Client News

California Contemporary Youth Ballet Presents Summer Performance

La Canada-Based Youth Dance Company to Perform ‘DanceScapes’

La Canada, CA: California Contemporary Youth Ballet (http://www.caldancearts.com) will be performing their annual Spring ballet concert for the public as they present ‘DanceScapes’, Saturday, June 12 & 13 at the California DanceArts Studio-Theater in La Canada.

Showcasing the ten-member troupe of young dance students, the show features the works of Harald Lander, former choreographer and artistic director of the Royal Danish Ballet, and by CCYB co-Directors Jaclyn Stryker and Heather Toner, and California Contemporary Ballet Artistic Director Erin Holt. ‘DanceScapes’ is a montage of dance numbers that are a mix of classical and unique, traditional and avant-garde, sentimental and fun dance moods and styles.

Erin Holt states “As a company, CCYB breaks through the boundaries of classical ballet and presents a show that is fresh, new, and incredibly inspiring. ‘DanceScapes’ promises to engage and excite all who see it.”

The CCYBallet production of ‘DanceScapes’ will be June 12^th at 6:30pm and Sunday, June 13^th at 3:30pm. Tickets are $15.00 for students and $18.00 for adults. Tickets can be ordered online at www.caldancearts.com. For more information call 818-790-7924.

California Contemporary Youth Ballet, which is the youth division of California Contemporary Ballet (http://www.ctyballet.org), provides an artistic training ground for young dancers. CCYBallet members perform in many community-based events and annually in their own concert held during the Spring season. Members of the youth company are invited to participate in California Contemporary Ballet productions alongside career company members in the annual Snow Queen Ballet (www.snowqueenballet.com), performed each December. Partnered with California DanceArts (http://www.caldancearts.com), young CCYBallet dancers attend the California DanceArts Career Preparatory Training Program, which is designed to fulfill the artistic needs of serious dance students who seek opportunities that will eventually permit them to make the transition from a pre-professional to a professional dancer career. More information on California DanceArts 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 To Perform In La Lupa Fest’s Teatro Programme

Los Angeles Dance Company To Serve As Non-Profit Fiscal Sponsor of Italian Cultural Arts Festival

Los Angeles, CA: California Contemporary Ballet (http://www.ctyballet.org), is serving as the non-profit fiscal sponsor of the La Lupa Italian Cultural Arts Festival, and will perform their original dance “Napoli” in the Festival's Teatro Programme Saturday, May 15 at the Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum in Topanga, CA. The Teatro Programme is a theatrical event featuring over twenty Italian and Italian American artists

La Lupa Italian Cultural Arts Festival (La Lupa Fest) is a two-day event May 15 and 16, established to broaden the Los Angeles cultural community by creating a festival that enriches and exposes diverse neighborhoods to Italian and Italian-American inspiration, passion, and culture of today. La Lupa Fest is the first Italian Cultural Arts Festival of its kind in Los Angeles, celebrating Italian Culture and Art in a contemporary context, featuring established and emerging Italian and Italian American artists in Theatre, Film, Fine Art, Dance, Music, Poetry and the Culinary Arts.

California Contemporary Ballet Company Director Erin Holt, stated “California Contemporary Ballet has always been dedicated to the art of classical and contemporary dance and our mission is to educate and provide inspired theatrical experiences for dancers and the community around Southern California. We are proud to be a sponsor and participant in the La Lupa Fest and feel it will be a culturally enriching partnership.”

The La Lupa Fest’s Teatro Programme will be held Saturday, May 15, from 8:00-11:00pm and Sunday, May 16, from 7:00-10:00pm. Tickets are $20.00 at the door and $15, if purchased in advance (online purchase). Children under 10 are free. Tickets can be purchased at www.lalupafest.eventbrite.com or for more information call 818-790-7924.

California Contemporary Ballet, (http://www.ctyballet.org) 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.

California DanceArts Announces Newest Faculty Member

Los Angeles Dance Studio Adds Lynn Bryson Pittenger to Staff     

La Canada, CA: California DanceArts (http://www.caldancearts.com) a long-established dance academy in La Canada, announced that Lynn Pittenger, former ballerina with the New York City Ballet, has joined their teaching faculty.

