The Headless Horseman+Viva La Vida, Oceanica Ballet, Oct 26, Halloween and Dia de los Muertos at College of San Mateo Theatre

OCEANICA BALLET PRESENTS
THE HEADLESS HORSEMAN + VIVA LA VIDA

College of San Mateo Theatre
Saturday October 25 at 4pm, $10 Off all seats, Saturday only, No Code Needed
Sunday October 26 at 2pm
Suitable for adults, multigenerational groups, & friends of all ages.
https://www.tix.com/ticket-sales/oceanicaballet/7592

SAN MATEO, CA–Join Oceanica Ballet for festive autumn vibes in an evening of story ballets inspired by Halloween and Día de los Muertos! Oceanica Ballet’s two-act family-friendly production of The Headless Horseman + Viva La Vida returns for 2025. Act One adapts Washington Irving’s “Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” exploring Ichabod as an outsider haunted by cruel townsfolk and the legendary Headless Horseman alike as he seeks a sense of belonging. Act Two features the original story of Lucio and Lupita in a multicultural tale about transcending loss and the resilience of love, celebrated through a joyful folklórico-infused ode to life inspired by Dia de los Muertos. Throughout both stories, the wisdom of women across time and cultures is amplified.
Called “delightful from start to finish” by Jen Norris Dance Reviews, this production is bewitching entertainment for the fall season. “Through clever theatricality... Oceanica Ballet’s cast of dancers bring this story to life with a joie de vivre that has me looking forward to future showings of this work... creating a tradition for family audiences.”
We successfully attract families and friends composed of all age ranges: youngsters with grandparents, groups of young adults with their parents, and friend groups of every age category.

This production contains creepy sounds and spooky puppetry which may affect very young children.

The community college district responsible for the College of San Mateo Theatre is committed to ensuring an inclusive and equitable environment for all, where programs and services are accessible to everyone, regardless of ability.

About Oceanica Ballet
Oceanica Ballet is a group of dynamic artists curated from the Bay Area’s diverse classical dance scene. Oceanica Ballet was formed in 2021 to unite people through the shared experience of dance performance as a reflection of our complex and diverse collective humanity. Our mission is to enliven the San Francisco Bay Area cultural landscape by making professional-level ballet performances accessible and relatable to Bay Area audiences. We enrich the artistic careers of locally-based, professionally trained dance artists of diverse ages, races, genders, sexual orientations, and body types. We create innovative new ballet-based dance works, and interpret classics in fresh and exciting ways.
Oceánica Ballet, Inc. has been designated a Section 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

Photos by Vin Eiamvuthikorn and Graphics by Robert Burns Lowman

About Artistic Co-Director Edgar Lepe
Trained in Folklorico Ballet throughout his youth, Edgar Lepe began studying classical ballet in 2008 at the San Francisco Academy of Ballet under the direction of ballet masters Richard Gibson and Zory Karah.
Edgar has performed in Mexico and the United States with Collage West Ensemble, Compania Mexico Danza, Ensembles Ballet Folklorico of San Francisco, as well as Peninsula Ballet Theatre, Presidio Dance Theatre, Bay Pointe Ballet, and Oakland Ballet. Edgar has choreographed for Bay Pointe Ballet, Bay Area Ballet Conservatory, Peninsula Ballet Theatre, and San Jose Dance International. He currently teaches at Bay Area Ballet Conservatory. Edgar is an Artistic Co-Director of Oceánica Ballet.

About Artistic Co-Director Robert Burns Lowman
Robert Burns Lowman trained at Susan Hayward School of Dancing and holds B.A.s in Dance and Theater & Performance Studies from U.C. Berkeley. He is a recipient of the Mask and Dagger Memorial Prize (2012) and the Rosalyn Schneider Eisner Prize (2013).
Robert has danced in works by Gregory Amato, Marit Brook-Kothlow, Carlos Carvajal, Ron Cunningham, Katie Faulkner, and Scott Wells. At Peninsula Ballet Theatre, Robert performed principal roles in Giselle, The Nutcracker, and Carmen Suite; and was featured as a soloist in the virtual release of The Chrysalis Project. In addition to performing, Robert directed PBT’s annual Dance Makers choreography showcase from 2016-2019 and was PBT Artistic Assistant from 2018-2020. Robert has also performed with em(body) dance project and Ballet Folklórico México Danza, and currently teaches ballet at Bay Area Ballet Conservatory. Robert is an Artistic Co-Director of Oceanica Ballet.

WHO/WHAT: Oceanica Ballet presents The Headless Horseman + Viva La Vida
WHEN: Saturday, October 25th at 4pm; Sunday, October 26th at 2pm
WHERE: College of San Mateo Theatre, Music, Theater, Art Buildings, 1700 W Hillsdale Blvd, San Mateo, CA 94402 

URLs:
YouTube:  https://go.evvnt.com/3192050-4?pid=11710
Website:  https://go.evvnt.com/3192050-5?pid=11710

Artists / Speakers:  Edgar Lepe, Robert Burns Lowman, Alice Wells, Audra Edwards, Kyle Ikuma, Maddie Sager, Shellie Jew, Rowan Williams, Naomi Sailors

Category:  Community | Seasonal | Halloween

Time:  14:00 -  16:00