Sue Bell, Decadent Images

Rising star Haley Henderson returns to AAB from the Royal Danish Ballet, partnering with her on-stage and real-life Prince, Easton Smith

Sue Bell, Decadent Images

Haley Henderson and Easton Smith in "The Sleeping Beauty"

Ms. Henderson Dances Role of the Princess with her real-life Prince, Easton Smith

Ventura, CA. Ventura area ballet audiences are in for a splendid treat when the talented and elegant Haley Henderson returns to Ventura's All American Ballet Company from the Royal Danish Ballet and Ballet San Jose as a guest artist in the Company's upcoming production of Peter Tchaikovsky's great classical ballet, The Sleeping Beauty, on May 31 and June 1. Stunning in stature and regal in movement, Haley performs the demanding lead role of Princess Aurora, partnering with Easton Smith, her wedded Prince and partner in life as well as on stage.

Haley Henderson's real-life fairy tale began in 1991 when she started ballet training at the age of eight and continued until the age of sixteen in Ventura with Clarissa Boeriu, renowned founder and former artistic director of All American Ballet Company and School. From the age of twelve, she attended and received full scholarships to summer ballet programs including Pacific Northwest Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Cleveland Ballet, San Jose Ballet, Hartford Ballet and Houston Ballet. In 2000, she was one of fifteen dancers chosen from around the world to attend the Royal Danish Ballet's summer program on full scholarship, culminating in being the only one hired by the Company. In 2006 she was chosen to represent the Royal Danish Ballet for nine weeks with American Ballet Theatre during their Metropolitan Opera House season.

Haley met her real-life Prince, Easton Smith, at Ballet San Jose when he was hired to partner her by artistic director, Dennis Nahat, a few months after Haley joined the Company in October 2006. They began dating shortly thereafter and were married here Ventura on June 2, 2007. Their performance in The Sleeping Beauty will celebrate their first wedding anniversary!

The Sleeping Beauty is one of the great ballet creations of the nineteenth century, its musical score by Peter Tchaikovsky. The premier performance took place in St. Petersburg in 1890, choreographed by Marius Petipa. Since then, Petipa's choreography has become the most recognized choreography in the ballet world.

AAB's production of The Sleeping Beauty is staged by Russian-born and -trained artistic co-director, Olga Tchekachova, based on Petipa's choreography. As one of the most difficult classical ballets to produce, not many choreographers are able to stage it. With her extraordinary Russian training and performing experience, Ms. Tchekachova brings this historic ballet to our community, making a significant contribution to Ventura's arts audiences and our young dancers.

Performing on stage with Haley Henderson and Easton Smith, will be AAB's artistic co-director, Sayat Asatryan, in concert with professional guest artists, Chelsy Meiss, Askar Alimbetov and internationally-recognized ballet teacher, choreographer and performer from St. Peterburg, Russia, Valeri Tchekachev. Dancing side by side with these professionals will be sixty young dancers from All American Ballet.

Founded in 2002, All American Ballet Company is a non-profit corporation that operates a classical ballet school, conducts public performances, and educates youth and the larger community about classical ballet. In its six years of existence, AAB has delivered to the community high quality performances, with its productions of The Nutcracker, Fairy Doll, Hansel and Gretel, and Peter and the Wolf at Ventura College Theatre. AAB offers outreach programs to many area schools, last spring presenting Peter and the Wolf matinees in two fully-staged performances at VCT, attended by more than 850 students. AAB is the only ballet company that performs in the city of Ventura and the only ballet school in the area that is non-profit.

Since its inception, All American Ballet has produced an extraordinary number of students - 30 in all -- who have received scholarships, awards, and career acceptances from major ballet companies and universities in the country - a number that is unmatched by any other area ballet company.

All American Ballet's production of The Sleeping Beauty will be presented in two shows, on Saturday, May 31 at 5:30 p.m. and again on Sunday, June 1 at 2:00 p.m. at the Buena High School Auditorium at 5670 Telegraph Road. Tickets are available by calling 650-6316 or online at AllAmericanBallet.org. Ticket prices are $20 for adults and $15 for children. Group discount rates are also available.