Newest articles on The Sacramento Press tagged as "carinne binda"

Second Annual Tapas and Tutus

2012-05-26T07:35:01Z

The Sacramento Ballet’s second annual Tapas and Tutus fundraiser was a great mix of music , dance and food. It all took place at the Center at Twenty Three Hundred on Wednesday.

Great food, drinks and a terrific atmosphere helped with the fundraising and auctioning event to benefit the Sacramento Ballet.

The organization is coming to the end of its 57th season and continues to entertain, educate and inspire young and old alike. The Sacramento Ballet continues to bring notoriety to the city as they have become a nationally renowned dance company.

The Sacramento community was invited to participate in raising needed funds that bring the wonderful world of dance to various venues and stages in our area.

Tapas and Tutus brought over 150 dance and art enthusiasts to the event sponsored by long time supporter James Hargrove.

Many of the dancers mixed with the audience as they too celebrated the event. Their enthusiasm also helped during the live auction as their spirit brought higher bids on certain items.

Several tables featured tapas from around the world, wine and desserts. Silent auction items also occupied tables in the back.

Live music entertainment was provided by the Brandon Au Quartet. Their jazzy tunes brought several visitors to the dance floor. The drummer for the band was Vanessa Cruz, who also plays with Cave Women.

Auctioneer extraordinaire David Sobon took the stage to offer the evening’s auction items. Each item included their fair market value, and some were marked as “priceless.”

Individuals and businesses provided the items, which included walk-on roles for two adult guests in the party scene of Ron Cunningham’s “The Nutcracker,” donated by Dr. Drosselmeyer and the Stahlbaum family. This item was also the first of several auction items that went to more than one bidder.

Although the bidding began on a quiet note, Sobon’s humor and personality quickly had guests competing in several bidding wars before a win was secured.

A portion of the auction was set aside for “Fund a Need” items. These items allowed the bidder to choose where donations went. These included sponsoring a dancer, sending a class to “The Nutcracker” or “Romeo and Juliet,” providing financial aid for youth classes and several other similar items.

The evening gave guests the opportunity to mingle with the dancers and special guests. It also allowed the company to see how much the community values their work and performances.

Artistic director Ron Cunningham addressed the audience just before the live auction began, saying, “What did you think of those great dancers? Weren’t they awesome?”

Cunningham is the icon of the Sacramento Ballet, and his long tenure has provided many great events during his term as the ballet’s artistic director.

“Next year will be my 25th anniversary as the artistic director of the Sacramento Ballet,” he said. His wife, co-artistic director Carinne Binda, will celebrate her 25th anniversary a year later since he came to Sacramento a year earlier.

Cunningham explained that during his 25th season, there will be much to see.

“The following year will be Carinne’s 25th year, and she says it will be even better that year,” he laughed.

Cunningham announced that “Romeo and Juliet” will be brought to the stage for the first time, and in February they will host a Valentine’s ballet performance of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby.”

Tapas for Tutus helps Sacramento arts and artists showcase their talents in our area and throughout the world. Sacramento Ballet has been an integral part of our community for 57 years and continues to perform with support from the community.

Sacramento Ballet's Balanchine show is "Genius"

2012-04-22T08:36:48Z

The Sacramento Ballet is giving local audiences a rare opportunity to experience some of the work of the greatest choreographer of the 20th century: George Balanchine. "Genius" is the first all-Balanchine program ever performed by the troupe here (although it did present such a program when it was invited to perform in the People's Republic of China in 2007). Excerpts from six dances created between 1941 and 1964 are on the program, which will be presented at 2 p.m. today, 7 p.m. next Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. April 29 at the Ballet Company's Studio at 17th and K streets.

Each program contains the same six dances but the order of performance and the featured dancers changes from show to show. That's a testament to the breadth and depth of talent in this troupe that these dances can be double- and triple-cast. The performances are uniformly outstanding and the program is as informative as it is entertaining. The Ballet's co-artistic director Carinne Binda delivers a concise biography of the choreographer and his career and provides brief introductions to each of the dance pieces.

