Magic Under the Stars!

An exhilarating evening in the Santa Barbara County Courthouse Gardens! Great Santa Barbara Arts Organizations Collaborate in a Night to Remember! This fourth Annual FIESTA FINALE PERFORMANCE is a dazzling showcase of professional ballet, contemporary and flamenco dance, opera arias, Latin music, and "the paintings that come to life" - all performed by renowned dancers, singers and musicians.

Erin Graffy de Garcia, entertaining authority on Fiesta's rich history and Santa Barbara's cultural life, is M.C. Opera Santa Barbara and State Street Ballet are collaborating to recreate "El Jaleo", the John Singer Sargent painting known to locals from the annual invitation for the Santa Barbara Historical Museum Fiesta Gala. The original painting, hanging in the Gardner Museum of Boston, has been re-created by Santa Barbara muralist Entera. Richard Weiss, President of the Opera Guild, says, "This is a real coup - to present so many dimensions of the art world at once." The dance sequence, with choreography by Rodney Gustafson, is a glimpse of State Street Ballet's exciting and varied repertoire performed nationally and internationally.

Popular orchestra conductor Gisele Ben Dor has arranged for a preview of Santa Barbara Symphony's upcoming Tango & Malumbo Festival, with Argentine musicians and dancers. Marie Profant, a founder of the John E. Profant Foundation for the Arts says, "Thanks to Gisele and Symphony President Linda Hedgepeth, the Symphony is adding a significant treat for the community." Francisco Martinez Dancetheatre from Los Angeles presents "Cinnamon Flower," a ballet set to traditional Peruvian folk songs as sung by Maria Dolores Pradera. The esteemed FMDT, founded in 1981, performs throughout Southern California. Its honored director, Francisco Martinez, received the 1999 and 2000 Lester Horton Dance Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Choreography. (To enjoy an evening of his works at the Ford Amphitheater on September 5, with transportation and box dinners, contact 805-682-8184) Fascinating Rhythm, based in Santa Barbara and led by David Alvarez and Julia Maluta, performs their signature duets of exotic rumba. Alvarez and Maluta are esteemed for their accomplishments in professional competitions and as teachers of social and competitive dancing.

A highlight of the FIESTA FINALE PERFORMANCE is Marcellina de Luna, internationally acclaimed dancer of flamenco, in "The Painting that Comes to Life." She has performed extensively in Spain and throughout the United States, including with Placido Domingo and the Los Angeles Opera, and with Andy Garcia in the feature film "Lorca." Marcellina has created her own company, Califa Danza Flamenco.

The music of the Martinez Brothers, an additional delight during the FIESTA FINALE performance, will be played as the Gala Patrons descend from the balcony to the garden dance floor, and find their tables laden with Café Buenos Aires' Argentine flan, fruit and wine from local vintners. These candlelit tables, twinkling throughout the evening, represent the stars of our community who have underwritten this free Fiesta Finale public performance, and the scholarships given to artists by The John E. Profant Foundation for the Arts. Scholarship Finalists, in Art, Music, Dance, Theatre, and Literature, will be announced during the evening.

Four Seasons Biltmore offers special room rates for guests of Fiesta Finale Gala. Call (805) 565-8299 to reserve rooms. Limited availability. Profant Foundation scholarships and the Fiesta Finale are funded through community support in the form of contributions, grants and bequests. Special individuals have made contributions in memory of, or in honor of, someone important in their life, continuing their legacy and impacting artists of all ages. http://profant.org/legacy/   (more photos)