Dancer one of 12 finalists

Elia Powers

For her fourth birthday, Newport Beach resident Quenby Hersh didn’t

ask for a conventional present. She wasn’t interested in material

gifts.

All she wanted was a ticket to join the prestigious ballet studio,

where she had visited numerous times as a guest.

Quenby got her wish.

Thirteen years later, she is no longer cutting up paper tickets

and distributing them to family members for living room recitals.

Quenby, a veteran of the stage at 17, will represent the Southland

Ballet Academy at a countywide youth showcase tonight.

She is one of 12 finalists who will perform at 7:30 p.m. for

“Tomorrow’s Stars at the Center,” an exhibition of music and dance

held at the Orange County Performing Arts Center’s Founders Hall.

“It’s an honor to be invited to perform,” said Quenby, a junior at

Huntington Beach High School. “It’s a confidence boost to feel that

your hard work is paying off.”

A panel of professional artists selected the teenage finalists out

of a pool of 125 students. The event, in its second year, is hosted

by Broadway performer Jason Graae.

Participants receive free tickets to future Orange County

Performing Arts Center events and are invited to take classes with

center artists.

Quenby was named a finalist in the classical dance category.

Judges also chose performers in classical instrument, classical voice

and musical theater voice disciplines. Fellow Southland Ballet

Academy student Bridgette McNulty was also named a finalist in

classical dance.

Molly Lynch, event judge and dance expert, said Quenby’s strong

dancing technique and sense of style set her apart.

“The way she approaches pieces is appropriate,” Lynch said. “She

has a knack for matching the flavor of the piece with her

performance.”

Quenby said she will be performing two pieces, both of which are

solo sections taken from longer ballets. One is “Paquita Variation,”

a slow, two-minute dance routine; the other is “La Esmerelda

Variation,” an up-tempo, 90-second piece that she describes as

“fiery.”

Quenby said she is going for versatility, which she considers her

strongpoint.

As is durability, which she has learned through three-hour-plus

training and performance sessions after school.

Salwa Rizkalla, Quenby’s dance instructor since age 4, said

motivation never has been a problem.

“From the beginning, she could not wait to get going,” Rizkalla

said. “You can tell if the kids have the discipline and coordination

right away. She had both.”

Rizkalla said Quenby tried jazz dancing and tap in her early years

but found herself best suited for ballet.

While Quenby’s focus has been on local performances, she will get

a look at international stages in the coming year. She is traveling

with Rizkalla to Helsinki, Finland, later this month for a

performance and plans to attend the Royal Ballet School in London

next fall -- a steppingstone to a professional dance career, Quenby

said.

“She’s very mature,” Rizkalla said. “To be alone in England at 17

years old, finishing her studies and taking ballet classes, you have

to have the right personality.”

To Quenby, it’s just the logical next step.

“Ballet is fun for me,” she said. “It’s what I want to do with my

life.”