Each work is a masterpiece and is masterfully performed. I have seen two sets of casts and found surprising strengths in each. The "La Sonnambula Pas de Deux (The Sleepwalker)" has been performed by Alexandra Cunningham and Oliver-Paul Adams and by Isha Lloyd and Richard Porter. Cunningham and Lloyd present contrasting appearances, the former blonde and alluring, the latter dark and mysterious. The men are both strong partners, Adams displaying an enticing romantic innocence and Porter exhibiting a flare for dramatic interaction.Bobbie Briscoe, a former member of the troupe who has spent the last few years dancing in Germany and Canada, returns to perform the only male role in "Concerto Barocco: 2nd Movement," pairing with several lead female dancers. He is a tower of strength in an endlessly complication gordian knot of a dance.

The classic "Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux," with its interesting tie to the "Swan Lake" ballet, has paired the lovely Amanda Peet with both Stefan Calka and Richard Porter, each of whom partnered expertly. Calka has a way of presenting his partner that makes her the center of his -- as well as our -- attention. It's a rare gift, and one that Porter is beginning to express.The uber-American "Stars and Stripes" excerpts, set to the music of John Philip Sousa, features military precision from the women's and men's regiments, plus an excellent "4th campaign" pas de deux (performed by Nicole Haskins and Christopher Nachtrab and Alexandra Cunningham and Richard Smith in the two programs I've reviewed. Again, somewhat different approaches but equally satisfying results.

For reservations and more information, call the box office at (916) 552-5800, ext. 2 or visit www.sacballet.org. Admission may be available at the door. The Balanchine Trust has granted the company permission to present this program of excerpts on the condition that its performances be by donation only. Of course, the larger the donation, the more it helps the company. And whatever the amount, the show will be worth it.

At the Ballet II

2011-05-25T01:41:37Z

Ron Cunningham, Artistic Director for the Sacramento Ballet, welcomed the audience to the Sacramento Ballet studios, thanking the Stewart brothers, Alex and Tim, for putting on the fundraising event. A packed house eagerly awaited the start of the year’s last performance of “At the Ballet II.”

The few audience members in the house that were expecting a ballet performance were quickly made aware that this was going to be a musical extravaganza. The Found Space Theatre Production presented “At the Ballet II: Louder, Faster, Funnier!” to benefit the Sacramento Ballet. Alex and his brother Tim began to formulate a musical somewhat like a Broadway revue.

The result of the Stewart brothers’ venture was last year’s “At the Ballet: A Musical Revue!” The musical caught the eye of Ron Cunningham and Carinne Binda and granted Alex and Tim Stewart the opportunity to create a sequel. The Stewarts created an original script similar to their first show, but this time it was “Louder, Faster, Funnier!”

Alex Stewart is co-director of the show with his older brother Tim. Alex participates in At the Ballet II as a producer, director, choreographer and performer. He is also currently a trainee with the Sacramento Ballet and will return as an apprentice next year.

Tim Stewart currently attends California State University, Sacramento and is majoring in Theater and Deaf Studies. Together with his brother Alex, they run Found Space Theatre Productions. The talented Stewart brothers brought their charm, comedy, song and dance talents to the Sacramento Ballet studios this weekend for several performances. Tim, like his brother, is also director, producer, performer and choreographer of this production.

James Hernandez serves as the Vocal Director and Mark Ferreira is the Music Director. The cast consists of the Stewart brothers, Ruby Brungess, Ryan Blanning, Stephanie Zito, Krystle Jong, Sean Patrick Nill, Taylor Grossman, Olivia Hughes, Urias Davis and Brik Middlekauff. Behind the performers, Mark Ferreira played the piano, Alfonso Portella played drums and Aaron Krimetz accompanied the musical band on the bass.

As the show started, the performers took up seats in front of the band players and the guests were welcomed.

“Thank you for coming to our last performance at the Sacramento Ballet, find us at Facebook, like us at Facebook, or whatever you do on Facebook and be sure to keep your eyes open for our next performance.”

As soon as that was said, the full cast started off with “Another Openin’/Comedy Tonight,” setting the stage of what was to come.

Reminiscent of a Broadway musical, the cast showed off their singing talents, from the opening song to Krystle Jong’s solo of “The Alto’s Lament.” The range of their voices showed significant rehearsals and obvious prior involvement in musicals. It also showcased the casting talents of the show’s producers.

“Mama Says” included half the cast and was followed by two solos, Taylor Grossman performing “100 Easy Ways to Lose a Man” and Stephanie Zito singing “Taylor the Latte Boy.” These performances continued to showcase the talents of the writers, as comedy had become a large part of the performances.

