Sacramento Ballet’s in-studio previews for “Cinderella” sold out, and these performances created a delightful show for children and adults. The in-studio performances were held at the Sacramento Ballet Studios on Thursday and Friday. The preview shows gave guests an opportunity to see an up-close and personal view of the wonderful talent the Sacramento Ballet has to offer. This unique perspective allows viewers to appreciate the effort that goes into each movement. On Thursday afternoon, artistic director Ron Cunningham welcomed ballet enthusiasts to the event held at their studio at 1631 K St. Cunningham introduced several of the dancers performing in “Cinderella.” Richard Smith an

For ballet enthusiasts and those new to the experience, this is one presentation that should not be missed. Ron Cunningham’s “The Nutcracker” is a traditional interpretation of the ballet he’s been directing for 24 years in Sacramento. Visually stunning sets create the scene for a ballet performance that will delight young and old alike. Accompanied by the Sacramento Philharmonic Orchestra, this holiday classic boasts performers of all ages, with over 500 children, including Molly O’Dell,10, playing Clara. O’Dell’s enthusiasm is infectious as she, along with her Nutcracker Prince, takes the journey from a joyous Christmas Eve into an enchanting dreamland. The first act is charming and

There are many holiday traditions that we all have and share. A tradition held by many around the world is listening to, participating in or performing “The Nutcracker.” Friday night the Sacramento Ballet hosted “Inside the Director’s Studio, Through the Dancer's Eye: The Nutcracker,” where dancers talked about “The Nutcracker” and shared their personal points of view. Artistic director Ron Cunningham welcomed guests to the event, saying the dancers would talk about their experiences and how they prepare for shows. Cunningham also called the audience’s attention to a Sacramento Ballet calendar featuring the photography of resident photographer Keith Sutter. Cunningham noted that the cal

Summer has come and gone but crowds at Second Saturday still remain large. Second Saturday events have grown in popularity and other communities participate in Second and Third Saturday art events. During fall several cities stop their art walks. Folsom and El Dorado Hills had their last Second Saturday of the year in September and October respectively. Popularity of similar events in smaller towns continues to grow. Attendance and art displays expand in the smaller venues but none of these can compare to the popularity of Midtown’s event. This Saturday I attended a handful of galleries and events. Since there are so many places to view and experience art I made a list of places I was i

The excitement of dancing with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater just pours out of Rachael McLaren. SacPress reached McLaren by phone recently while she waited for another flight on the current Alvin Ailey North American tour. She will be dancing with Alvin Ailey in Jackson Hall at the Mondavi Center April 5th and 6th. McLaren began by talking about dance. “Dance comes from the people.” “(It is) human connections-celebrating together.” Rachael McLaren started dancing when she was five years old. She was always all about movement, bouncing around the house. She grew up watching her hometown, Royal Winnipeg Ballet, where she would eventually go on to study. At first, it was all about

Sacramento’s Community Center Theater hosted an evening of brilliant ballet performances on Thursday night. The Sacramento Ballet presented The Four Temperaments, Boléro and Celts. This program will be featured at the Community Center Theatre on March 24 to March 27 and on April 9 at the Three Stages Performing Arts Center in Folsom. Thursday’s opening night started off the Icons and Innovators program with The Four Temperaments. Music by German composer Paul Hindemith and choreography by world-renowned George Balanchine proved very entertaining. The opening piece prepared the audience for a magnificent evening of music and dance. Superb lighting, costumes, choreography and great perform

Photographs by Barry Wisdom   Whether you’re continuing a lifelong Christmastime tradition or you’re a new “Black Swan” fan who’s come late to the ballet-appreciation party, there is something for everyone in Sacramento Ballet’s alternatingly funny and passionate, but always mesmerizing and magical “The Nutcracker,” which opened Friday evening at the Sacramento Community Center Theater. Blessed with live accompaniment of Tchaikovsky’s familiar score by the spectacular Sacramento Philharmonic Orchestra, there is much that can be considered divine about this delicious holiday chestnut. In addition to philharmonic director Henrik Jul Hansen’s sure baton, reasons to leap for joy include Sa

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

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

Christmas is back and so is another season of "The Nutcracker". Sacramento Ballet co-art directors, Ron Cunningham and Carinne Binda outdid themselves during the opening performance. In celebration of Cunningham’s 500th "Nutcracker" showing, there were guest performances from Cunningham himself as well as Melissa Sandvig from “So You Think You Can Dance” and former company dancer Nina Baratova, who shared the sugar plum fairly role with company dancer Amanda Peet. But where was the finest sugar plum fairy of them all? Kirsten Bloom, prima ballerina, was sitting in Row J watching the performance in a lovely red dress with her long-time boyfriend. Bloom is expected her first child and i

As children pranced around the well-lit and creatively-designed stage during Tuesday night’s dress rehearsal of the Nutcracker at the Community Center Theater, the Sacramento Ballet prepared for another season of Sugar Plum Fairies. Director of Production Kyle Lemoi, who has been with the company for three seasons, said he has done many Nutcracker productions around the country, but the stage setup and attention to detail is what sets the Sacramento production apart.   “The set was made in Russia and was designed by (Alan Vaes), who lives in New York,” he said. “Everything is hand painted and they painted it with dye.” The stage setup is a recent addition to the company and has only bee

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.