Westside Ballet of Santa Monica will honor firefighters who risked their lives during recent devastating blazes as part of its spring "Masters of Movement" performances featuring New York City Ballet principals Tiler Peck and Roman Mejia.
The historic ballet company announced three performances scheduled for May 31-June 1 at The Eli and Edythe Broad Stage in Santa Monica, including a Gala that will recognize the Santa Monica and Los Angeles Fire & Police Departments' first responders with the Huntley Santa Monica Beach Hotel Community Arts Award.
A portion of proceeds from the May 31 evening Gala will support Westside Ballet's Fire Relief Scholarship Fund, established following the Los Angeles fires of early 2025. The fires devastated communities in the Palisades and Altadena areas, affecting over 55 families within the Westside Ballet community, including students, faculty, directors and alumni who lost their homes.
"This year's Masters of Movement program offers audiences an extraordinary opportunity to experience ballet through the ages—from Bournonville's classical 19th-century techniques to Jerome Robbins' mid-century masterpieces and Justin Peck's contemporary innovations," said Artistic Director Martine Harley.
The Gala will feature Westside alumna Peck, currently starring in Prime Video's ballet dramedy "Étoile," performing Jerome Robbins' "Other Dances" with Mejia. Originally created for Natalia Makarova and Mikhail Baryshnikov, the duet will be performed to live piano music.
Additional Gala highlights include Robbins' "Circus Polka," set to Stravinsky's score, featuring Westside alumnus Zane Tahvildaran-Jesswein from Ballet San Antonio leading young dancers in what the company describes as "a playful tribute to the joy of movement."
The program also includes Justin Peck's "Bloom," a pas de deux featuring Los Angeles Ballet dancers Kate Inoue and Marcos Ramirez, performed to Caroline Shaw's music played by a live string quartet.
Rounding out the performances, August Bournonville's "Le Conservatoire," an 1849 one-act ballet recreating a Vestris dance class, will showcase Westside Ballet's pre-professional and advanced students. The piece was staged by Westside Ballet alumnus Adrian Blake Mitchell, who returned to Santa Monica in 2022 after performing with the Mikhailovsky Theatre Ballet Company in St. Petersburg, Russia.
Nilas Martins, a Danish-born dancer who performed with the Royal Danish Ballet, provided authentic coaching for the Bournonville piece. Martins has had a distinguished ballet career since the 1980s and serves as a Repetiteur for the George Balanchine Trust.
The Spring Showcase, with performances on May 31 at 1 p.m. and June 1 at 1 p.m., will include additional works demonstrating the company's range, including excerpts from "Coppélia" by Arthur Saint-Léon and contemporary choreography by Mark Tomasic, Dance Department Chair at Santa Monica College.
Both the Gala and Spring Showcase will feature 11-year-old Westside Ballet prodigy Spencer Collins, who recently won the prestigious Hope Award at the 2025 Youth America Grand Prix Finals—ranking him as the top dancer in his age group worldwide. Collins will perform a solo in "Le Conservatoire."
During the Gala, Westside Ballet will honor alumnus Andrew Veyette with its Bravo! Award. Veyette studied at Westside Ballet under Yvonne Mounsey and Nader Hamed before joining New York City Ballet, where he rose to principal dancer in 2007. This season marks the end of his 25-year career with the company.
The performances highlight Westside Ballet's community commitment, which includes an education partnership with Santa Monica College offering college credits to high school dancers, approximately $100,000 in annual scholarships prior to the pandemic, and the Dance to Dreams program providing free workshops to underserved students interested in ballet.
The Westside Ballet productions are supported by grants from Los Angeles County, the City of Santa Monica, and various local organizations and businesses.
Showcase tickets are priced at $50, while Gala performance tickets cost $195. All performances take place at The Eli and Edythe Broad Stage, 1310 11th Street, Santa Monica. Tickets can be purchased online at westsideballet.com/SpringTix or by phone at (800) 595-4849.