Audience laughter became more prevalent as the evening’s performance continued, delighting and entertaining audience members young and old. The talent of the cast as a whole brought dance, song, comedy and acting together for a delightful evening of entertainment. After “One Night Only,” Act I came to a close.

Tim Stewart came out during intermission to sell raffle tickets. As tickets were being sold, audience members purchased more tickets that supported the Sacramento Ballet. Tim made one last call and then a little girl came up to select the winning ticket. (I did not win).

Act II brought Taylor Grossman and Olivia Hughes singing the duet “Secondary Characters,” followed by the full cast performing “December 1963 (Oh What a Night!),” once again showcasing the dynamic diversity of cast members as they danced and sang.

As the evening progressed, it was clear that the time spent in rehearsals paid off as the cast performed each song with gusto to the enjoyment of the audience. The young cast members put forth graceful performances from beginning to end. Their songs covered a full gamut of stories, from friendship to jealousy, love and romance to deliveries and pizza.

Players in this performance seemed to have had as much fun performing as the audience had while enjoying the show. Their hard work was apparent as they put on a flawless and fabulous show. This was a wonderful fundraiser full of amazing performances from a cast of very talented and likeable individuals.

Alex and Tim put together a very talented cast for “At the Ballet II” performances. The show lived up to its billing and indeed was louder, faster and funnier.

Sac Ballet's 'Nutcracker' a sweet treat in annual Community Center Theater production

2010-12-13T04:27:07Z

Photographs by Barry Wisdom

Whether you’re continuing a lifelong Christmastime tradition or you’re a new “Black Swan” fan who’s come late to the ballet-appreciation party, there is something for everyone in Sacramento Ballet’s alternatingly funny and passionate, but always mesmerizing and magical “The Nutcracker,” which opened Friday evening at the Sacramento Community Center Theater.

Blessed with live accompaniment of Tchaikovsky’s familiar score by the spectacular Sacramento Philharmonic Orchestra, there is much that can be considered divine about this delicious holiday chestnut.

In addition to philharmonic director Henrik Jul Hansen’s sure baton, reasons to leap for joy include Sacramento Ballet Artistic Director Ron Cunningham’s diverse choreography, which serves not only a wide range of audience tastes, but a large cast that includes both veteran dancers from around the world and young apprentices, trainees and even younger children making their onstage debuts.

Cunningham and Carinne Binda are credited with the entertaining staging of this 23rd annual edition of Cunningham’s take on the 118-year-old Russian two-act ballet based on E.T.A. Hoffmann’s “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King.”

While the original production was far from a success, perhaps if the Sacramento Ballet’s artistic and technical team (including scenic designer Alain Vaes, costume desinger Theresa Kimbrough and lighting designer Steve Odehnal) were at the helm, it wouldn’t have taken almost a half-century for it to achieve chestnut status on the Christmas arts-and-culture landscape.

“Oohs” and “ahhs” were heard throughout Friday evening’s opening – and not just from the many children in the audience dressed in their red, green and gold-velvet holiday finery.

“Is that a hologram?” whispered a neighbor in the orchestra section, who was delighted with the “magic” achieved through the use of a scrim, which was effectively used throughout the production.

But, for as many delights as the tech staff provides, the real magic in this mounting, which is not achieved through computer consoles and special effects, but from old-fashioned blood, sweat and tears generated during hours of repetitious training and rehearsal on the part of the accomplished cast.

Featuring Oliver-Paul Adams, Stefan Calka, Ava Chatterson, Roberto Cisneros, Alexandra Cunningham, Roy Gan, Chloe Horne, Isha Lloyd, Brik Middlekauff, Sunchai Muy, Christopher B. Nachtrab, Amanda Peet, Richard Porter, Richard Smith, Rex Wheeler, John Whisler, Lynlee Towne, Notaln T’Sani, Annali Rose Clevenger, R. Colby Damon and Cunningham, the cast dance a variety of roles.

For the uninitiated, the story of “The Nutcracker” is charming fantasy set in 19th century Germany, in which the Stahlbaum family’s holiday party is enlivened by the arrival of Dr. Drosselmeyer (played Friday by Cunningham), a toymaker who brings a variety of life-sized, wind-up toys with him, as well as gifts for the family’s children, Clara (the absolutely darling and very poised Claire Westerman) and Fritz (Elijah Vasquez).

