Meet the Westside Students Performing With American Ballet Theatre Star Calvin Royal III

This is a paid post contributed by a Patch Community Partner. The views expressed in this post are the author's own, and the information presented has not been verified by Patch.

---

When American Ballet Theatre principal dancer Calvin Royal III steps onto the Eli and Edythe Broad Stage this weekend for Westside Ballet of Santa Monica's Masters of Movement Gala, he will be joined by more than 20 student dancers from Mar Vista, Venice, and Marina del Rey.

The students come from schools including Ocean Charter School, Venice High School, Geffen Academy, and John Adams Middle School, but they all train together at Westside School of Ballet, the oldest ballet school in Los Angeles, co-founded in 1967 by New York City Ballet's Yvonne Mounsey and Royal Ballet's Rosemary Valaire.

The pairing reflects the theme of Westside Ballet's 2026 spring season: that ballet continues to grow by welcoming dancers from many backgrounds and experiences.

Royal himself followed an unconventional path. He began formal ballet training at age 14 and, just two years later, became a Youth America Grand Prix finalist on a full scholarship to American Ballet Theatre. Today he is one of the few Black principal dancers at a major American ballet company.

For Charlotte Sachs, 18, this weekend marks one of her final performances with Westside Ballet. "As a senior, I reflect upon my time at Westside fondly. As I pursue a career in contemporary dance, I can acknowledge both the grace and grit that ballet has instilled in me. I will miss my Westside Ballet family more than anything!"

Fellow senior Koko Miyamoto, 17, of Marina del Rey, is a featured soloist in Paquita. Koko graduates from Geffen Academy this spring and heads to Northeastern University this fall. This weekend marks her final performance with the company.

Two other Marina del Rey dancers join Koko on stage: Luna Alatorre, 14, performs in Les Sylphides and Rich Man's Frug, while Mackenzie Olesky, 11, appears in “Peasant Dances” from Giselle.

Other young dancers point to lessons learned through training.

Kaya Fleming-Cordon, 13, who performs in the Giselle Peasant Dances, recalled overcoming a difficult period in class. "Not that long ago I was struggling with certain flexibility ranges and I felt I wasn't good enough to keep going," she said. "So I started stretching more and more until I reached my goal and it felt so good that I never thought of giving up."

Twelve-year-old Alix Weissbecker Kushner credits a simple correction from her teachers: "The one detail my teachers gave me was to use my core and glutes," she said. "This correction helped with not only my balance, but also avoid injuries and numerous other things."

Several performers come from Ocean Charter School in Mar Vista, including fifth-graders Billie White and Freja Kiel, who dance in the Children's Polonaise from Paquita, and eighth-grader Heath Olvera, who appears in Faust, Les Sylphides, and the Giselle “Peasant Dances”.

Venice High School student Kali Solomon, 17, will perform in both Paquita and George Balanchine's Who Cares?, while 10-year-olds Savannah Heffernan and Sylvie Buchholz appear in My Favourite Things, a new ballet choreographed by Westside faculty member Katarzynka Kropinski.

Westside Ballet's nonprofit model emphasizes accessibility, offering scholarships to students whose families could not otherwise afford training. This weekend's performances bring that mission full circle, placing local students on stage alongside one of ballet's biggest stars.

Westside Ballet of Santa Monica's Masters of Movement performances run May 29–31 at the Eli and Edythe Broad Stage at the Santa Monica College Performing Arts Center. Spring Showcase tickets are $50 and Gala tickets are $195. More information is available at westsideballet.com/SpringTix.

---

This post is an advertorial piece contributed by a Patch Community Partner, a local brand partner. To learn more,click here.