Ms. Pittenger, has been a recipient of two Ford Foundation Scholarships, one to study with the San Francisco Ballet Company and the other personally awarded by Mr. George Balanchine to attend the School of American Ballet in New York City. It was while attending the New York school that Maria Tallchief selected Ms. Pittenger to perform in lecture demonstrations throughout New York and eastern colleges. After two years of study at the School of American Ballet, Lynn was invited by Mr. Balanchine to join the company of New York City Ballet where her professional career began.

In addition to a successful performing career, Ms. Pittenger directed a very extensive program for over 250 children in the course of 23 years and ran her own school of ballet for over seven years.

Erin Holt, director of California DanceArts, states “Our dance school has always been committed to providing the highest quality of dance and ballet instruction for all ages and that dance should be an enriching part of the life of those who decide to train in it. We are very proud of our teaching faculty and feel that Lynn Pittenger’s past experiences in dance instruction make her uniquely qualified to prepare students at our academy for the world of dance.”

Since 1987, California DanceArts has been dedicated to the purpose of grooming and nurturing the talents of beginning to serious career dance students. The school has established a reputation as a career preparatory school for dancers transitioning to the professional level. Its current location in beautiful La Canada is nestled among several schools and recreational facilities. The school provides three large studio spaces featuring sprung floors designed to prevent injury, 20-foot high ceilings geared for unobstructed jumping, wall mirrors and air conditioning. Director Erin Holt also runs California Contemporary Ballet, a dance troupe that puts on several original ballet productions per year, including the Snow Queen (www.snowqueenballet.com), an original ballet with an original music score. This show is put on every December and recently completed its 12^th season. California DanceArts also is offering several dance intensive workshops for various levels in summer 2010, and more on these 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.

Ballet Studio Urges Students to Learn Proper Dance Terminology

California DanceArts Finds New iPhone Application An Important Tool for Student

La Canada, CA: California DanceArts (http://www.caldancearts.com) is urging dance students to understand the French terms, translations and definitions of each ballet exercise as a top priority. The ballet studio has found that grasping the meaning behind each term assists the student dancer in properly executing the steps which ultimately will be used in the variety of movements comprising the choreography of classical technique.

Now Carol Richmond, a Carmel, CA dance instructor, together with a software engineer, have developed an iPhone application for teaching more than 140 ballet terms. The application, called SayBallet, is a way "to get to the students on their own (tech-savvy) level," said Richmond, who has seen even the youngest of her students using iPhones. Using this iPhone app will allow students to learn terms in a fun way.

 

Half of the ballet terms are accompanied by videos, activated by voice. Say "plie” (pronounced “plee-ay”) and the iPhone will tell a translation of the word as “Bend”, followed by a short video display of a girl performing the deep bend. Each term can be selected in French, the way ballet is generally taught. The app is also great for hearing the proper pronunciation of these French terms. Fun quizzes are included for students to test their knowledge which then allows them to achieve higher and higher scores.
 
A worthwhile investment for under $10, this iPhone application allows young dancers to study their ballet terms during a car ride to the studio or waiting for class to begin. California DanceArts Director, Erin Holt, says “This application is a great supplement to any dance education curriculum where students are expected to understand ballet terminology. We hope that students use the app to increase and improve upon the skills taught in their classes and to improve their scores for upcoming ballet examinations.” California DanceArts will be holding their ballet level examinations in May.

Since 1987, California DanceArts has been dedicated to the purpose of grooming and nurturing the talents of beginning to serious career dance students. The school has established a reputation as a career preparatory studio for dancers transitioning to the professional level. Its current location in beautiful La Canada is nestled among several schools and recreational facilities. The school provides three large studio spaces featuring sprung floors designed to prevent injury, 20-foot high ceilings geared for unobstructed jumping, wall mirrors and air conditioning. Director Erin Holt also runs California Contemporary Ballet, a dance troupe that puts on several original ballet productions per year, including the Snow Queen (www.snowqueenballet.com), an original ballet with an original music score. This show is put on every December and recently completed its 12^th season. California DanceArts is also offering several dance intensive workshops for various levels in summer 2010, and more on these 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.

Erin Holt

California DanceArts

4490 Cornishon Ave

La Canada, CA 91011

818-790-7924

caldance@realwebmarketing.net

http://www.caldancearts.com

http://www.ctyballet.org

California Dance Company Brings Valentine Treat To Community

Ballet Company Holds Wine & Chocolate Reception With Original Performance in La Canada

La Canada: Valentine's Day may be mostly about cards and flowers, but this year the California Contemporary Ballet (http://www.ctyballet.org), a young contemporary ballet dance company in La Canada, is celebrating this sweet holiday with wine, chocolate and of course—dance as they present “Sweet Embrace”, Friday, February 12th at California DanceArts Studio Theater in La Canada. The reception is both a Valentine to the community and a chance for the community to reciprocate by giving support to the troupe. The event is co-sponsored by 4Joes Winery, The Lions Club, and the Chamber of Commerce, Sunland/Tujunga.

