South Bay Ballet Premieres The Sleeping Beauty -- One Weekend Only! Saturday, June 5 & Sunday, June 6
South Bay Ballet will close its 30th Anniversary Season with yet another Storybook Ballet premiere -- The Sleeping Beauty! This dazzling interpretation of a timeless classic is a treat for ballet fans and a delightful fantasy for novices! Tickets now on sale!

TORRANCE, CA, April 08, 2010 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Come gather in the fairytale court of the King and Queen to celebrate the birth of the royal Princess Aurora at South Bay Ballet's premiere of The Sleeping Beauty on June 5, 2010 at 2 and 6 pm, and June 6 at 3 pm at the James R. Armstrong Theatre in Torrance. From the story's timeless prologue to evil Carabosse's curse, from fairies galore to the Prince's wakening kiss and imperial wedding celebration, each moment of this Storybook Ballet brings the beloved fairytale to life with grand classical ballet, Tchaikovsky's treasured score, magnificent sets, and exquisite costumes. South Bay Ballet's The Sleeping Beauty promises a happily-ever-after for all ages. Tickets are now on sale through the box office at (310) 781-7171 or by visiting www.southbayballet.org.

"We are thrilled to introduce this classic storybook ballet to the company's repertoire and bring our adaptation to the stage for Southland audiences. Many, many hours have been invested in modifying the traditional by Marius Petipa to accommodate South Bay Ballet's large company of dancers and all levels of their ability," shares Assistant Artistic Director, Candice L. Davis. "Some of the characters are exclusive to our production, but overall we continue with the classical choreography from Petipa's original ballet - including characters from 17th century French author Charles Perrault's famed stories Little Red Riding Hood and Puss in Boots."

Davis notes that paramount to South Bay Ballet's adaption of the original work are the monumental behind-the-scene efforts of Artistic Director Diane Lauridsen and Ballet Mistress Alicia Head. "For the past year, we have collaborated to maintain a great deal of the tradition and choreography while blending in new story adaptations to fit within South Bay Ballet's one hour, twenty minute time allotment of our annual Storybook Ballets," Lauridsen points out. "The end result is a wonderful, collaborative effort in every respect - choreography, music, sets, costuming, and dancing."

"The Sleeping Beauty provides all ballet companies with both their greatest challenge and their greatest opportunity for growth and this is a wonderful way for South Bay Ballet to mark its 30th anniversary season," adds Head. "We have undertaken a major collaboration by pooling all available resources and talents to produce an exciting, child-oriented version of this classic that will be a perfect addition to our Storybook series. This ballet has something for everyone!"

Original costume and set designs for this premiere ballet are the vision of Janice Munson, South Bay Ballet's resident designer. For this production, Munson conceptualized rich, colorful sets paired with magnificent costumes embellished by yards of trim and Swarovski crystals - creating a magical world on a grand scale. "The ultimate goal of our design department is to present costumes that will be enjoyed by both the audience and our hard-working dancers for years to come," says Munson.

Senior Company members, Paul C. Kirk will lead the production in the role of Prince Perrault partnered by Tracy Lynn Jones in the role of Princess Aurora. Regina Park-Suh will dance as the Lilac Fairy, while Evyn Nicole Davis performs in the role of the evil fairy, Carabosse. Pas de deux selections feature Keiji Ino partnering with Gillian Grace George as the Cat and Puss in Boots; Elijah S. Pressman partners Tess Weinberg as the Wolf and Red Riding Hood; and John-Paul Simoens partners Yumi Kanazawa as the Blue Bird and his princess.

INFORMATION & TICKET SALES:
All seats $18 • Group rates available
James R. Armstrong Theatre
Torrance Cultural Arts Center
3330 Civic Center Drive
Torrance, CA 90503
(310) 781-7171
www.southbayballet.org

Press Release Contact Information:

Lisa Silagy
South Bay Ballet
Marketing/Publicity
1261 Sartori
Torrance, CA
US 90501
Voice: 310-755-8999
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