Sonia Rodriguez to perform in Cleveland

Ballet in the City, a presentation company that showcases the nation’s top professional ballet dancers for performances and programming, brings National Ballet of Canada Principal Dancer Sonia Rodriguez to Cleveland’s Playhouse Square for A Ballerina’s Legacy on Saturday, September 17 at 7:30 pm.

A Ballerina’s Legacy is Rodriguez’s own evening of ballet. She will share her personal journey of becoming one of the world’s most loved ballerinas. The up-close-and-personal show will highlight some of Rodriguez’s favorite ballets, from the classical to the contemporary. She will perform excerpts from Sleeping Beauty, the Peasant solo and “mad scene” from Giselle, “Dying Swan” from Carnival of the Animals, and her own piece Vientos del Sur, which is accompanied by live guitar and vocals. Piotr Stanczyk, a fellow principal dancer at the National Ballet of Canada, will be a special guest.

Rodriguez recently celebrated her 25th anniversary with the National Ballet of Canada. She joined with Ballet in the City in her mission to connect personally with young dancers and balletomanes about what it’s really like to dance professionally. Her success onstage as one of Canada’s leading ladies and offstage as a mother of two boys takes center stage in this intimate performance. 

“I was honored when Sonia contacted us about presenting a show with her about the legacy of her career. For someone so beloved and celebrated in the ballet world for so many years to want to work with us was a testament to our work,” said Ballet in the City Executive Director and Founder Jessica Wallis.

Ballet in the City will also present master ballet classes with Rodriguez and Piotr on Sunday, September 18 at the Gund Dance Studio in Playhouse Square. Tickets for the show and the master ballet classes are available at balletinthecity.org.

A Ballerina’s Legacy is Rodriguez’s first presentation in Ohio. The organization’s growth and success over the past four years has evolved into a nationwide movement and mission to bring ballet performances and programming to cities across the country.

Photo: Sonia Rodriguez. Photo by Gretchen Noelle Photography.