Festival Ballet Theatre
and
Artistic Director, Salwa Rizkalla

Present

Saturday, April 27, 2024 at 7pm
Sunday, April 28, 2024 at 2pm

There will be a 20-minute intermission.

Choreography
Salwa Rizkalla after
Arthur Saint-Léon

Direction
Salwa Rizkalla

Music
Léo Delibes

Scenery & Prop Design & Construction
Brock Cielly
Theatre Ballet Premier

Lighting Design & Production Supervisor
Natori Cummings-Hayes

Artistic Assistant
Elizabeth Farmen

Rehearsal Faculty
Elizabeth Farmen
Jade Payette Hendricks Hannah Przludzka-Karacic
Salwa Rizkalla

Costume Design & Construction
Heather Lerma
Kaye Michel
Ginny Mudd
Barbara Vieuretta
Vita Teatrale

Graphic Designer
Nicole Reineman

Production Coordinator
Chris Schmidt

Company Photographer
Dave Friedman
Skye Schmidt
Rachel Scott

Casting subject to change.

The taking of photographs or use of recording devices is strictly prohibited.

WELCOME TO FESTIVAL BALLET THEATRE’S 2024 PRODUCTION OF COPPÉLIA 

Please join us in giving a warm welcome to our distinguished guest artists who will be dancing the lead roles of Swanhilda and Franz, Katherine Barkman and Esteban Hernandez. Katherine is a soloist with San Francisco Ballet and Esteban is a principal dancer with San Francisco Ballet.

This year, we’re proudly celebrating the 36th anniversary of Festival Ballet Theatre. I founded Festival Ballet Theatre as a non-profit organization in 1988, and it has grown to become Orange County’s premier ballet company. Over the past 35 years, Festival Ballet Theatre has brought more than 100 classical and contemporary performances to Orange County. Our breathtaking annual production of The Nutcracker makes the age-old holiday tradition sparkle like new.

Our season culminates in August with our 15th Annual Gala of the Stars, our annual gathering of international stars from some of the world’s most prestigious dance companies, performing alongside FBT’s own accomplished resident dancers.

Our affiliated ballet school, Southland Ballet Academy, is celebrating its 41st anniversary this month. Under my guidance, the studio has nurtured thousands of dancers since its inception in 1983. We train our students in the prestigious Vaganova method and aim to cultivate and inspire an appreciation of classical ballet from beginner to professional dancer.

Festival Ballet Theatre was founded as a non-profit organization in 1988 and has grown to become Orange County’s premier ballet company. We are grateful to be celebrating another new season with you, our cherished patrons, friends and family members. Thank you for your ongoing support.

Gratefully,

Salwa Rizkalla
Founder and Artistic Director
Festival Ballet Theatre

ACT I: The Town Square

Swanhilde: Katherine Barkman

Franz: Esteban Hernandez

Dr. Coppelius: Sayat Asatryan

Coppélia: Towako Wunsch (4/27), Mia Frederick (4/28)

Mayor: Charles Johnston

Mayor’s Wife: Elizabeth Farmen

Mazurka: Catherine Gibson, Yaya Liu, Daria Podolsky, Stephanie Suh

Franz’s Friends: Brayden Page, Ryan Robinson, Cameron Schwanz, Evan Strand

Swanhilde’s Friends (4/27): Brielle Aucoin, Charlotte Bengfort, Mia Frederick, Sydney Madolora, Adella Mehringer, Nia Villania

Swanhilde’s Friends (4/28): Madison Chen, Bella Dinglasan, Natalie Ho, Zeraphine Jaeckel, Sydney Madolora, Towako Wunsch

ACT II: Toy Shop of Dr. Coppelius

Chinese Doll: Madison Chen (4/27), Amy Guo (4/28)

Spanish Doll: Catherine Gibson (4/27), Yaya Liu (4/28)

Scottish Doll: Natalie Ho (4/27), Julia Prevost (4/28) Pierrot Doll: Leon Sai

ACT III: THE TOWN SQUARE

Waltz of the Hours: Halle Chan, Amy Guo, Amelie Hoang, Mandy Hur, Sunhoo Kang, Brynn Oh, Julia Prevost, Nia Villania

