The chatter from the near-capacity audience was silenced as soft footsteps took the stage of the Crest Theatre Friday. Recognized as one of the most renowned small ballet companies in the nation, the Sacramento Ballet hosted the second annual Capital Choreography Competition with world premiers from choreographers Melissa Barak, Yannis Adoniou and Darrel Grand Moultrie, each of whom was competing for two grand prizes: one from the seasoned judges and one from the breathless audience. Each choreographer presented a ballet of 20 minutes, practiced and rehearsed over a period of only 30 hours since tthe choreographer met the dancers of the Sacramento Ballet. Video introductions of the chor

Lean bodies, skin-tight clothes and some of the most graceful dancers in Sacramento are only a few of the highlights of this Friday’s Capital Choreography Competition at the Crest Theatre. Three choreographers — Yannis Adoniou, Darrell Grand Moultrie and Melissa Barak — will showcase their choreographing talents and compete against one another at the second annual Capital Choreography competition hosted by the Sacramento Ballet on Oct. 15 and 22. “We try not to make it about the competition,” Sacramento Ballet Artistic Director Ron Cunningham said. “We try to make it about them winning an award for having the best choreographed ballet, but everyone’s a winner for having gone through the

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