Los Angeles Ballet Announces CINDERELLA And More For 2024/2025 Season
Season to include the debut of the new program off balance in collaboration with artist Shantell Martin.
By: A.A. Cristi Aug. 21, 2024
Los Angeles Ballet has announced the 2024/2025 season that embodies the company's mission of pioneering bold new ballet works, collaborating with artists of different genres and design worlds, and expanding community engagement programs while marking its nineteenth season.
In January 2025, LAB presents a return of LAB Artistic Director Melissa Barak's Memoryhouse co-presented by the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts. In March, the company will launch the new series Off Balance in collaboration with multifaceted artist Shantell Martin, followed by Edwaard Liang's production of Cinderella in June. The season opens in December 2024 with the Los Angeles holiday favorite, The Nutcracker.
Los Angeles Ballet performs at Pasadena Civic Auditorium, Royce Hall at UCLA, Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, and the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills.
“This season features some important steps forward for LAB, steps that allow us to continue to pursue what quality dance can mean for Los Angeles,” said LAB Artistic Director, Melissa Barak. “Our new partnership with The Wallis Annenberg Performing Arts Center in Beverly Hills is a meaningful residency for contemporary works and connects us in a deeper way to the fabric of the performing arts community in LA. Our new series Off Balance creates space for works with a broader range of art disciplines and will launch with a collaboration with renowned artist, Shantell Martin. We are also increasing performances that feature live music by the Los Angeles Ballet Orchestra.”
Memoryhouse (January 30 - February 1, 2025) - LAB and The Wallis present the return of a poignant original work by LAB Artistic Director Melissa Barak. A series of vignettes performed against a hauntingly dramatic score of the same name by German composer Max Richter. Memoryhouse honors the memories of the 6 million Jewish lives lost during the Holocaust with choreography that conveys the full emotional spectrum of the Jewish experience during this painful period in history. This powerful piece blends modern, traditional, and abstract dance forms as it takes audiences on a journey of reflection on the past and the triumph of the human spirit.
Off Balance (March 22 & 23, 2025) - Off Balance is the inaugural piece of an experimental new dance program for LAB that includes collaborations with diverse artists, choreographers, and musicians pushing the boundaries of ballet and dance, set in environments off the proscenium stage. This season LAB collaborates with multifaceted artist Shantell Martin, this avant-garde exploration of levels and space will be performed at Destination Crenshaw's Sankofa Park.
Shantell Martin, known for her work across various disciplines, has achieved notable success in the realms of fine art, education, design, philosophy, and technology. Her journey includes collaborations with prestigious institutions such as MIT Media Lab, NYU Tisch ITP, and Columbia University's Brown Institute, as well as choreographing for Boston Ballet. Martin's art explores themes like intersectionality, identity, and play, and she has showcased her work in solo exhibitions at renowned galleries, including the 92Y Gallery in New York, Albright Knox Gallery, and the New Britain Museum of American Art.
Cinderella (June 12-15, 2025) - Acclaimed choreographer and new Artistic Director of The Washington Ballet, Edwaard Liang sets the stage for this captivating production of Cinderella. Liang's recently reimagined fairy tale features new twists, more emotional depth, a bit of fantasy and a touch of humor. Set to a joyfully melodic score by Sergei Prokofiev, audiences will fall in love with the Prince before midnight, be enchanted by the Fairy Godmother, and cheer as the evil Stepmother and Stepsisters' plans are foiled. Perfect for all ages. Cinderella will be performed exclusively at Dolby Theatre in Hollywood and will feature a live orchestra.
The Nutcracker (December 6-28, 2024) The Nutcracker is an annual favorite in LA for family and friends, and for visitors from around the world. Journey with young Clara and her beloved Nutcracker as they battle the most memorable Mouse King, encounter dancing Snowflakes, and travel to the Palace of the Dolls. Los Angeles Ballet stays true to the traditions of the holiday story with tastes of Southern California such as an elegant Spanish-style Hancock Park home, calla lilies, bougainvillea, the snowy forests of Big Bear, Venice Beach archways, and a moonlit Pacific Ocean. The Nutcracker opens at Pasadena Civic Auditorium, then moves to Royce Hall at UCLA and culminates holiday week at Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. Performances at Dolby Theatre feature Tchaikovsky's iconic score performed live by the Los Angeles Ballet Orchestra.
Nutcracker Tea! (November 23 & 24, 2024) - LAB's signature holiday fundraiser features an afternoon tea party experience for guests of all ages, culminating in a special presentation of characters and scenes from LAB's beloved production of The Nutcracker. Guests enter a magical winter wonderland and explore the joys of the season. The event features High Tea sweets and savories, sparkling crafts, mystery gifts, and other holiday goodies and children are invited to dance with Clara and her doll friends as they come to life and invite guests into their world. Also featured is a luxury pop-up shop and the LAB Nutcracker Boutique and a keepsake digital photo with Santa. The Nutcracker Tea supports LAB's Outreach and Education Programs.
A Chance to Dance (ACTD) LAB opens its doors to all ages and skill levels in the Los Angeles community each month for a day of free ballet classes, alternative dance/fitness classes, and lectures and demonstrations. After a successful 5-week summer residency at McKinley School in Compton, A Chance to Dance is set to continue its partnership with McKinley through 6-week residencies in September/October 2024 and February/March 2025. These residencies serve students ranging from K-5th grades.
Power of Performance (POP!) provides free access to LAB performances each season to community organizations throughout Los Angeles County such as Hope Street Family Center (Dignity Health), Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Los Angeles, WISE and Healthy Aging, Lula Washington Dance Theatre, and more. To date, POP! has provided over 50 community partners with nearly 200,000 free performance tickets.
Subscriptions and Single Tickets
Season subscribers can renew their subscriptions for the 2024/2025 Season now. Opening Nights, Saturday Nights, Matinee Series, and Choose-2 subscriptions are also available. Subscriptions range in price from $69 to $346. Individual tickets for the 2024/2025 Season, starting at $38, will be available beginning August 27.
Tickets: $38.00 - $131.00
Performances w/Live Orchestra Tickets: $45.00 - $138.00
Discounts are available on standard ticket prices for students, children, seniors, and members of the military.
Box Office Phone: 310-998-7782, Mon-Fri, 12pm-5pm; Website http://www.losangelesballet.org; email tickets@losangelesballet.org
About Los Angeles Ballet
Los Angeles Ballet (LAB) is the leading ballet company in Los Angeles known for staging classical, contemporary, romantic, and neoclassical ballets, for pioneering new works, and for presenting relevant dance pieces by many of today's most innovative dance-makers. LAB's original production of The Nutcracker is an annual holiday favorite for Los Angeles residents and regional, national, and international visitors.
Led by Artistic Director Melissa Barak and Interim Executive Director Julia Rivera, LAB performs in multiple theater venues across LA County including Royce Hall at UCLA, The Wallis in Beverly Hills, Pasadena Civic Auditorium, and Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.
As part of its mission to expand people's knowledge of and nurture a love for ballet, LAB gives access to performances to the widest audiences possible by providing free tickets for thousands of residents in underserved communities in Los Angeles County through its arts education program, Power of Performance (POP!). In 2012, LAB launched a hands-on outreach program called A Chance to Dance (ACTD) providing free ballet and movement instruction for dance lovers of all ages. Los Angeles Ballet was founded in 2004 by Thordal Christensen, Colleen Neary, and Julie Whittaker.
For more information, please visit losangelesballet.org.
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