EN POINTE
Children’s Ballet of San Antonio raises the barre with first live show in a year
After a yearlong hiatus that really kept them on their toes, the dancers from Children’s Ballet of San Antonio will finally return to the stage with three live performances of Swan Lake at the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts later this month.
Featuring nationally and internationally acclaimed dancers ranging in age from 3 to 21, CBSA’s Swan Lake will also include a special guest, Hungarian-born principal dancer Mate Szentes, who will accompany the young dancers as Prince Siegfried.
The CBSA’s full-length production of Tchaikovsky’s adored love story of Prince Siegfried and swan princess Odette will see the organization’s young performers bedecked in enchanting costumes that were custom made in Moscow. And the CBSA dancers will perform Swan Lake using choreography based on the revival of the production first staged in 1895 for the Imperial Ballet in St. Petersburg, Russia.
The performances, which include more than 140 classical dancers, gifted special-needs artists, and just plain adorably talented youngsters, will also highlight some multimedia scenery elements, breathing a bit of modern life into the classic ballet.
“‘Swan Lake’ is the most celebrated ballet in the world and one of the most challenging and beautiful to perform,” says Vanessa Bessler the award-winning artistic director and founder of CBSA. “Many of our dancers have received scholarships and acceptance to attend the best academies in the world and gained international acclaim from the most elite competitions in ballet since they last performed ‘Swan Lake’ several years ago. We can’t wait to return to the theater and celebrate Tchaikovsky’s largest and most acclaimed masterpiece. They are ready and excited to take to the stage once again.”
A professional-level ballet company, CBSA is a jumping off point for many dancers who continue their education (often through dance scholarships) at some of the most prestigious ballet academies in the world and compete in ballet competitions throughout the country.
CBSA performances of Swan Lake will take place Friday, May 21 at 7 pm and Saturday, May 22 at 2 pm and again at 7 pm. Tickets are available at through the Tobin Center box office.