Dawn Solo: Adella Mehringer (4/27), Stephanie Suh (4/28)

Dawn Corps: Hailey Baik, Felicity Gundersen, Johanna Malmskov, Anya Rich

Work Solo: Mia Frederick (4/27), Towako Wunsch (4/28)

Work Corps: Katarina Carney, Afina Gosla, Ellie Palka, Silvia Snow

Village Children: Sasha Broderson, Madeline Chang, Annabelle Chen, Johanna Chen, Natalie Chiang, Max Ellersiek, Riley Hendricks, Julia Kent, Clara Lee, Lena Lee, Chloe Luc, Helena Mohn, Emma Nyman, Sara Nyman, Sean Sai, Emery Tuano, Maya Villanueva, Zoe Zeng

Prayer: Brielle Aucoin, Charlotte Bengfort, Bella Dinglasan, Sydney Madolora, Brayden Page, Ryan Robinson, Cameron Schwanz, Evan Strand

Wedding Pas de Deux: Katherine Barkman & Esteban Hernandez

Finale: Entire Cast

Act I

Dr. Coppelius, the toy maker is seen on his balcony with a beautiful young girl. He disappears just as Swanhilda enters the town square. She notices the girl on the balcony and waves to her. The girl, Coppélia, ignores the friendly gesture and continues to read her book. Swanhilda then hides as Franz, her betrothed, enters the square and flirts with the new girl.Becoming jealous, Swanhilda decides to get his attention by chasing a butterfly. When Franz catches the butterfly and pins it to his chest, the horrified Swanhilda quarrels with him and calls off their marriage.

Townspeople arrive and dance a lively Mazurka. Suddenly, Dr. Coppelius enters the square leading Coppélia who is dancing prettily.All of the young men, including Franz, flirt with her and try to gain her attention. But Coppélia does not seem to notice any of them. She and the toy maker return to the workshop as the mayor enters, announcing that the next day is a festival in honor of a new town bell and any couple marrying on that day will receive a sack of gold as a dowry.

Franz tries to reconcile with Swanhilda as their friends dance. As a test of his love, Swanhilda tries the local custom of shaking a stalk of wheat near her ear. When she hears nothing, a sign that he is untrue, she runs off in tears. Franz tries to reassure her of his love but Swanhilda is not persuaded. In disgust, Franz decides to climb up to Coppélia’s window, and goes off to find a ladder.

The villagers begin to leave for their homes as Dr. Coppelius emerges for his evening walk. As he crosses the square, he drops his key. Swanhilda and her friends find the key and decide to explore the old man’s house.

Act II

The girls sneak into Dr. Coppelius’ workshop and are frightened by the strange shadowy figures. As they are exploring, they discover Coppélia sitting in behind a curtain. The girls introduce themselves to her, but she doesn’t look up. To their amazement, they discover that Coppélia is only a life-sized doll!Looking around the workshop, they find that all of the figures are life-sized dolls, and Swanhilda winds them up to watch them dance. Suddenly Dr. Coppelius returns, and angrily chases the girls around the workshop.All escape except Swanhilda, who hides behind the curtain.

Meanwhile, Franz has found a ladder and climbs into the window, looking for Coppélia. He is confronted by Dr. Coppelius who accuses him of being a thief. Franz protests; saying that he is only there because of his love for Coppélia. The old man, who believes he is a magician, gets an idea: Take the human spirit out of Franz and put it into the doll. He gives the unsuspecting Franz wine until he falls into a stupor. He then takes out a magic book and begins his strange experiment.

Swanhilda has listened to everything and decides to play a trick on Dr. Coppelius. She switches clothes with Coppélia and pretends to be the doll. As Dr. Coppelius weaves his spell, the doll comes to life. He is ecstatic, and the doll dances around the room, more and more lifelike. Soon Swanhilda tires of the game, knocks over all the dolls and reveals the lifeless Coppélia. As the horrified Dr. Coppelius mourns over his beloved doll, Swanhilda reconciles with Franz and together they rush from the workshop.

