman, Natalie Burkley, Julia Dervieux, Lucas Matzkin, Gavin Pike, Sebastian Purdy The Giant ........................ Alexander Fost The Lilac Fairy ................ Clara Mason (Sat) Tara Ghassemieh (Sun) Grand Pas de Deux ........ Gillian Murphy & Marcelo Gomes

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Guest Artists Marcelo Gomes, a native of Brazil, began his dance studies at the age of five at the Helena Lobato and Dalal Aschcar ballet schools in Rio de Janeiro. Upon winning the Revelation Prize at the Festival of Dance in Joinville in 1993, he traveled to the United States to continue his training at The HARID Conservatory in Boca Raton, Florida, as well as at the schools of the Boston Ballet, Houston Ballet, and Cuballet, where he studied under Alicia Alonso. Mr. Gomes was awarded second place at the National Society of Arts and Letters in 1994, and was the recipient of the Hope Prize at Lausanne in 1996, after which he spent a year at the school of the Paris Opera Ballet.

Mr. Gomes joined American Ballet Theatre in 1997 as a member of the Corps de Ballet, and rose quickly through the ranks, being promoted to Soloist in 2000 and Principal Dancer in 2002. He has performed in virtually every full-length classical ballet in the company’s repertoire, including Romeo in Romeo and Juliet, Albrecht in Giselle, Prince Siegfried, Benno, and von Rothbart in Swan Lake, Solor in La Bayadere, Prince Desire in Sleeping Beauty, Franz in Coppelia, Espada and Basilio in Don Quixote, Prince Charming in Cinderella, Onegin and Prince Gremin in Onegin, Conrad, Ali the Slave, and Lankendem in Le Corsaire, the Cavalier in The Nutcracker, the Moor in Othello, Jeanne de Brienne and Abderakman in Raymonda, Lescaut and Des Grieux in Manon, Armand in Lady of the Camellias, and Pyotr in The Bright Stream. Mr. Gomes has performed leading roles in the works of George Balanchine, Mikhail Fokine, Anthony Tudor, Sir Kenneth MacMillan, Jerome Robbins, Sir Frederick Ashton, John Cranko, and Martha Graham, and has worked with, as well as created roles for, Twyla Tharp, John Neumeier, William Forsythe, Paul Taylor, Mark Morris, Jiri Kylian, Lar Lubovitch, James Kudelka, Nacho Duato, Jorma Elo, Benjamin Millepied, Christopher Wheeldon, Matthew Bourne and Alexei Ratmansky.

Mr. Gomes’ performances have been seen throughout the world.

In addition to his touring with American Ballet Theatre, he has appeared at many international dance festivals, and has been a guest artist with the Kirov Ballet, Bolshoi Ballet, Dutch National Ballet, National Ballet of Canada, Houston Ballet, Teatro Colon, Teatro Municipal Do Rio de Janeiro, Universal Ballet, Mikhailovsky Ballet, and New York City Ballet. He accompanied Alessandra Ferri on her farewell tour in Japan and Italy in 2008, and was the recipient of the prestigious Prix Benois de la Dance award in Moscow the same year.

Mr. Gomes has recently begun a successful choreographic career, and has created pieces for American Ballet Theatre, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, La Scala and Kings of the Dance. His ballet Apothéose, created for Julie Kent and Roberto Bolle, had its premiere on the opening night of American Ballet Theatre’s Metropolitan Opera House engagement in May 2013.

His newest work, AfterEffect, entered the repertoire of ABT in October 2015 at the David H Koch Theater at Lincoln Center in New York City. *Photo credit: Jade Young

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Gillian Murphy, raised in Florence, South Carolina, began her ballet training at age three in Belgium, and continued her ballet training from age five in South Carolina. She was a member of the Columbia City Ballet before continuing her studies at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, under the tutelage of Melissa Hayden.

She danced principal roles in several of the school's ballet productions including The Nutcracker and George Balanchine's Concerto Barocco, Western Symphony, Tarantella and Theme and Variations.

Murphy was a finalist at the Jackson International Ballet Competition in 1994. In 1995, she was awarded the Prix de Lausanne Espoir in their final round at the Bolshoi Theatre. In 1996, she was a National YoungArts Foundation Winner in Dance. In 1998, Ms. Murphy was honored with a Princess Grace Foundation-USA grant, and later received the foundation’s highest honor, the Statue Award, in 2009. In May 2014, Murphy was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from her alma mater, the University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNSCA).

Gillian Murphy has made guest artist appearances throughout the United States and across the globe. She made her debut with the Mariinsky Ballet in March 2008, dancing Odette-Odile in Swan Lake. She danced La Bayadère with The Australian Ballet in 2014.

