November 19, 2004

Evergreen youth participate in local Nutcracker ballets

Come and share the magic of The Nutcracker this holiday season

San Jose Youth Ballet, Dec. 4 & 5
San Jose Youth Ballet brings the arts to Evergreen with a spectacular production of the Nutcracker Ballet performed in the new Evergreen Valley High School theatre, 3300 Quimby Rd., at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 4 and 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 5.

Evergreen residents Kristina Lind (left) and Megan Young (right) are soloists in San Jose Youth Ballet’s performance of The Nutcracker.

Nearly 60 talented, pre-professional dancers ages 7-18 will join professional guest artists form Ballet San Jose Silicon Valley in a family-oriented production of the Nutcracker Ballet, choreographed by Maggie Ferla and Xavier Ferla, co-directors of Dance Theatre International, San Jose, Ca., Maria LaMance, choreographer and Cristina McClelland, choreographer.

This year will mark the second year of San Jose Youth Ballet’s Nutcracker Ballet. The ballet’s mission is to bring high caliber classical ballet to young aspiring dancers in the Silicon Valley. SJYB gives talented dancers the opportunity to perform with top professionals in the field of dance and to participate in auditions, rehearsals, and theatrical performances.

Maggie Ferla, co-director, Dance Theatre International, danced professionally for 12 years with such world renowned companies as San Francisco Ballet, Bejart Ballet in Switzerland and Hamburg Ballet in Germany. Xavier Ferla, co-director, Dance Theatre International, currently dances with Alonzo King’s Lines Ballet in San Francisco. He was formerly a principal dancer with Bejart Ballet in Switzerland, Deutsche Oper Berlin and the Royal New Zealand Ballet.

The following guest artists from Ballet San Jose Silicon Valley will join San Jose Youth Ballet:

Stephane Dalle, Cavalier
Stephane Dalle, from Paris, France, studied in Paris with Solange Golovine and Serge Golovine, Raymond Franchetti, Jaqueline F&nbsrt and in New York with Stanley Williams. A principal dancer, he has danced the classical and contemporary repertoire with Zurich Opera, Bejart Ballet Laussane, Frankfurt Ballet, English National Ballet of London, Deutsche Opern am Rhein Duesseldorf, Het Nationale Ballet Amsterdam. He teaches ballet for classical and modern dance companies, as well as Floor Barre (methode Boris Kniaseff).
 
Maria Jacobs, Sugar Plum Fairy
Maria Jacobs, originally from Ocala, Fla., trained with her mother, Ana Jacobs. She studied in the summers at Joffrey Ballet, School of American Ballet, Boston Ballet and Bolshoi Ballet Academy. After graduating at the age of 18, Jacobs immediately joined Cleveland San Jose Ballet as a trainee and moved up the ranks performing corps, soloist and principal roles. She is currently dancing with Ballet San Jose and has danced such roles as Odette, Odile in Swan Lake, Hermia in Midsummer Nights Dream, Maria and Tzarina in Nutcracker.
 
Travis Walker, Drosselmeyer
Travis Walker was born in Syracuse N.Y. where he started dancing at Ballet Arts Theatre under the direction of Tina Christina-Price. He started his professional career at Usdan Ballet Theater in Huntington N.Y. He then joined Ballet San Jose, under the direction of Dennis Nahat, where he has been since 2001. Travis has also performed with the California Ballet in San Diego, Galumpha and many other schools in the Bay Area.

Ramón Moreno, Snow King
Ramón Moreno, a native of Pina Del Rio, Cuba, joined San Jose Cleveland Ballet in 1999. Moreno has participated extensively in competitions worldwide, including appearances in Cuba, Peru, Brazil, Finland and the United States, and has been awarded seven medals including four gold.

He has performed with the Classical Ballet of Havana, toured internationally and appeared as a guest artist with the Cuballet of Pittsburgh. His vast repertoire includes Apollo, Carmen, Who Cares?, Flower Festival, Giselle, Romeo and Juliet, Coppelia, Don Quixote, Swan Lake and Involucion. As a guest artist with San Jose Cleveland Ballet in 1998, his performance in Involucion was named one of the “10 best dance events” in the California Bay Area. Ramón has also been a member of the faculty for Ballet San Jose School’s Summer Dance Program.
 
Patricia Perez, Snow Queen
Patricia Perez began her classical ballet training at the School of Alejo Carpentier in Havana, Cuba and the School of Prodanza Compania de Ballet Classico. She has been a guest dancer with Canton Ballet, Ashland Ballet and Jefferson Ballet Theatre of New Orleans. Perez has worked with many notable choreographers, including Dennis Nahat, Albert Mendez, Ivan Monreal Alonso, Juregi Bonino and Paul Abrahanson. She has been a principal dancer in Swanilla, Coppelia and The Nutcracker and has performed in Les Sylphides, Apollo, Blue Suede Shoes, Carmen, Don Quixote, Swan Lake, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Four Temperaments, Napoli pas Classique, Giselle, Carmen and many more.

Tickets for the performance range in price from $18 to $25 with discounts available for children, seniors and groups of 10 or more. To purchase tickets call (408) 274-7734 or buy them at the door. For more information, go to the Dance Theatre International Web site: www.dtidance.com.

Evergreen-Silver Creek Valley cast members

San Jose Youth Ballet’s The Nutcracker

Many of the cast members live in the area and will captivate children of all ages as colorful flowers, sparkling snowflakes and dazzling confections