Ballet

Dancers from the Media City Ballet Company and guest artists will take the stage Saturday at the Alex Theatre for a night of ballet with a Spanish twist, complete with bold costumes, scorching choreography and dramatic music. The program for the “Noche de Sabor” (“Night of Flavor”) performance will include a smorgasbord of ballet, flamenco, salsa and tango sets arranged to music from the likes of Astor Piazzolla, the master of tango, to ballet composer Ludwig Minkus.

WEST BURBANK — Grandmother-of-two Penny Akwei always loved dancing, but hadn't done any since she left college 30 years ago. Now she is re-discovering her passion thanks to a new class called "Ballet for Real People." Instructor Heather Lea Gerdes has danced professionally since the age of 10. She's appeared in two Broadway shows, two productions in London's West End, and was even featured in the movie "Dirty Dancing." Although Gerdes still dances professionally sometimes, she now has an office job as the script department supervisor for a production company.

Face painting, cookie decorating and seasonal songs and dance are part of Media City Ballet's Clara's Holiday Tea Party to be from 1 to 4 p.m. Nov. 13 at Pickwick Gardens, 1001 Riverside Drive, Burbank. The event is being held in anticipation of the ballet company's annual performance of "The Nutcracker" in December at the Alex Theatre in Glendale, said Natasha Middleton-Kettebekov, artistic director. Party attendees are encouraged to dress up for high tea and will have a chance to win Clara's crown or a Nutcracker doll.

Irma Lemus NORTHWEST DISTRICT -- Some of her youngest students may not be able to pronounce her name, but they do know dance terms such as "high-fifth" and "passe," Burbank School of the Ballet owner Lisa Sutton said. Originally from Maryland, "Miss Lisa," as she is known by her students, teaches ballet and jazz at her Burbank Boulevard studio to about 72 students. Her students range from 3 to well into their 40s, she said. "I got some of my younger students practically out of the womb.

Joyce Rudolph, Weekend MEDIA DISTRICT NORTH -- A monthly dance series is planned and community appearances have started as the Media City Ballet Company builds toward its first performance in winter 2002. Natasha Middleton, company founder and artistic director, updated 65 guests on the company's progress at a fund-raising luncheon Sunday at Burbank Airport Hilton. The company kicked off its founding with a recital Sept. 30. A new director has joined the company.

48 HOURS Patrick Shea, a national gymnast titlist, is using his tumbling skills as a mischievous imp in the original ballet "The Snow Queen: Ballet Redefined," today and Sunday at Glendale Community College auditorium. Shea won all-around first place champion last year in the Region 1 Gymnastics Championships sponsored by USA Gymnastics in Hawaii. The region covers California, Nevada, Arizona and Hawaii. He has been taking gymnastics since he was 5, and continues to build his skills at Team Le Club in Chatsworth.

?Symbols and Scenes Along the Way,? an exhibition of works by ceramist Ellen Rundle, continues at the Creative Arts Center Gallery, 1100 W. Clark Ave., Burbank. The show closes June 26. Her work merges the influences of rustic, modern and new age imagery. For more information, call (818) 238-5397. ? Dance recital by students of The Burbank School of the Ballet and the Burbank Youth Ballet Company from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Glendale Community College, 1500 N Verdugo Road, Glendale.

The Alexander/Rave Gallery, managed by co-presidents, Cheryl Rave, of Burbank, and McKenzie Alexander , has opened on the second floor at 12202 Ventura Blvd., Studio City. The fine art gallery specializes in the exhibition and sale of contemporary fine art by established and emerging artists including oils, paintings, glass sculpture and mixed media. The owners plan to have monthly jazz nights, industry networking evenings and Sunday salons for serious discussions of art and trends.

Send DATEBOOK items to Burbank Leader, 221 N. Brand Blvd., 2nd Floor, Glendale, CA 91203 or fax to (818) 241-1975. Submissions must be received two weeks before publication. ? Glendale Centre Theatre presents ?Singin? in the Rain? at 8 p.m. today at the theater, 324 N. Orange St., Glendale. Performances are 8 p.m. Wednesdays through Fridays, 3 and 8 p.m. Saturdays and some Sundays through July 12. Tickets range from $22.50 to $25.50 with discounts for seniors. For reservations, call (818)

Paul Clinton BURBANK VILLAGE -- Natasha Middleton has high hopes for the new dance school she opened in Burbank. By relocating her ballet, jazz and tap dance school from North Hollywood to Gangi Development Co.'s Media Village, Middleton said she's bringing Burbank a taste of the arts. "This area is getting some class," Middleton said Thursday, as she stood in her new 3,000-square-foot studio. "Some culture." Opened Wednesday, Middleton's school joins a $20-million project that includes a Brazilian steak house, crepeorie, sports bar/nightclub/restaurant and other retail stores.

