Instead of looking back, as one might do when celebrating a 25th anniversary, Ron Cunningham of the Sacramento Ballet seems always to look forward. The latest ballet company production is Modern Masters Proteges, in which Cunningham invited three former dancers with the Sacramento Ballet to create new works for it. Jared Nelson, a Yuba City native who, after a stint with the local company, has danced for about a dozen years with the Washington Ballet; Ilana Goldman, who danced several seasons in Sacramento before moving on to the Trey McIntyre Project and then to the University of Washington where she’s soon to graduate with an advanced degree; and Amy Seiwert, who became resident choreogr

Besides giving you the opportunity to sip an adult beverage and sit hardly more than inches from the dancers, the Sacramento Ballet's "Beer & Ballet" lets you see how creative these dancers are at making dance, not just doing it. All the pieces on the program are new works created by members of the troupe, and, for the most part, they show a solid command of dance vocabulary and syntax and a maturity of style. "Beer & Ballet" opens Saturday after a couple of recent private performances, one of which I saw for review. Of the 11 dances, there probably are half a dozen really fine ones. Take, for example, the wonderful duet "Scars Never Seen" created by Nicole Haskins and danced by Ava Ch

Tutus and brews are meeting again for the Beer & Ballet program at the Sacramento Ballet. The yearly program combines an informal look at the intricacy of ballet with the laid-back atmosphere of a quiet lounge. Many of the ballet company’s biggest fans discovered their love of dance through these personal performances. The performance pieces were choreographed by the dancers themselves, and sponsor Ruhstaller will be providing the beer.  The Sacramento Ballet dancers will perform live at the Sacramento Ballet Studios on May 23rd and 24th at 7:00 p.m. There will also be a matinee show on May 26th at 2:00 p.m. Beer and Ballet continues into the first week of June, but ticket availability

The Sacramento Ballet returned to the Mondavi Center at UC Davis on Thursday to star in one of only a handful of "events" in the inaugural season of the Vanderhoef Studio Theatre's Studio Dance Series. The program, "An Evening of Solos, Duets and Trios," will be repeated at 8 tonight (Friday) and Saturday. Co-artistic directors Ron Cunningham and Carinne Binda have assembled a program of 10 dances representative of the company's breadth and depth. They chose four dances choreographed by the brilliant George Balanchine (from among 18 in the company's repertory); one by former company member Nicole Haskins, currently dancing with the Washington Ballet and recently selected for the prestigi

Tequila, tacos, maybe some more tequila—these are but some of the tasty aspects of the quickly-approaching Cinco de Mayo. If you're lucky enough to spend this fifth of May in Sacramento, there's also comedy, music, and more to make your Cinco de Mayo celebration a festive one. In addition to the events below, find even more in Sacramento365.com's Holiday Events section. Laugh a lot: Sacramento Cinco de Mayo Festival: Sleep Train Arena; Sun 6pm Enjoy non-stop laughter on stage with the Latin Stars of Comedy, row after row of low rider cars on display, and Latin All-Stars Band playing all your favorite songs non-stop live. Cinco de Mayo Comedy Jam: Punch Line Comedy Club; Sun 7pm Come c

Nonprofit, non-commercial media Access Sacramento, offers paid stipends to young journalists ages 16-21. To raise funds for the stipend program, on April 4, you can sample local, diverse and enteraining talent – 12 acts in all – set to perform at 7 p.m. at the Crest. Click here and judge for yourself.  Funds raised help pay stipends to the two-year media project "Neighborhood News - Youth Correspondent Stipend Program". As social media grows, especially with younger generations, traditional mass electronic and print media continue to struggle with diminished advertising revenues, reporter layoffs, and fewer resources for the coverage of local neighborhood news. New challenges invite new s

