BY KAREN BOSSICK

Tickets are now on sale for Ballet Sun Valley’s performance featuring San Francisco Ballet School Pre-Professional dancers.

The 14 dancers hail from Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, South Korea and the United States.

They will perform at 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday, Oct. 23 and 24, at The Argyros Center for Performing Arts in Ketchum. Tickets are available at  https://ci.ovationtix.com/35937/production/1249254

The Ballet School’s pre-professional dancers performed last year in Ketchum to rave reviews by those who saw them.

This year’s performances will feature unique repertoire that highlights the versatility of the dancers. The repertoire includes:

Excerpts from Raymonda choreographed by San Francisco Ballet Artistic Director Tamara Rojo

Time will Softly Lull choreographed by San Francisco Ballet Corps de ballet dancer, Davide Occhipinti

Shadows choreographed by pre-professional artist Kenzie Andrews

Flames of Paris pas de deux choreographed after Vasily Vainonen.

Two world premieres, yet to be titled, are choreographed by San Francisco Ballet Soloist  Myles Thatcher and Karen Gabay.

Additional works will be announced in the coming weeks.

The performances will mark the first time the dancers have performed onstage together after convening in San Francisco in mid-August.

"It is an exciting time for our pre-professional students to be performing at The Argyros,” said Grace Holmes, the school’s director. “The opportunity to perform builds confidence and really lets them shine in this art form that we all love so much. Being a participant in the creative process of new works and working on classic ballets lends a new depth to their artistry and technical strengths, preparing our trainees for the professional ballet world. It is a lovely way to start the new season!"

While in the Wood River Valley, Pascal Molat, the associate director of the San Francisco Ballet Trainee Program, will teach a master class for local dance students at Footlight Dance Centre. Pascal trained at Paris Opera Ballet School and eventually joined San Francisco Ballet as a Principal Dancer.

The class will be offered at no charge to the students, thanks to the generosity of San Francisco Ballet School and Ballet Sun Valley donors.

San Francisco Ballet Trainee Program, established in 2004, is a Pre-Professional program comprised of students chosen from the School's advanced levels as well as from auditions. This comprehensive program provides the experience necessary to ease the transition from student to professional dancer, while offering personal attention in a  nurturing environment.

Dancers who wish to pursue a career as a professional ballet dancer are hand-picked by the Artistic Director, School Director, and Associate Director of the Trainee Program. Trainees participate in daily ballet technique class, as well as pointe, batterie, and pas de deux classes taught by SF Ballet School faculty members. Trainees also participate in workshops on teaching a ballet class, choreography, and stagecraft.

Ballet Sun Valley is a nonprofit organization that brings performances from the ballet world’s most celebrated dancers and choreographers to Sun Valley.