Two American Ballet Theatre International Superstars Skylar Brandt & Herman Cornejo Join San Antonio Children’s Ballet in Sleeping Beauty
The Children’s Ballet of San Antonio Collab with two American Ballet Theatre International Superstars Skylar Brandt and Herman Cornejo in the production, Sleeping Beauty, playing at the Majestic on May 12 and 13 over Mother’s Day weekend.
Under the watchful eye of founder and eight-time Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) Outstanding Teacher Award winner Vanessa Bessler, The Children’s Ballet of San Antonio (CBSA) has become notorious for launching San Antonio dancers onto international stages. But, with her upcoming production of Sleeping Beauty, Bessler is flipping the script by putting acclaimed international dancers in the Alamo City spotlight.
In an extraordinary collaboration between CBSA and the American Ballet Theatre (ABT), Principal Dancers Skylar Brandt and Herman Cornejo will share their remarkable talents with San Antonio for the first time in this classic fairytale. These epic performances will take place Friday, May 12, and Saturday, May 13, at the beautiful Majestic Theatre.
“This is a rare opportunity for our local youth to perform with these critically acclaimed world-class artists,” says Bessler proudly, adding that the CBSA dancers are “beyond thrilled” for this chance of a lifetime. “It is very exciting to have these superstar artists pairing up with our local superstars-in-the-making.”
WHERE: The Majestic Theatre
224 E. Houston Street
San Antonio, TX 78205
WHEN: Fri., May 12, 7 p.m.
Sat., May 13, 2 p.m.
Sat. May 13, 7 p.m.
Tickets are available on the Children’s Ballet of San Antonio Website.
Patrons won’t want to miss this extraordinary opportunity to see these stars align in May!
THE STORY
The CBSA production of Sleeping Beauty has all the romance, enchantment, and beauty you would expect from this classic fairytale, told through the magic of dance. The story opens with the christening of the beautiful Princess Aurora, who receives a curse from the evil fairy Carabosse. The curse states that Aurora will fall into a deep sleep on her sixteenth birthday, which, in this reimagining, is a Quincenera. The only thing that can awaken the princess from her slumber is a kiss from her one true love.
A talented cast of roughly 200 young CBSA artists will bring the characters and story to life through creative performances. The performers, ages 3-19, include internationally acclaimed classical dancers, gymnasts, actors, vocalists, special needs artists, and other exceptional young people. Filled with spectacular digital and physical scenery, live music, grand special effects, and interactive elements, CBSA’s Sleeping Beauty will expose audience members of all ages to an enchanting world where love conquers all.
THE SPECIAL GUEST STARS
In addition to the talented San Antonio cast, Sleeping Beauty marks the San Antonio debut of two ABT Principal Dancers, who have years of national and international experience and have received numerous awards, recognitions, and distinctions for their talent and skill.
Originally from New York, Skyler Brandt has been dancing since the age of six, studying under some of the biggest names in the industry. Her extensive training includes the ABT Jacqueline Onassis Kennedy School from 2005-2009 and five summers at the ABT New York Summer Intensive. Her impressive credentials include a Bender Foundation Scholarship, and she is a two-time YAGP silver medalist. Brandt joined the ABT Studio Company in 2009 and worked her way up over the next ten years to become a Principal Dancer with the main company in 2020. She has performed in numerous productions, dancing the coveted roles of Odette/Odile in Swan Lake, Clara, the Princess in Alexei Ratmansky’s The Nutcracker, and Giselle in Giselle. Named to the 2022 Forbes “30 under 30” list of leaders and entrepreneurs, Brandt was featured in the 2013 film, Ballet’s Greatest Hits, and her performances on the Russian television program Big Ballet earned the accomplished dancer an unprecedented Special Jury Award in 2018.
Brandt is joined on stage by fellow ABT Principal Dancer Herman Cornejo, an Argentinian who began dancing at the age of eight at the prestigious Instituto Superior de Arte in Buenos Aires. Named Dancer of the Year by The New York Times and Latin Idol by Hispanic Magazine, Cornejo has accumulated an impressive number of awards and distinctions throughout his illustrious career. The youngest dancer in the history of the VIII International Dance Competition in Moscow to win the Gold Medal at the age of 16, Cornejo was a Principal Dancer with Ballet Argentino before joining ABT in 1999. He has danced with companies worldwide, including the National Ballet of Japan and the New York City Ballet, using his incredible power and grace to bring hundreds of recognizable roles to life, including the Nutcracker Prince in Alexei Ratmansky’s The Nutcracker and Romeo in Romeo and Juliet.
THE LOCAL RISING STARS
By bringing these two dancers to San Antonio, former Prima Ballerina and CBSA founder Vanessa Bessler continues with her commitment to providing young performers the chance to train with the best of the best, from Master Ballet Teachers to the most talented local choreographers. Bessler is world-renowned for discovering and cultivating young, local talent. Under her tutelage, these elite artists have had the privilege to train in some of the world’s best academies, including the Royal Ballet School in London, the Bolshoi Ballet in Russia, and the School of American Ballet in New York City, to name a few. Through recognition, awards, and scholarships from the most prestigious ballet competitions and schools in the world for many of its dancers, CBSA has elevated San Antonio to the world stage, making it a strong player in the performing arts world. But awards and accolades aside, CBSA is unique in that it is the only professional-level dance company in Texas to offer lead roles to dancers as young as eight-years-old. Designed to bridge the gap between young students and professional dancers, it serves as a gateway for young artists interested in pursuing a professional dance career, helping to point their toes towards success.
