State Street Ballet performs Gala Performance April 30, Lobero Theatre

Celebrating a Quarter Century of Dance

 

State Street Ballet’s mixed-rep program honors local philanthropists.

 

A Gala Performance brings some of State Street Ballet’s most iconic repertoire to the Lobero stage in tribute to the patrons whose philanthropy has been key to supporting the company for 27 years. Five visionary works, ranging from classical to cutting-edge contemporary, are featured on the April 30 one-night-only program honoring Sara Miller McCune, Carrie Towbes, Margo Cohen-Feinberg, and Tim Mikel, and the legacies of Léni Fé Bland and Michael Towbes.    

The evening’s festivities begin at 7:00 pm with a toast on the Lobero esplanade, followed by the performance at 7:30 pm. Repertoire includes Appalachian Spring, with choreography by William Soleau, set to Aaron Copland’s iconic score; the balcony pas de deux from Romeo and Juliet, with choreography by Rodney Gustafson; “Bubbles,” set to the “champagne music” popularized by Lawrence Welk, with choreography by Laurie Eisenhower; the Don Quixote pas de deux, after Marius Petipa and Alexander Gorsky;  and “(con)version,” choreography by Kassandra Taylor Newberry, and music by Thomas Newman and the Junkman.

As State Street Ballet’s 27th season comes to a close, founder and Executive Artistic Director Rodney Gustafson looks back on more than a quarter-century tenure with the company, producing professional dance performed in Santa Barbara, throughout the United States, and abroad. He sums it up in a tribute to those who have supported that success:

“My vision was to create an organization with a focus on inclusion, diversity, sustainability, and artistic excellence. Our underlying concept is ‘enhance through dance,’ and we’ve followed it to create not only our own productions, but our partnerships with other arts organizations, as well as arts-in-education initiatives that bring the magic of dance to thousands of students locally and on tour.” 

 

A Gala Performance will be performed at the Lobero Theatre on Saturday, April 30, at 7:30 pm. Tickets are available at lobero.org or the Lobero box office, 805.963.0761.

 

ABOUT THE COMPANY

State Street Ballet, now in its 27th year, is an internationally acclaimed dance company based in Santa Barbara, California, under the artistic direction of Rodney Gustafson and William Soleau. A pioneering collaborative that supports international ensemble members, the company consistently strives for new and innovative artistic opportunities to serve a broad audience. Each season is dedicated to bringing the highest standards of artistry and originality to tried-and-true classics, and creating innovative works that reflect the contemporary nature of the ensemble. Public performances, educational outreach, community partnerships, and training programs are fundamental to their mission, at home and on tour. V