American Ballet Theatre (ABT) Studio Company brought elegance, energy and emotion to the Smothers Theatre stage March 13.
The performance by ABT Studio Company was a collection of seven dances of both classical ballet and contemporary-infused pieces.
Pepperdine alumna Jacqueline Cleaveland (’24), an audience member at the performance, said the show was a true display of ABT Studio Company’s talent and artistry.
“The show really exemplified the creativity of the younger generation,” Cleaveland said. “They were just making so many stories and so many different emotional representations through their dance. I really felt inspired.”
The show’s dynamic choreography, talent and costumes honored both tradition and innovation in dance.
ABT Studio Company is the junior company of the renowned American Ballet Theatre — dancers among American Ballet Theatre being Misty Copeland, Isabella Boylston and Calvin Royal III.
A central mission of ABT Studio Company is to prepare and develop the next generation of dancers for careers in American Ballet Theatre’s main company or other leading ballet companies worldwide, according to their website.
“We push each other, healthy competition, for sure,” Barker said. “And once you get used to the workload, it pushes you more than I think you ever thought was capable for yourself.”
Under the guidance of Sascha Radetsky, ABT Studio Company’s artistic director, company members follow an intensive schedule of classes and rehearsals, training consistently throughout the week, according to their website.
Radetsky also led a 90-minute master class for Pepperdine students March 12, hosted by ABT Studio Company as part of the Lisa Smith Wengler Center for the Arts‘ programming. Senior Theatre Arts major Fatima Reyes, who grew up performing ballet, attended the class.
“He [Radetsky] made a good point where it’s like, ‘It’s important to just have fun,’” Reyes said. “Like at the end of the day, it’s like, even if you’re struggling to dance and, like, not getting the moves right, it’s important that you have fun and that you enjoy the dance, even if you’re not getting all the moves right.”
Reyes said the master class was a great way to reconnect with something students often don’t have time to pursue during college.
Barker said ABT Studio Company strives to bring dance and art to places that may not usually have these opportunities, especially at a high level.
Each season, ABT Studio Company performers bring their diverse repertoire of classical, neoclassical and contemporary works to reach a broad range of audiences in venues across the globe, with upcoming performances in New York and London.
Rebecca Carson, managing director of the Center for the Arts, said the master class and performance at Pepperdine were a great way to promote dance for students ahead of this month’s annual “Dance in Flight” show.
The curtain rose to reveal the opening piece, “Tarantella,” a duet performed by Kayla Mak and Max Barker. Choreographed by George Balanchine, the dance was expressive and dynamic.
“It’s lots of jumping, lots of turning, it’s a great opener because it really grabs the audience’s attention,” Barker said.
The dancers brought playful energy to the stage — each holding tambourines and moving in sync with the lively beat.
The 90-minute show continued with a series of captivating pieces, including both solo and group dances. “Tarantella” was followed by “Night Falls,” a duet performed by Paloma Livellara and Elijah Geolina, featuring romantic movements with melancholy instrumentals.
Next was “More Than Nothing,” a contemporary trio featuring Viktoria Papakalodouka, Natalie Steele and Daniel Guzmán.
The program also featured dances titled “Voyager,” “You Don’t Know Me” and “Human,” each presenting unique styles, costumes and choreography.
YeonSeo Choi and Maximilian Catazaro delivered a classical ballet performance of “Swan Lake” (Act III Pas de Deux). The piece drew extraordinary applause and cheers from the audience throughout.
Following “Swan Lake” was “Human,” a solo performance by Kayla Mak, choreographed by Yannick Lebrun. It was the first piece of the evening featuring music with lyrics; the contemporary work brought a modern tone to the program.
The occasional sound of heavy breathing and glimpses of sweat throughout the dances were subtle signifiers of the strength and stamina behind each movement.
The evening concluded with “Interplay,” the final piece of the program, which featured the largest group of the night with an ensemble of eight dancers. The performance was filled with energetic jumps and playful, lively movement, and the dancers wore bright-colored costumes.
“’Interplay’ is one of the most fun pieces we do, I think because it’s supposed to be kids in a playground, and you’re just having a great time with each other,” Barker said.
At the end of the performance, all the dancers joined the stage and did their final bows hand-in-hand as the audience rose in a standing ovation — a moment that congratulated the young dancers’ level of talent and commitment to their craft cultivated within the ABT Studio Company.
Barker said he hopes the audience was moved by the energy they brought to the stage and felt the sense of friendship that is shared in the studio.
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Contact Bohuen Tong via email: bohuen.tong@pepperdine.edu
Contact Henry Adams via email: henry.adams@pepperdine.edu
