Get an inside glimpse of what's to come in the Sacramento Ballet's season by attending one of the company's "Red Hot Valentine Nights," featuring excerpts from Second Before the Ground, Nine Sinatra Songs and Frankie & Johnny. You'll enjoy a studio show experience more intimate than on the stage followed by tango lessons with the help of the dancers themselves. Friday night, two movements were showcased from Trey McIntyre's Second Before the Ground (a lighthearted energetic dance set to the music of the Kronos Quartet). In excerpts from Michael Smuin's Frankie and Johnny, dancers performed a mambo, incorporating a makeshift bar to give the audience a sense of the party. The dancers esp

The Sacramento Ballet opened its 55th season with the First Annual Capital Choreography Competition at the Crest Theatre Oct. 17 and 24. Both days consisted of three dances choreographed by Viktor Kabaniaev, Amy Seiwert and Matthew Neenan, who competed for a cash prize as well as a Tiffany & Co. star. Neenan’s dance, The Ration, took the judges award, while Seiwert’s On Frail Wings won the peoples choice award during both showings. Pepper Von, international fitness instructor and choreographer and a judge for the Oct. 24 performance, said Neenan and Seiwert used the theater beautifully. “The two who exhibited (the use of space) best, in my perspective, were Amy and Matthew,” Von said. 

Lights inside the Crest Theatre were dim, the spotlight was bright and nothing could be heard besides the feathery footsteps of the Sacramento Ballet dancers during the first annual Capitol Choreography Competition Friday night. A crowd of about 600 experienced the talent of three choreographers from around the world who created 18-minute dances in six days. The choreographers, chosen by Ron Cunningham and his wife, Carinne Binda, artistic directors for the ballet, were Viktor Kabaniaev, resident choreographer of Diablo Ballet; Amy Seiwart, artistic  director of Im'ij-re and choreographer in residence for the Smuin Ballet in San Francisco; and Matthew Neenan, artistic director of BalletX

"The 2009-10 season is a dream come true," said dancer Alexandra Cunningham. A financial crisis in the 2008-09 season has given the 24 dancers a new perspective on their dancing career. Relocating from the 2,398-seat Community Center Theater to the studio with only two rows of seats was perhaps the biggest eye-opener. For the in-studio shows, only the bare minimum -- chairs, curtains and lights -- separated the dancers from the audience. Both the community and the dancers loved it. "Performing to sold-out audiences in our studios was exhilarating!" Cunningham said. "I felt that I could share so much more with audience members because I could see their every reaction." Cunningham praise

Sacramento Ballet has narrowly survived its budget crisis. After canceling the remainder of the 2008-2009 season last January, the ballet will dance on another season. "We're excited and thrilled to have made it through the crisis, and we've put together a program!" said Mimi Kent, the ballet's marketing director. Credit the work ethic of the dancers. After the season was canceled, they organized and executed their own fundraising campaign while continuing with a number of in-studio performances. On top of that, they took a 10 percent pay cut last season which has now been restored. In one silent auction, they raised about $20,000 for the organization. For the 2009-2010 season, Sacrame

Although many of the events this weekend do not really reflect the true meaning of the foundation of this holiday, there are still some great things to do! Whatever your plan is this weekend, do take a moment to reflect on what Memorial Day is about and be thankful for our fellow Americans who put their lives on the line for the sake of our country. Just in case you aren't sure as to what Memorial Day is all about and why it is a National Holiday, here is the definition from Wikipedia: "Formerly known as Decoration Day, Memorial Day commemorates U.S. men and women who died while in the military service. First enacted to honor Union soldiers of the American Civil War (it is celebrated near

It seems more so now than ever before that organizations across the board are reaching out for help. Despite all of the "doom-and-gloom" being reported on in the news, I consider myself to be a fairly positive person with an optomistic outlook on life. However, reality tends to sink in a little when you find that local mainstays within your hometown are being threatened. These times of "crisis" are when charity organizations and community support foundations see a significant spike in demand for their services. Every week there are events being held to raise money and awareness for various causes that will likely relate to every person at some point in their life. This week, I stumbled upo

There were so many events going on this week in Sacramento that I had to break them up into two articles (and still there are so many more!). This is a diverse compilation of things to do under $20 this week. From lectures, concerts & festivals, to health classes and job fairs, you are bound to find something you'll like! Keep an eye out for my next article in which I will feature all of the fundraisers and benefits this week...  Monday 4.20 Lecture: Andrew Sean Greer - Free When: 1pm Where: CSUS- Union Ballroom (Free parking on Lot 10) Why: Andrew Sean Greer is the bestselling author of The Story of a Marriage, a lyrical novel about love and longing, and the political, sexual, and raci

