The West Coast Premiere of ‘Spring Awakening’
Broadway’s most talked about new musical and the biggest Tony Award-winner in years is coming to San Diego. Spring Awakening, the 8-time Tony Award winning Broadway musical, will open at the historic Balboa Theatre and play for two and a half weeks August 15-31. Presented by Broadway/San Diego ~ A Nederlander Presentation, the San Diego engagement will be the West Coast premiere of Spring Awakening, and the first major Broadway production to play in the newly renovated Balboa Theatre in its 84-year history. Spring Awakening swept the 2007 Tony Awards winning eight out of its eleven nominations, including Best Musical, Best Director (Michael Mayer), Best Book (Steven Sater), Best Choreography (Bill T. Jones), Best Orchestrations (Duncan Sheik), Best Lighting Design (Kevin Adams), Best Featured Actor (John Gallagher Jr.).

Malashock Thinks You Can Dance 2008
SAN DIEGO -- MALASHOCK THINKS YOU CAN DANCE ’08, taking place on Sept. 13 at the Irwin M. Jacobs Qualcomm Hall, already has everyone in a whirl over who will be tripping the light fantastic in this celebrity dance competition. Playing off the huge success of last year’s unique fundraiser, Malashock Dance asked Kristy Gregg to again chair the sequel for this year. Mary Murphy, owner/director of Champion Ballroom Academy and a celebrity judge and choreographer for FOX TV’s So You Think You Can Dance, will be back and the line-up of celebrity participants will be announced soon. For updates and information, visit www.malashockdance.org or call (619) 260-1622. Support for The Malashock Dance School and for Malashock Dance is provided by The San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture, The County of San Diego, The James Irvine Foundation, Qualcomm, The California Arts Council, The National Endowment for the Arts, The Weingart-Price Fund of the San Diego Foundation, The Parker Foundation, The Mandell-Weiss Charitable Trust, The Tippett Foundation, and San Diego National Bank.

Coronado School of the Arts Foundation Sets Date for Annual Auction and Gala
CORONADO, Calif. -- The Coronado School of The Arts (CoSA) Foundation has announced that its 10th Annual Gala and Auction will be held April 12 at the new Irwin M. Jacobs Qualcomm Hall in Sorrento Valley, a state-of-the-art multipurpose venue that opened last year. With a “Denim and Diamonds” theme, this year’s special fundraising gala and live auction is being staged by CoSA’s Foundation to benefit the school’s award-winning creative and performing arts programs. According to Geneva Middlebrook, co-chair of this year’s event, the food and music-filled evening gets underway with a reception featuring refreshments, an array of hors d’oeuvres and a silent auction; followed by a dessert buffet and entertainment -- including a lively musical revue created and performed by a talented cast of CoSA high school students. Work by CoSA Students, including digital media such as website design, and paintings, sculptures and drawings will also be on display. Ticket prices for the gala are $85 each. Packages of 10 tickets can be purchased for $750. Tickets and information for this year’s event can be found on the CoSA Foundation Web site at www.cosafoundation.org or by calling the CoSA office at (619) 522-4050.

Dancing for the Camera: Call for Entries
The American Dance Festival calls for innovators to step forward with submissions for the 13th annual Dancing for the Camera: International Festival of Film and Video Dance. Showcasing the best of fusions between cinematographic skill and choreographic vision, Dancing for the Camera has screened to international audiences more than 250 dance films by filmmakers from over 20 countries. Directed by dance filmmaker and curator, Douglas Rosenberg, the 2008 festival will take place July 11-13, in conjunction with the ADF’s 75th Anniversary. Seeking high artistic quality, all entries will be adjudicated in one of four categories by a panel of jurors whose selections will screen at the festival. Certificates of Distinction will be awarded to works of exceptional merit. Submissions should align with one of the following areas:

• Choreography for the Camera: original work made specifically for video or film or re-staged for the camera.
• Documentaries: productions that include interviews or other educational elements in addition to choreography.
• Experiment and Digital Technologies: work that extends the boundaries of dance and can exist only in video, film, or new technologies.
• Student Work: submissions produced while the filmmakers were students or by current students.

San Diego Ballet Company Announces Annual Fundraiser
SAN DIEGO -- The San Diego Ballet (SDB) will present its annual fundraiser on May 17, 2008. This year’s event, IN STUDIO, will take place at SDB’s new home, Dance Place San Diego. IN STUDIO will feature a silent auction, live auction, balloon pop, opportunity drawing, guest entertainers and a special Progressive Performance. Presented in the manner of a progressive dinner, attendees to the Progressive Performance will be assigned a dance card, traveling from studio to studio for a series of dances created and/or arranged for the evening by SDB artistic director Javier Velasco. Dances will feature in unique divertissments and sneak previews of SDB’s 2008-9 season. IN STUDIO will be held on May 17 from 6pm-9pm. Ticket prices are $45 for tickets purchased prior to May 12; $55 after May 12; and at the door. For tickets, call (619) 294-7311.

Voices of San Diego Dance Theater
Two Evenings to Feature Exciting Work from Leading Choreographers Jean Isaac’s company of dancers, known for their fresh, edgy, diverse and physical work, will present two evenings of dance by leading choreographers. “Voices of San Diego Dance Theater” will feature the work of Jean Isaacs, Keith Johnson, Sadie Weinberg/Greg Lane, Bradley Lundberg, Wendy Rogers and a world premiere solo choreographed by Jean Isaacs for Bay Area dancer Lauren Slater. Highlighting the program is a new work for the company by critically acclaimed dance innovator Joe Goode. The two evenings of modern dance will also include a reprise of Isaac’s “Satie Suite,” based on music composed by French composer and pianist, Erik Satie. The well-received piece had its world premiere at the recent Cabaret Dances. Additional pieces include premieres by company members Sadie Weinberg, Greg Lane and Bradley Lundberg. Lighting is by advanced design students in the SDSU theater program under the direction of Professor Craig Wolf.