ALICE IN WONDERLAND to Dance Into Orange County with Festival Ballet Theatre

Festival Ballet Theatre will present Lewis Carroll's classic tale Alice In Wonderland at Irvine Barclay Theatre on October 14-15, 2017.

In this captivating tale of curiosity and adventure, we follow Alice as she takes a journey down the Rabbit Hole into Wonderland Garden and through the Mad Hatter's Tea Party.

Along the way, she meets a beloved cast of colorful characters including the harriEd White Rabbit, the cunning Cheshire Cat, mischievous Tweedledee and Tweedledum, and the infamous Queen of Hearts.

This imaginative ballet rendition of Alice In Wonderland features vibrant sets, lively costumes, fanciful masks and splendid dancing by Festival Ballet Theatre's own company dancers as well as talented young protégés from across the southland. Choreographed by Emmy Award-winning choreographer Robert Sund to the unmistakable melodies of eminent Finnish composer Jean Sibelius, Festival Ballet Theatre's Alice In Wonderland is sure to charm adults and children alike.

Tickets ($39-$45) are availale at www.thebarclay.org or (949) 854-4646 X. 1. Performances will take place on Saturday, October 14, 2017 at 7:00 pm and Sunday, October 15, 2017 at 2:00 pm. Full FBT Season Purchase Discount: $5 per ticket discount when purchasing the full package of 3 events prior to the first production.

Festival Ballet Theatre is a nonprofit organization founded in 1988 by Salwa Rizkalla. Its mission is to enrich Orange County's artistic and economic vitality, to inspire love and appreciation for dance, and to invigorate ballet by:
• Presenting a season of exhilarating classical and contemporary performances,
• Providing a nurturing environment for dancers and choreographers,
• Offering stimulating educational outreach programs.
For more information, visit www.festivalballet.org.

About Salwa Rizkalla, Artistic Director
Artistic Director Salwa Rizkalla has contributed to the Orange County community for more than 30 years by presenting excellence in dance performance through Festival Ballet Theatre and providing top-tier classical ballet training at Southland Ballet Academy.

During her professional dancing career, Ms. Rizkalla graced the stage in leading roles in well-known classical ballets as well as contemporary pieces. She had the privilege of working under the direction of world-renowned choreographers Leonid Lavrovsky and Serge Lifar. As a young dancer, Ms. Rizkalla trained in the Russian Vaganova method and studied with ballet masters of the Bolshoi and the Kirov. As the culmination of her training, Ms. Rizkalla completed a Bachelor of Arts degree in Ballet Pedagogy. She established Southland Ballet Academy in 1983 and debuted Festival Ballet Theatre in 1988. In addition to teaching and directing, Ms. Rizkalla was a faculty member of several area institutions, including Goldenwest College and the Huntington Beach Academy for the Performing Arts.

Many arts organizations have recognized her service. The Orange County Music and Arts Administrators and Orange County Performing Arts Center jointly named her the Orange County Arts Educator of the Year Award for Secondary Dance (2003); Youth America Grand Prix awarded Ms. Rizkalla Outstanding Teacher accolades (2002, 2004, 2005, 2012 and 2017); and Arts Orange County recognized Ms. Rizkalla with the Helena Modjeska Cultural Legacy Award (2014).

Ms. Rizkalla has been honored to impact the lives of hundreds of students and their families through her teaching. She is proud to be a dedicated educator, an energetic promoter of the arts, and an active participant in the cultural life of her community.

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