Festival Ballet Theatre
and
Artistic Director, Salwa Rizkalla

Present

Swan Lake

Saturday, March 18, 2023 at 7pm
Sunday, March 19, 2023 at 2pm

There will be a 20-minute intermission.

Choreography
Salwa Rizkalla after Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov

Direction
Salwa Rizkalla

Music
Peter I. Tchaikovsky

Lighting Designer & Stage Manager
Natori Cummings-Haynes

Artistic Assistant
Elizabeth Farmen

Repetiteur
Elizabeth Farmen,
Hanna Przyluddzka-Karacic,
Salwa Rizkalla

Costume Design & Construction
Donna Dickens
Heather Lerma
Kaye Michel
Galina Solovyeva

Set Design
Ian Loveall
      Performance Design

Set & Prop Construction
Grosh

Graphic Designers
Marianne Hales
Nicole Reineman
Sayoko Wunsch

Production Coordinator
Chris Schmidt

Company Photographers
Dave Friedman
Skye Schmidt
Rachel Scott

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

WELCOME TO FESTIVAL BALLET THEATRE’S 2023 PRODUCTION OF SWAN LAKE.

Three years after its scheduled debut, Festival Ballet Theatre is thrilled to finally bring audiences this highly anticipated production. In March of 2020, we were forced to shutter Swan Lake two weeks before opening. We tried to open it a second time in October 2020 but had to postpone again due to the ongoing pandemic. We’re excited to finally reveal elaborate new Swan Lake sets designed by scenic designer and graphic artist Ian Loveall.

Join us in giving a warm welcome to our distinguished guest artists who will be dancing the lead roles of Odette/Odile and Prince Siegfried, Ana Sophia Scheller and Gareth Haw. Scheller was a National Ballet of Ukraine Principal and San Francisco Ballet Principal. Haw is First Soloist with Semperoper Ballet in Dresden, Germany, and trained at The Royal Ballet School.

This year, we’re proudly celebrating the 35^th anniversary of Festival Ballet Theatre. I founded Festival Ballet Theatre as a non-profit organization in 1988, and it’s 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 annual Gala of the Stars features international stars from some of the world’s most prestigious dance companies, who perform alongside Festival Ballet Theatre’s own accomplished resident dancers.

Our affiliated ballet school, Southland Ballet Academy, is celebrating its 40^th anniversary this month. The studio has nurtured thousands of dancers since its inception in 1983. It aims to cultivate, train, and inspire an appreciation of classical ballet from beginner to professional dancer.

We are grateful to be opening our 35th season with you, our cherished patrons, friends, and family members. We have flourished over the decades thanks to your generosity and ongoing support. Thank you for coming today and enjoy the iconic Swan Lake.

Salwa Rizkalla
Founder and Artistic Director
Festival Ballet Theatre

Act I

At his castle, Prince Siegfried is celebrating his twenty-first birthday with his friends. The Jester prepares to entertain the guests. The townsfolk and children of the village arrive at the castle with garlands of flowers. The Queen arrives at the celebration and presents Prince Siegfried with a crossbow. She pulls him aside, and reminds him that he must choose a bride from among the ladies invited to the ball taking place the next day. When the Queen leaves, the party continues, but Siegfried stands apart from the group overcome by a vague melancholy. He sees some white swans flying overhead and armed with his new crossbow, he sets out to hunt them in the forest.

Act II

At the banks of a lake near the castle, Rothbart, the evil sorcerer, who is half-man and half-bird, appears from beneath the lake. The Prince arrives and sees a flock of beautiful swans - who are actually young maidens that have been turned into swans by the evil Rothbart. The Prince has already aimed his bow, when the Swan Queen presents herself and tells the Prince that she is really Princess Odette who has been changed into a swan, like her companions. The Princess informs the Prince that she can be set free from the spell by the one who swears eternal love to her. Now deeply in love, Prince Siegfried swears he loves Princess Odette and invites her to the ball. As dawn breaks, the swan-maidens are all turned back into swans.

Act III

A formal celebration is taking place in honor of Prince Siegfried’s birthday. Dancers arrive from many countries to join the festivities. At the ball, the Prince dances with six young ladies who are presented to him. The Queen commands her son to select a bride from the princesses that have been presented. Then with a flourish of trumpets, Rothbart arrives with his daughter, Odile. However, unbeknownst to all at the party, Rothbart has cast a spell to make Odile appear like Odette.

