Knights of the Round Table, King Arthur, Merlin and Queen Guinevere are everyday discussion topics for Artistic Director Kim Maselli, as are conversations about fairies, dragons and squires.
Pacific Festival Ballet presents the legend of “Camelot” in a new and exciting production at the Bank of America Performing Arts Center on Saturday, May 16 at 2 p.m.
This is not a creative first for the company. Hollywood Composer Eric Allaman and Maselli have joined forces for almost 2 decades. In 2007, the duo premiered “The Sea Princess,” and in 2010, “Noah’s Ark.” These innovative full-length productions push the boundaries of traditional ballet by featuring original music, aerial performers and mixed media scenery.
“What excites me about our original work is to see the overwhelming response from the ballet novice and enthusiast alike,” says Maselli. “My goal is to inspire new ballet audiences by bringing this beautiful art form into the 21st century with a fresh twist. There is nothing old or stuffy about our ballets!”
The creative journey into Camelot has been a long road. With the successful premiere in 2019, the Covid shutdown left original productions such as “Camelot” sitting on the sidelines. Ten years ago, Allaman and Maselli sat down to embark on their third 90-minute score researching and gathering data on the legend of Camelot, which was critical to creating a storyline suitable for the stage and telling this familiar story without dialogue. Once the scenes and characters were structured, the next 9 months were spent building themes, melodies and intentions for the score.
“Kim and I spent quite a bit of time breaking down the scenes of the ballet and determining central characters and storylines,” explains Allaman. “Our ballets have a scored feel to them very much like a movie, so this creates an opportunity for the performers to story tell as well as dance.”
Through patron support and community fundraising, Pacific Festival Ballet sent Allaman to Russia two times to record the score of “The Sea Princess” and “Noah’s Ark” with a 50-piece orchestra. During the summer of 2016, PFB sent Allaman out once again, this time to Macedonia to record the melodic score of “Camelot.”
“Few regional ballet companies have the creative and financial resources to launch into original projects such as these,” says Maselli. “I feel grateful for the opportunity to bring ‘Camelot’ to the stage for our performers as well as for our community.”
Joining Forces
Community support for Pacific Festival Ballet is felt both on and off stage. Talented individuals from all aspects of the theatrical world are combining their abilities to bring “Camelot” to life.
With a cast of 80 dancers, over 100 costumes have been purchased or made by local professional seamstresses and volunteers. Every Saturday there is a bustle of activity at California Dance Theatre, the training school of Pacific Festival Ballet, where studios are filled with rehearsing dancers and the upstairs loft transforms into a creative workshop. Costumes are fitted and embellished, medieval capes tailored and trimmed, fairy wings attached and molded.
Several enchanting elements of Camelot are the stallions belonging to the Knights of the Round Table as well as the mystical winged creatures that mingle with the citizens of the land. Elaborate headpieces have been designed and built by experienced and rising artists.
“When these eight stallions gallop across the stage, I want the audience to gasp and feel as if they are transported to an English countryside,” says Community Designer Paige Loter.
With “Camelot” returning to the stage, it is everyone’s goal to get the word out.
“This original masterpiece is a theatrical experience created by our community and for our community,” says veteran theatre producer and PFB supporter Mark Reyes. “Everyone needs to come to the Bank of America Performing Arts Center to witness the brilliance of this original production and experience the wealth of talent in the Conejo Valley.”
To purchase tickets, visit the Bank of America Performing Arts Center box office or Ticketmaster. Learn more at PacFestBallet.org.