The art of classical ballet is born out body-to-body, and there’s no going around that. Personal involvement has always been at the heart of the pedagogy practiced at one of Southern California’s finest training academies, that of the Westside Ballet of Santa Monica. The company’s co-founders, Yvonne Mounsey (New York City Ballet) and Rosemary Valaire (Royal Ballet), began that kind of hands-on tradition in 1973, and the school has carried it forth, now for five decades.
Back in ancient times, in 2008, when the Los Angeles Times ran stories by freelance writers of length and analysis, I experienced that excellence in the course of writing a profile of Ms. Mounsey, with whom I struck up an admiring friendship. My article focused on Yvonne’s coaching of one of her prime protegees, the (then) New York City Ballet principal, Melissa Barak, as she learned one of George Balanchine’s thorniest roles for a woman, that of the “Siren” in “The Prodigal Son” (1929). That role had been a signature one for Yvonne Mounsey.
The results of this coaching culture will be on view in “Masters of Movement,” an annual gala event at the Broad Stage. In a convergence of ballet’s present and future stars, New York City Ballet principals Tiler Peck — currently featured in Prime Video’s acclaimed series Étoile — and Roman Mejia will be in the mix alongside Westside’s pre-professional dancers including 12-year-old prodigy Spencer Collins, who recently claimed the world’s top youth dancer title at a prestigious ballet competition.
tiler peck/roman mejia jerome robbins ‘other dances’
photos by erin baiano
Excerpts from the charming Coppélia by Arthur Saint-Léon, as well as Le Conservatoire, a rarely performed jewel of 19th-century ballet by August Bournonville, place Westside students directly into ballet history. The latter work, a one-acter set in an 1840s Parisian dance studio, highlights elegant ensemble work, intricate footwork, and lively jumps—hallmarks of the Danish style. Co-staging by Westside alumnus and current Associate Executive Director Adrian Blake Mitchell (Mikhailovsky Ballet) and Nilas Martins, a Danish-born répétiteur for the George Balanchine Trust and former dancer with the Royal Danish Ballet—will spur the authenticity of this classical Danish gem.
A playful standout will be Jerome Robbins’s Circus Polka originally conceived by George Balanchine for the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus in 1942 — then cast with fifty girls and fifty elephants. Robbins later adapted Mr. B’s short ballet for New York City Ballet using Igor Stravinsky’s inspired score. Former NYCB soloist Zippora Karz has staged the work on behalf of the Jerome Robbins Trust, as a rarity emphasizing musical precision, ensemble timing, and theatrical flair.
Would that this affair could simply float us, untethered, into fantasy and pleasure. But reality impinges. For the Westside Ballet community was unusually hard hit by January’s horrific fires in the Pacific Palisades — an unimaginable blow for families nurturing kids of ballet-school age. Thus a portion of Gala proceeds will benefit Westside Ballet’s Fire Relief Scholarships, assisting over 55 dance families who lost homes. In a way, this cannot but add poignancy to the evening’s pleasures — foremost, we anticipate enjoying Peck and Mejia’s smashing prowess and technique.
Masters of Movement 2025 gala & performance | The Broad Stage | Sat May 31
Dance critic Debra Levine is founder/editor/publisher of arts●meme. Debra celebrated forty years of published dance criticism in 2024.
It really was wonderful. Thank you for your comment.
This sounds like a wonderful event, especially the eclectic program and the fact that it will help dance families affected by the fires.