After a display of national dances, Odile and Prince Siegfried dance together. Convinced that Odile is his beloved Princess Odette, Siegfried declares his love to Odile and tells the court he intends to marry her. Then the Prince sees the white spirit of Odette momentarily at the window. Triumphant in their victory, Odile and Rothbart leave the ball. Prince Siegfried, in desperation, returns to the lake to beg Princess Odette’s forgiveness, leaving the Queen and Court in despair.

Act IV

At the lake, the swans dance sadly as they wait for Princess Odette. When she arrives in tears, she falls to the ground among her companions. Prince Siegfried returns to the lake and begs for Odette’s forgiveness, which she grants.

Rothbart arrives and reminds Prince Siegfried of his earlier promise. A fight ensues and Rothbart is destroyed. The evil spell is broken by the power of Siegfried and Odette’s love for each other and all of the swans are released from their enslavement. As the dawn of a new day rises, Prince Siegfried and Princess Odette are united in eternal love.

Act I - The Garden of Prince Siegfried’s Castle

Prince Siegfried 
Gareth Haw

Queen Mother 
Willa Bouwens-Killeen

Ladies in Waiting 
Anjoulie Kempton

Jester  
Lex Ishimoto

Friends of the Prince
Wil Geary, Greyson Hanson, Lucas Matzkin, Ryan Robinson, Natalie Burkley, Mia Frederick, Catherine Gibson, Amanda Luyks, Sydney Madolora, Cassidy Nguyen, Bailey Stenstrom, Towako Wunsch

Village Children
Katarina Carney, Afina Gosla, Johanna Malmskov, Julia Rose O'Brien, Ellie Palka, Wendy Rasmussen, Silvia Snow, Hayden Tran, Alisa Xu

Pas de Trois
Emma Chen, Lucas Matzkin, and Sami Santos (3/18)
Aimee Cho, Sophia Koo, and Ryan Robinson (3/19)

Act II - The Lakeside

Princess Odette 
Ana Sophia Scheller

Prince Siegfried
Gareth Haw

Prince Von Rothbart
Cameron Schwanz

Swan Corps
Brielle Aucoin, Charlotte Bengfort, Natalie Burkley, Halle Chan, Madison Chen, Catherine Gibson, Chloe Im, Zeraphine Jaeckel, Yuma Kainuma, Keira Kuennemann, Sophia Ly, Adella Mehringer, Cassidy Nguyen, Brynn Oh, Daria Podolsky, Julia Prevost, Sheridan Stone, Jocelyn Thomas, Nia Villania, Lee Zucker-Murray

Petite Swans
Aimee Cho, Mia Frederick, Natalie Ho, Sophia Koo (3/18)
Emma Chen, Mia Frederick, Natalie Ho, Towako Wunsch (3/19)

Tall Swan
Amanda Luyks, Sydney Madolora, Bailey Stenstrom (3/18)
Amanda Luyks, Sydney Madolora, Sami Santos (3/19)

-Intermission-

Act III - The Great Hall of Prince Siegfried’s Castle

Odile
Ana Sophia Scheller

Prince Siegfried
Gareth Haw

Jester
Lex Ishimoto

Prince Von Rothbart
Cameron Schwanz

Queen Mother
Willa Bouwens-Killeen

Ladies in Waiting 
Anjoulie Kempton

Brides
Mia Frederick, Catherine Gibson, Yuma Kainuma, Cassidy Nguyen, Daria Podolsky, Lee Zucker-Murray

Spanish Soloists
Sophia Koo (3/18), Sami Santos (3/19) and Lucas Matzkin

Spanish Corps
Keira Kuennemann, Sophia Ly, Adella Mehringer, Zeraphine Jaeckel

Hungarian Soloists
Emma Chen (3/19), Sydney Madolora (3/18) and Greyson Hanson

Hungarian Corps
Halle Chan, Chloe Im, Brynn Oh, Julia Prevost

Neopolitan Soloists
Aimee Cho (3/18), Towako Wunsch (3/19) and Ryan Robinson

Neopolitan Corps
Charlotte Bengfort, Natalie Ho, Madison Chen, Nia Villania

Mazurka Soloists
Amanda Luyks (3/19), Bailey Stenstrom (3/18) and Wil Geary

Mazurka Corps
Brielle Aucoin, Sheridan Stone, Jocelyn Thomas, Hayden Tran

Act IV - The Lakeside

Princess Odette
Ana Sophia Scheller

Prince Siegfried
Gareth Haw

Prince Von Rothbart 
Cameron Schwanz

Swan Corps
Emma Chen, Aimee Cho, Mia Frederick, Catherine Gibson, Yuma Kainuma, Amanda Luyks, Sydney Madolora, Bailey Stenstrom, Towako Wunsch, Lee Zucker-Murray