Act III

The festival day has arrived and everyone in the village comes out to celebrate the new town bell and the wedding of the village sweethearts. After the mayor gives out the dowries of gold, Dr. Coppelius arrives and demands justice for the damage to his workshop. The mayor offers him a bag of gold, which he refuses and offers to the couple, and the celebration continues. Dances that depict a typical day include Hours, Dawn, Prayer and Work.A beautiful wedding pas de deux is tenderly danced by Swanhilda and Franz, everyone in the village joins in the joyful finale.

Festival Ballet Theatre (FBT) is Orange County’s premier, accomplished professional ballet company. Our mission is to enrich Orange County’s artistic and economic vitality, to inspire love and appreciation for dance, and to invigorate ballet by:

• Presenting a season of exhilarating classical and contemporary performances
• Providing a nurturing environment for dancers and choreographers
• Offering stimulating educational outreach programs

With reverence for classic masterpieces and a focus on developing future tours de force, Festival Ballet Theatre is committed to presenting the best of dance, enriching lives, and developing a new generation of audiences and artists.

Festival Ballet Theatre is a well-established non-profit arts organization founded in 1988 by Artistic Director Salwa Rizkalla. Boasting a roster of impressive, up-and-coming Southern California talent, the company’s productions spotlight internationally acclaimed guest artists from prestigious companies.

Aspiring to heights of artistic excellence, FBT simultaneously attracts the best in professional dance to its home base while sending its own dancers out as artistic ambassadors to the nation. Arts Orange County named Festival Ballet Theatre Outstanding Arts Organization of the Year in 2001 and recognized Artistic Director Salwa Rizkalla with the Helena Modjeska Cultural Legacy Award in 2014. For more information on Festival Ballet Theatre, visit www.festivalballet.org

Southland Ballet Academy (SBA) is the official school of Festival Ballet Theatre. Founded in 1983, SBA cultivates, trains, and inspires an appreciation for the Vaganova method of classical ballet from beginner to professional dancer. Since opening its doors as a ballet studio, SBA and Director Salwa Rizkalla have secured a national and international reputation and have played a prominent role in grooming world-class dancers.

Southland Ballet Academy has grown from a modest one-room facility to eight state-of-the-art studios in two Orange County locations — Fountain Valley and Irvine. Southland Ballet Academy’s International Summer Intensive program is a favorite destination for dancers who enjoy classes taught by world-renowned artistic directors, ballet masters and choreographers. The Intensive culminates in the Inspired Young Dancer Performance that gives the young dancers an opportunity to refine their performance abilities on stage.

Artistic Director Salwa Rizkalla has contributed to the Orange County community for more than 30 years by presenting excellence in dance performance through Festival Ballet Theatre and providing top-tier classical ballet training at Southland Ballet Academy.

During her professional dancing career, Ms. Rizkalla graced the stage in leading roles in well-known classical ballets as well as contemporary pieces. She had the privilege of working under the direction of world-renowned choreographers Leonid Lavrovsky and Serge Lifar. As a young dancer, Ms. Rizkalla trained in the Russian Vaganova method and studied with Russian ballet masters. As the culmination of her training, Ms. Rizkalla completed a Bachelor of Arts degree in ballet pedagogy. She established Southland Ballet Academy in 1983 and debuted Festival Ballet Theatre in 1988. In addition to teaching and directing, Ms. Rizkalla was a faculty member at several area institutions.

Many arts organizations have recognized her service. The Orange County Music and Arts Administrators and Orange County Performing Arts Center jointly recognized her with the Orange County Arts Educator of the Year Award for Secondary Dance (2003); Youth America Grand Prix awarded Ms. Rizkalla Outstanding Teacher accolades since its inception; and Arts Orange County recognized Ms. Rizkalla with the Helena Modjeska Cultural Legacy Award (2014). Ms. Rizkalla was named one of OC’s 100 Most Influential People in 2017 by the Orange County Register.

Ms. Rizkalla has been honored to impact the lives of hundreds of students and their families through her teaching. She is proud to be a dedicated educator, an energetic promoter of the arts, and an active participant in the cultural life of her community.

