Musings on ballet, classical music, the violin, and life
Thirty years of success as a ballet company is most decidedly something to celebrate, and this coming weekend (March 22-23) Diablo Ballet will mark this landmark anniversary with a “Stars & Stripes Jubilee” program. Lauren Jonas, the company’s longtime artistic director and cofounder, reflected that it has taken all of those thirty years to arrive … Read more
Diablo Ballet closes out its 2022-23 season this weekend, May 26 and 27, with a winner: a brand-new, charming comedy, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Choreographed by Julia Adam, it features Mendelssohn’s iconic music, and costumes designed and constructed by Christopher Dunn, with assistance from Amanda Farris. It’s a world premiere that, Diablo Ballet promises, “will … Read more
Amid the dreariness of an ongoing pandemic, Diablo Ballet shines in the second program of their 27th season, featuring Balanchine’s Who Cares?, Penny Saunders’ Berceuse, the world premiere of Two One Self, co-choreographed by Derion Loman and Michael Wells, and the Act III Wedding Scene from The Sleeping Beauty. The virtual performance, filmed in Diablo … Read more
Diablo Ballet has done it again, and the company has never looked better. Wait. Didn’t I say that last year? But it’s true—last Thursday’s anniversary gala performance seemed to be presenting Diablo Ballet at its strongest, its most versatile. The roster currently features ten dancers; in past years it’s been nine, and the addition of … Read more
It was an evening of celebration and great dance as Diablo Ballet fêted its 23rd anniversary Thursday night at Walnut Creek’s Lesher Center for the Arts. Adhering to Artistic Director Lauren Jonas’ mission to offer diverse and relevant works that inspire and engage, the company presented Sally Streets’ 1994 Three to Tango, excerpts from Petipa’s … Read more