On June 30, cultural history was made as ‘Gala de Danza. brought together 15 of the most renowned international dancers to share the stage at the Pabellón Cultural Theater in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
This one night only performance was produced by Los Cabos resident Christina Lyon, formerly of American Ballet Theatre and English National Ballet, in collaboration with Lulu Tellez of Dance Tellez, Cabo’s premier ballet school.
A year in the making, “Gala de Danza” was designed to bring the world’s elite artists to Mexico in an event to enrich the community. According to Lyon, “Rarely are people given the opportunity to see artists of this caliber together on one stage; and not just here in Los Cabos, but anywhere in the world.”
Partners of Gala de Danza included Ron Hatfield, President of Del Mar Development – developer of the luxury residential resort community Villas Del Mar where Lyon is a resident. Hatfield said, “Del Mar was thrilled to be part of this cultural event which brought the Los Cabos community together and showcased such world-renowned talent.”
Over 14 numbers were performed from a variety of dance genres, including classical ballet, contemporary Latin dance, and ballroom dancing.
A highlight of the event was when local resident Mariana Carrillo joined the international stars on stage, illustrating the technique she honed as a student at Danza Téllez. Carrillo will continue to study under Lyon as well as at Southland Ballet in California this fall.
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“It was amazing to see a standing ovation after each performance,” said Lyon. “That right there proved that there’s an un-tapped audience for dance in Los Cabos. Now that we’ve created so much excitement and buzz in the community, we’re looking to continue the event as an annual tradition.
“I think that in years to come, audiences from all over the world will fly in to see this. To be able to say you went to Los Cabos and saw some of the greatest superstars in dance is just a wonderful opportunity. It’s just a wonderful opportunity to see beautiful artistry in an extraordinary place!”
“One of the reasons for this event was to encourage Téllez’s students to see what artists do; to make them hungry and eager to see that they too can have a career in dance. Showing students the possibilities – and bringing the arts to Cabo – has been emotionally rewarding for the dancers as well,” explained Lyon. “After the show, everyone was saying to each other, ‘Same time next year?’”
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Los Cabos’ Mayor Jose Antonio Agúndez Montaño was on hand to welcome the audience and dancers, offering increased support for cultural events of this nature in the city going forward. He also presented an award to Lyon and Tellez in gratitude for bringing this event to the people of Los Cabos.
Del Mar Development welcomed the performers on their first night in Los Cabos with a beach party, and hosted the post event cocktail party at its private beach club, Club Ninety Six, as a thank you to everyone involved.