Jealous and mean, Fritz breaks his sister’s gift – a nutcracker – which leaves her inconsolable until the eccentric Herr Drosselmeyer repairs the toy.

But late in the night, after the guests are gone and all is quiet, Clara retrieves her toy and falls asleep with it in her arms.

Then the fun begins: with Clara “shrinking” to toy-size (with the help of some snazzy scenic effects that give the illusion that her family’s Christmas tree is “growing”), before beginning her fantastic journey that starts with being menaced by the Mouse King, who’s eventually bested by the Nutcracker and his army of toy soldiers.

More magic ensues when the Nutcracker transforms into a handsome prince (Roberto Cisneros), who takes Clara on a journey to the Snowflake Forest, where he introduces her to the Snow Queen and Snow King (Alexandra Cunningham and Christopher Nachtrab).

Cunningham and Nachtrab’s pas de deux is the first of several showcased in the ballet, but perhaps the most beautiful thanks to the softly falling blizzard of shimmering snowflakes that may well cause a myriad of performance issues for the dancers, but which provide a beautiful setting for those safely seated in the audience.

Act Two opens in the Kingdom of Sweets, where the Nutcracker Prince has taken Clara to meet the Sugar Plum Fairy (Amanda Peet) and her “cavalier” (Stefan Calka) via a ride in a beautiful balloon (another “ooh”-evoking moment).

After relating the story of their battle with the Mouse King, Clara and the Nutcracker Prince are treated to a celebration of dances from around the world, including Spain, Arabia, China and Russia, as well as a series of sweet novelty numbers.

Always an audience favorite, this series of dances is great fun for the kids and laymen in the audience who can appreciate the fun and athleticism even if they’re unschooled in the technical aspects. Big applause-getters were Colby Damon, who leaps up a storm as the Russian principle, and Tim Stewart as Mother Ginger, whose gigantic hoop skirt conceals a cadre of young dancers.

Concluding a very satisfying second act is the “Waltz of the Flowers” (featuring Chloe Horne) and Peet and Calka in the “Grand Pas de Deux.”

Cunningham and Binda’s “The Nutcracker” is almost like a variety show – with stuff for the kids and teens, as well as the longtime ballet-goer – all wrapped up in Christmas wrapping that makes it the perfect holiday treat.

_______________________

WHAT: Sacramento Ballet presents “Ron Cunningham’s The Nutcracker”
WHEN: Dec. 10-23, 2010
WHERE: Sacramento Community Center Theater, 1400 J St.
WHO: Music by Peter Iliych Tchaikovsky; choreography by Ron Cunningham (after Marius Petipa); staged by Carinne Binda and Ron Cunningham; accompanied by the Sacramento Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Henrik Jul Hansen
HOW MUCH: $15-$68
FOR INFO: (916) 552-5800 ext. 2 (ballet box office) or (916) 808-5181 (Community Center Theater box office); www.sacballet.org

500 "Nutcrackers" and still unique

2009-12-13T03:16:00Z

Christmas is back and so is another season of "The Nutcracker".

Sacramento Ballet co-art directors, Ron Cunningham and Carinne Binda outdid themselves during the opening performance.

In celebration of Cunningham’s 500th "Nutcracker" showing, there were guest performances from Cunningham himself as well as Melissa Sandvig from “So You Think You Can Dance” and former company dancer Nina Baratova, who shared the sugar plum fairly role with company dancer Amanda Peet.

But where was the finest sugar plum fairy of them all?

Kirsten Bloom, prima ballerina, was sitting in Row J watching the performance in a lovely red dress with her long-time boyfriend.

Bloom is expected her first child and is on maternity leave, but said she will be returning next season.

Even though she wasn’t able to celebrate the special event on stage, she was there cheering everyone on.

Bloom got visibly emotional throughout the performance and would burst into clapping or tears. “I do miss it, but I also feel really, really excited,” she said about her transition from dancing to her preparation for motherhood.

And how did she rate the three sugar plum fairies?

“I’m proud, so proud of them,” Bloom said. She said everything was spectacular and had nothing but praise for the performance.

The role of the sugar plum fairy was split among three ballerinas, and at first that seemed a bit bizarre and difficult to coordinate, but the three ladies did an excellent job.

All three pairs of fairies and princes had their own dancing style and chemistry. The different detailing in their costumes also added a touch of spice to the show.

The audience certainly enjoyed the added spontaneity.