Other international guest appearances include the Royal Swedish Ballet, the Kiev Ballet, and engagements in Japan, Mexico, Germany, Italy, and Canada. Murphy also danced in the 2009 world premiere of a new production of The Nutcracker, directed and choreographed by Ethan Stiefel for UNCSA. Murphy joined American Ballet Theatre as a member of the corps de ballet in August 1996, was promoted to Soloist in 1999 and Principal Dancer in 2002. As one of American Ballet Theatre’s most celebrated principal dancers, her classical repertoire with the Company includes the principal roles in La Bayadère, Coppélia, Le Corsaire, La Fille mal gardée, Don Quixote, The Nutcracker, Raymonda, The Sleeping Beauty, and Swan Lake.

Her contemporary repertoire is equally comprehensive and amazing. Ms. Murphy created the role of Clara, the Princess in Alexei Ratmansky's The Nutcracker, leading roles in Glow-Stop, Kaleidoscope, Rabbit and Rogue and Thirteen Diversions and featured roles in After You, One of Three and Within You Without You: A Tribute to George Harrison.

Ms. Murphy’s earliest notable appearance was in the Melissa Hayden Project, a part of the Balanchine Foundation's video series to film Balanchine’s dancers as they teach their roles to young performers. The Foundation filmed Hayden teaching Murphy the pas de deux from Stars and Stripes and Donizetti Variations.

Televised performances include Odette-Odile in American Ballet Theatre’s Swan Lake, and American Ballet Theatre’s Le Corsaire.

Murphy was seen in the feature film Center Stage and also appeared in the sequel, Center Stage 2: Turn It Up. Other television credits include the Washington Opera's Die Fledermaus and an appearance on the series Gossip Girl.

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Company Dancers AJ Abrams is a native of Long Beach, Califoria. AJ has trained throughout the United States at such schools as Pacific Northwest Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet and School of American Ballet. At age 19, he was discovered by Mark Bush and began his professional career at Ballet Austin under the direction of Stephen Mills. His credits with Ballet Austin include original works by Stephen Mills such as Hamlet, a featured role in the ballet Touch, and The Taming of the Shrew. He performed a solo role in Septime Webers’ Fluctuating Hemlines and principal roles as the Sugar Plum Cavalier in The Nutcracker, Albrecht in Giselle, and the principal male in Balanchine’s Who Cares? He is currently a member of the Luminario Ballet of Los Angeles and Festival Ballet Theatre. Freelance credits include Aurora’s Wedding Pas De Deux and The Bluebird Pas De Deux in The Sleeping Beauty, the principal male in George Balanchine’s Valse Fantasie, and original works by choreographers Josie Walsh and Jamal Story. Mr. Abrams has performed in musicals, videos and movies. Most recently, he performed in a music video for Florence and the Machine directed

by David LaChapelle.

Mariana Carrillo was born in Eagle Pass, Texas in 1995. She was raised in San Jose del Cabo, BCS and started her basic dance training at age four in, "Estudio del Angel" with Luciano Gomez. In 2006, she joined "Danza Tellez" and trained ballet and jazz with Lourdes Téllez. Ms. Carrillo has trained at several summer intensive programs including, Pirouetteando, Royal Winnipeg Ballet and Southland Ballet Academy. Since 2011, Mariana takes seminaries with Christina Lyon who has choreographed some pieces for her. In August 2012 she moved to Austin Texas to continue her training at Ballet Austin. Today she continues her training in California at Southland Ballet Academy under the direction of Salwa Rizkalla and Christina Lyon.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Alexander Fost competed as a young dancer and was awarded Mr. Dance USA in 2006, and Mr. Dance International the following year in Tokyo, Japan. After high school he then started training primarily in ballet and competed in the prestigious International Youth America Grand Prix, and was announced one of the top 10 Finalists in 2008. Since then Alexander has been dancing professionally with Ballet Companies around the country. Aside from live theater and ballet, he has also appeared as an actor and dancer on multiple TV shows on Disney and ABC. Alexander then Auditioned and was picked to be top 20 then became a finalist on the eighth season of FOX's hit dance show "So You Think You Can Dance". Since then he has continued dancing and has branched out to choreography and teaching.

