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AFRICAN-AMERICAN BALLET ICON ROBYN GARDENHIRE WILL SHARE HER REMARKABLE JOURNEY FEBRUARY 27 AT PASADENA SENIOR CENTER

Los Angeles City Ballet company Founder and Artistic Director Robyn Gardenhire, a leader in the African-American and Los Angeles ballet and dance world, will share her inspiring story a special Black History month Cultural Thursday event on Thursday, Feb. 27 at 2 p.m. onsite at the Pasadena Senior Center.

The event is free for Pasadena Senior Center members, and $5 for non-members and reservations are suggested. To register or for more information, visit www.pasadenaseniorcenter.org and click on Special Events, or call 626-795-4331.

Gardenhire began her ballet and dance journey as a young girl growing up in Lynwood, CA. Her mother, who dreamed of becoming a dancer herself, enrolled Robyn in local ballet lessons at the age of three at a predominately African-American ballet school in Compton. Soon, Robyn displayed her talents and trained with top ballet instructors before being offered a position in the Joffrey II company at the age of 16. After dancing with the Joffrey and the Cleveland Ballet, she was offered a position with the American Ballet Theater (ABT) by Mikhail Baryshnikov.

While at ABT, Gardenhire challenged the company to diversify its ranks. Her efforts led to a scholarship with ABT’s Summer Intensive Program for Misty Copeland, who later became their first African-American woman principal dancer.

Now, with the Los Angeles City Ballet that she founded in 2000, Gardenhire focuses on enabling students of color and those who are economically disadvantaged to access a ballet education. She has also served on the boards of several ballet organizations, advocating for the power of diversity.

For 65 years, Pasadena Senior Center’s mission has been to improve the lives of older adults through caring service with opportunities for social interaction, fitness programs, basic support and needs services, education, volunteerism and community activism. With 10,000 Americans per day becoming older adults, the center is a leader in addressing issues of aging and provides innovative, cutting-edge, nationally recognized programs for this population group.

As a donor-supported nonprofit, the center operates without any local, state or federal funding and provides more services to older adults than any other organization in the San Gabriel Valley. Hours of operation are Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon. To learn more visit www.pasadenaseniorcenter.org or call 626-794-4331.