Ballet Arte
Building on Classical Beliefs

More than four years ago, Sara Viale, a native of Torino, Italy, and Erlends Zieminch, born in Riga, Latvia, bought Ballet Arte Academy of Classical Ballet, expanding the classes and guiding students with a strong passion and love of dance.

Viale, who graduated from the prestigious Academie de la Danse Princess Grace in Monaco, Monte Carlo, was accepted at the Compagnia di Danza Nuovo Torino, and later joined the renowned Italian company Aterballetto. Uwe Sholz, director of the Zurich Ballet, asked her to join his company, where she performed solo and principal roles. After, Eldar Aliev, former principal Kirov star and director of Ballet Internationale, discovered her talent. Viale moved to Indianapolis where she was rapidly promoted to principal dancer.

Many roles were created especially for her, and she fast became an audience favorite. Her critically acclaimed performances have also been reviewed in Japanese and Russian ballet magazines. Her photographs have been featured on covers of magazines, commercials for Capezio, postcards and newspapers. She was named "The Artist to Watch" by Indianapolis Monthly magazine.

Her repertoire includes: Odette/Odile in Swan Lake; Kitri in Don Quixote; Sugar Plum Fairy in the Nutcracker; Carmen, Phaedra in the Fleming Flindt production The Firebird; Terpsichore in Balanchine's Apollo; and many other classical, romantic and neoclassical ballets. (To read the complete article, please see the August/September 2008 issue of Dance San Diego.)

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