Review: Cinderella

The Santa Barbara Independent Reviews Cinderella



Marina Fliagina, Sergei Domrachev (on the ground), and guest artist Ezlimar Dortolina

State Street Ballet’s Cinderella
Granada Theater, February 21-22, 2009
Reviewed by Melissa Lynn Block

State Street Ballet’s Cinderella, staged at the Granada last weekend, was like the theater itself—a faithful retelling of an old story, but with plenty of colorful surprises.

Guest artist Ezlimar Dortolina held the show’s center as the story’s ever-hopeful, ever-faithful heroine. The stepsisters—danced by John Christopher Piel and Sergei Domrachev—were clothed in hilarious drag, complete with complicated hoop skirts, piled-on makeup, long nails, and squeezed-together cleavage. With his subtle but skillfully timed mincing, ill-conceived flirting, and pouting, Piel provided a nice foil to Domrachev’s broad physical antics and facial expressions.

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Review: Swan Lake

The Santa Barbara Independent reviews Swan Lake:

Mio Kondo, guest artist Yevgeni Anfinogenov, Victoria Luchkina 

(photo David Bazemore)

Swan Lake

Granada Theater, October 12, 2009

Reviewed by Elizabeth Schwyzer

It’s a big year for State Street Ballet: the company is celebrating its 15th anniversary, moving to new studio space, and stepping into its role as one of the resident companies of the newly restored Granada. Last weekend’s production of Swan Lake was SSB’s way of acknowledging a historic moment in its development—a statement of its ability to do justice to the world’s most popular ballet and to the classical tradition that remains at the foundation of its work, and to attract a large audience.

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Review: Carmina Burana

Carmina Burana, photo by David Bazemore

The Santa Barbara Independent reviews Carmina Burana:

An Historic Occasion

Granada Theatre, May 31, 2008

Reviewed by Charles Donelan

Along with a professional orchestra assembled for the occasion and three superb vocal soloists, the Santa Barbara Choral Society and State Street Ballet created a lively, coherent, and wholly satisfying new version of Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana. With the chorus standing on risers behind the dance stage and the orchestra below in the Granada’s amazing adjustable pit, the stage proper became a dream space in between — the perfect location for the unfolding of William Soleau’s world premiere choreography.

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Noozhawk.com's review of Carmina Burana:

Carmina Burana Doubles Its Magic

Granada Theatre, May 31, 2008

Reviewed by Margo Kline

Carmina is a kind of beautiful monster. It is an immense musical work, and Soleau created an equally profound dance vocabulary for it.

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Review: Evenings 2/08

The Santa Barbara Independent reviews our February 29, 2008 Evenings:

One Enchanted Evening

Studios of Gustafdance Dance

Reviewed by Ellen K. O'Connell

The aptly titled Evenings was an informal affair where everyone seemed to know each other, and the sense of community was centered on a creatively versatile group of young dancers who comprise Santa Barbara’s only full-time professional ballet company. The dancers performed their own work in the company’s normal rehearsal space while guests filled up the lobby until there was standing room only.

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Review: Ballroom

Diana Law's Love's Avalon, photo by David Bazemore

The Santa Barbara Independent reviews Ballroom:

Ballroom, presented by State Street Ballet

Lobero Theatre, Saturday February 9, 2008

Reviewed by Elizabeth Schwyzer

Now celebrating its 15th year, State Street Ballet is known for stretching audience expectations of the art form. Its most recent program, a series of shorter works inspired by the swing dance era collectively titled Ballroom, took as its mission melding two very different dance forms: classical ballet and swing dance.

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The Ballroom program consisted of Victoria Simon's Come Dance with Me, Nancy Colahan and Christopher Pilafian's Dream Dancing, Diana Law's Love's Avalon, SSB artistic director Rodney Gustafson's Stravinsky's Tango, and Robert Sund's B.A.N.D.

Review: Nutcracker 2007

Ryan Camou as Drosselmeyer, photo by David Bazemore

The Santa Barbara Independent reviews SSB's Hollywood Nutcracker:

The NutCracker, presented by State Street Ballet

Lobero Theatre, Saturday, December 15

Reviewed by Ellen O'Connell

Playing with tradition is a bold move, and one Rodney Gustafson, artistic director of State Street Ballet, is not afraid to try. Last weekend, the company presented its annual holiday production — a 1930s Hollywood twist on The Nutcracker. There are quite a few versions of the Christmas classic dancing through Santa Barbara this time of year, and it can be hard to keep them all straight, but State Street Ballet’s variation is unmistakable; Gustafson reinterprets the traditional story using gangster rats in zoot suits and Ethel Merman-style synchronized swimmers as snowflakes.

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Review: Carmen at the Lobero Theatre 2

Enton Hoxha and Leila Drake in Carmen, courtesy Noozhawk

Noozhawk reviews Carmen:

State Street Ballet Dances a Hot 'Carmen'

Lobero Theatre, October 19, 2007

Reviewed by Margo Kline

Carmen, that enduring Gypsy seductress, danced to her doom once again on the stage of the Lobero Theatre, as State Street Ballet presented an updated and thrilling version by choreographer William Soleau.

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Review: Carmen at the Lobero Theatre

Leila Drake and Ryan Camou in Carmen (photo: David Bazemore)

The Santa Barbara Independent reviews Carmen:

Carmen, presented by State Street Ballet

Lobero Theatre, October 19, 2007

Reviewed by Elizabeth Schwyzer

Met with favorable reviews at its Hollywood premiere last summer, SSB’s Carmen is by far the company’s most ambitious and most dazzling ballet yet, choreographed by New York’s William Soleau and set to the original Georges Bizet score.

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Review: Carmen at the Ford Amphitheatre

Lewis Segal reviews Carmen for the Los Angeles Times:

'Carmen' moves in new directions

Ford Amphitheatre, August 17

Reviewed by Lewis Segal

[Carmen] offers roles that display and develop artistry and enough choreographic originality to interest dancers and audiences alike. Plus, of course, a classic story that gets deeper with every retelling.

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Review: La Sylphide and Napoli

The Santa Barbara Independent reviews the preview program for La Sylphide and Napoli:

Excerpts from La Sylphide and Napoli, presented by State Street Ballet

At Gustafson Dance, Sunday, February 4.

Reviewed by Elizabeth Schwyzer

It required dedication to come out on Super Bowl Sunday for a mid-afternoon preview of two classical ballets to be performed this coming weekend, but State Street Ballet rewarded its loyal supporters richly, and not only with a delicious buffet.

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Review: American Legends

The Santa Barbara Independent reviews American Legends:

American Legends, presented by State Street Ballet

At the Lobero Theatre, Saturday, September 16.

Reviewed by Felicia M. Tomasko

The opening night of State Street Ballet’s new season was a triumph. The dancers delivered beautifully in a bold, varied, and dazzling extravaganza. The selections ranged from serious to humorous, from nostalgic to cutting-edge, yet all shared a joyous celebration of Americana.

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