The company is currently in rehearsals for Sweet Embrace--a celebration of love featuring choreography by Artistic Director, Erin Holt. The occasion will be held in the intimate setting of the California DanceArts Studio Theater and features performances by the California Contemporary Ballet's Youth Company as well. Taking place on February 12th, with a pre-performance chocolate and wine reception and silent auction commencing at 7:30pm, the entire evening promises to be the perfect Valentine's Day event!  You can bring someone you love, or even someone you just kind of like, and enjoy a superior evening of ballet, wine and romance. 

Erin Holt stated “Because Valentine’s Day is a day that symbolizes love, we decided it was the perfect opportunity to give our thanks to the community and patrons that support our group and the arts. So we put together a special performance that ties in with that theme. It’s also a chance for the community to reciprocate, showing their support for this non-profit dance troupe and their future endeavors, by participating in fundraising activities at the event.”

More information can be found at the company’s website (http://www.ctyballet.org) or by calling 818-790-7924. A donation of $20 per person is requested at the door.

California Contemporary Ballet, (http://www.ctyballet.org) 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.

La Canada Dance School Hosts Visit by World Famous Ballerinas

California DanceArts Hosts Visit by Gina Ness and Evelyn Cisneros, Both From the San Francisco Ballet

Gina Ness with student Kelsey Glidewell

La Canada: California DanceArts (http://www.caldancearts.com ), a long-established dance academy in La Canada, recently hosted a visit by Gina Ness, former soloist and principal dancer, and Evelyn Cisneros, a world-renowned Prima Ballerina, both of whom had illustrious careers with the San Francisco Ballet. Ballet hopefuls from the Foothill communities and surrounding Los Angeles areas were given a great treat with each woman conducting master classes and group discussions at California DanceArts. 

This rare opportunity, was designed to offer intensive training and enlighten aspiring young ballet students to potential career opportunities in dance. 

Both Ms. Ness and Ms. Cisneros were at the height of their professional careers during their respective tenures with the San Francisco Ballet in the mid-1970’s. Ms. Ness enjoyed a career with the San Francisco Company that spanned 13 years, and she shared with her students her experiences as a performer with the company, including revealing previously unheard stories about the company’s directors and choreographers, much to the delight of the students. 

Ms. Cisneros was equally inspiring as she described her extraordinary experiences touring the world both as a company member and as a guest artist, performing the works of world-famous choreographers. As former fellow company members and long-time friends, the two stars even revealed stories about each other. 

Crystal Fernandez, 17, of Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy, and Kelsey Glidewell, 16, of La Cañada High School, both were excited to attend the program and each acknowledged being inspired by the experience. As developing dance students, they agreed that this was the ultimate opportunity, being allowed to study with these two ballet stars and to hear their personal accounts of ballet history. 

Evelyn Cisneros instructing students

Both Fernandez and Glidewell have decided to continue their dance training in college, following graduation from high school. In fact, Ms. Fernandez is scheduled to begin auditions to secure placement in several different college dance departments. She admits to being a bit nervous about her upcoming auditions, but adds, “I’m glad I got the opportunity to have this kind of experience at this time to help me prepare”.

Erin Holt, California DanceArts Director stated “Our biggest joy is seeing how students use the information and experiences we provide to accomplish their dreams”.

Since1987, California DanceArts has been dedicated to the purpose of grooming and nurturing the talents of beginning to serious career dance students. The school has established a reputation as a career preparatory school for dancers transitioning to the professional level. Its current location in beautiful La Canada is nestled among several schools and recreational facilities. The school provides three large studio spaces featuring sprung floors designed to prevent injury, 20-foot high ceilings geared for unobstructed jumping, wall mirrors and air conditioning. Director Erin Holt also runs California Contemporary Ballet, a dance troupe that puts on several original ballet productions per year, including the Snow Queen (http://www.snowqueenballet.com ), an original ballet with an original music score. This show is put on every December and recently completed its 12th season. California DanceArts also is putting on several dance intensive workshops for various levels in summer 2010, and more on these can be seen at http://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 .