{"id":462462,"date":"2025-12-21T15:49:19","date_gmt":"2025-12-21T15:49:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/462462\/"},"modified":"2025-12-21T15:49:19","modified_gmt":"2025-12-21T15:49:19","slug":"the-biggest-san-diego-dance-stories-of-2025-san-diego-union-tribune","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/462462\/","title":{"rendered":"The biggest San Diego dance stories of 2025 \u2013 San Diego Union-Tribune"},"content":{"rendered":"

Author Charles Dickens aptly described this year\u2019s dance season in the opening sentence of \u201cA Tale of Two Cities.\u201d\u00a0It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.<\/p>\n

The best times included the dance concerts accompanied by live music, a synergy that elevates the experience for the audience, as well as for the performers.<\/p>\n

Another best? In November, Anna Hay, an 11-year-old student of the Ballet Institute of San Diego, earned first place (classical pre-competitive dance) in the Youth American Grand Prix Semi-Finals for her solo from \u201cThe Nutcracker.\u201d\u00a0 And two internationally renowned dance companies made a tour stop here and provided inspiration for the dance community.<\/p>\n

The worst of times was losing city and federal arts funding, which many nonprofit organizations depend on to survive. The year ended on a high note, however, when San Diego\u2019s the Prebys Foundation rescued six dance companies with a generous financial gift.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a look at some of the highlights of 2025:<\/p>\n

\"TheThe Rosin Box Project dancer Sona Jaeger and Art of Elan violinist an artistic director Kate Hatmaker performed in \u201cUnited Harmonies.\u201d (Carly Topazio)
\nThe Rosin Box Project: \u2018Unified Harmonies\u2019<\/p>\n

The Rosin Box Project, a contemporary ballet company headed by Carly Topazio, danced to chamber music, performed live by Art of Elan in La Jolla last May. Topazio choreographed \u201cF-Stop\u201d for six dancers, accompanied by \u201cFamily Photos,\u201d a three-movement work by composer Kian Ravaei. It\u2019s unusual to see humor in contemporary ballet, but with mime, props and skillful pacing, Topazio\u2019s dance had the audience amused by a dancer holding a camera and trying to organize a reluctant group to pose for a photograph. The movement was athletic, with scenes that were sculptural and graceful. The dance ended with the \u201cphotographer\u201d aiming the camera at the audience, prompting more laughter. \u201cSo Close,\u201d was another dance by Emily Adams, a 2023 recipient of the Princess Grace Honoraria for Choreography. She explored the way we confront the barriers that divide us, both the physical and psychological. A train of dancers used their bodies to block and confront, but it was the duet by Jeremy Zapanta and Danielle Archuleta that stood out, with their flawless lifts and movement that reflected tension and release with a fluid, captivating grace.<\/p>\n

\"BallerinaBallerina Ariana Gonzalez played the title role in City Ballet of San Diego\u2019s \u201cCarmen\u201d last May at the California Center for the Arts, Escondido. (Chelsea Penyak)
\nCity Ballet of San Diego: \u2018Carmen\u2019<\/p>\n

The superior skill level of the City Ballet dancers makes its productions predictably high quality. But the acting demonstrated in this show, enhanced by the City Ballet Orchestra, was a pleasant surprise. The role of Carmen was played with fiery promiscuity by ballerina Ariana Gonzalez, who was flirtatious with a fan in one scene and brandishing a knife in another. The Georges Bizet score accentuated the dramatic physicality, which included a female floor brawl, a knife attack, a poignant death scene, and a passionate kiss on the lips \u2013 all performed with breathtaking believability. The square-jawed Iago Breschi, one of the most technically proficient classical dancers in San Diego, was in his element as the torero Escamillo, strutting with a devil-may-care swagger. Brian Heil played Don Jose with angst and ultimately, revengeful rage as Carmen\u2019s spurned lover. George Balanchine\u2019s Divertimento No. 15 opened the concert, showcasing synchronized ballerinas and a flirty, technically perfect pas de deux by Lucas Ataide and Sumire Ito. The show last May in Escondido received an enthusiastic standing ovation.<\/p>\n

