14 local dancers join a cast of 91 student and pre-professional dancers with 12 acclaimed guest artists from around the world to celebrate the legacy institutions 50th anniversary
By Sophie Topper
Westside Ballet will present their “Masters of Movement” program this May 17th and 18th. Fourteen talented Brentwood ballerinas have been hard at work to present an array of pieces, as well as dance in the Gala on May 18th that will honor legendary American Ballerina Patricia Neary.
Dancers Ella Abramson, Mavis Meredith, Archer Anderson, and Sorcha Cinadr are all students at Paul Revere Middle School. This will be Sorcha’s first Spring Show with Westside Ballet but she is no stranger to the stage having already performed in professional productions with Los Angeles Ballet. To seventh grader Sorcha, “There’s nothing like the feeling of expressing myself through dancing. The discipline of daily practice has given me confidence that I can achieve anything that I put my mind to.” One piece Sorcha will be dancing in is Classical Symphony choreographed by Westside Founder Yvonne Mounsey. This is a signature piece for Mounsey and Westside. Classical Symphony requires speed, precision, and musicality from the dancers. The piece has been performed through many generations of Westide Ballerinas, including much of the current faculty.
Sisters Eema and Shanghai Kaye will both be featured in Mounsey’s Classical Symphony. Additionally, the sisters have a large body of repertoire to perform in the show. They will also be dancing in Murmuration, a contemporary collaboration with Santa Monica College, Fairies from The Sleeping Beauty, the George Balanchine masterpiece Concerto Barocco, and a lively Jazz ensemble that will span through decades of dance. Eema says about her experience with Ballet and Westside that, “Ballet brings me immense joy through its physical, artistic, and disciplined aspects, shaping my life positively by fostering resilience, time management skills, and overall health improvement. I cherish being able to dance alongside my best friends every day, as I also get to learn so much from my teachers who are like second parents to me.”
Several other Brentwood resident and student dancers in the production are: Violette Marie Rice (14) who dances the Lilac Fairy Attendants from The Sleeping Beauty as well as Jazz; ninth grader Lyla Brugger will perform in Concerto Barocco, Classical Symphony, Murmuration, and Jazz; two eighth grade students Archer Anderson and Angelina Di Bari will perform Mounsey’s Classical Symphony and Jazz; Eccosaises (choreographed to Beethoven’s solo piano pieces performed live) will be danced by Archer School’s seventh grade students Maya Kurc and Zoya Abyzov, both dancers will also perform Jazz; two other sixth grade students Ella Abramson and Mavis Meredith—both of who attend Paul Revere Charter Middle School—will dance Fête de Carnivale and the Jazz piece; Brentwood resident Chloe Besson (9) will dance Valse Bleu, along with Brentwood School’s fourth grader Noa Kim, and Archer School for Girls sixth grader Camille Takessian.
This is a show not to be missed, honoring both the students’ diligent work and Westide’s 50 years of productions. The Saturday night Gala will feature performances from world renowned stars including principal dancers from American Ballet Theatre, Isabella Boylston and James Whiteside, professional alumni such as Joy Womack, and several trainees and company dancers from the Los Angeles Ballet. Patricia Neary will be honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Gala. She has had a tremendous impact on the students of Westside as well as American ballet as a whole, originating works with George Balanchine at New York City Ballet.
More Info & Tickets: westsideballet.com/spring-performance