Natalie Matsuura began her training with Mrs. Hanna Przylvdzka-Karacic at the age of six and came to Southland Ballet Academy at the age of fourteen. She completed her BFA in dance performance and choreography with a minor in Spanish at the University of California, Irvine, graduating with honors and awards that included Excellence in Dance Performance; Medici Circle Award; William J. Gillespie Scholarship in Ballet Studies; Phi Beta Kappa; and Campuswide Honors. As a dancer with Festival Ballet Theatre, Natalie has performed numerous principal and soloist roles, including Queen of the Dryads in Don Quixote; Sugar Plum Fairy, Dew Drop, and Snow Queen in Nutcracker; and Monya in Giselle. As a choreographer, Natalie has staged work at the University of California, Irvine and Youth America Grand Prix. Natalie has been teaching at Southland Ballet Academy since 2011 and also teaches and choreographs at Azusa Pacific University.

Hannah Schiller started her ballet training at the age of eight. Early on in her training, she received many awards at world-class competitions including The Youth American Grand Prix Award in 2006 and 2009; and gold medals for pas de deux and solo work in Berlin, Germany. She also received the silver medal at the 2009 Moscow International Ballet Competition in Moscow, Russia. Hannah is pleased to be performing with Festival Ballet Theatre.

Cameron Schwanz began his ballet training at age eight and continued his studies with the National Ballet School of Canada, as well as the Houston Ballet Academy. In 2005 he joined Texas Ballet Theater, working with Director Ben Stevenson. In 2007 he began dancing with several companies in Southern California, including Ballet Pacifica/Festival Ballet Theater and Los Angeles Ballet. These experiences led him to dance with Ballet San Jose from 2009 to 2011.

Cameron's repertoire includes Romeo and Juliet, Giselle, Swan Lake, La Sylphide, Gaite Parisian and Carmen. He has danced several Balanchine ballets including Violin Concerto, Square Dance, Prodigal Son, and Agon.

Tiffany Yamasaki started her training at Southland Ballet Academy at the age of six. She became a member of FBT II in 2007 and an FBT company member in 2010. Tiffany has participated in many competitions and has performed with Festival Ballet Theatre as a soloist and in corps roles in The Nutcracker, Don Quixote, The Sleeping Beauty and Coppelia. Tiffany currently attends CSU Long Beach, and is working towards majors in dance and kinesiology.

Tara Ghassemieh has achieved many honors, titles and awards throughout her 10 years of training; she was a finalist at Youth American Grand Prix nationals; Teen Miss Dance of America 2004; Dance Masters of America; and National Training Scholar for ABT. At age 16, Tara was offered a full scholarship to ABT and an apprenticeship with Washington Ballet. She has performed as a lead ballet dancer in the popular film, Step Up; and has danced in Le Corsaire with ABT and various other ballets. She has worked with Florence and the Machine and performed on the hit TV show, Dancing with the Stars, as part of an ensemble feature dance.

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Character Dancers A native of California, Charles Johnston has called Festival Ballet Theatre his home since 1994. He has since danced all the lead character roles in the Company’s classical repertoire. Johnston continues to guest and has performed character roles with San Francisco Ballet, New York City Ballet and The Royal Ballet. A former teacher of dance and drama, he has studied with Frederic Franklin in New York; Michael Panaieff in Los Angeles; and Lila Zali, founder of the former Ballet Pacifica, in Orange County.

Askar Kettebekov received his dance training from the National Ballet School of Kazakhstan and graduated from the National University of Kazakhstan with a degree in ballet pedagogy and choreography. After graduation, he was asked to join the National Ballet Theatre of Kazakhstan and performed with the company for eight years as a soloist, after which he joined Moscow Festival Ballet.

Upon coming to the United States, Kettebekov served as a principal guest dancer with the Ballet Theatre of Boston and the Tulsa Ballet.

For three years, he was a principal dancer with the San Diego Ballet before accepting a position as artistic director with the Media Dance Center in Los Angeles. Kettebekov has been teaching with Southland Ballet Academy for over five years. As a dancer he has toured through Asia, Europe and North America, including China, Japan, Germany, France, England and Italy. His professional repertoire includes The Nutcracker, Le Corsaire, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Fountain of Bakhchisaray, Legends of Love, Giselle, Don Quixote and the role of Rothbart in Swan Lake. .

Alexander Kalinin was born in Moscow, Russia, and began his dancing career at the age of 4 with his father.

He graduated from the Bolshoi Ballet Academy of Moscow and has performed and toured as a soloist in over 60 countries with the most prestigious dance companies in the Soviet Union. Kalinin has taught dance for over 30 years in the US and abroad. He has taught at The Kirov Academy in Washington D.C. & American Ballet Theatre’s Summer Intensive Program. He has also choreographed numerous pieces including Russian Pereplias for the Academy of Bolshoi Ballet, Galaxy for the Conrad International Hilton in Australia, Russian Roulette for the Flamingo Hotel in Reno, Nevada, Caviar for the Marco Polo Hotel in Miami and his most famous Russian Variation Trepak for the Los Angeles Classical Ballet’s The Nutcracker. Kalinin appeared on television including The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and Life with Bonnie on ABC. He has performed for Microsoft founders Bill Gates and Paul Allen. He regularly performs in Southern California with many ballet companies including recently the role of Sancho Panza in Don Quixote and Carabosse in The Sleeping Beauty with Festival Ballet Theatre. He also performs other notable roles with Pacific Festival Ballet and Santa Clarita Ballet among others.

