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46 Beachwood Buzz
n
October 2014
A
New Cleveland Ballet
T
he Cleveland Ballet was formed in 1972.
Beginning with a dance school, School
of Cleveland Ballet, Cleveland Ballet
recruited a professional company that first
performed in 1976. In 1979, the company
presented its first full-length story ballet, The
Nutcracker, which quickly became an annual
Cleveland holiday tradition. Full-length pro-
ductions of Coppelia, Romeo and Juliet, and
Swan Lake were added to the repertory, and
in 1983, a co-venture, the Cleveland San Jose
Ballet, was born in California.
Despite generous support from institutions
and individuals, financial problems forced the
company to seek innovative methods of sur-
vival. Following a successful campaign in 1992
to retire debt, a partnership with Atlanta Ballet
and Ballet Nuevo Mundo de Caracas, in which
the two companies would share productions
and dancers, was formed. The Ballet continued
to struggle financially throughout the 1990s.
After a failed tour in 1999 and subsequent
financial crises, the organization's board of
trustees made the decision to cease opera-
tions in July 2000, just prior to the organiza-
tion's 25th anniversary.
Immediately after the departure of Cleve-
land San Jose Ballet, Gladisa Guadalupe, for-
mer principal dancer of the CSJB, established
Cleveland School of Dance, whose name was
recently changed to School of Cleveland Bal-
let. The next logical step to achieve the dream
to re-establish a resident ballet company was

to continue training local talent; Cleveland
Ballet Youth Company was formed.
The Youth Company's mission is to be the
feeding source of the future professional
dancers for the new Cleveland Ballet.
Because of the immense talent and passion
for dance, a new board of advisors is re-estab-
lishing a resident ballet company along with
its own Cleveland Ballet Orchestra. Headed
by Alexandra Preucil, assistant concert master
of The Cleveland Orchestra, the orchestra
members are musicians form The Cleveland
Orchestra.
Leading this initiative as the board's CEO
is Beachwood resident Dr. Michael Krasnyan-
sky, who said, "Under the expertise of artistic
director Gladisa Guadalupe, the Cleveland
Ballet is the leading ballet school in Northeast
Ohio. The faculty of School of Cleveland Ballet
is comprised of former professional dancers.
Our core faculty educates, guides and shares
its knowledge and experiences with our new
talent."
When asked to chair this advisory board,
Krasnyansky agreed, but only if the group's
mission was to think big and thrive.
"We are on the right track and strongly
believe that the city of Cleveland will greatly
benefit from a resident professional ballet
company. On April 25 (2014), we had our very
first successful collaborative performance with
dancers and musicians at Playhouse Square. It
is our mission and commitment to bring to
life a new arts organization, a new Cleveland
Ballet."
The Cleveland Ballet will be performing at
the International Community Day, October 12,
11 a.m. ­ 4 p.m., at the Cleveland Museum of
Art, another opportunity for Cleveland Ballet
Youth Company to showcase the talent of
locally trained ballet dancers. Throughout the
day, community artists' groups will perform
and showcase their talents and artistry. Per-
formance times may be found under events at
www.clevelandarts.org.
Also, the Cleveland Ballet's 3rd Black and
White Gala, a fundraising event for the re-es-
tablishment of a resident professional ballet
company in Cleveland, will be held October 17
at Executive Caterers at Landerhaven.
If you love professional performances
of classical ballet performances with a live
orchestra, please visit www.clevelandballet.
org to learn more about upcoming events and
how to become involved.
BHS 50-Year Reunion
T
he Beachwood High School
(BHS) class of 1964 held its
50-year reunion on Satur-
day, July 12, at Shaker Heights
Country Club.
The class produced four couples,
all still married, three of which still
live in Beachwood. They are Mayor
Merle S. Gorden and Harriet We-
ingart Gorden (two children grad-
uated from BHS), Eddie Leventhal
and Laurie Pesselman Leventhal
(Springfield, Ohio residents), James
Heller and Barbara Weiner Heller
(three children graduated from
BHS), and Chuck Amato and Linda
Iacobucci Amato (three children
graduated from BHS).
Two additional classmates, Su-
san Myers Mezi and Mel Jacobs,
also live in Beachwood; and three
classmates, Tom Faranda, James
Heller and Sharon Solwitz were
inducted in the BHS Gallery of
Success.
Classmates reminisced about
Kennedy's presidency and his
assassination during their senior
year,when the Beatles came to the
U.S., and when man first stepped
on the moon.
They also shared memories
of Eddie Leventhal's being class
president; Dennis Kaufman's driv-
ing a Jaguar to the high school;
and when there was no school
for a month due to a snow storm
before winter break in December,
1962.
They had a sing-a-long, singing
the Beachwood fight song that was
written by Alex Shapiro, who also
came up with the white and gold
colors for their alma mater.
"When reflecting on high school,
we recognize how exciting it really
was," Barbara Heller told us. "We
were just the fourth BHS graduat-
ing class and enjoyed reminiscing
about our past."
Mayor Merle S. Gorden, Harriet Weingart Gorden, Ed Leventhal, Laurie
Pesselman Leventhal, Barbara Weiner Heller and Jim Heller.