BALLROOM WITH A TWIST Comes to San Diego, Today

Gentlemen, here's the ideal Valentine's Day gift for your ladies: tickets to romantic Ballroom with a Twist, coming to the Poway Center for the Performing Arts on Saturday, February 28, 2015 at 8pm. Combine this star-studded event with a starlit Dinner on the Plaza and you have the perfect date night.

Featuring stars of the enthralling Dancing with the Stars and finalists of the captivating So You Think You Can Dance and American Idol, Ballroom with a Twist features a brilliant new fusion of Broadway, classical, contemporary, modern freestyle and international style dance and song. This exciting new production reminds audiences nationwide of the power and passion of dance.

This all-star cast includes many of America's favorite dancers and singers from the above acclaimed talent competition television shows. Joining the cast of Ballroom with a Twist are Dancing with the Stars pros Anna Trebunskaya and Dmitry Chaplin.

Anna grew up in a family of ballroom dancers as her parents were owners of a ballroom dance studio in Russia. It is no wonder that Anna, who began learning ballroom at age 6, entered and won her first ballroom competition by age 7. Since then, Anna has expanded her success in the ballroom dancing industry with numerous awards and recognition in the Latin style of Ballroom dance. Now a consistent pro on Dancing with the Stars, Anna has danced with many celebrities including Sugar Ray Leonard, Drew Lachey, Evan Lysacek, Steve Guttenberg, Chuck Liddell, Kurt Warner and more. Anna will be joining the cast of Ballroom with a Twist alongside fellow pro Dmitry Chaplin.

Another native to Russia, Dmitry is recognized as one of the most distinguished ballroom dancers and choreographers around the world. Earning his place in the top 10 of the second season of So You Think You Can Dance, Dmitry has continued to dazzle viewers with his Emmy® nominated choreography for this television series. Since his debut on So You Think You Can Dance, Dmitry has been a member of the Dancing with the Stars cast and continues to choreograph for both of these television series, as well as other national television shows including Fox's Bones and ABC Family's Baby Daddy.

Also joining the cast of Ballroom with a Twist are So You Think You Can Dance (SYTYCD) finalists Legacy, Jonathan Platero and Randi Lynn Strong. Legacy joined season 6 of SYTYCD as a "B-Boy" dancer with no formal training. His incredible talent seemed to surprise judges every week as he conquered each style of dance with perfection and flare!

Jonathan Platero earned his place in Season 5 of SYTYCD with his salsa skills! Originally a gymnast, Platero discovered his niche in salsa dancing and became a World Salsa finalist in 2006-2007 and performed in Disney's "High School Musical" as a dancer and acrobat.

Randi Lynn Strong, another finalist from Season 5, specializes in Jazz dance and made it to the top 10 dancers of SYTYCD. She has recently fallen in love with ballroom dance and has been touring with Ballroom with a Twist over the past few years.

The American Idol finalists who will be joining the Poway tour of Ballroom with a Twist are Von Smith and Gina Glocksen. Smith joined the top 36 finalists of American Idol Season 8. He has since gone on to open for Lady Gaga in her Brisbane, Australia concert. Glocksen was part of American Idol's top 10 during Season 6. Glocksen is currently writing and performing music and has made many appearances on television including Live with Regis and Kelly, Ellen DeGeneres and Nickelodeon, to name a few.

Reality show talent competitions have become an integral part of America's entertainment palette, serving as a springboard for the careers of many singers, dancers and performers. Ballroom with a Twist celebrates three of our nation's most famous televised talent competitions in a format where everyone - especially the audience - is a winner!

Dancing with the Stars is a talent competition on ABC that pairs celebrities with professional dancers, encouraging them to work together on numerous choreographed dances from a variety of genres. Past celebrity contestants have included professional and Olympic athletes, professional actors and actresses, musicians, supermodels and astronauts. So You Think You Can Dance is a dance competition show on Fox, which remains one of the top-rated shows on television today. The show features aspiring dancers from across the nation competing in open auditions in numerous major U.S. cities. A panel of judges (including guest celebrity judges) select a top 20 dancers to perform in front of live audiences each week, until one is crowned as "America's favorite dancer." American Idol, also on Fox, is perhaps the most successful televised talent competition series in America. A singing competition, this show follows aspiring singers from (often hilarious) auditions to the top selection of singers to perform weekly in front of live audiences, until one winner is voted as the "American Idol."

This show's choreography exudes passion and expertise, bringing a level of excitement and flash to this family-friendly evening. Designed to introduce a new "twist" to the performing arts, Ballroom with a Twist has been touring the world, captivating and enlightening audiences since 2009, with the addition of Poway to their 2015 tour schedule. The "twist" in the ballroom is the addition of vocalists from American Idol and a high level of interaction between the stars and awestruck audience members.

Adult and Senior tickets are $64. GEICO Youth Tickets are $20 with purchase of an adult ticket. Tickets are on sale now by visiting www.powayarts.org or by calling or visiting the Poway Center for the Performing Arts Ticket Office, at 15498 Espola Rd., Poway. Box office hours are noon to 5 p.m. Fridays, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays and two hours before curtain. Discounts are available for groups of 10 or more by calling 858-668-4797. Please note that tickets in Section A of the theater are already sold out! Dinner on the Plaza is now available for a full evening of entertainment. Dine under the stars prior to the performance with a gourmet, buffet meal catered by Cafe? Merlot. Dinner on the Plaza tickets are $25 and include one complimentary beverage (wine, beer or non-alcoholic). Tickets to Ballroom with a Twist are required for admission to dinner. Heaters are provided on cool evenings.

The Poway Center for the Performing Arts Foundation is a 25 year old non-profit organization that offers professional performing arts events, including concerts, dance performances, theater productions, and a children's theater series. The Foundation operates through a special partnership with the City of Poway and the Poway Unified School District.

The Examiner writes, "Flirty and fun sums up the show "Ballroom with a Twist." If you are a Dancing with the Stars, So You Think You Can Dance, or American Idol fan, you will not want to miss this show...it is a show worth seeing!"

Bring your family and friends and enjoy the show just as you watch these wildly popular primetime television shows together at home.

Visit our website at www.powayarts.org.

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