Local News in Brief : Gang Youths to See Ballet

Dance students of El Centro Wilshire Family Center, including about 25 Salvadoran gang members, will get to see some arabesques after all--compliments of Joffrey Ballet.

The ballet company had rescinded 100 free tickets for El Centro because of fears of gang violence. The students include members of the Mara Salvatrucha gang, which police called “one of the more violent and criminally inclined in the city.”

But Joffrey and Music Center officials met with the center’s leaders Friday and agreed to provide complimentary passes to some future performances. Maria Ross, who teaches dance at the center, located near downtown Los Angeles, said that confrontations with rival gangs had been the primary concern. As a precaution, the group will not publicize which performances the students will attend, she said.