Swan Duet 
Sophia Koo and Sami Santos

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 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. Festival Ballet Theatre is proud to present the members of FBT Trainees, the professional division students of Southland Ballet Academy 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): Amanda Luyks, Sydney Madolora, Catherine Gibson, Bailey Stenstrom, Cierra Roberts, Hunter Curry

Middle Line (left to right): Aimee Cho, Mia Frederick, Lee Zucker-Murray, Aisha Vaughan, Sami Santos

Front Line (left to right): Adiya Marcus, Rachel Lee, Emma Chen, Towako Wunsch, Cassidy Nguyen, Natalie Burkley

Not Pictured: Elise Cho, Yuma Kainuma, Sophia Koo, Yaya Liu

Back Line (left to right): Brielle Aucoin, Zeraphine Jaeckel, Keira Kuennemann, Olivia Senter, Jocelyn Thomas

Middle Line (left to right): Bella Dinglasan, Michelle Lu, Charlotte Bengfort, Leon Sai, Natalie Ho, Nia Villania, Sheridan Stone

Front Line (left to right): Brynn Oh, Chloe Im, Halle Chan, Aurora Kellogg

Not Pictured: Madison Chen, Amelie Hoang, Sophia Ly, Adella Mehringer, Hailey Van

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

Director’s Circle
$10,000+
Anonymous
James Carter
Salwa & Sabri Rizkalla

Underwriter
$5,000-$9,999
Anonymous
Bobbi Cox
Robert Farnsworth, Sonnettech

Choreographer
$2,500 - $4,999
Anonymous
Nordoff Bengfort
Lydia Ringwald
Jean Wu

Principal
$1,000 - $2,499
Anonymous
Willa Bouwens-Killeen
David & Berit Ling
Carol & Marc MacDonald
Hans & Sayoko Wunsch
Lisa Yamashita

Soloist
$500 - $999
Anonymous
Karen & Thomas Hersh
Teri & Chris Schmidt
Kim Tang & Danh Kuennemann

Artist
$250 - $499
Anonymous
Eve & Luke Aucoin
Miriam & Mark Ellersiek
Estelle & Steve Holder
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Tabea Jaeckel
Julie Kester
The Matsuzaki Family
Tu-Uyen Nguyen
Tracie Rotter
Sara & Ryan Snow
Dona Stenstrom
Angela Tai
Shigehiro & Yuri Takanashi

Apprentice
$100 - $249
Anonymous
Lynda Tsui

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 Swan Lake. 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: Decorations Chair
Kristin Bengfort: Events & Fundraising Chair
Carol Chen: Costume Co-Chair
Jade Hendricks: Alumni Chair
Jan Kempton: Boutique Chair
Haoie Luc: Digital Marketing Chair
Erin Schneider: Public Relations Chair
Stayce Stone: Dessert Hospitality Chair
Megan Webber: Social Media Chair
Sayoko Wunsch: Arts & Crafts Chair
Aya Zucker-Murray: Costume Co-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

Public Partners
City of Irvine and UC Irvine

Official Health Care Partner
UCI Health

Corporate Sponsor
Haskell & White LLP

$50, 000+

Tom and Mayumi Adams

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Worah Family Foundation

$25, 000-$49, 999

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The Richard and Elizabeth Steele Fund

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$10, 000 -$24,999

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$100-$249

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$75 month

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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Barbara Roberts

Michelle Rohé

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Choreographer Sponsor

Terry Causey

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Dancer Sponsor

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Darci Bodin

Bronny Daniels

Roberta Fox

Sharon McNalley

Ivar Roth, Concierge Podiatry & Spa

Katy and Jack Schoellerman

Ann and Richard Sim

Linda and Steve Weitz

Dance Partner

Ellen Fujikawa

Mike Kerr and Jenny Backhaus

Maurice and Alexandra Mandel

Edward McPherson

Rita Mitchell

Mitsuhiko and Reiko Nakano

Dr. Janice Gudde Plastino

Rosalind Russell

Joseph Sheridan

Dan & Jeanne Stokols

Robert Strang

Mary Vensel White

Update as of 7/14/26

DONATE TODAY

Please consider making a donation to support the work of the National Choreographers Initiative. We need your contributions to support the dancers and choreographers involved in the project. Be an angel to the arts-dance! Thank you!

Send your donation to: NCI 3334 E. Coast Hwy #276, Corona del Mar CA 92625