Local ballet dancers to perform along touring professionals at World Ballet Festival

For the first time , Spokane is hosting the World Ballet Festival. This festival will bring in dancers from cities around the country, like New York, Los Angeles, Boston, San Francisco and internationally known dancers from around the world.

The tour thus far has visited Minneapolis and will come to the First Interstate Center for the Arts on Saturday. The tour will then continue to Detroit and finish in San Diego, California.

Many scenes from iconic performances will be featured in the festival, such as “Swan Lake,” “The Nutcracker,” “Romeo and Juliet,” “Don Quixote” and “Cinderella.”

There are about 20 dancers who will perform, including guest dancers Roman Mejia and Tiler Peck from the New York City Ballet, as well as local ballet students from Ballet Arts Academy in Spokane and Company Ballet School in Spokane Valley.

Molly Pitts, Kimberleigh Smith, Abigail Trudel, Eli Waunch and Maddie Wilson from Ballet Arts Academy will perform “Grateful.”

Olga Loktev, Tanna Harrison, Keala Quisano, Drew Hilbrich and Celeste Bidwell Williams from Company Ballet School will perform “Serenity.”

Three ballet students from Company Ballet School will also give solo performances. Loktev will perform “Prelude in E Minor,” Harrison will perform “Black Swan Variation” from “Swan Lake” and Reagan DeRuyter will perform “Variation” from “Paquita.”

Not only will audiences get to see the best of what the World Ballet Company has to offer, but the best of what Spokane’s ballet scene has to offer as well.

Tickets can be purchased on the World Ballet Company website at worldballetcompany.com or at FirstInterstateCenter.org for $36-$95.