\"MarshallMarshall Whiteley, left, Stephanie Maiorano and Jonas Olivera photographed rehearsing last January for San Diego Ballet\u2019s \u201cCarnival of the Animals\u201d and \u201cTangata,\u201d presented in La Jolla Feb. 15, 2025. (K.C. Alfred \/ The San Diego Union-Tribune)
\nSan Diego Ballet: \u2018Carnival of the Animals\u2019 and \u2018Tangata\u2019<\/p>\n

Two memorable and highly original Latin-infused ballet performances packed The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center in La Jolla last February. Artistic director Javier Velasco had presented \u201cCarnival of the Animals\u201d before as a family-friendly production. His reimagined adult version was danced to a sizzling score by jazz trumpeter and resident composer Gilbert Castellanos, who performed on stage with his quartet. Dancer Marshall Whiteley rose to new heights, literally, as a leaping lion and there was an engaging pas de deux with Stephanie Maiorano (a pink flamingo) and Jonas Oliveras (the rhino). In \u201cTangata,\u201d music by Astor Piazzolla accompanied the dance and Maiorano, in a swirling red dress, performed a seductive balletic tango with her husband, company dancer Tonatiuh Gomez. The couple demonstrated their charming and obvious chemistry, seamlessly integrating the grace of ballet with the swivels and kicks of the tango.<\/p>\n

\"AngelaAngela Rebelo and Laurence Gonzalez of Ballet Collective San Diego performed in \u201cIdioma\u201d in September in La Jolla. (Samantha Zauscher)
\nBallet Collective San Diego: \u2018Idioma\u2019<\/p>\n

Ballet artists have few choices in that they must master a strict movement style and perform specific roles and repertoire chosen by others. That\u2019s why the annual concert by the collective is so joyful. It offers a platform for professional ballet dancers to create and have fun. This show, presented in September in La Jolla, included an impressive vocal performance by local recording artist Aimee Jacobs, 10 original choreographic works, and a bit of comedy. Choreographer\/dancer Tylor Bradshaw\u2019s \u201cStockholm Syndrome\u201d opened the show. The dance, with its sculptural shapes and striking lines, took inspiration from architect Norman Foster and put into motion the concepts of form and shape. Emily Miller\u2019s choreography to \u201cMe Hace Da\u00f1o Verte\u201d by Fresto Music prompted resounding applause. Her side project is taking salsa and bachata classes, and she combined the partnering skills of Latin dances with ballet movement. Ballet dancer Sona Jaeger, who performs with The Rosin Box Project, was particularly graceful at navigating the range of dance ideas.<\/p>\n

\"CecilyCecily Holcombe with Lauren Lee perform in San Diego Dance Theater\u2019s \u201cResilient Skies,\u201d presented in June at San Diego City College. (Ariana Durazo)
\nSan Diego Dance Theater: \u2018Resilient Skies I\u2019<\/p>\n

Artistic director Terry Wilson\u2019s \u201cHiding in the Open\u201d was the most emotionally potent of the four dances, staged at San Diego City College\u2019s Saville Theatre in June. Clever lighting created a cinematic scene and accompaniment by Rufus Wainwright\u2019s haunting \u201cAgnus Dei\u201d accentuated Wilson\u2019s theme: the chronic experience of feeling unsafe, contrasted with compassion and support. The dance, inspired by the way humanity responded to the 9\/11 attacks, had a riveting segment, when the male dancers carried women horizontally, resembling a human cross, while they covered their faces with their hands. Light streamed from above and illuminated two large doorways, so that the dancer\u2019s shadows provided a backdrop. The company also performed to the popular \u201cCanopy,\u201d created in 1991 by former artistic director Jean Isaacs. It\u2019s an athletic, full-company dance portraying dependence and connectedness, with a set made to look like a rainforest, with tree trunks and low-hanging vines. Dancers Lauren Christie, who also served as rehearsal director, and Cecily Holcombe were especially proficient in the works, and demonstrated an impressive athleticism.<\/p>\n

