A Premiere Training Facility
YVONNE MOUNSEY, FOUNDER
MARTINE HARLEY, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Santa Monica, California
Phone: (310) 828-2018
Santa Monica, California
Phone: (310) 828-2018
Celebrating 50 Years of Excellence 1967-2017
Thanks so much to everyone who made the Spring Showcase such a great success!
We’re updating our website! You don’t need to do anything – just sit back and enjoy!
Allegra discusses our history, our many outreach programs, and the state of dance in Los Angeles in this wonderful interview with VoyageLA.
Caprice Walker
Caprice Walker, Westside Ballet’s Co-Associate Artistic Director, received Westside’s Bravo! Award at the Raise the Barre Soiree on September 22. ‘Miss Caprice,’ as she is affectionately known to generations of Westside Ballet students, was honored for her longevity and commitment, dedication and vast contributions to the School and the Company for over 4 decades.
Click image for more information
The Soiree, an elegant affair held at the Santa Monica Bay Women’s Club, was an enormously successful event to benefit Westside Ballet’s Project RELEVÉ which provides support for performances, a scholarship fund, and community outreach programs. Patrons from all over the City of Santa Monica came to celebrate and support Westside Ballet of Santa Monica as the jewel in the crown of the arts community both in Santa Monica and greater Los Angeles.
Westside Ballet’s in-house photographer and loyal Westside supporter Todd Lechtick has received the Etz Chaim-Tree of Life Award of Compassionate Care from the Venice Family Clinic. Todd has been our liaison with the Clinic, which participates in our Outreach Program by introducing ballet to children with complimentary tickets to The Nutcracker performances.
Westside Ballet dancer Shelby Tzung has been awarded the prestigious 2016 Spotlight Award Grand Prize in Classical Ballet. She appeared in the 2016 Showcase as Odette, and performed another of her Spotlight Award-winning solos from Frederic Ashton’s La Fille Mal Gardée (The Wayward Daughter). Watch Shelby’s Spotlight performance in Disney Hall.
Shelby Tzung in rehearsal
From Pacific Palisades, Ms. Tzung is a freshman at Palisades Charter High School and has trained exclusively at Westside School of Ballet, spending her summers as a scholarship student at both the School of American Ballet and, this year, the Pacific Northwest Ballet School. In the 2015 Showcase, Ms. Tzung brought audiences to their feet with her vivacious performance of George Balanchine’s dynamic Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux.
Our thanks to recent Guest Teachers in 2015-17, whose work with our dancers added immeasurably to their Westside experience:
We ‘ve recently launched MindBody – new software that allows our patrons to buy coupons and check in to classes remotely.
To start an online account, click here. After your account is established, you can buy singles, class series or check in to classes using your computer, your iPhone, iPad or Android with the MindBody Connect App.
You can still purchase classes and check into classes at the front desk if you prefer. Keytags coming soon! No more paper coupons: please turn in your paper coupons for MindBody credits if you haven’t already.
Visit our extensive FAQs for much more information. Then call our front desk or email francine@nullwestsideballet.com if you have additional questions about using MindBody, or to make suggestions.
We now have Free Apps for the iPhone and Android! Go to the App store or Google Play and search for “Westside Ballet”. You can scroll down for links to sections of the website, but the class schedules are on the bottom menu bar under “Classes.” We’d welcome your feedback. Email us at mail@nullwestsideballet.com.
WSB students and parents were recently included in a KPCC Public Radio story on Ballet 
Summer Intensives and how the ballet industry is changing. The story aired live on Tuesday, March 11th, but fortunately there is a link for everyone to both read the article, see a slideshow and listen to the story by KPCC Arts Education Reporter Mary Plummer. If you have trouble with the link, go to ww.kpcc.org, click on news: education: pass/fail blog. Then scroll down to the story “For aspiring ballerinas, summer intensives can provide a leg up.” Westside Ballet thanks Reporter Mary Plummer and Visual Reporter Maya Sugarman.
…with her company, Barak Ballet, presents A Night of Contemporary Works on Saturday, June 24th at The Broad Stage. Featured in the program is the world premiere of E/SPACE, choreographed by artistic director Melissa Barak in collaboration with award-winning media artist Refik Anadol and Emmy-nominated composer David Lawrence. See our bulletin of June 12th for details.
Emma Holter, a Westside alumna, has been awarded the Eileen Guggenheim Award from New York University for her art history scholarship!
Giorgia Martelloni-Zabriskie continues at Dance Theater of Harlem and is also an Ambassador for Capezio! Lucia Connolly continues at Joffrey Ballet; she just performed in Justin Peck’s acclaimed new ballet Year of the Rabbit! Molly Novak, who graduates from WSB this season, is joining the Boston Ballet as a Trainee for their 2017-2018 season!
As our 44th season of Nutcracker closes, WSB’s own Lucia Connolly is featured here in Joffrey Ballet’s new production set to open! Click on photo for video.
Lucia Connolly at the Joffrey Ballet
Giorgia Martelloni-Zabriskie, Todd Lechtick Photo
Westside Ballet student Giorgia Martelloni-Zabriskie, who just turned 18, has signed a professional contract with Dance Theater of Harlem! She begins her professional career October 2nd.
Lucia Connolly began her professional career as a ballerina with the Joffrey Ballet last summer, and is now appearing in their newly choreographed Nutcracker! This video introduces Lucia and the other new additions to the company.
Lucia is an alumna of Westside School of Ballet where she trained from ages four to sixteen, spending her last two years as a scholarship student at the School of American Ballet in New York.