Students of the Red Chair School of Performing Arts have been accepted to summer intensive ballet programs across the United States and for the first time, one Red Chair student is going to Russia. Those accepted are Elizabeth Briggs, Ryan Sinton, Emily Anasti, Rose Filichia, Lena Harris, Rebecca Levin, Haley Briggs, Layton Briggs, Emma Casali, Josie Nivar, Leah Perez, Brooke Sinton, Penny Yokas and Molly-Jo Terry. Elizabeth “Lizzy” Briggs, a junior at Burbank High School, was also selected.

Natasha Middleton's ballet studio and company are evolving in their second decade, but she said she stays true to her main philosophy - perpetuating the tradition of the Ballet Russe while training young dancers for the professional spotlight. Middleton is a third-generation ballet dancer. Her grandmother Elena Wortova danced with the Ballet Russe, a premier dance company that began in Paris in 1909, and her father Andrei Tremaine performed with the off-shoot company the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo.

During a holiday season that is being tempered by grim economic concerns, Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale, "The Little Match Girl," touched the heart of Burbank choreographer Natasha Middleton. As the artistic director of Media City Ballet, Middleton decided not to produce "The Nutcracker" and began choreographing a new ballet based on "The Little Match Girl" and the musical "Scraps" for the Media City Youth Ballet. The show will be performed at 4 and 7 p.m. Dec. 18 at the Colony Theatre.

Natalie Krakirian is pirouetting her way toward her goal of becoming a professional ballet dancer. This summer, the 16-year-old Burbank resident attended the Houston Ballet Academy Summer Intensive and the Gelsey Kirkland Summer Intensive in New York City. She will begin at the Houston Ballet II in the fall. This is what she lives for, said her mother, Nina Krakirian. "She enjoys every minute of it," Krakirian said. "She signed a contract with Houston Ballet II a month ago. It's not the professional company, but she will be able to perform throughout the area and will be in the Houston Ballet's performances.

WEST BURBANK — Grandmother-of-two Penny Akwei always loved dancing, but hadn't done any since she left college 30 years ago. Now she is re-discovering her passion thanks to a new class called "Ballet for Real People." Instructor Heather Lea Gerdes has danced professionally since the age of 10. She's appeared in two Broadway shows, two productions in London's West End, and was even featured in the movie "Dirty Dancing." Although Gerdes still dances professionally sometimes, she now has an office job as the script department supervisor for a production company.

The Burbank School of the Ballet had a grand-opening celebration in its new digs Sunday, and the adorable factor was off the charts. Pink and black balloons, echoing the hues of the tiny dancers’ leotards and tights, floated above parents nervously chasing daughters with bobby pins and lithe young women stretching their legs beyond places God meant legs to go. In its 13th year of operation, the school has just moved from cramped quarters...

A company known for its annual ?Nutcracker? performance is breaking tradition and dancing only excerpts from the holiday ballet while not straying far from the story. Media City Ballet of Los Angeles will integrate five companies that feature different ethnic styles of dance into the show ?A World of Holiday Dance? on Tuesday night at the Alex Theatre. The theme mirrors Clara?s visit to the Land of the Sweets in the holiday tale, said Artistic Director Natasha Middleton. ?

Producers forecast a frosting of renewed energy in dance and music for California Contemporary Ballet?s 12th annual performance of ?The Snow Queen? next weekend. Based on the classic by Hans Christian Andersen, the story is about a little girl named Gerda who saves her friend Kai from an evil spell. Emma Mesrobian of Glendale returns this year to dance the role of the Gypsy Woman, and she infuses the character with a lot of passion, said Erin Holt, artistic director of the professional nonprofit company.

Media City Youth Ballet has a spooky treat planned for children this Halloween season. Director Natasha Middleton has taken the short story, “The Cat and the Witch” by Elizabeth C. Stephens and combined it with the music of 20th century Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich. There will be a different cast of young dancers, ages 9 to 17, at each performance — 3, 4:15 and 5:30 p.m. Oct. 24, in the Theatre Arts Courtyard just outside of the Media Dance Centre.