One of Estrella’s most popular community events, Ballet Under the Stars, thrilled a festive crowd of 4,000 people as they sat spellbound on the grassy slopes of Estrella’s Lakeside Amphitheater. Saturday, September 21, was an enchanted evening as talented performers from Ballet Arizona and student performers from Westar Elementary School lit up the night.
City of Goodyear Councilmember Sheri Lauritano and Jeff Zimmerman, vice president of Estrella Development Company kicked off the evening with a warm welcome, followed by a contemporary and classical ballet performance of tango-inspired Piazzolla Caldera; a striking duet from Christopher Wheeldon’s Within the Golden Hour; and an excerpt from Ib Andersen’s Swan Lake.
Topping off the evening, after the children performed, Councilmember Lauritano helped Jeff Zimmerman hand out commemorative roses, provided by Estrella’s developers, letting each performing child know how proud the community is of their courage to share their talents on such a big stage.
Food trucks lined the perimeter of the venue, providing plenty of tasty dishes as a Harvest Moon and gentle breeze made it the perfect Arizona evening for the attendees seated on picnic blankets and lawn chairs up and down the lakefront.
For more than a decade, this annual free event has been open to the public at Estrella’s Lakeside Amphitheater in Goodyear. Each year, the City of Goodyear Arts & Culture Division and Ballet Arizona, a nationally recognized ballet company, present awe-inspiring contemporary and classical ballet excerpts. The performances are the perfect introduction to the arts for young children, many of whom may be inspired by ballet for the first time at Ballet Under the Stars.
For information on Ballet Arizona’s 2024-2025 season visit balletaz.org.