The words "spectacle" and "spectacular" come from the same Latin root meaning "unusual, notable, entertaining, striking and sensational." Both terms apply to The Sacramento Ballet's current program, which opened Thursday and continues through Sunday at the Community Center Theater. The program features an unlikely pairing of George Balanchine's "Western Symphony," a celebratory hoe down that fuses American folk dance with classical ballet, and "A Midsummer Night's Dream," Sacramento Ballet co-artistic director Ron Cunningham's take on Shakespeare's comic fantasy. "Dream" is a spectacle, with its shimmering forest backdrop and colorful costumes, not to mention a stageful of children dresse

photographs by Barry Wisdom / For those who were first introduced to author F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby" as a required high school or college reading assignment, it may have seemed to be just another story about unrelatable characters from a bygone era. A copy of CliffsNotes and a Costco-sized bottle of NoDoz will not, however, be required to embrace the Sacramento Ballet's world premiere adaptation of Fitzgerald's passionate prose about gin-soaked gents and gamines imbibing on all the Jazz Age had to offer. The first new work created by Sacramento Ballet Artistic Director Ron Cunningham in five years, "The Great Gatsby" is being paired with George Balanchine's Gershwin-scor

“Who Cares?,” George Balanchine’s lively interpretation of George Gershwin’s 1920s Broadway show tunes, is a perfect accompaniment to the Sacramento Ballet’s world premiere of Ron Cunningham’s “The Great Gatsby.” “Who Cares?” opens the program with some of Balanchine’s classic moves – precision ensemble dancing, elegant extensions and intricate patterning. The ballet company’s talented cast of dancers performs extremely well, bringing energy, humor and artistry to the choreography. Standouts include Christopher Nachtrab’s “Liza,” Amanda Peet’s “Fascinatin’ Rhythm,” Pett and Stefan Calka’s intimate “The Man I Love,” Alexandra Cunningham and Oliver-Paul Adams’ elegant “Embraceable You” and

A fun evening celebrating the 90th anniversary of United Way was a success thanks to the support from United Way's  Emerging Leaders. They successfully created a party theme of The Great Gatsby to benefit United Way California Capital Region. "Emerging Leaders program is for young professionals in the Sacramento region," Kristina Schuett, United Way Sacramento Liaison for the Emerging Leaders program, said. "These members engage in professional and social events, as well as community service and philanthropy." Philanthropy, Networking and Leadership is the foundation upon which Emerging Leaders is built. Young leaders are young or young at heart. "Young leaders are donors, up and comin

The 1920s will come roaring back to life Feb. 7 to Feb. 10 when the Sacramento Ballet presents the world premiere of Ron Cunningham’s “The Great Gatsby.” Cunningham, the dance company’s co-artistic director (with his wife Carinne Binda),  created  the ballet to commemorate his 25th anniversary with the Sacramento Ballet. “I’ve wanted to do ‘Gatsby’ for a long time,” Cunningham said in a recent interview at the ballet studio. Cunningham’s choreography includes both story and  non-story ballets. He cited “Dracula,” “Hamlet” and “A Streetcar Named Desire” as other story ballets that have been quite successful. “The key is not to make a full-length, evening-long dance,” he said. “Gatsby” will

Local residents can celebrate the roaring 1920s at United Way Emerging Leaders’ 2nd Annual Cocktails & Ballet from 7-9 p.m. on Jan. 31 at the Elks Tower Ballroom in Sacramento. In celebration of United Way California Capital Region’s 90th anniversary of its founding in 1923, guests are encouraged to dress in 1920s-themed attire and will enjoy a costume contest, gourmet hors d’oeuvres, cocktails, photo booth, dancing, networking and more. The Sacramento Ballet will present a dance from its upcoming show, “The Great Gatsby.” The ballet is based on the novel of the same name that was published one year before the local United Way was founded. Cost is $20 and guests must be age 21 or older. F

