Los Angeles Ballet commissions new piece from Jennifer Backhaus

August 21st, 2007, 6:00 pm · 1 Comment · posted by Laura Bleiberg

Los Angeles Ballet just announced its 2007-2008 season and two performances at the Irvine Barclay Theatre, May 17-18, 2008, caught my eye. It will be Los Angeles Ballet’s first performances there. (Los Angeles Ballet artistic directors Colleen Neary and Thordal Christensen had been hoping the company could perform its “Nutcracker” at the Barclay, too, but that coveted slot went to Salwa Rizkalla’s Festival Ballet Theatre. More on that later…)

Jennifer Backhaus, artistic director of Backhausdance, based in Orange, will make a new ballet premiering on the May 17-18 programs. George Balanchine’s “Allegro Brilliante,” a new piece by Jacques Heim, artistic director of Diavolo, and excerpts from August Bournonville’s “Napoli” are also scheduled for those shows. (It’s early on, though, and this program might change.)

Los Angeles Ballet dancer and choreographer Melissa Barak will also make a new piece for her troupe. Barak participated in the National Choreographers Initiative in Irvine this summer; perhaps she’ll start with the material she made at NCI.

More on the full LA Ballet schedule tomorrow.

Reader comments: We want this to be a place where people discuss and debate ideas that foster stronger communities. We expect people to differ -- judgment and opinion are subjective -- and we encourage free speech and the exchange of ideas. But you are participating in a community that is intended for all of our users and we prohibit profanity, vulgarity, racial, sexual and homophobic remarks, threats, harassment and personal attacks. Here's the full User Agreement. Thank you for making this a safe place worth preserving and sharing. Share this: The icons below make it easy to share this post with others. First icon e-mails a link.