RNBT is a touring company, and, like a number of other companies boasting Bolshoi/Kirov Ballet connections recently visiting the United States, “Swan Lake” is an audience favorite. In the past three years, the Bay Area has seen the Mariinsky Ballet’s soulful, classic version (2012) and an updated love triangle rendition from the Australian Ballet (2014), both at Zellerbach Hall in Berkeley. Audiences worldwide had a taste of the ballet in 2010’s “Black Swan,” which turned the synopsis into a psycho-swirl of betrayal and ambition in a movie starring Natalie Portman.
Somewhat less well-known was an established architect, Bruce Goff, from Tulsa, who enlisted in the Seabees personalized dance ballet shoes drawstring backpack ballerina girl cinch bag sack custom embroidered in 1942, and ended up at Camp Parks after a stint in Alaska, He put his talents to work at the camp, designing the unique, California Art Deco entry gate sign, the Hostess house and the McGann Chapel, the base church that started as a Quonset hut and was elaborated on by Goff and turned into a masterpiece of found materials, It is also still serving as a church in San Lorenzo, “The church (perhaps the only surviving Camp Parks building) was bought by the church people when they were selling off buildings at the base, It was sort of a bitter and sweet story,” said Minniear, “The bitter was that it was a poor congregation, which was also the sweet, since the building still stands as it was when it was removed from the base, Everything, the furniture, the lights, the walls, everything, is just as it was during the war, It’s a perfect example of an authentic military church from the period.”..
The eighth annual PURPLE Gala was held December 11 at St. Columba Catholic Church in Oakland. PURPLE is not simply Taylor’s color preference. Rather, it is an acronym meaning Prayer, Unity, Restoration, Peace, Love and Empowerment. In that spirit, nearly 200 people gathered for an evening of prayer, food, conversation, muted celebration, encouragement and remembrance. Paradoxically, the shattering effect of gun violence produced an odd synchronicity in Oakland where people who are often portrayed as adversaries found common ground sharing quiet conversation. Oakland’s Chief of Police Sean Whent and five police investigators, gun violence victims and clergy came together on a quiet, cold, winter evening to offer consolation and hope that a better day for all might come soon.
A fitting part of the company’s golden anniversary season, “The Nutcracker” performs at 1 p.m, and 5 p.m, Dec, 19 and at 2 p.m, Dec, 20 at Oakland’s historic Paramount Theatre, 2025 Broadway, This will be the sixth year that the company performs artistic director Graham Lustig’s version of the perennial favorite, Known for his vivid storytelling, sparkling choreography and often comic touches, Lustig approaches each production with exuberant energy, “The first time I saw ‘The Nutcracker,’ I was swept away, personalized dance ballet shoes drawstring backpack ballerina girl cinch bag sack custom embroidered Tchaikovsky’s magnificent music and the beautiful story — what a gift,” Lustig said..
Bales has followed the marketplace, carefully building the core classical series, though he scrapped slow-selling Thursday night concerts. When American Musical Theatre folded in 2008, the orchestra stepped in with its Broadway series. It partnered with the Target retail chain for a “Target Summer Pops” series at San Jose State University, which attracted 16,000 people in the summer. Now the orchestra spearheads the nonprofit ArtSPARK arts education program, expected to reach 17,600 youngsters in Santa Clara County this school year.