Marie Antoinette Meets Hip-Hop: The Ballet Fusion Coming to Biltmore Los Angeles

Picture this: you’re sipping Earl Grey from fine china, nibbling on delicate French macarons, when suddenly Marie Antoinette herself glides into the room — but instead of a traditional minuet, she’s moving to fresh beats with ballet-meets-hip-hop choreography that would make even the Sun King applaud. Welcome to “Let Them Eat Cake,” an immersive theatrical experience that's rewriting the rules of both afternoon tea and dance performance.

When Versailles Crashes Into Downtown L.A.

This Sunday, September 14, the opulent halls of The Biltmore Los Angeles will transform into the lavish court of Versailles for an afternoon that promises to be anything but ordinary. The Pasadena Civic Ballet is serving up a revolutionary fusion performance that blends classical ballet's grace with hip-hop's rhythm and power — think Swan Lake with a modern twist, where powdered wigs and pointe shoes meet contemporary movement.

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The Company Behind the Magic

Founded in 1980 by Elly Charlotte Van-Dyke, Pasadena Civic Ballet Company (PCB) is a not-for-profit organization of pre-professional and professional dancers dedicated to presenting original productions that both challenge its students and enrich the local community.

For over 40 years, PCB has been training children, teens, and adults in the art and discipline of dance. Its members — accepted by audition or by invitation from the directors — are serious, talented students performing at a remarkably high level. The Company is divided into three groups: Junior, Teen, and Senior Companies, ensuring that dancers of all ages have an opportunity to shine.

Under the direction of Artistic Directors Diane De Franco Browne, Tania Grafos, and Zoe Vidalakis (who collectively bring over 50 years of choreography and performance experience), PCB’s faculty boasts backgrounds with American Ballet Theater, Beijing Dance Theater, Joffrey Ballet, and Hungarian State Ballet. Their work connects students to a tradition that includes collaborations with George Balanchine, Antony Tudor, Twyla Tharp, Martha Graham, and Agnes De Mille.

More Than Just a Performance

But here's where things get deliciously interactive. This isn't your grandmother's recital where you sit politely and clap at the end. “Let Them Eat Cake” is designed as a full sensory experience. Between the two afternoon seatings (1 p.m. and 3 p.m.), guests will feast on an authentic French-inspired afternoon tea service featuring delicate pastries that would make Marie Antoinette herself jealous — though hopefully with better historical outcomes.

The real magic happens when the performance spills off the stage and into the audience. Photo opportunities with the costumed performers allow guests to capture Instagram-worthy moments that blur the line between spectator and participant. And just when you think you've seen it all, the cast offers waltz lessons, inviting everyone to step into the shoes — or rather, the satin slippers — of French nobility.

The Biltmore Effect

The choice of venue adds another layer to the experience. The Biltmore Los Angeles, with its royal glamour and old Hollywood mystique, provides the perfect backdrop for this temporal mashup. Built in 1923, the hotel has hosted everyone from U.S. presidents to Academy Award ceremonies. Its ornate ballrooms and gilded details echo Versailles' opulence while maintaining distinctly American grandeur.

Beyond the Spectacle

What makes “Let Them Eat Cake” particularly smart is how it uses spectacle to educate. Guests leave not just entertained, but with a deeper appreciation for dance history, French culture, and the creative possibilities that emerge when artists dare to cross traditional boundaries. It's edutainment at its finest — learning disguised as indulgence.

For L.A.'s culture-hungry audience, this represents the kind of innovative programming that keeps the city's arts scene vital and relevant. In a town where entertainment is both industry and identity, “Let Them Eat Cake” offers something genuinely fresh: a chance to be both audience and participant in a story that spans centuries and continents.

Reserve Your Seat

After all, if you're going to let them eat cake, why not dance while you do it? Grab your tickets here for both afternoon seatings.