Alyssah Hall
The Lewis Family Playhouse partnered with The Inland Pacific Ballet (IPB) to present their rendition of William Shakespeare’s popular comedic play, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” at The Victoria Gardens Cultural Center on April 25 and 26. The performance stayed true to the play’s focus of magic mishaps, entangled lovers, and silly humor with their added spin of enchanting dance and music.
The Lewis Family Playhouse volunteers gave out flower crowns to audience members before the performance started and strung flowers in the lobby specifically to accompany the event. Many families and attendees of all ages attended the ballet and shared many laughs together throughout the show. The background set showcased a vibrant forest at midnight with colorful lighting shining at different points throughout the performance. There was a whimsical score composed in the 1800s by Felix Mendelssohn to help transport the audience to a fantastical world along with the vivid and fanciful costumes the dancers wore.
The cultural center opened in Rancho Cucamonga in 2006 with the vision to be a premier performing arts center in the I.E. and remains as a community entertainment space for local events, live performances and education. The center is home to the 560-seat performing arts theatre, Lewis Family Playhouse and the Paul A. Biane Library.
IPB was founded over 30 years ago by Southern California natives Victoria Koenig and Kevin Frank Myers. Their mission is to sustain a professional ballet company in the I.E. that is devoted to producing wonderfully staged productions and presenting the best in contemporary choreography. Koenig and Myers built IPB into the premier ballet company of the I.E.and it is known for its rich repertoire. The company has been performing at the Lewis Family Playhouse as one of its many Southern California venues since 2010.
“Bringing ballet to the Lewis Family Playhouse is an essential part of how we build a season that is dynamic, balanced, and artistically rich. Ballet has endured for centuries for a reason. It is timeless, visually powerful, and brings stories to life with elegance, precision, and emotional depth,” said Kevin Shimko, Entertainment Superintendent at the Lewis Family Playhouse.
This ballet version of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” centers four young lovers who wander into an enchanted forest, where fairies and magical trickery turn love and reason upside down. Spells are cast by mischievous fairies that leave many of the characters with confused hearts and lighthearted chaos ensues. The performance featured IPB’s Company Dancers including Kelsey Dorr as Queen Titania who is queen of the fairies, Ahlias Tiamzon who plays the show’s humorous trickster Puck, and special guest dancer, Reece Taylor, former IPB Company Member, who played King Oberon, king of the fairies. The ballet was choreographed by performer, choreographer and educator, Laurence Blake and concluded with a happy ending. At the end of the ballet, the spells were broken at sunrise and the four lovers’ hearts were set back on their rightful partners.
Taylor, who reprised his role as King Oberon,is originally from Fontana and began his ballet training at age 18, starting with IPB in 2005 and leaving the company in 2024. At IPB, Taylor rapidly rose through the ranks from -Academy Apprentice to Principal and eventually achieved the role of Ballet Master, helping the company in its artistic and technical growth.
“I was asked to dance King Oberon earlier in March. Since I knew I would be on a short break from my current company, Golden State Ballet, I was able to be a part of this production. Coming back to perform with IPB always feels like home,” Taylor shared.
One of Taylor’s favorite parts of the performance was dancing to Mendelssohn because to him, the music is ethereal and romantic. Taylor shared that learning the choreography was a bit tricky due to the speed and precision of the steps, but once he became more comfortable, he found the dance to be more enjoyable.
“ I hope that the audience will be transported by the music and wowed by the intricate pointe work of the dancers. Also, there are many memorable characters that will keep them entertained,” Taylor said.
The next performance for IPB at the Lewis Family Playhouse will be a recital of “Sleeping Beauty” ballet on June 13.