Lucia Connolly in Sleeping Beauty
At Westside she performed the roles of Clara to the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker, Aurora in Sleeping Beauty, and Kitri in Don Quixote, as well as numerous contemporary ballets by resident choreographers Melissa Barak and Sophie Monat. Before being invited to join the Joffrey Ballet in 2016, Lucia danced professionally with the Barak Ballet and guest starred as the Sugar Plum Fairy in Westside Ballet’s 2014 & 2015 Nutcracker.
Read this revealing piece in LA Observed on two alumni: “A Nutcracker homecoming for ballerinas Joy Womack and Lyrica Blankfein.” While both dancers trained at Westside, their careers have led them to very different places.
Alumna Tiler Peck starred in the musical “Little Dancer” at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Hopes are high the show will soon be headed to Broadway!
Tiler Peck in “Little Dancer”
Tiler brings to life Edgar Degas’ iconic sculpture, “Little Dancer Age Fourteen,” based on the young ballerina Marie van Goethem, as described here in The New York Times.
Elisabeth Moss
WSB’s very accomplished alumna Elisabeth Moss, known for her character “Peggy” on the popular and long running AMC series “Madmen”, was featured in an exclusive ABC news interview with Diane Sawyer. Elisabeth spoke about her background at Westside Ballet.
Are you a WSB Alumni? Send your news to francine@nullwestsideballet.com so we can share!
We want to be able to contact our alumni for performances, special events and reunions. If you have information on alumni, please contact francine@nullwestsideballet.com with current contact information such as name, address, phone number and especially email address. (Even a name is a good starting point!) Thanks!
Parents of Westside Ballet Summer Level B students, please see our June 19 bulletin from Carol Youngjohn asking each student to purchase their own stability ball for Ballet Conditioning classes on Wednesdays.
Be sure to check our June 15 bulletin for scheduling changes, some of which run from June 20th through August 22nd.
Please see June 15th bulletin about the closing on Stewart Street from June 13th through to July 14th. Entrance will only be from Olympic Blvd. and/or Nebraska Avenue on our south side.
Westside Ballet’s Second Annual Fundraising Soiree on Thursday, September 14, 2017 at The Santa Monica Bay Women’s Club will feature exquisite dinner and drinks, beautiful performances by Westside Ballet’s distinguished dancers, and an impressive silent auction. Sponsored by The Huntley Hotel.
A full listing of important dates in the 2016-2017 school year is available in the right-hand sidebar of the Children’s Fall Spring Schedule.
Center Basics Workshop will break down each ballet step one at a time. Learn: standing in center, the basic transition steps, simple jumps and more, all with a barre warmup. On Monday mornings, 11:30am-1:00pm, with Rebecca.
Adult Ballet Basics is a 4-week workshop taught by Rebecca Witjas and Kasha Kropinski, starting with the correct way to do every exercise at the Barre. Learn more and see full schedule of classes here.
Wednesdays 8-9pm with Liz Wasynczuk. Students should have at least 6 months of recent ballet training, feel confident with the basic ballet positions, and have no foot or leg injuries. Pointe shoes may be purchased at the Ballet Shop next to Westside School of Ballet.
Be sure to read Allegra’s bulletin about our full-year contract at Westside and the distinction between full-time and part-time attendance.
Note: We have discontinued the single class option except for new students to Westside for their first class.
Charlotte Perebinossoff
Our ongoing series of Dance Talks! featured WSB Alumna Charlotte Perebinossoff on her stellar post-WSB career, delivered to an enthusiastic audience on September 1st, 2016. Charlotte spoke about her experience as a college dance major, as well as her globe-spanning post-college adventures in the world of dance and the many exciting opportunities for dancers other than a performing career. Specifically, Charlotte spoke in depth about applying to college as a dance major and made her research available (download her handout here, pdf).
College dance programs are gaining in sophistication, and the panel discussion on August 29, 2015 was designed to deliver the inside information our dancers need for a competitive edge. Six highly esteemed dance educators participated in this important discussion on the advantages, options and opportunities offered to college bound dancers.
Jenna Elfman recently launched our “Dance Talks” series. It was a great success and we thank Jenna for participating. Update: Right after her talk, Jenna gave this interview on Rich Girl TV, which you can also watch on YouTube. She gives some great advice and discusses her experience at Westside Ballet.
Jenna Elfman discusses the need for focus and discipline
Read coverage of the event by The Santa Monica Argonaut
Westside School of Ballet is Los Angeles' oldest and most successful public ballet school, founded in 1967 by New York City Ballet's principal ballerina Yvonne Mounsey, and co-founder Rosemary Valaire from the Royal Ballet.
The school distinguishes itself as a non-audition school where all are welcome to study ballet and are trained to the highest and most refined pre-professional level. While the school’s program is designed with the serious ballet student in mind, Westside Ballet attracts students of all ages, with varying degrees of interest and talent, who wish to pursue dance instruction in an inspiring, enriched learning environment.
Nearly all the Artistic Staff are products of the school themselves, having served on the faculty for over 10, 20 and 30 years. This ensures a consistent approach to the classical ballet training, with an emphasis on the Balanchine style, that is unmatched elsewhere.
The Westside School of Ballet has a non-profit performing division, Westside Ballet of Santa Monica, which produces professional-caliber performances twice a year: a full-length, lavish and traditional production of The Nutcracker - now Los Angeles' longest-running production, having just celebrated its 45th anniversary - and an acclaimed Spring Showcase featuring the works of George Balanchine along with classical and contemporary ballets and original works, all performed at the beautiful Broad Stage at the Santa Monica College Performing Arts Center.
These and other outstanding performance opportunities have provided real-world preparation to the young dancers from the school and launched them into professional careers in ballet companies around the world, as well as providing invaluable life lessons in sportsmanship, teamwork, dedication, respect and commitment that serve them well in any career they choose.
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