Dancers Not on Their Toes for Benefit

Members of Ballet Pacifica are used to pointed toes and pirouettes, but at Sunday night’s Be-Bop and Burgers benefit at Ruby’s Jaguar Diner in Newport Beach, they traded in their ballet shoes and danced the jitterbug.

“No point shoes!” said a happy Paula Hoffner, who has been dancing with Ballet Pacifica for 10 years. “It’s a welcome change.”

Many of the 175 guests, some of whom who wore saddle shoes, poodle skirts and ponytails in keeping with the ‘50s theme, joined the dancers for a twirl on the floor. The Newport Imports showroom adjacent to Ruby’s had been cleared of its Jaguars for the benefit.

“We wanted to do something fun,” said Molly Lynch, director of Ballet Pacifica in Laguna Beach. In keeping with the be-bop theme, Lynch wore a full “poodle skirt minus the poodle,” she said, and “ faux saddle shoes” made by painting black over the instep of her white tennis shoes.

“This is more casual than the usual ballroom-style dinner dance,” she said.

Twistin’ the night away

When they weren’t dancing, guests sipped malts and ate burgers and fries from Ruby’s car trays, normally reserved for children’s orders. They were surrounded by bobbing balloons in classic ballerina colors--black for leotards, pink for tights and white for shoes.

“The ‘50s theme went hand-in-hand with Ruby’s,” said Kim Cubeiro, event chairman. “This was an easy party to organize.”

A disc jockey kept things hopping with classic Elvis, Chuck Berry and other ‘50s tunes.

The four dancers who performed the jitterbug had spent the day rehearsing for the ballet’s upcoming performance of the “Nutcracker.” Hoffner, who works a full-time job in addition to her ballet duties, puts in about 25 hours a week with the dance company.

“It’s a lot of hard work but it’s all I’ve known for 23 years,” she said. “I’d be lost without my dancing.”

On their toes

Ballet Pacifica, Orange County’s oldest regional dance company, has launched many dancers’ careers. Irvine Mayor Sally Anne Sheridan, an advisory member of the Ballet Pacifica board, has two daughters who danced with the company. One daughter, Laurie Miller, has since become principal dancer with the Cleveland Ballet.

“This company is one of my longtime loves,” Sheridan said.

Proceeds from the $35-a-ticket event will go toward operating costs of the company, which includes 15 dancers. Lynch plans to use the proceeds--about $2,500--to commission young American choreographers to work with the company on contemporary dances.

“This is the first of what I hope will become an annual event,” Lynch said. “We’re trying to provide good quality dance to the community.”

Among those attending the ballet bop: Doug Cavanaugh, president of Ruby’s; Scott Carnahan, Ballet Pacifica board president; planning committee members Nancy Christensen, Luisa Gulley and Melissa Holmes, and board members Tatiana Barton, Beverly Carmichael, Kim Leider, Anne Nutt, Gena Mezo, Martha Morgan, Michele O’Leary, Barbara Stuart, Hedy Szabo, Ruth Urban and ballet company founder Lila Zali.