Festival Ballet Theatre is proud to present the members of FBT Trainees, a junior company of student dancers with outstanding potential. Through FBT Trainees, Festival Ballet Theatre secures a talented base of dancers, offers performance opportunities “at home” and nurtures the stars of the future to a professional career in dance.

Back Line (left to right): Julia Prevost, Daria Podolsky, Keira Kuennemann, Zeraphine Jaeckel, Bailey Stenstrom, Catherine Gibson, Brielle Aucoin, Bella Dinglasan, Sydney Madolora, Chloe Im; Front Line (left to right): Towako Wunsch, Madison Chen, Yuma Kainuma, Halle Chan, Mia Frederick, Amy Guo, Charlotte Bengfort, Nia Villania, Natalie Ho; Not Pictured: Leon Sai

Festival Ballet Theatre gratefully acknowledges the generosity of individuals, businesses and foundations for their contributions to our programs. 

Director’s Circle
$10,000+

Anonymous
The Bryant Family
James Carter
Salwa Rizkalla

Underwriter
$5,000-$9,999

Anonymous
Bobbi Cox
Robert Farnsworth, Sonnettech

Choreographer
$2,500 - $4,999

Anonymous
Lydia Ringwald

Principal
$1,000 - $2,499

Anonymous
Willa Bouwens-Killeen
Cat & Phil Hunter
Seta & Simon Tchekmedyian
Hans & Sayoko Wunsch
Lisa Yamashita

Soloist
$500 - $999

Anonymous
Karen & Thomas Hersh
Tracie Rotter
Teri & Chris Schmidt
Kim Tang & Danh Kuennemann

Artist
$250 - $499

Anonymous
Estelle Holder
Tu-Uyen Nguyen
Erin & Douglas Schneider

Apprentice
$100 - $249

Anonymous
Lisa & Young Oh

For information or to join our list of donors, please visit FestivalBallet.org or call 714.962.5440

Festival Ballet Theatre thanks all of the parents and volunteers who are integral to the success of this presentation of Coppélia. We appreciate all the time and energy you have put into fundraising, costumes, donations, marketing and development. Your efforts are truly priceless in allowing Festival Ballet Theatre to provide this beloved classic.

Salwa Rizkalla: President
Lisa Yamashita: Vice President
Willa Bouwens-Killeen: Treasurer
Cathleen Hunter: Secretary
Ghada Anis: Member

Alexis Adams: Headpieces Creation Chair
Eve Aucoin: Green Room Chair
Kristin Bengfort: Events & Fundraising Chair
Carol Chen: Costume Co-Chair
Manami Frederick: Costume Co-Chair
Jade Hendricks: Alumni Chair
Jan Kempton: Boutique Chair
Haoie Luc: Digital Marketing Chair
Sara Snow: Public Relations Chair
Megan Webber: Social Media Chair
Sayoko Wunsch: Arts & Crafts Chair

Bob Romney, Chairman
Community Leader

Gary Fabian, Treasurer
Chief Financial Officer
Kind Lending

William Parker, Secretary
Professor Emeritus Physics and Astronomy
University of California, Irvine

DIRECTORS

Eugene Choi
Betty Martinez Franco
Harason Horowitz
Terry Jones
Mike Kerr
Jennifer Klein
Dr. Tiffany Ana López
Bonnie Lubock
James Mai
Sherry L. K. Main
Jerry Mandel, Ph.D.
Christopher Ramsey
Richard and Cheryll Ruszat
Kathleen Treseder, Ph.D.
Stuart Winston
Anu Worah

HONORARY

Larry Agran
Mayor, City of Irvine
 
Howard Gillman, Ph.D.
Chancellor
University of California, Irvine

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City of Irvine and UC Irvine

Official Health Care Partner
UCI Health

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$50, 000+

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As a partner in the annual National Choreographers Initiative, Irvine Barclay Theatre is also pleased to acknowledge all those who support this important contribution to American dance.

National Choreographers Initiative 2026
Molly Lynch, Artistic Director

Honorary Producer 

Bobbi Cox

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Update as of 7/14/26

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