Dancers

What young musician, dancer or poet doesn't dream of performing on one of the many grand renaissance period stages within the Czech Republic? Auditions at California DanceArts in La Cañada this week will give many young dancers just such an opportunity to study and perform in the city of Ostrava this summer. The school's ballet master, Yehuda Maor, will be an associate director for the Ostrava Ballet Workshop. Director Erin Holt will join him as a member of the teaching faculty and will present new works of choreography to be performed this summer.

We all know what happens when great composers, writers and artists die: Their work lives on. But what about groundbreaking choreographers - say,  Martha Graham , José Limon,  Merce Cunningham ,  Antony Tudor ,  Alvin Ailey , George Balanchine   - those creators whose inspiration floats on a flashing moment, an instant image, a looming structure, perhaps never to be recaptured? A question of survival follows. Because, unlike music (written in scores)

IN THE SPOTLIGHT Exuberant musical scores matched with the most difficult techniques of the ballet are challenging dancers rehearsing for Sunday's performance of the Burbank Media City Ballet. For its second production at The Alex Theatre in Glendale, Artistic Director Natasha Middleton, the daughter of Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo soloist, Andrei Tremaine, is the choreographer for "Rachmaninov Sketches," a three-movement ballet set to the music of Sergei Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 3. Middleton said her piece will show just how fantastic this ballet company is because of the challenges it poses to its dancers, starting with the recording of the piece featuring pianist Andre Watts.

Marguerite Richards, People GLENDALE -- Laura Fremont finds more passion in teaching dance than she did in her career as a professional dancer. She recently was named one of the top 10 dance teachers in the country by Dance Teacher Magazine, alongside famous jazz dance teachers Frank Hatchet and Phil Black. The answer comes quickly when Fremont is asked why she teaches dance. "Teaching has picked me," she said. "I teach because I must." Fremont's own Pacific Studio for Dance in Glendale houses her youth ensemble, In Sync, which will perform its fourth annual dance at Glendale Community College in June 2001.

Anyone entering the Pasadena Convention Center on Saturday might have thought they were at a theatrical school such as The Juilliard School or a dance rehearsal hall. Sounds of tap dancing, classical music and the familiar countdown of ?five?six?seven?eight? echoed from every corner. Inside, dancers of all shapes, sizes and ages hurried from one class to another, all anxious to try something new or to experience a teacher they had heard so much about. This was the first Pasadena Dance Festival, produced and presented by Lineage Dance.

LA CAÑADA ? Auditions are being held this weekend at California DanceArts for intermediate and advanced level classical and contemporary ballet dancers who wish to attend the Ostrava Ballet Workshop this summer. Dancers who make the cut will travel to the Czech Republic and other European cities to study. California DanceArts director, Erin Holt, is holding auditions at the La Cañada studio on Saturday, March 24 at 3:30 p.m. The school's ballet master, Yehuda Maor, is an associate director for the Ostrava workshop.

Joyce Rudolph When selecting dancers for lead roles, Jill Sanzo looks for a strong acting ability during auditions. "We look for a certain childlike quality of enthrallment, wonderment, which sometimes is hard to find with children these days. They grow up too fast," she said. Two young dancers, Alyssa Cuervo of La Canada Flintridge and Arielle Poblador of Los Angeles, displayed that quality, and they share the role of Clara for this year's Ballet of the Foothills production of "The Nutcracker" this weekend at The Alex Theatre.

The California Theatrical Youth Ballet presents William Shakespeare's "Romeo & Juliet," utilizing contemporary rock music from the 1996 movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes. The new ballet features scenes with dramatic changes in time, ranging from the Renaissance to contemporary times and trends. For the past two years, Kamissa Marshall, 15, has delighted audiences in the starring role of Gerda in the California Theatrical Youth Ballet's annual December production of "The Snow Queen" at Glendale Community College.

Jennifer Carrico had not seen much of her parents since December. The Silverado High School 12th-grader moved away from her family in San Francisco to the Las Vegas school that allowed her to do something her previous school did not: dance. Carrico was one of 575 competitors Saturday in the eighth annual United Spirit Assn. regional dance competition at Glendale High School in which 22 schools from across California and Nevada showcased soloists and group performers who vied for a spot in the upcoming national competition in Florida.