“It’s good to add some creativity since it’s such an old piece,” audience member Michelle Early said. “I really appreciated seeing the three dancers."

The dancers appeared in separate scenes throughout the performance but collaborated on a lovely piece during the last scene.

The Sacramento Ballet also did an excellent job creating a warm environment. Clara, the main child role played by Allison Lian, was in the lobby signing autographs during intermission. Company dancers also answered audience questions in the lobby after the show, a great touch by Cunningham.

And let's not forget about the children. Five hundred children to mentor and rehearse seemed like a challenging, almost impossible task to accomplish, but the children were adorable and had great discipline throughout the show.

Doris Reese, whose two daughters were in the opener, said the Sacramento Ballet did a great job working with all the children.

"The stage, backstage, the makeup, getting the children into costumes, the excitement, the anticipations from everyone backstage, it's just amazing seeing them through the process," she said. "Everything looks so organized and it is organized."

Overall the performance was a memorable one and one you should not miss.

"The Nutcracker" will run through Dec. 23 at the Community Center Theater. Prices vary from $15 to $75.

For more information, visit sacballet.org.

Sacramento Ballet's Unstoppable 55th Season

2009-10-26T03:34:51Z

The Sacramento Ballet opened its 55th season with the First Annual Capital Choreography Competition at the Crest Theatre Oct. 17 and 24.

Both days consisted of three dances choreographed by Viktor Kabaniaev, Amy Seiwert and Matthew Neenan, who competed for a cash prize as well as a Tiffany & Co. star.

Neenan’s dance, The Ration, took the judges award, while Seiwert’s On Frail Wings won the peoples choice award during both showings.

Pepper Von, international fitness instructor and choreographer and a judge for the Oct. 24 performance, said Neenan and Seiwert used the theater beautifully.

“The two who exhibited (the use of space) best, in my perspective, were Amy and Matthew,” Von said. “I don’t do safe, you don’t grow and you don’t blaze trails if you stay in a safe box, and those guys came out of the box. They took risks, they took a chance, they challenged the dancers.”

And challenging the dancers as well as the audience is what the Sacramento Ballet is known for.

Founded in 1954 by Barbara and Deane Crockett, the company started as a regional school. It later became a professional company, but still offered classes for ages 6 to 18. Twenty-four classes per week are taught now.

Ron Cunningham joined the company in 1988 and his wife, Carinne Binda, joined the following year, according to the Sacramento Ballet Web site. They became co- artistic directors of the company in 1991.

Cunningham and Binda had been dancers at the Boston Ballet Company for 15 years, and Cunningham became the resident choreographer. But they were ready for the next step.

“At a certain point, when we had our first child, we decided we wanted our own company,” Cunningham said. “We thought that beginning with a fresh start from the ground up was an opportunity to build a company and an institution with our vision.”

Cunningham and Binda did just that. The Sacramento Ballet is known for its diverse repertoire and talented dancers.

The Sacramento Ballet has 16 dancers this season, some from around the world, such as Australian Richard Porter, who's been with the company for two seasons.

“I decided to come (to Sacramento), and this company here has a great repertoire,” Porter said. “Here, you get to dance a whole lot more, everyone here gets a good shot of showing their ability, which you train so many years to do and in a larger company often you can get stuck in the back for a long time.”

The diversity of the programs attracts not only dancers, but audience members as well.

Karen Finerman, a subscriber, said the diversity keeps her coming back.

“They do a traditional ballet, the whole tutu, they’ll do story ballet, they’ll do the children’s ballet,” Finerman said. “They always select such great programs year after year.”

Finerman, who has been a ballet subscriber for eight years, said she plans to continue for years to come because of the repertoire.

Diversity is what the company strives for, Cunningham said, since it competes with companies whose budgets are larger.

“We are always trying to look and do innovative things, where our dancers work directly in the creative process,” Cunningham said. “We have 18 of George Balanchine’s ballets in our repertory and we do a lot of my repertory, which is unique to me and that give the company kind of a unique signature.”

Cunningham said the Sacramento ballet does six to eight new works a season.

Many of the dancers also create 5- to 10-minute pieces that, when combined with one another dancer's, could become a whole performance.

Audience member Geoffery Kimbrough said the Sacramento ballet has a lot of cohesiveness.

“Sacramento Ballet is a much better company than Sacramento deserves,” Kimbrough said. “It’s a top notch company. The local audience has no idea what they’ve got.”