Willa Bouwens-Killeen is one of Festival Ballet Theatre’s original company members. She has participated in every one of the productions mounted

by Festival Ballet Theatre, either on-stage or backstage, since the Company’s inception. Her roles range from Mrs. Stahlbaum in The Nutcracker to the Queen in The Sleeping Beauty. When not on stage, Bouwens-Killeen works as a City Planner.

2015-2016 FBT Trainees Festival Ballet Theatre is proud to present the members of FBT Trainees, a junior company of student dancers with outstanding potential. Through FBT Trainees, Festival Ballet Theatre secures a talented base of dancers, offers performance opportunities “at home” and nurtures the stars of the future to a professional career in dance.

Sage Bolar, Renee Castonguay, Rachel Deng, Megan Ely, Olivia Harrigan, Allison Langston, Anya Lydon, Clara Mason, Elise Newen, Alysa Reinhardt, Susanna Russell, Bianca Wajack, Nicole Weber, Dayna Wiederin, Pallas Ziebarth

2015-2016 FBT Junior Trainees Tatum Backer, Sarah Bartholomew, Maile Campagna, Taylor Carlin, Lucy Chen, Cassidy Doan, Senna Hashimoto, Anjoulie Kempton, Tess Lethen, Ashley Lew, Silvi Lybbert, Marbella Marlo, Moorea Pike, Amaya Primiani, Athena Skiathitis, Lily Turner, Sammy Werle, Rachel Zafra

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A Special Thanks to Our Volunteers Festival Ballet Theatre thanks all of the parents and volunteers who are integral to the success of this presentation of Sleeping Beauty. We appreciate all the time and energy you have put into fundraising, costumes, donations, marketing and development. Your efforts are truly priceless in allowing Festival Ballet Theatre to present this classic ballet.

A Special Thanks to Our Donors

Festival Ballet Theatre gratefully acknowledges the generosity of individuals, businesses and foundations for their contributions to our programs.

DIRECTOR’S CIRCLE $10,000+ Anonymous Salwa & Sabri Rizkalla UNDERWRITER $5,000 – $9,999 Anonymous Bobbi Cox Lisa Ann & Tom Lydon CHOREOGRAPHER $2,500 – $4,999 Anonymous PRINCIPAL $1,000 – $2,499 Anonymous Cathleen & Philip Hunter Mark & Collette Ike

PRINCIPAL $1,000 – $2,499 Image Center Paul & Ellen Lee Rosanna & Patrick Minns Marc & Senenne Philippon Pulmonary Care & Sleep Associates Lydia Ringwald Teri & Chris Schmidt SOLOIST $500 – $999 Anonymous Aire Rite Airconditioning & Refrigeration, Inc. James Carter Dawson Cole Fine Art

ARTIST $250 – $499 Anonymous Jan Arnoldus Mary Ellen Bowman Willa Bouwens-Killeen Jennifer & Brent Cardani MaryAnn & Matthew Carroll Diana Casey Shey & Dennis Castonguay Wendy & Daniel Harrigan Karen & Thomas Hersh Becky Lew Diego & Rene Matzkin Teri Neumann APPRENTICE $100 – $249 Anonymous Abril Turner

Festival Ballet Theatre Board of Directors

Guild Chairs

Salwa Rizkalla, President Lisa Yamashita, Vice President Willa Bouwens-Killeen, Treasurer Cathleen Hunter, Secretary Tom Lydon, Advisor

Teri Schmidt, Grants Ann Drew, Volunteer Chair Kathryn Weber, Boutique Chair Sandy Mason, Hospitality Chair

Festival Ballet Theatre festivalballet.org 714.962.5440

Southland Ballet Academy southlandballet.com 714.962.5440

Fountain Valley Studio - 9527 Garfield Ave., Fountain Valley, CA 92708 Irvine Studio - 710 Roosevelt, Irvine, CA 92620

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ORANGE COUNTY’S FESTIVAL BALLET THEATRE

9

th

A N N UAL

I N T E RN AT I O N A L BALLET F E STI VA L

O F T H E S TA R S

AUGUST 12, 2016

An evening of unforgettable performances by world-renowned stars of dance Tickets: 949.854.4646 thebarclay.org | festivalballet.org

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