This week there is no excuse! Despite this 'little' slump we're in, I was able to find a slew of cost efficient ways to entertain yourself throughout the week. There's a little something for everybody... Tues 4.14 Music: Lipstick- $3 (before 10pm) When: 8:00pm Where: Old Ironsides Why: A fusion of indie rock, pop, garage & electronic dance part. It's been going strong for 8 years. 'Nuff said. Sports: Sacramento Rivercats v. Portland Beavers- $10+ When: 7:05pm Where: Raley Field Why: If I am going to go to any Baseball game, it's going to be this one. Who wouldn't want to see which of the water creatures prevails? Wed 4.15 Music: Ari Hest w/ Hana Pestle- $8 When: 8:00pm Where: Marilyns o

I missed last week, but here's a big list of stuff coming up this week.  Lots going on this coming week -and this only a sampling! Ongoing: Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead Live Theater Fridays and Saturdays, 8:00 PM; Sundays, 2:30 PM through May 9, 2009 Admission: General: $15.00; Students/SARTA: $12.00 (April 17-19, all tickets are only $10.00!) Big Idea Theatre 1616 Del Paso Blvd Sacramento, CA (916) 960-3036 http://www.bigideatheatre.com A comedy that includes scenes from Hamlet involving the prince's two unwitting friends, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, and combines them with a "Waiting for Godot" sensibility, resulting in a thought provoking show and a knee-slapping good time.

Week 13: March 31-April 5 So after a few weeks of experimenting with this Storyline, I’ve decided to tweak things around a bit. Quandary: My initial concept of highlighting an event a day was in response to those flighty and exasperated comments like: “There’s nothing interesting going on in Sacramento” or even more so the: “There’s nothing to do on Mondays (or any other day of the week that doesn’t seem to offer anything new)”. 7 Days, 7 things to do was my attempt to address this boring complaint of the non-creative, unimaginative types. Not to say that I haven’t been there myself! Don’t get me wrong. It wasn’t until I started to get out a little bit that I really became aware of the

Looking to put a little bounce in your step as spring gets under way? Better yet, how about putting many more chassés, pliés and pirouettes into the Sacramento Ballet's performances? March 30 through April 4 is Save Our Sacramento Ballet Week. A variety of businesses have stepped forward to help raise money for the local dancers, so make it a point to stop by on one of these days. On March 30, Ink Eats & Drinks will be donating 10 percent to the ballet all day long. It is located at 2730 N St. Tuesday, March 31, Zuda Yoga is donating 15 percent of the day's class sales and will host the dancers during their 6 p.m. class. Zuda is located at 19th & O Streets. From Tuesday, March 31 to Sat

This storyline is simple. We all know that there are 365 days in a year, 52 weeks in that year, and 7 days in each week. Sacramento365.com aims to showcase this artistic & cultural city's events, 365 days a year. If you ever feel like there is just nothing interesting to do in this great city or you're tired of doing the same things all of the time, my hopes are that these articles will inspire you to explore what Sacramento has to offer and realize the diverse & interesting place we call home. There is something unique going on every day! Every week I will outline an event a day for that week for your enjoyment. Get out of your comfort zone & try something new. Week 10: March 10-16, 2009

             I am a dancer - not a writer or a journalist.  So, why am I stepping outside of my comfort zone to write an article that hundreds, if not thousands of people may read?  I am writing because I feel compelled to let you know about what is going on right now at the Sacramento Ballet, where I am employed.  As many of you are aware from recent media coverage, the Sacramento Ballet is facing challenging times in this economic environment.  We have had to cancel our shows at the Community Center Theater for the remainder of our season, and we have had to make major cuts in all areas of the company, including employee lay-offs.  We are, however, still rehearsing and performing in our

After all the recent economic hardship at the Sacramento Ballet, including the cancellation of the rest of the season, there is finally a glimmer of hope. The dancers are committed to pursuing their careers -- even if it means dancing in alternative venues or in the group's practice space. Following the success of Beer and Ballet, an encore of the performance has been scheduled in the month of February. There will also be abbreviated performances of Modern Masters and Noches Calientes. All of these performances will be held in a more intimate setting than the Ballet's usual venue, the Community Center Theatre. They will be held at the site of the Ballet's studio, located at 1631 K Street

  About a week ago, the Sacramento Press broke the story about Sacramento Ballet's director Kerri Warner stepping down from her position amidst the ballet's economic crisis. According to the Sacramento Bee, the ballet has now been forced to cancel the rest of its season in an effort to float the organization along through the rest of the year and emerge stronger next season.   "In addition to canceling its shows, the ballet cut three people from its staff of 12," said Debbie Arrington in her Bee article about the ballet. Phone calls by The Sacramento Press to the Sacramento Ballet were not returned.  However, Debbie Arrington of the Bee reported that the three-week-long Beer and Ballet 

The executive director of the Sacramento Ballet has resigned. Kerri Warner quietly left the troubled organization about a week ago, according to sources within the organization who asked to remain anonymous. The reason for Warner's resignation remains unclear. An employee said that there was a "difference of opinion on how to handle the financial situation, and Kerri decided to respectfully step away."  The Sacramento Press was unable to reach Warner, and Ron Cunningham, the organization's artistic director and public face did not return calls.  The Sacramento Ballet, which has gone through recent struggles with ticket sales, now needs major corporate funding in order to return to a ful