People get gung-ho about repetitive dates, and so do we here at Sacramento365.com! In that spirit, we decided to get in the groove of 12/12/12 and round-up 12 fun things for you to do in Sacramento today. 1. See choirs from the Lodi Seventh Day Adventist Elementary School (11am) or the US Army Corps of Engineers (Noon) perform holiday tunes for free at the Capitol's annual Holiday Music Program. 2. Do a little shopping at Sacramento Downtown Plaza and then bring your receipt to the Downtown Sacramento Ice Rink for a free skate rental. 3. Learn about the local and regional impact of the arts at Pence Gallery's Art Grown Locally panel discussion. 4. Shop for wine while drinking wine at E

photographs by Barry Wisdom /     The beautiful thing about ballet is that you don't need to know the difference between a pirouette and a pierogi to enjoy and appreciate the aesthetic and athletic artistry involved. Proof of that came through in the mainstream success of 2010's "Black Swan," the Oscar-winning psychological thriller set in the world of professional ballet. But long before that dark film debuted, families that knew little of ballet had been making "The Nutcracker" one of their annual holiday traditions, like heading north to cut down a Chrismas tree, gathering around the kitchen island to bake festively decorated sugar cookies or watching "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reinde

Ron Cunningham’s version of “The Nutcracker” for the Sacramento Ballet is 25 years old this year, but in many ways, it has refused to age -- to grow up, if you will. It still has all the innocence and wonder of a child at Christmastime, and that’s a very good thing. The music. The costumes. The set and scenery. The tree that grows before your very eyes. The snow -- on stage! All that, plus some wondrous choreography that moves trained dancers and hundreds of neophyte children alike in dazzling arrays, are all in service to the story of young Clara and her magical, dreamy adventure with the Nutcracker toy that comes to life. The story is told in two acts, the first of which sets the stage

'Tis the season for holiday celebrations galore. This weekend arrives bearing holiday events of all ilks, from theatre and dance to concerts, kids' activities, local shopping, and more. Check out some of our picks below, and find even more options in Sacramento365.com's Holiday Events section. Celebrate with the whole family: Holiday Magic: Sacramento Zoo; Sat 10am-4pm See your favorite Sacramento Zoo animals receive their special holiday presents. Animals will get special treats delivered to them and staff will be on hand to share facts, secrets, and answer your questions. Christmas Memories: Governor's Mansion State Historic Park; Sat 10am-4pm Surrounded by docents in period costume,

Sacramento Ballet refers to its production of "Romeo & Juliet" as co-artistic director Ron Cunningham's "signature masterpiece and perhaps his greatest artistic achievement." Cunningham himself calls it “the absolute best choreography of my career.” Featuring more than "200 period-inspired costumes, beautiful sets and scenery, pageantry, swordplay, drama, and choreography that draws the viewer into every passionate moment," the three-act production of William Shakespeare's masterwork is "a complete sensory experience." As the company's website state, "No need for words here, as the universal language of dance tells the world’s most famous love story." In performance at the Sacramento

Hundreds of Sacramento Ballet fans lined the streets at the corner of 17th and K streets. Parents brought their children for the Sacramento Ballet’s auditions for “The Nutcracker.” Several tables selling sweets and merchandise to raise funds for the ballet were set up in front of the 17th Street entrance. Parents and other volunteers staffed the tables. The Sacramento Ballet estimated that over 800 kids and their parents would attend the audition that took place from Sept. 5-9. Inside the studio, a lot of activity went on in different rooms. Sacramento Ballet dancers rehearsed for upcoming shows, while other rooms housed the many dancers onsite. Meanwhile, the Sacramento Ballet’s art

Sacramento Ballet apprentice dancer Alex Stewart devised the first "At the Ballet" fundraiser for the local dance company three years ago as his senior project at Natomas Charter School. Last year, he and older brother Tim (another graduate of the Natomas school's performing and fine arts program, who now attends CSUS with a double major in theater and deaf studies) collaborated on a second installment. They're back -- with a vengenance -- this year with "At the Ballet III: Can't Touch This!" which continues at 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays, through June 17. It is one exhilarating rush of a show, swift in pacing and sure in execution. The brothers (Alex is 20, Tim 22)

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 sta