San Antonio Metropolitan Ballet will celebrate its 25th anniversary with critically acclaimed guest artists and live music at Dance Kaleidoscope 2009, an official Fiesta event that will showcase classical and contemporary works, on Saturday, April 25, at 7:30 p.m. at the Carver Community Cultural Center.*

Lane Alexander, founder/director of the Chicago Human Rhythm Project, will perform. Alexander studied with Susan Beil Connally, artistic director of SA Met, while the dance company was in its infancy. With a performing career that spans more than 30 years on the concert stage, television and film, Alexander led Chicago Human Rhythm Project to become the first dedicated presenter of American tap and contemporary percussive arts in the United States.

Alfonso Martin and Karina Gonzalez, both of the Tulsa Ballet, will also perform. Martin, a native of Spain, has danced professionally in Italy, Spain, Mexico and Brazil. Gonzalez, a native of Venezuela, won the silver medal at the New York International Ballet Competition in 2005. Both have danced principal roles in major ballets, including “Romeo and Juliet,” “The Nutcracker,” and “The Sleeping Beauty.”

San Antonio Symphony Violinist Joan Christenson’s chamber orchestra, Musical Offerings, also celebrating its 25th anniversary, will continue the evening’s artistic showcase. Karin Connally, the ballet company’s administrator and resident choreographer, has created a contemporary piece in collaboration with Musical Offerings called “Communicating with Grace” to music by Kenji Bunch, an American composer.

Tickets, which include a post-show dessert reception with the cast, are $25 for adults, $20 for students and seniors, and $15 for children. Tickets may be purchased in person or over the phone from the Carver Community Cultural Center, located at 226 N. Hackberry, San Antonio, Texas, 78202, (210) 207-2234.