\"LaLa Jolla Music Society presented the French dance company Ballet Preljocaj at the San Diego Civic Theatre in November. (Jean Claude Carbonne)
\nLa Jolla Music Society: Dance Series\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

There was a buzz in the dance community when the La Jolla Music Society brought the Martha Graham Dance Company and Twyla Tharp Dance to the San Diego Civic Theatre. Both shows represented iconic American dance pioneers who continue to influence movement styles and there was great interest in attending those shows. The LJMS\u2019s innovative Dance Series included the quirky \u201cAlice,\u201d by MOMIX, Mexico\u2019s Ballet Folkl\u00f3rico de M\u00e9xico de Amalia Hern\u00e1ndez and from France, Ballet Preljocaj. It\u2019s expansive programming brought to the stage entertainment, culture and the opportunity to be inspired by artists exhibiting the highest form of their life\u2019s work.<\/p>\n

\"TheThe dancers of Pointeworks ballet company performed the concert \u201cBallet Nights,\u201d featuring multiple world and local premiere pieces, last June in La Jolla. (Sam Zauscher)
\nPointeworks II: \u2018Ballet Nights\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n

The \u201cfemale-forward\u201d contemporary ballet company that stages an annual summer concert during the off season returned with dancers from San Diego, Cincinnati Ballet, Texas Ballet Theater, Ballet Arizona, Philadelphia Ballet and Atlanta Ballet. Founded by San Diego dancer Sophie Williams, the company boasted a successful show in New York before touring the West Coast. \u201cPointeworks II,\u201d presented in June in La Jolla, featured the charming \u201cChasing Shadows,\u201d choreographed by New York City Ballet artist Laine Habony, was created for three sisters and accompanied by pianist Joshua Mhoon. The spirited \u201cTranscendence,\u201d by San Diego choreographer Reka Gyulai Garcia, included five couples who appeared to enjoy being pushed to their physical limits. The dance was well received and will be showcased again when Pointeworks returns for a June 2026 concert.<\/p>\n

\"GrantGrant Oliphant is president and CEO of the Prebys Foundation, which has expanded its grant-funding to arts organizations in recent years. (Prebys Foundation)
\nPrebys Foundation<\/strong><\/p>\n

A dance production requires more than the physical effort and expertise seen on the stage. Behind the scenes, there are exorbitant venue costs and a myriad of expenses for musical accompaniment, costumes and sets, along with administrative, marketing and dancer salaries. The loss of this year\u2019s federal and state funding threatened the survival of our local arts organizations and dance nonprofits sent out donation requests with the urgency of a fire alarm. In September, the Prebys Foundation came to the rescue and awarded San Diego arts and culture organizations, which included six dance companies, a combined $13.375 million.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Author Charles Dickens aptly described this year\u2019s dance season in the opening sentence of \u201cA Tale of Two…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":462463,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5134],"tags":[5229,1582,276,10929,171,10087,3548,1370,8738,3549,3550,7264,1072,67,586,132,5230,68,2969,1572],"class_list":{"0":"post-462462","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-san-diego","8":"tag-america","9":"tag-ca","10":"tag-california","11":"tag-dance","12":"tag-entertainment","13":"tag-escondido","14":"tag-la-jolla","15":"tag-latest-headlines","16":"tag-north-county","17":"tag-san-diego","18":"tag-san-diego-county","19":"tag-sandiego","20":"tag-things-to-do","21":"tag-united-states","22":"tag-united-states-of-america","23":"tag-unitedstates","24":"tag-unitedstatesofamerica","25":"tag-us","26":"tag-usa","27":"tag-year-in-review"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115758352610984533","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/462462","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=462462"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/462462\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/462463"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=462462"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=462462"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=462462"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}