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Barre Demonstration

Choreography: Morgan Davison and Kelly Lamoureux

Music: The Great Ballets Vol.3 by Nate Fifield

 

Dancers: All

 

 

 

Giselle

Premiere: June 28, 1841, Paris, France

Choreography: Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot

Music: Adolphe Adam

Staged by: Kelly Lamoureux

Era: Romantic

 

Dancers:
Hilarion: Linton Nguyen

Myrtha: Hailey Day

Willies: Leticia “Lucy” Bosneanu, Melody Castaneda, Paulina Cruz Segura, Sophia Dennis, Fatima Franco, Monica Galvez-Rios, Noemie Hernandez, Salma Khan, Linton Nguyen, Stephanie Patane, Jessica Peters, Zitlali Rodriguez, Mariah Samuel, Yessenia Sanchez, Kaida Stalbert

 

Giselle is about a peasant girl with a weak heart (the titular Giselle), set in a German Rhineland village. Giselle is courted by and falls in love with a stranger called Loys who is dressed in peasant garb. However, Loys is actually a Duke named Albrecht and is betrothed to the Prince’s daughter Bathilde. Hilarion, a village huntsman who is also in love with Giselle exposes Loys as an imposter with the help of Bathilde.  When Giselle realizes Loys’/Albrecht’s duplicity, she goes mad and dies of a broken heart.

 

After her death, Giselle’s ghost is summoned by Myrtha from her grave to join the sisterhood of the Willis. The Willis are a group of ghosts of unmarried women who have all died from heartbreak, led by the Queen of the Willis, Myrtha.  They lure men into their forest to dance to their death. Hilarion comes into the forest to visit Giselle’s grave and is killed by the Willis. When Albrecht comes to visit Giselle’s grave, she dances with him until sunrise to save him from death. In doing so, Giselle saves herself from joining the Willis.

 

 

 

Raymonda

Premiere: January 19, 1898, St. Petersburg, Russia

Choreography: Marius Petipa

Music: Alexander Glazunov

Staged by: Morgan Davison

Era: Classical

 

Dancers: Leticia “Lucy” Bosneanu, Melody Castaneda, Paulina Cruz Segura, Hailey Day, Sophia Dennis, Monica Galvez-Rios, Noemie Hernandez, Salma Khan, Linton Nguyen, Stephanie Patane, Jessica Peters, Zitlali Rodriguez, Mariah Samuel, Yessenia Sanchez, Kaida Stalbert

 

Raymonda takes place in the Middle Ages during the Crusades. The ballet begins on Countess Raymonda’s name day. Raymonda receives a letter from her fiancé, Jean de Brienne that his fighting in the Crusades has been triumphant and that he will be returning home the following day for their wedding. Unexpectedly, a Saracen knight, Abderakhman, and his crew stop for shelter at Raymonda’s castle and Abderakhman immediately falls in love with Raymonda. That night, in a dream, a mysterious White Lady warns Raymonda that her life is in danger with Abderakhman. After Raymonda awakens and refuses Abderakhman’s advances, Abderakhman attempts to abduct Raymonda, but Jean de Brienne returns from his combat just in time to save Raymonda. Jean de Brienne and Abderakhman duel resulting in Abderakhman’s death. King Andrew II of Hungary gives his blessing for the marriage of Jean de Brienne and Raymonda.

 

 

 

Pas de Quatre

Premiere: July 12, 1845, London, England
Choreography: Anton Dolin after Jules Perrot

Music: César Pugni

Staged by: Morgan Davison

Era: Romantic

 

Dancers: Hailey Day, Noemie Hernandez, Yessenia Sanchez, Kaida Stalbert

 

There is no “story” in the ballet Pas de Quatre, however, the ballet was created to celebrate and showcase the brilliance of four of the superstar ballerinas at the time. Jules Perrot choreographed this ballet to highlight the strengths of the original four dancers: Carlotta Grisi, Marie Taglioni, Lucile Grahn, and Fanny Cerrito. Pas de Quatre premiered on July 12, 1845 at Her Majesty’s Theater in London. There are conflicting reports about the non-involvement of Fanny Essler, one of the best ballet dancers of that time. Some report that Fanny Essler was not invited to perform in this ballet because she was great rivals with Marie Taglioni while others report that she simply declined the invitation.

