Sam Zaldivar, 15 (left) and Devyn Lovett, 16 (right)
May 9, 2011, Orange County, California--- More than two thousand cultural art enthusiasts and fellow supporters packed the seats of the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in anticipation of a night ofwonder. Sixteen teenaged finalists dazzled spectators with their artistic talents on, Saturday, April 30, 2011. Each and every one of these high school students exhibits the common traits of drive and passion. On top of the everyday demands of school academics, these young artists devote up to 30 hours a week to catapult themselves into greatness. Among the eight categories open to competitors at The Music Center’s 23rd annual Spotlight Awards were Classical Dance and Non-Classical dance. Sam Zaldivar, 15 and Devyn Lovett, 16, each earned top honors in their categories.
The Music Center Spotlight Awards is one of the nation’s most acclaimed performing andvisual arts education programs for teens, offering training in the arts and awarding more than $100,000 in scholarships annually to finalists, semifinalists and participants who receive honorable mentions.
The program has launched numerous professional careers - thirteen finalists are Presidential Scholars, and many have joined or performed with professional companies, including the Metropolitan Opera, Alvin Ailey® American Dance Theater, American Ballet Theatre, Boston Symphony Orchestra and the New York Philharmonic. Many alumni return to the program and participate as judges and master class instructors.1
Fifteen-year-old Sam Zaldivar, a resident of Rancho Santa Margarita, conquered the title ofGrand Prize winner in the classical dance category. Onlookers and judge officials were mesmerized by Sam’s ballet technique during his moment under the spotlight. On the night of the Finals, Sam literally danced his way to the top and validated all notions of his bright future as a ballet professional. He demonstrated great agility, immense control, grace and beauty during his renditions of ballet classics, La Fille Mal Gardee and Flames of Paris. It was with great honor that he accepted this award; having known that over 1200 high school students competed in the combined eight categories since the beginning of the competition, in October of 2010.
Also a student of Orange County’s DKCBA, 16 year old Devyn Lovett earned the title of 1st Runner Up in the Non-Classical Dance category. Audience members were captivated by his remarkable routine and execution while performing an original piece of choreography calledReleased. Devyn’s style was reminiscent of ballet-based movement with a modern twist. It was a performance that could turn any unenthusiastic ballet observer into a supporter. A resident of Oceanside, Devyn and his family realized the future of his dance endeavors was dependent on the quality of his instructor. He sought out a teacher who could develop his burgeoning talent and soon discovered the Dmitri Kulev Classical Ballet Academy in Laguna Hills, CA. While continuing to reside in Oceanside, CA, Devyn commutes 6 days a week to train under Dmitri Kulev.
No strangers to winning, Sam's and Devyn’s talents have been acknowledged in other ballet competitions. More specifically, Sam was the 2010 Grand Prix Award winner in the Junior Age Division of Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) and both gentlemen were recently awarded the Silver Medal in the 2011 YAGP Ensemble category, as they performed together under the group called Insight.
Most recently, the two young men auditioned in a casting call for the Orange County Ballet Theatre’s (OCBT) May 20th performance of The Swan Lake Suite and Kabanieav project. Both dancers earned a spot as an apprentice dancer, for the company’s inaugural performance at the Irvine Barclay Theatre and will perform alongside international ballet stars, Maria Kochetkova and Gennadi Nedvigin, San Francisco Ballet Principal Dancers and both graduates of the Bolshoi Ballet Academy. With continued success in renowned dance competitions and experience with a promising Orange County ballet company, it won’t be long before both Sam Zaldivar and Devyn Lovett become famed dancers in their own right…And we could all say that it started right here, in Orange County.
1The Music Center (Nov. 17, 2010) “The Music Center Spotlight Awards is one of the nation’s most acclaimed performing and visual arts education programs for teens…Many alumni return to the program and participate as judges and master class instructors.” Press Release. Retrieved 5/8/10.
To learn more about Dmitri Kulev Classical Dance Academy, see Artistic Directors.
