Boca Ballet Theatre

BBT welcomed Vladimir Issaev to the studio last week to teach the dancers attending The Directors’ Summer intensive! Issaev is currently Ballet Master, Choreographer, and Artistic Director of Arts Ballet Theatre of Florida and former Ballet Master of Ballet Nacional de Caracas-Teresa Carreño and Miami City Ballet School. We were grateful to have him share his knowledge with our students!

As we count down to La Bayadère on August 1-2, we’re offering a sneak peek at the sets and special effects audiences can look forward to in this spectacular production!

To create the illusion of a mystical India, our technical crew will bring some of our most ornate sets and backdrops to the stage—from the forested temple where Nikiya and the temple dancers tend the sacred flame to the gilded, opulent interiors of the Raja’s royal palace, where Solor and Princess Gamzatti celebrate their engagement. Perhaps most memorable is Act III’s Kingdom of the Shades, where dancers playing wandering spirits descend a ramp shrouded in fog. Bathed in cool blue light onstage, the dancers seem to appear out of the darkness—or, as one will learn, out of a dream!

To create the sense of magic this production is known for, BBT’s crew has plenty of special effects in store, including flickering flames and mysterious mists. Of course, we have other surprises in store as well, which we won’t spoil for you now! You’ll have to come to the show yourself to see how our dancers and crew bring La Bayadère to life!

Join us in congratulating Susan B. Buck, BBT’s 2026 Volunteer Woman of the Year! Learn more about Susan’s service to Company and her community at bocaballet.org/news/susan-buck-bbts-woman-volunteer-of-the-year!