Gala de Danza

d, one night only sold-out performance was produced by Los Cabos resident Christina Lyon, formerly of American Ballet Theatre and English National Ballet, in collaboration with Lulu Téllez of Danza Téllez, Cabo's premier ballet school. A year in the making, "Gala de Danza" was designed to bring the world's elite artists to Mexico in an event to enrich the community. According to Lyon, "Rarely are people given the opportunity to see artists of this caliber together on one stage; and not just here in Los Cabos, but anywhere in the world." Partners of Gala de Danza included Ron Hatfield, President of Del Mar Development, developer of luxury residential resort community Villas Del Mar where Lyon is a resident. Hatfield said "Del Mar was thrilled to be part of this cultural event which brought the Los Cabos community together and showcased such world-renowned talent." Over 14 numbers were performed from a variety of dance genres, including classical ballet, contemporary Latin dance, and ballroom dancing. Luminaries on the dance roster included: Irina Dvorovenko, and Maxim Beloserkovsky from American Ballet Theatre; Bolshoi trained ballerina Maria Kotchekova and Joan Boada, both Principal dancers with San Francisco Ballet; Blackpool Rising Star International Latin Champions Dmitry Kurakin and Violetta Kurakina; Seth Orza and Leta Biasucci from Pacific Northwest Ballet; Damien Smith and Clara Blanco also from San Francisco Ballet; International Ballroom Standard Champions Mihkail Avdeev and Olga Blinova; Seth Belliston and Season Winquest of the newly formed Barak Ballet in Los Angeles; and Gillian George, a Youth America Grand Prix New York finalist and Boston Ballet scholarship recipient. A highlight of the event was when local resident Mariana Carrillo joined the international stars on stage, illustrating the technique she honed as a student at Danza Téllez. Carrillo will continue to study under Lyon as well as Southland Ballet in California this fall. "It was amazing to see a standing ovation after each performance," said Lyon. "That right there proved that there's an un-tapped audience for dance in Los Cabos. Now that we've created so much excitement and buzz in the community, we're looking to continue the event as an annual tradition. I think that in years to come, audiences from all over the world will fly in to see this. To be able to say you went to Los Cabos on holiday and witnessed some of the greatest superstars in dance today is such a unique experience. It's beautiful artistry in an extraordinary place!"

According to Lyon, close to 300 local children and students waited after the show to get autographs from the dancers and meet them in person. In the days following the show, fans would stop the dancers in the street, asking them to sign their program. "One of the reasons for this event was to encouage Téllez's students to see what artists do; to make them hungry and eager to see that they too can have a career in dance. Showing students the possibilities - and bringing the arts to Cabo - has been emotionally rewarding for the dancers as well," explained Lyon. "After the show, everyone was saying to each other, 'Same time next year?'"

Los Cabos' Mayor José Antonio Agundez Montaño was on hand to welcome the audience and dancers, offering increased support for cultural events of this nature in the city going forward. He also presented an award to Lyon and Téllez in gratitude for bringing this event to the people of Los Cabos. Del Mar Development welcomed the performers on their first night in Los Cabos with a beach party, and hosted the post event cocktail party at its private beach club, Club Ninety Six as a thank you to everyone involved.