Travel Back to Ancient Times :: The Columbia City Ballet Presents Cleopatra

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Columbia SC Moms Blog is honored to partner with Columbia City Ballet to bring our readers the following post.

The epic story of Cleopatra will return to the Koger Center for one day only on March 24 with two captivating performances. Ballerina, Regina Willoughby will star as the Egyptian Queen, Cleopatra, in her retirement performance following more than 20 years of dancing with Columbia City Ballet. Executive and Artistic Director, William Starrett, utilizes thoughtful choreography, exquisite costumes, and magnificently resplendent, colossal sets which could have been lifted from the Nile delta itself, to bring this ancient tale to life.

Originally staged in February 2008, Starrett created the role of Cleopatra for Willoughby. The ballet features original lavish set designs depicting ancient Egyptian architecture and live animals including a camel, cat and snakes.

“I created Cleopatra for Regina because her beauty and strength reminds me so much of Elizabeth Taylor, who was featured in the 1963 film version, which was the most expensive film ever made that time. Regina’s strength, beauty and passion expressed through her dancing made her a natural fit to represent this ancient Egyptian legend.” – William Starrett, Artistic and Executive Director.
Cleopatra is the story of the Egyptian Queen’s seduction of the two most powerful men in the world at the time, Julius Caesar and Mark Antony. As war erupts between Egypt and Rome, Cleopatra uses her skills of cleverness, deception, and seduction to save her kingdom, ultimately becoming the most powerful female ruler of the ancient world.

Willoughby began dancing at the age of 8 at Ballet Midland in Texas. At 15, she was awarded a scholarship to study at Virginia School of the Arts, where she graduated. She also studied at Westside in Los Angeles and with the Joffrey Ballet in New York. Miss Willoughby began her professional dance career at Ballet Austin before joining Columbia City Ballet in 1997. She has starred in the title roles in Cinderella, Romeo & Juliet, The Sleeping Beauty and, of course, Cleopatra, along with numerous other lead roles. After more than 20 years with Columbia City Ballet, Willoughby enters retirement at the conclusion of the Company’s 57th Performance Season.

In celebration of Willoughby’s accomplishments, Columbia City Ballet is hosting a Cleopatra Farewell Gala in her honor. The fundraiser is being held at the Capital City Club immediately following the final performance of Cleopatra and will feature a unique showcase of Miss Willoughby’s costumes from her many performances and a film and photo collage of her 20-year performance history with the company. The sit-down dinner is black tie and will be accompanied by a silent auction.

Cleopatra will be presented at the Koger Center for the Performing Arts on March 24th at 1:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. A special Princess Tea will precede the matinee performance at 12:00 p.m. Tickets for both the Princess Tea and the Cleopatra Farewell Gala, may be purchased by calling the Columbia City Ballet office at 803-799-7605. Performance tickets for Cleopatra are available online or by phoning 803-251-2222. For more information, visit www.columbiacityballet.com.

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Tiffany Nettles
Tiffany traded in back-to-back business meetings and PowerPoint presentations, for sippy cups and play dates – leaving her corporate job behind to become a stay at home mom to her 16-month-old toddler. To say life is different is an understatement, and she now has a new found love and respect for the “hardest” (and best!) job she’s ever had. A native South Carolinian, Tiffany is best described as kind-hearted and friendly, with a quick sense of humor. When she’s not toting her little one around town to the latest kid friendly activity, you can find her enjoying a latte at Drip, catching up on the latest celebrity gossip magazines, or watching old reruns of Beverly Hills 90210 from the early 90′s. She received her Masters Degree in Integrated Communications from the University of South Carolina in 2007, and enjoys reading, writing and all things "mom."

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