Mayo Sugano in “Jazz Fever.”

Photo by Peter Samuels

DANVILLE — Diablo Ballet’s annual gala will be held on Saturday, April 5, at 5:30 p.m. at Blackhawk Country Club, 599 Blackhawk Club Dr.

Diablo Ballet is an internationally recognized professional performing dance company committed to enriching, inspiring, enlightening, and educating children and adults through the art of dance.

The company consists of international world-class artists who have performed in such distinguished companies as the Kirov Ballet, Bavarian National Ballet, Ballet Columbia, National Ballet of Venezuela and the San Francisco Ballet.

Through a repertoire of story ballets, original works combined with classical showpieces, and the brilliant, often rare works of George Balanchine, Diablo Ballet’s artists are constantly challenged artistically and technically through the presentation of a large body of dynamic, new works by both emerging and established choreographers.

Called “a prize above rubies” by San Francisco Magazine, Diablo Ballet has enriched the cultural landscape of Contra Costa County since 1994.

Among the dancers are:

• Mayo Sugano, who began her ballet training at Aoyama Ballet School in Tokyo in 1982. From 1992 to 1997, she was on full scholarship at the Academy of Colorado Ballet, and in 1997 she won the scholarship prize in the 25th Prix de Lausanne in Switzerland.

She was awarded a full scholarship to study with San Francisco Ballet School in 1997 and was among the selected students to appear in the documentary video “Encore For Ruby: The Story of an American Ballerina.”

Sugano joined American Ballet Theatre Studio Company in 1998 and danced for two seasons, which included leading roles. She danced with San Francisco Ballet from 2000 to 2004.

Since joining Diablo Ballet in 2005, she has been featured in “The Magic Toy Store,” “Pas de Quatre et Pas de Six,” “Allegro,” and “Earthquake.”

Sugano is also currently a faculty member of City Ballet School in San Francisco.

• Derek Sakakura, a Bay Area native who began his training at The Ballet School in Walnut Creek and has studied with San Francisco Ballet, Houston Ballet, and Sally Streets.

His professional career began in 1997 with a national tour of “The King and I” starring Haley Mills, and he has since performed with companies such as Joffrey Ballet, San Francisco Opera Ballet, Ballet Austin, and most recently, Ballet Met Columbus, where he danced principal roles such the Prince in “Cinderella,” the Cavalier in “Nutcracker,” Puck in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” and in Balanchine’s “Rubies and Stars and Stripes.”

Sakakura’s most recent accomplishments include playing Bernardo in Woodminster’s “West Side Story” and enrolling in St. Mary’s College’s LEAP program.

The gala will feature dinner, auctions, and an exclusive performance by the dancers of Diablo Ballet and the company’s apprentice and professional Intermediate programs, set to a live jazz trio.

Wine tastings will feature wine from Gann Family Cellars and Karmere Winery.

A highlight of the evening will be the presentation of the first annual Patron of the Arts award to former Walnut Creek Mayor Gail Murray for her contributions to the arts in the local community.

Proceeds will benefit Diablo Ballet’s artistic offerings as well as its acclaimed PEEK Program (Performing Arts Education and Enrichment for Kids).

Attire is black tie optional. Individual tickets are $135. Table sponsorships for 10 guests are $3,500. To purchase tickets, call (925) 943-1775. For more information, visit www.diabloballet.org.

About Us | Privacy Policy | Contact Us

All text, graphics, articles & photographs: copyright 2006-2008 by Hokubei Mainichi, Inc.; all rights reserved