Family-Friendly Sunday Afternoon

Want to spend a great Sunday afternoon with your family, but not sure what to do? Take a seat at the Central Florida Ballet's next FREE performance of "The Enchanted Garden". 

 Photo By: Virginia Trudeau & Deedee Sherman

This show features Act III and additional excerpts from Le Corsaire (a full-length ballet). The performance begins with beautiful dancing in the King Pasha's palace upon which King Pasha retires for a nap. The ballet transitions into a dream sequence of "The Enchanted Garden" where "Medora, Gulnare, and the woman of the harem join together to dance a fantastical Grand Ballabile in which they celebrate beauty, grace, and harmony in a garden filled with flowers and magic fountains". After their great celebration, the King awakens and... well you will just have to see the show for yourself to find out the conclusion!

Mark your Calendar, iPhone, Blackberry, etc for Sunday, February 19 at 2:00pm held at the Trinity Preparatory School in Winter Park. Simply arrive early to ensure seating (tickets and reservations are not issued). This year's performance is sponsored by ArtsFest of United Arts of Central Florida. For complete event information click here.  

About Central Florida Ballet: The Central Florida Ballet is a 501 (c) Non-Profit Organization. Central Florida Ballet's mission is to entertain, educate, and inspire through the universal art form of dance. With a diverse repertoire of dance productions and programs from classical to contemporary and beyond, each attendee is to be culturally enriched while developing an appreciation for the arts.

Your support keeps us moving! For information, on how to make a tax-deductible donation to support a performance, educational program, or dancer.. please call the Central Florida Ballet at 407.849.9942 or visit http://www.CentralFloridaBallet.com

Top 5 Dances to Watch

So many of us dance enthusiasts watch an incredible amount of videos on YouTube. We have seen all the varieties out there...from the fun, clever, oddly unique or the always popular "oh my gosh they are incredible" videos. So we gathered some of our favorites just for you...ENJOY!

"Boogie Shoes"

We love this dance because its just plain fun and urges you to get up and dance; that is if you haven't already started. The dance starts near the 0:45 minute mark.

"Yanis Pikieris - Moscow Gold Medal"

Yes, this video definitely brings you back many years or actually decades. All we can say however is the dancing is purely magical! Don't miss the second half of the video which showcases Pikieris's stunning Don Quixote variation and coda - talk about endless attitude turns!

"Diana Vishneva in Firebird Pas de Deux"

This video caught our eye for several reasons. Number One - "Firebird" is a ballet not performed in Orlando very often or actually even a time we can remember.  Number Two: Vishneva is a true star of the ballet world; from her artistry to her impeccable technique she simply captures your attention for this six minute pas de deux!

 "Good Morning, Good Morning"

We picked this video because its a timeless classic and who knew you could stand on furniture in that time or that there are so many ways to use coats...watch the video to see what we are talking about! Don't miss the ballet "bar" at the 2:40 minute mark.

"Wedding Entrance"

We picked this video because it proves dance is for anyone and that you never know what can happen when the music begins...enjoy!

We hope you enjoyed these! Remember there is dance all around you - get involved in the movement or as we say at the Central Florida Ballet: "Move. Be Moved. Be More"! For information on dance classes and upcoming performances visit http://www.CentralFloridaBallet.com or call 407.849.9942.

Before you leave...do you have another video you want to share with us? Tell us in a comment below (you don't have to be a registered user to comment so please share with us). We can't wait to see!

CFB Selects Students for Summer Intensive

This Saturday, January 14 marks the annual audition for the Central Florida Ballet's Summer Intensive Dance Program. This intensive ballet-focused program provides formal Russian classical ballet training for local and out-of-town students. "We find our dancers improve their classical technique significantly over the duration of this program for several reasons." says Diane Withee, the CFB School Director.

Photo By: Virginia Trudeau & Deedee Sherman

For one, our Russian style of training is known as one of the most difficult, but rewarding in the dance world. The Central Florida Ballet's Founder & Executive Director, Vasile Petrutiu, and Artistic Director, Vladimir Bykov, are primary instructors of the Summer Intensive and both were trained in national elite ballet schools under the Vaganova (Russian) style.  Furthermore, students are able to focus their whole day on just dance during the summer term. Meaning they have ample time and energy to perfect their dance vocabulary while learning new steps. The Advanced level students have a full day of classes Monday-Friday.

A typical day begins at 9:00am with ballet technique followed by pointe and variations. Then after a one hour lunch break students continue with classes in complimenting dance styles such as modern, jazz, character, lyrical, yoga or repertoire where they learn a ballet presented in a final performance for family and friends at the end of the session. Plus each week different workshops are given discussing dance-related topics including dance history, acting, stage make-up and hair, and nutrition. Since opening in 2000, the CFBA's exemplary training method is shining brighter than ever..Recent Alumni of the Central Florida Ballet Academy and Summer Intensive include:

• Sasha De Sola, Corps de Ballet with San Francisco Ballet
• Joanna Schmidt, Graduate Program at Pittsburgh Ballet Theater
• Meredith Harrill, Trainee with Joffrey Ballet
• Kristin Mitchell, Pre-Professional Program at Boston Ballet
  
• Arielle Martin, Professional Division at the School of Pacific Northwest Ballet
• Hunter Finnegan, Student at the School of Pittsburgh Ballet Theater 

For more information on the CFB Summer Intensive Dance Program visit the official website page here or call 407.849.9942.