Highly pedigreed? You bet. Well-known in the dance world? No question. But Thordal Christensen and Colleen Neary have also passed the acid test: As directors of the Los Angeles Ballet, now in its sixth season, they can take a collective bow for their thoroughly sterling production of “Swan Lake.” Just remember, not any old company can stage this icon of classical ballet. Oh, many with lesser artistic resources try. But to put on a show of so fine a caliber normally takes a bigger-than-big budget, dancer bench-depth, masterly and dedicated coaching.

Christmas had taken a lot of out me. Trying to accommodate to Kaitzer and the girls' schedules, not to mention having to rescue Charlie, was more than I could handle. All I wanted to do on Jan. 2 was watch football. About a month prior, Simone became ecstatic about the promise of going “en pointe” and purchasing her first ballet pointe shoes. Her excitement increased exponentially and reached a crescendo that morning. Simone began dancing at the age of 3 but since joining the Revolution Dance Center in Montrose, dance has become her passion.

We all know what happens when great composers, writers and artists die: Their work lives on. But what about groundbreaking choreographers - say,  Martha Graham , José Limon,  Merce Cunningham ,  Antony Tudor ,  Alvin Ailey , George Balanchine   - those creators whose inspiration floats on a flashing moment, an instant image, a looming structure, perhaps never to be recaptured? A question of survival follows. Because, unlike music (written in scores)

To celebrate its 10th anniversary, the dancers of Karavan Dance Studio are collaborating with the Los Angeles Ballet Theatre, Israel National Ballet, National Ballet of Armenia and Burbank's Creations Dance Theatre in a show featuring nearly 100 dancers. Some are as young as 3 years old, under artistic director Edgar Nikolian, who also started dancing as a child. Nikolian's first dance teacher was his father, Rouben Nikolian, who founded the dance studio. The elder Nikolian fathered two sons, raised them in Yerevan, Armenia, and taught them dance despite initial resistance.

From the ethereal to the visceral, the showcase Celebrate Dance 2011 promises to reflect the full spectrum of dance in California on Saturday at the Alex Theatre in Glendale. Executive producer Jamie Nichols has assembled eight contemporary dance companies whose compelling new works will explore how people communicate with each other. Deborah Rosen’s latest work, “The Space Between, Before and After,” is an example of that. Choreographed to an original score by Tom Moose, the piece is about the cycle of how we all make connections, Rosen said.

"The Nutcracker" is often the usual Christmas classic, but locals know another story: "The Snow Queen. " California Contemporary Ballet will perform Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale of good prevailing over evil Dec. 17 to 19. The story tells of two best friends, Gerta and Kai, and Gerta's path to reach Kai after the Snow Queen places him under an evil spell. "The Snow Queen" features a cast of 60 performers in a mix of classical ballet and contemporary dance. Dancers also take flight through aerial ballet.

Members of the Tongva Nation Dancers shared stories and songs of their culture Sunday at the Stough Canyon Nature Center surrounded by the rustic mountains their ancestors have called home for more than 7,000 years. The Gabrielino/Tongva tribe occupied all of the Los Angeles Basin, from the San Gabriel Mountains to the Santa Susana Pass and north Orange County, said Dana Bleitz, special recreation leader with the city of Burbank who has a master's degree in anthropology with a specialty in archeology.

With belly chains jingling across the waists of gyrating dancers, and vendors selling exotic jewelry, music and clothing from the far corners of the Mideast, belly dance aficionados didn’t have to travel far to indulge in their passions — they found it all in Glendale. “Raqs L.A.” returned for the third year this weekend to the Glendale Civic Auditorium for the two-day celebration and festival of belly dance, modern fusion, Bollywood and more. Raqs, which means “dance” in Arabic, showcased an explosion of culture in the form of Persian cuisine, international belly dance star Mesmera, books on the art of playing finger cymbals and bustiers made out of fine fabrics and copper coins.

Choreographer Deborah Brockus built a light, entertaining afternoon around the query “What makes jazz — jazz?” Sunday at the Brand Library. It was the first of a three-part free series of contemporary dance concerts sponsored by the Associates of the Brand Library. Brockus, a prominent mover and shaker in the Los Angeles dance scene, kept audience members rapt as they waited for her dancers to bend space a bit, her sturdy frame and flame-colored hair cutting a striking presence against the cold gallery space.