 

 

 

Romeo and Juliet

Premiere: May 24, 2024, Riverside, CA

Choreography: Kelly Lamoureux

Music: Prokofiev

Era: Neo-Classical

 

Dancers: Leticia “Lucy” Bosneanu, Melody Castaneda, Paulina Cruz Segura, Sophia Dennis, Fatima Franco, Monica Galvez-Rios, Salma Khan, Linton Nguyen, Stephanie Patane, Jessica Peters, Carlos Renteria**, Zitlali Rodriguez, Mariah Samuel

 

Romeo and Juliet is one of the most choreographed ballets. There isn’t a definitive version of choreography that most ballet companies perform when they perform Romeo and Juliet. Iconic choreographers such as Sir Kenneth MacMillan, John Cranko, and many others have put their own stamp on turning the iconic Shakespeare play into a heartbreaking ballet.

 

 

 

La Bayadère

Premiere: February 4, 1877 St. Petersburg, Russia

Choreography: Marius Petipa

Music: Ludwig Minkus

Staged by: Morgan Davison and Kelly Lamoureux

Era: Classical

 

Dancers:

Solor: Carlos Renteria**

Nikiya: Yessenia Sanchez

Shade Soloists: Kaida Stalbert, Noemi Hernandez, Hailey Day

Shades: Leticia “Lucy” Bosneanu, Melody Castaneda, Paulina Cruz Segura, Sophia Dennis, Fatima Franco, Monica Galvez-Rios, Salma Khan, Stephanie Patane, Jessica Peters, Zitlali Rodriguez, Mariah Samuel

 

Set in a Hindu temple, La Bayadère (which translates to “The Temple Dancer”) relays a tragic love story between a temple dancer, Nikiya, and a warrior, Solor. Nikiya and Solor have secretly sworn their love to one another.  Unfortunately, the High Brahmin priest is also in love with Nikiya. When Nikiya rebukes the High Brahmin’s advances, he vows to take revenge on Solor. When the Raja Dugmanta announces that his daughter Gamzatti will wed Solor, the High Brahmin sees his chance in revenge. He tells the Raja about the love affair between Solor and Nikiya on the assumption that the Raja will sentence Solor to die. To the High Brahmin’s dismay, the Raja decides to continue with the wedding plans for Gamzatti and Solor.  However, Gamzatti has overheard the conversation between her father and the High Brahmin and decides to take matters into her own hands in the form of hiding a poisonous snake in an offering of flowers to give to Nikiya at the temple.  Nikiya is bitten by the snake and dies.

 

To ease his sorrows and his heartbreak over Nikiya’s death, Solor smokes opium which opens the iconic scene of The Kingdom of the Shades.  Solor and Nikiya reconcile and dance together among shades of other temple dancers. When Solor wakes up, preparations for his wedding to Gamzatti are underway. The gods take revenge for Nikiya’s death as the High Brahmin weds Solor and Gamzatti. The temple is destroyed and everyone in the temple is killed. In his death, the shade of Solor is reunited with Nikiya in eternal love through death.

 

 

 

Desgarrados

Premiere: February 11, 2018

Choreography: Sofia Carreras

Music: Alberto Iglesias

Era: Contemporary

 

Dancer: Carlos Renteria**

 

Sofia Carreras choreographed this solo on Carlos Renteria as part of a program with her company Intersect Dance Theatre. Sofia was a cherished Ballet professor and Department Chair for RCC Dance. We are honored to continue her legacy with this Ballet Repertoire class and Ballet Ensemble performance. What better way to end tonight's program than to restage some of her original choreography? Sofia Carreras's method of choreography was very collaborative - she had this incredible way of creating dance magic with the specific gifts of the dancers who were in the studio with her. This solo is the result of a beautiful collaboration between Sofia Carreras and Carlos Renteria.

 

 

** Guest artist

 

 

 

 

 

Cast

Creative Team