Spring Tea on the Green- Sunday, April 3 - A fundraiser so we can dance more :)

The OCBT is hosting a Spring Tea fundraiser at the El Niguel Country Club in Laguna Niguel, California.

This will be a great way to raise funds for the OCBT. We really would like to offer more shows to the public and raising funds will allow us the opportunity. If you would like to attend the tea, please send me a note. If you want to donate, please do so. We appreciate your patronage!

YAGP Finals in NYC

More to come on this topic. Friends and family of the DKCBA students who are also cast members of the OCBT May 20 performance are all on the edge of our seats... We have a few dancers competing in the YAGP finals in NY and the competition starts at 1pm EST. Can't wait to hear the details. We have asked some of the dancers to give us some updates, so I will post them on here, when (and if) they have time to send some.

Tickets are on sale! May 20 Performance.

Buy now!

Looking forward to an amazing performance!

International Ballet Star Maria Kochetkova To Join Orange County Ballet Theatre For Inaugural Performance

Following a stunning turn at OCPAC in January, Kochetkova hopes to inspire local dancers with an intimate performance at the Irvine Barclay Theatre

After headlining a series of breathtaking performances in Reflections at the Orange County

Performing Arts Center last month, the next stop in Orange County for international ballerina Maria Kochetkova is the Irvine Barclay Theatre. On Friday, May 20, 2011 at 7 p.m., the Moscow-born dancer who honed her craft at the world renowned Bolshoi Ballet Academy will be a featured guest artist for Orange County Ballet Theatre’s inaugural performance at the Barclay.

Under the artistic direction of Dmitri and Jennifer Kulev, Laguna Hills-based Orange County Ballet Theatre will perform excerpts from the world’s most famous ballet, Swan Lake. The dynamic Black Swan Pas de Deux will be performed by Kochetkova and Gennadi Nedvigin, both Principal dancers with San Francisco Ballet, while other selected dances from Acts I and III will highlight some of Orange County’s rising young dance stars at the ballet company. Also featured in the performance will be the continuation of The Kabaniaev Project, an exciting collection of new contemporary works by the internationally recognized choreographer Viktor Kabaniaev.

“I am thrilled to be returning to the stage in Orange County, and am especially looking forward to working and performing with the talented young dancers at Orange County Ballet Theatre,” said Kochetkova. “It is an honor to have the opportunity to mentor, and hopefully inspire, the next generation as they pursue their dream of dance.”

“We are so excited to have a dancer of Maria’s extraordinary caliber and artistry join the company for this very special performance,” said Dmitri Kulev. “Our company and ballet school have been dedicated to bringing the classical art and Russian training methodology of ballet to Orange County, and Maria truly embodies that spirit. Together with her partner, Gennadi Nedvigin, and the rest of our incredible young company dancers, Orange County Ballet Theatre Ballet is sure to deliver a world class performance on May 20.”

Kocketkova received her professional training at the Bolshoi Ballet Academy in Moscow. After graduating in 2002, she became an apprentice with The Royal Ballet. A year later she joined the English National Ballet and was promoted to Soloist. In 2007, she joined San Francisco Ballet as a Principal dancer. Her repertoire includes the title role in Giselle, Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty, Kitri in Don Quixote, Juliet inRomeo & Juliet, Odette-Odile in Swan Lake, and Clara and the Sugar Plum Fairy inThe Nutcracker. Her performance of the Grand Pas de Deux in San Francisco Ballet’s Nutcracker was broadcast on PBS in 2008. She has won numerous Gold medals at international ballet competitions throughout the world.

Welcome!

Welcome to the Orange County Ballet Theatre blog! This blog is currently under construction. However, in 2 weeks, we will provide numerous information about this amazing non-profit organization and its talented dancers, on a weekly basis. Here you will find out where our group performs and chronicle our experiences along the way.

Thank you for taking the time to read about us. Your interest and support is deeply valued.

-The OCBT team