Our Town

Zócalo Public Square—with Palisadian Executive Director Moira Shourie—won two awards at the 17th annual National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards, which were hosted by the LA Press Club at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel on December 1, 2024. “The Black Songwriter Who Took Nashville by Storm” by Robert Marovich was awarded first place in Commentary Analysis/Trend, Music, and “The Genius Mexican Composer History Forgot” by Oliver Mayer won third place in Commentary Analysis/Trend, Other Arts. Above: Shourie and Anna Gasparyan of Zócalo Public Square were joined by musician Melissa Etheridge, who was honored with the Distinguished Storyteller Award.

Westside Ballet of Santa Monica—which is home to Palisadian dancers—collaborated with The Ballet Agency to provide more than 70 student, professional and recreational dancers who were impacted by the Los Angeles fires with support.

The two programs hosted a Dancewear Drive on February 23 and 24 at Westside Ballet, allowing dancers and their families, ranging in age from 2 to 75, to collect dancewear they needed at no cost, “ensuring they can continue their training without the added burden of replacing their essential gear.”

“Through a collaborative effort, The Ballet Agency, led by professional ballerina Brittany Cavaco, coordinated a successful drive to collect new and gently used dancewear from major dance brands, including Bloch, Discount Dance, Capezio, Blue Water Dance, Freed, Suffolk and Orza, collectively contributing over $80,000 worth of new and gently used items,” read a statement. “Additionally, the ballet community organized personalized collections from dance studios and companies nationwide, ensuring that each dancer received the right size and gear to return to the studio and stage.”

Above: Cavaco is pictured with Westside Ballet Artistic Director Martine Harley along with ballet students Olivia Legowiecki (right) and Addison Russell (left) at the drive. Harley and Legowiecki are Sunset Mesa residents, and Russell is from the Huntington.